Baby Emily is born!

On a snowy Friday Morning, February 24th to be exact, Brett and I headed to the hospital for our 630 am scheduled induction.  I had scheduled this induction about a month earlier but at about 11 pm Thursday night I lost my plug so I was hoping to maybe go into labor naturally but it didn't happen :)  We got to the hospital and by the time pitocin was started it was closer to 830.  I had my water broken at 1230 and by 2 I was complete and ready to push.  I pushed for about 3 1/2 hours before it was determined that Emily just wasn't going to come down so we went ahead with a c-section and at 7:12 our beautiful baby girl Emily was born.  8lbs 11oz, 21".  We are very blessed.

39 Weeks!

Still no sign of baby!  I actually ended up getting a stomach virus, which I would never wish upon anyone let alone a nearly 39 week pregnant lady, and I thought maybe I'd at least get a contraction or two out of it but nope, nothing.  The week went by pretty quickly, especially with the flu bug mixed in there!  I have my weekly appt today so I don't have any Dr update for the week.  My induction is scheduled, tentativly, for the 24th at 6:30!  Hopefully she'll decide to come before then, but if not it looks like my next update will be from the Hospital!

39 week update - Mini Watermelon (again, ha)
Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

38 Weeks!

Nope, no baby yet!  I get asked this question a lot and I am now ready for little Em to come any day!  I've been getting more and more uncomfortable, probably just from the size of my tummy!  I had a breastfeeding class this week.  It was pretty informative and I was 1 of 2 other lone mommies as everyone else brought their significant others.  It was pretty funny because the teacher would say something about your partner being in the delivery room and then would glance over at me and the other girl and quickly correct herself by adding "or your mom or friend...", ha kinda awkward :).  I also had another Drs appt (I have weekly appt now until she comes) and I progressed a little bit to 1 cm dilated and about 50% effaced.  I talked to my Dr about induction dates and we set up a "reservation" for the 24th!  Its not a final date though and if the Dr feels like my body isn't ready for an induction then she said she'll want to push it back a week to give it some more time.  So whenever you want to come Emily we'll be ready for you!!

38 week update - Length of a Leek!
Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like 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.)

36 and 37 Weeks!

First off let me apologize to my avid readers (mostly gma e) for not updating last week.  Work has been hectic so I totally forgot to update for week 36!  I'll list the babycenter.com update below along with the 37 one :).  Its becoming a bit surreal that I will shortly have a baby.  I was so anxious to get to this point the whole pregnancy but its finally really hitting me that "woah, my life/our lives, are totally going to change in 2 to 3 weeks!"  This past weekend we had our birthing class (lamaze etc), it was an all day affair where I didn't learn a whole lot of new things except some breathing techniques.  Then on Wednesday I had my GBS test (which came back +, boooo) and my first check.  Not dilated at all but she said I have a "very soft" cervix...whatever that means.  I only know % of effacement, ha!  I also found out that the most my Dr will let me go over my due date is 1 week...so sorry Jill your guess on due date will not be met, ha!  I'm actually considering having her induce me on my due date so that I have my time in the hospital over the weekend when Brett wont be wasting time off sitting around while nurses help with everything but we'll see what works out, Id still prefer to go a little bit early since I have a fear this baby is going to be big (see photo below).

36 week update - Crenshaw melon!
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her 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 her 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 she's in a head-down position. But if she 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 her from the outside of your belly.

37 week update - Small Watermelon!
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 (like a stalk 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

35 Weeks!

I had another Dr's appt this week.  Another 2 min in and out job, ha.  I told Brett that I wished I got paid $100 for 2 min of work!  Oh well I guess she deserves it :)  She felt around and said that baby is head down so that's good!  I had a PT appt this week as well and she said that my joints feel good and loose so that the baby will be able to move down the birth canal well so more good news I guess, ha!

35 week update - Honeydew melon!
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 (pick up 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.

34.4 Week Update

I thought I would share a picture I took this morning, please excuse the blurriness.  I guess I'd agree that I have "dropped" a bit.

34 Weeks!

I had another baby shower this weekend for my friends and baby Emily was once again spoiled to the max!  I received so many great presents from such loving people!  I also have received the comment of "You look like you've dropped", which I know doesn't mean a whole lot but its hard not to get my hopes up that things are moving a long :).  I also had my first appointment for physical therapy this week.  I did not receive a maternity belt as the PT said she only recommends that for people who stand for 1/2 the day or more and since I sit all day at work she didn't think it would be very effective.  Instead she gave me a band and some stretches I'm supposed to do at work and home to help keep some of my pelvic bones in place until baby comes!  We had a packer day at work today so no picture today...I took one of me in my very tight and too small t-shirt (that went under a hoodie) and I can't get my self to post it on here, ha!

34 week update - Weight of a Cantaloupe!
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies

33 Weeks!

Yet another week closer!  I had my bi-weekly appt this week and I'm still measuring about a week ahead.  My Dr just said that if I continue to measure ahead when time gets closer she might want to take a look and see how big baby is :)  I also signed up for some physical therapy to ease some back/hip/pelvic pain I've been having.  I start next week so I'll update you if I see any improvements.  Baby is growing, my stomach is stretching to unbelievable sizes, ha and I still have 7 weeks left!  I'll try to post a picture tomorrow.

33 week update - "Heft" of a Pineapple! (Gotta love babycenter.com updates :))
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

32 Weeks!

Happy New Year!  I hit 32 weeks this past Friday.  I took some time off of work to spend time with family friends and give myself a break during the busy holiday season.  It was wonderful!!  Now New Years is upon us and I'm so very excited for 2012!!  Hopefully less than 8 weeks until baby is safely in my arms :) I CANNOT wait!  I'm very blessed with great family and friends who continue to spoil both me and baby at every chance they get.

32 week update - Large Jicama!
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.