Come Out, Come Out, Where Ever You Are....

Well, I pretty much now EXACTLY where you've been hiding these last nine months Baby C, so I think you should just give it up and come out and meet everyone already! I cannot wait to see who you look like and what your personality will be. Please join us soon!

Yes, I'm becoming quite eager to meet my little man! Infact, I told my husband just the other night that I really think this will be the only time in my life that I very seriously want to "wet" myself. After his very puzzled look, I explained that it most likely means that my water broke and then labor's on like donkey kong! So yes, at this time, I'm praying for that puddle!
I have a doctor appointment this afternoon, and I'm really hoping for some good progress news! I'm too much of a planner and this waiting game is already getting old. So please, Baby C, come out soon!

My Last Fruit, and boy, It's a Biggie!

Yes, The Punisher is now a watermelon! We've made it full term baby! If he were born today, his chances of thriving are excellent. Please Baby, don't make me wait much longer!
I think I've officially hit the nesting phase! The past few days I have been cleaning my house, vacuuming everything, dusting, even scrubbing toilets. Which has led me to designate one toilet in my house as a female only toilet, and hopefully this will save my sanity when it comes time to potty train in a few years. Boy toilets are just disgusting to clean. I won't go into details.
So yes, the top of my house is almost all clean, and now I'm working my way downstairs. Hopefully I'll be finished by the time of the shower my friend Kate is throwing for me on Saturday!
Here's one of my last weekly surveys:
How far along: 37 weeks
Maternity Clothes: Hard to find clothes that fit now that Baby has dropped. Since my pants have to ride lower, I'm having a problem with the bottoms of my tops exposing a few inches of belly. Not cool.
Stretch Marks: My nurse likes to call them "Nature's Tattoos"...I think God is turning me into a zebra.
Sleep: Feeling like cat naps might be more productive these days and help prepare myself for what's to come.
Best Moment this Week: My Gap order came today! And Keenan and I had a great weekend together, might be our last weekend alone for awhile!
Movement: He likes to party, party!
Food Cravings: Not really hungry these days. I don't think there is much room in there now that I have a watermelon in my uterus!
Gender: Definite boy!!!
Labor Signs: Does nesting count? Few contractions, but nothing regular.
Belly Button: I'll let you know when I happen to have one again.
What I Miss: Clothes that fit.
What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: My doctor appt. on Thursday, family coming to visit on Friday, my shower on Saturday, then browsing through gently used clothes at a swap and sell party on Sunday! Oh, and maybe a baby???
Weekly Wisdom: Never tell a pregnant woman that she "looks done" It does not make her feel good, and she's probably already just a tiny bit miserable.

One Stylish Dude & Weekly Survey

When Gap sent me an email the other day with a promo code for 25% off an entire online purchase, I sent it to my recycling folder without clicking on the link. I, however, could not ignore the images of gorgeous little boy outfits that a fellow "Bumpie" posted on our Seattle moms forum. I HAD to visit www.gap.com after that! Here are a few of the items I just couldn't pass up:
This was totally a justified purchase...I mean, Baby C NEEDS a jacket for winter after all. Might as well get him this killer motorcycle one! Isn't it too cool?
Then of course he needs the bad biker skull cap to keep his little head warm. And it reminds me of his nickname, The Punisher.
I love this sweater, and it looks like it will keep this baby warm during the cold winters we have here.
I will not be sticking my baby out barefoot in the snow, but I will be dressing him in this one piece!Like this post title says, he's going to be one stylish dude!

How far along: 36 weeks
Maternity Clothes: Wanted a pick me up today, so I attempted to put on the prepregnancy fat pants that fit just last week. It was a no go =(
Stretch Marks: My nurse likes to call them "Nature's Tattoos"...I think God is turning me into a zebra.
Sleep: I almost dread it, since I know that once I lie down it's almost impossible to get back up to use the restroom. Such a production these nights.
Best Moment this Week: Hanging out with my mom this weekend! And having my awesome friend Kate stop by to make sure I'm totally prepared for bringing baby home incase he came early, then having her make a Target run for me to buy those last minute items. Thanks Mom & Kate!
Movement: Seriously surprised that I'm not bruised from all of his ninja kicks!
Food Cravings: Still breakfast food! Today I had a bowl of cereal, some oatmeal, then french toast for lunch.
Gender: Definite boy!!!
Labor Signs: See post below! Still having contractions on and off throughout the days.
Belly Button: I'll let you know when I happen to have one again.
What I Miss: Being able to breathe out of my nose (I have a cold =( )
What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Since my doctor appointment was moved to tomorrow morning, I'm now looking forward to that. And to do a bit of cleaning and organizing.
Weekly Wisdom: When people stop to ask when you're due, just say "a few weeks" then you won't get those smart aleck comments =)

