Countdown

I'm due in 12 days. But I say, GET OUT. GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT.

I need my brain back. I need to be able to be rational, calm, patient, nice, and the list goes on, but I CAN'T with these HORMONES going ALL OVER THE PLACE.

38 Weeks

I'm tired
Swollen
Moody as ever
Contracting ALL THE TIME
Sore, although (knock on wood) the sciatic pain hasn't been nearly as horrible this week.
Having a rough time staying asleep
Little to no appetite
Very short fuse...

Appointments:
Monday baby slept most of my NST and they had to wake her up and get her moving. I was annoyed because for once she wasn't kicking me, but I understand they want to see her heart when she's active. The buzzer gave me contractions but there is nothing new there.

Thursday she was so active they had me lay on my side to kind of keep her in one spot so she'd stay on the monitor. I had lots of contractions and they asked me if I was feeling them or in pain, and I said not really. They asked if I wanted to go to L&D or be checked and I said "no I'm not in labor right now." like, leave me alone already I've done this before!! Once again baby pebble did fabulously and yep.

Then I had my regular appointment and it went well. Since the report came in from LC that BJACH was overreacting to the small size of my baby, I no longer have to go in twice a week to be monitored, hallelujah!  Dr also said if I haven't gone into real labor by the 1st that she can induce me if I want. Ummmmmm...... I'm not sure how I feel about that. one part of me says "DO IT!!!!!!!!!!" the other part of me says "Noooooooo just Wait it out" but let's be honest here - I hate being pregnant. Sorry my world is just not filled with sunshine, rainbows, sparkles and googley eyes when I'm knocked up! LOL! I'm NOT one of those ladies.

Emma's sleep has been off and on - I'm thinking she gets too hot like I do because whenever she has a terror or gets up for extended periods of time during the night she's sweating like crazy. I do the same thing when I'm hot. We've taken her off night-time milk and she's on water right now but she doesn't seem to drink much of it at all, but still insists on having a cup with her. We also fixed battle of the toothbrush by using an electric toothbrush. Woo! Daddy's idea. Another milestone - we got her a stool so she's an independent potty user. We just have to make sure the bathroom light is on so she goes in there, and we have to make sure she's wiped... LOL

Weight : 156.8 (@ Dr office w/clothes on, thats + 37.8lbs)

I didn't take a pic this week but I did get a few back from our photo sesh in November...

On the monitor

This is what my Monday and Thursday mornings look like.

37 Weeks - Full Term - Picture Overload

Emma & Sister

Me:

So much pain and pressure between my legs and in my pelvis. I am wondering if the baby "dropped" or something. Emma never did... well not before I was already in labor, and there was already so much going on that really... I wouldn't have noticed. Anyway so I don't know if that's what this is.
I'm having trouble putting on socks and shoes. Luckily I have some cheap knock-off-ugg-style boots I wear without socks that are easy to pull on. Ok so that seems gross, even to me, but it's better than flip flops when it's in the 30's outside.

My view

She pushes on my left side and my right butt muscle/leg goes into shock! Shooting and numbing pain. I've found that if she does it and I push back on her, moving her off whatever nerve she's hit, that the pain will go away. 

Sleep = horrible.

I had my second and third monitoring sessions at BJACH this week, both times Pebbles looked fabulous on the monitors and I was able to leave after only an hour on the monitor. Emma was a good girl 95% of the appointment, but again had to pee of course during the session. Luckily I'd learned from last time and had her in a pull-up and told her I could take her in a minute if she held it. She said "OK!" and waited. She still peed her pull up, but she also peed in the potty when I took her when I was able to.

Since I can't pick her up very much... (swollen)Mommy & Emma 37 Weeks

I registered with the hospital for delivery, it was interesting to fill out the name request for the birth certificate before she's even here - last time we did that after Emma was born. I guess it's official and there's no going back on her name now!! LOL!

Getting some new stretch marks, and measuring from my back around to my belly button is 39" already. If I "flex" my stomach muscles pulling my belly up, it's only 36" but that causes some pain after only a few seconds. It looks hilarious though.

