37 Week Doctor's Appointment

We had our 37 week appointment today and everything went well.

• My blood pressure was 110/60
• Not sure how big she measured
• I am not dilated or effaced. I am a little bummed about this because I thought we were making progress with all the pain and pressure. Oh dwell... she will get here when she gets here. I guess I am just more than ready due to all the pain and this Texas heat is unbearable!
• I have noticed a decrease in fetal movement, so they decided to do a stress test. Turns out Addison is doing great! The decrease may be because she has more prolonged awake and sleep times.

While I am bummed at the lack of progress, I am very thankful for our healthy baby.

My next appointment is Thursday, July 2nd.

37 Weeks: We are Full Term!

I will say that being officially full term is amazing and a total blessing. As most of you know, I spend way too much time on the internet and am fully aware of all the different complications, etc. that can occur during pregnancy. I feel like this pregnancy has gone by so fast, in fact just the other day I read our entire blog because I felt like I had forgotten half of the amazing journey. Woah, what an adventure it has been. Thank you Lord for our healthy baby girl!

On the opposite end, I have started to feel a little sad and somewhat overwhelmed with all the changes that are about to occur. It has just been Brian, Rodnee and I for so long. I am all about change, but this is a big one that will change EVERYTHING. Don't get me wrong, I cannot wait to be a mom and to start this new chapter... it is just scary because we are moving into new territory. Brian and I had a long talk about this yesterday and I must say that I have the most amazing husband. We are an awesome team and are ready to take on this new chapter. Rodnee on the other hand is another story... it will be an interesting transition for him.

So how am I feeling? I still think I am doing good for having a 6 pound baby in my belly. My walking has turned more into a waddle... my swelling is still under control unless I get hot... I am still exercising 3-5 times a week... still have a lot of pain and pressure...

Addison is doing good... I think she wants out and I am perfectly ok with that! Our doctor's appointment is tomorrow and he will check me for dilation and effacement. I am hoping that there will be some progress,but who knows. From the Baby Center:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

When the Hubby is away... the Preggo Wife will PLAY!

This past weekend Brian went to Hereford to visit his parents and I had a fun filled weekend planned while he was away! Thursday night I went over to my parents house for dinner. Vicki and I had girl talk before my dad got home, and then ate a yummy meal that Vicki prepared. It was great getting to spend some quality time with them before Addison arrives. Friday I worked in the morning and then went to Special Additions to get nursing bras. I was sad to have just discovered this place because they had a lot of cute maternity clothes along with everything you could ever possibly need for breastfeeding. Friday night Staci came over... we went to eat at Guadalajara and then rented the movie "Bride Wars". Saturday I went on a long walk with my friend Amanda, who is due on July 7th. I am sure we looked cute waddling up hills with our bellies, haha. Staci came back over after she got off work for night #2 of our slumber party. We went and ate dinner at Ciola's in Lakeway and then watched "The Proposal" at the theater. Sunday we went to church at Austin Stone and then I went to go pick up Brian at the airport. I had such a fun weekend eating good food, watching movies and hanging out! I did miss Brian while he was gone though... Unfortunately I did not take any pictures... I am not feeling very photogenic right now...

36 Week Doctor's Appointment

My 36 week doctor's appointment went great! My blood pressure was good (I always forget to ask the number), Addison's heart rate was 142 and she measured right at 36cm. I asked some of my off the wall questions and had a few laughs... I love my doctor! Next week I will be checked for dilation and effacement. I also made my last 3 doctor's appointments, yippee!

36 Weeks: 28 Days to go!

We have begun the final countdown... I hear the final Jeopardy song playing in my head... the time is near.... are we ready... NO, but we are getting close. It is CRAZY to think our little girl will be here within the month. This week my plan is to pack our hospital bags and clean out a few closets.

I am feeling pretty good... just very big. In fact, this is the first week I feel extra puffy... I am thinking it is from water retention, but who knows. I am going to lay off the sodium to see if that helps. I am also having a lot of pelvic pain and pressure, so bad that I could barely get out of bed this morning.

• I am starting to swell :( I can still wear my wedding rings but may have to retire them soon. (being 9 months pregnant in this heat is so much fun).
• 3/4 of my belly button is still "in".
• I am sleeping pretty good, switching sides is quite the event these days but I fall back asleep pretty quick.
• Addison's movements are getting to be very painful. Yesterday I though she was trying to escape from the side of my belly... OUCH!

Tomorrow is my 36 week doctors appointment, I will post about that tomorrow.

The most exciting news is that I hired someone to help me around the house. Her name is Cathy and she is best friends of one of my friends from church. Cathy has 4 kids under 4, and is an amazing Christian woman. I met with her last night and she is just awesome! She is going to come every three weeks to do a deep clean... I am beyond thrilled!

