the end of pregnancy

i wish he had decided to come on his own, but i am thrilled to be heading to the hospital in the morning! i am praying that every thing goes well so that i (and baby) only have to spend one night in the hospital. there is still so much to do before the kids' party next weekend!

over the past few days i have been having contractions at night (why are they always at night?). they have even been every 2-3 minutes for a few hours, but then they stop and i sleep a little. i pretty much have contractions throughout each pregnancy so they don't get me too excited. but my spine feels bruised on the inside from all the hours of baby squeezing this week.

i am a little nervous about an induction because everyone else came before we got to this point - i guess he has a few more hours to change his mind... (we went to the hospital for madelyn three and a half hours before her induction was scheduled to begin.) mainly i just want him to be healthy. this is the first delivery i have been nervous about which seems odd since it is my fourth and have already delivered a beast without trouble, but i am nervous about the pain and how quickly (or slowly) things might go.

i went back and read about maddux' delivery which was neat. the blog has been so great for picking up details to remember. it was an even quicker delivery than i remembered!

but this is my last time! we are so excited to have our family complete! boy is june going to be busy for us from now on! three birthdays within 8 days! and baby boy is going to share with his cousin briana (who turns four tomorrow).

i will get info on baby boy up as soon as possible tomorrow. i don't know if wi-fi is available though but i think i can get something up with my phone. love.

40 weeks, 1 day

disappointing appointment today. the baby is fine and i am fine so i guess it isn't truly disappointing. i try to appreciate that we never had to worry about premies and realize that there are people who wish full-term was an option. i was/am disappointed because if we were still with our doctor in wisconsin, the baby would most likely already be here or we would be heading to the hospital tonight. the boys were both born the day of my 40 week appointment so i guess there is still hope for tonight. matt is really pulling for tonight because he is ready to take some time away from work. i told him if i could i would! a friend just pointed out tonight that three of our four children will basically have birthdays within the same week or two! i am still only 1cm, maybe 2cm. the doctor i saw today did not strip my membranes. it didn't do much for any of the others except give me a sleepless night of contractions that then stopped so i am not too disappointed to miss out on that. mainly i am impatient because i have a lot to take care of after the baby is born. not to mention that walking without pain would be a welcome change! either way, less than a week. love.

40 weeks

so here we are.  40 weeks and no baby - again.  i must say that i am not terribly surprised that the baby hasn't come yet since none have come before 40 weeks.

but mommy is done.  i don't remember being as uncomfortable for so long with any of the others (except maddux which has me reconsidering that this one might not be so big).  yesterday evening i got so uncomfortable standing that all i could do was lay down.  it wasn't from contractions.  the baby just got himself into a position that was excruciating. thankfully, he has moved a little and today is much better.

i think that this is going to be a really long week though since i don't really want to go out with the kids too much and we all get a little crazy without some outings.  thankfully, i stocked up on some craft projects last week anticipating a lot of home time in our future.
the kids wanted to get in on my 'belly picture' too.

my next appointment is tomorrow afternoon and they are planning on stripping my membranes (not that it started labor with any of the other kids).  mainly it should just make for an uncomfortable night of contractions.  but one can hope...  love.

39 weeks

the pictures are from yesterday. i didn't realize how rough my hair was from the wind or I would have brushed it first! any way, there are some belly pictures.

went to doctor today. my total weight gain is at 14lbs now. i have been indulging a little more the past two weeks. i was a little surprised to hear that i am a centimeter dilated already since i haven't really dilated much before labor with any of the others.

they did schedule an induction for june 18th. hopefully we don't make it that long because my parents arrive on the 19th. and - really - who wants to be pregnant past their due date anyway! it would also be inconvenient for birthday plans for madelyn and mason.

so still waiting. we hate not knowing when - because we are both such control freaks. love.

