Hypothetically

If I had been having very noticeable contractions for several hours now and I went into full fledged labor tonight, then I might go to the hospital not knowing what month my child would be born. Hmmm.

Looks like a March Baby

see title

Ticker

I think I may take down the baby tickers...I feel they are mocking me!

2-26-06

Went to church, prayed hard, still no baby. Still hoping for 2-26-06.

Oops

I forgot to post today. I have been trying to post something every day since I've come so close to my due date and people are wondering if the Pea has left the pod. I've heard that lots of my bloggy friends are relying on my mom's blog to stay updated on Sweet Pea's status. Still no sign of impending arrival :-(

I really just have to convince myself that some babies actually come on(and even after) their due dates and everything is just fine. I guess since Ryan came 12 days early every day since that bench mark has been a little more stressful. Mostly because I keep worrying that something is wrong. I tell you what though... I feel so heavy, tired and strained that I'm wondering how much more my body can take. I can't even bend forward when I'm sitting down. Don't get me started about getting up from my nice soft comfy couches! I actually got about an inch up once today and fell back down into the seat. I don't like feeling like a wimp, but I do right now. I really hope I have enough strength and energy to get through labor! I think I may even have to join a gym after this pregnancy. Blah.

39(1/2) Week Check Up

The doctor asked me if I wanted to get checked today. I resisted the urge to say, "DUH!" So, with all those contractions and the false labor I thought I'd be pretty far along. WRONG. 1 cm and thick. Gah! He did say it was soft, so it might happen quickly once I'm really in labor. Let's hope. I have an appointment for next Friday, that is when we will "come up with a plan" if the baby isn't born yet. Hopefully it won't be necessary.

It just hit me...

Sweet Pea is waiting to make things easier for me in the long run. I can't remember dates for anything, especially years. It's bad. Possibly something I inherited from my dad who, although great at math, has to ask my mom how old he is when someone wants to know. I considered myself lucky that Zach and Ryan both had birthdays that make it easy to remember the year. Zach is December 8 of 98 and Ryan is August 30 of 03. See how great that is for me? It just struck me today that if Sweet Pea is born on February 26 of 06 that would be perfect, 2-26-06. Wouldn't it be cool if that worked out?! So that's my new theory of when Sweet Pea will be here :-)

Woah

Sweet Pea just pushed her hand out so far that I felt individual fingers. Weird. I keep telling her if she wants more room she should come out here. There is plenty of room in mommy's arms!

Poor Ryan

We just got back from the doctor because Ryan was complaining about his ear hurting yesterday. Poor kid has another ear infection. He just finished a round of antibiotics at the end of last week for his previous ear infection. Yes, this is a new one. He had a clear ear check at the end of the week. Poor kid just keeps going from one sickness to another. He hasn't been well for over a month :-( At least his demeanor is decent today.

I Want to Remember This...

Some of Ryan's favorite foods:

Chicken Cheerios= Fruit Loops

Peanut butter and jelly on my bread

Wapples= waffles

Sketties= spaghetti

Meat doughnut= meat loaf made in a ring to cook faster

Blue Cheerios on my milk- The Frosted Cheerios box is blue

Denial

Yesterday with everything(pregnancy-wise) being so quiet there was actually a brief moment I forgot I was pregnant. I was lying down and for some reason I felt rather light. It was a wonderful moment. I felt so good. So, that's my plan for today. I am going to forget I am pregnant. I'm not going to think about it at all. No worrying about Jay getting home in enough time, no timing contractions(unless it gets REALLY obvious that I need to) and no stressing about when, how and where I'm going to go into labor. Think it will work?
Me neither.

I just finished writing this- had a contraction and what did I do...looked at the clock in the corner of my screen. I'm pretty sure it's not going to work.

Quiet Morning

No signs of labor since I woke up. In fact Sweet Pea is unusually quiet this morning.

Ryan has been fairly quiet, too. He has had moments of excitement and energy, but mostly he has been acting pretty tired. I guess that's what happens when he won't go to sleep until 10PM. At least he is not grumpy and last night's refusal to go to sleep wasn't a loud screamfest. Luckily daddy was able to trick Ryan into forgetting that he was arguing about getting in bed and putting on his blankets by changing the argument. Smart daddy figured out that Ryan just wanted to argue, so he gave him new things to argue about until they were just being silly and then Ryan stayed in bed and went to sleep. It's really nice to have two perspectives and two sets of ideas for raising kids sometimes. I never would have thought of that solution.

