Written by one of the women on my July Mom internet boards. So true...
10. Friends and family members keep hounding you wanting to know where the baby is, like you have some magical future seeing gift that has never been utilized until now...
9. You are exhausted, sleep deprived, and hormonal, and you know that having your baby isn't going to solve these problems but only multiply them.
8. You think, "It's ok if I am a bit overdue, it will give me time to catch up on reading all those baby books I ordered first trimester." READER BEWARE...For each piece of advice found in Book # 1 will harm your baby and set them on the path of destruction for the rest of their life according to Book #2.
7. Oh, and that baby bag you had to have packed at week 36, "just in case" has now been ripped open multiple times. You are now more unorganized than you were before. It's like you are living out of a hotel suitcase. (Not to mention the car seat that has be installed and uninstalled six times...)
6. Hoping to find solace in other womens' situations, you get on the Bump July Forum to read about other women in your shoes and can only find birth story posts... Maybe its time to switch to the August board...
5. You decide to use the beginning of your maternity leave productively by organizing and cleaning your entire house, only to have it get dirty in the 3 weeks you have been waiting to go into labor... Everyday that goes by with no baby means more OCD obsessed behavior picking up tiny crumbs that only you can see and organizing your baby books alphabetically by the author's last name.
4. Every twinge or pain you have somehow tricks your mind into thinking you are going into labor. "My left buttcheek is really sore today..., maybe it is pressure from the baby and it is an early labor sign..." It looks like I will be spending the next 3 hours searching google.
3. When you actually have enough energy to find a decent outfit and venture out of your air conditioned home, you are bombarded with people not only staring at you, but asking the most personal questions about your pregnancy stats. In some cases, after politely answering these well meaning people, you get to hear their personal stories about child birth and child rearing...
2. You get excited for your weekly internal check only to be disappointed by one of two things... Scenario #1- You have made no progress. Scenario #2- You have made progress and when telling friends and family, you hear various stories about how that doesn't really matter because so and so walked around 5 cm dilated and 100% effaced for 3 weeks. "I mean the baby was practically hanging out of her and she STILL wasn't in active labor." (This could be a slight exaggeration :)
1. At any given moment, it is possible that a strong gush of water may come bursting out of your vagina. Therefore, when you are sane enough to even leave the privacy of your own home, you start imagining it happening everywhere you go and scheme a possible, "My water just broke plan" incase it does happen. When you return home with your water still in tact, you actually find yourself disappointed that you didn't get to dash to your car with a huge wet spot on your now too small for me maternity shorts at Walmart with everyone staring...
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
I wonder when I'll write about anything not baby-related again...
Sorry folks, it's all I've got right now. Baby Girl and her arrival is all I think about these days.
After a couple of hard and emotional days, I'm having a surge of positivity, so I thought I'd write about it.
I had my check for progress yesterday. The creepy Dr. from my practice had the only available appointment and I was scheduled to meet with him....but then God intervened and sent Dr. Creepy to an emergency c-section and I got to see the awesome midwife. I was a little upset to find out that I was only 1cm dilated, but happy for a "free" centimeter. None of the random contractions I've been having have been painful. On another positive note, Baby Girl is at a -2 station. In other words, she is super low which will help to dilate me some more. Most of you don't live here, but the midwife said that if Norwalk is the exit, then our baby is in Wesport (that's one town away). She said she could feel baby's head. She also commented that I have a nice size pelvis. I took it as a compliment and know that this will help in the pushing stage. Of all the parts involved in labor, I'm most nervous about pushing (and being one of the lucky few who get to push for 3 hours).
Baby Girl was unusually inactive last night and after barely feeling her move this morning, I called my Dr. at 7:40am. It just so happens that every time we've had to go to labor and delivery, it is a Thursday and she is on call. We got there around 8am and were discharged at 9. Baby Girl was moving a lot during the monitoring and my Dr. said that there is a very happy baby in there and that she wishes all the babies she saw looked like that.....made me smile. Andrew and I got some breakfast and I dropped him off to take a later train to work.
I decided to go for my daily walk when I got back home (I've been walking 3-3.5 miles a day for the last 10 days). I couldn't get over how AMAZING the weather was. As I walked by the river, looked up at the clear blue sky, felt the 75 degree sun (with no humdity!) and the breeze through my hair, I couldn't help but think that God made this day just for me. It was exactly what I needed. Instead of getting upset that I didn't have Baby Girl to push in a stroller, I was thrilled to be strolling along and taking her on a walk in my belly.
