38 Weeks ... So much for March 20th!

37 Weeks and Counting

We've reached the full-term mark this week! Last week we really thought that we were going to meet Charlotte after having multiple days of 5-10 minute apart contractions that lasted for 8 hour stretches. But no... this baby apparently is not only stubborn but has a flair for the dramatic as well! At the doctor appointment today I found out that I'm 4-5 cm dilated. Hooray for at least a little progress! Her heartbeat measured 152 bpm and she had hiccups during the whole exam. I'm also more than 80% effaced and she's moved to station 1+ meaning she's dropped pretty darn low in my pelvis. It's hard to pull my shirts all the way over my belly now that she's so low! I had no clue what station 1+ meant so for all of you who also aren't familiar with some of the baby labor lingo...

"Progress in labor is assessed by means of several parameters, namely cervical consistency (soft to firm), cervical effacement (shortening), cervical position (posterior, anterior, or mid), cervical dilatation (0 to 10 cm) and station (-4 which is just coming into the pelvis to +4 station which is ready to be born). When the top of the fetal head (or other presenting part as in a breech presentation), arrives at the level of the ischial spines, the baby is said to be at 0 station or "engaged.” Primigravidas (women having their first baby) typically engage before labor and may enter labor at -1, 0 or even +1 station."

So all in all... things are moving along! As much as both of us have loved every minute of our pregnancy and have had the best time being surprised and excited by each new stage of the baby's development, now that early labor has begun, life isn't too comfortable. Thomas has been awesome at keeping me positive and encouraging me to continue to enjoy the last few days of pregnancy. As frustrated as I was last week, I know that without his positive perspective I would have gone completely bananas. This week I've been much less discouraged and we've been enjoying our last few days of 'family of two' time by going to the movie theater, eating out and running other miscellaneous errands that might be tough in the first few weeks after she's born. Thomas has bet that she'll be born on the 20th so wish us luck!

35 Weeks... Coming so soon?

Starting Wednesday, I began to have a lot of contractions that I thought were just Braxton Hicks contractions along with a backache and stomachache. Come to find out at my weekly ob appointment on Friday, these weren't just false labor contractions! I'm 3 1/2 cm dilated already! Our doctor would like for us to at least make it to 36 weeks, which is Monday, before she is born. At that point, they won't stop labor from progressing. What happened to April 6th?!

Since then, we've been going about business as usual - Thomas had been wanting to play paintball so we spent some time doing that last night. There might not be many other opportunities in the near future! Today, I ran a few errands and had a lunch date. Somehow my errand ended up with me buying house plants. Apparently, that's how I nest. :o) Thomas has reserves this weekend but is on high alert in case things start moving along. Tomorrow I think I'll just take it easy and hopefully get some extra rest. That's if I can stop myself from obsessing about cleaning the house. Maybe I'll paint my nails... Goodness knows when I'll have time or energy to do that once she's born. Still having a few contractions and the backache hasn't gone away. No baby yet! I guess we're not getting that April baby though... This little girl is all about March.

34 Weeks

We had our 34 week doctor appointment today. Doctor says everything is looking great! Her heartbeat measured 133 pbm. She probably weighs close to 5 pounds this week and is about 18 inches long. It's much easier to tell that she's sleeping in regular cycles. There are definitely quiet periods and periods where she's awake and super active. Now that she's so big, there's a lot less room for her to manuever around so rather than the rolling movements I felt a few weeks ago, I feel more pokes and jabs now. She goes really crazy if I lie on my side. My stomach looks like there are fireworks inside she's so active! At least twice a day she gets the hiccups which is pretty entertaining and her latest thing is to push her booty right up to my ribs. Usually, she doesn't try to go underneath my ribs which I'm thankful for, but when she's right below my ribs it's tough to sit comfortably unless I keep my back completely straight. Thankfully, if I push her down a little she'll stay down for at least a few minutes before trying again. It's turned into our first little battle of wills!

We're finishing up last minute details to try to be prepared if she comes early. Her clothes and sheets are all washed, I have my list of things to take to the hospital all ready to go and next week we're going to make a trip to the hospital to make sure we know where to go. I took a hair bow making class a few weeks ago so I've been having tons of fun picking out ribbon and finding little embellishments to add to the bows I'm making. I should go into business! In the boutiques these tiny things are priced at $16 or more!

Week 32 ultrasound and doctor visit

On Wednesday, Feb 13th, we had a doctor's visit and ultrasound. The ultrasound lady was great and explained every measurement that she was taking and that everything looked perfectly normal and healthy. Charlotte is still a girl! I was a little concerned that maybe they'd made a mistake at our 18 wk ultrasound and Charlotte cerainly would not be a great name for a boy... She's so big now! It looks like she weighs about 4 pounds now and measures about 19 inches long. Thomas and I were both pretty long babies so I have a feeling that she's going to keep growing in the next few weeks. It was really tough to distinguish all of her different body parts now that she's filling up so much of the available space in my uterus. We kept thinking we were looking at her face it then we'd find out that we were looking at her back or her belly or her little booty! The tech did say that it looks like she has a big noggin so please, no one mention it if she is born looking like a bobblehead. :o) Her heartbeat measured 124 bpm and whenever we looked at her face she looked like she was holding onto and kissing the placenta. Pretty funny! I'm still feeling really good aside from needing afternoon naps and getting pretty sore. Thomas loves to put his head on my belly & talk to Charlotte and she seems to respond to his voice! Often, when he talks to her she'll move towards him & push out right where he's talking. The picture is hard to see but it's showing the bottom of her foot in the top left corner.