Weekly Pictures

To Know or Not To Know...

...that has been the question.

I haven't been diligent about writing through this pregnancy, but we decided a while ago that we weren't going to find out the gender of this baby.

We didn't want to find out with Avonlea--but due to an over-eager nurse, we were told early. So, we decided that with this one, we would try again.

And it has been fun not knowing. To be able to anticipate and wonder, to thrill in the unknown. I wasn't worried about the "things" aspect. We registered for mostly gender-neutral gifts with Avonlea, and I wasn't worried about clothes, because some of our really great friends have had boys, and so I knew we would have clothes. Plus--who cares if you dress a newborn in a wrong-color onesie? You have to tell strangers what it is anyway!

There *has* been a problem with not knowing, though, and it relates to this post I wrote in December. I have found it hard to connect with this baby. Not that gender has a huge effect on that, but I think it definitely would help me to be able to connect. To get ready, to get closet space filled up, to settle on a name, to start calling the baby by something other than "Biscuit".

I mentioned this disconnect several times to Nick, and he asked if finding out the gender would be helpful for me. After thinking about it, I decided that yes, it would.

Fun fact: Did you know that we have had the ultrasound result on our refrigerator since I was 19 weeks pregnant?

And NO we didn't peek once! We decided at my 19-week ultrasound to have them put the results into an envelope--at that point, I was gung-ho about NOT looking, and Nick was 50/50 about it. We put it on the fridge, and if we decided we wanted to look, then we could.

People couldn't BELIEVE we hadn't looked at it when we told them it was on the fridge! My neighbor, Sunni, actually said she was going to come and look when we weren't there, because she wanted to know so badly! It just wasn't a temptation. With Avonlea, I found out what we were having when Nick was at work, and I didn't want to find out again without him; and when he was home, we didn't really talk about it. It honestly didn't come up.

At our 19-week appointment, the doctor saw that I had a low-lying placenta, so we had to come back at 26 weeks for another ultrasound to check on it. At the 26-week appointment, he saw that the placenta had moved up to where it should be (yay), and then checked over the rest of the baby. He moved it to the "find out" area, and then pulled the wand away--but had it there long enough that both of us thought we had seen something definitive!

Of course, a couple of hours later, I was able to talk myself out of what I had thought I had seen. :)

But anyways, because of the disconnect, we decided that we would look on Christmas Day.

Want to know what we're having?

Well, you'll just have to wait until February 3rd to find out!  'Cause we're not telling!  Feel free to leave your guesses in the comments!

(For the record, one of us guessed correctly, and one of us was surprised.)

13...er, 12 Week Update

We went to the doctor yesterday for a 13 week checkup, and we found out we were actually 12 weeks, like the Doctor previously thought.  Everything else is going swimmingly, including a cyst that showed up at the last appointment, that has now disappeared. Baby's heartbeat is strong and it is looking like an alien in the ultrasound, just like it's supposed to.

I'm feeling okay. I have days where I'm still nauseous, but they are fewer. We just recently got back from vacation and I was really feeling good the whole time. I've been sick since coming home, though.

I've popped out already--wearing full-on maternity gear already (the pants are more comfortable, anyway). My nails are doing awesomely--super long already.

Some things are definitely different, though: my skin is a mess, whereas last time it was perfect ad beautiful. My hair is slow to catch up with the awesomeness, too.

8 Week Update

(Originally written on June 27, 2014)

So, I have had a few weeks to process the news of our pregnancy. How do I feel about it now?

Well, still shocked, actually. I'm not sure if I'll ever "get over" the news. It really was so completely unexpected. It took us 3.5 years to get pregnant with Avonlea--I never imagined we wouldn't have trouble again.  I am a little happier now--still not completely so, but not angry anymore, at least.

We had our 8-week appointment and ultrasound on Monday--steady little 140 bpm. Because of this, and the measurement (around 7mm), the doctor thinks I might be a week off of my calculations--which, wouldn't be surprising, since I had NO idea when I ovulated/had my period last. But, because the kid is still SO small, they aren't entirely sure (it's really easy to be off a millimeter doing an ultrasound). We'll wait another month, do another ultrasound, and get a better measurement.

