Full Term +5, Part Deux

How sad is it that about 3.5 years ago I wrote my first post titled "Full Term +5", and here I am doing it again? Argh.

Yes people, I'm still pregnant. I get it... I'm late for everything and so are my kids, ha ha ha. I love irony as much as the next gal, but c'mon, can the joke be over now?! What if I promise to never be late for anything ever again? Now THAT'S funny!


Here's a quick update:


We had our 40 week appointment on Wed. afternoon and unfortunately, I still hadn't made any real *progress*. That basically means no dilating or contractions, but I was at least starting to soften. I didn't get an ultrasound, but Dr. assured me baby is still "head down"... though he is up really high. Thankfully, he doesn't appear to be in that head-to-hip/oblique position like I feared. Phew! I am officially retiring from my job as self-diagnosing internet doctor.


On the bright side-- there were two really good pieces of information that came out of the appointment-- 1) I actually LOST a half a pound (whoo hoo!) and 2) I was able to reschedule my c-section from 7/23 at 5pm to 7/24 at 7:30am. It doesn't necessarily give us that much more time to go into labor on our own (although every hour counts!), but 7:30am is a way better time to have a major surgery, in my opinion! Who wants to go an entire day, entertaining family, caring for a 3 year old and not eating for 8 hours BEFORE going into a c-section? A c-section you really, really don't want to have? Not this girl. I am very happy with the change.


My brother arrived on Tuesday night and it's been nice to have the help/distraction/peace of mind. It's been really great for Brady too, because if it was just him and I, we'd be spending most of our day on the couch watching movies. But instead, he's able to go to the park to play baseball and frisbee, ride his bike, go for walks (ok, that part I do) etc. with Uncle Mike. Every day he keeps saying, "isn't it so much fun to have Uncle Mike here?" He is really going to go through a rough time when family is all gone in August :(


My parents arrive tomorrow morning, so things are about to get a little more hectic around here. While I know everyone is here to "help" there is still that feeling like you need to entertain everyone, which I don't really have the energy to do. On the flip side, it's no fun to sit around here by yourself while everyone else is off doing fun stuff/playing. We'll just take it one day at a time, I guess!


As I mentioned, our c-section is scheduled for the morning of 7/24, so the pregnancy is going to come to an end and our baby will be here very soon... one way or another. I'll try to get in another update in the next day or so; hopefully it will be about his (own) arrival!


Thanks to everyone for your thoughts, prayers, interest & well wishes. We can't wait to share details of our little man soon!

xo

Full Term + 2

"Full Term + 2". A pregnancy term I am *uncomfortably* familiar with. Unfortunately, I've even been acquainted with Full Term + 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8, as well... but I hope and pray that we do NOT get that far in the count this time. Full Term + 8 is 7/23, and the date my c-section is currently scheduled for.

Two days past due, and honestly, I am a bit surprised. I am obviously no medical professional, but in my heart I always figured that I never progressed into labor with Brady because he was breech. It seemed to make "sense" that one would only dilate, efface, etc. if the baby's head was in, or at least somewhere near, the canal. I've been told that this baby has been head down all of my third trimester (confirmed again last week via ultrasound), so I had hoped that we'd be moving along "as nature intended" and that I'd be dilated (or at least feeling more contractions) by now.

As of my 39 week appointment last Tuesday, nothing is happening. No dilating, effacing... nothing. "Closed shut" is the official term my wonderful doctor prefers to use, and it feels awful to hear. I want nothing more than a little reassurance that my body is with my heart in its desire to succeed with this VBAC. It definitely is making me start to wonder-- what is wrong with my body?! Why can't I "have" babies?

Some days, I feel like I am so close. I get little bits of encouragement that tell me that maybe labor is just a step away. I walk long distances every day (sometimes twice!) and I swear the baby moves lower and lower, and afterwards I have that crampy feeling. Is this the beginning?, I wonder. Then I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and he's still high up, or I get heartburn and/or kicks in my ribs, and can't help but feel defeated.

And lately, I've also started to feel like his head in actually stuck above my right hip bone. I thought nothing of it really, until I "Google-searched" it (damn Internet!), then I started to worry that he's in what's called oblique position. Technically "head down", but not in a real engaged position for labor. If he is oblique, I think there is still a possibility that he could slip into the canal, but from what I read there is also the possibility that I will need a c-section after all. Awesome.

Anyone with real-life experience care to weigh in??

All this back-and-forth, waiting, worrying, has caused me to have some serious insomnia, which doesn't help matters at all. And I know what you're thinking... GET OFF THE INTERNET! It's funny how you can get online "just to check Facebook" and end up in tears 5 minutes later thinking you have to give up your dream of a vaginal delivery because you do one stupid search that leads you down a rabbit hole. But I just wanted to find a solution, that's all!

Anyway, that's what's going on here. My brother arrives late tonight which is a huge relief, because one way or another, at least I now have the comfort of knowing that Brady will be taken care of and won't have to be uprooted from his life too much. I have my 40 week appt. tomorrow (technically 40 week/3 day) so I hope to have more answers at that time. Trouble is, my Dr. isn't truly supportive of the VBAC in the first place, so I feel like he'll jump at the chance to c-section me/us. Fingers crossed I can get an objective opinion.

