Update:
We had another doctor’s appointment yesterday and things are moving along. I am now 3 cm dilated but still 80% effaced. The new plan: the doctor is going to set up an induction for me one day next week, but hopefully I will go into labor on my own over the weekend. After the doctor’s visit Shane and I went to the mall and walked around for an hour. We are going to do the same tonight. They say it is going to snow on Saturday so maybe that will send me into labor.

Not much to report.
I know this will be my last Monday at work. We are closed next week and my doctor won’t let me go over my due date that long. I am feeling big and uncomfortable to be honest. It isn’t the end of the world but I am ready for normal breathing and stuff like getting up or out of bed without help. I am doing everything in my power to speed things up. I was at the gym this morning hoping to walk myself into labor. My next doctor’s visit is Thursday. Hopefully he will have better news at that visit.

Your Baby: Preparing For Labor
Fully developed and ready for birth, your baby will weigh somewhere between 6 and 9 pounds and will measure between 18 and 21 inches in length. When labor starts, your baby's body shifts gears to prepare for the journey. The fluid in the lungs is absorbed, airing out the lungs in preparation for breathing. The fetal hormones are on the rise to help maintain blood pressure and blood sugar levels after birth. It's showtime!

The people I work with are so nice. They knew I was bummed about being at work today and not at the hospital in labor so they got me this pretzel! Can you guess what it is?

Update
My parents made it home safely yesterday and I am sure they were shocked by the temperature change. My doctor’s visit was not as exciting as my parents return. I am dilated to 2.5 cm and 80% effaced. So, things are still happening, I just wanted them to happen a little faster. But, after about 3 hours of being bummed out I am over it. I am not that uncomfortable (it could always be worse). I enjoyed a bowl of cookies n’ cream ice cream last night, because I lost another pound (nothing to worry about) . I slept pretty well last night and I know this baby will come when it is good and ready.

I thought maybe I would be at the hospital today.

Yesterday after lunch I started having contractions. I had a few in the afternoon and several in the evening. A few of them were pretty intense. But, at 8 pm them stopped. Isn’t the human body weird? I have had a few contractions today but nothing worth noting. I have another doctor’s appointment on Thursday so we will see if we are any closer. Also, my parents will be home Thursday at 4 so this little baby can come anytime after that. At least the contractions from yesterday got Shane to pack his bag. Wouldn’t it be nice if I had the baby on Friday got to stay in the hospital over the weekend then go home on Monday. Shane gets the week off then we have the weekend again before he has to go back to work. (no pressure little baby but I think you can make it happen)
If you are at home tonight at 7 watch Bones on Fox. You won’t be sorry.

Your Baby: Reaching Full-term
During the last couple weeks of pregnancy, your baby might gain a very small amount of weight or may stop gaining at all. Now considered full-term, your little one may weigh anywhere from 6 to 9 pounds and measure 18 to 21 inches long.

We made it through the weekend with no baby. I tried to rest as much as possible but it is hard to rest when you know the baby could be here at anytime. I am still feeling good. I am having contractions every once and a while and I am feeling pressure.

Report from doctor’s visit on 2/1/07:
I am currently 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced. For those of you that don’t know what that means read below. Dr. H seems pretty sure I won’t make it to my original due date 2/19/07. I would like to wait for my parents to get home so I am taking it easy for the next week. That means no exercise! Can you imagine being told not to exercise? I slept into day and it was weird not going to the gym and not feeling guilty about it.

Cervical effacement and dilatation
As labor nears, the cervix begins to thin or stretch (efface) and open (dilate) to prepare for the passage of the baby through the birth canal (vagina). How fast the cervix thins and opens varies from woman to woman. In some women, the cervix may efface and dilate slowly over a period of weeks. A first-time mother often will not dilate until active labor begins.
Late in your pregnancy, your health professional will manually check (wearing sterile gloves) how much your cervix has effaced and dilated.
Effacement
As the baby''s head drops down into the pelvis, it pushes against the cervix and causes the cervix to relax and thin out, or efface.
See an illustration of cervical effacement .
Throughout your pregnancy your cervix has been tightly closed and protected by a plug of mucus. When the cervix effaces, the mucus plug is loosened and passes out of the vagina. The mucus may be tinged with blood. This passage of the mucus plug is called "show" or "bloody show." You may or may not notice when the mucus plug passes.
Effacement is described as a percentage. For example, if your cervix is not effaced at all, it is 0% effaced. If the cervix has completely thinned, it is 100% effaced.
Dilatation
After the cervix begins to efface, it will also begin to open (cervical dilatation).
Cervical dilatation is expressed in centimeters from 0 to 10. Zero means that the cervix is closed, and 10 means that it is completely dilated.