Thursday's Practice Run

Last Thursday Keenan and I had a trial run at the hospital! I woke up that morning and wasn't feeling very well and couldn't keep anything down, not even water. I finally called K at work and told him he needed to come home to take me to the hospital since I was having contractions that were coming every five minutes. They weren't too intense, but they were way more regular than anything I had experienced so far and had me a little nervous.
So after a quick shower to shave my legs, we headed into Labor and Delivery. They checked me into a labor room, hooked me up on monitors and saw that my contractions were coming every 2-4 minutes. The nurse gave me my first internal (sooo uncomfortable!), and told me that I was two centimeters dilated. They thought the contractions were brought on because I was dehydrated, so they hooked me up to an IV and gave me two bags of fluids. After a few hours I was still having contractions, but baby looked good and they checked me again. Since I was still at two centimeters, they gave me a shot that is supposed to stop contractions and sent me home after a total of 5 hours in the hospital.
The next morning I woke up to more contractions, so I called my clinic and made an appointment to see another doctor (my doctor was on vacation that week). Of course, after just relaxing all day and drinking plenty of fluids, the contractions eased up but I still went to my afternoon appointment. The doctor gave me yet another fun internal, but she thought I was only 1 centimeter dilated and didn't think I was in labor. She believed that I had a virus that caused me not to feel well and become dehydrated, and that's what brought on the contractions. She also said at this point since I'm pretty close to my due date they wouldn't do anything to stop labor at this point. So basically, right now it's a wait and see game.
I've canceled the rest of my photo shoots and have been resting up. I don't feel nauseous any more, however, I now have my husband's cold. My mom and dad traveled up Thursday night so she could stay with me while K and my dad went back to Portland for a car auction that Keenan needed to go to for work. She really helped me by cleaning up my house and catching up on my laundry. It felt pretty nice to be spoiled =)
I'm still having some contractions, but nothing that is regular or intense. I have an appointment with my doctor on Tuesday and while I think this little guy will make an early appearance, I don't think he'll be here for another few weeks. Probably.

35 Weeks, 5 Days

35 Weeks, 35 Days Left!

Yup, I have finally reached the 35/35 marker in this pregnancy! At this point, I am having very mixed emotions. On one hand, I am very anxious to meet this active guy and to see who he takes after and if he has a lot of hair or if he's going to look like Papa Bill for awhile =) I'm also done with the aches and pains and can't wait to be able to bend again! On the other hand, I am still feeling like there is soooooo much work to do that I'm going to need all the time I can get!
What's on my to-do list still?
- Packing hospital bag
- Installing car seat and inspection
- Finishing the nursery
- Sewing Boppy cover
- Finishing the last two paintings
- Majorly cleaning the house
- Reorganizing the kitchen to make room for bottles, baby bath supplies, etc
- Sewing a labor and delivery gown (if I have to push this big baby out, the least I can do is look cute while doing so, right? =) Yes, totally vain and pointless, but I am a photographer who is always thinking about the photo perspective)
- Shopping for those last minute items
- Finishing birthing class (only two more to go!)
Whew, makes me exhausted just to look at it! Which means I better get on to the weekly survey, wrap up this blog and then get my butt into gear!
How far along: 35 weeks
Maternity Clothes: I can finally see that the end is in sight!
Stretch Marks: Yes, but not on my belly. Now they are working they way onto my hips as well. Grrrr.
Sleep: Getting more impossible every week. I feel like naps all throughout the day would be more beneficial at this point than trying to stay in bed and sleep through the night.
Best Moment this Week: Hanging out with family this weekend in Eugene! And that the Ducks beat the Utes!
Movement: Definitely, he'll keep us on our toes for sure!
Food Cravings: Not really anything. Wondering if my cravings will start up again when I'm done being pregnant since I had worse cravings before this pregnancy than I have throughout this pregnancy.
Gender: Definite boy!!!
Labor Signs: Few mild contractions, but they have slowed way down.
Belly Button: I'll let you know when I happen to have one again.
What I Miss: Bending over, being able to squeeze through tight spots, the times when getting in and out of a vehicle was not such a production
What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Spending time with family in Portland this weekend. Doctor appointment next Tuesday.
Weekly Wisdom: Fresh out of wisdom at this point, please try again later.

