Yo Yo Yo!!!

Okay, this post is going to take me a couple of days because of my carpal tunnel but I will get it done! I titled this post, "Yo Yo Yo!" because Charlotte is about the size and weight of a Crenshaw melon and that makes me think of ghetto rap songs for some reason!! She is about 18.5 inches long and should be almost 6lbs. I will say my OB thinks she is closer to 6 or 6.5lbs and estimates she will be at least 8lbs at birth!!! How she knows that based upon feeling my belly I have know idea! We are 36 weeks and have entered that territory of "she can come at any moment"!! I read on babycenter.com that at your OB visits you could be 3cm dilated and 50% effaced for weeks OR be closed up tight like Fort Knox in the morning and "open for business" by noon. This level of uncertainty is concerning.

At our last visit with the OB she explained to us the signs and symptoms of labor and when we should and should not go to the hospital. It's a different mindset for sure! Last night, for example, I had a couple of contractions and some spotting. I laid down did a kick count found out she was fine. Called the OB and expected to be told, "go to L&D let's check everything out". I was told, "this is what is supposed to happen at this time and you don't need to go unless you have more regular contractions"! This happened at about 26 weeks too and I was in the OB's office the next day with an US. Now, they are just like, "so you're having a baby, duh". This makes me uneasy. (BTW my fingers are completely numb at this point...damn carpal tunnel!)

Let's talk a bit more about this last OB visit, shall we??? She did her first cervical check and attempted to confirm Charlotte's positioning. My cervix is high and closed - no delivery that day apparently. Charlotte, my little crazy girl, is laying transverse - sideways. This will make delivery a little difficult the old fashioned way! As a result I have upped my activity level since then, probably resulting in the contractions last night, and am trying to do activities to help her "get in line" a bit better. I am concerned with her being as big as she is and whether or not she will be able to flip on her own. I go back Wednesday and if she is still sideways we will have an US to see what is exactly going on. My guess is, from my extensive and extremely scientific research on the internet, the OB will either do an external cephalic version (turn her herself), wait and see if she turns on her own, or wisk me away to an emergency C-section where I am put completely under only to wake up when she is 3 years old. Oddly enough I don't want the wait and see option...or the 3rd option...of course!

So let's discuss why I don't want the wait and see option...I AM TIRED OF BEING PREGNANT!!! I have entered the circus animal stage, apparently, and I am tired of it. I get so many looks, not all nice ones, and I am getting dangerously close to resorting to violence to stop them! We went to the mall yesterday and that was awful. I got so many looks like, "geez she's huge", that I just looked at the floor and held Robbie's arm - being led through the mall like a blind person so I didn't have to witness their stares. We were in a store and I couldn't even fit down the aisle to get out of the store!! I felt like one of those people that buy an airplane ticket only to get on the plane to be told they need to purchase the seat next to them because of their size! This is absolutely the worst part of pregnancy for me since I vowed never to be this big ever again!! (shhhh I'm even bigger than I was before).

At this point, I am just ready to have this baby. I am ready to meet her, to hug her, to kiss her little feet, and dress her up in the 400 million outfits we have (literally)!! We had a HUGE baby shower this past week at work and got so much stuff!! I mean so much stuff. She has so many clothes and toys and books. The sad thing is you always see more that is super cute or practical that you want to buy! The nursery is full right now so I have put myself, that's unusual I know, on a buying freeze. I gotta see this little girl before I buy her more stuff!

Speaking of the nursery, it is basically done. It could use a little more wall decor but that is so nonessential right now. We completed our CPR training on Saturday and we are installing our car seat today! I am excited!! We are going to take the car seat to someone named "office wayne" at the Tucson Police Department to check our installation and make sure it is correct. Too bad I threw away the instructions... Our labor bag is packed. Our post-partum bag is in progress. I think we are pretty much ready. There are only a few odds and ends left to get - a mobile, an extra changing pad cover, bath tub, breast pump. Nothing that we will really need right away so that is good!! It really does take 9-10 months to get ready but I think we are - materialistically and emotionally!!

