36 weeks - even closer than we thought?

Today was my 36 week appointment.  And I got a little more of a surprise than I was expecting!
First, I'm GBS positive.  Not a big deal, it just means that I'll have to be on IV antibiotics during labor/delivery, but also means I can't labor at home for an extended period of time.  Boo.
Second, this is the 5th week in a row that I've had zero weight gain.  I've stalled out at 157.  My fundal height (belly height) hasn't increased either, in the same amount of time.  So... next Thursday, at 37 weeks, I have another growth ultrasound to see what Baby D is up to, and see if he's grown at all since my last ultrasound at 34 weeks.
If he's growing well, great!! Onward we go.
If he's not growing well, or well enough... well - we could be having this baby by NEXT WEEKEND.  Holy shit.  He's already a good size, but may grow better as an outside baby.  Which means being induced early.  Not really thrilled about that, but if it means a healthier baby, I'll take it!


He's already moved down to a -2 station, and I'm at 1cm (progress from last week!).  My bishop's score is an 8, which means I should be a successful candidate for induction if we have to go there.

I COULD HAVE THIS BABY NEXT WEEKEND.  Seriously?  At least that's what we're preparing for, just in case.

Those of you reading this, send some positive vibes that Baby D decides to stay in a bit longer, and that he's growing well!  Hopefully I'll have a good update next week!

Happy 35/35!

Today is yet another pregnancy milestone: my "35/35" date.  This means that I'm 35 weeks along, and have 35 days left until my due date!  Here's a quick look at how things have changed in 35 weeks:

And here I am today:

Not a whole lot different than last week!  I had a great OB appointment this morning, and I have lots of positive things going on that indicate baby D is well on his way to making his appearance:

1.  I've stopped gaining weight.  I've been holding steady at 157 for the past few weeks

2. I've quit growing - my belly isn't getting astronomically bigger as each week goes by - kiddo is running out of room!

3.  My cervix is getting soft - next step, dilation and effacing!

4.  The elusive mucus plug is GONE!

5.  I've been having mild contractions for the last 48 hours or so

None of this means that I'll go into labor anytime :: really :: soon, but they are signs that my body is getting ready.  According to my doctor, I will NOT be going past my due date, so we will be meeting our little one in 5 weeks - if I make it that far!

Naturally, I called SP the minute I got out of the doctor's office to let him know about my progress, and naturally - he is now scared out of his mind.  Time to get started packing hospital bags!

Nearing the finish line

I feel like I've gotten you all up-to-date on the last 8 months of our whirlwind life in the last few posts, so things should be a little slower paced at least for the next few weeks.  Here's a few shots of me on Monday, when I was 34 weeks, 4 days along:

Wonder what that tattoo will look like when this is over?

At least I can't tell how bad my pedicure looks from here.

I've gotten into the habit of taking weekly pictures of 'the belly' so I can look back and see where I started and how humongous I'm going to end up.  I technically have 5 weeks until my due date, and at the rate I've been gaining (1.5lbs per week, yikes!) this belly is going to get quite a bit bigger before we get there.  Tomorrow is 35 weeks, and another milestone - but I'll write about that tomorrow after my OB appointment.

Currently, I feel like a whale.  I bump into everything, I move super slowly, I can barely get out of bed without help, my heartburn is out of control... this extra 30+ lbs I'm lugging around are really taking a toll on my body.  And then there's baby D himself - he's "head down" (which is good!) and has his butt and feet up in my ribcage, which is pretty painful to say the least.  I haven't quite found a good position to sit in that keeps him from battering me from the inside.  However, now that I'm up in the mid 30's as far as gestational weeks go, I'm starting to feel a bit more relaxed and relieved that there is an end in sight!  Full speed ahead!

The long waiting game

After our big announcement at the end of October, the only thing we could really do was wait.  And the wait has been excruciating.  First thing we were waiting for - boy or girl?
Most of our friends and family were thinking (hoping?) baby D was going to be a girl.  The old wives tales were split 50/50 as far as what the gender should be, but everyone with kids kept telling me "Oh, since you have morning sickness and gag when you brush your teeth, it's sooo a girl!"

Our 16 week checkup/ultrasound came along, and lo and behold:

Not shy at all.

Ladies and gents, we have a penis (and other accompaniments)!  More importantly, we have a healthy, happy baby.  He was moving like crazy (the kid never sits still) and had all the right parts in all the right places.  And now we have a baby boy to carry on SP's family name (his brother has 3 daughters - SP is the last hope for the family!)

Now that we know the gender of this little one, it's time to start picking stuff out.  And by stuff, I mean tons of teeny, tiny baby shit.  That's the only way I can describe all of the things you need for baby.  Besides the obvious diapers, wipes, and clothes, there are choices to make about cribs, changing tables, dressers, toys, bottles, pacifiers, mittens, baby monitors, and a slew of other things that I've probably forgotten and won't remember to get until it's too late.  Not to mention the theme for the room, colors for the walls, curtains, rugs... at least that's my list of things we need.  SP on the other hand doesn't understand why we can't use a dresser drawer or laundry basket and just keep him at the foot of the bed, let him pee off the porch like he does, and use paper towels instead of baby wipes.  We went to Babies R Us and used their registry tool too pick out all the recommended items that we "need".  We'll see about all that!  Now that the registry is complete, it's onto the next thing we're waiting for: the baby shower!

