Hoppin' Around and Ready for Brady

My latest doctor appointment was just a couple of days ago. I had a late appointment, so I could leave work early and have the rest of the day off afterward. I was so excited to go to this appointment. While technically I was 37 weeks and 6 days, I rounded up to 38 weeks. Doctors said I could start to get "checked" around 38 weeks.

My blood pressure was back to my normal range, which is good. Last week, it was a bit high for me. Not necessarily a scary number, but unusual for my usually low rate. I usually have such low blood pressure they check my pulse to make sure that I am actually breathing. Protein levels were good and I only gained a pound since the last weekly visit. Which is right no cue. I'm still below the "Deuce Plus Club" mark, which completely satisfies me. Doctor says my weight gain was perfectly healthy and consistent.

After the usual checkup of stats, Kyle and I were escorted to the examination room. The nurse asked if I wanted to be checked for dilation. I said, "heck yeah". I undressed waste down. Poor Kyle; one of the gross parts of being this far in the pregnancy, that I have noticed, is that my feet sweat. And they sweat a lot. I was wearing leather flip flops and they must've really kicked in the foot juice. I took those things off, and WHOO! He found some aerosol and sprayed it near my feet to hopefully kick the crap out of the killer stench. I blame it on carrying a boy. Boys stink in general. Of course, he felt it was necessary to pick on me throughout the rest of the visit.

So the doctor comes in and right away I had to apologize for my feet. She claimed to have teenage boys and that the smell of stale foot does not phase her. Okay, well I'm sure that she has seen it all. So I leave it at that. She does notice that my feet are swollen, but doesn't make a note of it because they are not extreme, medically, speaking.

After using her measuring tape and measuring the outside of my belly from pelvis to top of the uterus, she found Brady is measuring exact to the day. So much for my hopes that maybe he was measuring large so they would have to do an ultrasound to see him again. Oh well, I guess I would rather push out an average baby than a large one. Brady's heartbeat was in a great range of 140 beats. He sounded like a healthy boy. She could tell his head was down but pushing in my stomach. He's ready to go!

Next, I asked Kyle to stand by my head and avoid the "business end" while the doctor inserted her gloved hand. I gotta say, that is a feeling I had never felt before. It was rather uncomfortable with a lot of pressure. She noted that I was one centimeter dilated and 50% effaced. It could mean he will be here on time, or sooner, or later... The measurement really didn't do much because it's so early for measuring that there is no telling. I have read a lot of women do their preliminary laboring quietly and don't even notice when they dilate to 3 or 4 cms. The doctor basically stated that if I did not have my baby during the next week, I will be back on the following Friday for another check up.

I asked the doctor what is the latest she would "allow" me to stay pregnant. I really didn't want to hear two weeks past due date. She said only a week. So my absolute latest date to be pregnant would be April 18th. That was a relief. Just one extra week if Brady needed it. I still don't want to be pregnant for three more weeks, but if that's what it will take, I will do it. Better to let him do all his cooking inside than to be fussy outside.

Kyle wanted to know who would deliver our baby. The doctor said they have "on call" days that rotate. She usually does all weekends and if we do go past our due date, we would basically be able to choose which doctor from our practice we would prefer to deliver our baby. That's something to look forward to! If I have to go past my due date, the silver lining is I could choose my favorite doctor. There really only is one doctor I would prefer not to deliver my baby. He has the personality of a dried sponge. I figure that, with my luck, I will get Dr. "stalemate" for the delivery.

So, things are going pretty smooth so far. Kyle and I went to Wally World and Sam's Club to stock up on more baby supplies and easy foods for our house. We "nested" and basically got all things we could see ourselves running out of while the baby is new and we wouldn't have any energy to go out and replace. I feel so relieved and ready for baby now. We even got an 80 count diaper package from Wally World. Our buddy has already given us a package of 40 Huggies diapers made with space for the umbilical cord to heal without irritation. We thought of going Bulk Size from Sam's Club, but many people warned that every baby is different and it was best to not buy bulk until we knew for sure what to get.

