Finally slept through the night!!

In the past 2 weeks, Lucas has transitioned out of being swaddled at night, learned to suck his thumb (he prefers the left one), and started sleeping 5 or more hours at night! Last night was the longest. He slept 8 straight hours!! Wow! I'm so impressed and also thankful because I've been sick since Tuesday & needed the extra rest. <3

Lucas Edward is here! :) 9/20/13

Well, our baby boy is finally here! I had an exam on 9/17. I was 3cm, 100% effaced. I had horrible back pain the whole way home. For the next couple days I was getting back pain and cramps but no regular contraction. On Thursday (9/19) I was finally feeling better. I went shopping at Sam's club with my mom & walked on the treadmill for a little while when I got home. While on the treadmill, I kept getting strong braxton hicks contractions but they would subside after I stopped walking. When I told my mom I was finally feeling better, she told me that maybe this is the calm before the storm..... she was right! I slept pretty well Thursday night. I only woke up twice during the night which was a nice change from 3-4 times per night. I woke up when David was getting up for work around 7:00am. I stayed in the bed and told him that I'm getting bad cramps. I got out of bed when the cramps went away and went into the living room. The cramps kept coming but they seemed to be getting stronger. It would start out like a wave of back pain that would wrap around to the front. I started timing them. They started off around 7-8 minutes apart but quickly progressed to 5 minutes apart. They lasted about a minute and peaked at around 45 seconds. I wasn't sure if this was real labor or not so David headed out to work. I was getting really worried. It was getting to the point where I had to sit down during a contraction & couldn't really talk through them. I texted my mom and tried calling her 3 times but couldn't reach her. I started crying because I felt a bit helpless. Once I calmed down, I called my doctor and explained my symptoms. They told me to go to the hospital. David had only been at work for 10 minutes when I sent him a text telling him what the doctor said. He came right back home. In the meantime, I sent my brother a text to see if he could wake my mom up. My mom finally called me and I told her that we were going to the hospital. Once David got home, he threw my hospital bag in the car & we headed out. The drive seemed to take forever. The contractions were getting more intense and I wasn't very comfortable in the car. Once we got there, David dropped me off at the front doors and went to park the car. I couldn't walk through the contractions so I sat and waited for him so we could walk in together. Once we got inside, an employee ran right up when he saw I was struggling a bit & he grabbed me a wheelchair. He asked if I was in active labor and I said "oh, this better be active labor!!" He wheeled me up to registration so I could quickly give them my name and then we went up to L&D. They took me right to a room. What's funny is the fact that it was the same room I was hoping to get when we did the tour of L&D in August. The nurse checked me and I was at 4cm, 100% effaced. They asked me about an epidural and I didn't hesitate to say yes. Those contractions were horrible!

 They went through the whole intake process and got me hooked up to the monitors. My contractions were around 3 minutes apart at this point, I think. They placed my IV and started some fluids. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything except ice chips. They drew some blood to check my hemoglobin, etc.. I'm assuming just in case I required a c-section. I finally got my epidural around 9 or 10am. It's been almost 2 weeks and it all feels like a blur now! The epidural wasn't too bad but the guy didn't tell me he was about to jab a needle in my back so I jumped and he got a little pissed at me. Things were much better once the epidural kicked in. I felt a warm sensation down my left leg but not on right. They had me lay on my right side for a while to see if it helped but it didn't really make a difference. I wasn't in as much pain but I could still feel the contractions on my right side. They gave me a bolus of the epidural medication and I was finally starting to feel better. They put a foley in. I think around 11am I was already at 6cm and they broke my water. By 3pm or so, I was at 8cm. They had to bolus me again because the pain was getting bad again. Right before 5pm, I was getting the urge to push with each contraction. They said I was only 9.5cm and told me not to push. I didn't feel like it was something I could control at this point. So, around 5:15pm they told me I could start pushing. At first I tried pushing while laying on my back but it didn't seem very effective. They had me try lying on my left side and also tried a trapeze bar that I put my feet up on. David was GREAT the whole time! He was right there with me the entire time. He held my left leg while the nurse held the right. He jumped right in and helped me when I felt the urge to push and the nurse had stepped away. I wasn't sure how he would react during the whole process so to see him doing this made me so proud of him. I'm so blessed to have such an amazing husband. Anyway, I pushed for a little under 2 hours. I think at one point I could see him crowning in the mirror. Pushing was hard. It's hard to catch your breath & push again when you're bearing down from the first push. They had me do 3 pushes with each contraction. The doctor came in and decided to do an episiotomy (OW!). Thank God I had the epidural. After that, things progressed much faster. I felt my biggest motivation when he told me that I only had about 2 more pushes! I got my second wind and our little Lucas was born :) I was pushing with my eyes closed to I didn't realize he was out until they told me to reach down. They placed him on my chest and all I could say was "oh my God! oh my God!" I couldn't believe I just gave birth to a little miracle. :) I was in such disbelief. They took him over to get weighed, etc.. while I got stitched up. David had his eyes on him the whole time and was even holding his little hand. I've never seen a more beautiful thing in my life. :) So very blessed to having a beautiful son and amazing husband!