New stretch marks this week

Eating full meals is getting more difficult, and I don't really feel hungry except when I wake up in the morning - so I often forget to eat lunch until late afternoon and then don't want dinner later either. I get filled up pretty fast, for instance I was feeling a little hungry so I ate half of a muffin and then I couldn't eat anymore. 

Appointment at Lake Charles (LC):

Baby - Profile

Well, we had to drive an hour and a half away, waited for about an hour and a half because they are awesome and actually spend time with their patients rather than having you on a countdown timer, and it was worth it.
First of all their ultrasound machine was amazing, one of the best I have seen. Even on the regular 2D had clear details of her face. Pretty. Darn. Cool. Then she turned on this "4D" ultrasound - oh my goodness you could make out her face perfectly, she looks a lot like Emma did when Emma was born. They measured her and she's about 5lbs 7oz right now!

Baby - Face

Doc was pretty cool and I loved it. He was great with Emma and very laid back, which I love. He was like "Well I don't need to see you here again!" because he said, as we suspected, we just make small babies, and no reason to be concerned. Everything looks perfect, the blood flow through the umbilical cord was great, the heart and heartbeat were perfect and she was very active.

Baby - Face & Umbilical Cord

Weight at Dr: 156 ( I have a hard time trusting this weight, I was wearing clothes and boots LOL. I really need to find my own scale to weigh for accuracy)

See more of my photography, http://sweetrose.zenfolio.com
I'm now a full time newborn and maternity photographer!! <3 p="">

36 Weeks

Lengthy update, be prepared.

First, I wish every doctor, nurse, and chart I have on this pregnancy had the same due date on it. One doctor says I'm 35 weeks and 3 days, and in the same appointment with a different doctor or nurse, I'm told I'm 36 weeks and 1 day. That's almost a week difference. . .

Anyway, I had the worst appointment today. I'll get there in a minute. First, let's talk about me and how I've been feeling this week.

I'm still very tired. The inability to sleep seems to get worse and worse, now even if I fall asleep I'm awake and tossing around by about 3am. Emma has been sleeping better, but two nights this week she was up - last night she wanted me to get in bed with her. There isn't really room for me on the toddler bed and I actually fell asleep sitting next to her bed with my head on her pillow. Probably not for very long. When I opened my eyes she was looking at me, and said, "more milk, please." So I got her some milk and by the time I hobbled back upstairs she was asleep again. It was now about 5:30 in the morning.

My sciatic pain is off the charts. It was pretty darn bad last time I was pregnant. I have some afternoons where I just have to sit in one position because any way I move makes me feel like I'd like to chop my leg off. And my lower back. That coupled with the other aches and pains I've been feeling this time... I've not been able to make dinner very much - and when I do, I sit on a stool in front of the stove/counter chopping mixing and whatever else because I just. can't. stand. I've started to get creative with the crock pot.

I have more stretch marks. I knew my belly was bigger this time. Today Danny and I were wondering why I'm getting bigger if my uterus has stopped growing. That was answered with an ultrasound - last pregnancy I had 5cm amniotic fluid, this time I have 12 cm amniotic fluid. That coupled with swelling (i've already got sausage feet and fingers, can't wear my rings or some of my shoes)... yep.


APPOINTMENT 
As you likely know, I got a phone call yesterday telling me I was being treated as high risk now and should be seen not only here at BJACH(The army hospital on Post) but also down in Lake Charles(from here out I'll abbreviate LC, a "city" about an hour south of here) by a high risk doctor. I was told that the ultrasound I had last week was raising some major red flags, and they couldn't handle high risk there. How unnerving.

I kept my original 36 week appointment for today at BJACH, which as always is inconvenient, waiting for 45 minutes to an hour for a 5 minute appointment. I wish I could remember who I saw, so I could complain about her.
First, she scolds me, talks down to me, for not having my Gestational Diabetes testing done. I told her, I didn't have it done last time, I'm in no risk categories for getting it, and have no signs at all that would lead anyone to believe that I had it. Emma was born with perfect sugar levels. Of course she told me I could either do the glucose test OR my ONLY other option was to fast and do a blood sugar level something or other, to which I was like, "Ok. But no." Call me stubborn - I know it's a simple test - but I HATE the way they basically tell you you have NO choice in the matter - just like they tell you that you have NO CHOICE when you're in labor to refuse certain things - when in fact, you do, and you can refuse anything.. Any way just my rant-tastic moment there..

