The Countdown Begins

Well, we have a date set for this little baby boy to come, and it is less than 2 weeks away! Yikes! September 14th is the day. That will be at exactly 38 weeks. I really think I'm going to make it. Everything is still going great for the baby and I. The non-stress tests are going well, my blood pressure is fine, etc, etc...

I have also experienced my first contractions. I doubt you could even call them real contractions but it was a big deal for me so I'm counting them.

I have always wanted more of a normal pregnancy experience and now that I'm getting it I'm realizing it's not all it's cracked up to be. No, just kidding. I really am glad I'm still pregnant. It's just becoming difficult to do much of anything. It doesn't help that I haven't learned to adjust my behavior enough. I took the stairs up to my doctor's office today and barely made it. Tonight I made my favorite meal for myself (roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy) and ate way too much and paid for it afterwards. I went grocery shopping yesterday and discovered that trying to maneuver a broken cart full of food with two kids hanging off of it is not a good idea at 36 weeks. I seriously almost broke down crying right there in the street when I couldn't get the dumb cart over the speed bump to get back to the car. But I didn't, luckily :). Other than little things like this, I really do feel good, though.

It is strange to actually be preparing for this baby to come. I am going to pack a hospital bag for the first time. I've got the baby clothes all washed and ready and the crib set up. I may even try making some meals ahead of time and putting them in the freezer. Who knows how far my nesting instincts will take me.

I have decided to post a picture Joe took of me a week or two ago. I am really not a fan of it but I can recognize that someday I will look back at this picture and miss being pregnant. So, here it is:

13 days to go! We can't wait to meet you, little boy.

The Details

So, I can finally talk about being pregnant on the blog. Now you're in for it because I probably won't stop :).

First off, my due date is September 28th. I don't think they will let me go farther than 37 weeks, though, since it is a scheduled c-section, so that puts us in early September. Of course that is all assuming I make it full term this time. The big IF. We're shooting for September and hopefully we'll make it. There have been some extra precautions that haven't been taken before and I'm exercising more than in previous pregnancies, which can't hurt, so there is some reason to hope. They did notice in the ultrasounds that one of my uterine arteries is abnormal which can be a predictor for pre-eclampsia but considering my track record we obviously knew it was likely to happen anyway. So, "it's consistent with my history" as they say. I like the OB and the perinatologists I am seeing, even if I do get a lot more "why are you having another child?"-type of questions here in California.

If I could describe this pregnancy in one word it would be "shots". I guess "pokes" to be more accurate. The regular blood thinner shots, a new weekly shot, regular blood draws, etc. But, we knew what we were signing up for so I have no right to complain.

And, if the end result is a healthy baby boy (and a healthy me), all the precautions will have been so much more than worth it. We are SO excited to be having a boy. We would have been just as excited either way of course but I'm feeling ready for the challenge a boy will bring. He kicks a lot, so I sometimes worry that he's going to be super active but that's a good thing right? I'm only 18 1/2 weeks but Joe already felt him kick a week or two ago and Elizabeth almost did one time, too. She's really excited to feel him kick. It just so happened that she changed her mind about two days before the ultrasound and decided she wanted a boy so she was thrilled when we told them. Even though Natalie was saying she wanted a girl right before we told her, she still jumped up and down and said "Yay!" so she wasn't too hard to please either. Right afterwards, though, she asked, "Did the baby come out?" That was kind of a let down for her. :)

I actually had more morning sickness this time than my previous pregnancies. I decided that I get sick differently every time. With Elizabeth, it was all Joe-related. I think I only threw up once when he wasn't around and it would strike at random times throughout the whole pregnancy. It wasn't his smell or anything, just something about being with him. Luckily, that didn't happen again. With Natalie, all I remember is that I wasn't as sick and that it was mostly trying to swallow my prenatals that would make me throw up. This time, I had the food-related nausea, which is really not fun. I was spolied before, I guess. It really stinks when you can't enjoy eating at all. Luckily, that is mostly over now and things are good.

Anyway, all is well so far. We are feeling very blessed and are so excited.