Not only does this thing have the coolest motion(s), it also has 16 different songs, can swing side-to-side and front-to-back, and can turn the lights/mobile on and off!
I wish I could swing in this!!!!
Friday, September 28, 2007
A Long Absence.....
So much for me keeping up and posting regularly! Sorry everyone. I have been totally off of the computer for the last week - after being on bedrest and having the computer in my face for a week I was ready for a break!
So, last Thursday (September 20th) I had my follow-up Dr. appointment to the bedrest appointment the week before. We also got to have our ultrasound (probably the last) to confirm that Raegan is growing on track and everything is ok since my belly is measuring small. The appointment went really well and they even said that with her size and my testing (effaced still but not dialating at all) that it would be safe to get up off of the couch and enjoy the rest of my pregnancy...in moderation. So the results...off of bedrest, but still taking it easy; using the Terbutaline as needed for contractions (which have almost stopped completely again!!! YAY); and Raegan is growing right on schedule. At last appointment with the ultrasound, they measured her at 4 pounds 4 ounces (I was exactly 33 weeks). At this point, I'd say she's probably up another 1/2 pound or so...so she's probably just shy of 5 pounds now! Big Girl! :) I'm totally healthy and have completely normal weight gain...she is just soooo low that I'm measuring small. Her head has completely invaded my pelvic bone and the u/s tech actually had an impossible time looking at her because of how far down she's squished herself! But, nothing wrong with that! As a matter of fact, I assume that since she's so low, once I go into labor and reach 10 cm, the pushing part should be FAST! because of how low she is and that she is already engaging. So that's good for me.
I keep getting the question "Do you think you'll have her early?". Honestly, I wish I had the answer to that one. I really HATE not knowing what's going to happen. There is no way to tell when I am going to go into labor. One day I think that it could happen within the next three weeks. Other days I swear that I'm probably going to have to be induced 2 weeks after my due date. There is just no way of knowing and nothing that I feel indicates anything. Scott swears that I'll probably go into labor in the 20's of October. I thought that too at first, but I wasn't right about the sex so I hate to take guesses about this and then get my hopes up. I guess we'll know when she's ready. I want to hang tight and keep her baking until 36 weeks - after that, I'll totally be ready to shake her out! I'm anxious to meet this little girl! And, she is already having a tricky time fitting into my belly...so X number of weeks growing to go and I don't know what I'll do! She's actually moving my stomach from right to left now! Freaky!!! lol So, we'll see....hopefully sooner than later...but whatever is best for her is when I want her to come.
We're just about completely ready for her here at the house. This week, after the gifts and shopping adventure last weekend, we washed everything and got it all put together and put away. I'm so excited to see everything ready to go for her. It makes me want to meet her that much quicker! I've finally taken photos of her room since it's ready to go (other than the rocking chair) for everyone to see. I hope you love it as much as we do! It's so exciting to see all of that pink and purple! It's a girl...that's for sure! :)
I want to say a quick and HUGE thank you to everyone for the help and participation last weekend! I had a wonderful time and I really appreciate the outpouring with such short notice! It was so good to get out of the house and see everyone. Can't wait for our next meeting - with Raegan in arms! :)
Here's the ultrasound photos from the last 2 sessions (29 weeks and 33 weeks)! Can you believe how amazing these things are?!?!?!
29 weeks - can you see her smile :)
29 weeks - Already pouting about something?!?!
29 weeks - sleeping soundly
33 weeks - she doesn't fit on the screen anymore!
33 weeks - can you see her eyeball (dot in center of eye)?
We actually got to watch her look around! Amazing!!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Contractions, Stress, and BED!!!!!!
I really need to concentrate on updating this place more often...guess that won't be too hard now! Maybe I should start from the beginning....
As I posted earlier, I was having contractions, went to the hospital, went to the doctor, and it was determined that I'm just a "contractor" and to enjoy the discomfort until Raegan arrives! Grreeattt. Well, deal-able I guess. I mean, it could be worse! Some people have real medical problems...thank heavens neither her nor I are dealing with any of those.
So, the contractions taper off after a few days and things calm down. I try to stay in the "light activity" category, but it's hard with a busy schedule, a four year old with soccer, and a house the size of a small palace! Maybe I didn't take it easy enough?!?!?
This past Monday night (9/10...happy birthday Mom and Jenna!!!) I started feeling some pretty frequent contractions. My script for the Terbutaline had never been filled so I drank 2 large glasses of water and went to bed. Hopefully they are just Braxton Hicks and they will ease up by morning. A good nights sleep later (well, as good as an 8 month pregnant person can get) I wake up and get Grant ready to school without feeling too much. Scott and I hop in the car and off we go. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable again but hope things will calm down. I take Grant in and talk to his teacher for a minute and head back to the car in a lot more pain. Back home for more water and some breakfast...maybe that will help?? With a bowl of cereal in my hand, I have quite possibly the worst contraction I've felt yet! Time to get DOWN and get that script filled...and quick. I'm timing contractions at about 3-5 minutes apart and they're STRONG. Scott takes off for the pharmacy and I crash in bed with a phone call to the doctor. I want more info about these pills before I start popping them. The nurse says, if they don't fix the situation in an hour, to get to L&D for monitoring again! Oh shoot!