We also got some bottles. We were so clueless in BabysRUs, that we thanked the heavenly stars that a saleslady walked by us. I asked how many bottles should we start with and what would work best to store breastmilk if I was so inclined to use a pump. We were looking at Playtex bottles, as recommended by a friend (the nipples worked well for her new baby), and considered getting the drop-ins. I am really concerned with colic, gas and other stomach problems that might upset our baby. The drop-ins are convenient for cleanup and the bags prevent air getting in the belly. The saleslady said to avoid the Playtex pump if I did decide to breastfeed, and to use something else. We will probably rent one from the hospital. She said we could pour the milk directly into the drop-ins and store it in the fridge for up to 48 hours. That's nice information right there. We purchased 6 bottles and found that we had three others at home mailed directly from the manufacturer. I feel confident we have a healthy start now.

I've been pretty crafty and have been requesting samples from manufacturers, as well. I have three cans of Similac formula, and Wally World brand. We have two $5.00 checks toward any purchase of Similac, and also received at $15.00 check toward Nestle Good Start formula. We took the $15 check to BabysRUs and purchased a can that had an additional 30% more in it for $20.62. We only ended up paying $5.62 for it. It feels so good to have additional formula in our cabinets for our boy. My friend has informed me that her pediatrician told her that "nipple confusion" is a myth and that bottle feeding will not "confuse" the baby from breastfeeding. This makes sense to me, because how else would you feed your baby pumped milk? I have also been reading up on breast/formula feeding and have learned that you can switch from formula brand to another fairly simply. As long as they are all milk based, it shouldn't cause any problems. Most formulas are made the same and have the same ingredients. We will stay as consistent as possible, but not freak out about staying devoted to a certain brand. That is reassuring to me as well.

The carseat is now officially installed in the back of our truck. The bassinet will have to move into our bedroom soon. We have most of his clothes and blankets washed and ready-to-use. He has diapers, wipes and Butt Paste (thanks to a great friend). I found a Boppy play mat at Marshall's yesterday for half the price of usual stores and picked it up. He has bottles, and pacifiers specific for 0+Month olds. I think we are ready. Well, probably not that ready, but I feel that he at least has stuff needed for his first few weeks of life. I think we are ready. Now, if only he would get ready. Let's hope he doesn't push me past Easter weekend... I would really like some wine with my Easter ham!

Unscheduled Delivery

Based on emails I receive weekly from a plethora of baby-making sites, Brady is getting locked-and-loaded, and ready to come into the world. I think I am ready for him to arrive. Part of me is ready to see my feet again and to feel like myself again. Another part of me is kind of afraid of what it will be like to not carry a baby. He's been a part of me for so long now. While I have been counting down the whole duration of my pregnancy, I think a part of me was in denial the day would actually come.

Brady is a full-term baby now. He can survive outside the womb anytime he decides to join us in the breathing world. It still baffles me that he went from the size of a needle tip to a full fledged little human. He will go from breathing liquid to inhaling air, only to never be able to breathe liquid again. It amazes me. I know I should know all of this stuff from Biology class, but it never really sinks in until it happens to you. Kinda like how our parents wanted to bestow their hard earned knowledge of life on us, only to have us make our own mistakes and learn on our own. I just won't believe anything until I see it for myself.

People ask me if I'm ready for the baby. Then they mention that I look like I'm going to pop. Yup, I used to say that to pregnant women too. It's really gross to think that people see me and think of me exploding. It really eeks me out. There are some times where I really feel like I will pop, though.. My skin feels so tight and I tell myself that it's okay, I can't possibly grow anymore. Then I do. I am due for a weigh in on Friday. I'm sure if I haven't reached 200 yet, that I will soon. I just really wanted to stay below the Deuce plus club. Oh well. I've only gained about 40 pounds so far. I guess I am okay with that. As long as it brings me a healthy baby, I'll gain three hundred pounds for him if I have to.

