36 weeks & 3 days

Just got home from this weeks doctors appointment with lost of stuff to share.
My Group B Strep test came back negative, woohoo! I am allergic to penicillin and sulfa antibiotics and most others make me VERY sick. I was really hoping to not add that to the list of labor pains.
I am 1.5 to 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced, so things are looking good!
We are going to take it week by week but my doctor estimates that Declan is about 7 to 7.5 pounds already. He is concerned about the fact that I have a small pelvic opening. He thinks the baby is at risk for shoulder dystocia. I told him that I want to have a vaginal birth and we came to the agreement that I will attempt to deliver vaginally but if things are not progressing properly I will have the c-section.
I just want what’s best for the baby. If he did get shoulder dystocia I would feel super guilty and selfish for making my baby suffer because I didn’t want a c-section. I have to think about him know, not just me.
Shoulder dystocia and/or macrosomia can cause serious life long issues if complications arise during labor. There is a possibility of injury to brachial plexus that could lead to Erb's or Klumpke's palsy. It can cause birth asphyxia, fracture of the clavicle, or cerebral palsy and other neurological sequlae.
If things don’t go naturally Doc said that we could induce as early as the 29th, in two weeks! Baby will be 39 weeks by then and ready to go! I hope he shows himself next week naturally. It will increase our chances of a natural birth and decrease his chances of injury.

36 weeks

Today was such an amazing, beautiful day! The weather was fantastic, spirits soared and Shane and I got to spend the entire day together.
For the first time in a while I had enough energy to work on the house. I tweaked with the living room decorations, dusted and swept. The room needed a nice splash of color so I finished of the feel with two vases of fresh cut lilacs and a large vase of Japanese Maple branches. Our living room has become far too neutral and brown.
Shane mowed the lawn, which happens to look fantastic after a strategic seeding in early spring. He then he fixed my car that had decided to start over heating again yesterday. Cross your fingers that it continues to stay at a nice even temperature.
We then hopped in the Benz and went in search of great deals on baby gear. This, of course, meant hunting for yard sales! The first place we went was a gold mind! I am actually kicking myself for not getting more. We got two awesome large Lamaze plush toys that can be hung from a play gym. One is a dog and the other is a butterfly both covered in all kinds of great textures, colors and sounds. We also got a nice shopping cart cover and a really cute pair of 3-6mo cargo pants. After an hour of heavy-duty wash everything looks look great, the toys actually look brand new!
The most amazing part is we got it all for only $4.50!
We search around for several hours and didn’t find any more great stuff but we enjoyed the time together.
Once we got home I was so swollen and sore I had to lay down for an hour before I could anything. Once I had a bit of energy back and had slightly human looking feet I managed to clean the kitchen, pick up the bathroom and touch up the living room.
Shane spent the rest of the time putting together yummy BBQ veggies for dinner.
I am so lucky to have Shane. He has been a godsend. He cooks me dinner all the time and he keeps the kitchen tidy. One thing that I really can’t do these days is empty the dishwasher. It just kills my back! He does it every day with out complaining and I just love it.

35 weeks 6 days

Thanks to wonderful wedding gift we received yesterday I was able to purchase a bed for Declan. After looking at MANY different options I finally decided to go with a pack’n play. When I saw this one on sale it looked like I was going to get the most for my money so I went ahead and got it. It has a bassinet and changing table. I figure it will be really nice to change any dirty diapers right there in the middle of the night instead of having to go to his room. We will have to move a couple things around in our bedroom but all and all it’s going to be a good fit.
I didn't of course realize until I got home that the thing doesnt come with sheet set. Oh well, I can get it tomorrow.
I also got some disposable changing pads to put under Declan while he sleeps to help contain any leaks in our bed. Gerber makes terrible pre-fold diapers they are thin and don’t work, but you can use them for wonderful cheap burp cloths. I was able to get 12 for $10 at Target. Not a bad deal, I don’t think I will ever need any more!
I feel so much better already! Having a place to rest Declan’s head has taken a huge weight off my shoulders. I am so happy.

Here are some pics. I am really happy with how tall it is, it should be easy for me to grab him for late night feedings.
I am not a huge fan of pooh stuff, but I think this set is just adorable!

35 weeks 4 days Super Hormonal

This is so unbelievably stressful! Here we are only a few weeks from having a baby and we don’t even have a place for him to sleep. No bassinet, no co-sleeper, no crib mattress and no money. We don’t even have any diapers for god sake. We do have 2 great bum genius pocket diapers that were an awesome gift, but two diapers doesn’t really cut it. With my crazy hormones I tear up every time I think about it. The stress is overwhelming and driving me crazy. If it wasn’t for the generosity of others we wouldn’t have a damn thing for the baby.

A big “thank you!” to everyone for all of your support!

I know in 2 weeks we will be in a better situation and will be able to buy the things we need but I am so scared we are going to have this baby before we get a chance to do the shopping. The odds are not super high but I am still scared, it could happen and then what. I will be 37 going on 38 weeks by then, cutting it a little close I think.

Sorry guys I think I have turned into the super emotional pregnant lady you always hear about.

35 weeks 3 days

We had our appointment today, all looks good, baby still has a strong heart beat at 155 bpm. We did the beta strep test and will have the results by our next appointment I am sure. Doc checked my cervix, I am 1 cm dilated and my cervix is getting nice and soft. Knowing that things are progressing makes me so happy! I have been on cloud nine all day. Doc said that I could go into labor tonight or not until after the due date, it’s anyone’s guess at this point.
We have decided to schedule a c-sec for June 4th but if my cervix looks good we will switch it to an induction. I thought my Dr was pushing for a c-sec but he told me today that ideally I will have a nice easy vaginal birth but because of the shape of my pelvis it is going to be hard getting him out. At this point we are just going to use the wait-and-see-method.
YEAH FOR BABIES!!

35 weeks

Declan has been going nuts the last couple days! He moves his legs around so frequently and rapidly he has almost knocked me of balance. Shane can see him moving my stomach all over the place. He gets the hiccups almost daily now, usually in the evening when I sit down to watch TV. I love watching and feeling him move, my little sweetheart. I can't wait to meet him, thinking about looking at his beautiful little face and holding me close just makes me glow with excitement.

Pregnancy has been a really difficult, lonely time for me. I am slightly depressed but I am sure hormones are to blame. I spend most of my time alone not knowing what to do with my self. The house is messy and I hate it but doing the smallest things like cleaning and mopping the bathroom wipes me out for the rest of the day. My hands were so swollen yesterday that I had a hard time closing my fist. I am so sore all the time that a 20 block walk round trip and an hour at the park leaves me in pain for at least a day. My back is usually on fire and often tweaking my sciatic nerve. Carpal tunnel has caused my carpals to ache making simple things like picking up a gallon of milk or unhooking my bra excruciating.

Maybe I am not cut out for this pregnancy thing.

I just want to feel like myself again.