38 Week Appt - BIG NEWS

Monday was our 38 week check up with Dr. Judd. It went a little like this....

Greet the nurse - "Seems like I just saw you guys! Oh wait, I did!" haha we love our nurses at Dr. Judd's office! They're so friendly and helpful. We couldn't have asked for better people to help us along this journey!
Pee in a cup.. again.
Step on the scale - didn't gain anything this time. (a sign she's 'bout ready)
Talk to the nurse - I asked how long Dr. Judd will usually let you go past your due date if you go overdue. She said usually no more than a week because your placenta just isn't that great at it's job after 40 weeks. She also said in order to be induced you have to be what they call "inducable" meaning your body has to be showing signs that it is preparing for labor and delivery (dilating, effaced, etc..)
Went in to see Dr. Judd - He did a pelvic exam and declared that I am, indeed, inducable... already! We talked about our options. He said we could wait it out and see when she wants to come, or he could induce me anytime starting Nov. 1st. He suggested being induced because 1) Why would you want to be pregnant any longer than you have to? and 2) You can schedule it, go in, get your epidural, then be induced, and avoid as much pain as possible. We also discussed which hospital would best suit our needs for delivery. My insurance will cover UVRMC, Timpanogas, or Orem Community. Of the 3, Dr. Judd suggested Orem Community because they are a maternity focused hospital so they really know what they're doing. And they're only one floor so you don't ever have to move rooms.
Tiave & I chatted -  We decided to be induced on Nov. 1st so that he could plan to have plenty of time off work and so that I could finish out the week at work and still have time for last minute prep and sleep. We also decided that Orem Community was the place to be because... well, why not?
Scheduling time - We let the scheduling lady know we wanted to be induced on the first. She called us later that evening to let us know we were all set for 5 a.m. that day. Yuck. But we'll take it :) She should be here by dinner time.

Questions I keep getting:

1: Are you ready?
-Is this a trick question? I don't think you can really be "ready" for something like this. But we are as ready as we'll ever be I suppose. So... yes?
2: Do you still want her to come earlier than that?
-I thought so at first, but I'm really liking the plan we have set up and I really hope it stays the way it is.
3: Are you getting induced and going to Orem just because your Dr. said to?
-Yes and No. Yes because that would be a perfectly good reason to do what I'm doing. I trust my Dr. 100%. If I didn't... we'd have a problem. No because I did actually do my research on inductions and Orem Community hospital and came to my own opinion as well. It just so happens to match up with Dr. Judd's. So there.

So... instead of going in for our 39 week appt on Monday, we'll just meet Dr. Judd at the hospital at 5 a.m. next Thursday. We'll get checked in and comfortable. He'll give me my epidural, then an IV of oxytocin (the hormone naturally released by your body to put you into labor) We'll labor all day and she'll probably arrive just in time for dinner.
If you feel like visiting, that's probably fine. Just text me or Tiave and see how things are before you do, please :) We'd love to see everyone, but understand that it's going to be a taxing few days and we may need some time to ourselves as well.

32 weeks!

Only 8 weeks to go!

Today was our last monthly appointment! We'll see Dr. Judd again on Sept. 24th, and October 8th, then weekly until she arrives sometime around Nov. 4th!

She weighs about 3.5lbs right now and Dr. Judd estimates she'll be about 7 all cooked and done. 7 is good :) She is also head down and in a great position, so things are going just grand! She has fingernails, toenails, and real hair! (or at least some respectable peach fuzz)
As for me... I can't bend over very far, and I have heartburn all the time... This pic should explain why:

Yeah... my stomach has been flattened like a pancake, and everything is just a lil... squished. But other than that I really am feeling great! I'm blessed to be able to still be working full time, and still have energy at the end of the day to play a little bit. We'll see how long it lasts. She's supposed to double in size!

Projects coming up in the near future:

We got one of those old fashioned cribs from my Aunt for FREE! Yes, it's used. But it's sturdy solid wood and much better than any one we could find at Wal-Mart. We'll be sanding it down, and refinishing it. It'll look brand new when we're done, and I'll be satisfied with it to keep my little one safe and secure while she rests her little head. Now we need to find a bassinet.

Also, we have a prospective home in mind. If all goes well, we'll need to move in, set up the nursery, and get settled before she arrives. :/

Baby Shower will be September 29th for friends AND family. If you would like an invitation, please get me your address. If I already got it from you, don't worry about it. Yes, this counts as a project. Trust me.

Much Love to you all!

P.S.  we went camping last week and the leaves are changing all over the mountain! Prepare to welcome FALL! It will officially be upon us in 12 days!

2 down, 1 trimester to go!

We had our 7 month check up today!

Baby Girl is doing great! She's growing growing growing, her lil' heart beat is at 161bpm, and she's definitely a dancer like her daddy. Sometimes I can sit and watch my belly move with her kicks and wiggles for like 30 min at a time. Especially if Daddy is talking to her... or even just in the same room. She loves the sound of his voice.

We got tested for gestational diabetes this morning. They made me drink a thing of sugar water, then drew my blood. They'll test it at the lab today and we'll have the results by tomorrow. They said no news is good news so let's keep our fingers crossed that we don't get any calls from the Dr.'s office tomorrow.

Also, I have a nasty head cold. The kind that makes you feel like you swallowed a rock and your head is stuck in a balloon that's about to pop + a pounding headache. Awesome. Here's what I think of that.

1: Pregnant women should be exempt from getting sick. period. Aren't we dealing with enough already?
2: I wish people hadn't freaked me out so bad about taking meds when you're pregnant. I went in to see the doc today and told the nurse I had a head cold and she asked if I'd taken anything and then scolded me when I told her "no." She agrees pregnant women shouldn't get sick, but the fact is, because our bodies are so busy creating a little person, they sometimes forget to fight off illness and we get sick anyway. Worse than normal. And it sucks. She advised me to go home immediately and take some tylenol and sudafed. I did. I'm feeling much better.
3: Don't think that because of number 2 I'm suddenly going to pop every pill I can think of every time I sneeze. No. Pregnant women should still consult their Dr. about any and all medication they take. Just don't be scared to ask! If you're sick, and herbal remedies aren't working, it's better for you to take the medicine and kick it than run the risk of it getting worse and affecting your baby/pregnancy.

Today Dr. Judd. put a jump start on my anxiety (something he usually avoids,) but he made me realize that  this baby girl is going to get here sooner than we know it and I'm terrified I won't be ready. As far as appts go... we have 1 more 4 week appt, 2 - 2 week appts, and 4 - 1 week appts until she get's here. I'm told once those 2 week appts kick in, time just flies by. And since I already feel like time's been flying... I think we're about to jump into light-speed here. Wish me luck!

6 Month Check Up

Today was our 6 month check up with Dr. Judd and we got to see our little girl again! She was much more cooperative and we were able to get this cute little profile picture of her:

1 lb. 7 oz.

13 inches from head to toe

48th percentile

and still a precious little girl.

Things discussed and learned today:

1: Weight Gain! I have gained 16lbs so far. 4 months and 9lbs to go to reach my goal.

My Dr. advised me that for my height/weight/age/overall-health I need to gain 25lbs for this pregnancy. Right now having gained 16 and the baby only being 1lb 7oz... you're probably wondering where the other 14ish lbs are coming from. Here's a breakdown of the weight you gain when you get pregnant and how it's all supposed to add up to 25-35lbs at the very end.

• 7-9lbs of baby
• 2lbs of placenta
• 2lbs amniotic fluid
• 4-5lbs increased blood volume
• 2lbs uterine enlargement
• 3-4lbs of fluid in maternal tissue
• 1lb breast enlargement (to prepare for breastfeeding)
• Any remaining pounds are a general deposit of fat required by the body for breastfeeding and energy stores. (though if you've gone above what was recommended by your Dr., chances are it's just plain old fat you don't need.) 

2: Pelvic Girdle Pain. The pain in my pelvis that feels like I'm straining a muscle every time I move. It is perfectly normal and will only hurt more as this pregnancy progresses. 

Explanation? your uterus is a lot like a trampoline, and during pregnancy your joints are really loose, so when your baby is hanging out on your uterus, those springs are stretching down and pulling on your loose joints causing pain. The heavier the baby gets, the more it hurts. And no, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. 

3: Heartburn and Acid Reflux. This is apparently also very common.

The cause? Heartburn occurs when the valve between the stomach and the esophagus are unable to prevent the stomach acids from passing back into the esophagus. Pregnancy can increase the frequency of heartburn and acid reflux because the hormone progesterone causes the valve to relax. This allows the stomach acid to pass into the esophagus and irritate the lining. Aside from being extraordinarily uncomfortable and obnoxious, if you have acid sitting in your esophagus too long, it can cause some pretty serious damage. The Dr. suggested a few OTC medications to keep it under control. Also I should avoid eating chocolate and Orange Juice and other delicious foods high in acidic content. Boo.

What we get to look forward to:

Sometime in the next few weeks I get to pick a day to have a blood glucose test. How it works:

You're given a bottle of slightly flavored, colored, sugar water that you have to drink in about 5 minutes on an empty stomach and after you drink it, you don't get to eat or drink anything else. An hour after ingesting this tasty drink, you get to go to the lab at the Dr.'s office where they will draw out your freshly sugary blood and test you for gestational diabetes. Test results are done within 24 hours of the blood draw.

After that, our next check up is scheduled for the morning of August 13th. We'll be 7 months along and it should be a fairly routine visit. They'll weigh me, take yet another urine test, and hopefully keep telling me everything is A-okay!