So I pop the pill and cross my fingers. They work...sort of. The contractions calm down a lot but I can still feel a few here and there. BUT, the downfall...they have a horrific side effect....increased heart rate and the shakes! It's pretty rough and it lasts for 6 hours straight!! I was rather miserable, but at least I didn't have to go to L&D! I have an appointment scheduled for Thursday and it's Tuesday so I assume I can hold out until then.
Wednesday is fill ed with sitting on the couch and taking it easy again. There is another point where I have to pop a pill :( but at least they hold the contractions at bay again and slow them down to an "acceptable" number per hour.
Yeah!!! It's finally Thursday and time to get to the doctors office. I'm extremely nervous about this visit...I feel much different than the last instance with contractions and hope that I haven't started dialating yet! There is extreme downward pressure and I can only assume it's from Raegan's head bearing down on my cervix....I hope not though!....
First weight and blood pressure...both are perfect. Then the heartbeat...although hidden at first, a strong 144 bpm :) She's doing good!!! Then time for the doctor.......
First, we start off with the very uncomfortable Fetal Fibernectin test again (swabbing my cervix to see if there is a chemical present that indicates preterm labor). They will get back to us in the morning with that test. Again, if its negative, we're in the clear for 2 more weeks. Then, it's time for the exam...gone are the days when the doc just pops her head in the door and says everything looks good and see you in a month! I'm having constant contractions through both the FFN test and now the exam...very uncomfy!!
The good news....I'm not dialating yet!!! The bad news.....I'm 60% effaced. Basically, that means that my cervix is thinning out in preparation for birth. Raegan is head down in the birthing position and very very low. My contractions are pushing her down and making my cervix thin but not dialate.
The next words out of her mouth.....bed rest! WHAT?!?! NO!! CAN'T BE!!! But yes, yes it can be. She wants me off of my feet for the next four weeks, in to visit her every week, another ultrasound next week to check the size of the baby and see how she's growing (my fundal height measurement is still about 4 centimeters too small), and to take that Terb when my contractions are more than 6 an hour. Basically, I'm allowed to get up and take care of my needs (shower, bathroom, food) and thats it. I have to keep in a more horizontal position to keep pressure off of my cervix and hope that there is no changes or dialation until 36 weeks. At 36 weeks I'm allowed off of bed rest and can start moving and shaking her out! Of course, the doctor said that Raegan will probably hold tight and be two weeks late after all of this!! I certainly hope not!! I'll be ready to see her soon after I get up...well, pretty soon.........
My stress.....there is relatively not much done. I mean, her room is basically ready...she has a crib with bedding, and the furniture but thats about it. Just a few pieces of clothing here and there and some stuff we have from when Grant was a baby, plus the essential carseat, pack and play for our bedroom, and her stroller. But I want to shop for her sooo bad!! I would love to go and pick out clothes and stuff for her!! I know a newborn only needs essentials, but what fun is it to shop for only essentials and not get to enjoy any of the fun stuff!?!? This is my first little girl and heck, just like any good mommy I want to spoil her rotten! lol Now, I have to hold tight until 36 weeks and hope I have time after that to have my fun. I even tried to convince the doc to let me head out with a wheelchair and she was pretty firm...NO! I need to be mostly horizontal...not sitting in a chair. Oh pooie!!!!!
So, everyone feel free to send me an email or hit me up on chat. I'm on the couch with my computer most of the day just trying to find things to do to keep me occupied. I'm going crazy already having to watch Scott take care of the stuff that I always do!!! I have this horrific fear that me laying here is going to cause resentment towards me or Raegan...I know it's silly and my hormones are just getting the better of me!! I just hate being a bump on a log. I guess I really do have a very important job right now....cooking this little girl a few weeks longer! I'll have plenty to do in a few weeks anyway, so I guess I'll just try to enjoy my downtime and start studying "Mommy 101 techniques"
Oh, and today, the phone call results from the test......negative :)
Until next time.......
As I posted earlier, I was having contractions, went to the hospital, went to the doctor, and it was determined that I'm just a "contractor" and to enjoy the discomfort until Raegan arrives! Grreeattt. Well, deal-able I guess. I mean, it could be worse! Some people have real medical problems...thank heavens neither her nor I are dealing with any of those.
So, the contractions taper off after a few days and things calm down. I try to stay in the "light activity" category, but it's hard with a busy schedule, a four year old with soccer, and a house the size of a small palace! Maybe I didn't take it easy enough?!?!?