And then it REALLY hit me.....all the things I've dreamed about since I was a little girl are coming true. I have the most amazing husband in the whole world...handsome, crazy intelligent, athletic, makes me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world, would do anything for me and his friends/family, just freaking awesome man, and this bundle of perfection I'm about to give birth to. I was obsessed with playing house when I was little, and this is so much better than I ever imagined. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like when she gets here. Thank you, God. Thank you. I don't feel like I deserve this life, but somehow You love me enough to give it to me. In our bible study last night (with the greatest group of people by the way), one of our friends mentioned this verse. I've heard it a million times, but this time, it really stuck with me. I hope it brings something to your heart today:
After a couple of hard and emotional days, I'm having a surge of positivity, so I thought I'd write about it.
I had my check for progress yesterday. The creepy Dr. from my practice had the only available appointment and I was scheduled to meet with him....but then God intervened and sent Dr. Creepy to an emergency c-section and I got to see the awesome midwife. I was a little upset to find out that I was only 1cm dilated, but happy for a "free" centimeter. None of the random contractions I've been having have been painful. On another positive note, Baby Girl is at a -2 station. In other words, she is super low which will help to dilate me some more. Most of you don't live here, but the midwife said that if Norwalk is the exit, then our baby is in Wesport (that's one town away). She said she could feel baby's head. She also commented that I have a nice size pelvis. I took it as a compliment and know that this will help in the pushing stage. Of all the parts involved in labor, I'm most nervous about pushing (and being one of the lucky few who get to push for 3 hours).
Baby Girl was unusually inactive last night and after barely feeling her move this morning, I called my Dr. at 7:40am. It just so happens that every time we've had to go to labor and delivery, it is a Thursday and she is on call. We got there around 8am and were discharged at 9. Baby Girl was moving a lot during the monitoring and my Dr. said that there is a very happy baby in there and that she wishes all the babies she saw looked like that.....made me smile. Andrew and I got some breakfast and I dropped him off to take a later train to work.
I decided to go for my daily walk when I got back home (I've been walking 3-3.5 miles a day for the last 10 days). I couldn't get over how AMAZING the weather was. As I walked by the river, looked up at the clear blue sky, felt the 75 degree sun (with no humdity!) and the breeze through my hair, I couldn't help but think that God made this day just for me. It was exactly what I needed. Instead of getting upset that I didn't have Baby Girl to push in a stroller, I was thrilled to be strolling along and taking her on a walk in my belly.
And then it REALLY hit me.....all the things I've dreamed about since I was a little girl are coming true. I have the most amazing husband in the whole world...handsome, crazy intelligent, athletic, makes me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world, would do anything for me and his friends/family, just freaking awesome man, and this bundle of perfection I'm about to give birth to. I was obsessed with playing house when I was little, and this is so much better than I ever imagined. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like when she gets here. Thank you, God. Thank you. I don't feel like I deserve this life, but somehow You love me enough to give it to me. In our bible study last night (with the greatest group of people by the way), one of our friends mentioned this verse. I've heard it a million times, but this time, it really stuck with me. I hope it brings something to your heart today:
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
No update on the impatience
Well, Baby Girl is still an inside baby and I'm still as impatient as ever. Thankfully, my Dr. is checking me for dilation tomorrow, so I'll at least have an idea of what kind of progress I'm making. It was 95 and humid today....thankfully a cold front is coming through tomorrow. Between the heat, lack of sleep, and the notion that my body wasn't supposed to hold her in this long, I'm starting to lose it!
Even though I really thought we would have met Baby Girl by last weekend, I was thankful for a fun weekend with friends. We hung out at our friend's pool, drank (I didn't get any of the fun stuff though), ate, and laughed a lot. I know that carefree times like that are going to be few and far between for the next few years.
Andrew has been AMAZING. I had a minor breakdown today because I was not feeling well and he just sat next to me and said "Cry" and just stroked my hair. I cried and whined about how I wanted to go into labor and then got the oreos out of the cabinet.
38 week photos:
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Even though I really thought we would have met Baby Girl by last weekend, I was thankful for a fun weekend with friends. We hung out at our friend's pool, drank (I didn't get any of the fun stuff though), ate, and laughed a lot. I know that carefree times like that are going to be few and far between for the next few years.
Andrew has been AMAZING. I had a minor breakdown today because I was not feeling well and he just sat next to me and said "Cry" and just stroked my hair. I cried and whined about how I wanted to go into labor and then got the oreos out of the cabinet.
38 week photos:
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
I know, I know, God, I have to work on my patience...
