40 weeks

Hello, due date.

 

 I'm 40 weeks today and it's time for this little lady to make her grand entrance. Just so I'm clear, while I may be welcoming my due date, I certainly expected it to bring me a baby. I do not want to go past my due date and it's become rather clear that I'm going to. :( As impatient as I've become over the past couple of weeks, I truly am glad that I made it to 40 weeks. However, if I hit 41 weeks, I may
or may not freak out. Don't say I didn't warn you.

 

There aren't really any updates. Other than remaining nice and comfy, all that continues to happen is weight gain (for both baby and mama!) and her hair/nails grow longer. Exciting news, right?!

 

At my appointment last Thursday, we found out that I'm now closer to 3cm dilated and still around 80% effaced. I know they say you can walk around with this much progress for some time without labor, but it seriously blows my mind. I have to reach 10cm to have a baby and I'm already almost a 1/3 of the way there. How do we NOT have a baby!!? My OB wants to strip my membranes first thing tomorrow morning. This is a more natural way to help bring on labor. I really, really want to avoid inducing at all costs, so please pray that it works! This process will typically start labor (not immediately - I've read that it usually happens anywhere from 6 hours to several days later) and works well IF the woman's body is ready. Clearly, mine seems to be ready. Let's hope it works!!!

 



How far along? 40 weeks

Baby's size? a jackfruit

Total weight gain:  32 pounds

Maternity clothes? Yes! I'm SO ready to pack these away!!!!

Sleep: It's actually been decent. I still get up a few times to use the bathroom, but I'm able to get back to sleep quickly. This is much better than the 5-8 trips a night I experienced there for a while.

Best moment(s) this past week: As eager as I am, I really enjoyed this past week. We went to a happy hour/dinner with friends. We had takeout and watched a movie on Friday. I celebrated a best friend's birthday Saturday. So, we enjoyed what will *hopefully* be our last free week/weekend sans a baby. I won't go into the details about all the time spent trying to naturally induce labor over the weekend.

Miss Anything?  Nothing new.

Movement: Yep, she still wiggles and moves a lot. Just enough to make 5pm-10pm really uncomfortable.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing new.

Cravings: Nothing in particular.

Labor Signs: Well, the contractions had lessened throughout the week, but seemed to have picked back up over the weekend. With all the progress I've made, I really don't understand how this baby is still taking her sweet time!

Gender: GIRL!

Symptoms:  I can make it through an entire work day feeling perfectly fine and not so much like I'm 40 weeks pregnant. However, by the end of the day I'm dying. I think my body is just super exhausted (from the day and pregnancy in general) and this is Ellie's most active time of day. All I want to do is relax, but I can't get comfortable to safe my life. I wore boots to work on Friday that have a very small heel (maybe a 1/2 an inch or so). That was a bad idea. My feet were swollen all night! I was hoping I'd make it through my pregnancy without swollen feet. Thankfully, they seem to be back to normal today. On the bright side, I think I've made it to 40 weeks without a stretch mark! Knock on wood that this doesn't change within the next few days!

Belly Button in or out? Out and stretched wide.

Wedding rings on or off? on :)
Happy or Moody most of the time: Really happy, but REALLY impatient and anxious.

Looking forward to:  Hopefully meeting Baby Girl this week!!
 

 40 weeks: Mama

 

40 weeks: Ellie

 

Seriously praying and hoping this sweet girl graces us with her presence soon. Please pray that the membrane sweep works, for a healthy and smooth delivery, and most importantly, a healthy baby!

 

Thanks, friends. Hopefully you won't see a 41 week board post next week. :)

 

Goodbye, due date!

39 weeks!

I truly wasn't expecting to make another weekly post, but here I am.

 

Baby Girl is 39 weeks.

And wants to continue being my inside Baby.

Definitely a very bittersweet feeling.

 

Our sweet Ellie Bean is at least 7 pounds and 20 inches long. There really aren't any new developments because all she's doing at this point is taking her sweet time gaining about a half pound each week.
 

How far along? 39 weeks

Baby's size? a watermelon! I carried a watermelon! Dirty Dancing, anyone? I'm literally carrying a watermelon and my gigantic belly doesn't fail to remind me so.

Total weight gain:  31 pounds, which means I'm definitely retaining water. There's not a chance I've truly gained 2 pounds this week. I haven't had much of an appetite and I've basically been forcing myself to eat so that Baby Girl gets her nutrition. There just isn't room for food in my belly.

Maternity clothes? Yes! And I'm over it. I want my wardrobe back stat.

Sleep: It's hasn't been too bad actually, minus the bathroom trips. The worst part about sleeping is when I have to get out of bed. It's quite the sight, let me tell you.

Best moment(s) this past week: This week was really busy (12+ hour days), but really great. I spent the whole week co-teaching and working with my long-term sub. I absolutely love her and I feel SO, SO much better about leaving my kiddos. As much as I want Ellie to grace us with her presence, I'm really glad I was able to spend all week with my sub.