From the Baby Center: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term.

Rodnee & The Blue Ball

This weekend Rodnee (yes our poor dog with a slipped disk) discovered the blue exercise ball. Rodnee has always suffered from "little man syndrome" and seriously thinks he is the size of a lab. It was hilarious watching him attack a ball that is 4x his size and about 100x the size of a ball that he usually plays with.

And yes, his back is obviously feeling much better... we are still trying to keep him from jumping and using the stairs but it is difficult.

He He Hew

This past weekend Brian and I took our 12 hour Comprehensive Prepared Childbirth class. I was honestly scared of this class but I am glad that we went. Overall it gave an excellent non-biased overview of the child birthing experience. Here is everything that was covered:

Stages and Phases of Labor

When to go and What to Bring to the Hospital

Lamaze Coaching Techniques of Breathing and Relaxation

Pain Relief Options

Variations in Labor

Early Recovery Expectations

Cesarean Section Experience

Baby Care Basics

I was pleased to find out that the epidural needle was not 24" long like some women make it seem. My goal is to wait as long as possible for the epidural so I am not stuck in a bed, but we shall see how that goes. I also decided that I do not want to be induced unless medically necessary.

The funniest section for Brian and I was the breathing, I could not stop laughing... Brian actually did a lot better than me. One thing is for certain, I am blessed with an awesome labor coach.

Overall we learned so much and have a good idea of the different options and interventions that will be available when our times comes in labor and delivery. We feel fully equipped and educated and a lot more comfortable. One thing is for sure... bringing Addison into this world will be the most surreal event and we cannot wait to experience it.

I finally gave in....

One of my biggest food cravings has been mac & cheese inside a HEB tortilla. I have been talking about it for months, but never actually got brave enough to try it. The other night we were having chopped brisket w/ tortillas and mac & cheese, so I thought that this would be the night that I try my concoction. Let me tell you... it was DELICIOUS! Better than my brain thought it would be. It was so good that I want to add it to our dinner list.

Rachel's Bridal Shower

Last Saturday I co-hosted a bridal shower for Rachel at my house. It was a super special afternoon celebrating Rachel upcoming wedding on August 2nd. The theme was black & white.

We had chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, spinach & artichoke dip and queso... everything tasted great! For dessert, we had cupcakes from Cupprimo and they were delicious!

We played the Newlywed game and it was a ton of fun. We asked Rachel to answer a long list of questions and then called Shane and had him answer the same ones. Shane did an awesome job! I was amazed at how well they know each other and I think everyone at the shower had fun learning a lot more about Rachel & Shane.

For the party favors, we gave everyone black & white sniffs, along with some hugs and kisses.

My New Laptop

On Thursday night Brian surprised me with a new laptop! I love it!

It is a Dell Latitude E6400 and it is delightful!

Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor Windows® XP Professional 14.1" Premium, UltraSharpTM WXGA+ (1440x900) LED Display Dual Channel DDR2 Memory - 4GB 7200 RPM Encrypted Hard Drive with Free Fall Sensor- 160GB NVIDIA® Quadro® NVS 160M5 256MB DDR25

Update on Rodnee

Rodnee seems to be getting better and better everyday... keeping him still is proving to be more and more difficult. He is still on his pain killers & anti-inflammatory medications and will continue those for a couple of more days. It is still obvious that his back is still bothering him, but we are encouraged that he will make a full recovery.

Here is an unstaged picture of Rodnee and Brian..aren't they precious!

Surprise Baby / Bridal Shower

I am involved in a Ladies Bible Study that meets every Wednesday evening... during this last study there we two of us about to experience some life changing events... Lori is getting married and I am having a baby! During our last session, I was told we were having a surprise bridal shower for Lori, I was so excited. Well.... come to find out there was another piece of the puzzle...

After the bible study video it was announced that we were having a baby / bridal shower for Lori and I. I was a bit shocked! The funny thing was that Lori thought we were just having a baby shower, so she was shocked as well. We both took pictures with an official pageant crown and opened gifts. Lori got a beautiful set of lingerie and a devotional book, I got a pink & brown bouncer, a super soft lamb that plays Jesus loves me and a sleep sack. After we opened gifts we had cake from Bountiful... it was delicious.

This sweet surprise totally caught me off guard, but warmed my heart. I feel so blessed to have so many people celebrating little Addison!

Sunday School Baby Shower

On May 31st the Jeni and Laura from my Sunday school class threw me a baby shower. It was so much fun and super special. The food was yummy and the fellowship was great!

We made this precious picture frame.... everyone made a footprint by making a fist, dipping the side of their hand in paint and then added the toes using their pinky. It was very creative and fun! Everyone signed their name under their footprint and I will display the frame in Addison's room.

