Fun Times at the Doc

37 weeks have come and gone and Reese is still cooking. I am considered full term now, which I just can't believe. It's very comforting to know that if he were to be born anytime from here on, he would be fine.

I had another doctor's appointment today and things are about the same with my blood pressure. Today it was 143/94. Dr. Paul is not overly concerned, unless my urinalysis comes back to show protein in my urine. The lab will get those results back to him tomorrow. He kind of made it seem like he was not expecting to see anything abnormal. He said that while my BP is higher than it has been, it's not too abnormal for this late in pregnancy. Same goes for the pitting and edema of my lower legs. He does want to keep a close eye on me though, which means twice weekly visits from here on out, including an ultrasound at each visit. That's gonna make for some looooong days! Despite the BP, everything else looks great. Oh, and my Group B Strep test came back negative, so scratch one more thing off the list of things to worry about.

Cameron and I were very productive yesterday. We got most everything left to do in the nursery done...well, except hanging things on the wall. But, all of Reese's clothes are washed and put away and we got the stroller and carrier put together and in the car. We're on top of it! Now all we need is the baby to go in it.

Kinda weird to see this in the back seat.

37 weeks...Cameron is not allowed to get my face anymore because it's too puffy.

Close-up!

The Other Side of the Anniversary

In addition to having a wonderful evening hanging out with the hubby celebrating our anniversary, I also had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning. It was a little interesting. Cameron was not able to go with me because of work, so my Mom went with me. I worked for a couple of hours in the morning and then had my appointment and went back to work that afternoon. They started by checking my blood pressure. It was 144/88...it usually runs at a normal 120/80 or less, which is what it was even last week. So, he was a little concerned because that was unusually high for me. Then, when he went to find Reese's heartbeat, he had a hard time finding it (I was not worried because I had been feeling him move). When he found it, the position was abnormally high in my abdomen. Dr. Paul said he thought he might be breech. Oh, really?! After the internal exam, he confirmed that Reese is indeed head down. So, I guess he has a really long torso?! I'm still not clear on how he's positioned. Because of the BP and the concern about his size, the doctor wanted me to have another ultrasound. Needless to say Cameron was a little T.O.ed he wasn't there for it. Reese weighs in at a whopping 7lb1oz, with theoretically 3.5 weeks to grow. I know it's not a very accurate measurement and can be off by a pound or more, but with his paternal genes, I'm not counting on him being much less than that right now. The ultrasound tech said everything looked good. I have "generous" fluid, so that's good. According to the measurements from the ultrasound I am a week ahead, putting my due date at 9/12. However, my date did not officially get changed. I had some blood work done after the ultrasound and got my jug for a 24-hour urine collection to check for protein and creatine in my urine. Dr. Paul said he wanted to see me back Monday, so we're heading back then. One of the most shocking things about the appointment was that I was only there for 1:15 minutes. My appointment was at 11, I got called back just before 11:30 and Mom and I were on the elevator by 12:15. Considering the unexpected additions to the appointment, I was very surprised we weren't there longer. I think at this point, everything looks good, but there is concern about my BP. I've been taking it off and on today and it hasn't been lower than 135/88, but I had kind of a stressful day. Cameron, my Mom and my Mother-in-Law are all telling me I need to quit working. I'm not trying to be a martyr, but I only have one more full day tomorrow and then half days next week, so I am cutting back. Most people say they don't think I'm gonna make it till the 20th...I'm kinda thinking they might be right. Hopefully we'll have a better handle on things after my appointment Monday. I'll keep y'all posted!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Yesterday marked two years of wedded bliss for Cameron and me! I can't believe we've already been married for two years. Sometimes it totally feels like longer, but I mean that in a very good way. You know how you have some people in your life that haven't necessarily been in your life for a long time, but you just click, so it feels like you've known that person your entire life? That's exactly how it is for us. We, for the most part, are so in sync it is scary sometimes. Often times we'll be watching television or listening to the radio in the car or just sitting there and one of us will say a random thought and the other will reply with "I was just thinking the same thing!". It's a little crazy sometimes! So, last night we got take out from a fabulous Italian restaurant in Perry and had a chill night full of yummy food, champagne for Cameron, sparkling lemonade for me, and HGTV. Cameron actually put a lot of effort in to my gift...his wife cannot say the same. I have been really lame with my gift giving lately and it totally did not occur to me to check and see what the anniversary gift was. It's cotton for two year traditional. So, I got Cameron Entourage Season 5 and Mad Med Season 2...no cotton anywhere. He got me a basket full of bath stuff including a cotton monogrammed bathrobe and a nice set of cotton monogrammed bedsheets. He's very thoughtful! I know I said it in a previous post, but I am so lucky to have Cameron as a wonderful husband and I look forward to many more years of happily ever after.