Weekly Survey & Maternity Sneak Peek!

I think I may have found a new favorite place to shoot portraits! Downtown Tacoma has some really cool brick buildings and other very urban spots, and made a great location for some maternity photos for K and I! Here are just a few of my favorites from this weekend's session (Thanks again Rachael!):




How far along: 34 weeks
Maternity Clothes: I can still button up my prepregnancy "fat" pants!!! Infact, I really should wear them on days I'm feeling in need of a little boost =)
Stretch Marks: Yes, but not on my belly. Now they are working they way onto my hips as well. Grrrr.
Sleep: Once this child is born, I think the best gift my husband could possibly give me is a full, uninterrupted night of sleep. However, I plan on breastfeeding, so that won't be happening for awhile.
Best Moment this Week: Fun maternity session this weekend!
Movement: Oh yeah, infact, the doctor was laughing at how much he moves. She said we're in for an active one!
Food Cravings: Still breakfast with an occasional tuna fish sandwich (although, not together!)
Gender: Definite boy!!!
Labor Signs: Braxton hicks, lots of them. Luckily they haven't started hurting yet.
Belly Button: I'll let you know when I happen to have one again.
What I Miss: Being able to be as active as I want without worrying that I'm overdoing it
What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Spending time with family in Eugene (hopefully the contractions will stay away and I'll be able to go!)
Weekly Wisdom: Slow down toward the end of your pregnancy, otherwise there's a chance baby may come early!

Too Much Excitement!

After an exciting weekend, I'm pretty ready for things to be a bit more boring around here! Uncle Marshall and his girlfriend came for a visit, and Rachael was able to go with me to my doctor appointment on Friday. Things were looking good, but the doctor started laughing when trying to find the baby's heart rate because he was moving all over and kicking her doppler. When she did find it, it was 180, so she hooked me up to the monitor for 20 minutes just to make sure it was above normal due to movement (which it was, considering when he got a little sleepy and slowed down, his heart rate went back down to 150). So he looked good, but the monitor also picked up some contractions I was having. Nothing serious enough to send me into labor, but I was told to rest up and drink plenty of fluids.
Well, as fun as this weekend was, it wasn't what I would call restful. Saturday was full of maternity pictures (thanks Rachael for coming up and doing them for us! Sorry I was so indecisive!). We did some studio shots, then headed into Tacoma for a more urban vibe. Then came home to complete the maternity photos.
On Sunday, we headed to Golden Gardens Park in Seattle for a morning maternity shoot, then made our way to the Seahawks game. We ended up having to walk about 2 miles to the stadium, then up (and up and up) an entirely too long ramp to get to our seats. A few minutes into the game I felt one of the bigger contractions. I've been having them off and on, but nothing regular, and the doctor told me if I had 6 in one hour, to go to labor and delivery. Well, a few minutes later I had another one. Then another one. Luckily I only counted 7 during the whole game time (around 3 hours), so nothing quite serious enough for me to go to the hospital, but definitely more than what I had been having. The car ride home took forever, since this kid decided to kick my right side the entire way! Once home though, I put my legs up and have been resting ever since. I still am getting a few contractions (especially when I stand), but they don't seem as often.
We are thinking this kid is going to come early. Keenan's thinking October 4rth is going to be the day, but I'm hoping to bake him until at least 37 weeks. Which freaks me out when I think that's only 3 weeks away. But as much as this kid moves around, I really think he's feeling squished and is trying to find any exit he can!
Here's hoping for at least another 3-4 weeks!

33 Weeks, 6 Days