37 weeks, 4 days
At 37 weeks, we enjoyed a road trip down to Sedona. My husband did a fabulous job taking some pics. Here are a few belly photos for your enjoyment!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Hello, Cervix!
October 23, 2011
36 weeks, 5 days
I have been feeling exhilarated the past few days. Perhaps it is the gorgeous fall weather - the wind gently blowing off the first of the golden brown leaves. Perhaps it is the good nights rest I have had over the past few days. Perhaps, just perhaps, it is because Baby is on its way.....
I had an OB appointment on Thursday. And when the doc asked, "Would you like me to check your cervix?", I have never opened my legs in a cold office building quite so quickly. Curiosity definately won out. So, for those of you who can't quite stomach reading about cervixes please feel free to skip down a paragraph or two. As of Thursday, I am 2 cm dilated; cervix is 50% effaced; and Baby is in Station -1. Check out the diagram below:
Unfortunately, you can't predict anything from these measurements. What it does indicate is that I am at a good starting point! The doc says it would be rare for me to have to have a c-section. I have had no Braxton-Hicks contractions (pre-labor contractions) so I am pretty darned pleased that I have opened up a bit without that. Looks like my body and Baby are working together quite nicely.
I was thinking of starting a betting pool for the day Baby will come. I was thinking a PayPal account might be exciting (hehe...). My bro thinks the winner should have naming rights. Any takers?! ;-)
My ligaments and tendons are getting loosey goosey. I stepped off my deck today (a mere foot and a half) and my left ankle gave out and I landed, rather gracefully, on my left knee. I popped back up with no pain. Later on my walk, I stepped on a rock and this time my right ankle gave way. Thankfully no serious falls but with everything starting to loosen up and open for the coming of Baby I should be more cautious!
Protein. According to a nurse I spoke with, I should be shooting for 90 grams of protein a day. 90 grams. Wow! This is increasingly difficult as I find I am not as hungry as I once was. The uterus taking up the space of my stomach? Most likely. However, my craving of the past few weeks has been oatmeal. I love oatmeal. And I figured out that a bowl of oatmeal made with milk and with added raisins and nuts has 20 g of protein! I think this is a fabulous way to start my day. We also get farm fresh eggs (the yolks are so yellow you wouldn't believe...and they taste.....like a little slice of heaven) which, according to incredibleegg.org, have 6 grams of protein each. So with 2 eggs, a bowl of oatmeal and an Odwalla protein drink, I am at least at 50 grams a day. I figure I am hitting at least 60 -70. Whew. With all the extra weight I am carrying (about 30 pounds), my legs should be seriously muscular by the end of this pregnancy.
Have I mentioned how much I love Amazon.com? I order things and they come right to my front door. No questions asked. None of the "You live in the middle of nowhere" stuff. It just comes. Like my cloth diapers. I am getting so excited to use them. And I have a diaper sprayer to clean off the chunks. Yes, chunks. Or perhaps soft serve? Or, even better, liquid poo? If you know the Malcolms, then you know I couldn't talk about diapers without throwing in something about poo.
In remembrance of my 15-week belly.....Did I really think I had a bump back then?! And I look so thin.....hehe....
And my belly as of 10 days ago (I promise an updated Full-Term belly in the next week!):
Fun Baby Fact: Baby is gaining about half an ounce per day. Baby simulates breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid. And Baby has hiccups! He hadn't had them until about a week ago. Now pretty much every evening after dinner she hiccups away for a few minutes. It makes me laugh.
Fun Pregnancy Fact: I think I divulged plenty of this above :-) 3 days till FULL TERM.
36 weeks, 5 days
I have been feeling exhilarated the past few days. Perhaps it is the gorgeous fall weather - the wind gently blowing off the first of the golden brown leaves. Perhaps it is the good nights rest I have had over the past few days. Perhaps, just perhaps, it is because Baby is on its way.....
I had an OB appointment on Thursday. And when the doc asked, "Would you like me to check your cervix?", I have never opened my legs in a cold office building quite so quickly. Curiosity definately won out. So, for those of you who can't quite stomach reading about cervixes please feel free to skip down a paragraph or two. As of Thursday, I am 2 cm dilated; cervix is 50% effaced; and Baby is in Station -1. Check out the diagram below:
Unfortunately, you can't predict anything from these measurements. What it does indicate is that I am at a good starting point! The doc says it would be rare for me to have to have a c-section. I have had no Braxton-Hicks contractions (pre-labor contractions) so I am pretty darned pleased that I have opened up a bit without that. Looks like my body and Baby are working together quite nicely.
I was thinking of starting a betting pool for the day Baby will come. I was thinking a PayPal account might be exciting (hehe...). My bro thinks the winner should have naming rights. Any takers?! ;-)
My ligaments and tendons are getting loosey goosey. I stepped off my deck today (a mere foot and a half) and my left ankle gave out and I landed, rather gracefully, on my left knee. I popped back up with no pain. Later on my walk, I stepped on a rock and this time my right ankle gave way. Thankfully no serious falls but with everything starting to loosen up and open for the coming of Baby I should be more cautious!