Just a Reminder

Just thought we could all use a reminder of how "skinny" I had gotten before Reese completely took over my body! I actually was a few weeks pregnant when this picture was taken, I just didn't know it yet. In fact, I found out the very next day! Hopefully I'll get back to this size (and maybe a little smaller) before the next one. That gives me a couple of years (knock on wood!).

Really?! 5 More Weeks!?!

So, at this point it's really more like 4 weeks, but whatever...this is my 35 week post! I am so ready for this baby to be out of my body! I can only imagine how miserable the next few weeks will be. My whole body feels puffy and full. I've been really concerned about getting my wedding band off because my fingers stay pretty swollen. I thought it might be easier to try in the morning as soon as I got up because maybe they wouldn't be as big...WRONG! Handsoap, dishsoap, and Windex were all tried to no avail. So Tuesday afternoon I was looking down at my hands and they actually looked smaller, which was weird since I'd worked all day. So I was able to get it off with some soap. Thank the Lord! I do, however, still have an indention in my finger from my band. I can't believe I actually got it off!

I'm hoping at this point that Reese will not really get any bigger, just a little more plump (maybe...he probably doesn't really need to get much more plump!). I feel like my midsection is so full of baby that my organs can hardly function. However, one positive is that I've dropped so I can breath a lot easier, my stomach doesn't get as full as quickly, and the heartburn has subsided more. The down side is that his head (doc confirmed he is head down) is now full force on my bladder, so trips to the bathroom are much more frequent. It can really make for a long night! I feel really bad for Cameron because when I get up in the night, it takes me forever to get in a comfortable position. Literally, it takes me about 2 solid minutes after laying back down to get my pillows, my head, and my body situated, so I know I'm probably annoying him to death. He'd never admit it, though. Usually when I come home from work, I crash on the sofa and inevitably fall asleep. I kinda feel like a zombie most evenings! But, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel as far as work goes. I'm working next week and then only afternoons the week after that and then it's sianara till January. Cameron and my mother are worried that I'm pushing myself too hard, but I can't just abandon my patients and have some loose ends to tie up.

I had a doctor's appointment on Monday that was really irritating (in case you haven't noticed, I think my hormones have finally turned me a little mean and irritable). We waited for probably 45 minutes before we were called back and our time with Dr. Paul was maybe 5 minutes. I think he secretly likes when I come in. Since I've had such an easy time, my appointments don't need to last very long, so he just preezes in and out. But seriously this last time I felt so rushed, like I couldn't even ask any questions. He confirmed that I have dropped, but as far as I know that doesn't mean anything really. He told me he wanted to see me back in a week, maybe a little longer, but after next week it's supposed to be every week. So, my appointment was made and when I got home I realize it had been made for over 2 weeks later! Uh...that'll only be 2.5 weeks before I'm due...probably should come in before then. So I called and made another appointment. He's supposed to do my Group B-Strep test next visit and he'll probably check to see if I'm at all dilated. Still no word as to whether he'll want another ultrasound. He made it sound like we'd play it by ear.

This is from 33 weeks...same outfit, so I thought it would be good comparsion to see that I've dropped.

35 weeks...please excuse from the neck up...looking a little rough these days!

Close up!

Just in case you haven't noticed the trend...I live in these shorts! They are really comfortable and still fit. Well, I'm looking forward to the weekend and getting some rest. As of today, I give myself 3 more weeks...we'll see!

Showered with Love Again!

I was given my second and final baby shower this past Saturday. There was such a good turnout and we received so many wonderful things. Between the showers in Cochran and Fort Valley, I am very humbled by how generous everyone was in giving us gifts to prepare for Reese's arrival.

My Fort Valley shower was hosted by a combination of my friends, my cousin, and some of my Mom's friends who have known me practically since birth. Like I said, we received so many nice, useful, and cute things, but the biggest surprise was getting our swing! We did not register for a swing because the one we wanted was only at Walmart.com or Amazon.com, so we figured we'd just get it on our own. Well, I had mentioned this to one of the hostesses and she remembered and that's what the hostesses gave us! I was so surprised when I opened it. Now we have to finish doing some laundry, get stuff on the walls, and put some stuff together (like the swing, stoller, and carseat). Here are some pictures from the shower!