So far, I've started to have nausea again (oh, yay), which only seems to be cured by constant eating of Mexican food.  I've also had shortness of breath (which I forgot to ask the doctor about...oops).

As it is, here we are at our appointment with....our little Biscuit!

Right now, we're looking at a February 1st due date, but I'll update that if it changes at all.

Pregnancy Dreams

(First written on July 1, 2014)

The weird dreams have started.

Last night, I was slated as Kristen Bell's understudy in a new musical about Julie Andrews' life. However, there was some controversy, because at one point in Julie's life, she was a Nazi officer who becomes Peter Pan. There were thoughts among the showrunners that the musical would offend people, and thus not become a hit, so it was decided to only have one performance. I showed up for that performance, and they decided they wanted me to perform instead of Kristen, even though I had never done any stage rehearsals, and I didn't really know the lines or songs at all (weird understudy).  Julie was in the audience, giving her critiques, as well as Barbra Streisand. She was unhappy to see me in the starring role, but decided to give me a chance. If, at any point, I was not good, she would send security out to arrest me.

The whole performance, I basically did by shadowing Kristen on stage. No one seemed to see her performance, though, they only saw mine. I was also performing opposite the other male lead, Michael Fassbender. He was displeased with me taking over Kristen's role at the beginning, but he slowly warmed up to me.

By the end of the musical, Michael and I had fallen in love, and my performance in the musical was overtaking Kristen's direction for me. This was highlighted when, without any wires, I was able to do the flying Peter Pan sequences with Michael by holding on to the curtains and flying through the air (this was the coolest part of my dream).  Barbra also presented me an award in the middle of the show.

We were about to perform the big climactic musical number (the one involving Julie discovering she was a Nazi, and shedding her uniform in a blaze of song glory), and Kristen had somehow convinced Julie that I was unfit for the role (when, in fact, she was jealous that I was getting Michael's approval and doing a good job), and she had lowered the hammer on me. Security was closing in while the musical was still going on, and Michael and I were running around, trying to avoid security, while also getting on stage to do the final number. I was looking for a pair of shoes to go out on stage, when I was confronted backstage by Kristen. She was wearing the costume I was looking for, looking smug, with security around her. I dashed around her to get to the stage...

...and I woke up.

What You Need to Know About C-Sections

I've been wanting to write this post for a long time, but it wasn't until a discussion came up in a mom group on Facebook that I was reminded about it. This is not an exhaustive list, it is just what I learned and what I usually tell moms who are looking at needing a C-section.

Note: I am NOT a doctor. Don't go against any doctor's advice to do the things I am suggesting (though, i don't think anything is too outrageous!). Just a disclaimer. I don't want to get sued later or anything. :)

Before the C-Section:

• It really can't be said enough: you need to prepare yourself for the fact that your birth plan WILL NOT go according to plan. I don't think many people expect to have C-sections their first time around. Most people intend to have a vaginal birth, whether using drugs or not. I don't think a lot of people would choose to have a major abdominal surgery (I know that some do--elective C-sections are on the rise--but I still think they're a minority.). Because you probably haven't planned on a C-section, its sudden arrival will cause some emotional trauma, whether immediately felt or not. In my case, the possibility of a C-section was lurking around starting around my 18th hour of labor--but for some, it is literally a last-minute decision that is made for them. The more you prepare yourself for sudden changes before your labor begins, the less the whole C-section situation will emotionally challenge you. To my (later) dismay, I really dismissed the idea of having a C-section; I didn't even let the possibility enter my mind, and so I didn't prepare myself adequately. Don't get me wrong: you will still have emotional issues over an unplanned C-section, but you'll handle it better if you allow yourself the possibility it might happen (like I didn't).
• I'm not sure what you wear after a vaginal birth, but I only recommend packing wide-band yoga/exercise pants for post-C-section wear. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT BRING JEANS to wear home, even maternity jeans!! The area around your new scar is ridiculously sensitive, and though it seems weird, I found it much more comfortable to have something supporting the whole area than to have something flowy that could brush against it, or maternity jeans that dig into that area. No drawstrings, either!  (I recommend something like these.)
• You'll probably have packed underwear if you're not planning on a C-section, but if you end up having one, you won't want to wear your own underwear for a while.
• If you know you're going to have a C-section, go out early to the drug store and buy the biggest pads you can find. I liked the Always Maxi Overnight Heavy Flow with Wings.  Buy two packs. While you'll love the mesh undies the hospital gives you, you won't love the cheap pads that the hospital provides for you. Seriously--they end up stacking them on top of each other, which is 1000% uncomfortable.
• Ask your doctor what he/she will do to stitch you up. Will you have stitches? Glue? Tape? I highly recommend being taped up, if that is an option. You won't have to go get anything removed later, and you can keep the tape on as long as you need to. I left my tape on for much longer than I probably needed to, but I found that my scar healed incredibly well where the tape was. A friend of mine had glue, and she had a lot more problems with her recovery (and her clothes) than I did.
• You will get a dry shave from a nurse, unless you arrive having already shaved yourself. Your husband might like to help with this area!

