Baby Fidget’s Birth Story

I’ve been so busy over the last 3 months with the newest addition to our family that I haven’t had time to sit down and write out Baby Fidget’s birth story.  I’ve actually been attempting to write this post for weeks and never had any luck.  lol  It’s super long and filled with pictures.  You’ve been warned!  lol

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So, the day of my scheduled c-section (Monday, May 17th) we got up as we always do, got Bug ready for school and I saw him off for the last time for the next 2 weeks.  After dropping him off we came home and I had to shower with this antiseptic soap the hospital gave me.  It’s the worst soap ever!  It smells like that alcohol hand sanitizer…my whole body was coated!  Ick!  We arrived at the hospital at 10:30 on the dot and prepared to check in.  I was escorted to a room, given one of the lovely gowns that leave your butt hangin’ out and left to our own devices in the room…let me tell ya, boredom quickly ensued.  I was getting super silly…partly from being nervous about the upcoming surgery and partly because I was excited to finally be meeting the little being that’s been kicking me from the inside.

Last belly pic – 39w 5d

It was nearly 45 minutes before I saw the admitting woman who double checked my information from Friday’s meeting and got me officially admitted. Shortly after the nurse came in and got me set up with my IV. After a bad experience with the insertion of the IV during with Bug’s delivery I was pretty nervous about being stuck. I was stabbed 5 times before the nurse got the IV inserted in a spot that didn’t cause me massive pain. This time the nurse checked all my veins before deciding on a spot and she got it in first try and with little pain. That made me happy. 🙂

Gowned and IV’d

After the successful IV insertion, they hung bags of fluid to give me prior to the surgery. It was practically 11:30 by this point and I was scheduled to go into the OR at 12:30. They opened the IV up all the way to get as much of the fluid in as they could before going down to the room. I met with Deb, the anesthesiologist, who was super awesome and supportive. I told her about my bad experience with the epidural and about how grumpy the anesthesiologist was and it was confirmed by both the nurse, Kris, and Deb that it was probably someone named Paul, who apparently had a reputation for being grumpy and my experience sounded like something he would do…I kindly asked Deb if she would walked me through each step as she was putting in my spinal so I would have no surprises and she gladly obliged. 🙂

As my time to go into the OR drew nearer it became apparent that I would not be going in on time. The section that was scheduled for 8am got out of the gate at least 30 minutes late, which bumped the 9am section back. Toss in a couple emergency c-sections followed by an 11am section that was also late…I didn’t actually get into the OR until around 2:30. While I waited, I had the pleasure of listening to my nurse, Kris, and Deb the anesthesiologist argue about how much IV fluids I should have. Whenever Deb would open up my IV full bore and raise it up to get it all in, Kris would come back in and lower it and turn it down so as to not give me pulmonary edema. They seriously went back and forth for nearly an hour turning it up and down…It was both amusing and disconcerting.

Eventually, the OR was finally clear and clean. The nurses gave Darling Hubby his bunny suit and me my shower cap to put on. It was getting close!

Dr. Darling Hubby

Getting close to going to the OR!

So 2:30 rolled around and I geared up to walk down to the OR. Kris gave me some socks with grippies on the bottom so I didn’t slip and fall on my walk down the hall, and to keep my feet warm in the cold OR. Darling Hubby took my camera and waited in the hallway until they were ready. The OR was freezing and my little flimsy gown wasn’t cutting it. I was shivering uncontrollably and it wasn’t cause I was scared. I was actually feeling really good about the whole thing, despite the setbacks thus far.

To ward off the chill toasty warm blankets magically appeared and were wrapped around me. Someone slipped a blood pressure cuff on my arm and the only moment of sheer panic I experienced the before the surgery started was when that cuff started tightening and tightening and tightening and seemed like it would never stop. My hand started to go purple and I could feel it start tingling like it was falling asleep. Someone had me put my arm down and relax and it slowly started to release. I was thankful that never happened again…

The back of my gown was untied so Deb could get at my back to insert my spinal and, like she said she would, she walked me through the whole thing, warning me when she would be touching me and when she would stick me. It was a much better experience than last time. The medication took effect pretty quickly so Deb had me quickly lay down on the table and soon my legs were feeling warm and then numb. I started feeling people touching me, but felt no pain. The blue curtain was put up in front of me and someone brought Darling Hubby in to sit by my side while they started the surgery.

On the table

I’m not sure how long the surgery itself took. Before I knew it, the doctor told Darling Hubby that he could stand up and watch the baby be born. I’m actually surprised that he did. I felt a ton of pressure on my stomach and a slight pain in my chest (which Deb confirmed was normal) and I heard the baby start crying. Someone commented that he was peeing. The doctor cut the cord and it was a good thing she was wearing a full face mask because when the cord was severed, she was splattered with blood…it was even on the ceiling. lol

The baby was put in the warmer to pink up and get quickly checked out while the doctor went back to working on finishing up.

Baby Fidget just born and in the warmer.

Baby Fidget on the scale

They put Fidget on the scale and he weighted in at 8lbs 5oz.  He was 20 inches long and came into the world (peeing) at 2:52pm…only 2 hours later than he was supposed to be!  lol  He was tiny compared to Bug!

