38 weeks & it's time!

We made it!

38 weeks is the final chapter in this book of My First Pregnancy. 

It's almost hard to believe that it's coming to an end for us but I am more than ready to meet our princess, Caroline Ann! 

We start the induction process tomorrow (Tuesday the 21st) and hopefully she will be here no later than Wednesday afternoon if everything goes as planned! 

There is going to be no more baby in my belly! Now she will be in my arms!

So many things to look forward to, they are countless. I've been doing last minute preparations (aka inventing new tasks to complete).

My mom got in town today, as well as Joseph's parents and my dad will be here tomorrow! Couldn't be more excited for everyone to be here to greet our little one. 

 

My last day as a free woman from the hospital, not going to lie, I have been feeling a tad spoiled. My wonderful husband started my day off with making breakfast and then taking me to get a manicure and pedicure. Then he took me to my favorite lunch spot, Panera Bread. Following my doctors appointment, we went and looked at my future potential mommy-mobile. Way excited for that PS! It was a wonderful day. Then we came home to my mom making us dinner and some much needed R&R. 

Ace has been getting more lovings than usually lately, and trust me, this dog is spoiled with lovin' already. Poor guy probably doesn't realize that is whole world is about to change. Hopefully he will come to see that it has changed in a good way and he loves her just as much on the outside as he did while he was on the inside. :)

 

 

I'm wondering if I'm going to be able to sleep tonight with all the things I'm looking forward to in the next few days. It might be a little tough. 

Bags are packed. Mom is here. Car seat is loaded up. Caroline's clothes are ironed. Ace will be bathed in the AM and this mommy is sitting on go! Ready, ready, ready........let's go!


How far along? 38 weeks! Induction week!
Total weight gain/loss: FINE, almost 60 lbs.
Stretch Marks?  No more since last week.
Sleep: Off and on all throughout the night, but I can sleep in later than I used to be able to.
Best moment(s) this week: Finding out we were being induced & that this was the final week before meeting our daughter!
Miss anything?: Not anymore. This is the end.
Movement: Constantly. It's like she doesn't sleep.
Food cravings: Chocolate and Chicken Fingers. not together.

Labor Signs: Contractions & swelling.

Belly Button in or out? Innie!! I win! I went the entire pregnancy with an innie :)

What I am looking forward to: Meeting my baby girl this week and being able to hold her in my arms finally!

Weekly Wisdom: Everything good is worth the wait!

 

Hospital Fun

What a lovely day it was outside today, for those who got to enjoy the fresh Orlando air. I, however, observed the blueskies  through a window from the comfort of a hospital bed at "The Baby Place."

Yep, today was the day I got to spend in the hospital for a 24 hour observation.

 As boring as this has been, it does have its perks. The only down sides I can fuss about are NOT having Netflix for entertainment and NOT being able to cuddle up with my Ace. (Sleeping tonight all alone is going to be rough.. These last few days on bed rest he has been extra sweet to me).

Like I said, there are a couple perks. The room service is fantastic. As of now I have experienced a lunch and a dinner. Who would've thought I wouldn't have any complaints about my hospital means. They were good though. We will see about breakfast tomorrow! 

I feel so lucky to have had Joseph by my side during this. Even though I tried to talk him into going to work and convincing him that I would be ok by myself, he insisted on being there for me. Blessed to have such a handsome goofy sweet husband who doesn't take no for an answer. (mushy moment over.)

 

Another perk is the fact that by doing this, I get to figure out exactly when I will be able to meet our little girl. Whether it will be sooner rather than later or if ill have to wait just a tad longer.. At least I can anticipate even more her arrival. 

To pass the time, I'm consuming myself with a little bit of blogging, a little bit more of Candy Crush and working on convincing my husband to play dominos with me. 

Oh, what's the update on the hospital stay? Caroline doesn't like the baby monitor. Anytime her heart beat is found, my stomach does the wave and loud pops start happening on the machine....which is her moving away from it. Let's just say the nurses wore her out and she gave up after 30 minutes of being chased by the contraption, then had to be recorded for 25 minutes which left us hooked to the machine for way longer than we had to be. Silly girl. We will see if she keeps that act up when they track her again before bed tonight. My blood pressure seems to have been regulated since being admitted. It's lowered a great deal but still on the "high side." We are doing good though!

Joseph finally lost all his lives in Candy Crush so this is my opportunity and I'm taking it. Wish me luck, I want to play dominos! 

This Could Be It

We could be at the end of this journey.

We could have finally reached our end goal.

Are you as ready as we are?

Despite the circumstances, I could not be more thrilled at the possibility of meeting our baby girl, Caroline, this week!!