During the C-Section:

• TRY to relax. The whole C-section process is ridiculously fast. I had 10 minutes of prep in the OR before my husband and surgeon arrived, and 2 minutes later, baby was born. 30 minutes after that, I was in recovery. Considering what is happening, that is FAST. If your C-section is an unplanned decision, the whole situation can seem like a whirlwind. Say a prayer, meditate, take deep breaths--whatever you need to do to calm yourself for the storm!
• You're going to experience one of the strangest out-of-body sensations ever. Whole-body numbness is something few can claim to understand--you will soon be one of them.
• Something I didn't do that I will ask for the next time around is for the doctor or the nurses to keep telling me what is happening. That might set your mind at ease a bit (unless you wish to remain blissfully ignorant).

After the C-Section:

• I itched like crazy coming out of the epidural. Not everyone has this reaction, but you might. I was also shaking uncontrollably. Again, not everyone has this reaction, but I certainly wasn't expecting it.
• You will be numb in your incision area for a long time. Weeks. Months. I'm a year out, and it still feels differently in that spot. I wore yoga pants for about two weeks after for comfort's sake (but I'm definitely opposed to yoga pants as everyday wear).
• Expect your scar area to look incredibly gnarly for a while. I took a scar selfie the day after my surgery, and the results were disturbing. I felt like Jack Skellington down there. But, if you take good care to wash and dry your incision area (use a hair dryer instead of rubbing with a towel), you'll end up with a beautiful battle wound you can wear with pride. Incidentally, mine is about 6 inches wide, about a hands-width down from my belly button.
• Embrace the mesh underwear. No matter what cut of undies you brought with you, they will inevitably sit right on top of your brand-new scar. Those see-through, tear-away granny panties they give you will become your new best friend. Ask for a couple of extra pairs to wear the first few days you are home. You'll be sad when they run out.
• TAKE THE POST-OP DRUGS. Don't try to be a hero. That being said, after a week or so, start to wean yourself off of them--they will make you constipated.
• Rest, as much as you can. You have a new baby, but you also had a major surgery. If you don't rest, recovery will be even harder.
• On the flip side of that, GET OUT OF BED. The more you are able to get up (do it as slowly as you need to) and walk around (do it as gingerly as you need to), the better your recovery will be. I attribute my relatively easy recovery on the fact that I was up and out of my room 3-4 times a day to go down to the NICU to see my baby. That really helped my mobility in a big way. Get a ring sling, or another wrap to wear your baby and do laps around the hallways, if that helps you.
• Laughing will hurt. A lot. Use an extra pillow to hold against your incision area if you have hilarious visitors (like I did).
• Just like in a vaginal birth, they will make you poop before you leave the hospital. While I imagine this is incredibly painful having a vaginal delivery, the thought of pushing out poop is one of the scariest things imaginable after having a C-section. Take the stool softeners they give you, but also make sure you are drinking plenty of water. I always had my nurses bring me a pitcher of water and a pitcher of ice with every meal, and I kept it refilled often.
• Make plans for someone to stay with you the first night after your baby is born. A lot of husbands go home to get some sleep--but you will definitely need help that first night. Enlist a good friend to stay if your husband can't. You will need someone to help you get out of bed, help you get the baby changed, etc. That first night after surgery is the hardest to accomplish anything on your own. (I did not have anyone stay, and it was a really hard night--I called the nurses every hour for something or another--and I was really trying not to be needy!)
• Finally, though you might be anxious to get home to your own bed, I highly recommend taking all the time they will let you have to stay in the hospital. You have people who bring you food, you have nurses on call for anything you need, you don't have to worry about piles of laundry or dishes, and you have a bed that moves up and down with the press of a button! The pull for home might be strong, but I don't regret staying that extra night in the least.