We had one more moment of concern when the doctor began asking for something called Methylene Blue.  It seemed it wasn’t something that they stocked in the room so someone had to go find it and the doctor wanted it faster than it was brought.  Turns out that while she was in there, she thought she spotted a hole in my bladder and rather than just sew me up and let it go, she pumped my bladder full of this blue dye to check for leaks.  Thankfully, there were none.  It was just a little nerve wracking to hear your doctor asking for something “stat” when she’s got you wide open on the table.

I was brought into recovery after everything was done. I think they kept me there longer than they normally would because I was having trouble with my blood pressure being too low.  Every time they’d raise the head of the bed, I’d get dizzy…it was no fun.  Darling Hubby got to spend a lot of time just holding Fidget, who was wide eyed and content just sucking on his fist.  It was so sweet.

Spending time with mommy in recovery

I was eventually OK enough to sit up and they brought me down the hall to my semi private (read: crowded) room.  Since I was the first one in, I got the bed by the window and had the room to myself overnight, which was nice.  Darling Hubby had to leave around 6 to go pick up Bug, who was spending time with his friend Little A.  Since it was kinda late and Bug had school the next day, we decided to postpone the meeting of the brothers until after school the next day.

I had a pretty quiet night.  The nurses brought Fidget in a couple times for a feeding and to get me up to walk around and use the bathroom.  It was around midnight when I got up for the first time and it was bad.  The pain wasn’t too terrible, it hurt, but was bearable.  It was more the dizzy feeling and blackouts I started experiencing that bothered me.  Honestly, it was pretty scary.   Turns out, my blood sugar was rock bottom because I hadn’t had any solid food (only ice chips and the IV meds)  in over 24 hours.  I don’t think it would have been near as bad had my surgery not been delayed 2 hours.  The nurses got me some cranberry juice and I almost instantly started to feel better.  Thankfully, I was allowed to have breakfast in the morning (not the liquid diet I was stuck on for Bug’s birth) and the french toast and fresh fruit I had later in the morning tasted like it could have been from a 5 star restaurant!  lol

I spent the next 3 days just hanging out with my new little man and fighting off the boredom of the hospital.  Darling Hubby had to go to work for the week (there was really no point in him sitting in the hospital room when he could be doing something productive) and Bug had to go to school, so it was mostly just me and the nurses.  Both my mom and my mother-in-law called at one point and my friend Barbara called a couple times.  My friend Leana stopped by Monday night just as I was getting settled into my room and Shannon stopped by Tuesday night at the same time Darling Hubby brought Bug to meet his baby brother.  Other than that, the only visitors during the day were the doctors and nurses.

My new family of four

The meeting of the brothers was kinda what I expected.  Bug wasn’t completely sure of Fidget and was pretty wary of him.  He was really cute when we gave him the big brother gift that Fidget gave him (the Imaginext Batmobile) and he kept telling Fidget, “Thank you.”   He didn’t want to hold him at all and was pretty reluctant for me even to hold him near him.  Of course, he really just wanted to watch my tv…and go home for dinner.  lol  Darling Hubby did manage to snap this picture of them together before heading home for the night.

Bug and Fidget together for the 1st time

Daddy and Baby Fidget

On Wednesday it was better between them and Bug actually asked to hold him.  I love this picture of the two of them.  It’s almost like he’s thinking, “Babies are like platypus’, they don’t do much, you know.”  (It’s from Phineas and Ferb…if you’ve never seen it, go check it out.)

He’s like a platypus, they don’t do much, you know!

I was sprung from the joint, a day early thanks to a slight fib, on Thursday and boy was I glad to get out of there, for 2 reasons.  The first (and best reason) was that I was getting to meet my online blogging (and fellow crochet/knitting and cat lover) friend, Barbara, for the first time.  The second reason was my roommate and I didn’t hit it off and I felt pretty alone in the room with her.

From the moment that my roommate arrived Tuesday afternoon, it was like I didn’t exist and I felt closed off.  She hardly spoke to me and kept the pink dividing curtains around her bed closed so tight it was like she was trying to lock out the world.  It didn’t help that her baby, Henry, and Fidget were on completely opposite schedules.  When her baby was awake and crying, I was trying to sleep and when Fidget was awake and crying, she was trying to sleep.   She always had visitors (and they were loud!) and they complained about everything.  At one point, when she must have thought I was sleeping, I overheard her talking to someone on her cell phone about the fact that she had to share the room and she didn’t like being close to the door and that she only had one chair for guests and a small table and that doctors and nurses were always coming in and out and it was disturbing her.  She referred to her curtained off area as the “pink prison,” but she did it to herself and I have no pity.

For me, it was tough being in the room with her and with my hormones being out of whack and the fact that I was alone and bored, I was already pretty emotional and, probably without even knowing it, she made me feel pretty low.  I’m a pretty friendly person (well, I think so anyway) and I’d hoped that since we both had newborn boys and were both moms that we might just have something in common.  The first day I gave her her privacy.  I mean, she did just give birth and was bonding with her baby and I respected that, but by Wednesday I thought maybe we could get to know each other.  I tried to start conversations when the curtains were open a tad.  I commented on her son, how he was cute, had a ton of hair (he did!), tried to make light of our battle of the babies, tried to offer her the chairs that I had in my corner, even the rocking chair, for her and her company, but all I got were short answers and the distinct feeling that I was unwelcome in my own room.  I was glad that I went down to the nurses station Thursday morning asking to be released before 1pm so we could pick up Bug from school.  I was, thankfully, released by lunchtime…she was still sitting around waiting.