Well, I managed to write all this in one sitting and my hands are killing me!! By the end of this week she will be full term and will probably have no problems if born from here on out. That is reassuring! We will keep you posted! The next 4 weeks, if it takes that long, will be the longest of our life but the end is definitely in sight!! We love you baby Charlotte and can't wait to see you!!!

Sweet as honey...dew

We have made it to 35 weeks! Baby Charlotte is at least 18 inches long and should weigh between 5 and 5.5 lbs. - about the weight of a honey-dew melon (so they say). Only two more weeks until she is full-term. It's hard to think I'll make it that far - seeing that when I pee or laugh I feel like she is going to fall out. I am definitely uncomfortable at this stage but we are so excited to meet her soon.

We missed last week due to a carpal tunnel flare up. This week, Robbie is typing while I dictate to rest my hands so I can continue to work during the week. The carpal tunnel pain would have to be the worst symptom so far. It is short-lived and that is reassuring. As you can see in the pictures, I am also getting to be quite large. I refuse, however, to buy any more pants or clothes.

We had our last two week appointment with the OB on Wednesday. I thought we had one more at 36 weeks, but she surprised us with weekly appointments from here on out. This coming Thursday we will see her and she will check our progress. Chances are Charlotte is nowhere near ready to come out, but I can't help but hope that I am dilated a little. That would make me feel like the end is in sight.

Work is challenging. I am not as fast as I used to be and by the end of the day I am definitely not as polite. It's hard to carry around all this extra weight! Robbie has been helping a lot at home which helps me quite a bit. I am hoping to get that "nesting" thing going and want to clean the house, but it hasn't happened yet. I am still hoping for a cleaning person. Robbie is shaking his head no. Whatever.

On to exciting things... We are basically done with the nursery. It could use a little more decor but it has the basics and it is sweet. I think that it will work well for Charlotte. To complete the nursery, we made another two-hour trip to IKEA. I had to sit down at least three times while we were in the store because I got tired!! We did pick up some cute items to decorate the room and our favorite item: a new bookcase. It has enough space to hold her books (for now) and extra wipes and diapers. Plus it has a ton more room for other things in little baskets. We posted a picture of it with our little choo-choo train wall decal. It isn't very girly but it is so cute. I love it. We want to get something for over the crib like another wall decal, but that will have to wait.

We also finally got our Stroller - a B.O.B. Revolution!! We love it. And it is surprisingly light. I think runs with the baby will definitely be a workout, but it was a good choice. We will post pics once we get the car-seat adapter installed - hopefully in the next couple of weeks. I am not too stressed about that because we won't need it immediately. Apparently, you become hermits for a few weeks or maybe six weeks before you venture out with your new child. Our first outing will be at Robbie's half-marathon. Should be fun...

We posted some belly pics and I went ahead and put a bare-belly shot for all to see. It is a monster and maybe a little hairy. I thought I should capture this moment anyway.

Our precious pineapple

33 weeks down and 7 to go!! Baby Charlotte is supposedly weighing in at over 4lbs and over 17 inches long and I am definitely feeling that she is getting bigger and running out of room! She is moving quite a bit, or at least trying too, and the decreased space in there is causing those kicks and pushes to feel a little sharp every now and then. We had our bi-monthly visit this past Wednesday and she is doing great. Everyone at work keeps saying I am big and that she is going to be big but I am measuring right on target. My OB said they are just being mean - what's new in this pregnancy right??

Speaking of weight gain, she says I have put on about 34lbs so far. With 7 weeks to go, if we go that long or later, I am guessing I will probably put on another 10lbs or so (hopefully less). I am guessing by the end of this crazy journey I will have about 50lbs to lose. I am not overwhelmed by this. I lost 60lbs before so I know it can be done! I am just excited that she is doing so well. I have been worried sick throughout this whole pregnancy and each check-up just makes me feel that much better! We have two more "2 week" appointments (34 weeks and 36 weeks) and then we switch over to weekly appointments. At the weekly appointments, supposedly, my OB will check me to see if I am progressing at all! That is going to be a crazy few weeks I am sure!

We haven't had any birthing classes since the last post but we do have a breastfeeding class coming up next week. I am interested to ask questions about pumping, going back to work, the effects of exercise on breastfeeding, etc. After that I have us registered for an all day CPR class and then our classes are done. There are more I was planning on taking but I am on info overload and can't stand to think of sitting through another class! They have been good but at some point you just have to say, "alright let's do this!" I'm at that point. I don't want her to come out just yet but I think we will be ready when she does.

