39 weeks {tick tick tick}

Well, as scheduled, we ventured to our 39th week appointment today.

I was five minutes late checking in.

Hey. It's gonna happen sometimes with three babes in tow, no? 

Even if it has nothing to do with them being the cause of tardiness, I will use it as an excuse every time. 

Today though, this momma {yes me} took her sweet time getting ready to leave the house before I realized I only had ten minutes to get there, and it is easily a fifteen minute drive even if I race all the way there.

Flying over the hills of our country road is not nearly as fun as an almost full term prego.

But.

We made it.

Checked in.

Five minutes after our scheduled arrival.

Then, waited to be seen.

Nadie did pretty good in the office. Not nearly as much crying as usual.

Which helped the twenty or so minutes we sat in the room before my doctor came in.

I explained all that had occurred within the past couple days.

Most important, that I thought he was breech. 

But also that I had intense pelvic pain the other night in bed.

And that I have had a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions.

So without wasting any time, she checked to verify position.

And my cervix.

She smiled at me, snapping her gloves off and throwing them in the trash.

"No question, he is head down."

{Elation!!!}

I can breath a sigh of relief knowing that at least.

And, apparently Braxton Hicks are not indicative of a very near delivery for this momma because I am only dilated to 1.5 {maybe 2} cm per my OB. I was 1cm last Friday...

Which is totally fine.

We wanted a July baby.

Before I left we discussed induction, and how far I wanted to go before they interceded.

I have said from the beginning that I really want to go into labor on my own this time.

 And, I am prepared to go as long as this baby is not too big that I end up in a c section.

My Sweet has a birthday on July 15th, and I joked with him, that Nash was getting close to crashing his party. Which I don't really think is a possibility. As I think I will finally get to experience labor before that.

So for now, I am just letting the tide roll, so to speak. Let things be. As they should.

I am looking forward to this next week, and being at the lake for fireworks, family and fun next weekend...

as a 40 week preggie.

The Stats:

Weeks: 39

 Gender: BOY!!
Position: Head down! With reassurance from my OB that he is "wedged" in there and not expected to flip.
Dilated: 2cm.
Aversions: Same as they have been...
Cravings: Ice. I even told My Sweet the other day, one thing I am looking forward to about labor and being at the hospital, aside from the obvious, is that I can have all the crunchy ice I want! 

It's the little things...
Complaints: Braxton hicks contractions. Just like last week, just more.
Heartburn: Of course.

Weight: 170

 Gain: 40 pounds! Hit my mark. Met my match. Bottomed out. With a week to go.
Name: Nash Ryan. Nolan actually asked if we could change his middle name to Billy today at the doctor. Say what?!

These kids crack me up.

And, no. His middle name will not be Billy.

Belly pic:

Next appointment on Monday, July 8th. Due to holiday scheduling...

Will officially be overdue at that point.

What the flip?!

This is serious.
And by serious, I mean a problem.
And by a problem, I mean a full blown emergency.

I don"t go to the doctor until Friday.
I am just shy of 39 weeks.
{38 weeks 4 days to be exact}

And, I am almost certain that last night while I was up roaming the house at my normal 3am ice check, I felt what was this baby's head in my ribs!!!!

Let me just start out by taking you through my moment of panic as I probed my belly for a size estimate as I laid back down on our bed.
Yep. 
Feels round. 
About the size of my palm. 
It is hard. Not soft like a tushie should feel.


Okay.
Breathe.
 {breathing is becoming rapid now, and I am suddenly very warm}
I go back to smushing my belly here. And pressing there.
Which he does not like.
And is starting to move around a lot.
 

My Sweet sits up in bed and asks if I am okay.
No.
No I am not.
If this baby is now breech, after being head down for months, I am going to flip.


Monday and yesterday both I have had braxton hicks contractions, with some frequency. Not necessarily intense though.

He had been moving like crazy all day Monday.

And moving around a bunch yesterday, but nothing like Monday, when I felt like he was pushing on my sides all day. 

Never even thought to exercise the idea of him turning.

Why would I?

Most babies are readying for delivery at this stage.

You know, planning their exit.

Not doing flips.

And causing extreme anxiety in their momma, over a possible c section in the very near future.

 

So, anyways My Sweet suggests calling the doctor in the morning. 

 

Yes.
Call the doctor.
I got up and called right then actually {which was now almost 3:40am} to see what the hours of operation were for non emergency related questions.
Even though clearly, this was an emergency. Of epic proportion.

I feel sick to my {big} stomach.
Thinking this could even be a possibility.
I mean.
What the flip{?!} is this kid thinking? 

And, although I didn't get up and head to the doctor's office first thing this morning, because I felt like maybe I was being paranoid and because I didn't feel the hard round mass when I was up on my feet...
I really pray that I am wrong.

 

 

But who doesn't know their own body, right?

 

 

Anyways.

Babies can still turn. 

If he had enough room to do it now, he has enough to go back.

 
 I will keep you posted!

State of 38

38 weeks.

And, I have officially hit the state of pregnancy when I start to freak out about analyze everything.

Like, take for instance how I was weeding the garden on Thursday afternoon.

And after sitting down, scooting along the row, bending, kneeling, and squatting for a good hour and a half in the hot afternoon sun... I started to feel what might have been contractions.