The best thing about getting out a day early on Thursday was that that night I was able to meet up with Barbara and her husband Michael who flew from Colorado to Boston for his work and made a detour to NY to see me and my family and to hand deliver the beautiful hand spun and hand knit baby blanket she made for Fidget.  I’ll have pictures of it with Fidget later on.  We use it all the time, so I’m sure it will show up many times.  Barbara and Michael also hung around for our Thursday night DnD game and were able to experience my game groups’ wacky sense of humor (and their odd dislike of Laplanders…) and first edition Dungeons and Dragons.

I do have to say that Barbara and Michael are just so sweet and we have so much in common!  They are great people to know and I’m glad that I commented on her blog post about a contest for naming foster kittens over a year ago!

So, there you have it.  That’s how Fidget came into the world.  In the past 3 months since he arrived I can’t imagine my life without him or Bug.  Bug is such a good big brother and has been a great helper around the house.  I don’t know what I’m going to do when he goes back to school!  He starts Kindergarten in a few weeks!  Fidget is such a happy baby.  He smiles and talks a ton, loves tummy time, has a thing for kitties and sleeps pretty well.  Hopefully now that I’m back on the blogging bandwagon I can stay on board and keep posting so I have a running record of everything about my 2 boys.

What Am I Forgetting?

Darling Hubby and I both feel like we are forgetting something important that we either need to buy or do before Monday when Baby Fidget makes his arrival.  For the life of me, I can’t think what it is that I’m missing that isn’t already on our list of things to pick up tomorrow.

We’ve got the crib set up, changing table fully stocked with diapers, his clothes are washed and stashed in the dresser.  The swing has been brought down, washed and disinfected and is in working order.  The vibrating chair is clean and ready to go.  We just need to pick up some C batteries tomorrow…the rocker is in the room.  I’ve got sample formula just in case the breastfeeding doesn’t go well…I’ve got a bottle or 2 to use (and like a friend said, we can always make a Target run if we need to.

My hospital bag is packed and in the car with the boppy (it’s been there since Tuesday).  Bug’s big brother gift is in there along with my shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body poof, toothbrush and toothpaste, brush/comb, my bathrobe, new slippers, fuzzy socks, flip flops for the shower, the baby’s coming home outfit, my coming home clothes, snacks, and a book for me to read.  I still need to pack some yarn and a crochet hook to bring with me to work on, but I know this isn’t the big thing that is nagging us.

I have one bill that needs to be paid tomorrow…and we need to pick up C batteries along with a pizza  for dinner at some point in the week for DH and Bug tomorrow…

It just feels like there is something big that we are forgetting about…I’m not really worried about Bug…he’ll be in school for the surgery and a friend will pick him up, bring him to his house to play with his son and feed him dinner.  Tuesday and Wednesday he’ll be in school and daddy will pick him up and bring him to visit.  Dinner  is pretty well figured out for those 2 nights.  I’m probably going to be released on Thursday so we may have Bug skip school so my discharge time doesn’t interfere with picking him up…when Bug was born I was supposed to be released late morning and it wasn’t until nearly 3pm that I was finally sprung from the joint…That would make us miss Bug’s pick up time…

I’m sure whatever it is we are missing or need to do will come to us…if it’s something we need to buy, Target, Walmart and the grocery store are right around the corner…It’s probably nothing…it’s just a nagging feeling and I hate feeling like I’m forgetting something…

Pre-Op Appointment

My pre-op appointment yesterday was interesting, to say the least.  I had to laugh through the whole thing…otherwise I would really be worried at this point…

So, we get up to the 3rd floor L&D a few minutes early (my appt was for 10:30, but I like to be early) and when I go to check in they can’t find any of my paperwork.  Um…yeah, that’s not promising.  They search and search and nothing…so we end up standing around in the hall for a few minutes until they figure out what they are going to do.  I was actually glad I wasn’t in labor…lol

So one of the nurses, Mary Sue (who told me things are always this hectic – even though the whole floor was super quiet…I can only imagine true hectic-ness.) gathers up some of the necessary paperwork (blank forms) and finds a small room where we can sit down and talk.  I have to answer a ton of questions…all of which would have been answered on the paperwork they should have had since they would have had my records.  We laugh and joke about the whole thing being chaos…

Probably the weirdest thing is that I have to shower with antiseptic soap Sunday night and Monday morning before my surgery.  I’ve never actually heard this before…I guess it reduces your risk of incision infections.

They had to draw my blood to check on various things and finding a room to put me in was like pulling teeth using a fine tooth comb…yeah…The first room was blocked off like it was being cleaned, but there was no one working.  The 2nd room was also dirty…the 3rd room was finally clean…we just had to traverse most of the L&D floor to get there!  lol  I got to hear Baby Fidget’s heart beat (I think it was around 160 something) and she took my blood pressure and temperature and both were good.  The blood draw wasn’t bad.  I don’t have a fear of needles and I don’t mind having my blood drawn…I just can’t watch you stick the needle in my arm.  I can watch the vials fill, but rather not watch the first poke.

I have to be at the hospital by 10:30am for my 12:30 c-section.  I have to shower Sunday night and Monday morning with the antiseptic soap and I have to make sure my hair is clean and I need to leave my jewelry at home.   I also have to do my impression of a Mog-wai…no food or drink after midnight…lol  Well, I can drink up until 3am since my surgery isn’t until 12:30 and they say 8 hours is a good fasting time.

