Monday, December 28, 2009

3 Days And Counting.......

Today is December 28 and I am officially 3 days away from my due date. I have a doctor's appointment today at 1:00pm. As of my last doctor's appointment on Thursday 12/24 (Christmas Eve), I was 1cm dialated so I will be very curious to see if I have progressed in the past 4 days. I am definitely having pre-labor, or early labor signs and symptoms so I know it is imminent, I just don't know exactly when, which is so frusterating. The Braxton-Hicks contractions continue but have not gotten more intense, or regular, so I know they are not real labor pains. I have a feeling that my doctor will tell me I have progressed to at least 3cm today and she may even send me to the hospital. We'll see! This will probably be my past post until the little guy arrives so, off I go! Wish me luck!!!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

15 days to go!

I've got about 15 days left (technically) and I am starting to feel like the time is almost upon me. It's a little harder to get around, it's a little harder to sleep at night, and it's a lot harder to get through a 9 hour work day. Carrying around the extra weight is starting to take its toll on my hips and the baby is getting stronger and when he moves around it's almost jolting. Oh, and eating is no longer pleasurable. I really enjoy food but since there is no where to put it anymore, it just sits in my stomach which is pushed up against my rib cage, and hangs around like a rock. I miss the feeling of actually being hungry. For the past week or so, I eat because I know that is what I am supposed to do at certain points throughout the day, but the actual feeling of "I'm hungry" doesn't happen all that often. Although, I find that no matter when I put food into my mouth, I never regret it. Strange huh? Oh, and the other thing that keeps happening is that I drop food all over my clothes because I can't get close enough to my plate to eat OVER my plate. So now I am just a messy eater! I can't wait to have my body back! :)

Monday, December 14, 2009

17 Days And Counting!

Wow, so my due date is now 17 days away and boy is it starting to get real! Technically, as of this past Friday 12/11, I am considered "full-term" and could go into labor at any moment. Mentally I am just not prepared for that so I hope the little guy decides to stay inside for a least another week. I'm still sleeping OK-ish. I get up to pee about every 2 hours but I can usually fall back to sleep within minutes. My hips are hurting a little more and I feel like he may have dropped into my pelvis, but then again, I don't really know what that feels like so I can't say with any certaintly. What I CAN say is that he is definitely getting stronger and bigger. When he moves around I swear it is like some huge alien is trying to claw its way out of my stomach. And when he stretches I feel him up under my rib cage, which isn't the most pleasant of feelings. Physically, I am coping and mentally, I am getting there. I have almost everything I need for his arrive except a stroller for NY and a video monitor for NY. But I still have time to get those things and I am not worried. The countdown continues...

Friday, December 11, 2009

20 Days to Go!

I just came from my latest doctor's appointment and things are going perfectly. The baby is in position (head down), he weighs about 6.5 to 7 lbs, my blood pressure and urine are fine and I've gained approximately 29 pounds. My cervix is not softened and I am not dialated at all so he is not ready to enter the world just yet, but that's good because I still need a few more weeks. She did a sonogram to confirm the position and I saw his perfectly shaped, little round head and thought to myself "poor thing's going to be all cone-shaped in a few weeks!" So sad!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

21 Days to Go and the Water Retention Begins!

I am exactly 3 weeks away from my due date and the water retention has begun. But only in my hands (so far). I usually drink about 32 oz of water a day but today I've been so thirsty that I have finished nearly double that, and I am not peeing, but my hands are swollen. I haven't eaten anything especially salty today but my fingers are like little pork sausages. Could this be the beginning signs? I certainly hope not as I need at LEAST 1 more week until he makes his arrival. However, as of tomorrow, 12/11, I am 37 weeks and considered full term. So that is comforting because I know that if he were to come at any point after tomorrow, there is a 99% chance that he will be perfectly healthy. But I am not hoping he comes early. I am hoping he decides to enter the world somewhere around 12/26 or 12/27. I guess we'll see!