They were a mostly constant lower belly pain.
Is that a contraction?

And they weren't going away.

So, I got up and went inside for a big glass of water, with an equal amount of ice.

Then came back outside to watch the kids run through the sprinkler, while I sat in the swivel chair and sipped on said water.

The "contractions" or lower belly pain went away within about ten minutes.

But it got me thinking how if I really were to go into labor...  how I didn't have things in order yet.

The bassinet pad needed washed.

The car seat that I have used for every baby up to this point... needed scoured.

I needed to wash the baby clothes I sorted through a couple weeks ago now, and actually put them away.

I needed to have a video camera, photo camera, and hospital bag... packed.

I needed to go buy and fill out a baby book still. {gasp!!!}

Anyways.
I went to my OB appointment yesterday, with just Nolan in tow.
My Sweet took the girls down the road for an iced tea, while I went in.
Which was nice for the mere fact that Nadie HATES the doctor.
No crying. No pulling at my clothes like a lifeline on the exam table while I get my blood pressure checked. No chasing her through the lobby before check out.
Nice.

What was supposed to be an easy in and out appointment took nearly fifty minutes because my doctor was running behind....
I read an entire bible stories book to Nolan while we waited, went through their tub of stickers {twice} and picked out a small collection of monkeys, arches, hearts and a hippo one for sis, and even went to the bathroom before my doctor came in to ask how things were.

I feel the same as I did at 12 weeks actually.
{Well, except for the obvious... bigger.}
But nothing in the order of impending labor.

So she pretty much slaps me on the rear and we are out of there.

We ended up at the lake for the first official day of summer.
The water was refreshing.
The sun was warm.
The kids adore the lake, just as I did as a kid.
Little fish they are.
After wading in the water for over an hour, Nev ended up with a leech.
Poor girl screamed like it took her leg off.
Her daddy to the rescue... just flicked it into the grass. And she was fine.
But later asked if bugs in the water go to sleep when the sun goes away, because she wanted to swim again.

Here are the 38 week stats.

Weeks: 38
Gender: BOY!!
Position: Head down!
Dilated: 1cm.
Aversions: Same as they have been...
Cravings: Ice.
Complaints: Braxton hicks contractions. Just like last week. They take my breath away and make me slightly anxious. Like I am trapped in my own skin that is closing in around me, type of anxious. Heartburn is raging at it's very worst. Woke me up twice this last week in the middle of the night because I had turned onto my right side, which allows all the reflux to act like fire in my throat. So I pace the house for thirty minutes, looking out the front window, the back window, eating chips of ice...
Heartburn: Did you read that last part?
Weight: 169
Gain: 39 pounds! How I gained 2 pounds in a week... who knows. But all I know is I have two weeks left. And ONE pound left before this momma officially tips the scale of my allowable 40. Whoopsie?
Name: Nash Ryan. Which if you ask Nev, it's Nashy.

Belly pic:

See ya in a week!
Or before... if I get the urge to ramble about something besides this pregnancy.

37 weeks!

37 weeks down.

{3 to go}

OB visit today consisted of much the same.

I was about five minutes late to check in, because I didn't give myself enough time this morning to get three other people besides myself fed, clothed, and out the door by 9:30am for a 10am appt.

Which is why I usually schedule for later.

Anyways.

Here's all the record breaking stats!

Weeks: 37

Gender: BOY!

Position: Head down :)

Dilated: Nope. Not even 1cm.

Aversions: Still the same heartburn creating ones like vinegar/tomato based.

Cravings: ICE. What the heck! I am obsessed with it, and terrified of my bi annual teeth cleaning at the dentist next week. I hope they don't tell me I did a ton of damage chomping on it all day, night, early morning, middle of the afternoon, middle of the night, early evening. Because, at this point, it isn't something I am prepared to stop. I even have Nadie hooked. She will follow me {and my cup that is filled to the top with the clear, crunchy treats} and say, "eye! EYE!!" until I appease her with a small piece. It really is funny.

Complaints: Braxton hicks that make me irritable. As if having a tightened belly while trying to make lunch for the kids would make anyone super joyous to have a baby screaming crying at your ankles, right? 

Anyone picturing that? 

Makes me want to pull my hair out. 

Or, just put Nadie in her bed until I can complete the task at hand and have her lunch waiting for her in her high chair.

Heartburn: Oh, surely. I am just hoping I get to eat ketchup {and the like} again in a couple weeks without wanting to stuff a fire hose down my throat to cool the burn.

Weight: 167

Gain: 37 pounds {leaves me just three pounds for the next three weeks... eek!}

Name: Nash Ryan

Recent developments: I bought a box of newborn diapers, so we officially have three different sizes in the house again. Nev and Nolan only use one at night, but still. I have to purchase a big box every one and a half months.

I also bought ECOS {hypoallergenic, plant derived} baby soap to wash all the clothes I sorted last week for Nash, today.

I got Nash a new outfit at H&M today, a shirt with a duck and "denim" shorts. 

Nolan really wanted a character Batman shirt for him, but I just hated it. If I am allowed to be honest.

I love the enthusiasm and love they already for their brother though. It is something so sweet.

Belly pic:

Next appointment: next week!

See ya'll then. If not before.