Finally...Full Term!

37 Weeks! We have finally made it to full term. YAY! I couldn't be more excited. This week has been a really good week for us. I am so glad that we were able to see Emma again this past Monday. I didn't expect to learn that our little baby was a chunky butt though. But it's ok. I would much rather her be bigger than smaller. But it makes me feel so much better to know that everything is working the way it should and if she were born right now, she would be perfectly fine. I absolutely can not wait to meet her. The hospital bag is mostly packed. Ofcourse, there are a few things I won't be able to put in there until time to go. So, Josh and I are just anxiously awaiting. This weekend we are planning on going to the Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball game. Our family friends, John and Connie invited us to go. My whole family is going too, so it will be nice to be able to go out and spend time with all them before Emma comes. So hopefully, if I'm feeling up to it and it's not to hot we will be able to go. Then on Sunday, we are going to my Grandma Lucies house for her birthday cookout. I can't wait to go back to the doctor on Tuesday. I'm really hoping that they will go ahead and set a date for me to be induced. As most of you know, I'm a huge planner. So it would make me so happy to know when exactly I need to be at the hospital. I really hate not knowing when shes going to come. The "nesting" is driving Josh absolutely crazy. It's so bad....that I even get up out of bed and clean because I can't go to sleep until it's done. I just want the house to be clean for Emma when she gets home. I don't want her coming home to a dirty house. I plan on getting the car seat in the car sometime this weekend. We want to get it cleaned up really good too before Emma comes. I am feeling pretty good right now. Emma hasn't dropped too much yet so breathing and eating are still a little difficult. My feet are still horrible looking. They have swollen so much that they feel like they are bruised all the time. I can't complain too much though. Even though this pregnancy hasn't been the easiest, I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. I have enjoyed every minute of being able to carry this little baby. I can't wait for Josh and I to meet our little girl. I hope you all have a great Labor Day Weekend. Be Safe!

Check-Up/Ultrasound

Josh and I went to the doctor this morning for our regular check-up and also for an ultrasound. It was so exciting to be able to see her again. Everything looked really good. Her lungs, bladder, kidneys, and all those other things are functioning like they are supposed to. Her heartbeat was 147. She has even already turned herself head down so she is locked and loaded and ready to go. The reason we did the ultrasound today was to see how much she weighs. Well, I went into it thinking that she would be between 6 and 6 1/2 lbs. Boy, was I wrong. She weighs 7 lbs 3 oz already. She is a little big for her gestational age. I didn't expect that at all. When we met with the doctor she said she wanted me to see my primary physician next week so that we could discuss induction. Emma is supposed to gain a 1/2 per week so if I have to wait until 40 weeks to deliver she may be 9-10 pounds and then I might be looking at a c-section [which I do not want]. So I go back to the doctor next Tuesday and I'm hoping he will go ahead and a set a date for me to be induced. [as long as she doesn't come before then] I'm praying that it will be the end of next week. But we'll see. The doctor today also did an exam and said that I was about a fingertip dilated and also 30% effaced. So everything is going good right now. The swelling in my legs and feet has gotten so much worse. They look horrible and they hurt so bad. But it will all be over soon, and I'll probably miss it. I will post some ultrasound pictures as soon as I get them scanned.

Baby Shower

Today, a few of the girls at work threw me a shower. We all met at Monterrey's Mexican Restaurant. It was a lot of fun and we got some great stuff for Emma. We got several outfits, a play mat, blankets, and stuffed animals. We appreciate everyone who took the time to put the shower together for us.Here are a few pictures of some girls I work with who threw the shower. Jessica and Carrie Lee opening the cake
Alex and her 2 kids
Carrie Lee