Monday, December 7, 2009

24 Days and Counting

As of this coming Friday, December 11th, I will be considered full term - 37 weeks. I can't believe time is going by so quickly. It seems like forever ago that I got the wonderful news that my IVF worked and the thought of growing a child over several seasons, seemed like an eternity. I think it must be because the holidays are right around the corner and December always goes by so quickly that I am feeling the quick passage of time. Emotionally and physically, I am ready to bring this child into the world but psychologically I am getting a little anxious. I think the whole notion of having another person completely dependant on you is a little overwhelming, and I am sure I can handle it, but if I stop to think about it long enough, it is a little intimidating. But I will take things day-by-day and I know it will all work out. I have a great support system in place and everyone is eagerly anticipating the arrival of Baby Prince!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Special Gifts



I've received lots of amazing gifts over the past few weeks from my two showers but there is one in particular that I want to single out. My friend Kaja, who has just moved back to Montana , hand made the most beautiful quilt for my unborn child. The love and care that she and her mother put into it means the world to me and it is something that I will cherish forever. It's one thing to go to a store and buy a present for someone, but it is totally different to put time and energy into making something by hand because you know that the person making the item is giving not only their creativity, but their time and love. So, thank you Kaja (and your mom) for going onto my registry, looking at my pattern, finding the materials that match so perfectly, and making the quilt for my son who I know will use it forever!

The Floor is Not My Friend

One thing you quickly discover when you are 9 months pregnant is that the floor is not your friend. It is amazing that the little things in life that you normally take for granted, all of a sudden become a challenge when you are carrying nearly 30 pounds between your shoulders and your thighs. I am so used to being able to pick up something from the floor, or bend down to play with my niece, or even tie my shoes but the past few weeks have gotten pregressively more difficult. I am now learning that if someone offers to pick something up for me, I gladly accept.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Pregnancy Symptoms

Overall, I have to say, my pregnancy has been a pretty smooth one. With the exception of my first trimester, I can't complain. However, there are some pregnancy symptoms that I have had and thought I would share. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, my eyelids have been very senstive to heat. Whenever I wash my face, I have to use cool water or else I am in discomfort. Even the sun bothers them sometimes. How very odd. And I have noticed, in the past few weeks, that my eyes are dry and burning. I've read that this is common, especially later in pregnancy, as your blood flow increases and your hormones go into overdrive. One thing that I am very disappointed about is the fact that my hair has NOT decided to grow back. I thought this could finally be the moment when it makes its big return, but no, not yet. I guess I will wait and see what happens AFTER delivery! I haven't really been experiencing water retention although I did take my two rings off when I noticed they were a little bit tight in the morning. I've had leg cramps, mostly at night when I am sleeping and mostly only in the second trimester but WOW, enough to make me want to cry. Think Charlie Horse! Think painful Charlie Horse. And the strangest thing that has been happening is the hip pain that I get when I DON'T excercise. One would think that over doing it would cause hip and joint pain, but I notice that when I walk to work, I sleep great that night (minus the bathroom breaks that now occur every two hours). It is when I DON'T walk to work that I suffer throughout the night. Oh, another pregnancy symptom that I've noticed is this insatiable urge to eat all the time! Nothing turns me off and I could easily eat something sweet immediately after swallowing something salty. For anyone who knows me, I am not usually very big on sweets, but this pregnancy has totally turned that around. I find that I want cupcakes and chocolate and candy all the time. It was bad around Halloween with candy rampant everywhere I went (and yes, I gained 6 pounds in two weeks during that time) but it's better now. If I want something sweet, I have to go looking for it and that usually curbs my urge (usually, but not yesterday).

Prenatal Vitamins

I don't know what it is about prenatal vitamins that I hate, but I despise taking them. Every morning, promptly at 9:30am, a calendar reminder comes on the screen reminding me to take my vitamin. And every day, without fail, I hit the "Remind me in xxx minutes" button and procrastinate taking the damn pill. I don't know what the mental block is with taking it. I know its healthy for me and the baby, it's not that big, it doesn't upset my stomach, yet I hate taking the pill. I'm looking forward to his arrival so that I don't have to take it every day, although I know I should be taking some kind of vitamin. I think I prefer a chewable one, which might be why I hate swallowing the prenatal, so maybe after he is born, I can make the switch.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

29 days and counting


I can't believe nearly 40 weeks have gone by and soon I will be a mother. It's a little overwhelming to think about and if I stop and really focus on it, I have to admit, I get a little freaked out. But I started this journey over 2.5 years ago and there is not one day that goes by that I regret my decision to become a single mother by choice. I wanted to start this blog so that I could update it with my journey before and after my son is born but it looks like the "before" part is going to be really short considering I am 29 days away from my due date! So instead, I will use this space to post information about our lives together, photos, anecdotes, and horror stories (which I hope will be far and few between). And I hope you enjoy the ride on my incredible journey.