There's a book called The Essential C-Section Guide that I'll be picking up from the library or Amazon the next time I need it. I've heard great things about it.

How about you other C-section mamas?  What have you learned from experience that you pass on to other C-section mamas?

Pee Stick and Telling Nick

(Written on June 11, 2014)

So, I've had a few days to process.

I am pregnant.

I am going to have another baby.

I am going to have another baby.

I am going to have another baby.

I am going to have another baby!

(Say those sentences in a progressively louder and more hyper-sounding voice, and you'll have my inflection down perfectly.)

To say I was surprised would be an understatement.

I'm not sure why. I mean, we were having unprotected sex. Hello, that's how babies are made! I'm not sure what we were thinking on that one, other than figuring it took us so long last time that it probably wouldn't happen so easily.  Honestly, with Nick and I, we tend to just not think about it.

Wanna know a secret? We have never used a condom. Seriously. Almost 9 years of marriage, not once. No sex before marriage, so no possibility there. First 5 years of our marriage I was on birth control, and the next 3 years we were trying to have a baby. I've never opened one of those foil packets. We've never even bought any. I wouldn't have any idea where to start. I probably could've sent Nick to go get some (he would have a better idea than me, I'm guessing), but honestly, I didn't even think to ask him to. So, over the last 14 months since Avonlea has been born, we've just been....well, au naturel, as they say.

That's probably irresponsible, especially since I was so freaked out to have a baby.  But I genuinely, honestly, had NO IDEA we would have any success again. It's like the little part of my brain that remembers how babies are made just inconveniently forgot about it. And it's not like I frequent the condom aisle at the drug store, either, so as to be subtly reminded.

Over the last few weeks, I have had weird moments of thinking, "I'm pregnant." I took the pregnancy test after a couple of days of thinking, "I think I'm late." When I clipped coupons this month, I clipped some pregnancy test coupons. I was having nightmares about being pregnant. I was daydreaming about if people would think I was crazy if I called adoption agencies to give up the baby I was dreaming I had. I was relieved when feeling what I thought was my pre-period cramping, and wore a pad one night, just in case (that was a waste). When I took the test, a little voice in the back of my head said, "It's going to be positive."

I took the test while Nick was out re-enrolling in AAA for the year, and left it in the bathroom for a while, forgotten, while I looked after Avonlea. I only remembered to go in and look at it because Nick arrived home, and I didn't want to freak him out with a used pregnancy test in the bathroom.

Last time, immediately after finding that little blue line, I was a smidge disappointed (which I detailed in this post).

This time, I was downright freaked. out. Full on, horror movie levels of scared. Approximately one million and one thoughts screamed through my head at the same time: "I can't do this. I still have a baby--how can I possibly be prepared to take on another one! I've seen my friends who have a toddler and a newborn--they look like they want to go into fetal position at any moment. I can't handle that! I'm not back to my pre-baby weight! I'm going to get so incredibly fat! I can't do this. I can't DO this!"

After the fear, came the shock (and irritation): "Seriously? Again? STUPID Allison. WHY didn't you go and buy some freaking condoms?!?"

To top it off, Nick and I weren't really talking to each other very much. We were in a "fight", though we don't really have knock-down, drag-out fights. We just kind of do the silent treatment. (Nick will probably read this later and say, "We were in a fight?" That's how well we fight.)

When he got home, and I checked the test, I thought for a split second about waiting to tell him the news. Last time, I had such a cute way of telling him. But now, I was just so upset that we were in a fight that I wanted to resolve it as soon as possible.

Nick started to tell me something about the AAA thing, and all I could do was start to cry. Nick, of course, wondered what was wrong, and I apologized for my part of the fight. And then I said, "I think we have a huge problem."

I got up off the couch to go get the pregnancy test, and Nick followed me. I brought it back out to him in the hallway, and he got a huge smile on his face, and said, "Uh-oh! What does that mean?" (in a sly, I-already-know-what-it-means kind of way). I'm really glad he was smiling and happy, because I was bawling by this point.

