BB2.0: 36 Weeks!!!!!

It seems like just yesterday that we got the positive test.  How are we already 36 weeks along?!  And why does the time seem to go even faster the longer my to-do list gets?!  I am so excited at the thought of meeting this little boy.  I am also overly emotional about Lilly losing her only-child status.  More on that in a separate post.  For now, the stats!

Size of Baby Boy:  I have seen honeydew, crenshaw melon, and romaine lettuce on various sites:

He weighs almost 6 lbs and is around 18.5 inches long (WRONG - See below) and is gaining about an ounce of weight per day (in other words, around 1/2-lb per week).  Baby is starting to shed hair as well as vernix caseosa (both of which coated his skin) but is swallowing both which will result in meconium aka his first poop (so gross, like tar).  At the end of this week, baby will be considered "early term."  They just changed these definitions - when I was pregnant with L, 37 weeks was considered "full-term."  Now, babies born prior to 37 weeks are pre-term, 41 weeks is late-term and anything after 42 (please God no) is post-term.  Lots happening in this big 'ole belly o' mine!

Weight Gain So Far:  Per the doctor yesterday, still hovering between +30 and +31 lbs and still hoping to cap out at no more than +35.  I was +28 at this point with Lilly, so I'm not actually too far off-track.

Cravings:  I'm still really only interested in things that are sweet, so maybe not on the "no more than +35 lbs" thing.  :-)

Aversions:  Not a thing.  I am ravenous at all times and could probably eat this whole house if I wanted to most days.

Symptoms:  More of the same, with exhaustion and REAL frequent urination taking the lead.  I have also experienced some pretty terrible heartburn as of late, which I have previously experienced a little of but not too much so far this pregnancy.  Sleep happens sometimes and not others, and I have also had some pretty intense back pain - I think from carrying around all of the extra weight.  The only other thing to note is some braxton hicks and quite a few really intense pains lately that have felt more like what I remember real contractions to feel like, but nothing consistent.  And itchy skin, oy!

Movement:  Still kickin' around in there.  Once we woke him up yesterday, he showed off a little for the ultrasound tech.  

What I Miss:  Having energy!  I realize it will probably be a long time before that returns, but it will be nice to not feel drained all of the time.

Signs of a Bump:  You betcha.

Lilly at 36 weeks:

I can't tell who is bigger anymore, they just look different!

What I'm Thankful For:  A repeat: such amazing family and friends.  I had so much fun at my sprinkle on Saturday and am continually amazed at our support system and how many people are so excited about this baby.  I didn't think people would be as excited about the second baby but I have been proven very wrong.  You are so, so loved, my sweet little man, and you haven't even made your grand entrance yet!

What I'm Looking Forward To:  THE CRIB ARRIVED TODAY!!!  OMG y'all don't even know how excited I am.  I called the company again on my way home from work to check on the status.  They put me on hold, came back to tell me "at first there was an error processing my order but they're showing it has now been processed."  Awesome, so what does that mean?  "Well unfortunately we just switched over systems so I am trying to figure out what that means."  I got off the phone annoyed and then was ecstatic when I got home and went to check the mail and saw the crib on the front porch.  WAHOO!  Equally exciting: we have a weekend at home and Dan has the day off on Monday, so I am hoping to make a LOT of progress around here.  Updates to come, surely.

Doctor Appointment Update:  A lot to catch up on here.  Blood pressure is still perfect - was 128/78 yesterday.  Urine was still protein-free, and baby's heartbeat was 138 beats per minute (haven't gotten that actual stat in a while even though we've gotten to hear it at every appointment).  I also got more bloodwork done to check on my platelets (They were low at last check - nothing to worry about, it just determines whether or not I'll be able to get an epidural.  If platelets are too low, epi is a no-go.  Barf.).  

