37 Weeks and Counting

I’ll officially be 37 weeks along as of New Year’s Day, and here I am with no signs of impending labor. My pregnant pals with due dates within a week of mine have both given birth…Cindy and David welcomed their son Cooper 8 weeks early on Dec. 4, while my friend Jennifer delivered her twins, Haley and Dylan, at 36 weeks on Dec. 23. So, I’ve given it some thought, and have made a list of the ups and downs about being this dang pregnant:

Ups:
1. The end is very near! Within the next 28 days, the baby is coming out one way or another!
2. It’s comforting to know that when I deliver, Panda will be fully developed and at a healthy birth weight.
3. Every additional day that I’m pregnant, Panda puts on approx. an ounce of baby fat and just gets that much cuter.
4. Strangers are now nice to me and hold the door open for me with a sympathetic look.
5. People are in awe of me at the gym. They think I’m some kind of pregnant super hero. They also give me a wide berth, opting to leave a cardio machine between them and me, just in case my water breaks and they get splashed with the ricochet of amniotic fluid.
6. The baggers at Publix sincerely offer to take out my groceries, and I let them.
7. I’ve earned the right to fart whenever and wherever I feel like it. See #5. This is also why it’s a good idea to give me a wide berth.
8. If I drop something on the floor, I can just ask someone else to pick it up. Chances are I won't be able to see it anyway.

Downs:
1. A 6 lb. baby’s feet can kick your ribs surprisingly hard.
2. I’m too uncomfortable to sleep, or for that matter, exist.
3. Leg cramps. If you’ve ever been awoken by a Charlie Horse in the middle of the night and can barely walk the next day, you can relate.
4. My bladder, lungs and stomach have been compressed to the size of a quarter. The bladder and lungs I can deal with, it’s the stomach capacity that takes all the fun out of being able to indulge in two slices of pizza or a burger and fries.
5. My “underbelly” maternity pants now barely cover my nether region. I should have invested in a few more pairs of full belly pants….
6. I can no longer see the previously mentioned nether region, which has made keeping order down there a challenge. I also can’t reach my toes to trim my nails. Guess I’ll be heading to the nail salon for a pedicure this weekend. This could also be construed as an "up" because pedicures are just nice.
7. Pelvic pain. If this indicates widening of the pubic bone, then Panda literally is going to shoot out of my vag like a human cannonball.

That's all I can come up with for now. Those of you that have experience late pregnancy, let me know if I’ve missed one of your favorites by adding a comment!

Check-up, Preparations, and Bad Baby Daddy

I’ll be 37 weeks along as of Thursday, and went in for my weekly check-up this morning. This visit was pretty uneventful, considering I got “the shocker” last time. Speaking of the shocker, the results of my strep test were negative, so that means no antibiotics for me or Panda at delivery, which is good news. I wasn’t checked for dilation this visit, so otherwise, everything checked out okay. According to babycenter.com, she’s approx. 20 inches long now and about 6 pounds, gaining an ounce a day. The Dr. did say that her head is definitely down, which was more good news. She showed me exactly where the head, back, butt and limbs were in my belly, so that was pretty cool. It turns out that big lump I’ve been feeling near my belly button is Panda’s butt. Baby got back!

Yesterday, I packed my bag for the hospital and plan to pre-register at admissions this week. Other than that, I’m frantically reading such selections as “Secrets of the Baby Whisper,” “The Nursing Mother’s Companion,” and “What to Expect the First Year.” I also rented “The Happiest Baby on the Block” to watch on DVD. Despite these preparations, I’m still putting all you new and recently experienced moms on speed dial, just in case.

Last but not least, I have to call Baby Daddy out for revealing Panda’s first name. In my current state of discomfort, lack of sleep, and irritability, I figured I’d be the one to accidentally let it slip, but it wasn’t me!!! In the company of my parents, Greg used her name in conversation, and he wasn’t even drinking! I reprimanded him, but not before my Dad caught it. My Mom missed it, so now Dad is sworn to secrecy. Judging from the number of things I know my Dad keeps from my Mom, I think our secret is safe with him. If not, there’s always blackmail.

Panda's Room is Ready!

I put the finishing touches on the nursery today, and am thrilled and relieved to say that her room is officially ready! In the first photo, you can see the "A" that is the first letter of her name which will be displayed vertically down the wall....I took the rest of the letter down for photos and for holiday company :) I've come this far - I'm not giving it away yet! I do enjoy your guesses though!