36 Weeks!

We now have less than 4 weeks before our baby girl arrives. Josh and I are so excited to meet our little Emma. I have spent this week cleaning and making lists so that we are prepared when Emma decides shes ready to come. I'm trying to keep the house spotless and keep up with the all the laundry so that we won't have to come home to a dirty house. I guess the "nesting" has started. I hear thats quite common around this time. This week things have gotten even more difficult. Don't get me wrong, being pregnant has been the most amazing thing I've ever done, but I just want Emma to come. This week has probably been the roughest week as far as swelling goes. Even when I wake up, I'm already swollen. It just won't go down anymore. My legs go straight to my feet...forget the ankles. They have completely disappeared. :[ I feel so huge right now. But I guess probably all pregnant girls feel this way. Emma hasn't dropped yet so I'm finding it more difficult everyday to breathe and even eat. I can eat 3 or 4 bites of something and be completely full. They say she could drop any day now so I'm just waiting. The trips to the bathroom are increasing too. Josh likes to make fun of me because when I have to go pee really really bad, only 4 drops come out.....but then I feel better. It's so frustrating and funny all at the same time. I had to make Josh drive me all over Greensboro to try and find some clothes to hold me over for the next few weeks. I just don't have anything that fits anymore. Josh is leaving for the beach today. He is going with 3 of his friends and his brother for a "guys weekend." I'm jealous. I would love to be able to go but at 36 weeks, I'd just be miserable anyway, and plus I don't think it would be a good idea to be that far away from home. But I'm glad that he is able to go. This will be the last time he's able to go by himself. Next time, he will have a little baby to take care of. They are going to spend the weekend playing golf and fishing. I personally would just rather lay around in the bed. After Josh gets home, we are going to get the car seat in the car and also pack for the hospital. The girls at work are throwing me a shower on Sunday. We are all going to eat some mexican food. I can't wait. Everyone is getting so excited to meet Emma....especially Josh. He is really looking forward to having a "daddys little girl". He keeps telling me how he is going to teach her to play golf so they can go play together. He has also mentioned that he's not going to let me put her in a tutu. [we'll see about that] He is so afraid that I'm going to make her into a prissy little girl. As long as she is happy, thats all that matters. We are just having so much fun talking about all the things we are going to do with her and teach her. Josh and I are going to the doctor on Monday for our regular checkup and also an ultrasound. They are going to be able to tell us exactly how much she weighs and what position she is in. I'm so excited to see her and I'm anxious to see how big she is. [even though she feels like she's 20 pounds already]

35 Weeks!

Finally 35 weeks. I have been anxiously waiting to make it this far. It eases my mind a little bit to know that if Emma was born now, she wouldn't be forced to go to the NICU. This week has been as good as can be expected. I still continue to get sick sometimes and my stomach pain isn't going away. But I'm trying my best to put all that aside and just focus on me and Emma and enjoy these last few weeks. I am getting so excited to finally meet her. This week I have had the pleasure of experiencing the swollen feet and hands that goes along with pregnancy. I am actually surprised that it hasn't happened before now considering how hot it has been this summer. But my hands have gotten so swollen that they are actually going numb. Sometimes, I can go 10-15 minutes without feeling them. I can tell that I've gotten a lot bigger the past couple of weeks. I feel as big as a house. But it's all worth it in the end. Josh and I have gotten everything we need for Emma. Her room is set up and ready to go. It's so pretty too. This past week, I got all new stuff for the bed that is in her room. It turned out so good and it matches her room really well. I'm glad the weekend is finally here. I actually have the night off tonight. I usually work Friday nights but I switched shifts with someone so I have 4 nights off in a row. I'm so excited. Josh has a big weekend ahead. He was asked to roll the greens for the Wyndham Golf Championship. He gets to do that on Saturday and Sunday. It's a huge deal for him and hes so excited about it. Although, I think hes a little nervous too. I know he will do a great job. Then next weekend, Josh is going to the beach for a "guy's weekend". He is going with about 3 of his good friends. [they are all afraid that once Emma is born, he won't be able to leave the house] :]
Thats not true though. I plan on getting Emma out and about every chance I get. I want her to get use to being around people and doing different things. I am so glad we only have 5 weeks left. I am so ready for her to finally get here.

Frustrating 34 Week Check-Up!

Today I went to the doctor for my regular check-up. I thought that I was going to be able to get some answers about what we were going to do about my gall bladder and also if they were going to deliver Emma early. Well ofcourse, when you are pregnant, you do a rotation through all the doctors in the office. Today I had to see a doctor that I had never seen before and he had absolutely no clue that anything was even wrong with my gall bladder. I had to eventually ask him what we were going to do about it. He didn't even have anything in my chart that said I had done an ultrasound. So basically all he said was, we are just going to wait and see what happens. He didn't say anything about removing my gall bladder or delivering her early. He just said come back in two weeks and we'll see how things are going. It's so frustrating to me because just last week I had another doctor tell me that my gall bladder would probably need to come out after I deliver and also that because I'm so dehydrated they might induce me early. But this doctor today didn't even seem like he cared. Why is it that you can't just see the same doctor? That way they will atleast know what is going on with you. So I guess for now we are just doing the wait and see game. So Emma won't be here for atleast 2 more weeks. Which is fine with me because she needs more time to grow. I just don't know how much longer I can go with the stomach pain and the nausea. I go back to the doctor on August 25 and will have an ultrasound done too. They are going to tell me how much she weighs. I can't wait to see her. I can't believe that in less that 6 weeks Emma will be here. Josh and I are ready for her to finally get here. We can't wait!!