Welcome Baby Jacob

Isaac has a new brother! Congratulations Claire and family! I'm hoping Sweet Pea gets the hint from all these other bloggy babies ;-)

No Baby Yet

I went to Bible study this morning, hence no post. I am still very pregnant. I did think I was going to the hospital at 3 AM. I had some major contractions 15 minutes apart...then they got easier and further apart, so I went back to bed and still nothing major his morning.

Tease

This baby is a tease!

Welcome Baby Avery!

Callie has a new sister! Congratulations Erin! Good job, girl. I can't wait to watch you new little one grow up:-)

Sunday and Still Here

It's Sunday night. I'm still here. I've been having uncomfortable contractions all afternoon. Been there, done that, not counting on anything happening this time. We will see soon enough.

Single Digits

Wow, single digits left until the baby's due date. I've never been this pregnant before. I liked it better last time when I was surprised at how early I had Ryan. Now I'm just sitting around waiting. So many things are up in the air. I am glad that Sweet Pea didn't make her appearance while I was sick. I don't think I would have had the energy or strength to give birth at that time. I know I wouldn't have had the strength when I had the stomach virus. I was completely wiped out by that. But this last week I thought I just had a cold. Unfortunatly it just kept getting worse and worse until I had to take antibiotics for a sinus infection. Now that I've been on them for about a day I feel so much better able to do things. It's a good thing God knows what we can handle better than we do.
Now that I'm feeling better I'm hoping Sweet Pea will make her appearance soon, but I'm not seeing any signs of that happening today :-(
[ So God, not that I think I know better than you, but this seems like a good time to
me:-) ]

12:30 AM

It's been a long time since I was outside my house at 12:30 in the morning. Probably because I'm a mom now and I know I won't get to sleep in the next morning. Last night when I lay my head down on my pillow for some sleep I knew it was not going to happen. That stuffy nose/cold thing I had turned into a full blown sinus infection. It hurt too much to sleep. Thank goodness for 24 hour pharmacies! Suddenly I see something in the street...a deer. I was totally not expecting to see a deer in the middle of the road at midnight in the middle of winter. Having learned from my previous experience with a deer I slammed on my brakes and just stopped in the middle of the road. Since when there is one deer there are others when you swerve to avoid one you will inevitably hit the next one. Incidentally, did you know if you hit a deer it is a liability insurance claim, but if you swerve off the road to avoid hitting a deer any damage is comprehensive? Anyway, it turns out I was right to just stop. The deer in my lane went off to the right very slowly and the two deer in the other lane stayed until I stopped then they went off to the left. So if I had swerved either way to avoid completely slamming on my brakes I would have hit at least one deer. Of course I was aware that there wasn't any traffic or it wouldn't have been as easy a decision. After they had all walked away I passed very slowly. I got my antibiotic and drove home, eyes darting back and forth to each shoulder as I went. The rest of my freaked out drive was uneventful. I did notice this older man walking around our neighborhood with a hooded coat which was interesting because it was really warm out. If it was some teenage kid it wouldn't have been weird, but this guy was definitely over 60. What is a guy that age doing out at that time of night? Maybe he was trying to get in his morning walk before the street got too crowded;-)

False Labor Stinks

I really thought it was going to happen yesterday. Nope. This didn't happen with Ryan. It was much easier to gage things last time. Water breaks, go to hospital, start and finish labor and delivery there. This whole timing contractions thing is annoying.

About the Same

Things have not changed much since yesterday. If anything the contractions are a little weaker. We will see what happens. I even sent Jay to work today; he wasn't sure if he should go.

Oh, one thing has changed in a big way. Ryan is in a good mood! I think he is getting back to normal :-D

Waiting and Wondering

I've been having almost unnoticeable contractions for a couple weeks now. The kind where it's hard to tell if the baby is just making a really big adjustment or if it's really a contraction (most times I have to check to see if my tummy is hard). I started noticing these very mild contractions with Ryan about a week before he was born. Today the contractions are getting stronger, definitely noticeable, but not painful. I'm hoping this is a sign that things are going to start getting interesting soon.
I'm off to check my bag against the list in the book and see if I missed anything I'll actually use.

Still Here

Looks like about 12-14 inches and no signs of labor yet.

Snow Baby?