I have been feeling a little less than certain I wanted the first name to be Reed, if we have a girl. For some reason it just doesn’t feel like a name to me. I kept it to myself for a while but then I was like -wait a minute this is my kid I better feel 100% about the name. I finally said something to Shane and he was fine with either using Reed or thinking about a different name. So, we started thinking and every name I liked he did and the names he liked I didn’t. Until we said Samantha Reed. We both like that name. Shane likes the idea of a cool nickname like Sam and I have loved the name Samantha. There you have it…. Henry or Samantha.
Just thought you might want to know.
Next doctor’s visit is Thursday I will update everyone on Friday.

Your Baby: Growing Everyday
Just a few weeks before your due date, your baby averages around 6 1/2 pounds and measures anywhere from 18-21 inches long. During these last days inside the uterus, your baby continues to grow and mature. The fine touches are taking place now in preparation for the journey out into the new world!

As anxious as you may be to meet your baby face-to-face, you still have a little time left to feel him flutter about inside you. Each time he kicks or jabs you with an elbow, stop for a second and put your hand on your stomach to memorize the movement and record it in your head. It's a precious time, and who knows if and when it will happen again?

Your Body: Gearing Up For Delivery
As you near the end of your pregnancy, you may start noticing signs and feeling symptoms of false labor. They can set in one month or one day before you actually give birth -- only time will tell. The question is, how will you know when it's real -- and when it's not?
Generally, your health care provider will be able to tell if you are in labor by looking at your cervix to determine if you are effaced and dilated. Often, it can be difficult to tell whether you are in true labor or having false labor. The following are some tips that may help you to distinguish true labor from false labor:
The Real Thing (True Labor)
After timing the contractions, you determine that they are coming consistently and getting closer together.
Each contraction is lasting anywhere from 30-70 seconds getting longer.
The contractions do not go away even if you change your level of activity.
Usually with true labor, the contractions have a radiating feeling in your lower back and upper abdomen.
The intensity of the contractions becomes greater as time progresses.
False Start (False Labor)
The contractions continue to be irregular or have a sporadic pattern.
There is no consistent length or intensity of contractions and no pattern develops.
No clear change or increase in the intensity of the contractions.
May feel the contraction lower in abdomen without the radiation feeling.
Changing activities affects the contractions.
Remember the list above includes the most common findings between true and false labor, but every woman is different. You may still be unclear whether you are in true labor, and it always better to call your health care provider or go to the hospital for guidance.
On Note: On A Scale Of 1 To 10
If your friends continually regale you with the details of their deliveries and you have yet to experience it firsthand, this Cervical Changes During Labor simulator is a must-see. Dynamic and detailed, the two images show a cross-section of female reproductive system and a frontal view of a woman's cervix. As you move the bar at the bottom of the scale, you will see how a cervix dilates from 1 to 10 centimeters.

I had another doctor’s appointment yesterday and everything is going great. I gained that pound back so I am up to 19# total, not too bad. We had what will probably be our last ultrasound yesterday and the baby looked good. The head is down and the feet are in my ribs (those cute little feet woke me up several times early this morning). I have my first pelvic exam next Thursday on the 1st so I should know a lot more than.

The cake that did me in.
I had a baby shower this weekend at my friend’s house and it was tons of fun. Thank you to all of you that were there. I just wanted to post a picture of that cake that did me in this weekend. Layers: browning, mint ice cream, fudge topping, whipped cream and last crushed Oreos. I had two pieces on Saturday and two more on Sunday. So much for that 1# I lost.

36 weeks is 9 months! We only have 4 weeks to go I am getting excited. I don't think I can wait much longer to see if this a little boy or girl.


Your Baby: Dropping Into The Birth Canal
Your little one weighs about 5 1/2 pounds (a tad over 2 kilograms) and measures approximately 17 inches or 45 centimeters tall. He has filled out so much that fat is forming creases in the neck and wrists and dimpling on the elbows and knees. That said, the closer you get to your due date, the greater the size differences in babies. To get a better idea of your baby's weight, ask your doctor to feel around your abdomen (to palpate) and approximate it.

You may have less difficulty breathing - and more of an urge to urinate - as your baby settles down into your pelvis, getting ready to descend into the birth canal at any time.

Your Body: Changes In Fetal Movement
As you start your ninth month and look down at your burgeoning belly, you might notice a passing leg or arm poke out or punch you. But sometimes, you might sense a quietness that makes you wonder just what is going on inside. By this time, your baby has become so big and takes up so much room in your uterus that he has little room to perform those amazing acrobatic stunts of months gone by.
Despite the cramped conditions, it is important to continue monitoring your baby's activity and make sure that he is moving on a daily basis. An absence of fetal activity may indicate fetal distress, or it may not mean anything more than a tired baby. Talk to your health care provider for instruction on how to monitor your baby's movements.
Note: If you do not feel your baby's movements at all or suddenly sense frantic activity, call your doctor without delay.

