2 Months

Okay, so I finally had Emma and it has been a whirlwind since, as the lack of posts attests to. She was only 7lbs 4oz at birth, which was great for me. By her two week check up, she weighed 8lbs 10oz and at her 2 month visit she weighed in at a whopping 12lbs 9.5oz. She is in the 90th percentile for height and weight. Our big girl is growing fast!

Emma has recently learned that she has hands. She balls up her fists and makes a very intent effort to bring her fists to her mouth, but is usually unsuccessful. It's so funny to watch. I think she even found her feet while we were in the car today. She's also started enjoying her playmat, as she can see the toys on it, but she hasn't started playing or interacting with them yet. Her sleeping patterns have been really off the last couple of days. I'm not looking forward to tonight, because she may be up a lot. The last 3 weeks have been awesome since she has been sleeping for about 9 hours every night. Another recent development has been Emma's voice. She is starting to make some noises (other than crying). Here is a pic of Emma and mommy!

Dr. Reed

Not feeling up to writing a detailed post today, but we met with Dr. Reed this morning, as our normal doctor is on vacation. Both Bryan and I felt very comfortable with her and she seemed to be very supportive of our birth plan. She stripped my membranes, which was not a fun experience, but may help me go into labor. I'm currently still only dilated to 1cm. After some discussion, it was decided that we will go ahead with the plan to enter the hospital tomorrow (Wednesday) at 6pm to receive medicine to help my cervix dilate. The hope is that the medicine will dilate my cervix enough for me to go into labor. If not, they will start me on pitocin on Thursday morning to induce labor. I'm hoping this doesn't happen, but it is a possibility. If the induction is not successful and Emma is still happy, they will send me home and try again next week. That's not very likely to happen though. Dr. Reed seems to be on the same page with me and Bryan about avoiding a c-section, which is great for us! Anyway, that is the latest on where we stand with Emma's birth. I'm going to try to go for a short walk before it gets dark to try and help her move along.

39 Weeks...

My pregnancy feels like the Energizer bunny...it keeps going and going. I realize that I'm not even to my due date yet, so I shouldn't feel this way, but I'm a little impatient. It also might have something to do with the inability to get comfortable or sleep well.

Bryan and I went to the doctor on Thursday. I felt like she was pressuring us to get induced next week, even though she didn't come right out and say it. My cervix has become slightly more effaced, but is firm, and I'm still only at 1cm. This data does not point to a successful inducement. Not to mention, we already told her that we didn't want to be induced unless it was necessary. She is going on vacation from the 9th-16th, which is why she wants to induce on the Thursday or Friday before she leaves. Bryan and I told her that we would only induce if there was a medical reason for it, which does not include her vacation schedule. So, we are going to see the doctor again next Thursday (on our due date) and re-evaluate. If there still isn't enough progression, we'll plan to see the other doctor in the practice early the following week and induce at the end of that week if we have to. They don't want us to go much more than a week past my due date, as it can cause some problems for the baby and delivery. In my opinion, that qualifies as a reasonable cause for inducement.

Well, that's the game plan. We are still hoping that the baby comes on her own sometime in the next two weeks, but if not, then we'll be induced. That means our baby girl should be here within 2 weeks, no matter how it happens. I really don't want to have a c-section, but I'm sure I'm like most mothers out there, in that I will do whatever it takes to have a healthy baby.

Hoping my next posting will have good news!

Forever?

Is it possible to pregnant forever? I feel like am going to be..maybe I'll be the first! Needless, to say the doctor said there were no changes yesterday. I am still dilated to 1 cm and my cervix is not softening. I'm am walking every day, in addition to being on my feet at work, but to no avail. Emma is happy where she is and has not decided to start making her way towards the outside world. I have another doctor's appointment next Thursday. We'll see if there are any new developments by then. Until then, we will be waiting....

