Welcome To the World!!!

38 Weeks 2 Days

Well, my last appointment with Dr. B was this morning and I'm still 70% effaced with no other change! FOOOEY! My belly measured 40cm, so not too far off. Bottom line is that I get to go to the hospital this afternoon at 5pm to get Cervadil, a medicine that will help soften my cervix, and at 4am they will start my Pitocin. I am sleep-deprived, so I'm going to go try to nap before we head out. Hopefully my next post will be to announce Maddie's arrival and too show off some pictures!

XOXO

38 Weeks 0 Days

The last weekly belly photo! Only three more "sleeps" until induction day! HoLy CrAp!!!

Everything is in order! Bassinet is in mommy & daddy's room, hospital bags are packed (and collecting dust)...I think the only thing left is to get the car seat strapped in!

37 Weeks 3 Days

I am scheduled for induction on

December 27th at 5am!

37 Weeks 2 Days

Well, I am still not dilated but went from 0% to 70% effaced in five days! My belly is measuring a normal 37 weeks and we're still on for the induction next Thursday; the nurse is supposed to call me tomorrow morning to give me the scoop. Dr. B will see me one last time on Wednesday and said he may just send me over to the hospital after my appointment. I really hope that I will go into labor before then because I am nervous about the contractions that come along with Pitocin. I would also like for my family to be here when Maddie comes, but everyone will be on a STINKIN' SKI TRIP while I'm being induced. I'm trying to be brave and not cry...I feel like such a wiener. I really need to quit watching all the birth shows on Discovery Health!

XOXO

37 Weeks 0 Days

My first day of maternity leave has been wonderful! My first thought this morning was that I am officially considered 'full term' today, so waking up at 4:51am wasn't completely horrible. I was up and out of bed at 5:00 and prepared a wholesome breakfast for Nonny ~ Pillsbury 'Cinnabon' Cinnamon Rolls and eggs (hey, the man needs his protein). Ever since he left for work I have been cleaning like crazy. My cabinets are clean enough to eat off of them, my dishes, pots, pans, etc. are all rewashed (dust got into the cabinets when our floors were being done), everything is reorganized (for now). I even organized both the silverware drawer and the cooking utensil drawer. I napped for an hour until our painter came to finish the hall bath and now...well, now my back is a terrible knot of sore muscles, I've got these stupid Braxton Hicks, and my ankles are swollen. I might have overdone it a little, but aside from those things I really feel great today. I moved my appointment with Dr. B from Friday to Wednesday because the more I think about it, the more irritated I am that he didn't scan me to actually measure my fluids. I really don't mean to be picky, but after working at the creme de la creme of OB/GYN clinics, I know that's exactly what we would have done. The hospital scheduling department hasn't phoned me yet either, so I need to find out what is going on with that! In the mean time, Madelyn is kicking and pushing away, content right where she is. She feels like she's higher in my belly, but I am hoping that is only my imagination. Please, God, let that be my imagination...

XOXO

Wintergate House

A worker no doubt admiring the crap-manship ~ er, I mean, craftsmanship ~ of the back patio.
'Danielsaaan, paint da fence! Uuuuuup, dooooooown...''
Our worker bees have already started demolition! I can't wait to get rid of the electric-blue paint! Sheeeeesh!

The carpet has been ripped out and tile work should begin next week. The mantle has some glitter flower design hand-painted on it by the previous owner. Stunning!
Black and white cabinets looking ghetto instead of art-deco. The cabinet faces have a rose design and the cabinet pulls and knobs are alternated black and white! Plus, laminate butcher block anyone? I think these were torn out already, too. Thank GOD!
Dining area with fashion light fixture...yes, that is indeed brown wicker!
At least the shower tiles and tubs are in good shape. The other fixtures get to hit the road.

36 Weeks 6 Days

My big belly with veins-a-plenty and indentations from the bed sheets ~ NOT stretch marks (those are conveniently covered by the shorts).


Handsome Boy Kitty (Oscar) and Missy Maya on the washer where the dogs can't get to them.


Puddy (a.k.a. 'Pudster, Pudmeister, or simply 'Pud'...her real name is Daisy) pouting after the other kitties beat her to the water bowl.

Our new tile floor and new paint! That's our living room.

Dining and entry...