Speaking of being ready...this baby room is driving me nuts!! You read about women that, as they near the end of pregnancy, they become super driven to organize things and get things together and clean things up. I may be the opposite. I am so disorganized. I am scatter brained. I cannot focus on anything at all! We purchased one bedding set and took it back because I thought it was too masculine. Now we have an ultra-girly bedding set and I can't stand that! I am fixated on this bedding!! I have Robbie convinced that I can find some relatively (??) inexpensive neutral basics that will brighten the room, remove the color brown from the color palate, and help tie things together a little better. Does the bedding really matter?? NO! Why am I fixated on it?? I have no idea. I do this at work too. I get fixated on the most non-important task lately and I cannot move on. It is driving me crazy. For someone that is usually so organized and with it, I am the complete opposite at this point. I am hoping my deep desire to clean the house kicks in soon - it is a mess and I have no motivation to fix that problem at all!!

Well, this week has been pretty uneventful. Next weekend we should make a push to FINISH the baby room and then we will have pics. I will post belly pics next week too - last weeks were too shocking and I haven't gotten over that yet!

My hearty Jicama!

Alright that's a stretch but Charlotte supposedly weighs about as much as a jicama! We are 32 weeks today, officially 8 months down, she weighs about 3.75 lbs, and is almost 17 inches long!! She really begins to put on the weight from here on out. We have, officially, 8 weeks left and only 5 until she is considered full term. She could come anytime after that and be fine!! It is really getting close now. It is scary to think that in less than two months we will be parents! We are excited, nervous, scared, anxious, etc.!

Charlotte seems to be doing well. We go back to the OB this week just to make sure her heart beat is still good. I tried to push for another US at the last appointment but unless something happens or I begin measuring too big or too small they do not plan to do one. I really would like to know what size child I am contending with. I already know labor is going to be challenging, but I want to know if I need my game face for a 7lb baby or a 10lb baby! Speaking of labor, we finished our childbirth series last Sunday and we feel much better about the whole thing. I mean we know it will be painful but we feel a little more like we know what to expect so that is comforting. We talked a bit about episiotomies, really pleasant I know, and I couldn't help but think of that scene in Rocky when he says, "cut me Mic! cut me!!" I hope I remember to yell this if I have to have one. I think it would lighten the mood!

So, the baby room is underway. Kate came by yesterday to set things up and she and Robbie were able to put together the crib, move the dresser, and set-up the pack-n-play. I will say the pack-n-play is amazing! It does everything and will be really easy to set-up and take down in the future. The room is beginning to come together - I will post pics of our progress. I don't think it is going to be one of those baby rooms that is all "put together" - everything matching and coordinated. I like so many things that don't match the bedding that I am just putting them in there anyway. It kind of looks like a hodge podge right now but that is okay. It is practical and user friendly - like me (minus the user friendly part for a large portion of the week). Today we did hang a little coat rack on the wall to hang up a little strawberry hoodie and her yellow ducky bathrobe. It is seriously the best part of the whole room. It is so cute! Thanks Mary for that hoodie!! It is my favorite outfit so far!

I also had another amazing surprise baby shower this past weekend!! My friends in KY arranged a webcam baby shower! I absolutely loved it! It was so nice to see everyone and to get a belly check of Megan and her baby! I am so overwhelmed and amazed that they would take the time out of their day to do something like that for us. It was like 11pm their time when the whole thing was done! Thank you guys so much!! I really wish I was there in person to celebrate Charlotte with our friends and family in KY. I miss them terribly and whenever there is a life changing event being around loved ones always makes it easier. Soon enough I say! For now, I am relying on my AZ family and they have been wonderful!! For so many years I have really not liked living in AZ until the last couple when we have found some really great people to hang out with. They have really made the distance from KY bearable!

So, time is running out on our little bun! We are getting ready and really excited to see her! We have just a few more classes I want to take before she arrives - a breastfeeding class and a child CPR class. It is so hard to believe how little time we have left!

We are posting belly pics and baby room pics today!!