I’m still hoping to go into labor on my own today or tomorrow, but I’m thinking the chances are slim to none.  I tried eating spicy food at Friendly’s last night when we took Bug out for a final family of 3 dinner.  I also tried to kick start labor by mowing the back lawn with the non gas powered push mower…that didn’t work either.  I did some walking this morning at some garage sales, but still nothing.  But, I still have the rest of the day and tomorrow.  Either way, we’ll be meeting baby Fidget soon!

Plan B (or should I say C?) Scheduled

So I had my weekly check up today with a new doctor…she was really nice (though her last name was Hirt!) and I talked her into letting me schedule my repeat c-section (though she did have to go ask someone else if it was ok…)  I don’t know why everyone said I could schedule it and then they all seem hesitant to do it.   She did check me and according to her there is nothing going on…I’d really hoped that I’d have at least a cm or 2 under my belt at this point, esp with the contractions I was having Saturday morning and the pain I’ve been experiencing when Fidget moves just right, but…sadly, it seems that I back tracked a bit from last week when, according to a Dr. Brosnan, I was starting to thin out and almost a fingertip dilated…It’s all a matter of opinion really…I guess that’s why they call it “medical practice.”

Anyway, my repeat c-section is scheduled for next Monday, the 17th at 12:30pm.  Dr. Vu, who performed Bug’s c-section, will be attending.  I go in for my pre-op appt on Friday at 10:30.  Thankfully, Darling Hubby will be going with me.  At any rate I’ll be getting a birthday with a 7 in it.  Bug was supposed to be born on January 17th…that was his official due date…Maybe this 17th was meant to be?

In a way I’m both happy and sad about it.  I really do still want to go into labor on my own and have a successful VBAC, but at the same time I don’t want to be left in limbo to wait and see and find out that Fidget is going to be a big one just like his big brother was, despite the fact that everyone keeps telling me he’s not as big as Bug was.  I don’t want to have to labor for all those hours again just to end up with surgery…I guess I just want to take the short cut and just get the surgery.  I do still have 6 days left to go into labor on my own, so hope is not all lost…I just think I know my body and that seeing as how Bug was so overdue there’s no way I’ll ever have an early baby…without medical intervention.

Here’s a picture I took this morning at 38 weeks, 6 days .  You can see I’m pretty much all belly and he’s dropped…I just don’t think he’s planning an entrance any time soon…

38 weeks 6 days pregnant

Great White Whale

Beached.

That’s pretty much how I’ve been feeling as of late….like a big ol’ beached whale.  I am so uncomfortable in bed.  I can barely roll over.  My hips and legs hurt after a couple hours or so of sleep.  Getting up from bed or just getting up from the couch requires lots of thought, effort and grunts.  I have trouble getting up from the floor which makes playing with Bug and giving him a bath incredibly hard.  Plus, I’m stiff when I get  up and since baby fidget is super low, I’m getting a ton of pain down low.  I’m hoping this pain is helping with effacement and dilation…fingers crossed…

I’ve had 2 dramatic hormone induced meltdowns in the past 2 days because of this.  I’m just so ready to be done with this pregnancy.   In all honesty, I love being pregnant.  I love feeling the baby kick and squirm (so long as he’s not hurting me, which is far too frequent for my taste lately).  I’m just getting tired of the whole thing and want to hold him in my arms, hear his little cry and for Bug to be an awesome big brother!  I still say my pop-up timer has popped (belly button) and I AM DONE!  lol

I’m just at the stage where everything hurts and it feels like I’m going to be pregnant forever.  I know this is totally impossible, but it’s how I feel.  Add to it, the fact that I feel like my doctors are going to just let me go on and on without doing anything.  I know that I can’t be induced or have cervical ripening agents used because of the prior c-section and the risk of uterine rupture, but last week the doctor didn’t even want me to schedule the c-section.

My other issue for wanting to schedule the c-section is that I don’t want to go overdue again knowing that often times 2nd babies are bigger than first ones.  Bug was 9lbs 13oz at 2 weeks overdue (had he been born on time he may have only been 9lbs) and seeing as baby Fidget was 7lbs 12oz according to the ultrasound last week he’s probably just over 8lbs now (probably 8lbs 3oz) I don’t want to run the risk of having to attempt the delivery of another near 10lb baby at 2 weeks overdue…why should I be tortured.  Plus, if we continue to wait, my window of opportunity for a VBAC decreases significantly.  I said anything under 8.5lbs I would give it a go for the VBAC, but as time passes, his weight increases daily and my max weight gets closer and closer.  By my due date he could be 8lbs 13oz and if I go 2 weeks overdue again he can be close to 9lbs 12oz or more.  I know that the ultrasound was just a guess and he could be much smaller  than what I was quoted (say 6lbs), but it just makes me incredibly nervous that I could labor for hours and push, push, push and not get anywhere because he’s too big to come out…I just want to have a plan in place…I guess I rather have the surgery than feel like I wasted everyone’s time laboring when I’m just going to have a c-section anyway…Way to be optimistic, huh?

I do have my 39 week check-up tomorrow (38w6d) and I think I’m going to be adamant about scheduling the c-section.  Plus, there are so many people in Darling Hubby’s family that have May birthdays that I don’t really want baby Fidget to have to share unless he decides to come on his own that day.  Tomorrow is a bad day as it’s our nephew CJ’s birthday…the 19th is Shell’s birthday(my actual due date), the 22nd is our nephew D’s birthday (his mom already told me I can’t have him on that day)…plus, there are various uncles and random people in the days following.  I’m really hoping to schedule the section for the 17th (I love 7’s) as it doesn’t correspond to anyone elses birthday.