I'll keep everyone posted...

InstaFriday- This Week in Instagram Photos

I've been wanting to participate in the InstaFriday link up on Life. Rearranged for months, but to be honest, I really don't take that many photos with my phone. When I realized on Wed. that I had already taken several, I decided this would be a good week to join the link up! So I've been holding the pictures in my phone... til now. (If you follow me on Instagram, I apologize because you just saw all of them pop up in my feed about 20 mins ago!)

1. I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing this. He's growing up too fast!

2. My smiley guys making breakfast. To my dismay, it was not for me.

3. God's gift to pregnant women everywhere.

4. Brady has been bringing me "breakfast in bed" the last few days. I just wish it wasn't a small bag of almonds... every day.

5. Bubba and I sharing a smoothie at Posh Bagel after a nice morning walk. Might be the last time we can do this for awhile!

6. Matt came up with a BRILLIANT idea to get Brady interested in learning! This is the Letter Parking Lot. I have never heard Brady so excited to "practice his letters". Way to go Dad!

7. This is what 39 weeks, 3 days pregnant looks like. On me.

39 Week "Bumpdate"

I often participate in Toddle Along Tuesdays on Growing Up Geeky, but recently she started a link up for prego Mamas to share their weekly "bumpdates". I am obviously at the end of my pregnancy (let's hope this is my first & last "bumpdate"), but I still thought it would be fun to share my stats and link up.

She follows the same format on her blog every week, so I just thought I would follow suit...

How far along? 39 weeks, 2 days

Weight gain/loss: Ugh, really? I have maintained a weight of exactly 150 lbs for the last 3 weeks (yay me!), which was more or less where I was when I "delivered" Brady. I started this pregnancy out about 2.5 lbs heavier than I was with B, so my total weight gain has been 34 lbs to date (3 lbs less than with Brady). So technically, I've met my "goal" of gaining less than pregnancy #1. Hey, every lb counts!!

Feeling: Overall I feel okay. I little tired and achey some days. Mostly just anxious for him to come before 7/23, because that's when my c-section is scheduled and I really don't want to have one!

Maternity clothes? I absolutely hate maternity clothes. Thankfully I don't have to go to an office, so I usually just wear (non-maternity) yoga pants and maternity t-shirts from Gap or Target. I did buy one pair of jean capris from Pea and the Pod (on sale!) that I actually like, so I wear those quite a bit too. It has been pretty warm here, so I wish I could wear more shorts or dresses, but my varicose veins don't really allow me to do so :( I really hope they go away some after the baby is born.

Sleep: I am a night owl and so is baby. He is usually active between 11p-12a, so I can't fall sleep until he slows down. Between the late bedtime and the trips to the bathroom every 2 hours, I'm averaging about 5 hours of sleep every night. Ugh.

Food cravings: Sweets. Cereal. Milk.

Movement? Lots of moving still, which really hurts because he is out of room. It's way different this time 'round, because I can actually feel his feet in my ribs. Brady was breech, so I never got that with him. It's amazing (and somewhat nauseating) to feel and SEE his little heels stick out of skin. I am also getting a lot of pressure "down there" and on my hips as he starts to descend. Lots of Braxton Hicks, but no "real" contractions (I don't think).

What I miss? Wine. Oh how I want a glass (or two!) of wine.

Best moment this week: Making huge progress on the nursery and getting other odds and ends tied up. I know we'll never be "ready" for his arrival, but I feel like we are much, much closer than we were one week ago.

What I'm looking forward to:  Meeting our baby! Due date is only 5 days away, but the real finish line is the 7/23 c-section appointment, as far as I'm concerned. I really, really hope and pray that he comes on his own before then. Now that I know he is head down and there aren't any other extenuating circumstances, I really do not want an unnecessary surgery.

Next Appointment: In 30 minutes! I hope we get some good news (as of last week, I had not dilated). Next appt. is Wed. (7/18). Full term +3. Hopefully we won't be there!

Milestones: Baby is fully developed and is just adding ounces and shedding the vernix.

Then & Now

I meant to get this post up last week, but got distracted with life. Hey, we have a lot going on!! It's a bit outdated (things change so much here in just a week!), but I wanted to share it anyway.

I thought it would be fun to do a "Then & Now" comparison, for what life was like at this point in pregnancy with Brady vs. what it's like this time around, because to me it feels completely different.

When I put my pregnancy photos side by side, there really isn't much visual difference... other than my hair! I am tracking the same size/weight with this baby as I was with Brady (give or take 1 or 2 lbs), so I can't say I'm surprised. I can notice a very slight difference in the way that I'm carrying, given that we now know Brady was breech in that photo and this baby is not. I think my belly looks a little bit "pointier" now, but that's just because I look at it all day long (it's all I can see!) I'd also like to think I have a little less face-chub this time too :) Wishful thinking!

