37 week dr. appt update

we saw dr. connelly today for my 37 week appt. how is it possible that i am STILL almost 4cm dilated?? who else on earth goes weeks being almost 4cm dilated without going into labor?? well, she checked me and my cervix has not changed. i can't believe it. she stretched me a little to see if that would help things along so we just have to wait and see what happens. i am having contractions but they aren't consistant and they're not getting any stronger. i am having a little bit of bleeding but i think that's just because she did the stretching. if it gets heavier i will definitely go to the hospital. john has my bags all packed and ready to go. actually, our bags have been packed and ready for a long time. after all, we thought we were going to have this baby back in december! today i saw one of the nurses that took care of me when we were in L&D in december and she was shocked to see how far i've gotten in my pregnancy. she was the nurse that was rooting for me to have a leap year baby. at the time, i thought "oh, we'll NEVER make it to february" but look at us now. here it is almost march and i'm still pregnant. crazy.

oh, i gained another 3lbs. this week. that makes 10 lbs. for the month of february. not what i was going for but to be fair, i haven't really been watching my diet. i've been big on chocolate chip cookies lately. oh, they sound so good right now... the toll house ones, right out of the oven. mmmmmmmm..... back to the weight gain, my doctor says it's probably water weight. i sure hope so (but probably not considering the amount of cookies i've consumed). oh well. i'm not going to deny myself right now!

after the doctor's appt i went to the NST area and i was having contractions but not enough for them to send me to L&D. my fluid level looked good. they said that baby's head is WAAAY far down in my pelvis. no kidding, i could've told you that! :)

i'm sitting on a labor ball as i type this post. partly because it gives my pelvis a little bit of relief and partly because i've heard that it can help with getting labor started. so we'll see. one thing i've learned is that this baby is going to come when he's good and ready. well, mommy's ready when you are, baby. can't wait to meet you!

Suck it up!

my doctor was in the OR all day yesterday so i didn't hear from her. another woman from her office called me (i think she was a nurse or something) and asked me about the pain i am experiencing. she said that her daughter had the same thing when she was pregnant and she knows it is extremely painful and she feels really bad for me but basically, there's nothing that can be done. my doctor may give me some type of pain reliever when i see her on friday but other than that, i need to just suck it up (these are my words, not hers). she tried making me feel better by saying that the birth should be very close and this is just my body's way of preparing for it.

i purchased one of the belly support belts and i guess it's helping a little bit. i'm staying off my feet and trying to make only calculated, careful movements to avoid any pain. i'm trying to change my frame of mind from "poor me/this sucks/why is this happening/etc." to something more positive. i'm not always successful at it, especially when i'm crying and in pain, but it's like everything else we've gone through... this is my life and i'm thankful for it. baby bennett will be here soon and he will be my reward for going through all of this.

... john has the flu. my poor babe. he's doing everything he can to not get me sick. he hasn't kissed me for 3 days. i don't like that. he never gets sick. i'm usually the one who catches every cold out there but he usually avoids it. this flu has him feeling pretty miserable. he even has a high temperature. i hope he gets better soon, especially if the baby decides to come. i need him to get better before baby arrives. he's doing everything he can to get over this but unfortunately, there's not much that can be done other than rest, fluids, and that type of stuff. hopefully he'll be better soon.

**UPDATE @ 9am**

dr. connelly just called... she said i'm probably correct in my self diagnosis and she knows how painful it can be. she offered to give me some tylenol with codine to help me sleep if i only take it when i absolutely need it but i told her that i'd rather not. i asked her about stripping my membranes and she said that since i'm already so far dilated that it probably wouldn't help but that maybe she could do some "stretching" at my appt tomorrow to see if that helps things along. i asked her about inducing and she doesn't want to induce me until the 39th week. but she doesn't think that i'll get that far anyway. well, no one thought we'd get as far as we have so who knows how long this could go on!? i have to just suck it up, i guess.....