Until then, I’ll continue to feel like a beached whale…and I’m sure I’ll probably have a least a couple more melt downs about it…hopefully tomorrow I will get a date scheduled for a c-section so I can have a plan in place…I’m still just hoping that my water will break and I’ll go in to the hospital at 5cm’s dilated like Dr. Vu wants and have a small bouncing baby boy in a few hours without a ton of pain…I’m probably not being realistic, but I can still hope, right?

38 Week Update

Week: 38 weeks

Weight gain total: As of before my appointment yesterday, my scale told me I was up a grand total of 36lbs.  It’s more than I wanted to gain, but I only have, once again, myself to blame.  Over the past couple weeks at game night I’ve been munching way more than I should have…those dreaded slim jims are probably my biggest issue…lol  I’m trying to eat healthier now and not munch or snack as much…it’s kinda tough because, once again, I’m starving all the time.

Cravings/Aversions/What I’ve Been Enjoying This Week: Slim jims are my bane this time around…that and chocolate.

Sleep: My sleeping has been pretty bad lately.  Part of it was the heat and high humidity we had over the weekend.  I couldn’t get comfortable and didn’t want the added heat of my body pillow, so I was miserable.  Monday, however, I managed to get a good nights sleep.  I went to bed earlier than normal, managed to get comfortable and only woke up 2 times to pee.  My mood on Tuesday was greatly improved, which made for a good day all around.  Last night, however, I was up at least 4 times to pee and just couldn’t get comfortable enough to stay asleep.  Despite that, my mood is pretty good today (maybe those nasty hormones have evened out some?) and I’ve been relatively productive in the cleaning and crafting department.

Belly Button and Stretch Marks: I still have those nasty stretch marks and my belly button has pushed out a little further.  Bug thinks it’s kinda funny looking…

Baby: Baby Fidget is still moving around a ton.  He’s very head down with his butt and feet kicking the top of my stomach.  Sometimes when he moves just right it hurts, but the pain has decreased some, which makes me happy.

Nesting: Nothing really new to report…

Appointments: I had my 38 week appointment yesterday with Dr. Brosnen.  I also had a quick ultrasound done to check the baby’s weight.  Right now, (best guess from the ultrasound) baby weighs in at about 7lbs 12oz.  Now, most babies will gain about an ounce a day and with me having 2 more weeks, it could push him up to over 8.5lbs.  But, the thing is that the ultrasound is a rough estimate.  The tech was having a lot of trouble getting a good top view of his head because he’s SO FAR DOWN!  So, according to Dr. Brosnen, the weight could be off 20% in either direction, which means he could weigh anywhere between 6.2lbs to 9.3 right now…In an attempt to make me feel better, the doctor told me about a VBAC he did last week where the ultrasound put the baby over 8lbs and the actual birth weight was only 6lbs…so, it can happen.  I’m really hoping that he is on the smaller side.  Everyone keeps telling me that 2nd babies are bigger…but, I was also 2 weeks over due with Bug, so had he been born on time, he might have only been 8lbs 13 oz rather than the 9lbs 13 oz he was…

Oh, and good news…Baby Fidget is still a boy.  🙂  In the back of my mind I was kinda worried about that changing…lol

Anyway, I did have Dr. Brosnen check me for any signs that something was happening and he said that I’m less than a fingertip dilated and I’m starting to thin out.  He was kinda reluctant to check me because he didn’t want me to get disappointed…I just wanted to know if because the baby is so far down if it was doing anything.  I have been having a lot of pressure and pain, so I’m glad that something is happening, even if it isn’t a ton.  I know I’m not going to get my Friday delivery like I want, but it’s nice to know that something is going on and I’m not going to be pregnant forever!  Anyway, it’s probably best that I don’t go into labor this weekend because our main people who are available to watch Bug will be out of town from Friday to Sunday…

I go back next Tuesday for another dr. visit.  It’s with some new doctor I’ve never heard of before…

Preparing for baby: This weekend we got the infant carrier installed and all ready to go.  We still need to bring down the swing and get batteries.  I think I’ll have Darling Hubby do that tonight so I can take off the fabric and wash it Friday with Bug’s clothes since I don’t have any other baby stuff to wash.

Other stuff on my mind: I still have to finish packing my hospital bag and get it in the car…I don’t know why I’m being such a slacker about this…I have most everything packed save for a couple things.  I also want to grab some yarn and a simple/small project I can work on while I’m stuck in the hospital after the baby is born.  If it’s during the week, there’s no point in Darling Hubby staying with me all day and Bug can go to school like normal.  I’ll be bored out of my mind probably and keeping my hands busy will help.  I know I’ll have a new baby to tend to, but I’m sure he’ll sleep for a good portion of the time (at least Bug did) and I’m not sure I want to get the TV turned on…that all depends on if I have a VBAC or another c-section…if I’m there longer, I’ll definitely have to have the TV on…I’ll go crazy!  lol  And, I’m pretty sure I can crochet with a baby sleeping in my lap…lol

Pictures – I need to take a shower before I take a belly picture this week…I’m just waiting for the dishwasher to finish its cycle.  I do have some ultrasound pictures, but they aren’t the greatest.  He’s pretty smooshed up in there, so the tech couldn’t get a good look at his face (he’s facing my back, which is the way he’s supposed to be facing), so she didn’t even try for pictures.  At least I know he’s still a boy!  lol  Either later today or tomorrow I’ll update with a new belly picture.  🙂

37 Week Update – Full Term!

Week: 37 weeks 1 day

Weight gain total: I haven’t weighed myself this week, but I’m guessing that I’m around 33 lbs.