I think that we are ready for Brady, by way of actual things. I think. We still don't have any bottles or pacifiers. We don't have a lot of play time things. We don't have a high chair or even a diaper bag. But then I tell myself that a lot of those things won't really be needed for a while. He won't be able to do more than eat, pee, poop and sleep for a while. He won't need toys or a highchair for a little bit. So, I think that since we have clothes for him and a place to lay his sweet head, we have what we basically need. Right? Yeah, I'm probably wrong. I've learned that a lot with this pregnancy. Just when I think I know what I'm talking about, I'm proven just how clueless I am. I don't know why I even try to fake it.

I wonder how I will do when it comes time for delivery. I'm really in denial about how that will happen. I haven't taken any classes. I watch a lot of "Baby Story" on TLC. I basically believe that I just gotta go with the flow on this. I don't know what to expect and I have to remind myself that people have been giving birth for thousands of years. It's a relatively simple procedure for hospitals nowadays. I tell myself that it will all be a blur to me. I will go through the motions and then it will be over and done with. I figure that is why there is really no need to stress about the "what ifs". Although, being a natural born worrywart, I really doubt my abilities to not freak out. I find myself doubting that we even saw all ten fingers and toes on the last ultrasound we had almost 20 weeks ago. I keep worrying that maybe they missed something. But, I know that our ultrasound tech was very good at looking at everything. She counted all chambers of the heart, saw the stomach, bladder, saw no cleft lip.. counted toes, fingers. She was very thorough. I guess I'm just doing the nervous first time mom thing.

One of my oldest friends told me that when I see Brady for the first time it will feel like I've always known what he looked like. She said that when she saw her baby girl for the first time, she felt that she had always known her and always loved her. It's amazing how that works. How can you go from complete strangers to feeling like you've connected your whole life? I guess that is how soul mates work. Our child will be our soul mate.

Poor Brady. If things go as I think they do, he chose to have us as parents. Poor boy, he really has no idea what he got himself into when he picked us. We're gonna be those parents who embarrass the crap out of their kid just cuz it's so darn funny! He will be loved, no doubt, but he sure is in for it!

Pee for Delivery?

Last night, just before bed, I opened up Kyle's book called "What to Expect While Your Wife is Expanding". I read the labor and delivery chapter and saw that the author mentioned urinating as a sign of impending delivery. He said that if a woman pees every hour, she is still not due for about four weeks. If the urination is more frequent, like every half hour, the baby will arrive in about two weeks. The author joked that if the wife asks if she can just stay in bed and pee, it would be best to head to the hospital. I wonder if this is true? I had never heard that tidbit before.

I'm going to start drinking so much water my stomach will want to burst. I can make myself pee every half hour if I want to.. But that probably doesn't count, does it?

Shh, I'm Growing a 30 Pound Baby

This is the part of pregnancy I never really believed would come. I have been feeling oh-so-cute and cuddly-adorable... until now. I never realized that after nine months of pregnancy I would still have a few more weeks to grow. And grow, I do. It's gross, really. I am almost 37 weeks along, which should equal nine months, if you divide by four weeks, and I still have about three weeks left to grow. Yuck.

Last Friday, I went on my now-weekly doctor appointment and was appalled to view a large number on the scale. I was careful to only have light food before my 1 o'clock appointment; some oatmeal, some yogurt, a banana. I was saving my lunch for after my appointment, to be sure I didn't weigh extra because of it. Well, lo and behold, I saw a rather eery red number on the digital scale. Yup, 190. I am ten pounds shy of 200 pounds. That has to be some sort of cruel joke. I swore the nurses were playing a trick on me. Nope, they weren't. I'm just growing.

I have read in a few books that this is the time frame in pregnancy where the mom will stop growing so much. I guess we just run out of room in our stomachs for food because of the ever-plumping baby. I don't know if that's a fact for me yet, but I do know that breathing has been more of a deliberate event than it was previously. I struggle to gain a full breath and feel a bit asthmatic lately. It's rather uncomfortable. I guess that goes with the territory as well.