I probably should've waited to tell him in a more fun way, but I just couldn't think of how I would get excited about it enough to be creative and happy when I told him, so I blurted it out to him over a laundry basket of dirty socks.

That sounds terrible to say. I really hope that Biscuit doesn't hate me later in life for knowing that I wasn't initially excited about his/her presence in my womb.

But above all the emotions; the fear, the worry, the shock--I never once thought that we should get rid of it. I never thought we should abort, or put it up for adoption. This is OUR BABY. And whether or not we were ready for its creation is a moot point (or, a moo point). And deep down, I was happy. Definitely not outrageously happy, but I was at least minutely pleased. In the midst of my tears on Nick's shirt, I was able to smile about the new life we had created.

Now that a few days have passed, it still hits me like a ton of bricks when I remember, again, that I am pregnant. But I also realize a little bit more each day that it really is going to be okay. God would not have given us this life if it was not meant for us. If we would not be able to handle it. It might take me a while to be 100% gung-ho about it, but that's okay.

We're going to have another baby.

And it's going to be great.

A Second Kid? Are you CRAZY??

(this post was written June 7, 2014)

I heard that after you have your first kid, people started asking you when you were going to have another one. I experienced this a little bit, but really only from people I didn't know (or my mother-in-law). See, I think it was that the people close to me knew what a traumatic experience Avonlea's babyhood was, and so they knew better than to ask me.

As time went on, among other people and among other mommies, the baby question would come up, and people would be surprised at my emphatic "NO!" when asked if we were going to have another kid.

I don't think it is a permanent "no". I just say that I need more time to recover from the trauma of the last kid. It's not the birth that traumatized me. It's the having a BABY thing that traumatized me. I love looking at babies. I love it when friends have babies. I really liked being pregnant and growing a baby. I learned that I do NOT like babies.

I also can't imagine having another kid right now, with Avonlea still so young. I imagine a 3-4 year spread between my kids. I like the 3 or 4 year spread, because they'll have one or two years together in middle and high school, but not too close together. They also won't be too far apart and grow up hating each other, like Ashley and I did with our 6.5 year spread.

I am also seeing what it is like to have a toddler and a baby first-hand. Several of my mom friends are on baby #2 with their first being around 16-20 months old. And while it's exciting in theory, I see what a toll it takes. The energy you needed for one baby is now multiplied, but the energy you're given isn't. My friends are doing an amazing job--but I spent one afternoon with one of them, and I came home saying, "We canNOT have another baby anytime soon." Just watching what it was like terrified me.

I don't do well in situations where I am overwhelmed. I tend to lose my balance mentally, and I constantly feel like I am underwater. I just don't do well. I mean, one of my extended family members told me she was going to fly to California to help me after I had Avonlea because I sounded like I was doing so badly. Did I also mention I'm not good at concealing how I really feel?

I guess you have some things figured out with your second kid that make some aspects of it a little easier. You're not dealing with the first-time Mom thing, which is huge. But on the flip-side, you're dealing with the new thing of raising another kid AND a baby.

And to be honest, I'm kind of content with our little 3-person family. I really would be completely happy if we never had another kid of our own. I did the pregnant thing. I did the baby thing. I'm happy to move on with my life. I would love to consider adoption, but that's not something Nick is interested in right now. Maybe I can work on him in that regard, but it's not something we would pursue even in the next 5 years.

All that being said, I took these pictures today:

Oh, shit.

41 Week Appointment

This was taken yesterday at Griffith Observatory. 40 weeks, 5 days. Might take a daily pic from now on, just in case.

We dropped Ashley off at the airport this morning. Sad that she couldn't be here for Avonlea's arrival, but we're both dealing with the disappointment.

Avonlea is just proving to be a little bit like her mom and dad:

Late like mom.

Cynical of traditional superstitions like dad.

Nick doesn't believe in the salad dressing/tea/walk remedies that everyone suggests. I guess Avonlea doesn't believe in them, either.

We are headed to the doctor to find out what he thinks.

Back from the doctor.

In his words, "OMG, she's a mile up there."