How many times have you heard the story of the winter baby born in the biggest snow storm in years? We are expecting 8-14 inches of snow today and tomorrow. That may be a small snow storm where you come from, but around here they cancel everything if someone sees a snowflake. I wonder if we will have a snow baby story to tell. We do have 4 wheel drive and we live less than 5 miles from the hospital, so I'm not expecting a problem even if Sweet Pea does come this weekend. Unless of course the doctor drives a little sports car and can't get to the hospital.
So let's start a baby pool(no money of course).
The factors:
Snow today and tomorrow
I will be 38 weeks Monday; Ryan was born at 38 weeks 2 days.
My EDD(due date for the never had a baby people) is February 27 or 28.
I measured 38 weeks at my appointment yesterday.
No painful contractions, but some barely noticeable ones.
I didn't have any painful contractions until 12 hours after my water broke last time.[for those who don't know- water breaking means you will go into labor within 24 hours or the doctor will bring on labor]

Anything else you want to know before you make a guess?

Let the guessing begin!

Poor Jay, but a Funny Story

Not too long after I wrote the last post I got a phone call...from the credit card fraud department.

For your protection please verify the last 6 charges on your credit card.
$X fast food restaurant. Press 1 if you or an authorized user made this
charge. Press 2 if this is a fraudulent charge.
It wasn't me, but Jay charges lunch sometimes, okay. :: press 1 ::
$XXXX jewelry and watches. Press 1 if you or an authorized user made
this charge. Press 2 if this is a fraudulent charge.
Um, I don't know. I didn't charge that, but maybe Jay is trying to surprise me. I'm not pressing one for that amount without knowing!
$XXXX jewelry and watches. Press 1 if you or an authorized user made
this charge. Press 2 if this is a fraudulent charge.
What do I do?

::Call husband on cell phone holding house phone away from ear::
ME: I don't want to ruin a surprise or anything, but the credit card fraud division is calling. Did you make a charge for $XXXX?
HUBBY: Possibly. What did you tell them?
ME: Nothing it's an automated message. I still have to answer.
HUBBY: Mumbled annoyed word ! What's the number?
ME: They didn't give one, but it's the _____ card if you want to call them. Sorry, love you!
:: Go back to house phone...line is silent. Hang up::

Dear credit card company,
For your own protection do NOT call wife right before Valentine's Day to find out if a charge to a jewelry store is fraud.
Regards,
The Wife

My Husband Doesn't Believe Me

I'm a pretty forthright person. I don't hide my emotions well even if I want to(which isn't often because I just don't like fakeness). I don't lie about stuff. My husband knows all this about me and yet he doesn't believe that I don't want any presents for Valentine's Day. I blame those commercials that have the woman saying she doesn't want anything then getting mad when she doesn't get anything and the general societal belief that women can't or won't be straight forward. Now I'm not all anti-Valentine's Day or anything. It's nice to have a day to focus on love and remember how much the people around you mean to you. I don't mind celebrating either. A nice date (not this year of course) is a great way to celebrate. A card is always nice too, but not critical to the enjoyment of the holiday. I do think that Valentine's Day is a overblown and that jewelry stores, candy makers and flower shops prey on poor unsuspecting men who just don't want to let their wives down by making them think if they don't get her a present she will not be happy. Have you ever noticed that there is no pressure for the women to get their men a gift? How is that fair?

Permission Granted

The bassinet and glider are here. My mom is coming tomorrow. The take home outfit is washed and ready. Baby Sweet Pea, you have permission to come...soon. I still have not finished packing my bag and I have a few loose ends to tie up, but nothing crucial. So bring on those contractions Sweet Pea ;-)

Oh the Negativity

Wow, I guess I've been feeling pretty negative lately. The blog posts certainly have been. I thought I would add a little brightness from tonight.
I had my Ryan back for a brief hour or so tonight. He had a very long nap and still woke up cranky wanting nothing to do with me. He fussed and cried for a while about everything. He wouldn't take any Tylenol. Jay wrestled with him for a while and got about 1/4 of a dose in without him managing to spit it out. He was still EXTREMELY cranky, so we took him up to his room and closed the door telling him he could come out when he was done crying. He spent a few minutes in there then he opened the door(still crying of course) and stood in the door way. I decided to try loving on him again. I'd tried it many times, mostly he just pushed me away, but this time he melted on my shoulder. We cuddled for a while and then we talked and played a couple tickle games. He finally decided to eat his food. He ate nicely and asked for more with a please. Then he smiled. A real true genuine smile. It struck me in that moment that I hadn't seen him smile in days. It was such a wonderful sight. After he finished his food I told him it was time for his medicine and he ran over to get it, then asked for more when he was done. There wasn't much time left in the rest of the evening, but it was great. Ryan was himself. We read stories, sang songs and went to bed just like a normal night. Beautiful!

Outlook? You Decide.

This is what my pregnancy calendar says...

