36 Weeks

I made it to 36 weeks! I took my last dose of the Procardia last night and now Baby Holt is free to make his appearance at any time. I'm not technically considered full term until next week, but if I go into labor on my own today or in the next 4-5 weeks, my doctor won't stop it. The good thing is that I can go back to some sort of physical exercise (just a little bit of walking) without having to worry that I will go into labor too soon. It's a beautiful day and I'm excited to get outside, even if it's just for a little bit!

I'm doing pretty well. Baby is definitely growing and Dr. D thinks that if I make it all the way to my due date that he'll be around 8 lbs. Just a guess, but it's better than nothing! My swelling has been terrible, especially in my feet and ankles. I'm hoping that it will get at least a little better now that I am off the medication.

Mother Nature is definitely preparing both of us for Baby Holt's arrival. Neither of us are sleeping very well anymore. I wake up several times during the night because I'm hot or cold or uncomfortable or I have to use the restroom. Ryan has always been a light sleeper so any movement or noise out of me (apparently my snoring and loud breathing are worse than ever) wakes him up. Just a little taste of what's in store for both of us!

We interviewed a pediatrician yesterday and I liked him. He answered all of our questions. Ryan and I briefly discussed interviewing another one just for the sake of comparison, but the more I think about it, the more I'm ready to check this decision off of the list!

35 Weeks and 35 days to go!

Wow. This baby will be here in 6 weeks at the very most (my doctor will only let me go 1 week past my due date before she will induce). My next doctor's appointment is Monday and Dr. D will be taking me off of the Procardia in a week. If I go into labor on my own anytime after 36 weeks, they will not stop it. I think the medication has really helped my contractions subside, especially as the weeks have passed. I just wonder what will happen when I'm not longer taking them...

I'm feeling okay, just really tired and my body is constantly sore. My back, hips and feet hurt the most, so I'm just trying to relax as much as possible at home. I am starting to rethink my plan to work until I go into labor, so I have to keep reminding myself that I want the time after Baby arrives, not now.

We are about 90% ready for Baby Holt's arrival. His room is nearly ready and the glider arrived yesterday! I have a few finishing touches and a final clean left to do, but if he came home in a week we would be fine. All of his bedding, burp cloths, bibs and newborn and 0-3 month size clothing is washed and ready for him to wear. I put together his swing and bouncy seat and installed batteries. Everything is working the way it should! Hopefully Ryan will have a chance to put together the pack n' play this weekend and that's the last of the necessary gear we will need for the first few weeks.

I am planning on packing my hospital bag this weekend just in case and we are meeting with a potential pediatrician next week. We practiced with the car seat last weekend and I need to make an appointment to get it inspected sometime in the next week.

We're getting close! Here is my 35 week belly:

33 Weeks

Baby has graduated to a new fruit this month! I'm also down to 49 days until his due date. Yikes! In the 8th month, he's now the size of a honeydew melon:

"Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month."

Since I just updated a few days ago, not much has changed. I'm still taking my medicine and I'm trying to get more rest when I'm home in the evenings this week. Any kind of remote activity, even something as simple as browsing Target, still gives me contractions. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, though!

My baby shower was this past Saturday and I'll upload some photos as soon as Jessica emails them to me. It was a very nice shower and everyone was so generous! We've also done a lot of work on the nursery, so I need to take some photos and get those uploaded as well.

I took a new photo of the belly this morning and I think Baby's really grown between week 30 and today:

32 weeks with an Irritable Uterus

Our home laptop finally died, so I haven't had a chance to update in a while. I'm nearly 33 weeks now. At my regular 32 week appointment last week, I talked to my doctor about all of the Braxton Hicks contractions I was experiencing. It turns out that some of them weren't just Braxton Hicks, I was having real contractions that caused my cervix to dilate and efface. Not great news at 32 weeks. Immediately following my appointment, my doctor sent me to the hospital to be monitored for a few hours. I was honestly freaked out. Ryan hadn't been coming to my appointments lately since they had been rather uneventful, so he could tell that I was scared when I called him to come and sit with me in the hospital (again!). Luckily, Baby was moving just fine and I had only had a few small contractions on the monitors, so Dr. D released me to go back to work and told me that she wanted to start seeing me weekly. I'm on instructions to make sure I drink enough water everyday and to rest and relax when I can.

I had my 33 week appointment yesterday and luckily I haven't had any further progress with the preterm labor, but I was still having loads of contractions daily. She put me on a generic of Procardia, a blood pressure medicine that is often prescribed to control preterm labor contractions. She also diagnosed me with an irritable uterus. Hopefully the meds will control the contractions, otherwise, the next option is bed rest. If all goes well, I'll be on the medication until 36 weeks and then he's welcome to join the world anytime after that! I go back to see Dr. D next Monday, so please keep us in your prayers.

Good news is that baby is doing fine and he seems to be head down. He's measuring right on track and still moving a lot every day. He just needs to stay in for at least a few more weeks!

31 Weeks

Roughly 9 more to go! That's exciting and scary at the same time!

Not much has changed since last week. I'm starting to get more and more Braxton-Hicks contractions. They don't hurt, but they're not exactly comfortable either. They're totally normal according to my childbirth class instructor. On the other hand, Baby is definitely getting stronger. His movements can be painful at times, especially when he has an arm or a leg jabbing into my ribcage.

We took a tour of the hospital on Monday and I was pretty impressed. It's a newer hospital, but it seems like it will be very nice for our stay in a few short months! The labor and delivery rooms are huge and the postpartum rooms seem to be pretty adequate as well.

We tried to unpack the crib and get it put together last weekend since we are having guests soon (not that the nursery is ready for it with my armoire project taking up the entire room, but I digress). When Ryan pulled out the first few pieces of the crib, he realized they were damaged. We had to box it all back up and take it back to JCPenney. I'm hoping to get the replacement soon and my fingers are crossed that it arrives in pristine condition!

We're headed to Chicago this weekend for a little getaway to visit friends. Oh, and my birthday was 2 days ago. Happy Birthday to me! :)

30 Weeks

30 weeks feels like a huge milestone. I have way too many things to do over the next 10 weeks!

Everything has been going well and not much to report. I started going to the doctor every 2 weeks, but right now, they're just quick short appointments. I think I'm finally experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. They're not painful, but just uncomfortable. And, I feel like I'm back in my first trimester with the exhaustion!

The belly at 30 weeks:

29 Weeks and a Nursery Sneak Peek!

From Weeks 29-32, Baby Holt is the size of a squash. At least it's a cute-looking squash!



"Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments."

I found out last week that I passed my 3 hour glucose test with flying colors! In fact, my last result was below the normal range, but all is well. Baby is moving around like crazy. We did have another little scare last week. I had some abdominal cramping all afternoon at work and it was painful. After a few hours, I finally called the doctor's office. Since they couldn't get me in to see my doctor that day, they sent me to the hospital to labor & delivery. I spent 3 hours hooked up to a fetal monitor. They recorded a few minor contractions, but nothing major, so they sent me home.

The baby furniture arrived this week and we picked it up on Saturday evening. Thanks again Mom & Dad! Since I'm still working on refinishing the armoire, there isn't enough room in the nursery to set up the crib yet. But, Ryan surprised me on Sunday by assembling the dresser/changing table. It's not the greatest picture since I took it with my Blackberry, but here you go: