October

10/02/08

everything looks good!...
As you can probably tell from the title of this post, our doctor's appointment went pretty well today. My blood pressure is nice and low and Baby Maurer's heartbeat is strong! I am apparently one centimeter dialated and 50% effaced. This was the first time we were given actual numbers...I'm not quite sure why we weren't told this before. She told me that I've been one centimeter dialated for awhile (probably since our second visit to the hospital), and that the chart notes said that I was 25% effaced at our visit a week ago. I could let myself get concerned about that, but to be honest, I'm just not. I'm only two and a half days away from being 35 weeks - so beyond my water breaking before that time, I'm not letting myself get too rattled right now.
We were also told that at our next appointment (Wednesday morning), I'll most likely be taken off of bed rest...hooray! Shawn and I have already talked about self-imposing modified bed rest until we're 36 weeks along, but I'm still really excited to have some leeway!
Also, I added some pictures of the nursing cover I made to the "Nursery Progress" album, in case you're curious. :)

10/05/08

Week 35!...
Yay! Our little guy has made it to Week 35!!!!!!!! I don't think exclamation points do my excitement a bit of justice here. We were told by our Doctor that if I started to go into labor at 35 weeks, they would not stop it, but go ahead and let me deliver. Let me tell you - that's scary and hugely exciting at the same time. Mostly exciting. :)
So let's see, what else is going on with us...Oh! Shawn's sister (Heather) will be coming down on Friday to stay with us for a few days! She very thoughtfully wanted to come help us out while I'm on bed rest, and it'll be really nice to have some company. We're both really excited to have her and Noah here, we don't see nearly enough of them!
My good friend Jill is throwing us a shower at Pinedale on Saturday! I'm really looking forward to it and am so grateful for Jill's thoughtfulness. I'll have to make sure to bring my camera and put up lots of pictures!
I'm starting to relax a little about the possibility of going into labor - both because each day means less NICU time, and because we've been able to get so much prepared. If I were to go into labor today, we'd have to make a quick trip to get newborn diapers, wipes, and a couple of other small things - but other than that, we're pretty much set. It's a far cry from where we were when I started with contractions at 29 weeks!
I forgot to mention that we went to our childbirth class this past Thursday where we learned all about the epidural, narcotics, and C-Sections. Let me tell you, that epidural video scared the crap out of me! I was fine through all of the childbirth parts, the obvious pain the women were in, the groaning and pushing...but something about seeing where that needle is supposed to go freaked me out! The thought of having to stay curled up and still like that for 15 minutes while they insert the needle - and then having to stay on the bed the rest of my labor - just scared me. That's not to say I won't have an epidural...I was just surprised by how much the video shocked me! I'm still planning on going into labor with a very open mind. I'd love to have a natural childbirth and will do my best to do so. However, if I end up getting an epidural or a C-section, that's just fine.
Also, I swiped some pictures from my cousin's Facebook page (thanks, Jake!) of the Baby Shower that my Mom and sister threw me in Indiana. They're in the "Baby Shower" picture album.
Here is how Baby Maurer is growing at 35 Weeks:
Congratulations! You’re now carrying nearly 6 lbs of baby not counting their amniotic fluid, the umbilical cord, or the placenta itself. We’re impressed because that’s a LOT of work non-stop. Are you feeling proud of yourself yet? Well, get to it—you’ve done an amazing job! At this point, your little grower is almost busting out of the womb size-wise, which make their restricted attempts to move much challenging. Of course, your stubborn little sucker is still trying to move around as if they weren’t in a cramped space. And the accumulationg baby fat deposits are starting to level off so your little butter ball will be padded and warm when they head out of their super snug little home.
And how's mom doing? We’re sure you’ve noted that the contractions are picking up and despite the obvious appeal of getting the pregnancy over with at this point, try not to jump the gun too soon by declaring actual labor. Of course, if it’s getting to the point where you’re having contractions continuously— you’re in labor and yes, it’s time for the "grab your bags we’re gonna have a baby" rush. For the rest of you not yet in labor, your watermelon-betwixt-my-legs waddle is as charming as ever, not to mention the glorious ongoing back pain and fatigue. Hang in there! Once you’ve got your miracle baby on the outside, this will all be a dim memory. So, catch the cat naps whenever possible and keep yourself hydrated with water and try to imagine how all of this will (hopefully) be much funnier in hindsight.
Your doctor or midwife should soon start monitoring cervical effacement (thinning of the cervix) and dilation in order to predict labor. If your cervix is already dilated labor is probably not far away—although there are some moms who walk around with a dilated cervix for a couple of days prior to labor.
Let’s talk about pain. Reports on the intensity of pain experienced during labor and childbirth are widely varied from woman to woman. The pain experienced depends on several things including your own natural pain threshold, medication, birthing position, fetal position, previous births, your general health and the actual birthing environment. Of course, there are natural births, cesarean deliveries, spinals, IV’s and other pain medications, all of which also play into how you experience pain during child birth.
Ideally, you should attempt to be as relaxed as possible and willing to accept the pain as part of the birthing process. In reality, your experience of the birthing process is unique to your body and how you choose to respond to it. Pain is a two part process: the first part is the physical experience of the pain and the second is your emotional reaction to your experience—and that is the part you have the most control over. Choosing to accept and endure the pain of child-birth (with or without medication) can be an empowering experience for any woman, as well as making the birthing process notably easier for those assisting you."

10/10/08

2 more days!...
Just two more days until I am 36 weeks and, as my Doctor put it, "You can contract until your little heart's content." I had thought at our last appointment on Wednesday that I would be taken off of bed rest, but they would apparently like me to wait until I'm 36 weeks along. Which...if you hadn't noticed...is only 2 days away!! Our appointment showed that the baby's heartbeat is great, and he's measuring exactly as he should be. I've not dialated or effaced any further since last week (even though I was having some wicked contractions Tuesday night that I thought for sure were doing something), and my blood pressure is normal. Hooray! I also had the Group B Strep (GBS) test done. Basically, if it's positive, it just means I'll need have antibiotics through and IV before giving birth so that I don't pass it along to the baby. From what I understand, many people carry it around. They're not sure how we get it, but in most adults it is not dangerous and often doesn't even present symptoms. Still, I'd rather not have an IV, so I'm hoping for a negative. Our next appointment is Thursday morning.
I have had an unexpectedly eventful past couple of days! I haven't been able to attend our Wednesday night Small Group because of bed rest, and have been missing our 9th grade girls something terrible. Thankfully, Jill and Sherri (my co-leaders) have been awesome about teaching and taking care of things. Occasionally, we have an "Activity Night," which just means there is no lesson, take your kids and do something fun. Jill mentioned last week that since I haven't seen the girls in so long, she could bring the girls over to our house on Wednesday for Activity Night. I was thrilled!
I had thought we'd just hang out, talk, play board games...just chat and catch up. Little did I know that those amazingly sweet 9th grade girls had planned a surprise baby shower! My heart just melts at their awesomeness! They brought food and drinks (many of them my favorites!), and some awesome presents for Baby Maurer. The girls made him pictures and even decorated our front door with (washable ) paint that says "It's A Boy." It was one of the sweetest, most thoughtful things in the entire world.
Before last night's Worth the Wait practice, one of the girls had asked me several times if I was going to be at practice that night. I thought she had something serious she needed to talk to me about, so I got there a little early to make myself available to chat. Well, about 15 minutes before practice got started, several of my WTW girls plus Beth and Taylor (good friends of ours - Shawn stayed with their family when he was an intern and Taylor was our program passer-outer for our wedding) walked in with two ginormous baskets filled with all kinds of baby goodies! I was shocked! Here, I was ready for some heart to heart about how maybe this girl was struggling and needing some accountability...or something equally as serious...and I get presents instead!! The baskets were filled with many baby things that we need, and it was so much fun to look through all of it! Let me just tell you - this kid will not have to repeat an outfit until he's at least 6 months old! :)
I feel so blessed and love to think about how much this little guy is loved before he's even been born.
As exciting as the past two days have been, we have even more excitement coming up this weekend if you can believe it! Heather and Noah will be flying in this afternoon and staying with us for a few days. I know I've said this before, but Shawn and I are really looking forward to having them here. I'm being thrown a baby shower on Saturday at Pinedale, which I'm really looking forward to, as well! It's always fun when the people you love the most are gathered in one place for you to hang out with. :) This coming Tuesday and Thursday evenings are the Worth the Wait Dress Rehearsals. I'm excited because while I know I may go into labor before then (and Dawn is fully capable of taking over in my absence), I had originally thought for sure that we'd have a baby by this point. After Dress Rehearsals, I no longer have to worry about doing Worth the Wait in the evenings...yay! So lots of stuff happening in the next week!
A few days ago, I added some more recent pictures in the "Baby Bump" album, so feel free to check out how...ahem...large I've gotten!

10/13/08

Week 36 is finally here!...

Here is how Baby Maurer is developing this week:
"The countdown continues… and in fetal developments: most of the bones (soft skull aside) in their little body are now completely hardened, providing a solid structure from which they can now make their grand debut into the world. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are structurally ready for a secure launch. In physical fitness news: their muscle tone has also improved over these past few weeks, and you’ll definitely be impressed by their steel-like Ulnar grasp (a newborn reflex that occurs if you lay your finger in their palm). Finally, in the fluids/excretion department: the amniotic fluid-to-baby ratio has fallen over these past weeks, although they’re still swallowing fluid (building up even more meconium for that historic first poop), and some vernix caseosa. They will be more than ready to swallow and digest milk after birth. Just in case you didn’t get it quite yet: you’ve got yourself an adorable and hungry 6.5 lbs 20 inch baby—are you ready?
If you haven’t done so already, you’re going to need to take the time to do some baby-proofing. We know you don’t have loads of energy right now, but waiting until your little crawler is getting into the Drain-o or sticking their finger in a light socket just isn’t the safest strategy. There are plenty of articles and check lists to assist you in making sure your home is a safe place for your new explorer (check out sites like: amazon.com’s safety products, and BabyCenter's buying guides (follow link to safety section). Go ahead and fix those broken cupboard latches and window screens. Hide or toss out harmful chemicals, detergents and aerosols as newborns are typically very sensitive to air-born agents and toxic cleaning supplies and if exposed, babies can easily breakout with rashes, have belabored breathing and watery eyes, along with others signs of irritation. Simply thinking about removing all these products can be overwhelming, so start small if necessary. Use vinegar to dust instead of Lysol, and if you’re planning on painting the nursery, try to stay away from the industry-standard synthetic mixes. Also, think about purchasing organic or dermatologist approved cotton comforters and pillows for the crib. It’s a nuisance to think about right now—but trust us: once your child is on the outside, you’re going to have a lot less time to be dealing with baby-proofing."