Supposedly first-time mommies can feel a "drop" when the baby starts to descend into the pelvic area. I'm still waiting for that. I want to breathe again!! It's really kinda fun to feel every thump (and I do mean thump, there is nothing butterfly-like about Brady's movements now) and know that he could be born and survive. At 37 weeks, he will officially be a full-term baby. I will be 37 weeks this Saturday. Just a few more days. Kyle and I have been walking about with goofy grins on our faces. Every twinge I get, I sit and wait to see if it might be a contraction. I tell him when I feel more pressure on my pelvic floor. If I make any weird sounds in the bathroom, Kyle will inquire if my water broke. Ha! I know it's wishful thinking that Brady will come earlier than later, but I have reason to believe that I am not alone. Most new moms wish and hope that their whale-existence is over after they reach the full-term mark.

Kyle and I tried to reflect on what it was like for me to be around without being so a-round. We can't remember me without a belly. That's how long this pregnancy has seemed. I know it will be over soon, and that gives me great relief. I just wonder when. It feels like Christmas is just around the bend. We don't know what date Santa will drop in to bring our presents, but we do know he is coming and he will have the best gift ever!

So enough of being mushy about our baby. Let's get to the real deal. Pregnancy after nine months is cruel. It's cruel to look forward to being nine months pregnant and still having a few weeks to go until the baby is born. It's mean to feel like this is really never going to end. I count down the days like the date will be unchangeable. I've learned from friends and family that the due date isn't in stone. So to have a countdown to a date that might not be a reality is really just setting myself up for disappointment. I just have a feeling he will come a week late. Just because he is his mother's son.

I don't fit in any of my maternity clothes. I look like a fat girl trying to fit in her little sister's clothes. It's not pretty. People approach me with apprehension that the buttons on my shirt will fly off and cause optical injury. I get the "you look like you're gonna pop" exclamation a bit more than I would like, as I know I look that way. I feel that way. Can my skin get any tighter?? Can my veins be any more pronounced on my belly? It looks like a road map through the Northeast.

Ever since my doctor told me might weight gain has been on par and really good, I regret to admit that I took it as a license to eat. I think my total weight gain has been about 36 pounds or so. Maybe more or less, as I didn't record my starting weight. I think I'm on my way to at least 40 pounds. Which I know isn't a horrible weight gain. I guess I am just tired of gaining weight. I want the baby to come out so I can begin losing weight again. I want to be able to suck in my belly and actually see it go in. I joke that I should go to a gym and request a personal trainer to help with my growing belly that won't go down. Pretend that I don't believe I am pregnant. That should be a hidden camera scenario. Yup. I'm sick in the head.

I had my strep B test (I think that's what it's called?) the other week. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was more afraid to get naked again, as I hadn't in months since my first prenatal exam. My buddy and I joked that we didn't want the doctor to go to our butt first then our vajajay. So we chanted "no contaminay the vajajay" before my appointment for good measure. Luckily that was painless and quick. I don't believe I have any more tests before the due date. That's just wonderful news. I asked about when they start to measure for dilation and the doctor said they start around 38 weeks. I was kinda hoping he would have started at the 36 week visit so I could be "pleasantly surprised" that I had started dilating. But, again, wishful thinking. I've got to stop that.

I had some Braxton Hicks contractions yesterday morning. They were mildly painful and I did wonder how long they would last. I think the total length of discomfort was about two minutes. I wondered if we would luck out to have a St. Patty's Day baby (wishful thinking). But then, the tightening in my stomach was over about as quick as it began. Part of me was relieved that it was just practice, and another part was a little bummed it wasn't THE day.

If anything, it did inspire me to pack my overnight hospital bag. It's pretty sad that all I have in it so far, is a camcorder with a new DVD, some grannie panties, new spare toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant and my camera battery charger. Yeah, I'm not ready. But there are things that I would want to bring that I use on a daily basis. So, that's my practical side saying that I can't get too ready. Besides, I live just ten to fifteen minutes from the hospital. Kyle will have to go home to feed and let out Monkey while we are at the hospital anyway. He can get my mascara then.