37 Weeks and Counting

Ok, so I'm ready for Emma to come now. I'm tired of being pregnant. It's really not all that bad, but I am ready to be done with this phase and meet our little girl. We have finished the nursery and I finally finished making my substitute plans for maternity leave. I am going to continue working as long as I can though. I am trying to get ahead in my current masters class, as Emma will be born sometime during it. Other than that, I am just waiting...

I went to the doctor yesterday and I am dilated to 1cm and the baby is still at a -3 station. I was hoping for more change since the last appointment, but I guess even a little progress is good. I go back to the doctor next Wednesday to check again. I'm usually not superstitious, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this Sunday, as it's the next full moon..lol! In all seriousness though, I'm trying to remember who's in control and leave it up to him. I know Emma will be born at the exact moment she is meant to be. Meanwhile, I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures of Emma's room.

Last Ultrasound

I went for my last visit and ultrasound with the high risk doctor this past week. I was excited to find out that the calcification is still gone!! So, I guess its time to breathe a sigh of relief and start believing that it won't come back. Little Emma measured in at a whopping 5lbs 15oz with 5 weeks and 2 days until her due date. Basically, she is almost the size of a small full term baby. I guess we are still looking at having a large baby. I'm hoping she is fully developed soon and will come a little early, just to lower the chances of having to be induced or having a c-section because of her size. However, the doctor doesn't seem concerned about it. She said that 9lb babies are perfectly normal. I wonder if SHE has given birth to a 9lb baby, as she might feel differently. Here are some pictures from the ultrasound. She has chubby cheeks like her mom.

Still keeping her hands close to her face. The fuzziness on the right side is the placenta.

I also asked the doctor if she had started to drop, but the answer was no. She appears to be enjoying her time inside the womb. She's in no rush to join the rest of the world.

In other news, Bryan finished the baby's room. I just have to finish washing some things and put them away. Then, we'll be completely done with the room. I am currently working on getting my maternity leave plans finished for the substitute. I'm finding that it takes a tremendous amount to work to plan for 3-4 weeks. On the books for this week are finishing my maternity leave and some other school tasks, packing my hospital bag, finish washing Emma's stuff, studying for my principal certification test (taking it on Tuesday), and the normal stuff around the house. I'm even hoping to sleep in next Saturday!!! Then, I'll have to start my next master's class. I want to work as far ahead as possible, because the baby should be born sometime during the course.

Baby Shower

Sorry, it seems like forever since I posted! Bryan, Emma, and I have been trucking along. Bryan and I took a newborn care class at the hospital on Tuesday night. Now, we only have our Childbirth Preparation class to go. Unfortunately, that class lasts an entire weekend. I also had my baby shower on March 5th. I can't say thank you enough to all of my friends and family that helped throw the shower. I had a great time! I also want to thank Marcia, my mother in law, for coming to visit from out of town and helping us get ready for Emma to arrive. I have the greatest friends and family in the world. Here are some pictures from the shower.

Me with the cake!

All of the attendees.

Me and the hostesses!

Miracle

God has worked a miracle on our little girl! I went to the high-risk doctor on Tuesday and she said the calcification is gone! They don't know where is went, but they can't find it anymore. She said that these things happen sometimes. We will still go back to the high-risk doctor one more time for another ultrasound in 4 weeks just to make sure its still gone. Yay God!

Baby Emma weighed in at 3lbs 14oz, which puts her in the 58% percentile. As long as she stays in the average weight range, I'll be happy. Of course we got more pictures, but Emma has the same attitude about pictures as her father; she doesn't like them. She kept covering her face everytime the doctor tried to take the picture. Here were some of the attempts.

Last Sunday, a friend came to take our maternity pictures. Bryan was not a good sport about it, but at least he agreed to be in them. My friend, Joe Anna, and her husband were the photographers. Check out their website here: http://www.haydonphotography.com/. Thanks so much Joe Anna!!! We appreciate it more than we can say and we can't wait to see the pics!

Progress has been made in the nursery, but we still need to do some decorating. I'll be updating pictures of the nursery soon. Marcia, my mother in law, arrives tonight, in preparation for my baby shower this Saturday. I'm excited about seeing all the people there. It should be a busy, but fun weekend. I also hope to buy some more items for the baby room, such as a crib mattress on Sunday. Things are finally starting to come together.