Protein. According to a nurse I spoke with, I should be shooting for 90 grams of protein a day. 90 grams. Wow! This is increasingly difficult as I find I am not as hungry as I once was. The uterus taking up the space of my stomach? Most likely. However, my craving of the past few weeks has been oatmeal. I love oatmeal. And I figured out that a bowl of oatmeal made with milk and with added raisins and nuts has 20 g of protein! I think this is a fabulous way to start my day. We also get farm fresh eggs (the yolks are so yellow you wouldn't believe...and they taste.....like a little slice of heaven) which, according to incredibleegg.org, have 6 grams of protein each. So with 2 eggs, a bowl of oatmeal and an Odwalla protein drink, I am at least at 50 grams a day. I figure I am hitting at least 60 -70. Whew. With all the extra weight I am carrying (about 30 pounds), my legs should be seriously muscular by the end of this pregnancy.
Have I mentioned how much I love Amazon.com? I order things and they come right to my front door. No questions asked. None of the "You live in the middle of nowhere" stuff. It just comes. Like my cloth diapers. I am getting so excited to use them. And I have a diaper sprayer to clean off the chunks. Yes, chunks. Or perhaps soft serve? Or, even better, liquid poo? If you know the Malcolms, then you know I couldn't talk about diapers without throwing in something about poo.
In remembrance of my 15-week belly.....Did I really think I had a bump back then?! And I look so thin.....hehe....
And my belly as of 10 days ago (I promise an updated Full-Term belly in the next week!):
Fun Baby Fact: Baby is gaining about half an ounce per day. Baby simulates breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid. And Baby has hiccups! He hadn't had them until about a week ago. Now pretty much every evening after dinner she hiccups away for a few minutes. It makes me laugh.
Fun Pregnancy Fact: I think I divulged plenty of this above :-) 3 days till FULL TERM.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Ramblings
October 16, 2011
35 weeks, 4 days
This past week or so has brought on some most exciting changes. Body changes, that is. According to my husband, I snore. And I have acid reflux. And, believe it or not, Baby is still torturing my right ribs.
35 weeks, 4 days
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| Family Photo 10/15/11 |
This past week or so has brought on some most exciting changes. Body changes, that is. According to my husband, I snore. And I have acid reflux. And, believe it or not, Baby is still torturing my right ribs.
Let's start with snoring. I will have you know that I have never been one of those people. In fact, I always prided myself on being a quiet sleeper. Not in the last month of pregnancy. CJ says that it all began a few weeks back when I snuggled up to his neck (I tend to take over his pillow part way through the night) and I woke him up with my loud mouth breathing. Please appreciate that pregnancy causes nasal congestion. But then, within the past week, my "loud mouth breathing" has turned into snoring. What have I become?!
Acid Reflux. It has become the bane of my existance. The past two nights have been long. Very long. With very little sleep. Night 1 I managed to sneak through the night with only mild sleep disturbances. An additional pillow seemed to ease my discomfort. However, last night was an entirely different story. The burning morphed into nausea and I floated in and out of sleep until about 3 am. At that point, I added 3 additional pillows (until I was sitting upright.....). That helped for about an hour. I then trusted my husbands' 4 am wisdom: "Drink some baking soda and water. It helps neutralize the acid." Within 30 minutes or so, I was able to return to bed and drift off in my upright position. Tonight, I ate dinner nice and early. I will beat you, Acid Reflux.
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| Peek-A-Boo! Backdrop: Mt Humphrey's |
I love Baby. I really and truly do. He/she could do me the favor of migrating his/her feet out my right rib cage. Maybe try out the left side? If this baby is going to be even half as active outside of the womb as he is on the inside, we are in for a real treat :o) It is reassuring to feel her squiggling around, hiccupping and kicking me. I love it. According to the doc, my fundus is growing perfectly and Baby's heartbeat continues to be strong.
Almost full term....! We are feeling prepared. Embracing these last few weeks of Mr. And Mrs. Malcolm pre-baby. CJ and I joke about Baby not allowed to come before November 14 (my estimated due date being November 17). We have "planned" our lives until that date - including when I start maternity leave. According to the nurse from the labor class, it is common for women who live at altitude to go into labor 2 weeks early.....We shall see! My new mantra? Baby, you come when you're ready!
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| The Glory of Fall |
Fun Baby Fact: Baby weighs in pretty darn close to 6 pounds this week. The countdown to a full term Baby begins....10 days - 37 weeks!
Fun Pregnancy Fact: We are in major "labor" prep mode. We went to our Labor class and have been reading up on natural birth. I am not nervous or scared about labor- in fact, as a nurse, I am intrigued to see how my body will respond. God created women to go through childbirth. Knowing the reward of the hard work helps me stay focused on ultimate the goal!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Learning Patience
Pregnancy has taught me a new level of patience.