38 weeks

check up went fine today. i do not have fifth disease (they didn't say if i had it before or not, just that i didn't have it now). other than that everything is fine and we keep waiting. the doctor i saw today (mine is on vacation this week) said that their practice wouldn't let someone like me go beyond 41 weeks. she said that we might talk about scheduling an induction during the next appointment (scheduling, not doing). it still doesn't mean much to me because we have had an induction scheduled for all three and have never been induced - labor has just started on its own by the time i got to the hospital.

the picture is from sunday. i don't think that this baby is going to be as big as maddux. i need to take a front view picture because there is very little width to my belly. i don't think i am very big and today they said that i am measuring back on schedule (who knows which schedule). the doctor was surprised by how high into my ribs the baby was. i told her that they all have been and that my sternum may never be the same again. the tip sticks straight out and actually makes it painful to lay on my stomach after the baby is born (and for quite some time after). it goes down a little as time goes by, but it has never straightened back out. oh well. they are worth it. love.

37 weeks

so now we wait. i spoke with my doctor at length today and there isn't really any reason to have the baby early since i successfully delivered an 11lb baby. if i had not, she would be more concerned and they would be talking about scheduling a c-section, but given my history she would want to let me labor and see how things go. she doesn't even think it is necessary to have a late ultrasound because they are so inaccurate and i am not showing any risk factors.

apparently, i am measuring 2 weeks ahead. but i have actually lost 2lbs since my last appointment putting my total weight gain at 9lbs! (believe me, i look like i have put on much more than that.) i think that moving has so dramatically changed my daily activity level that i have been losing while gaining - if that makes any sense. i also indulge almost no cravings because of the little eyes watching all the time.

i hate the waiting part. not really the waiting but the unknowing. i am working harder to keep everything clean and ready to go so that i will have less stress leaving for the hospital - and coming home.

we are all set for baby though. i have washed everything that was in storage, bought size 1 diapers (we have rarely used newborn size for the others and can always run out for some if we needed them) and gotten the crib all set up in madelyn's room.

the worst part about the appointment was that it was my first physical exam and i had to bring all three kids by myself. not ideal but it worked out. i was able to sit them all on the floor with some coloring books and crayons where they couldn't see anything. the doctor was surprised how well behaved they were (she has triplets - i think they are three or four) and several other staff people commented how good everyone was during our visit. i did make sure that matt could make it to the next appointment though... love.

 

x weeks

i had matt take a picture but it was so terrible that i won't post it. today i had what i thought was my 35 week check up but learned that the practice considered it my 34 week check up.

i ranted about this change enough on facebook, but the jest of it is that i was surprised that no one had bothered to tell me that my due date had been changed off of the ultrasound. my doctor said that they wouldn't move my date over it but here i found out that it was. it doesn't really matter because the baby will come when it comes. the only reason i care is because they are planning a 38 week ultrasound and may induce me at 39 weeks if the baby looks too large (although the doctor said that an ultrasound that late is less than 30% accurate; which i can attest to since a 40 week ultrasound put madelyn at 10 lbs and she was 8lb 13oz). i am less concerned about the delivery and more about the testing the baby needs after being so large. poor maddux had his foot 'bled' at least four different times and was almost readmitted about a week after we went home.

but watch, this baby will be the smallest.  i have only gained 11 lbs. so far.  i think a lot of that has to do with the lifestyle change from apartment living to being back in a house.

i am meeting with my doctor in two weeks and will discuss with her further. i met with someone else this appointment - this practice has you rotate through all the doctors as an ob patient so that you will be familiar with whomever is on call when you deliver. i was fine with it in general, but now i want to only see my doctor for these last few appointments.

i have been having pretty strong braxton-hicks contractions for a few weeks now. sometimes they have been regular, every five minutes or so, but they don't get stronger than they start so i haven't thought about them too much. when i mentioned them during the appointment they said that i should call if i have four contractions an hour after laying down to rest. i haven't bothered because i have had contractions like this with all of my pregnancies and i knew every time when it was the real thing. i am not too worried - yet.

just a few more weeks until we bring home baby boy! it is still a little crazy to think that we are going to have four kids so soon. love.

almost 34 weeks

i will be 34 weeks on monday.  i would say that 'nesting' has begun as i suddenly have much, much, much more energy than at any other point in the pregnancy.  there really isn't much to prepare for baby, but i am getting a lot of cleaning and organizing done.  it has also allowed me to be more active and engaged with the kids.  i have started dealing with sciatica (nerve pain that is almost crippling in my left leg).  it comes and goes which is both nice and annoying.  i dealt with it a little with mason, but this has been the worst by far.  but not too much to complain about when we are getting so close to seeing our little guy!  they aren't doing a 'tyke tour' of the hospital again until july, so we are going to arrange for a private tour so that the kids can see it and matt and i will know where to go.  it is a little weird to not know what to expect at the hospital when it is our fourth baby.  oh well.  that is what we get for moving.  love.