Sweet Maya (after taking in excess of ten pictures, she finally looked up ~ sort of)



Tooney (Dora) and Fred Face (Fred), both with guilty faces after digging in the mud and then pawing at the door!

After another long night of tossing and turning and waking, my water hasn't broken and we're still pregnant! I prayed all night that my water would break, but then I thought about how expensive our mattress was...what a bummer that would be! I am getting ready to get some groceries, but am procrastinating since it's cold (to my Michigan readers: 50 degrees is cold in Houston...I remember what 15 degrees feels like). In the midst of taking my time this morning, I thought I'd take some photos of my animal family. They are all misbehaving today; I assume it's because they are stir-crazy from being exiled to the garage until the house is done. Work has also begun on our rent house! I'll post some of the pretty photos in a minute...

XOXO

36 Weeks 5 Days

In twelve days or less, Miss Maddie will be here.

At my last visit with Dr. B my uterus measured 37 weeks. Yesterday, I measured 41 weeks. He said that he'll see me again next week and that I'll be scheduled for an induction on December 27th (my mommy's birthday). ** Grump, please throw some lotto numbers at us ~ my mom and sister-in-law said you were adamant that Maddie would come on the 27th. I'm still hoping she'll be here sooner so that I don't have to go through the mess of an induction and I'm a little worried that Dr. B didn't scan me to check her fluid level; he simply said that my level was high at my final visit with Dr. R and that polyhydramniosis is an indication for induction. I told him that last week. He also checked me and said my cervix has not changed and that Maddie has moved out of position! Isn't that some crap!?! In a sane world, she shouldn't be able to move that much, but there's enough fluid in there that the stinker is swimming around like a fish. Bottom line? PLEASE keep your fingers crossed that my water will break sooner than the 27th! In the mean time, our floors are finished, we finally closed on our property yesterday, and I am officially on maternity leave! Woot-woot!! So, instead of relaxing today, I am getting ready to do the following:

Paint the house (again)

Rearrange furniture (which is all stuffed in the garage right now)

Rearrange the kitchen cabinets

Decorate for Christmas

Laundry (blaggghh)

Clean and re-organize the nursery (again)

Finish wrapping presents

Get all said presents off of the bedroom floor so that I can clean our bedroom

Get the bassinet into the bedroom (!!)

Get the car seat strapped into the car

...I'll be pooped and ready for a nap in an hour!

XOXO

36 Weeks 3 Days

Currently on my countdown:

3 days until Madelyn is full term

10 days until Christmas

24 days until our actual due date

For the last few days, my Braxton Hicks and cramps have been nearly intolerable while moving about, especially at work. I've tried so hard to stay on my feet, but I am ecstatic that today was my last day of surgery and tomorrow is my last half day. My scrub pants were getting so tight around the waist that I gave in and wore my black dress pants for the last two days...not pretty, but it was 100% more comfortable! I would have loved to have been able to wheel myself around the office in our wheelchair or have rented one of those scooters that some older folks use ~ all of the muscles, joints, bones, etc. in the lower half of my body are on vacation and just doing something as simple as standing up is torturous. Ahhhh, but our Maddie is coming soon so I will try to refrain from further whining! Tomorrow I will see Dr. B and I am hoping again this week that he will tell me good news. I never in my life thought I'd be this excited to have a pelvic exam; if Dr. B does not check me for progress tomorrow, I will resort to begging. Every morning this week I've come awake with the thought, 'My God, today could be the day.' Wild to think about, huh? We are scheduled (again) to close on our new investment property, so I'm hoping that we can at least hold off until all the paperwork is signed! Our floors will be sealed and finished tomorrow as well, so I can finally start putting up our Christmas decorations. This will be a good weekend.

Anyhow, keep your fingers crossed for me that we'll go into labor this coming week!

XOXO

36 Weeks 1 Day

I am dying.

Every bone in my body hurts, every muscle is achy...it hurts to stand, it hurts to sit; I just want to lay in bed and eat donuts (did I say donuts? I meant salad). I wake up at least three times each night and lay there, wide awake, for more than an hour ~ sometimes two. When I do sleep, I am plagued by strange dreams (which have all recently revolved around strange baby scenarios and tend to take place near either rivers, lakes, or oceans). I can hardly bend over to wrap Christmas gifts (when I try, Maddie squirms in my tummy to let me know that she's being squished), I have to lasso my sock onto my foot when I'm getting ready in the morning because I can't reach, and FORGET about shoes that have to be zipped or tied 'cuz that ain't happenin'! My feet are sooo far away! I keep telling Miss Maddie that time's up (yes, out loud), but she is content where she is. My only comfort is that she can't stay in there forever, although sometimes I'm not so sure...