We are 37 weeks pregnant! "Full Term" depending on who you ask.

 

Last week I mentioned a possible 'bump' in the road. My doctor thinks I could have developed preeclampsia or toxemia. Neither have been confirmed. Tests have been done though. My blood work is normal, my weight gain has been regulated, the only things still remaining are that I have extremely high blood pressure, my swelling has increased and my blood circulation has decreased.

We did an ultrasound to check on Caroline & she is still doing wonderful. Moving around a ton- so she doesn't seem to be affected at all. Praise Jesus. I've been going to the doctor twice a week to check up on my blood pressure and I do so again on Monday.

Monday could be the game changer. If my blood pressure remains the same as it has then I will be admitted into the hospital for a 24 hour observation, followed by an induction on Tuesday.

Like I said, despite the circumstances, I am extremely ready. I've been tired and achy. I've had headaches and felt dizzy. I am sleep deprived (even though I've been on bed rest since Wednesday).

Side Note: Bed rest takes away the fun of being lazy in bed and on the couch. There have been days where I would have loved nothing more than to be chained to the couch with Netflix all day... Bed Rest robs you of that & fills you with endless amounts of boredom and anxiousness. Being told you HAVE to stay in one spot & only get up if you HAVE to is just awful.

 

Ace has definitely enjoyed the mandatory best rest though.

 

 

I'm excited...to meet her that is. And now it seems so much closer. Fingers crossed that we both stay healthy and that nothing is really wrong but then still LET HER OUT ALREADY. Mommy & Daddy are ready!

 

While on my bed rest I cheated a little bit and finished packing mine & Caroline's hospital bags. Joseph hooked up the car seat in the car and basically we are just sitting on go now. Can you believe it?!

 

I even finished my "New Daddy's Survival Kit" for Joseph. He hasn't gotten it yet, but since he doesn't read my blog I can tell you all about it. I found the idea on Pinterest & loved it. It's just a little something to let him know how appreciated he is and to let him know that even though it's me that is in labor, he is a very important part of this process and I am aware of it. It's filled with some of his favorite snacks and then little things that will "help him" in his new daddy-hood. (I kind of want a few more things in it, THANKS for messing that up for me Bed Rest). Hopefully he likes it :) If anything, it'll give him something to preoccupy himself in our hours at the hospital.

 

 

I'll try my best to keep everyone updated but I do see these next few weeks becoming maybe just a tad bit busier than previous weeks. If we are blessed with Caroline this week- then I'll be back soon. Or maybe I'll have TONS of time in the hospital and lots of medicine during my induction and I'll be pain free and will blog away on my phone....I can dream- we will see!

 

Something to make you laugh? Leave it to my husband- he is extremely good for things like that. Always keeping me laughing and smiling. Yard work was taking a little longer than expected Saturday morning. I walk outside to make sure things were going smoothly (luckily I walked out front instead of out back, otherwise I could've been surprised with an arrow flying in my direction). Yep, Joseph pulled out his bow and target and was practicing. The looks he was getting from our neighbors were priceless. He opened the gate on the side of our house, had the target up against the fence in the backyard and was standing in the front yard. Leave it to Joseph to try and turn Central Florida into South Alabama. Needless to say, I took pictures & video and got a few good laughs. ALL WHILE ON BED REST. (oops, shhh).  

 

And look: My poor baby, Ace, was so freaked out during a huge thunderstorm we were having. So glad he found a safe haven with his daddy. Such a sweet boy. They're so precious together, even if Joseph acts like he hates it.  

I love this little family of mine. Today is three, maybe this week will make four in our house!

How far along? Full term.... 37 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: See last weeks comment on this subject.
Stretch Marks?  No more since last week. Lotion is still my best friend.
Sleep: I stay up late so I can sleep in as late as possible. When I say stay up late, I can make it until 11 haha which allows me to 'sleep in' until 9-9:30! wooooohoo.
Best moment(s) this week: Sleeping in Saturday morning and getting woken up to a cup of coffee (exactly the way I like it) and breakfast in bed. So blessed.
Miss anything?: Feeling in my legs & not being exhausted all the time.
Movement: Lots of poking in my ribs. & "alien rolls" over my belly.
Food cravings: I think I've had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day for the last week. For lunch, snacks and sometimes dinner. Peanut butta baby.

Labor Signs: Contractions & swelling.

Belly Button in or out? Innie!! We could make it this whole pregnancy with an innie!

What I am looking forward to: Finding out what the next step is on Monday -- the possibility of meeting my little girl this week!

Weekly Wisdom: Make sure to take maternity pictures sooner rather than later. I waited too long and didn't end up getting to do professional ones. Luckily I have weekly belly photos and other random ones throughout. Delivery time sneaks up on you and can be unexpected -- get things done while you can!