Check out this adorable diaper cake that Jeni made... she put an embroidered onesie with Addison's intitals and a super soft snuggly on top. The onesie will go perfectly with the tutu I made her a few weeks ago. This may be the perfect outfit for her birth announcement! This was the cake they had made by a lady at our church... it was almost too cute to eat! Her diaper cover matched the napkins. The cake was delicious!

Rodnee Update

Rodnee is just doing ok... he is obviously still in pain and is still limping. I know the doctor said it would take 3 weeks for him to be fully healed, I guess I was just hoping for something more immediate. He is in his crate today, which is actually where he prefers to be. This is the first time ever that we have been able to leave the crate door open and he will not run out. Confinement in the past has been torture for the little man, now it is preferred. POOR BABY! Please keep him in your prayers...

35 Weeks

I am now entering into my 9th month of pregnancy and boy do I feel it! Addison seems to be doing well, still very active in my belly and I know how she is positioned. I am feeling ok... I have finally come to terms that I need to slow down. My brain tells me I can still do all my normal things, but my body is telling me the opposite. The recliner is my favorite place to sit these days because it is easy to get in and out of. I am still sleeping pretty well at night, the only thing that is bothersome is when I have to roll over... it is a gigantic and sometimes painful process. I am thankful we have a Temperpedic mattress or else Brian would have be bounced out of the bed by my dramatic moves. I think my iron levels are improving because I seem to have more energy throughout the day. Overall I think I am just experiencing the normal symptoms that everyone goes through... I will adjust and am staying focused on Addison. I can do anything for 3-5 more weeks!

Emotionally I have been doing ok as well... I have been sort of freaked out by the commitment of being a mom, but I have heard it is normal. I am also tired of all the "You are big" comments, to me it is stating the obvious and is unnecessary at this point.

Overall we are just super excited about meeting Addison and am anxious for her arrival.

From the Baby Center:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Poor, Poor Rodnee

As many of you know, Rodnee is a VERY active mini-dachshund. He loves playing, running and chasing birds & squirrels. Yesterday morning he hurt himself, but we could not figure out exactly what was hurt (we knew it was something with his hip or back). He seemed better by mid-morning so we did not take him to the vet. Yesterday when I got home from work he could barely walk inside and was shaking from him mid-back to his legs. He ate dinner & drank water, so that is good.... this morning there was no improvement. It is like his back legs were giving out. Brian took him to the vet today and he slipped a disk in his back, which means he will be on crate rest for the next 3 weeks. This will be an extreme challenge because he will want to run outside, go up and down the stairs and jump. The vet gave him some anti-inflammatories and pain medication, which will make him feel better when he really is not. Please pray for Rodnee's recovery. Brian and I are beyond thrilled that it is nothing major, but keeping him calm for the next 3 weeks will be difficult.

34 Week Doctor's Appointment

We just got back from our 34 week doctor's appointment and everything is looking great.

• My blood pressure was "normal"
• No swelling
• Addison's heart rate was about 138, Dr. Solomon said that it is normal for her heart rate to go down as she gets bigger. That made me feel so much better.
• Fundal Height was 35cm, still a week ahead in "growth".
• Dr. estimated her weight to be about 4.5-5 pounds, she is gaining about a third of a pound every week.
• Last week my heart rate soared to the 160's for no reason (I was on the couch), I asked Dr. Solomon about it and he thinks it is due to my anemia. Truth be told... I have been "forgetting" to take my iron pills. They make me so sick and planned on getting back on them in 2 weeks. He gave me some samples to try every other day until our next appointment. Hopefully the extra iron will help me regain some energy as well.
• All my aches and pains are normal.

34 Weeks: 42 days to go!

All is still well with Baby Addison.... I am feeling pretty good, just tiring out a lot faster than normal. We have paid our portion of the doctor's delivery fee and the hospital co-pay. All I need to do now is call the Anesthesiologist to make sure everything is in order. Everyone says I have good insurance, I guess we shall see once the baby is born and the medical bills start coming in.

My belly button is still "in", but should be popping out within the next couple of weeks. Swelling has been minimal, I notice it more when I am hot. I still wear my wedding rings, but take them off when I go outside or exercise. Still no stretch marks.

We are at the point where we are going though all of Addison's stuff to figure out what we still need to get. We have been immensely blessed, so the things left to get are minimal.

Addison's room is pretty much setup, everything left is just cosmetic (hanging pictures, etc.). Very exciting! I will post pictures once it is all done.

My 34 week doctor's appointment is tomorrow, so we should find out more in regards to her heartbeat (pray for it to be back in the 150's) and size.

From the Baby Center:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.