Per yesterday's ultrasound, baby boy already weighs 7 lbs 3 oz and his head is in the 97th percentile - prayers for my lady parts can commence now.  I have been in a serious panic about his size (even worse after the ultrasound) and had to work really hard not to cry about those two stats at the doctor's office, but I realized after looking back at Lilly's 36-week update post that they told me she was 7 lbs 11 oz at 36 weeks.  She was born at 37 weeks (this whole time I have been thinking it was just before, but that is false) and she weighed 7 lbs 6 oz, so that's proof that there is a God those machines can be wrong.  Her head was smaller, though - it was measuring in the 88th percentile at this point so I can still worry about head size.  The u/s tech did caution us that that is an estimate and can be off by a pound or more (surely if it is off by a pound or more the estimate is too high, because if he is actually already 8.5 lbs we're gonna have a serious problem).  All that to say, baby is thankfully perfectly healthy but definitely on the big side.  If he gains 1/2-lb per week and I make it full-term, we are looking at a 9.5 lb-er.  No thanks.  As soon as Lilly's birthday party ends on January 25th, I am going to commence a pineapple-only diet, massage some pressure points, maybe go for a jog - do everything in my power to get this baby moving (he is already head down and in position, per the ulatrasound).  The doctor did not seem concerned and basically said that they do not induce due to baby being huge (he said that research shows that it just leads to more c-sections and more complicated births due to moms' bodies and babies not being ready for birth) and that IF they were going to do anything it wouldn't be prior to 39 weeks.  I have heard of other doctors inducing because the baby was huge, so I think mine are just being conservative (which normally is fine but of course no one seems concerned since they're not the ones that actually have to birth this child!).  Several of the nurses as well as the doctor said something along the lines of, "Seriously don't worry, you'll be fine, the first one really paves the way so you'll be surprised at how easy it is."  I wasn't sure whether to be horrified or offended.  I think I'm both.  All I have to say is that my platelets better be normal because if this baby is going to be 9.5 lbs I am going to need that epi and a drink or four.

Next Doctor Appointment:  Next Tuesday, January 21.  I see a lady doctor, so maybe she will have more sympathy for my lady parts.  :-)

We're still in search of a dresser, we still plenty of organization to do, and we still need a name for this baby.  Other than that, little man can make his debut any day after the 25th and I'll be a-ok with it.  :-)

Dan had a work dinner tonight, so L and I were on our own.  I was beat and lacking any energy (I feel so bad for poor Lilly that I really am feeling that way every day these days), which I normally try to power through but tonight I just couldn't, so we attempted to watch a movie for the first time.  I don't have too many children's movies, but I let her pick and she chose Toy Story.  She was intrigued for about 7 minutes, then ran around for a bit, then came back and sat still to finish it since I served her dinner on the couch.  I felt like the worst Mama in the world, but she seemed to enjoy it, so maybe we can make it a girls night tradition every so often.  Although I am thinking that Friday night family movie nights at least once a month sound fun, too!  :-)

Tomorrow is Hump Day, wahoo!

Sarah

36 Week (!!!) Update

Howdy, y'all!  I hope everyone had a wonderful MLK day.  Lots to cover in this post, including today's doctor visit, so I'll cut to the chase with the 36 week stats (can you believe I am already 36 weeks?!):

Size of Geronimina:  One e-mail is still saying honeydew, but another says a crenshaw melon (does anyone even know what that is?), so I'll go with it:

She is gaining about an ounce a day.  My e-mail says she weighs almost 6 pounds, but according to today's ultrasound she is already 7 lbs 11 ounces (EEK!).  BUT, her head is now in the 88th percentile (as opposed to last time when they said 96th).  My lady parts and I will not cry if that percentile continues to decrease.  :-)  One thing to remember about ultrasounds, though, is that they can be up to 20% off.  If so, let's hope they are 20% high on weight instead of low.  We do not need a 20-pounder - ouch!  As for this week's developments, her liver and kidneys are working, and her circulation and immune system are good to go.  Her lungs are the only organs that still need some extra development before maturity, but we saw today on the monitor that she's stretching them out a ton and practicing breathing, which the ultrasound tech said is excellent.

Weight Gain So Far:  Still holding strong at +28 as of the doctor's scale today.  AND it wasn't even this morning, it was right after lunch.  Woot!  Not the +25 total that I was hoping for, but at this point, as long as she's healthy I will be fine!  I am frankly surprised that after 3 weeks of bed rest and literally doing nothing it isn't up to +50.

Cravings:  Does "everything that isn't bed rest" count here?  I know, I know, I should stop complaining because it's good for baby and me, but LORD I am going nuts here.  Could still eat pizza every day of the week if allowed, and still have a sweet tooth, but that's about it!