Self Diagnosis

i am in so much pain that i cannot sleep. excruciating pain - and i don't use that word lightly. after a quick internet search, i think i may have found out what is going on with my pelvis. the symptoms are exactly what i have been feeling for the last several days. i think i have Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) and more specifically, Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). according to what i've found, SPD affects 1 in 35 pregnant women. it occurs when the pelvic ligaments lengthen to prepare for childbirth but they lengthen too much, causing a gap between the pelvic bones, resulting in pelvic instability or misalignment. the instability/misalignment part is what is causing so much pain. some of the symptoms include: symphysis pubis pain that is extremely tender to the touch, swelling, difficulty lifting leg, unable to transfer weight through pelvis and legs, restriction of hip movement, waddle or shuffle when walking, and pain when pulling legs apart. i have all of these symptoms to a very strong degree. supposedly, most pregnant women that suffer from PGP/SPD show improvement within days after delivery. oh please, let that day be soon. i can't handle this much longer. i'm going to call my doctor as soon as her office opens. i don't know if she'll be able to do anything for me but i need to at least tell her what is going on. this really sucks.

NST update / Pelvic torture

i just got back from my NST and everything went well. i had some contractions last night but only a couple while i was on the monitor so nothing to worry about there. they didn't check my fluid level today. i guess they'll check it on friday at my next appt.

i have been in horrible pain since saturday. my hips/pelvis hurt so bad that i could cry every time i stand, walk or roll over. if i'm just sitting or laying down it's fine but the second i have to move i feel like i am being tortured. i am moving very slowly these days because every step kills my pelvis. i asked the nurse today what is going on with me and she said it's probably that the baby has moved further down into my pelvis and that my ligaments are loosening and my hips are spreading to prepare for the birth. oh my gosh, it hurts so bad. i had a little crying fit last night because i was in so much pain. i am so ready for baby to be born now. i'm going to see if my doctor will do something to help me (strip my membranes, etc.) when i see her on friday. if i can even last that long.

seems so strange that i am so ready for baby to come now since we have spent the last 3 months doing everything possible to keep baby inside me. tomorrow will be 37 weeks!! can you believe it?? baby will be considered full term TOMORROW! still 3 weeks away from my due date but anything over 37 weeks is considered full term. i am FLOORED that we have gotten to full term. my jaw is on the floor and i am speechless. our prayers have been answered over and over again with this pregnancy. thank God!

Baby Shower!

yesterday was my baby shower. yes, i actually made it to my own baby shower! i was convinced that i would have to miss it because i'd be in labor or stuck in the hospital or something. but i made it with baby still inside me! yay! we had it at my parents' house and i had a great time. it was great seeing everyone. the food was yummy (thanks taco lady!) and the company was even better. we got so many wonderful gifts that it took 2 carloads to bring them all home. here are just a few pictures from the party. mom, shannon and kayla -- thank you so much for throwing me this shower! and thanks so much to all of my great, great friends for coming and supporting us in this pregnancy. i love you all.

36 week dr. appt update

we just got back from our 36 week doctor's appt. dr. connelly checked my cervix and it hasn't changed since last week. i've gained another 3 lbs. (that's 7 lbs. in 2 weeks! yikes!) but hopefully it's just water weight. she told me i should probably be more careful with my diet. not really what i wanted to hear but she's probably right. after the appt i had my NST and i was having a few contractions but not too many. my fluid levels looked good. i know i have said this several times before but i honestly can't believe that we've made it this far. i never thought we'd make it to 36 weeks.

looking back at everything that has led up to this point is almost too hard to believe. not just the complicated pregnancy but also everything that had to happen in order for me to get pregnant. i was a complete wreck during the 2 years it took us to conceive. especially during the second year when i was doing infertility treatments. the medications made me feel like i was going through menopause. i had major mood swings and hot flashes. not to mention i was completely emotional and could cry (and often would) at the drop of a hat. i was going to my infertility appts about 4 times a month or more. that alone was hard to do because it was the last place i wanted to go. there were pregnant moms and/or brand new babies sitting next to me in the waiting room every time. my heart would ache every time i saw a pregnant belly and believe me, they were everywhere. i often wonder when i'm out now if my pregnant belly is hurting someone's feelings who is struggling with infertility. i sometimes want to hide it so it doesn't hurt anyone. on one hand, i'm so proud of it and want to show it off to the world. on the other, i never want to be the cause of someone's heartache that is struggling with infertility. as a woman, i believe that it is one of the hardest things to go through in life and no one can truly understand what it is like unless you've been there.

i prayed every day for a baby. i don't know why God chose me to be blessed with this miracle inside me but i am so thankful that He did. i will do my best every day to make sure i am everything i need to be and more for my son.

36 week belly pics

yes, i know. you can totally see my bra in the picture below. oh well. i wasn't about to change my clothes!
woo-hoo! we made it to 36 weeks! baby and i sure are GROWING! :)

i have to give a very well deserved CONGRATULATIONS to my blogger buddy, Neenie, for delivering her baby boy yesterday! she and i have had very similar stories and have followed eachother's progress for months. she did such a good job incubating her little one! 10 weeks on hospital bedrest... BRUTAL! but totally worth it. congratulations, Neenie. you are awesome.

NST & ultrasound update

last night i was having contractions ALL night long. nothing strong but literally every 5-10 minutes i was having contractions. i got maybe a total of 2 1/2 hours of sleep so i am seriously dragging today. my NST wasn't scheduled until 8am but since i was contracting so much, we decided to bypass the NST and go straight to L&D at 6am. i thought for sure that i would be dilated more after all of the contractions. nope. the doctor says i'm still almost 4cm. they hooked me up to the monitors and i was having contractions every 2-3 minutes. but still, nothing strong enough to change my cervix. so i guess that's a good thing. they said we could go home but to come back if the contractions get stronger or if i start bleeding/leaking fluids. so i'm back at home now and the contractions have slowed down to almost nothing.... go figure.

can somebody please tell me when i am going to have this baby??!!?? i'm trying my best to wait to deliver until at least saturday night since my baby shower is scheduled for saturday afternoon. i would really like to make it to my own baby shower. can't i please have ONE thing normal in this pregnancy like all of the other mommies-to-be? i feel ungrateful even saying that because i am SO VERY GRATEFUL that i was even able to get pregnant when i thought it would never happen, and that i have made it to almost 36 weeks when no one thought i would get past week 26, and that baby bennett is growing and doing so well inside me. all that said, i would like to feel normal for once in this pregnancy.

now, about the ultrasound... first i have to say that i miss dr. montgomery (the perinatologist). the last time i saw him was at my 32 week appt and because baby is doing so well he really doesn't need to have me come in to see him anymore. he is still consulted on my case but since we have come so far in the pregnancy it is ok for me to be seen by just my regular OB. which is fine because i really like my OB, but i do miss his expertise and his very high tech ultrasound equipment. so today's ultrasound was done by an ultrasound technician on a regular ultrasound machine. she was very nice but the quality of the ultrasound was a far cry from what we are used to with dr. montgomery. anyway, none of that really matters because baby looked great. the tech estimated his weight at 6.5 lbs, give or take a pound, so i'm thinking that means somewhere between 5.5 and 6 lbs. he's a big boy! good job, baby. mommy is so proud of you and loves you so much.

i'm going to take a nap now since i am so, so tired. lilo is laying next to me all sound asleep but i'm going to have to wake her up because she stinks really bad. i think one of the neighborhood cats sprayed her in her face. sorta funny, sorta sad at the same time, but gross either way. poor puppy. i'm going to have to wash her face before i can go to sleep because there's no way i can handle that smell.

My day

my mother-in-law treated me, my mom, and john's sister to lunch today at the olive garden. it was fun and the food was so good. thanks, anne! afterwards, my mom and i went to the mall so i could buy a new shirt and get a much needed haircut. i just got a trim but the lady cut my bangs too short. i hate that. i hope they grow back quickly. oh well, too late now to do anything about it. i also got my eyebrows and upper lip "threaded" -- something i've always wanted to have done but never have until now. it was quick and i would definitely have it done again but my eyes were tearing up so bad when she was doing my upper lip! i was embarassed. no one else's eyes were leaking massive amounts of tears. i must be a wuss. so that was my day of beauty. my split ends are gone, my eyebrows are nicely shaped and my upper lip is smooth. i'm so exhausted.

this morning after i got out of the shower i had one of the pulsating lower back attacks that literally dropped me to the ground in pain. i was on the ground moaning and groaning in pain. my dog just looked at me like i was crazy. man, those attacks hurt. if that's at all what labor is like i'm signing up for an epidural right now. i can't even describe how bad it hurts. it hurts sooooo baaaaaddd.

i had some contractions today and a little bit of spotting last night. i'm probably dilating more. how much more can i dilate before going into full-on labor?? i called john at work today and he answered with, not 'hello', or 'hi babe', but with a semi-panicked "do i need to take you to the hospital?". so we're both thinking it's going to happen any day now. thank God that i'm almost 36 weeks. Thank you, thank you, thank you, God!

