36+ weeks and counting.....

She had better come out before June. I had a doctor's appointment today, and other than her being nice and low, nothing has changed. I was hoping for something, anything, like a "wow, you're going to have this baby in a week," or "not long now..." but no. Now that it's gotten to go-time, she's going to stay put. All I ask is that she's born before Mother's Day, so I can be not huge and pregnant. Again, I think it's wishful thinking. I measured small again, and I asked if she was big enough for the zillionth time. In response, the doctor scheduled an ultrasound for Thursday, just to check things out. I'm hoping it's just so that I quit asking, not because he thinks that she's actually too small. I am torn between freaked out and excited, because I'm worried that she's too small (although judging by my weight gain/size/uncomfortable-ness, she's not, just low), but it means we get to see her again!

Otherwise, nothing new. Still contracting at random, which is really fun. No, really. It's great. Non-productive contractions are my new favorite thing. Ahem. Still working, although that's a sore spot lately--I can't just sit around here for the next however long and wait, and I love working, so I'm going to keep going until I can't anymore. Or until I decide I've had enough. I've been writing mini-sub plans daily, just in case, and I have all of my long-term stuff ready, so if I have to go, it's not a big deal. I have kids that are almost in tears at the idea of me leaving them before the end of the year, and a kid that was actually in tears last week when I left to go to the hospital. It's hard for me to leave. And yes, that does make me a workaholic. I like to say dedicated. It's more the fact that I'm a control freak, because I can't stand the idea of someone else in my room touching my stuff.



Against my better judgement, I'm going to post the picture Al took of my belly at 36 weeks. It's gross and huge, but I guess I'm supossed to be at this point. I can't beleive my belly can stretch this far.

Also, because we all know it's true.....

Is it ok for me to just have this baby already?

I know this might come as a surprise to some of you, but I'm really not a fan of pregnancy. This was only compounded yesterday. Before the panic ensues, everything is ok. Rhia is fine, I'm fine, and I've finally calmed down from the medication they gave me at the hospital. But seriously--I just want to get to where it's ok for her to be born and get this part over with.

Sunday night I woke up feeling a bit off--the little practice contractions I'd been having were getting more frequent and annoying, to the point where they actually woke me up. I managed to get back to sleep, because I figured they weren't a big deal, and when I woke up for work yesterday I felt fine. So I got up, went to work, and about an hour after I got there they started up again. They were pretty frequent, so I emailed my friend Maggie about it, and she told me to start timing them (she just had a baby in January, so she's been my guru). So I kept an eye on them all morning, and they were happening pretty frequently (every 4-5 minutes or so). They'd do that for a bit, then go away, then come back. She convinced me to call the doctor's office, and the doctor was out of town, so they transferred me to the hospital. When I told them what was going on, the nurse told me I needed to be there ASAP to be monitored. Note that this involves finding a sub, getting someone to come get me (which meant tracking Al down since he didn't answer his cell phone), and getting to the hospital. I finally got to the hospital at 1:00 (after calling them at 11:00), and was still having contractions the whole way to Ellensburg. They hooked me up to a monitor and whatnot, and Rhia's heartbeat was really high (170, as opposed to her usual 140). They picked up some little contractions, but they were still pretty frequent, so after about 2 hours they gave me a shot of this medication to stop them. It was like drinking about 5 pots of coffee, but it did stop them. I just shook and jittered really really badly for the rest of the day. It was not fun. So eventually they let me go home, but I'm on bedrest at the moment, and I have a doctor's appointment at 10:45 to meet with my doctor (since he did get back into town) and I guess we'll go from there. I'm guessing I'm not going back to work--I just have a hunch. Which upsets me, because I was not ready to be done yet--I thought I had at least a couple more weeks to get things sorted out. The good news is that the contractions weren't doing anything yet, they were just there, so she's not coming yet. I have a feeling she's just going to psyche us out 60 times, then be born 2 weeks late. It's still too early for her--37 weeks is full-term, so I want to make it at least that far, which is only another week and a half. The doctor I had yesterday told me that she'd be just fine if she were born now, just small, but I'd still rather her bake a little bit longer--at least until next weekend (and hopefully it will quit snowing so that her grandparents can get here! Seriously, Montana!). So, for now, I'm waiting to go to the doctor to find out more. My stomach is really sore, it feels like I've been doing situps, which is I'm guessing from all the contracting yesterday. I'm still getting them, but not like I was yesterday, so we'll see. I'll update after my appointment today.

At least I got everything washed and completely ready over the weekend--maybe subconsciously I knew?