My haul...

The hostesses and me (we had two hostesses missing)

I had a few friends from dental school that were able to make it...it was great to see them!

Best Husband Award

I know that most wives out there consider their husbands to be the best, sweetest, cutest husband in the world. But, I'm gonna have to beg to differ, because mine pretty much takes the cake. I am a little biased, but I truly have hit the husband jackpot when it comes to Cameron. And this is not a recent development. We have been married almost 2 years (I guess I could have made this an anniversary post, but he's just so dang sweet, I didn't want to wait) and together for 5 1/2. And he has spoiled me and doted on me the entire time. He doesn't just take care of me because he feels obligated to...he genuinely wants to take care of me and finds joy in doing so (most of the time anyway). He not only treats me this way, but he extends this to other women, too. He is a good son, grandson, son-in-law, brother, brother-in-law and just general good human being. However, he has taken it above and beyond during this pregnancy. We have both been working full time throughout the pregnancy and both work pretty hard. Cameron drives 20 minutes both ways for work, so he usually doesn't get home until after 6. But, without fail, he comes home, cooks supper and cleans up afterward, all while I sit with my feet propped up. Every now and then I'll get a wild hair and fix supper, but he does it 95% of the time. He has been to almost every doctor's appointment with me, even the little check-ups. He is very concerned about my well-being and Reese's well-being. He is constantly telling me how I am already such a good Mommy to Reese and that he is so excited about the addition to our family. He has put up with me and my hormones (which of course, I don't think have been too bad) like a champ and I love him more and more all the time. He likes to surprise me with treats sometimes too, whether it be flowers, a good kind of dessert, or just something little I said I wanted. Today I had kind of a strange day. I felt a little off this afternoon and my blood pressure was a little high (for me) and my heartrate has been elevated. I told him about how I was feeling and he immediately commanded me to sit on the sofa and to only get up to go to the bathroom. When he got home from work, he had the most beautiful flowers for me. A mixture of lillies, gladiolas, and calla lillies (on of my favorites). He said he got them for me because I didn't feel good. It's the little things like that that make me realize how lucky I am to be married to someone as wonderful as Cameron. He is going to be a wonderful father and will set such a good example for Reese on how to be a loving, honorable, fantastic man.

My beautiful flowers

Getting Educated

Well, I don't know if I would go so far as to say I'm an expert in childbirth now, but I'm pretty dang close. KIDDING!!! Cameron and I went to Macon twice this week for three different classes held at the hospital. Thursday was our Childbirth Preparedness class. It was pretty much pointless except for a tour of the maternity floor, but at least they were free. The rooms look pretty nice and they are all private. You have the labor, delivery, and recovery rooms and then I will be moved to a separate postpartum room, which I think I'm going to like better than staying in the same room the whole time. Something about moving rooms will make me feel, I don't know...more clean, maybe. In the class they briefly went over relaxation techniques and different stages of labor, but nothing in too much detail. We did get a couple of good books that seem like they have some good information. However, I do realize that I will probably forget what I learned and nature will take it's course and I'll have the baby anyway.

Saturday we went back up to Macon for two classes, a morning breastfeeding class and an afternoon infant care class. The information in these classes was much better and more informative. The care class was actually taught by the pediatrician we have chosen to use, so it was nice to kind of get a feel for him! He came highly recommended by my friend Kathryn and I can see why.

All of the classes made me all the more excited and ready for Reese to get here. I am starting to get nervous about L & D, but I know the end result will be worth it. We only have 6 weeks left! Here are a couple of 34 week belly pictures...enjoy! I feel like a whale...

This picture kinda cracks me up because my head looks kinda little compared to the rest of my body.

Obligatory close-up

Adventures in Nurseryland, Part 2 - A Work in Progress

Like I said earlier, we had a very busy weekend last weekend. Our biggest accomplishment was getting the nursery painted. And we got the nursery painted because our bedding finally came in! We decided on yellow, which I am really loving. It's so bright and cheerful and looks so great with the furniture and the bedding. I'm very happy with the way things are looking so far. Cameron worked really hard to get it done and he essentially did it with no help. My Dad helped him move some of the furniture but other than that, he did everything by himself! We don't have anything to go on the walls yet, but we have ideas of what we're going to do. Cameron and I were born in the same hospital, which also happens to be the same hospital I will deliver Reese. Back when we were born, all the newborns got little t-shirts that say "Life Begins at Coliseum", mine in pink and his in blue (I actually still have mine!). So we thought it would be cute if we framed our pictures and then added one of Reese in his t-shirt. So, that's one idea for one wall (probably the one above the changing table). My mother is going make letters spelling his name for above the crib. The last thing we have planned is a picture of our animals. There is a local artist that has long ties to my family and she is going to paint a whimsical picture of Ella and Carter. I think it's going to be really cute! Well, without further ado, here are some pictures of the nursery so far!

