How big will baby#3 be?

Last night, Bigguy asked me how big I think the babe is going to be. I told him I didn't know, and asked how big he thought the babe was? Bigguy's response- "Well..not as big as Littleman is now, but maybe only a little smaller?"
Granted, Bigguy has a limited frame of reference for how big a brand new baby is. The smallest babe he has recently seen was Baby Bear, and that's a bigger kid, almost 9 months old now...

Anywho... What all this boils down to is how big do y'all think that Baby#3 will be upon it's birth. The information I can give you beforehand is thus- we are fairlycertain from ultrasound that it is a boy. Littleman was 6lbs, 14 ounces and 19 3/4 inches long. Bigguy was 7lbs 3.8 ounces and 21 inches long. Littleman had a 13.75 inch noggin, Bigguy was 14 even. Littleman had HUGE feet when he was born. According to the doctors and nurses, everything is measuring where it should, sizewise.

self-doubt, self-assurance

I was filled with self-doubt, angst, hurt, confusion, and I don't know what all else this morning. I was so certain when I went to bed last night that I would be in full blown labor when the sun rose...instead, I was stumbling, half asleep, into the bathroom, to pee. Yesterday morning, I went to the hospital with regular, strong, contractions. When they checked me, they saw no change from my friday appointment. After an hour or so of walking the floor, there was still no change in my cervix, and ultimately I was sent home. I am in this wierd limbo-land where my body is trying to do something, but it isn't working. My Dr is still of the oppinion that my body knows what it is up to, and that everything is fine. The lack of sleep and rapidly deteriorating mental state are not reasons enough to induce, since everything else is beautiful. My having a medical history of getting stuck in early stage labor means nothing if I am able to withstand the contractions. Basically, unless I am in unbearable pain, they won't do anything for me yet.
Friday morning I have another appointment with Dr B, and we will talk much more then. I will be at 39 weeks on monday, and I know that elective inductions can be done at that point. I am still unsure if that is the route that I want to go, but I am possitive I do not want to be pregnant anymore...this has surpassed the point of normal pregnancy discomfort by quite a bit.

On the plus side, as the day progresses, I am feeling more sure of myself and my body again. It is frustrating, yes, but it is serving some sort of purpose, otherwise there would have to be issues present. It is funny, though, that two weeks ago we were worried about having to induce early, and now we are wondering how much longer this kid is gonna stick around for.

My father-in-law has been a huge help through all of this, oddly enough. He has been very good with the boys, very patient with me and Hubby, and very understanding that just because I go to the hospital doesn't mean I will be leaving with a baby.

For the people who were not called and notified that I went to the hospital yesterday-- I decided that, with the exception of the FIL(who picked up the boys for the day), that until I was checked into a room, and had some sort of certainty (water break, IV, etc...) that I was going to be having the kid, that wer won't make calls, I don't need people getting all excited just because I am in triage. However, if my water does spontaniously break, or things elevate to the point of no return, everyone will be notified in a timely manor before the babe comes, and after the babe is born.

very, very frustrated

my body is doing half of what it should be. It is working, but not hard enough, or not in the right way. Tomorrow, I plan on toeing the line with my doctor, and hoping I come out victorious. I am hoping that I don't need to do that, however, that my body will come around on it's own and get this kid born. More later.

still no baby yet...

Hubby thinks that the kid will hold out untill saturday, April Fools Day, just because that's the sort of sense of humor innate in both our families. I'm placing my money on sometime in the next forty-eight hours. Granted, I could be drastically wrong, and might very well be so, only time will tell, but
I have insider information the rest of the world just cannot have access to. I'll keep everyone posted.

I know I will not be pregnant forever...

it just feels that way, right now

in praise, and criticism, of sleep

Sleep. Ahh, sweet, sweet, elusive, sleep. I have been lacking sleep until very recently. The last two nights, I have been sleeping fairly well. Normally, I would be all "WOOHOO I got to sleep after weeks of getting barely enough to stay alive!!!!"
The last two days, however, I have woken rested, and pissed off. I need the rest, that is indesputable, however, if I am able to get good sleep, the contractions are slacking off at night. This means that each day starts great, ends in discomfort, and instead of having a kid, I go to sleep, my body rests, and we do it all again.
At this point, I have determined that there is nothing I can do to bring on strong labor, and if nothing else, I have a Dr's appointment on friday. Then, if I still am not far enough into labor to go to the hospital and have this child the "natural" way, I can beg, plead, and demand an induction, so that I can finally be done with this pregnancy.

still laboring away

Still stuck at home, waiting for things to pick up to the point where I can either go in and have the baby, or go in and have the Dr assist me in having the baby. I'd like to avoid pitocin this time, but if things don't change soon, my body is going to be so worn out by the time it's "go time" that I might not have much choice. Oddly, I got a lot of sleep last night, but was still exhausted this morning. will give updates as needed

the beauty of the female form, and, well, not so much...

