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And yes, that means that we have the digital camera now... no waiting! LOL.
Completed nursery, anyone? Feel free to play "spot my gift" if you like! Leave cursor over photo for photo title/caption.
And, just for fun, pet photos...
Had another (the last) prenatal appointment with Dr. Mama today. It was long; well, the appointment wasn't long, but the two and half hour wait to see him was very, very loooooooooong.
The waiting room was slightly cooler than Hades, so I was real comfortable the whole time we were there, as you can imagine. Plus I didn't eat lunch before we went (because I am a DUMB ASS) and was very hungry.
Not fun. Charlie described it to a friend as "we spent two hours basically watching Cec's feet bloat." Which they did. In spades. By the time I left, they were huge.
But worst of all was another internal exam. Dr. Mama snowed me with that gentle exam last week; this time it sucked ASS. Seriously, how on earth am I going to get through labor if I can't even hack the internal exam?
I guess it's a bit like anal sex. You know, things going in places that are mostly designed for things to come out. Yeah. Just like anal sex.
I'm about 70% effaced, which isn't bad for being five weeks from my actual due date. Dr. Mama did some wrenching around in there, attempting to strip my membranes, but since I'd already begun yelling "FUCK!" at top volume he decided to stop.
He claims my chances of needing a c-section are less than 50%. Heh. There is going to be some major cursing going on in that room. That epidural is starting to sound better and better...
Wow. My last week without a child (godfuckingwilling).
Things I plan to do this week: see at least one other movie, be home alone for a couple hours doing whatever I feel like, and just doing nothing whenever I can.
My non-stress test on Friday went the way of all of them; I laid down, they put on the monitors, the monitors didn't work, I got an ultrasound. The baby (Tori!) was sleeping most of the ultrasound and took a while to show her "breathing" skills, but she did eventually. It all looks good.
We scheduled the amnio for this Friday, and we see Dr. Mama tomorrow for our last pre-natal appointment (yikes!). I guess they think the amnio may trigger contractions, because they are requiring that I register at the hospital before I get it done.
I can't believe we're finally getting there.
It's very hot here today, going to be over 90, so we have all the air conditioners blasting. God bless the people who sold us this house and left the giant window unit that cools the entire first floor...ahhhhhh.
The nursery is completed. I've even sorted and put away all of the clothes that my friends Sue, Jo-Ann, and Meira gave me. I just need to buy some hangers so I can hang up all the adorable little dresses they gave me (some their kids grew out of, plus Jo thought she was having a girl and ended up with a second boy, so she gave me tons of cute girl stuff). And Jo gave me the cutest little swimsuit I've ever seen; can't wait to hit my mom's pool this summer!
At the moment, the nursery is my favorite room in the house. And yes, I'll post pictures as soon as the camera gets here.
Here's something odd, by the way: I've been watching episodes of Special Delivery quite avidly for weeks now (I can't watch the Birth Day ones; all those low risk women make me sad). I'd never seen one where a mom got amnio to check for lung development until the day that Dr. Mama suggested we do it. Weird, huh? Course I never saw an episode where a baby died either, but I just saw one of those the other day (the baby had a large tumor in its chest)... ahem.
The only thing I don't like about the show (other than the insane repetitiveness of it) is that they never EVER spare a shot to show the mom delivering the placenta. Why is that? I mean, you don't have to show the damn thing, but you'd think they'd acknowledge that it happens.
Anyhoo.
I'm thinking that I should probably take a bag with me on Friday in case I do end up being admitted to the hospital after the amnio. I have a few ideas of what to take with me, but I figured this would be another excellent chance to gather your expertise. What did you wish you'd brought and didn't, and what did you take that was indispensable? What goes in that "hospital suitcase" anyway?
Oh, and good news. I may be able to post from my room. Heh. Live-blogged birth anyone?
Hope you are all enjoying your holiday. Peace to our soldiers and their families today.
I am NOT a happy girl today. Sigh. Prepare for the whine!
My toe hurts. It always hurts worse in the mornings. Perhaps going to Giant
Baby Store yesterday was a bad idea, but... we did. We got the changing table,
waterproof mattress pads, sheets, and the only diaper pail that didn't require
expensive special bags. I also allowed myself one frilly summer outfit. VERY
CUTE. Do you know why we got the changing table? Cause we're OLD. We can't be
bending over couches and beds all that much. Heh. We also bought the car seat
base, because Elise is giving us a car seat. Luckily, it's the same infant car
seat that fits the Bugaboo adapter that we are also picking up today.
While I shopped, my toe swelled up and stopped hurting. Not the best pain relief
plan, but effective nonetheless.
My "cold," if that's what it is, will not get better or worse. BUT it
did mix beautifully with a horrendous allergy attack last night that left me
crawling around on my bedroom floor hoping to find a loose benadryl table
(which, I'm embarrassed to say, I did) while crying and complaining and shoving
tissue up my nostrils in a desperate attempt to make the
sneezing/itching/running stop. My head was hurting from too much nose spray
(even though I'm now using a diluted version in preparation for quitting
soon), my throat hurt from all the snot running down it, and I lay in bed
moaning until I fell asleep. I was NOT fun last night. Charlie was a champ and
rubbed my back until he finally fell asleep in self-defense.
Sigh.
Plus, I must confess, I'm feeling very sad about this weekend. It's Memorial
Day weekend, of course, and this is the first time in seven years that we
haven't gone camping. By this time we have usually already been out once
(usually just to the beach for a mellow "warming up" weekend), and
this is our first serious weekend of camping in the mountains. I joked to
Charlie that we could actually go, if I didn't really do anything, and he just
looked at me and said, "Broken toe."
Maybe by the 4th of July? You all will laugh, I know, at the idea of camping
with a newborn. But trust me on this--it's easier with a newborn than a toddler
(newborns rarely fall into the fire)! My inspiration is the amazing Girl Scout leader I had in middle school (Paula, you ROCKED) who took us all camping when her baby was TWO WEEKS OLD. We'll get out before summer's end. Or at
least I'm holding on to that thought.
My general piss ass mood (predicted, by the way, by Moxie) has led me to create
the following list:
TOP TEN THINGS I WON'T MISS ABOUT PREGNANCY
1. Freckles. It's bad enough that I have the weird large splotchy
freckles on my inner thighs (they started at about 12 weeks pregnant, and are
now all the way down to my knees). Then I started getting the weird
freckle-like darkening around my nipples and boobs. Now that freckle-like
pigmentation has spread all the way up my chest and neck so that I look like an
old lady in Florida who has sun damage to her chest. Humph.
2. Skin tags. Seriously, why on earth would pregnancy need to cause
these? I have one on my neck now that is so big and ugly I'm seriously
considering buying that wart-removal spray stuff and trying to make it come
off. Ick.
3. Peeing, or, the ability to go more than 40 minutes without peeing.
The other night I got up 16 times. No, I'm not exaggerating.
4. Breathing, or, the ability to take a deep breath and/or sing while
holding a note for more than four beats. Singing in the choir at church has
gotten rather challenging now that I can't hold a note without starting to pass
out.
5. Hormones. I'm gonna go with Stacy on this one and say, the
"horrormones." I realized the other day that between pregnancies and
infertility treatments I have spent about three and a half of the last four+
years under some sort of hormonal manipulation. And that year without any? I
had postpartum depression (after losing the boys) for at least six months. I
want to go back to plain old PMS, please.
6. The horrible racing heart. I don't know if this is just a byproduct
of my high blood pressure, but my heart rate is generally now very high (close to
100bpm) most of the time. You can feel my heart beat if you put your hand
anywhere on my body; if you look at my chest you can actually see it beating. I know
it's a combo of the extra blood that your body produces during pregnancy and
the blood pressure, but it's creepy and I want it to stop.