I'm still continuing to grow. I'm 31 weeks pregnant today..9 more weeks to go!! I'll be taking my 31 week picture tonight, when Bryan gets home. So, for now, I'll leave a picture of me (with my reluctant husband) from last week.

Nursery Preparation

It was an eventful weekend in trying to get the nursery ready. However, I can't say that much was accomplished, due to Babies r Us.

My friend, Allie, came over on Saturday and painted an "E" on the wall above the crib. I'm so grateful for her help!! You may be wondering what the "E" is for, so I guess we can publically announce that we have decided to name baby Fielder Emma.

On Sunday, I tried to buy the changing table we registered for, only to find out that Babies r Us has discontinued the entire set. As mentioned in my last post, we already have the crib of this set. The only option they gave me was to order the changing table online and have it shipped at an exorbitant cost. I was not willing to do this. After much arguing with the manager at Babies r Us, I went to the store. They still have the set I registered for on the floor, so other mothers can unknowingly register for it!! As for us, I was able to find an acceptable replacement for my changing table and get it at the same cost with approval from the manager. At least we didn't have to return our crib that Bryan already assembled! I haven't really felt like a crazy pregnant woman until today. Babies r Us can really bring out the worst in a pregnant lady. I apologized to the manager for alternately tearing up and yelling at him, but he should be prepared for such in his line of business (especially with their shady ways of operating). Ok, enough complaining.

The week ahead is looking pretty full. On the agenda....

Monday: start Instructional Leadership masters course

Tuesday: Breastfeeding class from 7:30-9pm at the hospital

Wednesday: Church

Thursday: Doctor's appointment

Saturday: UIL academic competition

Sunday: Maternity pictures

I hope to find time to update this blog again within the week...we'll see. Until then, I'll leave you with a picture of Janie feeling the baby move. She really was just sitting like this.

Beginning of the Third Trimester

I'll be 29 weeks preggers tomorrow, so I'm beginning my 3rd trimester. Is it just me, or does time seem to slow down as pregnancy progresses? I feel like the first trimester flew by, but now time is virtually standing still. I know baby Fielder will be here before we know it, but 3 months sounds like a long time away. It makes it feel like a shorter amount of time if I say 11 more weeks instead of 3 months. I probably shouldn't be wishing for time to go by faster, as we have so much more to get done before she arrives, but I can't help feeling anxious.

The ladies at church threw us a baby shower last Friday night. It it so great to be a part of a church that makes us feel so welcome and special. We received lots of gifts for our little baby girl. She will definitely be the best dressed infant in Montgomery county. I think she already has a larger wardrobe than I do! Our pastor also gave us a special gift; a rocking chair that he painted for us. We are so grateful for all the support our church has given us throughout this pregnancy and I know they will continue to do the same after baby Fielder arrives. We are truly blessed to be a part of First Christian Church, Conroe.

Opening gifts.

Receiving our rocking chair from Pastor Wes.

Me and Daddy.

Baby bump.

In other news, my mom bought our baby crib and brought it up to us when she came for the baby shower. Bryan put it together a few nights ago to make sure it was in good shape (no scratches, missing parts, etc). However, he put it together in the movie room, so we'll have to disassemble it a little to get it into the baby room. Can't wait to get her room finished and get everything put away!! Looking forward to a friend coming over this weekend to help paint something special on the nursery wall too. I'm so glad to have a friend with artistic abilities (since I have none)!! We are also getting ready for our maternity pictures with a great friend that is a photographer on Feb. 27th. We are so lucky to have such talented friends!!

Here is a picture of the crib that we just received...Thanks mom, we love it!!

Below is a picture of the baby bedding we registered for. The coloring in the picture is a little off from what it looks like in reality.

Lots to get done in the next 11 weeks!! Looking forward to spending the summer with my little one.