The female body is a miraculous thing, when you think about it. It has the ability to grow and nourish new life. It is round, curvy, soft, comforting, appealing, all at the same time. Being pregnant is a beautiful thing, as is preparing to have a baby...BUT... some of the things the female body does while pregnant and preparing to have a baby, not so much. There's discharge, nausea, diarreah(sic?), profuse sweating, leaking breasts, hemmorhoids, you name it. None of that makes you feel attractive, pretty, or comfy. After the baby there is extreme bleeding, more leaking breasts, even more profuse sweating, hot flashes, cold sweats, and engorgement. Oh, and an increase in flatulence during all of this.

Soon, I will be a mom for the third time, and soon, everything will level back out, but at this precise moment...I feel disgusting!

increasingly uncomfortable

I am becoming increasingly more uncomfortable, and having more problems with concentration, but still nothing significant enough to call the Dr or go in to the hospital. The longer I can hold out at home, and the more progress I can make pre-hospital, the less likely my chances of an induction. Since the contractions are still spaced, I am good, but sore. Soon enough, it will be over, and I will have another babe to show for all my hard work.
I am also at a wierd crossroad of tired, but wanting to do stuff around the house...Damn nesting instinct.

probobilaty

the chances of me having this kid in the next week...pretty good, the chances of me having this kid in the next day?..yeah...not so good. The chances of me having this kid? ONE HUNDRED PERCENT

Dr's appointment today

I have an appointment in 3 hours, 30 minutes. I have no idea why I am awake right now, but I am, and I have this feeling that even though I haven't been bothered by most of my contractions, and even though are are slightly irregular in spacing, and deffinately not closer together than every thirteen minutes, we are going to find out that I am significantly farther along. Maybe not, but I have a pretty good idea of how my body normally feels, and how it is feeling now. Plus, there is that whole joking factor...
I have been joking around with friends and family that I will either go into spontanious labor, water breakage and all, need to go in, in the middle of really bad weather and rush hour traffic, or the kid will come on St patricks day, when a lot of folks'll be out, drinking, so I can be all paranoid about the on-call physicians sobriety. Really, I think I can wait a little bit longer.....
I'll update everyone after I get home from the Dr

progression

things are slowly but deffinately progressing. I am able to feel things more, but still not at a frequency or intensity to worry about. I am hoping that things move faster, rather than slower, largely because I am ready to not be pregnant anymore, and even though nothing is currently painful, it is not comfy-cozy either. More updates as needed

it's tuesday, do you know where your bay update is?

Everything is really, really, good. The babe has dropped, which means labor is impending. When he dropped, something happened that made everything better. We cannot explain it, but everything is...good. No more twice a week non-stress-tests, just my standard, run-of-the-mill weekly check-ups, and we really don't think that I'll need more than my friday appt. before the babe is here. Dr B thinks that maybe, the cord and the Babe had gotten tangled around each other,affecting the heartrate that the monitors were picking up. The nurse thinks the kid just wanted me to be able to get my epidural, if I want it. Either way-I am very happy. I'll keep everyone posted as things develop, and develop quickly, they should.

30 Helens agree

My doctor, myself, my Hubby and most of my family and friends are all of th opinion that the kiddo wants out just about as bad as I want him out at this point. It's looking like if he's not born by the 21(the vernal, or spring, equinox -btw) that we will take stops to get him born. Both of my other sons were born by induction, Bigguy, because my body was not cooperating mith the whole labor process, and Littleman, by scheduled appointment. Babe might go either way, depending, and might not need any chemical help in being born at all. I will keep everyone updated as I know what is going on, and Iwill try and stay coherent, to boot.

I loooove my crockpot!!

Within half an hour of waking up this morning I had everything but the gravy prepared for dinner, and had called maintenece about the clogged tub. Dinner will be done later this evening, and all I have to do is NOT open the lid of my crock-pot. MmmmmMmmm, pork roast and veggies. I love that thing. I put in raw food, turn it on, forget about it, and come dinner time-I have a meal!
According to maintenance I will not have a fully functional bathtub drain until monday, but that's a whole other post.
Oh- and tha Babe is still hanging in there, I will know more on tuesday, but it is looking more and more like I will have a spring equinox baby than an almost easter baby.

everywhere I go...

Everywhere I went today, with one exception, someone wanted to make sure I wasn't going to deliver the baby right then. Because, well, of course, we all know that any ready-to-give-birth-mom will opt for the gas station, grocery store, or a different gas station to deliver in as opposed to say...i don't know... the hospital

my pregnancies and boy scout camping trips don't mix

When I was pregnant with Bigguy, roughly five years ago, I went with the scout troop on a themed weekend camping trip. I was miserable, hugely pregnant, at about seven months along, and surrounded by adolescent and pubescent boys...what was I thinking.

When Bigguy was born, the same scout troop, including the in-laws, were "enjoying" there first day of a weeklong camp-and due to the horrid weather knocking down and taking out cell-phone repeater towers, we were unable to notify them. Luckily, the MIL sensed that something was amiss(given I was in early labor when they left) and turned around to meet Bigguy the next morning.

Many a scout trip was missed by hubby when I was pregnant with Littleman, due to my near constant complications of one sort or another.