So, fast forward to January, and the fabulous baby shower that my mom, sister, and bff Ashley threw for me.  Baby D got showered with so much love and so much stuff, that it made this mommy's shopping list quite a bit easier!

Look at that awesome diaper cake I made!

Mom and Jess giving their approval

A week later, back in Louisiana, I began struggling with where to put all of baby D's fabulous new things (it took two 50-lb suitcases to get it all back home, we barely squeaked by the airline limits without having to pay!) .  My in-laws bought us a great dresser/changer combo for the room, and it took me a whole 5 minutes to fill it up with newborn clothes and changing table tools.  Now what? (This is becoming a common theme with this pregnancy).  The room we chose for the nursery is the smallest room in the house, so more furniture to store clothes is out of the question.  I've had a hell of a time finding baby hangers, and even though baby D has the biggest closet (how did I let that happen?), I'm not having any luck keeping the clothes organized in there.  Buying shelves for the walls is stupid expensive, and we're definitely on a budget.  Luckily, I have a husband who loves any excuse to use his power tools and make a mess, and we came up with this:

It looks like a real nursery! Crib courtesy of my wonderful sister-in-law, Julie.

 SP built all of those shelves into the walls, which gave me tons of space to put baby D's toys, books, and stuffed animals!  All for a grand total of... ::drumroll please::: ... about $80!! 

See the butterfly?

Blanket and shoe storage

Wonderful!  The nursery is done (except for a rug), the clothes are washed, folded, and ready to go, his toys are all on display...

Now what?

First comes love, then comes marriage...

I don't know if anyone uses the term "baby carriage" anymore, but Baby D is certainly well on his way.

His story begins back in August 2010.  Somehow, I came down with the flu in the middle of the month.  Typical luck for me, getting the flu during the hottest part of the summer in Houston TX.  I know now that pregnancy weakens the immune system, making you catch just about everything... that could have been a hint.  My second hint should have been realized when my mother-in-law asked SP (while I was in the throes of a high fever and sweating spell) "Are you sure she's not pregnant?"  Let me tell you about my MIL (mother-in-law).  She gets these 'feelings', and they're almost always right.  Sometimes it's super creepy.  "NO she's not pregnant, she's got the flu Mom!"

Well.  I started thinking, hey... I think I am a little 'late', but the doctors told me it might be awhile before things returned to normal (I had a miscarriage back in April).  Well hell, just for kicks I went out and bought a two-pack of EPT's.

Well how about them apples?

First thought:  Oh shit.
Second thought: HOW does she DO that?!?
Third thought:  OK, now what?

SP didn't believe it (I think I actually too 3 tests to prove it!) until we had our first ultrasound at 8 weeks.  We were, of course, nervous as hell because of our previous experience, and I wouldn't even look at the screen until I heard SP say, "Oh, well that's different than last time!"

Hello, little one!

Our little guy, at 8 weeks and some days.  He was dancing away on the monitor, and I was crying like a baby.

OH MY GOD, WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!

Even after that wonderful experience, we were a bit cautious.  My miscarriage didn't happen until after 12 weeks, so we opted to *try* and keep it a secret until we were into the 2nd trimester.  Which worked out perfectly:  my brother and step-dad's birthday's were on the Friday after I turned 13 weeks, and I was going to send them presents anyway, so why not make them announcement gifts?  They were all shocked.  I think my mom even cried!  And SP and I got these gems for ourselves:

Again... OMG, WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!

...now what?

It all started with a Love Song

This "Love Song" to be precise:

SP and I had been dating a few weeks when I got a text from him saying, "Love is all around you...".  I immediately got on Google to search what the heck this meant, and came across this video.  At first I was thinking, "Who the heck is this guy, and why is he sending me bad 80's hair music?"  I finished watching the video, and resigned myself to "OK fine, he's awesome, I guess I love him too!".  And it all evolved from there.  This actually ended up being our wedding song.

Let me backtrack a little bit.  This is me:

Rather, this was me in the early days of SP and I being together.  My name is Candace, I'm 26, a full-time accounting student, and oh yeah... I'm 35 weeks pregnant.  More on that later.

This is SP:

37, electrician by trade, schemer by choice, and gearing up to be the world's greatest dad.

We met in late 2005.  I was bartending at a local dive in Jacksonville, FL.  He was one of my regulars that came in and drank all of my coffee.  Always the same order: chicken philly, Sharp's N.A. beer (SP has been sober since 2003), and a cup of coffee to follow.  We chatted, a few weeks later he asked me out on a date, and the book writes itself from there.

4 years and two cross-country moves later, we got married in Orlando, FL on July 10, 2009.

 

This pretty much sums us up.  Also, I was drunk.  Really drunk.

2 years and another move later, here we are in the newest place we're calling home; Slidell, Louisiana

at the French Market in New Orleans, on my 26th birthday

It's safe to say that SP and I are a bit... unconventional in pretty much everything that we do.  Life has been one big adventure since we found each other, and it's only getting more exciting as time goes on.  We're really enjoying the ride together and I'm excited to drag you all along with us in what is sure to be a crazy and chaotic continuation of our story


Now, onto the next page in our book ... THE BABY!