Miss Anything?  Nothing new.

Movement: I still feel quite a bit of movement, but it's more wiggling than anything. Baby Girl is definitely running out of room.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing new.

Cravings: Fruit. Sprite.

Labor Signs: The contractions have doubled this past week, both in frequency and length. I was sure that I would have progressed more. However, as of Thursday I am still 2cm and at 80% effacement. I was bummed to hear this news, but it can be expected. Women can walk around with little to no progress for weeks. They can also have zero progress and go into labor that night. Here's to hoping we have better news next Thursday OR even better! We won't make it to next Thursday. I told my OB that I planned on seeing him in the hospital next week, not his office. I hope I'm right.

Gender: GIRL!

Symptoms:  Lots and lots of contractions. Just waiting for them to be frequent, painful, and long enough. They should be 5 minutes apart, last a minute in length, and go on for an hour. My doctor actually prefers 2 hours. We'll see how I feel once they're coming on this strong. I don't know that I'll want to wait 2 hours before heading to the hospital.

Belly Button in or out? Out, but still itty bitty.

Wedding rings on or off? on :) So glad I haven't had to take these off.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to:  Meeting our baby girl!!! It's really funny how much my perspective has changed over the last couple of weeks. I went from not being ready and wanting to keep her to myself to let's go baby! I'd be lying if I said I weren't hoping that she comes before 9am tomorrow morning - before my 50 minute formal observation with all 3 admin. Send all of your labor vibes this way y'all. This mama could use them! :)
 

 39 weeks: Mama

 

39 weeks: Ellie

PS. Vote for my baby blog! Click on the Top Baby Blog box on the right hand of the screen.

Thanks, friends.

 

Have a great week! Hopefully my next post is a birth announcement. :)

 

38 weeks

 

Ellie is 38 weeks and ready to go! She is about 7 pounds and 19.5 inches long. Ready and waiting.

 

At my appointment on Thursday I found out that I'm already 2cm dilated and at 80% effacement. My cervix is really soft and very "favorable." His words, not mine.

 

She's super, super low. In fact, Dr. Reuss said he could feel her head when he was checking me. I definitely freaked out when these words came from his mouth. It took a few seconds to register what exactly he was saying. He. could. feel. her. head. SHUT. UP!

 

He seems to think she'll be gracing us with her presence soon, although he didn't give me a time frame. I personally think this will be my last pregnancy post because I think she'll be here by the end of next weekend and I usually make my posts Sunday evenings. We shall see!

 

 I couldn't wait to tell JP all of this information. He's only missed 2 out of maybe 15 appointments: Best Husband/Daddy Award! We met up for lunch shortly after and I'm pretty sure our conversations when something along these lines:

 

(This was all on the phone on my way to meet him.

I could just imagine his facial expressions.)

 

Me: We're officially just playing the waiting game.

Him: How did it go?

Me: Well, I'm 2cm dilated. When I reach 10cm, I'm ready to push out a baby.

Him: Hmmm.

Me: I'm also at 80% effacement.

Him: Hmmm.

Me (sensing he didn't understand): That means my cervix is thinning out.

It will be at 100% when I'm ready to deliver.

Him: Wow.

Me: Okay, well I'll see you in a few minutes.

I decided to let all that sink in while he waited for me.

 

(I meet up with him for lunch.)

 

Him with a HUGE grin on his face: We're going to have a baby!

Me: I know, it's so crazy. I can't believe it's going to happen just about any day now. I can't believe how far I've progressed!

Him: Wait, so was he using his hands to check you?

Me in my most no big deal voice: Yep!

Him in the most curious, eager, and very matter-of-fact-like: Wait, so could he feel all of her hair???!?

 

LOL. Omg. I die.

 

My husband would be the one to worry about her hair.

 

 (During lunch.)

 

Me: So, I'm going out to dinner and to a movie with the girls on Saturday. You should go out with all your friends. It may be the last time before she arrives.

Him: Hmm. (he's clearly not listening)

Me: What do you think?

Him: I can't think of anything, but having a baby.

Me: hahaha

Him: Are you sure we have everything ready? Does anything else need to be done?

Me: We're all ready to go, pumpkin!

 

It's so cute. Seriously, his reaction to all of this is so, so funny. He's so excited, nervous, eager, and anxious all at the same time. He's going to make such a great daddy! :)

 

How far along? 38 weeks

Baby's size? a pumpkin!

Total weight gain:  29 pounds

Maternity clothes? Yes!

Sleep: I'm still up quite often and uncomfortable. I'm starting to get more contractions in the middle of the night that wake me up. However, having more time to sleep in general has made up for the not-so-awesome parts. I'm fully expecting it to go back to crap this week since I go back to work.

Best moment(s) this past week: Definitely my appointment on Thursday. Having the freedom to (attempt to) sleep in, shop when I wanted, and stay in pajamas all day if I wanted to this past week was pretty great too.