Lucas Edward was born on 9/20/13 at 6:37pm. 8 lb 12 oz, 19.75 inches. :)

Baby might come this week??

Just had my weekly doctor's appointment. They decided to check my cervix - I'm 100% effaced and 3cm dilated! Wow! At my last check on 9/4 I was only 20% effaced and 1cm dilated. Looks like I've made some progress. :) I guess those sharp pelvic pains I've been getting are kind of a good thing?

The doctor thinks that the baby will be here sometime this week. He had me make another appointment for Friday, but he thinks I'll most likely have to cancel it. I hope so. I'm excited but I'm also scared. I've been getting worried lately and asking myself "Can I do this??" or "Am I really ready for this?" I'm sure I wouldn't be the first new-mom to feel that way. I just pray that things go well and we have a healthy baby boy with no complications for him or myself!

38 weeks today!

Officially 38 weeks today! 2 weeks to go until our baby's due date. This has really flown by! This whole year has. I can't believe we're so close already. Baby could come anytime. I've been feeling a bit anxious lately mainly because I have no idea when baby is coming and I've never done this before. I guess it's more like a fear of the unknown. I'm afraid to go out anywhere by myself because I'm worried that something might happen. (ex: "what if my water breaks at the grocery store??") lol I also don't think I should be out shopping by myself mainly because I don't want to hurt myself lifting heavy-ish things, etc..

I had a dream last night that we were at home with the baby and I was changing his diaper. It's just kind of surreal to me that we'll soon be a family of 3. I kind of feel like once the baby is born I'll be like "ok...what do I do now??". I know my hubby & parents will be here to help me but it is a bit scary when you've never done this before and now you're responsible for the life of a little helpless human being. <3 I guess that's when motherly instinct kicks in?

According to babycenter.com:
Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she is over 19 1/2 inches long (about the size of a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.
Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Baby is the size of a pumpkin :) Average size: 18.9-20.9 inches, 6.2-9.2 lb.

How far along?     38 weeks
Total weight gain:   ~41 lbs

Maternity clothes?   maternity pants and tops.
Sleep:     waking up 2-4 times per night
Miss Anything?      being able to get off the couch or out of bed without feeling like a turtle stuck on its back.
Movement:    All the time. It hurts sometimes when baby pokes me in the ribs & pelvis.
Food cravings: I always want sweets.. don't know if I'd call it a craving, though.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nope!
Labor Signs:   no "real" labor signs yet, but I'm having frequent Braxton Hicks contractions
Symptoms:    acid reflux, some ankle swelling, low back pain, sharp pelvic pains when baby presses down, headaches
Belly Button in or out?   in...but it's getting smaller!
Wedding rings on or off?   on.. my wedding ring is too big for me anyway. I have a plastic sizer thing on it but it's leaving a little dent in my finger
Happy or Moody most of the time:   Kind of moody lately
Looking forward to:     finishing the nursery, meeting our little boy!

37 weeks. Full term!!

Well, I'm officially full-term! My last appointment was 9/4/13. The doctor said I was 20% effaced and 1cm dilated. Having a lot of back pain and menstrual-like cramps lately. 

According to babycenter.com: 
Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)
Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (about the size of a bunch of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Per the bump.com, baby is the size of a winter melon. (Average size: 18.9-20.9 inches, 6.2-9.2 lb.)