Aversions:  Do I need to say bed rest?  Are you sensing a theme?  :-)

Symptoms:  Same old: exhaustion, headaches, heartburn, swelling, and urination is out of control frequent.  I read that it would get worse towards the end but I didn't believe it because I was already going so much.  Trust, it is possible.  One sip of water, have to pee.  Pretty sure she's camped out on my bladder.  I am getting to that stage where I am just pretty uncomfortable in general, which I'm sure is at least partially due to the fact that I do nothing all day.  Minor aches and pains, but no stretch marks to report (fingers crossed it stays this way!), which I'm happy about.  Also a new one this week, I have been getting this weird heartburn that isn't really heartburn because it's in my upper abdomen.  I didn't think it was anything important, but today when I told the doctor about it she scolded me for a good 10 minutes for not calling to report it.  She said that is definitely a sign that the preeclampsia could be progressing, and they want to know about it so that they can monitor even more closely (great), especially if it gets worse.

Movement:  Still tons.  Even the ultrasound tech today was surprised that she's still moving so much, because she said baby girl literally is taking up every inch of room in there and doesn't have any to spare for a ton of movement. 

What I Miss:  I never thought I would say the gym!  All in good time, as I feel sure immediately after baby I will begin to loathe it again.  Ha!

Things I Am Thankful For:  Probably repeats from here on out, sorry!  WONDERFUL friends and family, and a wonderful church family.  We had two baby showers over the weekend and were so overwhelmed at the outpouring of love and generosity.  My sweet, sweet husband, who brings me flowers and cooks me surprise lunches (Like today when he cooked me a surprise gourmet lunch on his day off, I asked him if he was trying to fatten me up before my weigh-in and he told me he just wanted to make sure I wasn't hungry in case they induced me today since you can't eat when in labor.  I die!).  My Mom, for coming to visit for a few days to keep me company, help me do laundry and continue to get the nursery organized, etc.  Books, my new kindle, and the DVR.

What I'm Looking Forward To:  Meeting Baby B!  And hopefully making a little more progress in the nursery this week.  Also we both have work showers this week, which I'm excited about.  We are so blessed, and this baby is so rotten already.

Signs of a Bump:  Oh yeah.  I can really tell she's started to "drop," and everyone who saw me over the weekend confirmed it.  The ultrasound tech today even said, "My gosh she is REALLY low in there."  Why yes, my nether regions feel her in the form of a LOT of pressure and random limbs in the birth canal, often.

Next Doctor Appointment:  Wednesday morning, 9:30 a.m.   I told Dan he is off the hook for the next one, because I am getting so bored with them so I know he is, too.  Today I got a good report, which I am thankful for, but also don't know whether to be excited or disappointed.  No protein in my urine, and my BP was more normal for once - 132/80.  Camped out on the FHM for a good hour and baby is absolutely fine.  Still contracting, but not consistently.  Fluid levels are fine, baby is measuring big but fine, and all of her organs appear to be functioning perfectly.  They also did the Strep B test, so we are just waiting on the results.  So everything seems to be a-ok in there for now.  Here are some ghetto photos of the ultrasound pictures we got that I took with my iPhone, because I can't figure out how our scanner works:

The above pictures are looking at her face straight on - sweet little chunky cheeks!  She was blinking at us the whole time and we could see it on the screen. It was pretty incredible.

Over the past few weeks, the doctors have been telling me that they were trying to get me to 37 weeks, but that they likely wouldn't let me go much longer, and to expect to be induced early, so I asked about that today.  She said that at this point, it's just a waiting game, and she couldn't really say (this is the part I'm not sure whether to be excited or disappointed about).  She said they want me to continue to come in twice/week, and was very concerned about the upper abdominal discomfort/heartburn feeling.  I am thankful that we will likely be able to make it to full-term, and that Geronimina is happy and healthy in there.  However, on the other hand, I had mentally prepared myself to have a baby soon and adjusted all of my expectations, because that's what they've been telling me, so when she didn't really give me a definitive answer today it was slightly disappointing.  I know they are doing what's best for us, but the not knowing is killing me - as is the bed rest!  Guess we'll see what happens on Wednesday!

I will leave you with a sneak peak of some shower goodies from the two that were given for us in Charlotte this weekend (because who doesn't like pictures?!):

All of the goodies we got.  Such overwhelming generosity!

Take 2/close-up.

CUTEST WREATH EVER, made by Aunt Niecey.  Waiting to be hung on our front door!

So, that's where we are, friends!  I will try to post about both showers this week, as well as other awesomely interesting topics which I'm sure you are waiting with baited breath to read about.  :-)

Love!

Sarah