29 weeks

sorry, i don't have a picture.  for some reason, i scheduled doctors appointments over spring break.  at least the weather wasn't nice or i would have been very upset.  i had a check-up and my second glucose test.  they were giving me a second test because maddux was so big they wanted to make extra sure that it wasn't from gestational diabetes.  (and the results showed that i am fine.)  it actually worked out good that grandma was here because i got to leave the kids at home and read by myself for an hour (they make you drink it in the office and wait the hour for your blood to be drawn).

my belly was measuring right at 29 weeks which was a relief after being told that i was measuring big last time (not too much of a relief since i didn't measure big with maddux).  baby's heart rate was good too.  nothing too exciting at this point.  my appointments will be every two weeks now so we are getting closer.  i am slowing down quite a bit and have a limp from hip pain when i first get up from sitting or laying down (i blame this on maddux' size because it is how my hips ached at the end of my pregnancy with him).  i get around just fine once i walk off the stiffness though.  an updated picture to come...  love.

26-ish weeks

i had matt snap a quick shot just shy of 26 weeks a few days ago.  and today i had my check-up.  maddux and i were a lot early, but there was a break in the rain so i went in instead of sitting in the car.  to my surprise they took me right back and i was in and out before my scheduled appointment time!  everything looks good.  i think i have put on 6-7 lbs so far and the heart rate was good.  i did measure a little big (she didn't say how much) which surprised me because i didn't measure 'big' with any of the others (even when madelyn measured two-weeks bigger in her ultrasound and maddux was a beast).  at least i don't have a recollection of measuring "big".

i am not super worried about the size of the baby since maddux was by far the easiest delivery, but this is a fourth and a boy so size has come up a time or two.  i am mainly hoping that we don't have to deal with jaundice again (which is more likely in larger babies and boys).  i have a second glucose test in three weeks (because maddux was such a big boy).  instead of giving it to me to drink at home, i drink it in the office and then sit in the waiting room for an hour watching the weather channel and trying to keep maddux occupied (at least the other two will be in school).  the last one was fine so i am not too worried.  they will also do an ultrasound around 38 weeks to see how big he is looking; the doctor did say that it is only 30% accurate at that point so she doesn't expect it to change her course of action.  i had a 40 ultrasound with madelyn because she had measured so big at 20 weeks and it said that she was going to be at least 10 lbs., but she was only 8 lb. 13oz.  the doctor feels that since i delivered an 11lb. baby with no complications, she doesn't really see a reason to worry too much about size without there being other health concerns (i.e. diabetes, heart rate, blood pressure, etc.).

and that is the latest.  just a normal pregnancy.  i am really glad it is the last one though.  i feel done.  i do love to see people's faces when i am walking into the grocery store (or anywhere) with all the kids by myself and my big belly.  i know i would have thought to myself "that woman is crazy".  but it isn't really bad at all.  i just have to go at the right time (i.e. no one is tired and no one is hungry).  love.

wiggle worm

and now we know that the baby is a boy!  i am not getting rid of our girl baby items just yet due to the angle we could see from and the proximity of the umbilical cord, but it's a boy.  he flipped his head from my right side to my left side while the tech was trying to measure his head.  i had warned her that he moves a lot and almost all the time.

in  this picture he is looking up - at his shins!  he was in this jack-knife position for the ultrasound with his ankles crossed.  i think he might be the only one who had their legs straight for the entire ultrasound.

full arm shot - when i saw the arm i started to think that our chances of a girl were very slim.