7. The daily headaches. My head hurts at some point every single day.
Sometimes just Tylenol takes care of it; sometimes I have to break out the big
guns. Very tired of it.
8. The puffiness. My hands and my feet are now permanently puffed.
Charlie has to help me into my shoes. Looking forward to them returning to
normal.
9. My sore pelvic bone and hips. Enough said.
10. My huge fucking belly. Because, of course, then I'll finally have a
BABY! Outside my body! Which will make it all worthwhile. Right?
I am totally overwhelmed. The baby might be here, IN PERSON, in just twelve days.
TWELVE DAYS.
There is so much to do! I managed to open and unpack all of the stuff from the shower, but I don't have anywhere to put it. We need a dresser, and a changing table, and a diaper pail, and a car seat, and and and.....
Whew.
There is just one problem. Well, three problems.
I am hugely pregnant and supposed to be on bed rest, making that trip to Giant Baby Store to use all those awesome gift certificates off limits. Charlie has offered to go, but he knows me too well because he always says, "If you trust me to do that." Heh.
Secondly, I appear to be getting a cold.
Thirdly, yesterday I stubbed my right pinky toe on the coffee table badly enough that I think I may have broken it. What do you think? Yes, I took that photo with my camera phone (haven't gotten to get the good camera yet! Sorry!). Charlie drew the line on there so that we could track how far the bruise spread:
Sigh. We'll get it all done, right?
I forgot to tell you that one of the coolest things about my shower was the other bloggers that came. Julie was there (sorry, her new blog is password protected), and Menita, and Leggy, and Meira, and Barb, and last but not least, Moxie! It was so awesome to meet Moxie and Julie for the first time in person (everyone else I'd met before, because I am so lucky like that).
I finally created an album of the shower photos. Not as cool as the power point presentation was, but whatEVER. These photos are almost all taken by Katie's hubbie Rob, although I think Katie might have taken some too, oh, and they might be oddly cropped to edit out folks who didn't give me permission to show their faces... enjoy!
So, 34 weeks.
I had another non-stress test today, but as usual the baby didn't cooperate (the baby just kicks at the monitor instead of cuddling up to it and letting it monitor the heartbeat). So it was off to yet another ultrasound.
The ultrasound tech ROCKED and she took some 3D images. Oh, and we found out something else... but you'll have to go read Charlie's blog to find out what!
I've created a little powerpoint presentation of the shower photos. Unfortunately, I have NO FUCKING IDEA how to get that uploaded so you all can see it. Any ideas?
I don't know how I'm even awake right now--or upright at all, frankly--since my head exploded repeatedly today.
The shower was amazing.
And I now officially need a bigger house. No one in the history of baby showers had ever gotten as many gifts as I got today! Seriously, I doubt Julia Roberts got so much stuff and she had TWINS.
And you people with your plotting and secret shower blogs and stuff... :)
The glider was amazing in the first place. And the other stuff folks have been sending. But do you all realize that Charlie and I are now the only people on earth in our financial bracket that are the proud owners of a fucking BUGABOO STROLLER???
I can't believe you guys! I cannot wait to go to the richest section of town with our baby in the Bugaboo and our pitbull and our tattoos and everyone stare... heh.
AND enough left over for a seriously good digital camera???
Man. I am all teary and laughing and hysterical over here.
Thank you all so much. I cannot possibly begin to express my gratitude... I've never been treated so kindly in my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
And SARAH! Who worked so hard. And Jo-Ann, and Elise, and Sue! Without them my shower would have sucked. And Katie (a friend from high school!) coming all the way from Michigan! Holy crap. What a day!
I'll post photos and stuff soon. I must sleep now.
Thank you all again. I am just so touched! God. I'm the luckiest woman in the world...
My baby shower is today.
I never thought such a day would come.