 

Beginning 2014

2014! Hello, January.

 

Welcome to a new year. It's a time for new adventures & new venues.

 

We rang in this new year in a quite manner. Being 8 months pregnant doesn't exactly scream party animal. More or less, it says- is it midnight yet? I was out for the night by 12:15 I would say. I wouldn't have spent it any other way though. I had my first of many New Year's kiss with my husband. What more do I need? Okay, a glass of champagne would've been a cherry on top, but we can't have it all now can we..

 

New Year's Day was spent with a huge pancake breakfast & football games all day! You hear football and you're like 'really, all day?' but it was actually rather productive too. Christmas got completely put away, we finished a long list of 'to-dos' around the house and we did a little prep work for the arrival of our little one. 2014 is looking mighty productive :)

 

We finally had the baby shower! After anxiously awaiting it- the time finally came! January 4th was such a great day. We drove up to Niceville the night before- Long trip, but completely worth it. I am so thankful that we were given the opportunity to see my family two weekends in a row. Saturday was amazing!

My best friend had the most beautiful cake made, my mom's decorations were the perfect amount of adorable for the most precious baby shower, our family and friends came from miles around to celebrate with us, the food was impeccable, and we received many great gifts for sweet Caroline. This girl is set!

She now has TONS of clothes. Gentlemen, you can skip this part, we now have our breast pump and supplies. Caroline has her swing & bouncer and lots of diapers to start out with. We have tons of books that I am already so excited to start reading to her. She got a carrier and some super soft blankets & stuffed animals to love on. The list goes on, basically I just want to say thank you again. This little girl is so blessed already.

We really enjoyed seeing everyone. We hadn't seen some of the people since our wedding. AND, what a wonderful surprise, it turns out my brother was able to make a day trip over for his niece's shower. A perfect surprise I must say.

The weekend passed too quickly. I wasn't ready to turn around and leave on Sunday. Luckily, the baby girl should be here soon so we don't have to wait too long to see the fam again!

Since being home, I've completely put everything from the shower away. I washed clothes that she will be needing shortly after her arrival, I've organized her toys and I've made way for her bath time shelf and kitchen shelf. I also reorganized (again) her changing station. Maybe it'll last being this way at least for a little while- at least until I find a new way of organization that seems to make more sense. We will see.

 

Big news in my world? In case you missed it for some odd reason- the Florida State Seminoles won the BCS National Championship game against Auburn! ACC strong. I couldn't be a more proud Nole fan- the win was well deserved. It was a nail biting, edge of your seat, kind of game. What a great ending to a great season! "If we gon do it, we gonna do it big!" -Jameis Winston. Congratulations, Seminole Nation! This was our year!

 

We had Caroline's 36 week doctor's appointment. New concerns and possibly an early arrival are where my mind is focused now. Later this week we will receive more information so I'll be sure to update everyone. Let me just put it out there- no need to worry! We're all fine :) so don't start to freak out or put your worry boots on, it's all good!

 

Really though, to myself: Happy 36 weeks. We've made it so far. Is it all downhill or uphill from here? We've made it to the last 4 weeks BUT does it get easier or harder now? Just a guess, I'm going to say harder because bending over to put my shoes on is a difficult task. Cars seemed like an easier vehicle to have during pregnancy but now I'm hating the ducking down to get in. My stomach is huge. It's like there is a bowling ball in there- or two.

 

If she is growing at the rate of the average baby then by 37 weeks she will be close to 8 lbs. My goodness. This large child of mine.... I'm ready to meet you already.

How far along? 36 weeks & counting.
Total weight gain/loss: Too much to share. All I will say is that after healing from labor, this momma is going to be on a huge fitness kick. Ready to get my butt back in shape already!
Stretch Marks?  2 1/2 stripes on the same said. No where else though. How does that work?
Sleep: Uncomfortable. Interrupted. Waking up wide awake 2-3 times per night- with a pain in my side or a fallen asleep, tingling arm.
Best moment(s) this week: The baby shower my mom through for Joseph, Caroline & me. It was perfect- couldn't have asked for more.
Miss anything?: Feeling normal.
Movement: Lots of movement still. Little jumping bean.
Food cravings: It's actually really hard to find things that I actually WANT to eat these days. I eat because I should- not because I want to now.

Labor Signs: Contractions.

Belly Button in or out? Innie, sill barely hanging on.

What I am looking forward to: My doctor's appointment Friday morning to see where exactly this labor stands.

Weekly Wisdom: Listen to the advice your doctor gives you- they don't just tell you things for fun, there is a reason they say what they say.