Ok moving on.

Heart beat: Perfect! 140 bpm.
Fundal height: She didn't even tell me what it was, and blurted out "Oh this is so disturbing."

Had I not ever been through this small baby thing before, that would have scared the hell out of me. I told her to go read my freakin' chart. To look at the Ultrasound I'd just had done.
She said "Oh this is so not good, this is very concerning. This is horrible, the baby is only in the 5th percentile."

To which, I said, "My daughter - that one sitting right there - was born under the 5th percentile."
I'm not concerned, but her attitude, tone of voice, and choice of words is making me mad. How would a first time mother respond to the way she was speaking??

She said, "I'm very worried about Intrauterine growth restriction, which leads to intrauterine fatality." ( as if it would certainly lead to my baby's death??) Again - another "why the hell is she saying this" moment.

I kept my cool, because I know, my hormones make me totally irrational and very bitchy. She sent me over to Labor and Delivery to be monitored and to check my fluid levels.

L&D was much more friendly, and reassuring. I had already called Danny to come to the hospital - mostly because Emma had been sitting in her stroller for an hour and a half and wanted to go potty but I couldn't take her, luckily I'd put her in a pull up and told her to just pee in her pull up, she got really upset and told me she peed her stroller and was all wet. I wanted Danny to be there in case she got antsy and needed to run or go to the bathroom or something.
The Dr in L&D told me baby is a rockstar on the monitor, handles the contractions, (only braxton hicks don't get crazy.) looks perfect. Fluid is AWESOME at 12cm!!

I have to go back twice a week to sit on the monitors. If baby ever stops moving, even just for an hour, I'm supposed to go in to L&D to be monitored now that I'm having a tiny baby.

Tonight, I will put up some belly shots for everyone. I want Danny to take some with my actual camera this week rather than standing in the mirror with my iPhone.

Weight this week: 154.0 (fully clothed @ Dr Office.)

35 and some days picture

Since I forget so often to include a photo, here's a recent one. Hope to get an "official" picture for 36 weeks blog for comparison. One holding Emma as well.

35 Weeks

Okkkkkkkkkkkkkk

So I was sick all week pretty much - caught Danny's cold or flu or sinus whatever that was it wasn't fun. Emma somehow did not catch it though. WHEW. Seems like it's starting to go away. The worst hit us over the weekend I think - Sunday and Monday were the worst for me.

Emma has had some issues sleeping a few nights this week, and won't let Daddy comfort her in the middle of the night.. so I get up, go in, put her back in bed, where she wants me to lay with her and rub her back or read a story until she falls asleep again. Then she's up by 6:30 knocking on her door asking to have breakfast and potty. I don't know what happened to my girl who slept until 8 or 9 am... take her out of the crib and suddenly she's ready to be a morning person? When actually she's not because by 7:30 she's cranky and asking for a nap. *sigh*

Ok that has nothing to do with pregnancy really.. except that it adds to the tired.

On with pregnant stuff - So I'm 35 weeks, baby weighs about 4lbs 8oz already according to our ultrasound on Wednesday, and she's still a girl, she has LOTS of Hair!!! and she's very, very deep down in my pelvis already. This would explain the extreme amount of pain and discomfort between my legs. Not my privates, but my actual legs, just to be clear here.

I did something really depressing yesterday, which I do NOT recommend to any pregnant woman whose hips actually spread apart, I held up a pair of my jeans. Not maternity jeans, but my regular - I was wearing these just before I got pregnant - jeans. Yeah I almost didn't know how to feel. They looked so tiny. And they barely went half way between one hip and the other when holding them in front of my hips. REALLY weird how the hips grow apart and I can only hope I'll eventually be able to get back into those jeans. I know it took a while last time for things to stitch back together. If I could find my measuring tape I'd measure. But I can't seem to find anything right now, the office, two bathrooms and our bedroom and the hall way are all piled high with mountains of STUFF that has yet found it's way into place. (We like to empty all the boxes before putting things away to evaluate what we have and where it should go.. if that makes sense. It's very messy.)

So I have 5 weeks left until my due date. That's really... intimidating.

Weight is unknown, because I don't know yet where our scale is.