XOXO

35 Weeks 6 Days

(Sorry for the panty-shot, but hey - at least I've got some on!)

I think that I've been having contractions this morning, but I'm not sure. They feel sort of like Braxton Hicks, but are painful across the top of my belly instead of just feeling tight ~ almost a sharp pain. I don't want to be the woman who runs to the hospital every time she thinks labor is starting, but I also don't want to wait to see if it'll stop and end up delivering in the car! Isn't there a happy medium for the first time mommy? I guess I'll keep y'all posted.

XOXO

Update, 8pm:

Well, I walked and walked to no avail ~ I'm feeling better with only plain old practice contractions. The good news? I finished my Christmas shopping. Uggghhhhh...

35 Weeks 4 Days

My check up appointment with Dr. B was today and it went well. My belly is measuring 37 weeks and I was given the 'go ahead' to start trying to naturally induce labor. Dr. B reminded me that the things suggested to bring on contractions and cervical softening don't always work, so not to get my hopes up. I get to follow up with him next Friday and he said he'd hopefully see me in the hospital the week after that. I've also been having mild Braxton Hicks contractions all day; nothing regular, but they're uncomfortable. I had one earlier with some shooting back pain, which got my attention! I hope the real ones are not as horrible as I anticipate them to be. I guess I'll be finding out soon enough, eh?! We also met with our pediatrician for the first time and she seems like a great woman. I'm trying to make sure all of the doctors are on the same page so that nothing gets overlooked as far as Maddie's kidney issue and treatment. There is so much to be done! Aside from a zillion doctor appointments, we're getting ready to close on another house (which is always a mess) and are getting our floors replaced this weekend. The guy doing our tile does awesome work, but he moves like a snail. I am dying to put up our Christmas tree and decorations, but I have to wait for him to finish. Arrrrgggggg! Next week is my last before I go on maternity leave from work, so maybe I'll have the energy to do it then. Watch me waste my pre-labor energy surge putting up stinking Christmas lights instead of cleaning.

Don't tell my husband I said that... (love you, baby!)

XOXO

34 Weeks 6 Days

This weekend was Nonny's Christmas party and I really had a good time. Usually I am quiet and shy, but after being motivated this last week to 'kill em with kindness', I threw caution to the wind and mingled all night! No alcohol, no cigarettes, no crutch to ease the old social anxiety monster. It was extremely liberating; the last time I felt that self assured was in the 6th grade, I think. I got compliments on my sparkly blouse from everyone ~ even a stranger! I felt like a life-sized Christmas ornament, but I felt pretty (for the first time in 8 1/2 months). Anyway, the company put everyone up in nice rooms at the Sheraton Galleria (so the drunkards didn't have to drive home). We all met at the hotel lounge before the limousine/bus came to take us out to dinner at Hugo's, which serves a really nice south American cuisine. I ate scallops (well, I ate 1 and got full ~ my sweet husband ate most of the leftovers) served over spinach and sweet cornbread, and topped with a sweet sauce. Apparently it had a LOT of salt, because my fingers and wrists looked like balloons twenty minutes later. Then, we were off to Dave and Busters to play pool (I kicked butt, even though trying to shoot with my belly resting on the table was awkward). Half way through dinner, I started getting those same bad cramps as I had before Thanksgiving. I managed to stay out and about until midnight, but the cramps started getting so uncomfortable that Nonny and I went back to the hotel. Earlier in the day, my love asked if I wanted to bring my hospital gear just in case, and at 4am, I wondered if that wasn't such a bad idea. The pain was enough to wake me up and put me into near panic mode. I timed them at around three minutes long and five to six minutes apart (my cell phone has a stopwatch). After about an hour or so they started to ease up enough to fall back asleep, but it got a little scary there for a minute. Maybe I was a little dehydrated, had too much sodium...it was interesting. Thankfully it has been better today, but it got me thinking that in just two weeks, I'll be full term and could go into labor at any time. All this waiting and anticipation is killing me!
XOXO