So, while my baby probably is planning on being on time or even late, I will sit here and feel sorry for my ever-growing self. I will just plop on any surface than can hold my weight and wish away the end of this pregnancy. I am so excited to meet him, and I am trying to hold back my wishful thinking he will show early. I know that God has a plan and I will just sit back and wait. I will just tell myself that I am growing a thirty pound baby, and that is why I'm gaining so much weight. And I look forward to the new boobs I've been promised since the day I realized that the day God said "breasts", I thought he said "rest", and sat on a curb and waited.

Can No Longer Hover 'Round

Everyday I am more in awe of the fact that I am going to really be a mother. Sitting at my desk right now, I really feel so ordinary. Then I feel a swish of movement above my hips in my belly and I remember, I am making a human. It still blows me away. Sometimes I will tap my stomach and feel a slight tap back. It's so crazy to me. There are even instances where Brady will haul off and kick my hand hard. If that's even his foot. It's so mind boggling.

At this moment, I really feel like just me. I barely notice my belly. I have to touch it sometimes to remember it's there. Other days, my back aches, or I get a Braxton Hicks contraction, and I remember, yup, it's gonna happen. I'm going to have a baby.

Last year, in July, I found out I was pregnant. It's now a quarter of the way through 2009 and I'm still pregnant. I guess when it feels like I've been pregnant forever, the 2008 and 2009 dates make it seem no less.

I am starting to grow out of my maternity clothes. I remember looking at those outfits in Motherhood and Target and thinking, "wow, I will never get that big". Now, my basketball looks a little bit over inflated and bigger shirts are snug and clingy. I only have one pair of jeans that are comfy (the others seem to dig right into my belly). My work pants all still fit, which is great, but I want to be able to lounge in comfort!! So I bought a pair of cargo pants yesterday from Motherhood. I had a leftover gift certificate, so I used it. I glanced at capris with sadness that I probably won't wear a pair again until after Brady is born. Luckily, a friend reassured me she got her ankles back within a day or so after giving birth. I'm trying to keep these puppies hidden as long as I can. It's inhumane to subject strangers to looking at them!

Just a little over four weeks to go and this "practice" event will be a reality. I will have a baby. It's so surreal to me. My "license to eat" should be revoked soon.. But it's so hard. I'm hungry all the time! Then I get heartburn. Must be punishment for indulging in so many McFlurries!

We went to Taco Bell this past weekend for lunch. Taco Bell is my favorite place. Take me there over any five star restaurant and I would be satisfied. Luckily the TBell we went to was not in my town, or I would have had to rethink that thought. We were about two hours north of home, to take a river tour with Kyle's brother Jakey, and Cuz. We stopped at TBell for some lunch. Granted, I wasn't wearing a very form-fitting shirt... but the cashier asked me when I was due. I told her, "in five weeks". She said, "WOW!! YOU'RE BIG!!". You should have seen her face! It was like she was in utter shock and exclaimed like I told her I was growing 8 babies like the infamous Octomom. So, I did what any self-respecting pregger would do, I thanked her. Then I stammered and tried to calm myself before I turned into a beet. Kyle wanted me to tell her that in five weeks I will be skinny again, she will still have a mustache. But I was not "on my feet" at that moment. So we proceeded to find a booth to eat our lunch. Feeling quite chubby, I slid, er, rather, tried to slide, myself in a booth. I crammed my belly into that booth and started to wonder how the heck anyone bigger than average can eat there! Apparently we found the only misshapen booth in the place. It must've been made for little people.. Kyle moved across the way and I followed and felt relieved to find breathing room. Yup, just another example of how wonderful it is to be 35 weeks pregnant and growing.