A whole lot of back and neck strain, lots of fatigue, and not much relief!
You continue to add a pound a week and have an increasingly hard time getting around gracefully.

Add to that the intense pain in my back that wakes me up in the middle of the night, the sick toddler that has not stopped fussing/crying for a week, the same toddler's desire to do the complete opposite of ANYTHING I say, a sick husband, a dog that won't stop growling/whining at the front door for no reason, a stomach virus, a brand new sore throat and a sinus headache...what does that equal? A run down mommy that doesn't want to do anything except sit on the couch and take naps and who breaks down in tears when her toddler won't go down for a nap and won't stop crying. It's not a pretty picture.


Note to friends and family:
I am not on the verge of a psychotic break. I'm better now. I just needed to vent. You don't need to call. Thanks to those who already called...it is nice to know you care.

I have a problem

I took Ryan to the doctor today for his ear. I LOVE her. She didn't leave us waiting in the room long. She was empathetic and kind without being gushy. She made Ryan feel comfortable. She suggested having the doctor that looked at the baby just check Ryan's ears while we were there. She knew when the baby would be coming in because she asked me how I was doing and about the baby's due date. She was just great. So what's the problem you ask? She is not our normal doctor. We go to a group practice. It's set up that you see one doctor regularly, but if you have a sick visit you might see another one. The boys' regular doctor is okay, but I really like this other one. So internet, is there a socially graceful way to switch to this doctor? Will it be awkward to see the other doctor? What do I do?! I figure it will be easy for the baby. I just say I want a female doctor for her, but I will actually have to switch the boys to the other doctor.

BTW-double ear infection for Ryan, but it doesn't look too bad yet. Hopefully one dose of antibiotic will make him feel back to normal.

On the Mend

I was able to eat a few things yesterday and by the end of the day I could drink a decent amount of water. This morning I was able to drink some Gatorade with no ill effects. I slept much better last night. Even though Ryan ended up in our bed because his ear hurts. I'm not sure why sleeping in our bed makes his ear feel better, but if it means I get more sleep it works for me. So Ryan is not feeling well, but at least I am feeling strong enough to take him to the doctor today. Hopefully once we get him some antibiotics this will be the end of our family's bout with sickness.

Sick

So sick. Can't eat, can barely drink(we're talking sips here), can hardly move, can't even sleep or even lie down. This can't be good at 37 weeks!

Jay and the Job

Well, some of you may know that Jay was interviewing for a new job. He wasn't looking, but an opportunity came to him, so he decided to check it out. A couple interviews...yada, yada, yada...and Jay has a new job. When his current company heard they put up a valiant effort to keep him, but he is still pretty sure he will be moving on. This new job is in Delaware, so it is a longer distance commute, but it should take the same amount of time that it took to go to Baltimore because the traffic should be lighter going north. He is pretty excited about the new opportunity. They want him to start on Sweet Pea's due date. They have agreed to allow him to take vacation right away, so that was pretty cool of them. Unfortunately he doesn't feel good about taking too much time off the old job before he leaves or taking too much time off in the beginning of his new job. Ugh. Thank goodness my mom is coming to stay with me when the baby is born! [She will probably be more helpful anyway]

Poor Baby

Poor Ryan has been throwing up since 6:30 this morning. He won't eat and anything he drinks he throws up :-( This is the first time he has ever thrown up(besides his first year when he did it ALL THE TIME, but it was not because of sickness). He really didn't understand what was going on at first. He told me he spit his water out. I think he is starting to understand. Last time right after he threw up he said he wanted to go to the bathroom. I think it comes on him too fast for him to think about the bathroom. Once we get in there he knows what to do now. Poor little guy, he hates this. He seems fine when he is not throwing up...I almost believe he is better until it comes again. So we have canceled all our appointments and we are staying home all day chilling and cuddling. Because isn't cuddling the best medicine? Right now we are watching Nemo. He loves Nemo. I can't believe he sits and watches the whole movie.

I know I look like a hippo with digestive issues....

Note to the public:

I know I look/walk like a hippopotamus with digestive issues. I know I'm waddling like a duck. I know! You don't need to tell me:
a) "You look like you're struggling"(I know in my head you are trying to be supportive, but it just makes me feel bad especially when I think I'm having a particularly good day.)
b) "When are you due?" I answer and you say, "Wow, I thought you were going to say tomorrow."
c) "How are you doing?" Followed immediately by your [negative] answer for how I am doing instead of waiting for me to answer.

Thank you for your consideration. Any comments about glowing, looking wonderful, only gaining baby weight, etc are welcomed and encouraged ;-)