Look Alikes

After receiving our last set of ultrasound pictures, which I posted below, I started wondering where some of our baby's features were coming from. She certainly doesn't have my nose! Then, I found this baby picture of Bryan. I'll let you be the judge...

In other baby news, I registered at the hospital yesterday. It was my one accomplishment from Super Bowl Sunday. We still have to go to the hospital to sign some paperwork, but we'll do that after our doctor appointment on Thursday. Bryan also painted the nursery yesterday..yay! Now, we just have to get the chair railing up.

Well, I have to get to work on this Monday morning. After last week's eventful schedule (power outages, snow days, etc.), I hope to get some things done this week. Hope everyone has a good Monday (not that I've personally experienced one of these, but I've heard they exist).

No News is Good News

We went to see the high risk doctor today to check up on baby Fielder's stomach. The ultrasound showed that the calcification is still present, but hasn't grown. So for now, we are happy. I wish the spot would spontaneously go away, but since that isn't likely, we will take the fact that there have no new developments as good news.

Our baby girl is continuing to take after her mother (and apparently her maternal grandfather too) by becoming a rather large baby. She weighed in at 2lbs 7oz today. She's gained 1lb 4oz in the last 4 weeks!! But, she is still within "normal" ranges, so I'm not too worried yet. I just found out my dad was 9lbs 10oz when he was born!!

Both the doctor and ultrasonographer commented about her continual movement again, as if I wasn't aware. She likes to be active--unlike her mother!!

We were able to get some more pictures of the baby, but she wasn't very cooperative. She was hiding behind her arm and the placenta most of the time. Our next high-risk doctor appointment is scheduled for March 1st. Here are the latest pics....

Pregnancy Updates

If you are reading this, then you are probably already aware that I am expecting and due next May. Family members and such are interested in keeping updated on my pregnancy and life in general, so this seemed to be the best outlet. Not that I don't love repeating myself to various family and friends all the time..j/k, but I'm sure that all my fb friends do not want to read about all the ins and outs of my pregnancy, nor see all of pictures. So, here I write in format in which those of you who want to read and stay informed will be able to do so.

Backstory:

We conceived last August and found out I was pregnant within the same week. We chose not to tell anyone about the pregnancy except our best friends until we were out of the 1st trimester. Now, everyone knows, not that I could hide it anymore.

We went to the doctor for our 20 week anatomy ultrasound in December and found out we are having a little girl, as the ultra-sonographer pointed out below!

They also found a small calcification in our baby's stomach during the ultrasound and referred us to a high-risk obstetrician. Needless to say, the waiting to see the high-risk doctor was not the best time in my life. After finally seeing the high-risk doctor, we learned that the calcification is most likely nothing to worry about, but we will have to continue to see her to monitor its growth until the baby is born. We are now in week 26 of the pregnancy and I can't wait to meet our baby.

Week 26:

We have our next appointment with the high-risk doctor on Tuesday. I can't wait to go because it means we get to see our little girl again. I also want to find out her weight. She seemed to be running a little big at our previous visits (as I sit here munching on jalapeno chips). Before you judge, you should know that I am still on target with my weight gain! My next appointment with my regular ob is scheduled for Feb. 10th. That will be the day of the dreaded glucose test. Every time I open my fridge, I see the bottle of icky sweet stuff and dread that day. It will all be worth it when we get to meet her though. Here is a picture of her at 22 weeks. The mark across her chin is actually her umbilical cord.

Personally, I think she looks like me, but maybe I'm a little biased. Bryan thinks she is going to have the "Joiner" ears, but I think its a little too early to tell.

As for me, I am growing rapidly too. However, women regularly tell me "You're so small!" I always laugh at this. I know I'm going to get a lot bigger, but I definitely don't feel small! She is running out of room in my belly, as I can feel her pushing and stretching all the time. I'm still enjoying all the movement though. Its just a reminder that she really is there and that she is OK. Try to ignore the "no makeup, post work out look" I have going on.

Hopefully, I'll have another picture of the baby to post on Tuesday and we'll get good news about the calcification (fingers crossed)!