This past Monday night (9/10...happy birthday Mom and Jenna!!!) I started feeling some pretty frequent contractions. My script for the Terbutaline had never been filled so I drank 2 large glasses of water and went to bed. Hopefully they are just Braxton Hicks and they will ease up by morning. A good nights sleep later (well, as good as an 8 month pregnant person can get) I wake up and get Grant ready to school without feeling too much. Scott and I hop in the car and off we go. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable again but hope things will calm down. I take Grant in and talk to his teacher for a minute and head back to the car in a lot more pain. Back home for more water and some breakfast...maybe that will help?? With a bowl of cereal in my hand, I have quite possibly the worst contraction I've felt yet! Time to get DOWN and get that script filled...and quick. I'm timing contractions at about 3-5 minutes apart and they're STRONG. Scott takes off for the pharmacy and I crash in bed with a phone call to the doctor. I want more info about these pills before I start popping them. The nurse says, if they don't fix the situation in an hour, to get to L&D for monitoring again! Oh shoot!
So I pop the pill and cross my fingers. They work...sort of. The contractions calm down a lot but I can still feel a few here and there. BUT, the downfall...they have a horrific side effect....increased heart rate and the shakes! It's pretty rough and it lasts for 6 hours straight!! I was rather miserable, but at least I didn't have to go to L&D! I have an appointment scheduled for Thursday and it's Tuesday so I assume I can hold out until then.
Wednesday is fill ed with sitting on the couch and taking it easy again. There is another point where I have to pop a pill :( but at least they hold the contractions at bay again and slow them down to an "acceptable" number per hour.
Yeah!!! It's finally Thursday and time to get to the doctors office. I'm extremely nervous about this visit...I feel much different than the last instance with contractions and hope that I haven't started dialating yet! There is extreme downward pressure and I can only assume it's from Raegan's head bearing down on my cervix....I hope not though!....
First weight and blood pressure...both are perfect. Then the heartbeat...although hidden at first, a strong 144 bpm :) She's doing good!!! Then time for the doctor.......
First, we start off with the very uncomfortable Fetal Fibernectin test again (swabbing my cervix to see if there is a chemical present that indicates preterm labor). They will get back to us in the morning with that test. Again, if its negative, we're in the clear for 2 more weeks. Then, it's time for the exam...gone are the days when the doc just pops her head in the door and says everything looks good and see you in a month! I'm having constant contractions through both the FFN test and now the exam...very uncomfy!!
The good news....I'm not dialating yet!!! The bad news.....I'm 60% effaced. Basically, that means that my cervix is thinning out in preparation for birth. Raegan is head down in the birthing position and very very low. My contractions are pushing her down and making my cervix thin but not dialate.
The next words out of her mouth.....bed rest! WHAT?!?! NO!! CAN'T BE!!! But yes, yes it can be. She wants me off of my feet for the next four weeks, in to visit her every week, another ultrasound next week to check the size of the baby and see how she's growing (my fundal height measurement is still about 4 centimeters too small), and to take that Terb when my contractions are more than 6 an hour. Basically, I'm allowed to get up and take care of my needs (shower, bathroom, food) and thats it. I have to keep in a more horizontal position to keep pressure off of my cervix and hope that there is no changes or dialation until 36 weeks. At 36 weeks I'm allowed off of bed rest and can start moving and shaking her out! Of course, the doctor said that Raegan will probably hold tight and be two weeks late after all of this!! I certainly hope not!! I'll be ready to see her soon after I get up...well, pretty soon.........
My stress.....there is relatively not much done. I mean, her room is basically ready...she has a crib with bedding, and the furniture but thats about it. Just a few pieces of clothing here and there and some stuff we have from when Grant was a baby, plus the essential carseat, pack and play for our bedroom, and her stroller. But I want to shop for her sooo bad!! I would love to go and pick out clothes and stuff for her!! I know a newborn only needs essentials, but what fun is it to shop for only essentials and not get to enjoy any of the fun stuff!?!? This is my first little girl and heck, just like any good mommy I want to spoil her rotten! lol Now, I have to hold tight until 36 weeks and hope I have time after that to have my fun. I even tried to convince the doc to let me head out with a wheelchair and she was pretty firm...NO! I need to be mostly horizontal...not sitting in a chair. Oh pooie!!!!!
So, everyone feel free to send me an email or hit me up on chat. I'm on the couch with my computer most of the day just trying to find things to do to keep me occupied. I'm going crazy already having to watch Scott take care of the stuff that I always do!!! I have this horrific fear that me laying here is going to cause resentment towards me or Raegan...I know it's silly and my hormones are just getting the better of me!! I just hate being a bump on a log. I guess I really do have a very important job right now....cooking this little girl a few weeks longer! I'll have plenty to do in a few weeks anyway, so I guess I'll just try to enjoy my downtime and start studying "Mommy 101 techniques"
Oh, and today, the phone call results from the test......negative :)
Until next time.......
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