Under The Hood

Yesterday, I had my 35-week check-up with my OB. She went “under the hood” to do the strep test and check my cervix, marking the first time since my initial appointment at 6 weeks that I’ve had to partially undress. The strep test checks for bacteria in the birth canal that could transfer to the baby during birth and give her an infection. If the bacteria are present, we both get treated with an antibiotic during labor and after delivery, so this is really no big deal. The test basically involves swabbing – get this – BOTH holes. That’s right. I expected the first area; the second area was a not-so-pleasant surprise. Anyway, while my Dr. was “already down there” she went ahead and checked my cervix, which also does not evoke pleasant sensations, as checking the cervix is done manually…and the cervix is a few inches in. Anyway, she reported that it has started to soften, but showed no signs of dilation. She also was confident she felt Panda’s head down there, which is a good sign, somewhat appeasing my concern that she’ll be breech. Panda doesn’t seem to stay in one position for long, but at least she knows which way is down!

Though my baby maker is making some progress towards labor and delivery, the actual event does not appear to be imminent, which is good, because again, I’m not quite ready! In other check-up news, my uterus measured right at 35 weeks, and Panda’s heartbeat and my blood pressure were both very good. I will see the Dr. weekly at this point, but because of the holiday next week, wasn’t able to get back in until 12/29. I think I might wait to make my New Year’s plans until after that appointment, just in case!

In other “how I am feeling news,” mainly I’m just tired. My mid-pregnancy burst of energy has completely disappeared, so even though I’ve been sleeping better that earlier in the week, I’ve continued to feel very tired. I’ve also experienced quite a bit of Braxton Hicks lately, and some days, have a few episodes of it. My belly tightens up into a slightly unpleasant (but not painful) cramp, which may last a few seconds or several minutes. The entire episode may last a few minutes or an hour, and then goes away. I guess this is just one of those signs that my body is preparing to bless us with our baby girl in a few or more weeks!

This weekend, I plan to put the finishing touches on the nursery and make my final shopping list for Babies R Us. I’m starting to run out of excuses to not be ready!

PregZZZilla!!!!

If the old wives tale is true that frequent heartburn in a pregnant mom means a head full of hair for the baby, then don’t be surprised if Panda resembles a baby gorilla instead of a human. Seriously, I think she’s going to need her own line of infant hair styling products when she emerges from the womb. Does Vidal Sasson make a line for babies?

Sadly, despite an Amy Winehouse-like addiction to my Maalox bottle, I got no relief yesterday from the discomfort of heartburn. I did everything the pregnancy resources say to do – eat small, non-spicy meals. Heartburn. Drink lots of water. Heartburn. Drink a glass of milk. Heartburn. Wait a few hours after eating to go to bed. Heartburn.

Then, to add to my misery last night, after being kept awake by the evil heartburn and one of the restless dogs for several hours last night, Panda got what I can only assume were hiccups at 3:15am. I felt rhythmic spasms occurring every 1-2 seconds in the same area of my belly. This went on for 5-10 minutes before I realized that I was never going to get any sleep and just gave up and moved out to the couch. Panda and my body clearly didn’t get the memo that I’m not supposed to be so sleep deprived until AFTER she arrives. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep last night and over the last few nights has turned me into an irritable pregzilla. Just consider yourself warned if you must cross my path again before I get some decent ZZZs!

Mom and Dad-to-be Prepare, But in Different Ways

With under 6 weeks to go until our 1/22 due date, you may imagine there’s a flurry of activity going on at our household. Well, with my burgeoning belly and the lung capacity of a chain smoker, I can’t exactly “flurry,” but I think you get the drift. I’ve been busy putting finishing touches on the nursery, washing, organizing, and putting away clothes, and securing the last items on our must-have baby item list, like the car seat.

While I’ve been doing this, baby Daddy has been busy...hunting. Maybe it’s a reflection of Greg wanting to get as much hunting in as possible before the baby arrives, since he realizes that he won’t get much free time once she does. Or, maybe it’s some instinctual male urge to go hunt game and provide food for his growing family. If the latter is the case, then he gets the father-to-be award for stocking up our freezer. We have all the vacuum sealed pheasant, quail and woodcock he shot in October, plus, as soon as the processor gets done, we’ll have pounds and pounds of venison from the buck he shot on Sunday. This much is clear: we’re going to have to buy a new chest freezer.

With that being said, I won’t go into how much this particular deer cost, factoring in the processing, new freezer, and speeding ticket he got while down in South Georgia. And why, you ask, won’t I lament about the speeding ticket? Well, yours truly got not one, but two tickets herself last fall in the exact same speed trap within a few weeks of each other. And my forgiving husband wasn’t mad at me, or the $300 in fines I had to pay right before Christmas, so we’re just calling this one even. Just know that if you are invited over for a venison dinner, I’ll expect you to treat it like you’re eating a Kobe steak, because they cost about the same per pound!