This past week, as I made my way through TSA at the Flagstaff airport (en route to San Diego for Baby Shower Weekend Extraordinaire), I felt remarkably calm. I squatted down, took off my shoes, and slowly stood back up (could you imagine losing your balance while in line with however many impatient travelers behind you?!). I gracefully lifted my bag onto the conveyor belt and smiled as I *quietly* burped up my morning dose of yogurt and berries. I found a seat in the terminal and chuckled as I realized that I was breathing rather heavily.
Within the chaos of the airport, my mind was quiet and peaceful. I was acutely aware of my body: my steady heavy breathing, Baby wiggling away inside of me, the squeezing of my compression stockings pushing the fluid back up to my heart. It was a wonderful sensation - being present with my body, if even just for a few moments.
Now to maintain my new-found patience in the year to come.......
34 weeks! Whopeeee!!! My official Baby Shower was just perfect....not too many people and surrounded by those women (and a few men) that are so very dear to me. Naturally, as I am sure most preggie mamas say, it was overwhelming. So much love, praise, unsolicited advice....and to try and process it all in just a few hours was both rewarding and exhausting. My nieces did a fabulous job of playing "hostess" and "waitress". I feel so incredibly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends - a support network that will be my backbone over the coming year.
Now I am back home. Home. Sigh. Home and ready to organize the goods and prepare for Baby. I told CJ, "No more big road trips 'til after Baby comes!" The temperature has been a chilly 45-50 degrees today and they are predicting snow tomorrow. Oh, wouldn't it be fun if we had an early winter and a nice, big snow storm when I go into labor?! Hehe.... I swear my husband is doing a little dance to the weather gods (he not-so-secretly wants to deliver our baby somewhere other than at the hospital).
Fun Baby Fact: Baby can be up to 5 lbs this week. CRAZY. If Baby is a boy, his testicles are descending (if I were a man I might have greater appreciation for this particular event....). Fingernails reach the ends of the fingers getting ready for a manicure- oh, and speaking of! The little Vietnamese lady who gave me a mani/pedi, touched my belly and claimed, "It's a boy!" Hehe....
Fun Pregnancy Fact: My morning wake up call has become a right calf cramp. If I manage to flex my foot in time, it passes over with only mild pain. However, in the event that I am not so speedy in the flexing I find myself laying very still and wincing while attempting not to wake my love biscuit lying beside me.
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| 33 1/2 week belly photo |
October 5, 2011
33 weeks, 6 days
This past week, as I made my way through TSA at the Flagstaff airport (en route to San Diego for Baby Shower Weekend Extraordinaire), I felt remarkably calm. I squatted down, took off my shoes, and slowly stood back up (could you imagine losing your balance while in line with however many impatient travelers behind you?!). I gracefully lifted my bag onto the conveyor belt and smiled as I *quietly* burped up my morning dose of yogurt and berries. I found a seat in the terminal and chuckled as I realized that I was breathing rather heavily.
Within the chaos of the airport, my mind was quiet and peaceful. I was acutely aware of my body: my steady heavy breathing, Baby wiggling away inside of me, the squeezing of my compression stockings pushing the fluid back up to my heart. It was a wonderful sensation - being present with my body, if even just for a few moments.
Now to maintain my new-found patience in the year to come.......
34 weeks! Whopeeee!!! My official Baby Shower was just perfect....not too many people and surrounded by those women (and a few men) that are so very dear to me. Naturally, as I am sure most preggie mamas say, it was overwhelming. So much love, praise, unsolicited advice....and to try and process it all in just a few hours was both rewarding and exhausting. My nieces did a fabulous job of playing "hostess" and "waitress". I feel so incredibly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends - a support network that will be my backbone over the coming year.
Now I am back home. Home. Sigh. Home and ready to organize the goods and prepare for Baby. I told CJ, "No more big road trips 'til after Baby comes!" The temperature has been a chilly 45-50 degrees today and they are predicting snow tomorrow. Oh, wouldn't it be fun if we had an early winter and a nice, big snow storm when I go into labor?! Hehe.... I swear my husband is doing a little dance to the weather gods (he not-so-secretly wants to deliver our baby somewhere other than at the hospital).
Fun Baby Fact: Baby can be up to 5 lbs this week. CRAZY. If Baby is a boy, his testicles are descending (if I were a man I might have greater appreciation for this particular event....). Fingernails reach the ends of the fingers getting ready for a manicure- oh, and speaking of! The little Vietnamese lady who gave me a mani/pedi, touched my belly and claimed, "It's a boy!" Hehe....
Fun Pregnancy Fact: My morning wake up call has become a right calf cramp. If I manage to flex my foot in time, it passes over with only mild pain. However, in the event that I am not so speedy in the flexing I find myself laying very still and wincing while attempting not to wake my love biscuit lying beside me.
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| Striking a pose while out for a hike in Rancho Penasquitos Canyon Reserve (San Diego)...elastic pants rule! |
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