OUCH!

i'm experiencing a lot more pain and discomfort now that i'm mobile and able to move around a bit more. i love the fact that i can get out of bed or off the couch but my body is having issues with it. especially my lower back. my sciatic nerve is the main issue right now. sometimes i'll be walking and all of a sudden i'll get this shooting pain in my lower back that can bring me to my knees. it sucks. and lately i've had this throbbing, hot, pulsating thing happening in my lower back that doesn't last long but when it happens it hurts really bad. my cold has gotten a little better but i'm still struggling with sinus pressure and a lot of snot. my cough has improved though so that's good.

my next NST is on tuesday and i'm also scheduled to have an ultrasound. i hope they will be able to give us an idea of how big he is now. i think he's grown a lot since the last ultrasound. i've had very few contractions since friday so things seem to be good. baby danced around in my belly again today at church. especially in my ribs. he loves to kick me in my ribs. i wonder how much time we have before he makes his arrival. john and i are thinking it's going to be very soon. we are really excited to meet him. :)

35 week update

today i had my weekly appt w/ dr. connelly. i started feeling some cramping/contractions early this morning so i knew something was going on before we even got to the doctor. anyway, dr. connelly checked me and said that i am now dilated to almost 4cm. not quite 4, but almost 4cm. i kind of figured since i've had some contractions all week (nothing bad though) and a little bit of spotting. she also said that his head is pretty low and since i can feel him in my ribs a lot, she thinks the baby is going to be tall. i think so too. after all, his daddy is a pretty big guy. after my appt we went over to the NST area and no suprise, i was having contractions. so they sent us over to L&D. they put me on the monitors and i was still contracting so after a while they gave me a shot of terbutaline and immediately the contractions stopped. the terbutaline made me very jittery and nauseous. i didn't like that feeling at all but i was glad that it calmed the contractions down. if it was real labor the shot wouldn't have been able to stop them so they said it was ok for me to go home. but again, they stressed the importance of making sure i am aware of any changes and to come back in if i am having more contractions or start bleeding or leaking fluids.

being almost 4cm dilated scares me a little bit. i feel like the baby is just going to fall out one day. not really, but i think the "real thing" is going to happen soon. we've had so many false alarms. one day it's going to happen for real and we'll have a sweet baby boy to take home. it could be any day or it could be 5 weeks from now. we'll just have to wait and see.

i caught a cold so i'm not in a very good mood. i have a yucky cough and my throat and ears hurt. my voice also comes and goes and it's pretty annoying. i feel weak today so all i'm going to do for the rest of the day is sleep. hopefully it goes away soon. i don't want to be sick when i go into labor. that would totally suck. oh, and i gained 4 lbs. this week. yowza!

Happy Valentine's Day!

john and i celebrated our valentine's day last night to avoid the crowds. nothing big, we just went out to a nice dinner. we went to an outdoor mexican restaurant and the setting was so pretty. there was a big fire pit and lots of twinkly lights and heat lamps (i was burning up under that heat lamp!). we agreed that we weren't going to exchange gifts this year since neither of us really want anything specific. besides, the fact that i'm still pregnant at 35 weeks is a huge gift in itself!

even though i've been semi-normal for a week i still feel weird being out in public. i feel all giddy and stupid. i want to tell everyone that i've been on bedrest forever and that going to a restaurant is a big deal and do they know how nice it is to be able to go out and well, i could go on forever... i don't say anything though. i think my silly grin says enough. ah well, dinner was nice and i loved it. thanks, babe! happy valentine's day!

Meme

john's 94 year old grandma, "Meme", had a stroke yesterday morning and passed away in her sleep. she was a very funny, fiesty lady and always said what she was thinking. i'll never forget the first time i met her. john and i had been dating for a while so we went to kentucky at christmas time so i could meet his family out there. she had a big pot roast dinner ready for us and made country ham and biscuits for breakfast. i liked her right away. during that visit she told me i had ugly shoes. not in a mean way, in a "Meme" way. i'll never forget that. she was a big influence in john's life and really meant a lot to the whole family. we'll miss you, Meme!