Last Party....Before the Welcome Party!

Saturday, my good friends Danielle, Beth and Natalie hosted Panda’s last (of three!) baby showers. We had a lot of fun and especially enjoyed the fondue bar and the “Baby Daddy Game.” Let’s just say that Dad needs to take a newborn care class ASAP, and get a better idea of how big mom’s belly actually is (hint: it’s not even close to her wingspan). See the 3rd photo....no explanation needed.

Though KC gets the prize for traveling the furthest (all the way from WI) we did get two ladies from South Georgia. Thanks so much for making the trip for us! And a special thanks to Katie for bringing her sweet baby boy, Owen. He is adorable! It was great seeing everyone and getting spoiled with so many special gifts. Panda was showered with several handmade items, including an awesome "Wisconsin" book from the scrapbooker extraordinaire, KC, an embroidered hooded towel, burp cloth, and sleep dress from the master seamstress, Heather, and a personalized Panda painting from our resident artist, Natalie. We are so fortunate to have such talented people so excited about Panda’s arrival!

Speaking of Panda's arrival, what’s your best guess on when she’ll arrive? Check out the poll in the upper right corner of the blog and cast your vote!

Getting Closer

I commissioned our weekend house guest, KC, to take this beautiful photo over the weekend and couldn't resist sharing it! We are approaching week 34 and can't wait to meet our baby girl!

33 Weeks and Counting

Here's a recent photo from the office baby shower my co-workers threw Tuesday. Both Jennifer and I are 33 weeks along now, but if you recall from a previous post, she’s having twins (the same photo pose is posted in November if you want to see how much I've grown). I am so thankful to be having just one baby! My office was so generous with lots of baby necessities for little Panda, and some fun things, too, like the Gimini and Bath Luv Frog. I can't believe she'll be using all these things soon!

Yesterday afternoon, I waited over 90 minutes at the Doctor’s office to spend less than 10 minutes getting my checkup. Doctor's office waits are sooo frustrating! But on a good note, my Doctor said I’m doing great. My blood pressure is very good and she commented that my weight gain so far is excellent. I love the Doctor’s office scale! It’s much kinder than ours at home.

After leaving my appointment, I went to pick up a few items at Publix. After leaving the store with my groceries, one the baggers came out after me asking if I was missing an item that was left in the bagging area. I asked what it was, and he showed me a Panda Pez dispenser. Is that a weird coincidence or what? It wasn’t mine, but it does remind me of the time I accidentally bought a giant match lighter because I mistakenly used it to separate my groceries on the conveyer belt from the person behind me. Greg loves that lighter and still teases me about it to this day.

I'm looking forward to seeing many of you on Saturday at the Atlanta baby shower! Safe travels everyone!

I Heart the Waffle House

This weekend marked our last planned out of town jaunt before Panda arrives. We drove up to Charlotte Thanksgiving morning to spend the weekend with my parents and my uncle and his family who drove down from Pittsburgh. We left on the 4.5 hour trek a little before 9am and intentionally let snack-less. I knew this was a mistake, but I was out of snacks at the house, plus figured I’d need to pee every few hours and would want to get out of the car to stretch, so could pick up a snack or lunch as needed along the way. I didn’t count on the fact that every free standing fast food establishment would be closed on Thanksgiving, which we found out only after exiting the highway and trying to find someplace to eat.

We had stopped for gas earlier in the morning at a travel plaza and observed that their restaurants were open, so after finding the other places closed, strategized that finding another travel plaza was our best option. We spotted a billboard for one with a Wendy’s and Dairy Queen a few miles up the road at SC 106, and decided to try the odds there. I was really hungry and also had to pee, so was really ready to stop. Greg seemed poised to exit; he was in the right lane when the exit approached, yet sailed right by it doing 75 as I frantically exclaimed, “Hey, that’s our exit!” But it was too late. And it was the last travel plaza for the next 40 miles. Trust me, I know that stretch of highway well.

I was extremely unhappy with Baby Daddy and was ready to give him the silent treatment until he suggested stopping at a Waffle House because they are always open. I clearly picked a good mate because this was the best idea EVER. It was also one of the best Waffle House experiences ever! Not only did I enjoy a delicious patty melt (no hash browns, I had to save some room for Thanksgiving dinner), but our waitress even asked me if we were having a boy or a girl – becoming the first stranger to assume I was pregnant and not just smuggling a pumpkin under my shirt. God bless the Waffle House. Clearly, the North just doesn’t know what they are missing.