Cravings/Aversions/What I’ve Been Enjoying This Week: I’ve had the munchies pretty badly this week, but I’m trying to control what I put in my mouth.  Bug and I made some oatmeal raisin cookies and I made them small so maybe I wouldn’t eat a ton of them…It kinda helps that they are sorta healthy.

Sleep: Last night was a terrible night.  I couldn’t get comfortable no matter what, although I fell right to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow…I just kept waking up and had a lot of pain like pulling muscles or cramps or something.  At least I only had to get up to pee twice rather than the 4 times I had been earlier this week.  It doesn’t help that I occasionally wake up feeling sick to my stomach…not sure what that’s about.  Maybe Baby Fidget is sleeping on my tummy or something.

Belly Button and Stretch Marks: My belly button has started poking out a little more.  I want to say my pop up timer has popped…I’m done!  lol I think there are the same amount of stretch marks…I haven’t really been paying attention to them…lol  I’ve also noticed that the dark line from my belly button down has darkened a bit more, too.

Baby: Baby Fidget is still wiggling around like crazy.  I’m not sure if he’s decided to stop hurting mommy as much or if I’ve just gotten used to the pain, but it doesn’t seem to be as bad this week.  I only waddle half the time now…

Nesting: I haven’t really been nesting so much as trying to get everything that I need to get done around the house done…Pretty much everything is just typical day to day stuff like laundry and cleaning…it’s just tougher when you are lugging around an extra 30+lbs and you get winded just walking from one side of the house to the other…lol

Appointments: I had my 37 week appointment a few days early on Monday.  The 3rd time was the charm and I got to see Dr. Vu.  She was the one to deliver Bug 5 years ago and I distinctly remember that we didn’t hit it off well then.  She was my least favorite doctor.  Time must have changed both of us, because we actually hit it off pretty well.  It was kinda like she was a whole different doctor.  She walked me through the dangers of having a VBAC and the slim chance that I could rupture my uterus at the c-section incision site.  The chances of that happening are 1% and Dr. Vu told me that in the 10 years she’s been practicing she’s only seen it happen 2 times and neither were patients in her practice.  She did tell me that I won’t be induced (I have to go into labor on my own) and they won’t give me anything to ripen the cervix to help me along because those things can up the chance of rupture.  The good news is that I won’t get pitocin (that stuff is evil!).  The bad news is, I’m not sure if my labor will progress well without it.  I have a history of going into labor late (practically 42 weeks with Bug) and my last labor wasn’t strong enough, even with the pit, to get me to 10cm.

I do have a weight check ultrasound on Tuesday (37 weeks 6 days) to check baby Fidget’s size and I’m hoping to get checked at that appointment to see if there is any labor action happening. Last week Dr. Wallingford estimated that baby is weighing around 5.5lbs.  Dr. Vu said he’s about 6lbs now, so it looks like I’m on track for a less than 8lb baby.  🙂

I had my Group B Strep test done by Dr. Vu and I’m hoping for good results from that.  She’s also performing a sensitivity test since I mentioned that I had a reaction to some Amox a year ago, the same as Bug’s recent reaction, and since his doctor recommended for him never to have Amox again, I’m worried that I might be allergic or sensitive to cillians, too.  The last thing I want is to have an allergic reaction while in labor…that would suck!

My plan right now is to give Baby Fidget until 39 weeks (around May 12th) to decide if he’s going to come on his own and then decide on the c-section date.  If not, I’d love to schedule the c-section for the 17th at the latest, although, I’m still hoping for a May 7th birthday…I’ve already decided he won’t be born on the 19th or the 22nd.  My friend Shell’s birthday is the 19th and my nephew D’s birthday is the 22nd.  I’m not opposed to Fidget sharing a birthday, I would just rather he have his own special day, KWIM?

Preparing for baby: Plans for this weekend include installing the infant carseat.  We moved a touch lamp that was in our office up to the baby’s room this past weekend, rather than buying one.  We also bought a cute little coming home outfit.  Bug picked it out and it has his favorite dinosaur on it…the stegosaurus.   I also managed to get all the hooded towels and baby blankets washed, dried and put away.  I also bought some new waterproof pads to put under the crib sheets to save the mattress from any accidents/blowouts.

Other stuff on my mind: I need to finish packing my suitcase for the hospital.  I think by this time with Bug’s pregnancy, I was all packed and ready to go…this time I’m not feeling so ready…I did pick up a new pair of slippers since I didn’t want to pack the ones that I’m still wearing…  I may try to get all this done by the weekend and toss the suitcase in the car so we’ll have it with us.

Here’s a picture from this morning.  Does he look a little lower?  I can’t tell!  lol

37 Weeks 1 Day Pregnant

36 Week Update

Week: 36 weeks

Weight gain total: 32 lbs…as of 36 weeks 1 day…So not happy with this, but I think part of it is that I’ve been eating crappy things and snacking a lot because I’m hungry (probably because the baby has dropped and my stomach has more room…and I also think Baby Fidget is packing on the ounces cause he’s had the hiccups constantly lately and from experience, every time Bug had the hiccups, he had a growth spurt.