Dear NBC:
***spoilers!***
For twelve fucking years, I have watched ER. I've been a loyal viewer since the very first episode. I stuck with you after you killed off Dr. Green. I even enjoyed the ridiculousness of the helicopter falling on Romano. I'm still watching, even though you so totally suck now. I'm here to the end.
But seriously. Last night's season finale was simply fucking CRUEL.
It's bad enough that Sam, a new character I've come to like, has to be held hostage by her stupid ex (a great actor, by the way, when he's busy getting killed--TWICE--on Deadwood). But her son too? Unnecessary.
Having the hostage takers stab Luka with that medicine that paralyzes him? FINE. But also taping him to the bed? Unnecessary.
Bad enough that Abby fell and started having contractions after all the shooting. But to make her clearly have placenta abruption as well, and falling with a bloody hand print while Luka is strapped to the bed and unable to help? MOTHERFUCKING MEAN.
But the worst, NBC, the very very WORST is that you let them shoot Jerry. JERRY!!!!!
So I only have this to say:
FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU, oh, and FUCK YOU.
I will not watch again.
That is, as soon as I find out everyone is ok.
Today was a lovely day... I slept in, had a nice breakfast, then finally returned to the YMCA pool to get some swimming in (I have permission to swim as long as I keep it low key).
It was lovely floating in the water, and feeling no hip or pelvic pain for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long. Plus, the folks at the pool were cool: mostly old people, all standing around discussing yesterday's primary elections. There's always the one old guy who wears a snorkel mask and flirts with the old ladies, and there's always one old lady with a mean face who glares at the children in the pool daring to splash and have a good time.
I love a community pool.
Anyway. I meant to come right home after and write up a nice blog post informing you all of some BIG NEWS but instead I fell asleep for THREE FUCKING HOURS. After swimming, lightly, for 45 minutes. Yikes.
So here I am, after 11pm, finally posting.
OK.
We saw Dr. Mama yesterday. Once again, I must say again that he is the BEST DOCTOR EVER; he gave me an internal exam and checked my cervix and it was near painless. Wow. After reviewing how I'm doing and checking on the baby, we got down to business. We began discussing the delivery.
It looks like we may have a plan.
A plan that has me delivering in THREE WEEKS.
Gulp.
Apparently, one thing Monday's ultrasound revealed was that the placenta is showing signs of age. It looks more like a 36 or 37 week placenta instead of a 33 week one; a common enough occurrence in pregnancies where the mom has high blood pressure (yeah!). Combine this with the fact that the baby is bigger than usual--averaging about 35.5 weeks instead of 33.5--Dr. Mama thinks that delivering sooner is better.
So. Next week at my non-stress test, I will be discussing the possibility of doing an amnio procedure to check for lung development with the perinatalogist. Of course, it will all depend on my fluid levels, if there is a needle long enough to get through my fat and my uterus, that sort of thing.
If the peri believes that an amnio is possible we'd do in on or near June 2. If the results look as good as Dr. Mama expects, I'd be admitted to the hospital in the evening of June 4. We'd then administer cervadil and wait overnight; Dr. Mama comes on duty in the morning of June 5. We'd then proceed as my body permits for induction (and I'll be doing my best to keep the baby in until 12:01am on June 6th, naturally).
So, there you have it.
There are a TON of IF's in that scenario, so it is an extremely tentative plan. Right now I'm only about a 3 on the Bishop's score, and Dr. Mama doesn't like to do an induction with a score lower than an 8 or 9. So much could change in the next few weeks (like I could end up needing a c-section if I'm not ready to be induced). Dr. Mama made all his suggestions very slowly, checking for our reactions and asking us how we feel about it all. I said to him what I said early on in this pregnancy: Dude, get this baby out before I kill it. Remember our birth plan: GET BABY OUT ALIVE.
So the baby could be here in JUST THREE WEEKS, people.
Three weeks.
Oh. My. God.
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