17 Days and Counting

Well, here's the belly at 37.5 weeks, and it's still growing. I visited the Dr. this morning and displayed no signs of imminent labor. In fact, the Dr. predicted that I'd get to my due date or past...so we'll see! Though I'm uncomfortable, I can take a few more weeks of pregnancy to put the finishing touches on our baby girl!

While we're waiting for Panda to arrive, we've been busy experimenting with our new Nikon D40. We'd been talking about getting a digital SLR for months, and with all the great Christmas sales, found a deal we couldn't pass up. Plus, now Greg can brag that he did indeed buy me a "push present." We are thrilled with the camera so far and can't wait to take lots of pictures of Panda when she arrives.

Speaking of baby photos, since I haven't loved the way photos post on the blog (example above), I've set up a photo share site on Shutterfly. http://thebayerfamily.shutterfly.com/
When the time comes, I'll post Panda's pictures to the Shutterfly site, which I've linked to the blog in the site list on the right. I do intend to keep up the blog as I'm sure your day won't be complete without hearing about baby Panda and her clueless, sleep deprived new parents!

Yeah! It's January!!!!!!

Happy January 1, the month of Panda's arrival! I am so happy it's January for many reasons, but mainly because I really wanted Panda to be born in 2009 after the holidays, and we made it! While it was odd not binge drinking at the cabin on New Year's Eve for the first time in many years, I did enjoy a few sips of champagne. Over Christmas, my Francofile mother informed me that pregnant French women regularly drink champagne as they believe it's good for the baby. Works for me!

Though we enjoyed some delicious cheese and chocolate fondue with our friends Chris and Danielle, our New Year's Eve wasn't without a sad occurance. Greg was outside with a few of his bird dogs exercising them in the afternoon, when Cricket took off up the yard towards the road. He suspects she chased after a stray cat that's appeared a few times in our yard. He called and went after her, but it was too late.....she was hit in the road by a gas truck. She was still conscious and breathing, so he rushed her to the emergency vet, where they made sure she wasn't in pain, stabalized her and did ex-rays. Though she had no broken bones, one of her lungs filled with blood and failed, and she didn't make it. Greg was able to say goodbye to her and tell her what a good hunting buddy she'd been on many trips to Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota. Greg brought Cricket home and buried her today. We are all sad to have lost a sweet companion and hope she points lots of game birds for her new master in doggie heaven!

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!