The view from the door. It's kinda awkard to get the whole room in one picture because of the size of the room. On a side note, the piece of furniture we are using as the changing table is a vanity (sans mirror) from the bedroom set Cameron's grandparents bought when they first got married. We found the receipt in the drawer of the dresser and I think they paid like $50 for the bed, vanity, and dresser...pretty cool!

The view from beside the changing table. We obviously have not organized the bookcase yet!

This is a close-up of the bedding, which really doesn't do it justice. You can't see the colors very well in the picture, but I promise it's cute. Come visit if you don't believe me!

A little better view of the bumpers. The stuffed cow is a present from my Dad. I think it looks like a hedgehog, but we were told it was a cow!

Everything is coming along nicely. Now all we need is a mattress, stuff on the wall, and Reese!

I'm Sorry...Did My Doctor Just Laugh at Me?

33 Weeks!! Whoo-hoo!! Seriously, don't know how I'm going to last 7 more weeks, but I very well might. I had a doctor's appointment today that was slightly entertaining. Let me preface this by saying my doctor has a very dry sense of humor and is very quiet and not real chatty. As I have mentioned before Dr. Paul has commented that my uterus is measuring ahead (meaning big baby, not early baby). So today, I asked him what I was measuring and he laughed and said 35 (cm) and continued laughing. He then (while still laughing) said "...big baby!" Gee thanks, Dr. Paul. So I just laughed and said "Yeah, let's talk about that for a minute." BTW, my uterus has grown 3 cm in two weeks, verses 1 cm in two weeks which is what it grew last time. That was when he mentioned the "c-word". Basically he said if he determines the baby is getting too big then we'll have to do a c-section. Obviously this is not what I want to happen, but if it is the best interest of me and the baby, then of course I'll be okay with it. He said that there is no really good way to predict the size of the baby. Ultrasound is the best way to predict and even that's not very good or accurate. He did say that he has done c-sections in the past where the baby was supposedly really large and ended up being a pound or more smaller. He also made sure to tell me to think about size not being equal to maturity so just because he bigger than normal doesn't mean he's ahead in development. I definitely want Reese to stay in a cook as long as possible! So, I did ask him about maybe just being off on my due date. He said that as inaccurate as ultrasound is at predicting the size of the baby late in pregnancy, it is pretty much spot on in the beginning, usually off by only a couple of days when determining the due date. So there goes my theory of delivering early cuz the due date was wrong. I need to just get that though out of my head. It is what it is and I just need to be prepared for both scenarios.

I am still feeling pretty good most of the time. I am really starting to get uncomfortable in my hips and with the whole breathing thing. It really does make me realize how much I take breathing deeply for granted. If I sit in one position or lay on one side for too long my hips reallyh start to hurt and feel stiff. I am getting up average 3 times a night to pee. Usually about every 2 hours. On nights I get to sleep longer, it's usually 4 times. The other night I went to bed around 11 and didn't get up until like 4:30 for the first time...I was soooo excited!! Well, things could be worse and I truly do try not to complain because I have had it so easy. Here are the 33 week belly pictures! Enjoy!

Full body view

Close up...look out!!

Showered with Love

We had a very busy and productive weekend! We got a ton done with nursery (more on that another time) and Reese and I had our first baby shower this weekend. Yesterday we ventured to Cochran for a very lovely shower at Cameron's Aunt Dawn's house. My mom and cousin Shelly went too. It was a very nice afternoon. Reese got a lot of really nice things. Lots of cute clothes, picture frames, tons of cute Georgia Bulldog stuff, the travel system and exersaucer. Here are some pictures from the day!

Can't say I've ever seen a diaper monkey before, but it was really cute!

This is the really awesome diaper cake made by Cameron's friend, Allison and the cute centerpiece his Grandmother made.

My haul...everyone was so generous it was truly humbling.

My other shower is in two weeks in Fort Valley. I can't wait for it and all the cute little stuff just makes me that more excited for Reese to get here!