Another fun fact about the end of pregnancy; well, besides the blueberry-sized hemorrhoids that hang out, of course, is the lack of ability to hover. I can hover no more. I try so hard to hover over a public toilet and fall down. It's not pretty. I'm top-heavy now and wobbly. I've discovered that when I went to pick up something I dropped in the parking garage the other day. I leaned over like any normal person would do and found myself teetering off my hands to push myself back up before I completely spilled out onto the ground. My mission was always to touch as little landscape in a public restroom as possible. Now, I just check to be sure it is clean before I plop down on the seat. I have no choice. Besides, aren't there studies that prove public toilets are cleaner than desk keyboards? That's my defense, and I'm sticking to it!

What's in Your Wallet?

I recently emailed the White House regarding a letter we got from Capital One. I was so ticked off, I had to write to somebody. I just can't believe that the government is allowing these companies (that the American people have been bailing out with our future taxes) to arbitrarily raise our rates on us without cause. It's ridiculous how the American people are getting the shaft while the rich banks and car manufacturers are living high off the hog with their private jets and lavish parties.

This is the quick comment I wrote to the White House www.whitehouse.gov:

"My husband and I have been long term customers of Capital One. We have never been late on a payment and have earned the low interest rate of 6%. Just the other day we got a notice that our interest rates are going up to 15% because of "extraordinary changes in the economic environment". I don't see how the economy has anything to do with our standing as a customer.

Maybe they can cut back on their "what's in your wallet" ads, because after they are done with the American people, there won't be too much left."

This is a sign of our times right now. I sure hope President Obama will do his best to remember that the "little" guys need as much or more help than the big guys in the fancy cars and million dollar homes.

Yabba Dabba Do I Love You

While chatting around the coffee table in Cuz's living room this weekend, we reminisced about Riley and how much we missed him. It has been just a couple of weeks since we had to let him go and we really needed to vent about it. It still hurts our hearts to think of life without him. It really feels like we lost a very important family member. Tears were flowing, sniffles were coming... it was a very emotional time for Kyle, Cuz and me. We thought of fun times and goofy times; Cuz thought of when she had to let her sick dog go a while back and how thinking about it still gets her choked up. I think it was really important for Kyle to talk about what he experienced. He was with Riley for his last breath and I really hadn't heard how it affected him until this past weekend. It's a really difficult thing to live through and I'm still very grateful that our boy at least had him by his side. I would still be wracked with even more guilt if I knew he was just left at the vet's office on "death row". Kyle said he would have barricaded me in the house if I even thought about going with him for that. He was very protective of me, and I really appreciate it.

Needless to say, with tears flowing, tissues were not keeping up. Just when we were starting to ease up on the crying, Kyle grimaced as he bellowed, "look at your feet!!!!". Startled, I first looked at Cuz, but she was wearing shoes. I realized he was shocked to see my bare feet. I was awestruck by my bloated feet when I glanced at them. I was bewildered and baffled at how fat my feet had gotten. I started to reflect on the night out and could remember that my feet did feel a little tight... but Shrek sized??? I had no idea!!

My feet looked like they had ballooned into mini clubs!! I had club-feet.. and not hot-club feet, but nubby club... Gross, Yabba-Dabba-Do feet. I couldn't believe it!! I had always heard that pregnancy can cause feet to swell with water retention, but this was crazy! Was I retaining the Gulf of Mexico??

Six weeks left of my pregnancy and I get to learn first hand, that I can never fully grasp anything again for a while, with my banana hands. I won't be able to wear real shoes again for a a month or so more with my Man feet. It's incredible how at one moment, I can feel so cute and pregnant.. Then the next minute, I'm fat hand/foot lady and feel like the Goodyear blimp. It's amazing. So, after a good cry about our lost loved ones, we laughed so hard at my ginormous feet that not only were tears spilling, but the snot was flowing. It was a messy sight, I'll tell you. I laughed so hard that my eyes were bloodshot and I couldn't keep enough tissues ready on my lap.

We had a good catharsis this weekend. Got to feel a lot of emotions in just a matter of an hour or so. It was a good release, even if it did mean filling five tissues and I did learn I could Flintstone us home the next day if the car broke down.