The biggest difference in "baby prep 2008" vs. "baby prep 2012" is apparent in the next two photos. At this time with Brady, I had his room completely set up and ready to go. There was nothing more to add... other than baby, of course. I am embarrassed to say that we waited until the very last minute to get this baby's nursery together, and it's still a work-in-progress. This includes washing and putting away his clothes, buying diapers and of course, painting & decorating! I cannot believe that I am posting a photo of his room like this, but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words...

{Wow. What a mess!}

To be fair, we did have the added chore this time 'round of creating a "big boy room" for Brady, which needed to be done first, to free up the nursery for the baby. So for that, I'm cutting myself a little bit of slack. And Brady's room turned out so cute too! I really need to get those photos up soon, you know, for redemption.

As I mentioned, things change pretty quickly around here, and I'm happy to report we have made tremendous progress on the baby's nursery. We have a couple of odds & ends to tie up, but I should be ready to post some new photos soon. Stay tuned...

{Let's Party!} Brady's Half Birthday

This past weekend, we celebrated Brady's half birthday with all of his buddies here in CA... something we have been talking about since the day he was born! For all the details, please pop over to Mama Dish and read my post there. If you just want photos-- here you go!

Brady Half Birthday Party

And for those of you who didn't get to see this lovely collage on Facebook, here's a little something I put together of Brady to honor this "special" occasion!

Where does the time go?! Hard to believe in just a few short weeks (or even days!), we'll have another little guy to start keeping track of :)

Dear Brady

As you know, I like to link up with Melissa at Growing Up Geeky for her Toddle Along Tuesday posts, because her topics are always so lighthearted and fun (and easy to blog about!!) I've been looking forward to writing this post since last week and wouldn't you know it... Tuesday came and went and I missed it. This is SO a metaphor for my life right now.

But I had some really wonderful things that I wanted to say to my son, so even though it's Wednesday, I'm going to post it and link up anyway. Who said there were hard-and-fast rules in blogging anyway?!

This week's TAT (Toddle Along Tuesday) theme was "A letter to your kid in the future". Here is what I'd want Brady to know 10+ years from now (in case we don't tell him often enough along the way!)

Dear Brady,

This is a very chaotic and busy time for our family right now, but it is also extremely exciting. You are very much aware of what is about to happen in the next few weeks-- I can see the anticipation all over your face! But chances are you'll never remember what you were thinking, feeling or saying during these final weeks just before your baby brother was born, so I decided to write them down for you so would know just how much you wanted and loved your "baby Fitzgibbons" before he arrived... especially when 5, 10, 15 years from now you might find yourself wondering, "why'd he have to come along and ruin everything?" Believe me, I know the feeling; I have two younger siblings myself!

You have been open-minded and welcoming of this baby since the moment we told you you were going to be a big brother. You were even more gracious when you found out it was going to be a boy! You have never once said you didn't want the baby or shown any sort of uncertainty or disinterest towards him. This pleases Mommy and Daddy to no end and is a testament to just how big your heart is. You already have such a large capacity for love and compassion. I hope this continues after he arrives!

We nicknamed the baby "Fitzgibbons" somewhere around the 4 month mark and you took to it like a fly on honey. I think you just liked how silly it sounded! It's been hard to convince you that his "real" name is not going to be Fitzgibbons. You have tried to weave it into every name you've recommended to us (and you have recommended a lot!) Some variations have been:

     Baby Fitzgibbons

     Brady's Baby Fitzgibbons

     Fitzy Brady's Baby

     Fitz Charles Eatherton (you'd even share your middle name)

While we certainly appreciate your enthusiasm, I think Daddy and I will handle the naming of baby brother. But I do applaud your creativity, as you've come a long way since you originally suggested Rebecca and Jar Jar Binks. (Rebecca is a lovely name, just not so much for a boy!)

You love to give the baby kisses and sing him songs. Your first song of choice was "Jingle Bells", and this went on well after Christmas had passed. Now, you like to share your song with the baby (which is the lovely Girl Scouts tune, "I've got something in my pocket that belongs across my face...")

You light up when you feel him move and you laugh when he "kicks your lips" when you kiss him, though I'm not quite sure that really happens! You also give your brother a stern talking to when he's kicking me too hard ("hey Fitzgibbons, stop kicking Mommy so much, it hurts her!!")

You have picked out stuffed animals and books for your brother from your collection and put them in his room. We cannot wait to bring him home so you can give them to him. I love that you already can share your stuff with him, as I'm sure it won't be long until he's eyeing those Hot Wheels cars you love so much!

You are so patient and attentive when Mommy & Daddy talk to you about what life with a baby will be like. You are anxious to hold him, feed him a bottle and make funny faces at him, but you seem to understand that maybe you can't do those things right away. You show us the gentle way you are going to kiss and touch your baby brother's cheek when you meet him for the first time. I cannot wait for that moment!!

I know it won't be easy for you sometimes, but we will do our best to make sure that you feel loved and cared for every day. I hope when you read this letter many, many years from now you can tell us that we did our job well. You are our first born-- our teacher, our entertainer, our scholar, our jokester, our stand-out athlete and an all-around exceptional human being; you will always have a special hold on our hearts.

Love,

Mom & Dad