full leg shot

he is looking forward in this shot (his face is the middle oval)

and here are his hand held up above his head

and here are his straight legs with crossed ankles on the left-side of the picture

we were so certain of a girl that we didn't even have a boy name picked out - or even discussed.  funny enough, i think we agreed to one before we got to the restaurant for dinner - first and middle.  we will most likely pick at least one other name so that we can decide what suits him once we get to meet him.  now we will get started on our preparations.  we have both grandmas visiting in march but after that we will get maddux into the toddler bed so that we can move him to a twin bed before baby is born.

madelyn has been so excited about the ultrasound and had her heart set on a sister.  she stood right next to me through the first half of the ultrasound whispering about the baby and trying to stay interested in everything that wasn't telling her boy or girl.  she finally went off to play with mason and maddux.  mason came over and heard that it was a boy, but madelyn somehow missed us talking about it.  as we were getting ready to leave the doctors' office, she asked if the baby was a boy or girl.  when i told her that it was a boy she broke down in tears.  she was really devastated.  i told her that i only had brothers and it would be okay.  she calmed down a little and by the time we got to the restaurant was able to talk about a baby boy without crying.  she still gets sad a little, but i think she will like being the only girl when she gets a little older and doesn't have to share a room. 

matt and i were a little disappointed too at first because we were so sure that it was going to be a girl.  but the more we have gotten used to the idea, we are really excited that it is a boy.  matt will have an all-male foursome for golf too.

we are so excited to meet him!  love.

girl or boy?

tomorrow is the big day!  let's hope that little baby cooperates so that we can find out girl or boy.  i am feeling girl - every thing about this pregnancy reminds me of being pregnant with madelyn, but i have been wrong before...

madelyn thinks it's a girl and mason thinks it's a boy.  we have been working on being happy with either option because God knows what our family needs.  it seems like they are both okay with whatever and tell us that the other option is okay whenever they say what they hope the baby is.

we can't wait!  the appointment isn't until late afternoon so it might not be until friday that i get a chance to post the news.  i am also interested to see how the ultrasound is here because they sent home instructions about drinking 16oz and eating a meal 1-1/2 hours before the appointment.  this is the first time i have ever had instructions like this and when i mentioned it to the neighbor (did i mention we have been having playdates with one of the neighbors?) she said that it is a really big deal around here.  they almost sent her home because she had gone to the bathroom before her appointment!  we will see. love.

20 weeks

it isn't the best picture (but really, do i like any of them...?).  i wasn't really feeling that well and just wanted to get into my pajamas.  my sleeve kind of covers my 'bump' which has just appeared in the past 2 or 3 days.  it is a little bigger in the picture than normal because i had just had a big dinner with desert and had a wicked stomach bug brewing (i was a little bloated).

half-way there.  and in two more weeks we will get a chance to find out the sex of the baby.

unfortunately, i spent all of monday very, very sick with the bug the kids had.  only i didn't get the 'good' kind.  i got it much, much worse than they did and even called matt to come home early for maybe the second time in 10 years because i was in so much pain and just needed to go to bed.  he only got home 15 minutes early, but it helped get me to bed faster.  and the kids were one their best behavior since they were all feeling 100% again so it was more about me having to leave the unsupervised more than i was comfortable with that made me call matt.  thankfully, i had already planned on a slow cooker meal and he just needed to make cornbread to go with dinner.

here is a picture of me just shy of 20 weeks with maddux for comparison, i think that i am actually smaller this time.

'belly picture'?  check.  now i can wait a few weeks before having to take another.  love.

baby week 18

had a "belly check" today while the kids were in school.  maddux just watches/listens quietly.  baby's heart rate sounds good and the doctor confirmed that this on is quite the mover!  his guess was a boy but he said that he has been wrong all day.

bummed to find out that we have to wait until 22 weeks for the ultrasound!  oh well.  i was able to schedule it when matt and the kids can join me.

on a related note, matt was able to feel the baby move too the other night - i think on the 8th.  this kid is very busy and seems to be awake during the day.  so much of this pregnancy reminds me of madelyn's that i am really 'feeling' that it is a girl but i was wrong with maddux too...

i hate 'belly pictures' but will try and take one soon - or at least when we go to the ultrasound.  i think i just look 'thick' as opposed to pregnant.  i thought that i would show much quicker with this one, being #4, but i haven't really rounded out yet.

more in a few weeks. love.