Miss Anything?  Nothing! Although I may or may not have already decided which sushi roles I plan on ordering for takeout post baby.

Movement: All the time!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing new.

Cravings: I've been back on my fruit kick lately. I've also realized it's a carbonation fix that I need when I want a Coke. So, if a headache isn't involved and I'm craving carbonation, I've opted for Sprite. Less caffeine. Win win!

Labor Signs: I think I've already covered this one above. Ellie has dropped and I'm still having BH contractions. It also feels like she's going to fall out of me most of the time.

Gender: GIRL!

Symptoms:  Nothing new. Although I do officially have the pregnancy waddle swag going on, particularly at night after I'm exhausted and sore.

Belly Button in or out? Definitely out, but it's still sort of itty bitty due to being stretched out.

Wedding rings on or off? on :)
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to:  Meeting our baby girl. I've been content on waiting this entire time, which I still am for work purposes alone. However, I'm not going to lie. I'm officially ready at the same time. I'm ready for this baby to grace us with presence. I'm not a very patient person, which doesn't mesh well with this whole waiting game deal. Come on, Baby!
 

 38 weeks: Mama

*mommy daddy is patiently waiting*
is what you'd see if I didn't take over the board
 

38 weeks: Ellie

Top-Ten Comments

Before I begin, I must admit, I've honestly LOVED being pregnant.
 

I'm not one of those women that had a perfect pregnancy. However, I think that overall, I've had a fairly easy pregnancy and I'm so grateful for that. I feel like I'm due for a terrible, long, and painful delivery or something to make up for the fairly uneventful and enjoyable pregnancy I've had.

 

However..

 

the comments

 

are officially driving me

 

CRAZY.

 

For the longest time I loved all the attention my cute little belly would get. But let's be honest, shall we? It's not really cute anymore when you're 9 months pregnant. While I've enjoyed the comments just about the whole time, may of them have gotten a bit really old, for lack of a better word.

 

Here are the top-ten pregnancy comments. Ranging from the least annoying and most welcomed, to the most annoying and not-so-welcomed.

 

Keep in mind, at one point, I loved most of them. Again, there's only so many times you can hear these same phrases over and over again. They're not ALL annoying, but I'm definitely tired of hearing some more than the others.

 

Let's begin, shall we?

 

10. Aww, look at your cute little bump!

This is probably the only phrase that I still welcome. :)

Although let's be honest, I know most of you are lying at this point.

 

9. Are you excited?

Nope. Not at all. I just happen to be spending $100 on adorable little baby

clothes because I'm not excited.

 

8. Is this your first?
Yep!
I don't understand why people care to know about this? It doesn't really bother me,
it just seems like a random question. Especially when it comes from a complete stranger.

7. When are you due?

January 20th.

Not a big deal, I'm just sick of answering it. Unless it's followed by, "Wow, you still have that much time left!? or You look like you're about to pop!" Are you implying that I'm fat? I'd be lying if I said I haven't thought about asking in response, "When are YOU due?"

6. Is your nursery ready?

Well, yes, it is. However, I'm wondering why the cashier at Target needs to know the

answer to this question.

5. What are you naming your baby?

Eliana Grace. We'll call her Ellie.

"Ohhh, that's so beautiful!"

Yes, we know. That's why we selected it.

4. Do you know what you're having?

Yes, we're having a girl. This is often followed by, "Are you sure?! It looks like a boy!"
Well, stranger, I guess I better tell my OB all of his ultrasounds were wrong, even though he's trained in this area of expertise. Clearly, a stranger knows much more about my baby than technology or a trained professional.

 

3. Oh, you poor thing. You look so tired!

Yes, I am quite tired. Sleep is no longer existent.

However, thank you for telling me I look like crap.

 

2. Did you eat a basketball?

Or watermelon. I've heard both.

Yes, that's exactly what I did. I'm trying to make it into the Guinness Book of

World Records for most fascinating birth.

 

1. Are you sure you're not having twins?

Ummm no. But thank you for telling me I look like a whale.

I can't wait for this little babe to get here. Then, I'll welcome all the adorable most beautiful baby comments your heart can handle. Those will never get old. :)

 

Maternity Photos

My good friend, Lauren, from Vaniver Photography took maternity pictures of us back in November. She did such a great job and we are SO thankful for her hard work. Her sidekick (aka husband) wasn't too bad either. ;)

 

Here are some of my favorites.

 

Nursery Tour

I'm so glad that Ellie's nursery is finally complete!

 

We were waiting on the glider, which may or may not have given me serious anxiety. However, it's here and the nursery is done! The only thing missing are pretty walls. Since we're not expecting to be in our current home for too much longer (fingers crossed!), we decided that we'll wait to paint until we move into the new house. I highly doubt our renters would be fond of pink. :)

 

So, without further ado, here you go!