We had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and everything is going great. My blood pressure was very good. Much to my surprise I lost 1# since my last visit. If you know how much cake I have had in the last two weeks you would be shocked too. I had three showers and one of them sent me home with the leftover cake. Not to mention the m&ms I have to take home too. Oh well, I am sure at the next visit it will be up again. The nurse said it was nothing to be concerned about. We saw the fill in doctor just incase Dr. H can’t be at the delivery he is very nice. My next appointment is early next week.
PS I noticed for the first time that I am swelling a little.


Your Baby: The Final Touches
Nearing the ninth month, your baby weighs approximately 5 1/2 pounds (roughly 2495 g), and measures approximately 20 inches from head to toe. The baby will continue to grow, putting on about a half a pound per week until delivery.
Over the next few weeks, the organs (which are all present), are just putting on the final touches before birth.

Would you like to get in on some fun?
My work has started a pool to guess if I am having a boy (Henry) or a girl (Reed), when he or she will be born and how much they will weight in lbs and oz. If you would like to take a guess send me what you think in a comment box. If you would like to try and win some money the pool is $2.00. You can still guess without paying but if you are right you don’t win. The person that is the closest that paid will be the winner of the money.

I am due on February 19, 2007

Good luck.

Your Baby: Preparing For Arrival
Your baby gets bigger and bigger as each day passes. As of week 34, the baby weighs almost 5 pounds (2268 g), and is between 19 and 20 inches long (roughly 49 cm). There are lots of new developments in progress. The baby's skin is starting to be less wrinkled and while the hair covering the baby's skin (lanugo) is decreasing, the vernix white coating is getting thicker in preparation for the delivery.
If you've seen or felt something drip from your breasts, you're not imagining things. Pre-milk substance (colostrum) is in the making, thanks to the hormones from the placenta.

We had a doctor’s visit yesterday and everything is going great. I am up 19 pounds, which I can’t believe. You can ask the waitress at Denny’s about the French toast I had at 2:00 am on Saturday if you don’t believe me. At our next visit we get to meet our alternate for Dr. H. I doubt he could be as nice as Dr. H but we will see. At least he won’t be a stranger if he does end up delivering the baby. We go again on the 17th and then every week after that. But, I already told Dr. H that this baby can’t be born before the 9th. I have to pick my parents up from the airport on the 8th.
Guess what I saw at Target this morning? Swimsuits! That is right swimsuits.

Your Baby: Floating In Fluid
With less than two months to go, your baby weighs about 4.4 pounds (1996 grams) and is 18 inches (46 cm) long. If your baby is a boy, this is time when his testicles move into the scrotum. The baby has gotten big enough now that you may even be able to tell what part of the baby is moving or kicking such as foot, arm, and knee! There is just not as much room to move around now.

These pictures were taken on the same day. Isn't it interesting how different clothes make you look bigger or smaller? This is my 8 month picture. Only 8 weeks left until we get to meet this little baby.

I received several wonderful gifts for Christmas this year. The most surprising one was from my unborn child. As many of you know my sciatic nerve has been bothering me for about four weeks now. I have been limping around grimacing in pain from time to time. I noticed on Tuesday that it didn’t really hurt anymore it just felt slightly uncomfortable (big difference trust me) Today I don’t feel anything. I am not sure why it is gone I just hope it doesn’t come back.

Posting Early For Week 32 (Because of Christmas)

Your Baby: Nearing The Finish Line
By the eighth month, your baby is becoming her own little person. The baby weighs around 4 pounds (1800 g) and measures about 16 inches long (40 cm). She is almost ready to make an appearance. The baby has red, wrinkled skin but would likely survive easily outside the uterus at this point in time. The baby will still continue to grow inside your uterus with every body part still maturing.

Your Body: Tips And Tricks To Get Through The Workday
It's a toss up as to what wears on you more - being pregnant or working 9-5. It's no wonder that when you put the two together, you're worn out by noon and ready for bed by 7 p.m. If your bulging belly is affecting your ability to work, you may consider some of the following suggestions to help cope with your day a little better:
Take frequent short breaks during the day.
If certain times during the day seem to be worse for you, consider asking to rearrange your work hours so that you are more comfortable and productive during that period of time.
Be comfortable while at work -- wear comfortable clothes and make sure if you sit at a desk that the chair is adjusted properly for support of your lower back.
If you are on your feet working all day, consider resting one foot on a stool or something low (to relieve some of the pressure off your back) at frequent periods throughout the day.
For stress relief, use some of the relaxation techniques that you have learned in childbirth classes. This helps to relieve stressful periods during your pregnancy as well as during labor and delivery.
You may need to modify some of your activities at work later in the pregnancy if the activity requires you to lift or maintain balance because your weight change may affect your ability to perform certain activities. (It could also be dangerous to you and the baby.)
You may consider changing some of your routine activities after work to be able to take a short nap or at least rest.
Solicit help from your partner or outsource various tasks that you normally do, such as housecleaning and grocery shopping.
Take care of yourself by listening to your body. It is very important if you continue to work to recognize that you have to get enough rest and relaxation. Find solutions and you will be able to continue to work and remain healthy and happy too!