How far along?     37 weeks
Total weight gain:   ~40 lbs

Maternity clothes?   maternity pants and tops.
Sleep:     waking up 2-4 times per night
Miss Anything?      just being able to do things I used to be able to do without struggling! Can't really bend over anymore... and I literally have to "roll" out of bed in the morning.
Movement:    All the time. It hurts sometimes when baby pokes me in the ribs & pelvis.
Food cravings: I always want sweets.. don't know if I'd call it a craving, though.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nope!
Labor Signs:   no "real" labor signs yet, but I'm having frequent Braxton Hicks contractions
Symptoms:    heartburn, ankle swelling, exhaustion, back pain, occasional round ligament pain, right knee numbness/nerve problems, sharp pains in my pelvis
Belly Button in or out?   in...but it's getting smaller!
Wedding rings on or off?   on.. my wedding ring is too big for me anyway. I have a plastic sizer thing on it but it's leaving a little dent in my finger
Happy or Moody most of the time:   tired!
Looking forward to:     finishing the nursery, starting my maternity leave, and meeting our little boy!

36 weeks! 4 weeks to go!

Well, I'm 36 weeks today. 1 more week until baby is full term. I'm getting frequent Braxton Hicks contractions.. so maybe baby will come sooner than the 27th. My ultrasound last week said that the gestational age (based on ultrasound) was close to 37 weeks (and I was almost 35 weeks at the time).. so maybe he will come soon! I really hope so.

I'm just so tired and cranky lately. I'm ready to have this baby!!

According to babycenter.com:
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long (about the size of a head of romaine lettuce). He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position. But if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating him from the outside of your belly.

Baby is as big as a honeydew melon!

How far along?     36 weeks
Total weight gain:   ~39 lbs

Maternity clothes?   maternity pants and tops.
Sleep:     getting worse lately.. waking up 2-4 times per night.. just overheated!
Miss Anything?      just being able to do things I used to be able to do without struggling! Can't really bend over anymore... and I literally have to "roll" out of bed in the morning.
Movement:    All the time. It hurts sometimes when baby pokes me in the ribs & pelvis.
Food cravings: I always want sweets.. don't know if I'd call it a craving, though.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nope!
Labor Signs:   no "real" labor signs yet, but I'm having frequent Braxton Hicks contractions
Symptoms:    heartburn, ankle swelling, exhaustion, backache, occasional round ligament pain, right knee numbness/nerve problems, sharp pains in my pelvis (baby is pressing his head on my cervix?)
Belly Button in or out?   in...but it's getting smaller!
Wedding rings on or off?   on.. my wedding ring is too big for me anyway. I have a plastic sizer thing on it but it's leaving a little dent in my finger
Happy or Moody most of the time:   a bit irritable
Looking forward to:     finishing the nursery, starting my maternity leave! (that can't come soon enough) oh.. and having this baby!!
 

35 weeks today! (only 5 weeks / 35 days to go!)

I had an ultrasound yesterday. Baby is measuring around 6lbs 10 oz. He had his hands over his face so they couldn't get a good profile shot. They said he has a lot of hair so I guess that explains all the heartburn!
I can't believe I only have 5 weeks to go! I can't wait to have this baby. I'm scared to death of labor and I know it's only temporary......but it's just a fear of the unknown. I've never done this before. I just hope I can make it through this. I already have my "hospital bag" mostly packed. I want to be prepared as much as I can.

I ordered a couple baby things on Amazon yesterday (crib mattress, changing pad cover). We still have quite a few things that we need to get (baby monitor, etc..)

Anyway, according to babycenter.com:
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (about the size of a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

According to thebump.com, baby is the size of a coconut:

Average size: 17.2-18.7 inches, 4.2-5.8 lb.

How far along?     35 weeks
Total weight gain:   ~37 lbs (I'm actually down .2 lbs from last week)

Maternity clothes?   maternity pants and tops.
Sleep:     getting worse lately.. waking up 2-4 times per night.. just overheated!
Miss Anything?      just being able to do things I used to be able to do without struggling! Can't really bend over anymore... and I literally have to "roll" out of bed in the morning.
Movement:    All the time. It hurts sometimes when baby pokes me in the ribs & pelvis.
Food cravings: I always want sweets.. don't know if I'd call it a craving, though.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nope!
Labor Signs:   no.. but I am having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions.
Symptoms:    heartburn, some ankle swelling, exhaustion, backache, occasional round ligament pain, right knee numbness/nerve problems, sharp pains in my pelvis (baby is pressing his head on my cervix?)
Belly Button in or out?   in...but it's getting smaller!
Wedding rings on or off?   on.. my wedding ring is too big for me anyway. I have a plastic sizer thing on it but it's leaving a little dent in my finger
Happy or Moody most of the time:   Lately, happy.. occasionally irritable, though.
Looking forward to:     finishing the nursery, starting my maternity leave! (that can't come soon enough) oh.. and having this baby!!