10/17/08

baby mine, don't you cry...
I just cannot get over the fact that I am 36 Weeks and 5 Days along. In just two days, I'll be 37 weeks, which is...(drumroll)...full term!!! To the surprise of all of our Doctors and the utter shock of Shawn and I...it appears that we have proven not one, but two fetal fibronectin tests wrong! I can't tell you how thankful I am for your prayers and how in awe of God I am. He's given us peace and calm when we were so scared, He's strengthened our marriage through the fears and worries, and He's taken care of our precious son when his health was out of our control.
So, being 36 weeks along means that I am officially off bedrest! It's such a great feeling to know that while they hurt, contractions aren't a bad thing anymore. They're actually a great thing, as they're moving my body towards eventual labor. At our appointment yesterday, we found out that I'm 1-2 cm dialated, still 50% effaced, and his head is starting to move downwards (he didn't use the word "engaged," but I think that's what it's called). I've been having a lot of contractions in the past week, so I kind of thought I'd be further along. We saw our favorite doctor again (Dr. Ponder), and it was kind of fun to see his excitement that I'd made it to 36.5 weeks. He said that Baby Maurer was definitely downward, which is the ideal position for birth. In fact, he put his two fingers around the baby's head, and said, "I can actually feel his head right here," to which Baby Maurer responded by kicking. We've learned that we've got a fiesty kiddo in there, who makes it quite clear when he doesn't like something that's going on! Our next appointment is this Thursday afternoon.
Now as to the title of this blog...about the time Shawn and I got engaged, we started talking about number of children, baby names, etc. One night, we were on the phone, and I told Shawn that I had always loved this song from the movie "Beaches," called Baby of Mine, and that I had always wanted to sing that lullabye to my child. After Shawn asked me what the lyrics were, he told me that the song is actually from "Dumbo," and that HE had always loved that song and wanted to sing the lullabye to his child. What's ironic is that I had never seen Dumbo, and Shawn had never seen Beaches (actually, I still haven't seen Dumbo, and Shawn still hasn't seen Beaches)! I often put the headphones on my stomach and play the song for our baby. I love to sing it to him already, and since we'd begun pre-term labor, couldn't help but tearing up as I sang, "from your head down to your toes, you're not much goodness knows. but you're so precious to me, sweet as can be...baby of mine." I don't know if Shawn and I both hearing and loving that song was mere coincidence, or God fusing our lives together before we ever met, but that particular song has been very special to both of us.
We had our Baby Shower at Pinedale this past Saturday, which was so much fun! We got all kinds of great items - a Bumbo seat that converts into a booster seat, some bathtime fun stuff, adorable clothes and blankets, car shades, wipes and diapers, a sleep positioner, and tons of other great stuff! Jill and Laura did such a great job planning, and I had a blast.
Shawn's sister, Heather, and nephew, Noah were here from Friday to Wednesday this past weekend, and what a blessing they were! We hadn't seen Noah since Thanksgiving, so we both really enjoyed getting to know him again. I have to tell you that he is just about the cutest, happiest child I have ever met. Even with a cold and teething, he spent most of his time smiling. Once Noah got used to Cole's "kisses" and Cole got used to not being able to play with Noah's toys, the two of them got along just great! I'm pretty sure Cole was actually depressed when he checked every room for them on Wednesday afternoon and realized they were gone. It was also nice to have some company while I was working from home, and Heather helped us get some of our household cleaning done I've had to put off, and got us all caught up on laundry! We don't see nearly enough of either one of our families, so it was really nice to have some of "home" here.
Shawn and I were able to get a few things we felt like we really needed before the baby gets here (mostly breastfeeding stuff, cotton swabs...stuff like that), so we are now officially prepared (go ahead and laugh, I know how ironic that statment sounds to you who are already parents). Our nursery is set up and ready to go, things with work are in line for me to take maternity leave at any moment, and we're just pretty much ready to meet this kiddo!
I have to admit that I've been struggling with complaining the past couple of days. In the past week, I gained 10 pounds due to swelling (ridiculous! who gains 10 lbs from swelling?!), and am just finding it increasingly difficult to move, sleep, get up, sit down, breathe...pretty much anything! I'm finding that I can be a little cranky, and unfortunately, I've been taking that out on Shawn for the past day or two. I was just thinking this morning that I need to knock it off, though. I was thinking about my Mom, who worked at a grocery store up until right before she delivered both my older brother and I. I can't imagine how swollen her feet got in those last months - and to think that when she was pregnant with me, she had to go home and then take care of a baby. I was also thinking about a friend of mine who told me that she started swelling like I am now at 5 months....and here I am complaining about a week of this. Not to mention...hello!!...this is exactly what I prayed for and wanted...to still be pregnant at this point! So seriously, if you see me being cranky or hear me complaining too much about pregnancy woes - I give you full permission to tell me to knock it off and think about how much worse it could be!
I'm sorry to have written so much, I just haven't been able to update in awhile, and so much has been going on! As always, thank you so much for your prayers for this little one, and thank you for caring enough about our little family to continue reading our updates.

10/18/08

to make you smile... read this the other day and it made me laugh out loud. I thought you all might enjoy it too:
"If you’ve paid attention to any pregnancy books, you’ll read that most babies are born between 36 and 41 weeks. You’ve heard that, haven’t you?
I swear, it seems to me that every woman, especially first time moms, think that their baby is going to come at 36 weeks. Here’s a hint: Most likely, it won’t.
I know, I know. I’m a mean person. How could I tell you that your baby isn’t going to come today? You know you’re thinking that.
Wait- what was that twinge- is that labor? Ooh, maybe it was labor? Could it be labor?
No.
I know it’s hard to hear that, but the sooner that you learn to accept the cold hard truth that early labors happen to “other people,” the sooner you can get on with the rest of your pregnancy. Worrying about whether or not today will be the day isn’t going to make the baby come any faster. Trust me, I’ve tried.
You’ve been looking in the mirror and you’ve wondered how you could possibly get any bigger. There’s no room for the baby in there! You just KNOW you have to go into labor early.
Unfortunately, your body has other plans. It plans on keeping that baby in there forever!
Think of it this way: Would you rather have the baby stay “longer” now, when it is a fetus in your belly, or move back in after college? At least now, if the baby is in your belly, people will feel sorry for you and bring ice cream and cake. When the kid moves in after college? They’ll just gossip behind your back and call you a bad parent.
Staying pregnant for a few more weeks is totally worth it."

10/19/08

37 Weeks!...
I know, it's hard for me to believe, too! I've been contracting like crazy for the past day or so, and it's so nice to not have to immediately go to bedrest and freak out mode! Just as the contractions start to get strong and regular, they kind of fizzle out, so while it doesn't look like I'm in true prelabor, it may not be too far away. Here's what is going on with Baby Maurer in his 37th week in the womb:
"It’s the calm before the storm. Changes in your baby's weight have leveled off with only a few ounces of fat added this week. At this point your baby should weigh in at around 7 lbs and 20 inches (with boys somewhat heavier and longer than girls). Happily, as far as internal organs go, they are now developed enough to function in the outside world although the oh-so-important immune system is still developing and will continue to do so after birth. With a large boost of antibodies provided by breast milk when nursing begins. Fighting infection and staying healthy should be well within their physical capacity when your little fighter is born.
Your health care provider will assess the likelihood of where you are relative to your upcoming birthing process—seeing as you’ve now arrived at that waiting phase that could turn into labor at any time. Various charming indicators such as loose stools, expelling your mucus plus, a dilated cervix and increased Braxton-Hicks contractions are all signs that labor is only a few days away. The infamous water breaking may or may not be your first true indicator that labor has commenced. However, water breaks for only 15% of mothers and despite what Hollywood would have us believe, is more frequently just a slow leak rather than a large gush.
Be patient: if labor doesn’t start this week, or even next, keep in mind that only 4-5% of women actual deliver on their predicted due date. What’s more if this is your first pregnancy, you can expect to be anywhere from two days to two weeks late. You can distract yourself by keeping track of fetal movements, mostly to reassure yourself that all is well with your little miracle. In the off chance that movements do start to decrease substantially, try not to freak out and instead, call your doctor of midwife and discuss it with them."

10/22/08

i should get an award...
...for having the most contractions in a pregnancy without actually producing a baby.
We had our annual big to-do Salem Pregnancy Care Center banquet last night...quite possibly SPCC's biggest event of the year. The staff spent the morning setting up and decorating the banquet hall, during which I was on my feet most of the time. When I got home, I took a quick nap and Shawn and I got ready and headed downtown for the banquet. After we ate our dinner, I noticed that the light, inconsistent contractions I'd been having all day were getting stronger and a little bit more consistent. I started timing them and writing down the times (I'm sure everyone at our table thought I was strange since I was checking the time on my cell phone every few minutes). The contractions were coming at about every 2-5 minutes, lasting for about 50-60 seconds, and were getting stronger as time drew on. I knew we were supposed to time them for an hour, and I really wanted to stay until the end of the banquet, so we just stayed put and I kept timing.
At the end of the banquet, Shawn and I decided that we probably needed to not stay and help clean up like we would have normally done, but that we should head home...just in case. On our way to find my boss to let her know what was going on, I had to face several people with whom I needed to make small-talk...NOT an easy task when you're having contractions and wondering if you might actually be in labor! So we headed home, changed clothes, got comfy on the couch, and I grabbed some chocolate (I was thinking, "If I do go into labor tonight, what would I really want to eat before I have to go to the hospital and not be able to eat until I deliver?" Chocolate. The answer is always chocolate.)
I was still having regular contractions, and Shawn started timing them using this cool website www.contractionmaster.com. I was having them about 3-6 minutes apart, and they were lasting anywhere from 16 seconds to 1 minute 50 seconds. I was ready to head to the hospital, but Shawn reminded me that I really wanted to do as much laboring as possible while we were at home. So, home we stayed. At around 10:30 (after about three hours of regular contractions), they slowed down to about every 10 minutes. I went to bed around 11:30...I woke up a couple of times with some strong contractions, but was able to go back to sleep fairly quickly. I had a couple of contractions this morning, but nothing more than usual.
So there you have it - lotsa contractions and no baby. So for you mammas who are reading this - does this mean anything? Am I close to labor, or are some women just more "contract-y" than others?
I hope this post doesn't sound like I'm complaining, by the way. I actually get excited when I do start having regular contractions because I really am hoping that labor is just around the corner. I'm totally fine with having the contractions, it's the "is this it? should we go to the hospital? should we stay? what do we need to grab if we do go to the hospital? should i try to sleep? are they getting stronger? was that one long contraction or two short ones?" kind of stuff that I'm growing weary of. If I don't go into labor beforehand, our next appointment is tomorrow (Thursday) at 4:20.
I installed our carseat last night (much easier than I thought it'd be, by the way), and the mirror-thing that lets you see the baby through the rearview mirror. I'm pretty sure I did that wrong...I don't think the mirror is supposed to tilt...so I'll have Shawn fix that, but other than that, we're good to go! At 29 weeks, I made a list of baby things that I wanted to get done/have bought when I was in the "oh my gosh, he could come any day!" mode. The very last thing on that list was installing the carseat. It is SUCH a great feeling to just be ready. So we're ready whenever he is!

10/24/08

no baby yet...
So our Doctor's appointment yesterday was fairly undramatic (about time, huh?). No real changes going on, except that all of the contractions I've been having are softening my cervix. The Dr. said that I'm still 1-2 cm dialated, and that he could actually feel the baby's head. Shawn asked him when they start talking about induction, and he said probably not until I'm 40 weeks along, at least. Because the standard of heading to the hospital when contractions are five minutes apart and lasting for 45 seconds just doesn't seem to apply to us, I asked the Dr. how we know when it's time for the hospital. He told us that we should base it on intensity, rather than frequency. So, I guess when the contractions have me doubling over is when we'll head in again. Until then, it looks like I just get to have these fun pains in the comfort of my own home.
The Dr. did seem a little concerned about my swelling, and said that if my blood pressure went back up, we might have to discuss induction. However, I tend to think that my blood pressure started climbing because of all the stress I was feeling at that period. It's completely stabalized since, so I don't think it'll be an issue. He also suggested putting books or blankets at the bottom of the bed in order to keep my feet elevated throughout the night. I had never heard of that - but we tried it last night - and it worked!! My ankles looked somewhat ankle-like this morning!!
So, it looks like things are progressing very normally for me right now, which is such a relief. I think I've been able to drop my guard a little bit and finally admit that it could very well be another two weeks before we have this baby. It's almost like I've been afraid to seriously suggest that we could actually go to our due date...but it's looking more and more like it's a possibility. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally ready to hold this baby in my arms, but I don't feel like I'm on high alert for any day now.

10/26/08

week 38...eek!...
Okay, I know I say this every week, but seriously...can you believe it?! We've made it to 38 weeks!! I am just thrilled beyond belief. Along those same lines...remember me saying how much it freaked me out to hear on CNN that there are such-and-such days left in the election, because Baby Maurer is due just five days after that? As I'm typing this, I'm watching CNN and seeing that there are 9 days left of this election. 9 days? 9 days! Crazy.
So I've been feeling pretty good...both physically and emotionally. Probably my biggest complaint right now is that I gave up hopes of getting a full night's sleep a few months ago. What with the peeing, the contractions, the pelvic pain, and the vivid dreams, it's been quite the feat to get sleep at night. For those of you who have been pregnant, I realize this is nothing new and is a very common problem late in pregnancy. Thankfully, I'm able to sleep in a little bit later occasionally and take a nap every once in awhile to compensate...and seem to be functioning just fine! Beyond that, I'm feeling pretty good. The swelling has leveled off (seriously, putting books underneath the end of our bed helped a ton!), work has decreased in stress, and I'm just thrilled to be 38 weeks and in the clear.
We're still slowly working on baby stuff (washing stuff, shopping for deals, etc.), but we finally don't have any last minute pressing things to do before he gets here. While I'm getting more and more nervous about the labor, I'm also getting more and more excited to see this baby - to see who he looks like, what his personality is like, and how God has knit him together in my womb.
In case you're wondering what is going on with our little one (who is hopefully nice and chubby now!), here is the update from babgaga.com:
"As you know, you've arrived at the final leg of your pregnancy journey, and if you're still carrying your little love around, they've just about reached their birth weight (somewhere between 6 to 8 pounds is average depending on whether they're a boy or girl). There really isn't a lot to report on baby this week, so lets do a quick recount of where we're at: all internal organ systems are pretty much ready for the outside world, they've got their meconium stockpile building up (their first black baby poo), lots of healthy baby fat, a rapidly developing brain (that'll keep growing with them for years to come), and they've more or less reached official baby status-- all they need to do is "head out" and say hello to the rest of the world and especially their ready-to-pop momma.
And how's mom doing? Hang in there momma, it's only a matter of time before the obnoxious and painful fake contractions you felt in your back, lower belly, and pelvic region will be replaced by real contractions... which are even more obnoxious and painful. You'll know when the real ones kick in because they're more intensely painful (woo!) and they spread over the entire uterus, through the lower back and into your pelvis.
If you're having trouble sleeping (which about 100% of women in this phase of pregnancy are), try to take little catnaps during the day, get one of those neato full-body pregnancy pillows, or at least lots of pillows that you can shove between your legs and under your belly to support your awkward shape more comfortably."