****Update after doctor's appointment*****
Everything still looked ok, and he's letting me go back to work tomorrow! He told me that some women just contract, and that there's not a whole lot of reason for it, but it happens. If it gets like it was yesterday, then I need to go in and get checked out again, but otherwise just my weekly checks until she's born. I could either sit around here and wait and be bored, or continue with my normal stuff--I opted for continuing (probably much to Al's dismay). So all is good, thankfully.

34 weeks

It is supossed to be 75 and sunny here today! Yay!! My updates are really boring, I apologize. Went to the doctor yesterday, all is still good. I go back in two weeks, and then weekly after that--because from that appointment on I'm in the green zone for going into labor and he's going to check me every week to see if there's progress! So instead of being scary and uh-oh, it's a good thing if I start to progress labor-wise! :-) Well, in two weeks. But he told me yesterday that this is the last week I'd get sent to Yakima if I had her (and really just as precautionary)! So yay for that! Hearbeat still good, and I'm measuring bigger, so she's growing. Apparently she's supossed to be around 5 lbs now, which isn't much smaller than Al was when he was born. A lot smaller than I was, but I'd rather have her be closer to Al's size than mine when she's born. I was a big, painful baby, from what I hear.

We got the carseat/stroller thing on Thursday from Kim and Charlie, so we need to put that together today when Al gets back from Spokane (he's been at a conference for history stuff since Thursday)--then figure out how to put a carseat in a vehicle. :-\ After that, I think we are completely ready! I'm going to try to get a bag put together for the hospital, just in case, and otherwise we just wait! Well, and work/finish thesis/enjoy our last few weeks together as just us. As of now, I'm working up until at least the 2nd of May--from then on we'll see. I am getting pretty fried with the work, mainly because of people at work, WASL testing, and being up and about for far too many hours per day--even if I'm sitting/taking it easy-ish while I'm there, it's still a long day.

So, the real reason anyone actually comes to my blog, the picture of the belly with only 3-6 weeks to go, and the bassinet with the pretty girly-cover. :-)

33 weeks down, 4 to go! (or, if you're my mom, 8)

Spring break is almost over, much to my dismay. I have thoroughly enjoyed doing nothing for the last week. It's going to be really hard to get up and get going on Monday. Blagh.

Today is 33 weeks--four weeks until full-term. Almost there. A couple of days ago I woke up and my belly seemed smaller--Al noticed it too, so I did some research, and apparently it means that she's dropping lower and getting ready to be born! I went to the doctor yesterday, as there was some funky pressure on my hips (and I'm supossed to call them if that happens). He said everything still looked good, but her head was down low low again--however, now I'm far enough along that he's not worried about it. So I'm feeling pressure because her head is way down, but she's supossed to start doing that now, so all is well. I have to make it to 36 weeks in order for her to be born in Ellensburg and not have to go to Yakima (we don't have the facilities here for preterm babies)--which is only three weeks away! I would much rather her stay put until 37 weeks, but after that she's welcome to make an appearence. I read that babies can drop 4-6 weeks before delivery in first-time moms, so I'm not too worried. So, in all reality, our baby could very well be born in 3-4 weeks. Eeeks. That is not long at all. Al is pretty worried about finishing his thesis before she gets here--he still has an intro/conclusion to write, so hopefully he can get that done in the near future. Or at least near-done. This is all getting pretty close/real.

And a 33 week picture--I don't think I've grown much--I thought I'd be much bigger by now--I've felt that way the whole time, as I didn't really show much until I was 6 months--although I do feel huge and I have gained 25 lbs during this pregnancy.....I outweight most MLB pitchers at this point. Blagh.

also.....

Pictures from Mom and Mark's visit.


Mom and Rhia's little going-home sweater.

Family picture(ish)--is it just me or does Al look a little afraid? Maybe it's because he's camera shy....This is one of the only non-side-pose pictures of me pregnant(and the one below). I have learned that whales do not like to have their pictures taken. :-)

me and Mom after a day of shopping. Usually we're relatively close to the same size. Eghads.

It's April!

....and the fact that it's April means that I'm due next month! A month from now, Rhia could be born and be perfectly fine (and despite what Mom says, she will not wait until June--because I say so). If I could jump up and down with glee for this whole pregnancy thing being close to done, I would. But since I can't, I'll just clap my hands and grin with glee. I am so over being pregnant. I feel a bit guilty saying that--but it's not because I'm not excited about the end product--I am very excited about it, and I want her to stay put until she can come out healthy--I'm just tired of wanting to moo every time I walk, not being able to breathe, not having pants that fit (even my maternity ones are getting on the verge of tight), not sleeping on my stomach, not being able to have a glass of wine, and just generally not feeling human.