Cravings/Aversions/What I’ve Been Enjoying This Week: I’ve been kinda in a funk this week, so my eating has been off.  Lots of junk food…trying to be better today!  I made some homemade banana bread Tuesday, so I’m eating a couple slices of that for breakfast, drinking more water (to ward off those pesky Braxton Hicks contractions that I seem to be getting a little more) and trying to not snack all day…

Sleep: My sleep has still been hit or miss.  Monday night I couldn’t get comfortable no matter what.  My lower back was killing me..pretty much everything below my waist was hurting.  Even with the big body pillow, I just couldn’t settle down.  I’m pretty sure that because of my lack of sleep my mood was pretty sour and I was snapping at everyone most of the day (so not loving those pregnancy hormones!)  Tuesday night I actually got a decent amount of sleep, waking twice to go pee and once just to roll over.  I woke up feeling refreshed and my mood is much lighter.  Hopefully it stays that way.  The body pillow really made a difference last night, too.  Hopefully I’ll be able to get more sleep tonight.

Belly Button and Stretch Marks: Well, my belly button has started poking out a little more.  I think there are the same amount of stretch marks…I haven’t really been paying attention to them…lol

Baby: Baby Fidget is still wiggling around like crazy and often has the hiccups.  Add to the fact that he seems to have shifted lower into my pelvis, I’m in pain quite often, esp when standing/walking.  I’m at the major waddling stage.  I feel like I’m walking like a wounded penguin!  lol

Nesting: This week seems to be my “nesting in full force” week.  Saturday I scrubbed the entire upstairs bathroom…and by scrubbed, I mean got down on my hands and knees with a sponge and cleaned all the nooks and crannies.  It took me pretty much all day to accomplish because I had to take frequent breaks, and I took an extended (7 hour) break when we went to a friends house to see about taking their old TV and TV stand for our living room since they want to get an new one, and so Bug and his best buddy, Little A could play.  Since we decided to take the TV and stand this Saturday we’ve been doing some major rearranging of our living room and office.  In order to put our old TV stand in the office we have to completely move everything around, including take out some wall shelves to accommodate taller pieces…this means I need to completely rework where things are, but the good news is, I’m dusting!  lol

Appointments: I had my weekly appointment this past Monday.  I was, once again, supposed to see Dr. Vu, but, once again, she was over at the hospital delivering.  I saw Dr. Wallingford who I really like.  He’s like the grandfatherly dr and just has a good bedside manner.  He told me he thinks Baby Fidget is about 5.5lbs and probably by the time I deliver he’ll be in the 7lb range…anything below 8.5lbs and I’m happy!  I have another appointment for next Monday with Dr. Vu (again).  Hopefully the 3rd time will be the charm!  lol  I also get to be the recipient of the Group B Strep test…fun!  I may also have her check me to see if there is anything going on that might give me the early delivery date.  We’ll also schedule my weight check ultrasound for the following week (38 weeks).  I’m getting excited that I’ll be full term next Wednesday.  I’m still hoping for an early delivery, esp since Baby Fidget is sitting so low…fingers crossed.

Preparing for baby: I haven’t done much preparing for the baby specifically.  There are things we still need to get…maybe this weekend we’ll go out and see about finishing up the last of the tasks.  It is supposed to be a rainy weekend anyway.  Why not go out looking for a touch lamp…lol

Other stuff on my mind: My raging hormones!  I swear my family thinks I’m a homicidal maniac or something.  I can go from perfectly fine and happy to royally pissed off to having a complete and total crying meltdown in seconds flat…and I know in the back of my mind what I’m getting worked up about is totally not worth getting worked up over…I just can’t help it.  At least I’m not making jello for anyone this pregnancy (there’s a funny back story about me making jello for Darling Hubby when pregnant for Bug…)  Anyway, I’m hoping that the next few days are better…I’m really not liking myself when I get like that and I’m sure my family is pretty sick of me, too…At least I laughed this morning when I dropped the tv remote and it busted in half…maybe that’s a good sign…

I was also getting a little worried about finding someone to watch Bug for us when we need it and thankfully our friends (Little A’s parents) have offered to watch Bug whenever necessary, even if it’s in the middle of the night.  It’s actually a load off my mind and Bug would really be happy hanging out with his best bud.

Theoretically, my ideal delivery would go something like this.  I go into labor in the morning (a Friday would be good), say around 7am.  We get ready and drop Bug off at school by 7:45 and head over to the hospital.  I labor for a few hours, deliver naturally (probably with an epidural and no tearing!) around lunchtime.  Darling Hubby then goes out to pick Bug up from school at 2 and we have our first family of 4 gathering before dinner time!  I know that’s not how it’s going to work, but a girl can hope, right!  lol

Here’s this week’s picture, taken by Bug. Please pardon my hair…I’d been cleaning and rearranging the office most of the day and hadn’t hopped in the shower yet.  Does Fidget look lower from the last 2 pictures?  He does to me, but I’m having a hard time telling.

36 Weeks Pregnant

35 Week Update

This was written on Wednesday, 4/14, but because I’m feeling rather lazy lately and didn’t get my belly picture taken until Friday, it’s not getting posted until Sunday…oh well!  lol

Week: 35 weeks

Weight gain total: 28lbs…I’m actually OK with this.  I’ve got about 4 more weeks (If I have a c-section, it will probably be at 39 weeks) and if I can keep my weight gain at the recommended 1lb/week, I think I”ll be ok.

