38 Weeks....

Hooray!...who ever thought we would make it this far...well not paranoid little me, thats for sure  :)
Doc confirmed today, no dilation or labor progression, baby Rohde must really like it in there and hopefully will be a good boy and stay put until the 17th when momma gets her sweet little spinal and does not feel anything, but he magically appears, like a rabbit pulled from the hat....yah, I like the sound of that.  'And for my next trick', says the doctor, "I will pull out a placenta", the crowd goes wild(oh wait, there is no crowd, well maybe there is, counting me, Jay and however many nurses they deem necessary).
Anyway, next Monday at 8am the surgery begins, which means I could be enjoying my first sushi lunch in months!  So happy I will have hospital help for 4 days, before being kicked to the curb to fend for ourselves.

On the nesting side of things, finally powered through the last 2 boxes of my clothes that needed to be housed in my new, uber small closet.  A good lesson in trying to be a minimalist(what?!).  Jr's  pak n play and sweet lamb swing  is set up...thanks Jay!  Layette is clean, crib is made (even though he wont be sleeping in it for a couple of months), diapers/wipes/bath schtuff/baby medical supplies/baby monitor....all check!
Lasagna and meatloaf made and in the freezer, so me and the hubs don't go too hungry, amidst the chaos.
Practicing getting up at all hours of the night(not by choice)....also check  :(

I think we're ready, lets do this.....1,2, 3 Baby Time!

37 Weeks

Baby Rohde has made great gains since our last sonogram...in the 40th percentile now, weighs 6lbs 10 oz.  If he gains an ounce/day until the 17th, which is normal, he will be a  sizable little man.  Yeah!

When I asked the doctor what vein baby was resting on, since I now have some fun sharp pain in my groin/inner thigh area anytime I get up, to which he replied, "does it feel like someone is stabbing you in the vagina with a knife"? ..........um,  no, doc, but you are hilarious for offering that up, at least both Jay and I thought so!

Happy to know we are back on the cord blood banking scene.  After initially submitting all the paperwork, they mailed me back stating they had met their quota for donations for the month of May, but alas, they called back to say the quota has increased and our kit is on it's way.  Perhaps our efforts will help someone in need in the future........Karma baby, Karma!

36 Weeks

Wow!...can't believe we have made it this far...shocked and pleased!   Baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day and now weighs almost 6 pounds.
At the end of this week, the baby is actually considered full-term.....AWESOME!  (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.)
We will not be having a  "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying the dr. will  try to coax the  baby into a head-down position by manipulating from the outside of  my belly.
He is staying sideways until  May 17th...hope he has not developed any womb sores from being in the same ol' boring position.  Sorry son, momma runs a tight ship w/ tight quarters.   Love you, now go to your WOMB!  :)

35 Weeks

the hits to the body just keep coming....some tough days this week!  Worked on my laptop from bed on Wed, feeling muy, muy uncomfortable....swore I was going to go into labor that night.  Jay being the smart man that he is asked if I already had a bag packed.  But of course,  my bags have been packed for my luxury 'C' cruise for a couple months now.....because I prepared for the worst, assuming I would deliver early.  Thankfully that has not been the case and we have ourselves  a Klingon, who seems pretty content w/ his tight quarters.    Today is Thursday and I  have not ventured outside of the house the last 2 days, because I don't feel I can do it...sad  :(    I'm passing the torch to Jay...to walk the dogs, figure out food, etc.
Though I guess I should mention, on the positive side of things, I have not developed the 'pregnancy mask' (melasma) and my hair is as thick as a horses mane...I NEVER lose hair in the shower.  Of course, all good things come to an end and I am prepared for the mass fallout that will come after baby has left the building, via postpartum alopecia.

How lovely:
A note to new moms with long hair: Strands of hair can end up tightly wrapped around your baby's tiny appendages, including his fingers, toes, wrists, ankles, and penis. This is called a hair tourniquet, and it can be quite painful for your little one. If you find him crying for no apparent reason, check carefully for tight bands of hair.  This still would not give me clearance from the hubs to cut my hair short.

Weighed in at 158 w/ the doctor this week....Jay better watch out, I'm catching up to him.  Things still look good, had  Group B Strep test done at this visit...guess I will soon learn if this is on my skin or not.
Need to find a cute baby memory book for those first foot/hand prints  :)

Picture was taken on Monday, before I felt too heinous to move or walk around much.  Least we forget, I am not the only one who is tired, this pregnancy has really tuckered Bohde and Brie out too!

Tatooed Eyeballs?

Good God!....what next?  Had never seen this before today.  I do like some the commentary following this YouTube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30s6d67xCFA

34 Weeks

so this is what 34 weeks looks like folks!  It was time to spring for  a comfortable dress/Moo-Moo.  After  a ridiculous, hormonal AM blowout, directed at the hubs....I needed to self soothe w/ retail therapy, to include loose, flowy, non-binding clothing and comfy, non-dowdy sleepwear(ps, none of these new items are 'maternity'..it is possible to find regular clothes that fit the bill, as long as they are cut properly).  When he arrived home later in the day, I told him I corrected my crabbiness....'and look what i bought to make me a happy, pleasant person to be around'  :)

I honestly don't know how working women do it.  Having to get 'dressed up' for work, would kill me, at this stage, I can hardly stand to have anything touching my tight, about to pop, skin.  Though big as a house, nudist colony living at this stage of the game might  even be an appealing option.

So, all is right with the world....for now, stay tuned.  Still five more weeks for drama to unfold!

Bradford Pear Trees in MO

yes, Spring is in full bloom and so beautifully visible on the Bradford Trees everywhere.  Regardless of what they say about this being a sub standard tree, it sure is pretty in bloom.  According to the 'Master Gardners',   A combination of plant physiology and physics makes the Bradford very susceptible to wind and ice damage - in fact, it's rare to see an old planting that doesn't have at least one tree missing a substantial chunk of its limbs and trunk. The angle of the Bradford's branches is generally too narrow, and as the tightly-crowded branches grow in girth, the tree begins to push itself apart. At the first strong wind or heavy ice storm, the tree self-destructs.