He did a fetal heart monitor for a while, and her heartbeat is still strong and steady.  Nick took a video:

The doc laid out our options:

1. Wait, but not for long. Next week, I will be 42 weeks, and he is uncomfortable waiting that long because of fetal distress. He suggested coming in on Wednesday to see if there is any progress, but he is doubtful, since she is so high up.

2. If there is no progress by Wednesday, schedule an induction before the end of the week, which he says, "most likely will lead to a C-Section".

3. If there is no progress by Wednesday, schedule a C-Section anyway, so that I don't go into the surgery exhausted from unproductive labor.

As you can see, he kind of favors a C-section at this point.

I made sure to let him know that I didn't want to have any interventions, and that I didn't want to have a C-section.

I guess the question is, 'What if'?  What if I wait until next Monday? I mean, what if my due date was calculated wrong? After all, I conceived sometime between July 12 and July 15--which puts my due date between the 4th and 7th. So, I'm not super overdue.

BUT, the doctor calculates from first day of last period, which puts my due date at the 2nd.

So, what if I wait? What if I don't get induced? Am I willing to take the risk? Is the Dr willing to take the risk?

3 Days Overdue

3 days overdue, and still no baby. And I feel like my life is defined by the phrase, "A watched pot never boils."

Honestly, if situations were slightly different, I would probably be okay with her not being here yet. I can have things to do.

But, my sister is here...and she leaves on Monday. My dad is here...and he leaves on Thursday.

I will feel REALLY bad if they leave and Avonlea doesn't come.

I know that this happens a lot. And maybe we should've planned their visits differently. But with babies, you have NO IDEA how to plan. Avonlea could've come early--the doc has said how big she is. But she hasn't come.

I will feel really guilty if she doesn't arrive. And I have no reasonable reason (is that appropriate English?) to feel guilty, but I will.

We have been walking--did a 2.5 mile hike today. I have had the raspberry tea. We have had sex. I have had spicy (for me) food. I have had "the" salad dressing.

She is definitely lower than she was just a couple of days ago. And I have had some cramping, but nothing consistent.

PLEASE, baby girl. Your aunt and your Papaw want to meet you. Come out for them!

THE Salad Dressing

When you get to your due date (and beyond), everyone has suggestions for you on how to get labor started.

The familiar ones get suggested most:

* have sex

* go on long walks

* eat spicy food

* drinking a certain kind of tea

But here in LA, I have gotten a different suggestion altogether.

At church on Sunday, my friend Kerry told me that I needed to go eat at this restaurant in Studio City called Caiote (pronounced the same as coyote). She said that it is known to induce labor for women. In fact, her friend went there to eat, and then a day or so later, had the baby.

Then, at the doctor on Monday, a random couple that I was seated next to in the waiting room asked me when I was due, and they suggested I go to Caiote and get the "The Salad".  She said she had heard about it, and went with her first (and second) child--and ended up going into labor within 24 hours. She actually went back to the restaurant and wrote in a book that they have there for such occasions, saying "Thanks for helping to get the process started!"

Yesterday, Ashley and I went to my friend Emily's house. Emily had her first daughter Ava about 4 months ago, and wanted to give me some of Ava's baby clothes to borrow. While I was there, she said, "I have something else for you!"  She goes into the other room, and comes out with this:

It is the "The Salad" dressing! She said, I heard about this when I was due with Ava, and when I was 3 days late, I ate some--I went into labor the next day!

Here's what the dressing says on the side (click on the picture to make it bigger so you can read it):

Well, here goes nothin'!!

39 Week Pic

37 and 38 Week Pics

A Visit to the Doctor

I find it to be incredibly rude when you arrive early or on time to an appointment at the doctor, and you still end up spending over an hour in the office--especially when your time with the doctor is about 3 minutes long. It really makes me crazy.

I had my appointment today--39 weeks, 5 days. My appointment was at 2:45. At 3:35 we got in to the room (Ashley went with me). At 3:55 the doctor came in, and at 4:00 he was done. When he was leaving, he said that I needed to go to a perinatologist to get an ultrasound to check for my size and dates.  By 4:15 I was finally getting my appointment set up for next week.