Cravings/Aversions/What I’ve Been Enjoying This Week: I haven’t been craving anything really.  I’ve still been wanting chocolate and ice cream.  I have been eating lots of fresh fruit (grapefruit, strawberries, bananas) but I have also been bad in the junk food department, munching on the candy that Bug got for Easter.

Sleep: I’ve still been hit or miss in the sleeping department.  I’m still waking up at least once to go to the bathroom (around 3am) and change positions (it’s still easier to get out of bed than to just roll over) and sometimes it’s just hard for me to fall back to sleep.  The leg cramps are still present, but only if I don’t eat a banana before bed…like last night.  Last night I also had some very strange and vivid dreams…they were all random and didn’t make sense.

Belly Button and Stretch Marks: I’m still an innie, but it’s getting shallower and the top pokes out and the stretch marks are still there.   I’m also starting to sport the faint beginnings of the Linea Nigra.  I’m actually surprised that it didn’t show up sooner like it did with Bug’s pregnancy.

Baby: OUCH!  That’s all I have to say!  Last night and today Fidget was moving around a ton and it was really painful.  I think he’s pressing on my prior c-section scar.  I actually had to get up and walk around to get him to shift position and stop.

Symptoms: I’m still waking up to pee a couple times a night and the leg cramps at night are still there.  I have found that if I don’t eat a banana before going to bed, I get leg cramps…last night for instance.  I’ve also noticed that I have episodes where I start feeling shaky and weak and after I’m really tired.  I asked the dr about it and he said it’s probably just a low blood sugar thing and that I should eat and drink something.  My blood count from 2 weeks ago came back fine, so I’m not anemic…I was going to ask about that in combo with the shaky feeling since taking my prenatal vitamin seems to help.

Nesting: I had Darling Hubby bring down several bins of baby clothes from the attic so I could sort through them, reorganize them, label them and put them back in the attic.  It was good that I did.  I found the hooded towels I was missing.  I just have to wash the next batch of baby laundry…I just haven’t been feeling it lately…

Appointments: I had a dentist appointment on Monday for a quick filling.  It wasn’t near as bad as I imagined and I’m glad I got it out of the way prior to the baby’s arrival.  I did notice that when the dentist would start drilling, Fidget would start moving around a ton…I don’t think he cared for the drill any more than I did!

I had my 35 week appointment this morning (Wednesday) with Dr. O.  Fidget’s heartbeat was at 138bpm.  He was resting, so it was lower than last time.  He did have the hiccups while I was driving to the appointment and from that I was able to tell he was still head down.  The dr said we’ll schedule the weight check for 38 weeks, so I should know specifically sometime in the next 2 weeks.  I did learn that they do not induce for VBACs, which kinda screws with my plan, but if I’m allowed to go into labor on my own, I’d like that…I’m actually hoping for 37 weeks, so keep those fingers crossed for me!  I still feel owed after being forced to go to 42 weeks with Bug!  The dr did say that I could just elect to have a c-section prior to 40 weeks if I don’t want to wait for the baby to make up his mind.  I’m hoping he’s not going to be as stubborn as his big brother in the l&d department.  The dr did seem to think that Fidget will be much smaller than Bug, esp since I haven’t gained a ton of weight this time.  I go back in next week on Monday at 35 weeks 5 days.  It’s with one of the delivery doctors I haven’t seen yet, so I need to get in a little earlier than my preferred Wednesday time slot.

Preparing for baby: Like I said before, I found the missing hooded towels and added them to the laundry basket, which still needs to be tackled.  We still need to bring down, wash/disinfect the swing.  I bought a wicker basket to put on the changing table for storing the diapers and boxes of wipes (I got it on sale at Joann’s Crafts for less than $8, originally $20.)  I’m thinking we should at some point soon, install the infant carrier in the car so it ‘s done and we don’t have to worry about it later…esp since I’ll be considered full term in 2 weeks.  I want to attempt breastfeeding again this time since it didn’t work out so well with Bug.  I do need to wash several of the bottles and things just in case I end up needing to formula feed.  I also need to find a touch lamp for on top of the dresser in the baby’s room so I don’t have to turn the big light on in the middle of the night.  Other than that, I think we are pretty well prepared.

Other stuff on my mind: I started to pack up a bag for the hospital.  So far I’ve got some travel size shampoos and a toothbrush/mini tube of toothpaste kit.  I figure it would be better to pack a few little small things rather than rushing around trying to pack the big versions of those things while I’m in labor or having Darling Hubby collect it all and bring it later.  I’ve also got some snacks, a book to read, and some warm socks.  I’m going to toss in my smaller bathrobe, too.

Here’s a picture that was taken on Friday at 35 weeks, 3 days.  Pardon my hair…not a good hair day that day.  lol

35 weeks, 3 days pregnant

34 Weeks, 1 Day Photo

Since I’ve been posting a weekly photo with my weekly update and failed to do so on Wednesday, I’m posting one now. This was taken yesterday at 34 weeks, 1 day. You can really see the difference from 25 weeks as I’m wearing the same shirt!   BIG DIFFERENCE!  I think I was actually having a pretty decent hair day, too!  lol

34 Weeks, 1 Day Pregnant