10/29/08

flower power, my friend. Flower power...
Our appointment this morning was finally an encouraging one! First of all, we saw Rhonda who is the nurse that we saw early in our pregnancy when we had so many spotting scares. She was actually at our SPCC banquet this past Tuesday and it looks like she wants to get involved in Worth the Wait! But I digress. My weight, blood pressure, and urine results were all good. AND...without going into some of the gross details, she said that it looks like we could go into labor within the next week. She said that we'd need to schedule our weekly appointment, but that she honestly didn't think we'd make it until then. Of course, this was music to my ears - but I'm trying to not take those words as gospel truth. No need to set myself up for frustration in a week's time!
And yet... I can't help but be REALLY excited!
Really, really REALLY excited!
Baby Maurer is still dancing away in there. Shawn got to see him rolling around the other night, actually. He's seen him moving before, but the baby rolled back and forth for several good minutes! I suppose I'm used to it because it does it a few times throughout the day, so it was funny to see Shawn's amazed and slightly weirded out reaction. :) I can't blame him - it does make you wonder if maybe the baby will really come out as an alien or something. I'm still contracting away, but I don't even bother looking at the clock unless they're strong enough to make me sit down.
Sleeping is still frustratingly difficult for me. I'm getting about three or four hours of non-consecutive sleep a night. I know...it's great practice...but I think I'd rather be using this time to bank sleep and be well-rested for the chaos of labor. Oh well, there's not much I can do about it, so I'm just trying to be productive when I'm up in the wee hours of the night.
As somewhat of an aside, but still completely relative, I feel like I should warn you that I'm turning into a hippie...at least according to Shawn. Personally, I like to think I'm learning how to save money and be a wise steward of our finances...but it makes me laugh when Shawn calls me a hippie, nonetheless. :) It all started with cloth diapering, my friends, and the slippery slope hasn't stopped. We decided to cloth diaper primarily because of the financial savings, but also for the impact on the environment and the health of our baby (apparently babies are much less prone to diaper rash in cloth diapers). Then...I read that the best way to get a stain out of a cloth diaper is to put a little lemon juice on it and let it dry in the sun.
So of course, we needed a clothesline. Then I started thinking about how nice it would be to dry ALL of our clothes on the clothesline and to not have to run the dryer! I've only started doing this in the past two weeks, so I'm not sure how this is affecting our electricity bill, but hey...every penny counts! Not to mention again - great for the environment. For some reason, Shawn was really hung up (pun intended) on the thought of us having a clothesline in our backyard, so I was able to compromise and find one that retracts. Shawn installed it into the side of our house, and you just pull out this line and hook it into a hook that he drilled into a tree. Viola...instant clothesline! When you're finished, the line just reels back into the holder thing and nobody is the wiser.
So then, I started doing some research on the best kind of laundry detergent to use on cloth diapers since most scented detergents aren't good for babies. Guess what I found - a recipe to make your own laundry detergent. Completely toxin free, completely safe for babies, completely great for the environment (you don't have to buy and then throw out those plastic containers), and best of all - it's like 12 cents per load or something crazy cheap like that. I haven't actually done this yet - we just bought a huge thing of detergent that I want to use up first. But I will. Maybe I'll even wear a floor length skirt and a flower in my hair while I'm mixing it up.
So then I thought, "Woah. If you can make your own detergent that works as well as regular detergent, but is free of toxins...what other household products can you make?" I'll bet you were wondering the same thing, huh? Well, let me tell you...lots! It turns out that vinegar works just as well as any other kind of cleaning substance (even bleach, I've found) at cleaning pretty much any surface (i.e. dusting, toilet bowl, shower, etc.). It actually disinfects at the same time as cleaning. If you add baking soda to vinegar, it fizzes...much like scrubbing bubbles, and works WAY better than the bottle of Scrubbing Bubbles I usually use. While I haven't used it for this purpose, I've also read that vinegar can be used as a fabric softener, too. Oh yeah, and my Mom told me that it works better than bleach at whitening white laundry...from experience, that's true.
So there you have it - my confessions. During early pregnancy, I did a lot of research into what cleaning chemicals I wasn't supposed to be around, and it turned out that it was dangerous for me to inhale pretty much all of the cleaning agents we used. That fact, combined with doing research about caring for cloth diapers, led me to realize that there are a LOT of ways to clean and disinfect without toxins...especially important when having an infant around. The major bonus is that it really helps with our monthly budget, too!
I should also add that I still love me some Purell and we recently bought three large containers of Clorox disinfectant wipes to keep our diaper bag stocked. I'm absolutely not all about using ONLY "organic" cleaners. I just like learning new ways to do things just as well, but more cheaply. I promise, I wasn't like this growing up...or even in our early marriage. I seriously get excited...REALLY excited....when I discover something (like homemade laundry detergent) new to try. I like to think God's working in my heart and mind to transition me from being focused on convenience to being focused on frugality and health...
or I could just be a hippie.