Remember when I was asking for prayers for Baby Girl to stay in me? Well, now, I would like you to pray for HER TO GET.OUT.NOW! ummmm I mean, prayers for patience please.
With everything done and ready for Baby Girl's arrival, I've found myself with a lot of time for self-reflection. When I get up to pee for the 2nd or 3rd time each night and then lay in bed for about 20 min. until I fall back asleep, I often find myself having a conversation with God. I tell him how ready I am to meet our daughter, how uncomfortable I've become, how I don't think I can get any bigger, how I so appreciate letting her get to full term, but that I just can't take the anticipation anymore!!! With every contraction (yup, still getting them), I plead for another with the hour. And then I feel or hear Him tell me to be patient- to go back to sleep and this miracle inside of me will come at just the perfect time. I know His timing is perfect and I try to hang on to that...but it is SO hard.
I feel one of her feet (can't tell which one) all the time on the right side of my belly. I love rubbing it and wish I could some how be flexible enough to give it a little kiss. I really can't wait to hold her.
Andrew said he was excited yesterday too. We went on a 4 mile walk yeterday and he made me iced raspberry leaf tea. I'm trying all the old wives tales except for the castor oil....the side effects are quite the turn off...
Funny story though. If you don't know, I can have quite the potty mouth, especially when I'm angry. But Andrew, RARELY if ever, swears. Well we were talking about how close the day was and out of nowhere he went...."woah, we are having a EFFING (only said the word) baby within the month". I burst out laughing. I forget that while the reality of our situation has been with me 24 hours a day for the last 9 months, that he is only getting glimpes of our impending parenthood. I can't wait to see him with her!
Baby Girl update:
Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.
How far along?: 37w!
How big is baby?: she feels big
Weight gain/loss?: well, I'm over 30 and stopped looking
Stretch marks?: still nada!
Maternity clothes?: everyday, unless you count Andrew's gym shorts.
Sleep?: spotty, but enough for me to function and not be a total psycho
Food cravings?: I asked Andrew to go to Walgreens yesterday and get me skittles, starbursts, and gummy bears. He's awesome.
Gender?: sweet baby girl
Movement?: Lots, and it hurts now - not her kicks, but rather her head bumps that seem to be on my cervix.
Belly button?: still only half out.
What are you looking forward to this week?: labor, please.
![]()
With everything done and ready for Baby Girl's arrival, I've found myself with a lot of time for self-reflection. When I get up to pee for the 2nd or 3rd time each night and then lay in bed for about 20 min. until I fall back asleep, I often find myself having a conversation with God. I tell him how ready I am to meet our daughter, how uncomfortable I've become, how I don't think I can get any bigger, how I so appreciate letting her get to full term, but that I just can't take the anticipation anymore!!! With every contraction (yup, still getting them), I plead for another with the hour. And then I feel or hear Him tell me to be patient- to go back to sleep and this miracle inside of me will come at just the perfect time. I know His timing is perfect and I try to hang on to that...but it is SO hard.
I feel one of her feet (can't tell which one) all the time on the right side of my belly. I love rubbing it and wish I could some how be flexible enough to give it a little kiss. I really can't wait to hold her.
Andrew said he was excited yesterday too. We went on a 4 mile walk yeterday and he made me iced raspberry leaf tea. I'm trying all the old wives tales except for the castor oil....the side effects are quite the turn off...
Funny story though. If you don't know, I can have quite the potty mouth, especially when I'm angry. But Andrew, RARELY if ever, swears. Well we were talking about how close the day was and out of nowhere he went...."woah, we are having a EFFING (only said the word) baby within the month". I burst out laughing. I forget that while the reality of our situation has been with me 24 hours a day for the last 9 months, that he is only getting glimpes of our impending parenthood. I can't wait to see him with her!
Baby Girl update:
Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.
How far along?: 37w!
How big is baby?: she feels big
Weight gain/loss?: well, I'm over 30 and stopped looking
Stretch marks?: still nada!
Maternity clothes?: everyday, unless you count Andrew's gym shorts.
Sleep?: spotty, but enough for me to function and not be a total psycho
Food cravings?: I asked Andrew to go to Walgreens yesterday and get me skittles, starbursts, and gummy bears. He's awesome.
Gender?: sweet baby girl
Movement?: Lots, and it hurts now - not her kicks, but rather her head bumps that seem to be on my cervix.
Belly button?: still only half out.
What are you looking forward to this week?: labor, please.
Notables: We saw the town fireworks Sunday night. Baby girl could definitely hear them. And then I got to be being paranoid that she was going to be deaf.
Raspberry picking on Friday:
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