While we were in the waiting room, I made a 4:30 appointment to take Ashley with me on the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. It's one of the best tours in Los Angeles--one I have wanted to go on since moving here. Nick went with his office mates at Christmas, but I haven't been able to go! We had plans made for tomorrow, and since I had a feeling that Avonlea wouldn't come today, I figured we might as well go ahead and schedule the tour. I figured we'd be out of the office around 3:30 or so, so we would have plenty of time to get there.

The receptionist at the doctor tells me that there is a space available at the perinatologist, and I can head over there right now. Umm...were you even going to ask? I have an appointment at 4:30!  Now, if we had gotten out of the appointment in a relatively decent time, I might have been able to make it. But not at 4:15 when we're supposed to check in for our tour at 4:15. The receptionist seemed annoyed at me, and told me I would need to call them to set up another appointment. (You're annoyed at ME?)

On the way to the Studio Tour, I called the perinatologist back and asked for a different appointment. They were booked for the next week. They said to call another office to set up something with them--but they were booked for the next 2 weeks. At that point, I just said to myself, "screw it", and we headed into the WB lot.

As it turns out, the WB website didn't register my online registration. So, they set me up for a tour tomorrow, gave me $5 off per ticket, and waived my service fee. So I called the first perinatologist back AGAIN to see if they could get me in. It is 4:35 at this point. They said they were closed, but asked how long it would take for me to get there. Thankfully, in Burbank, all these places I was going to are within a 5-minute drive of each other.  So, I was able to get to the perinatologist before they closed.

And I got to see my baby girl!

The perinatologist was an awesome guy. Totally patient, even though I knew I was the very last customer of the day (and they actually kept the office open for me). He walked me through the ultrasound, pointing out her head, her little round belly, and her femur. He showed us the details of her face, and showed us as much of a 3D ultrasound as he could (she's so big--she's hiding up against my uterine wall and her arm was covering the other part of her face). He measured the amniotic fluid, to make sure that everything was still okay, and he said everything looked great.  He confirmed (again) that it is a girl, by taking a lovely shot of her labia.  Thanks, Doc. I'm sure she'll love that pic when she's older. :)  He then took a great shot of her profile--the best pic we've had yet. He mentioned that she is around 8lbs, 11oz. He commented that while she is big, she's not too big yet. He showed us a chart and she was about halfway between the "normal" and "big" line.  He mentioned how tall I am and how he doesn't think she is that big comparatively.  He'll give the info to my doctor, and he said that my doctor might talk with me about inducing if he feels like I might need it. He commented, though, that I looked really good--that my arms and legs weren't big, and that I looked like I was "all belly". Way to go, Doc!

We mentioned that we would love for her to arrive while Ashley is in town, and that maybe she's waiting for my dad to get here on Wednesday. He asked when Ashley was leaving, and when Ashley said Monday, he said, "Oh, she should be here one way or another by next Monday."

The Waiting Game

Well, we are now just waiting. All of our classes are done, our room is ready, we have diapers and a stroller and a car seat and clothes.

I've been reading like a madwoman, and have been baking/cooking some frozen meals to have ready. Tonight's prep was mini-meatloaves in a muffin pan, and they look SOOO good. Hopefully the burgers Nick is grilling will hit the spot. :)

We went today to get an adapter for our BOB stroller--it is made to hook into our BOB and is designed for our Chicco KeyFit--so we saved $75 by not needing to buy another stroller frame!  We also bought a glider chair from Craigslist for $90. It was a little more than I was expecting to spend, but I also got a much nicer glider than I was anticipating. I thought I would need to re-cover the one I bought, but this one came from a really nice home and was taken care of really well.

I am definitely more uncomfortable. If I move too quickly, I have pains. If I roll over without thinking through my technique (like, in the middle of the night), I have pains. If I stretch my legs too far apart, I feel like she's knocking on the door of my va-jay-jay. When I walk around, I find myself holding up the bottom of my belly to take pressure off. And please, oh please, don't let me sneeze!

Most of the time, her movements are a lot more uncomfortable for me now. She hits me pretty painfully on the right side. It's really bad if I wake up having been on my right side--she is so heavy over there, and I feel like that side of me is stretching out like crazy.

All of this, and I still don't feel like I'm ready. I'm not ready for her to come out, because the next part of our lives are going to start. My body is ready, but my spirit is more nervous than anything else!

Doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, so we'll see how she's doing.  And....Ashley gets here on Friday!!