34 Weeks!

What can I say about this past week? It's definitely been interesting. Josh and I have been staying at my parents house since last Saturday. We've been house-sitting and dog-sitting. My whole family went to the beach for a week without me. :[ But it's ok. It's been so hot that I would have been miserable anyway. I've enjoyed spending all my time in the air-conditioning. But this past week, I have tried to do as little as possible. I am still in so much pain because of this gall bladder issue. I finally got back to work on Wednesday night. It was difficult to say the least. Most people would love a job where they could just sit for 8 hours, but not me. Sitting hurts the most and I am confined to my desk so I can't really get up and walk around whenever I please. Plus, the whole time I'm at work, I have to starve myself so that I won't get sick and have to go home. I am suppose to go to the doctor on Monday for my regular check-up. I'm hoping we can get some more answers about what we are going to do. I would like to know when and if they plan on making me deliver early and if they are going to have to remove my gall bladder. I don't want Emma to come early, but if she does, atleast we've made it to 34 weeks and she has an excellent chance on being perfectly fine. But ofcourse, working in the NICU, I've seen 34 week babies not do so good, so I want to keep her in there as long as I can. However, if I can't start eating good again and stay hydrated, it's not good for her or me. Josh has been absolutely amazing this whole pregnancy.....especially the last couple of weeks. He has done everything that I've needed him to. He also pushes me to eat and drink as much as I can. He has just done a great job taking care of his girls. He's going to be a great daddy. My goal right now is to atleast make it until the first of September. Then, I will be 37 weeks and she will be considered full-term. I am so excited that the weekend is almost here. I still have to work tonight but then I'm off for 3 nights. I'm hoping to get a lot done this weekend. We only have a few free weekends left until Emma is here.

How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average canteloupe) 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 pre-term 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.

Ups & Downs

Well, this pregnancy has definitely had its up and downs. The past couple of days have been really rough. I am still in so much pain and I can't quit throwing up. I went to the doctor yesterday and he told me that they did, in fact, see gallstones, on my ultrasound last week. So that is what all this pain in my stomach is coming from. My blood pressure was a lot better though. It was about 99/70 which is about normal for me. I am also still very dehydrated. But that is because I can't keep anything down. He gave me a prescription for Zofrain that is suppose to help with that. I just started taking it last night so it hasn't really started helping yet, but I'm hopeful. As far as my gallbladder goes, here are the options. He doesn't want to do surgery to remove it right now because I am so far along and the risk are much greater in the third trimester. So he is kind of leaving it up to me. If I can deal with the pain then I can just wait until whenever she comes and then go from there. However, if I continue to stay dehydrated and can't eat then they will go ahead and deliver her and then take my gallbladder out right after that. He said that we would discuss it more on Monday at my next appointment. Since this gallbladder thing is pregnancy related, I'm hoping and praying that maybe after Emma is born it will just go away and we won't have to do surgery. I definitely don't want to have to go into surgery as soon as my baby is born. That would be horrible. So right now, I don't really know when Emma is coming. I am almost 34 weeks right now. Next Friday is 35 weeks...which is what I've been pushing for all along. If your baby is born under 35 weeks, it automatically has to go to the NICU. Even if the baby is perfectly fine, it's just a rule they have. So I really don't want her to have to go there so I'm trying to hang in there as long as I can....especially since this is not a problem with Emma, just me. I want to keep her with me as along as possible. But I'm interested to see what they say on Monday. So I guess probably this weekend, I am going to make sure that we have everything single thing that we need for her. Right now, I have no idea when she might come and I want to be prepared. I'm hoping that I can carry her full term which is 37 weeks. But thats only 3 weeks away. I am doing my best to go to work too. I went last night and ended up throwing up 3 times on the way there, so when I got there, I had to turn around and come back home. I can't stay at work and be throwing up all the time. But I'm going to try my best to go tonight and see how I do. Sitting for long periods of time is just really painful so I know it's not going to be that fun. But we'll see. I'll keep you all updated on anything that we find out.

33 Weeks!

This week has probably been the worst week of the entire pregnancy. I am still trying to figure out what is going on with my stomach pain. I received the results of my lab work on Wednesday and everything looked normal. So I guess we are back to square 1. I'm just hoping that I will start to feel better soon so I can enjoy the last few weeks. Josh and I are getting closer and closer to being ready for Emma. We have ordered her dresser/changer and I'm hoping that it will get here soon. We have had some issues with it being out of stock and having to order it from different places. So we'll just have to wait and see how long it's going to take us to get it. This week we also got her monitor and also my diaper bag. It is so cute. The only things that she really needs is clothes and a few more blankets. Other than that, we are all ready. Josh and I are also keeping a double bed in her room and we are going to go get some new sheets, comforter, and pillows for it. I want to make it so it matches her room. We are leaving it in there because we sometimes have people come and stay with us and we want them to have somewhere comfortable to sleep. Emma can always come and sleep in our room when someone is staying with us. Not too much else has been going on this week....other than running back and forth to the doctor. I go back next Tuesday for another follow-up appointment. I feel like I live there lately.

New Diaper Bag-Vera Bradley Raspberry Fizz [it's so cute]