This pregnancy, though, well, this is the anti-camping pregnancy all the way. Shortly after we find out about the immpending baby, we did not have enough boys active in the troop to really merit the trips. This weekend, for the first time in about six months, there is a trip scheduled, a trip that is going to have more boys present than adults, a trip Hubby very, very, badly wanted to go on. A trip that he was only going to go on if my doctor cleared it for him to go. I had my first of two scheduled appointment this week, earlier today. My next is on friday. I let Dr B know that I would like his oppinion on if it would be smart to let Hubby go and have fun, something he sorely needs. After assuring me that as long as nothing has changed from the last few weeks it should be no problem, Dr B checks me out, and lets me know that he would be much more comfy if Hubby were to stay, not go.

The changes-well, my contractions are picking up slightly, and I am minorly dilated. This could play out like it did with Littleman, where I spent weeks in limbo, and finally, when we induced, he didn't want to leave his warm womb, or it could be that I will have a new infant in a matter of days. I will keep everyone posted.

So you all know, I am in very minimal discomfort, and I figure I will have to deal with this for at least a full week, if not two. All amniotic fluid is still firmly in place, and being a little dilated (1.5 cm out of ten) with very little effacement, and the kid still hanging out pretty high in the pelvis really is nothing to worry about. I repeat-it could still be weeks. Stay calm, don't all rush out at once to lavish me with baby gifts.

it's friday, that means more baby stuff!!!

Had a rather comical, if not partly frustrating, appointment this morning. C, Dr B's normal nurse, is on vacation for the next week and a half, and R seems to have been assigned to a different Dr, so I had the loverly Nurse Fill-in-for-C, whom will be referred to as That Nurse, for the rest of this post. I get into my examining room, after being weighed. That Nurse immediately asks me why I am having a Non-Stress-Test so early in the pregnancy, I let her know that I am having them twice weekly, why I am having them, and how they have been going so far. while in the precess of taking my once-again-almost-comatose blood pressure, she comments, and I quote-"Oh, Look at that, it's all right here in your chart!"
Where else would the information about my twice-a-week tests be? Hmmmm???
Then, That Nurse gets me up on the table, and starts to hook me up to the machine. "Where does C normally find the baby's heart beat?" - an honest question, and one meant to save us time. I infrom That Nurse that it is normally directly under my belly button. "Well, that can't be right, unless the kids transverse."
"He is"
"Oh, I'm sure he's not, it just feels like he is"
Well, thank you for that amazing bit of insight, That Nurse, like I have not had two other children, and have not discussed the baby's possition, at length, with Dr B and C while weighing the pros and cons of his shifting on his own as opposed to Dr B shifting him.

After 15 minutes of having me lie on my right side, then my left side, then my back, every other variant she can think of, and finally, needing to change out the velcro strap that holds the tranciever onto my belly, because the strap had gotten all gunky with the gel for the tranciever, That Nurse does the unimagineable- she set the damn pick-up right below my belly button, just for a minute, too change out straps. as soon as That Nurse set it down, guess what happened. WE FOUND THE HEART BEAT!!! and did not lose it for the mere thirty minutes that I needed to be hooked up for. Once we had him in the radar, so to speak, Baby#3 was very cooperative. When Dr B came in to let me know all was good, I let him know I never want to have That Nurse again please, and was shocked to find out she had already filled him in on what went down. Dr B understands, and had a chat with her consisting of him infroming her that most of his patients know what's what, and maybe she should remember that, Hmmmmm?

Also, My appointments are now going to be on tuesdays and friday, so as to have a more even spacing to them, so update days will be changing accordingly.

Oh, and everythings cleared till Tuesday, barring any changes.

my first baby is growing up *sniff*

In just over two hours, Bigguy and I will be going to V.V. Elementary School, so that he may meet the kindergarten teachers, see the school, and so that I may get the information and paperwork required to start him in kindergarten in the fall, and a pre-kindergarten summer program. He is so excited! He took a bath, washed his hair, helped me pick out his clothes, and sat nicely while I combed the tangles out.

"Momma," he asked,"Is my hair long enough for a ponytailer yet?"
"Nope, not yet, but as long as we take good care of it, it will get long enough soon, and as long as we take care of it, we'll let you keep growing it. if you stop brushing it, or stop letting me and Poppa brush it, we'll have to get a haircut."
"I know, I know, sheesh, I just wanted to know if I could ponytailer it so I would look good for my teacher and all my new girlfriends!!"

He cracks me up. Of course, he is the child who announced, fresh from the tub, "Mommaaaaa, I need you to help me with this green towel, I am very naked you know!"

Unfortunately, due to a coworkers injury, Hubby has to close up shop at work tonight and will be unable to attend the open house/registration event. I asked him if there was anything he felt the teachers should know right of the bat? His reply was a simple
"May god go with them, and protect them from our evil mastermind overlord"

baby info and update

aside from my bloodpressure being all over the charts, my weight doing it's own thing, having rather stable, yet still fairly spaced, contractions, and that whole heart-rate thing-everything is fine. There is nothing to seee here folks, move along, carry on, etc.
Seriously, I am still being cleared only for a few days at a shot, but everything that is not abnormal is just the way it should be.