NST update

i just got back from my NST and everything went well. baby was sleeping so they had to use the buzzer thing to wake him up. he does NOT like that thing. it startled him so much that he nearly jumped out of my belly button and his little heartbeat started racing and took a while to come back down. my poor little baby. :( back to the NST... my fluid levels looked good and i had 2 contractions in about 45 minutes. so everything was ok today.

on wednesday i'll be 35 weeks. i am in disbelief that we've gotten this far. i have my next dr. appt on friday and my doc will check my cervix then to see if i've dilated more. in the meantime i'm just taking it easy. let's see just how far we can get! :)

Baby likes church!

today was the first time i've been to church in 2 1/2 months. i've missed it a lot. baby seemed to like it because he was kicking around the whole time. he was dancin' in my belly during the songs and throughout the service. it was very nice seeing everyone and hearing how they've been praying for us and baby bennett. it's good to be back! :) after church we ate lunch with our friends and had a good time talking, laughing and eating. i felt normal again. but i was still worried if i was doing too much.

when we got home i noticed a little bit of spotting so i am a bit concerned that my cervix is dilating more. could i be at 4cm now? i hope not. i've also had some contractions today. they haven't been consistant or strong so i'm hoping they'll just go away. either that or i'm hoping that this is the real thing. i'd love to be able to get to the 36 week point but i have a feeling that's not going to happen. so we'll just have to wait and see. i'm just so thankful to now be at 34 1/2 weeks. if baby wants to come now then i'm ok with that. um, yeah, i think i'm ok with that.

Life in the real world

today was kind of surreal. i was out of the house and that didn't mean that we were on our way to the hospital for once. it was exciting. it's funny what you get used to seeing on a daily basis and how you start to take the little things for granted. i was so happy to see snow covered mountains and green grass and blue skies and even traffic if you can believe it (although after a while the traffic got old). we went to babies r us (john rolled me around in a wheelchair), made a quick stop at a store for john's jeans, ate a nice dinner and went to the movies. it was a good day. i hope i didn't over do it. i was sitting for the majority of the time so i think we're ok. i was only going to do one thing a day but it was so easy for the "one thing" to turn into four things. i was feeling good so i thought it was ok but now i'm worried that i over did it. but i was sitting down so i should be ok, right? tomorrow i will do less. i'm just planning on going to church and MAYBE grab a quick bite to eat and then back home to lay down for the rest of the day. life in the real world was great but i'm just a little worried now. i hope i didn't over do it.

34 week belly pics & dr. appt update

we took these belly pics right before we left for my dr. appt. i was only doing belly pics every 4 weeks but who knows how much further i'm going to get before baby arrives so we figured we'll do 'em every 2 weeks from now on. it's getting harder to get out of bed/bend over/etc. but i'm so happy to have this big baby filled belly that i don't mind.

dr. connelly checked my cervix again and i'm still 3cm dilated and 80% effaced. basically no change which is good. she is so pleased that i've gotten to 34 weeks and wouldn't be suprised if i went into labor soon. it'd be great if i could make it to 36 weeks but who knows if that will happen. i voiced my concerns about the risk of stillbirth and she said that yes, i do have an elevated risk of stillbirth (based on my first trimester screening results) but that the risk is still way lower than 1%. she assured me that they are doing everything they can to ensure that doesn't happen by keeping such a close eye on me and baby (twice weekly NSTs, weekly dr. appts, kick counts, etc.). i was really freaking out a couple of days ago but she made me feel better.

she also said that it's ok for me to start increasing my activity level as long as i continue to pay close attention to everything that i'm feeling as far as contractions, etc. she said to always make sure i have a ride to the hospital at any given point in time and to come in right away if i notice a change in contractions or if i start bleeding or leaking fluids. we agreed that i wouldn't do too much and she said it would be fine to go to the movies, babies r us and church (the top 3 things i've been wanting to do since being on bedrest). but i'm only going to do one outing a day for now. so tomorrow i think john and i are going to go to the movies, saturday we'll go to babies r us and on sunday we'll go to church! i'm so excited. :)

after the appt we went over to the NST area for my nonstress test and i was having a few contractions. not big ones, but still contractions. so to be on the safe side they sent me over to L&D observation and they kept an eye on me for a couple more hours. after a while of nothing happening they sent me home. we spent a total of about 4 1/2 hours at the hospital today. oh well, at least they sent us home and baby has decided to stay put for now.

when i got home i noticed we had a package on our front porch and i thought it was just something i had ordered online. john brought it in and it was addressed to baby bennett! actually, it was addressed to J.D. Bennett (the name my co-workers have chosen for the baby. it stands for Jacob Debbie! hahahah. sorry girls, i don't think john would ever agree to that one!) hee hee. my wonderful co-workers sent me this package filled with all of these adorable clothes, bibs, socks, onesies, baby gowns, washcloths, a gift card, a baby bible, etc., etc., etc! i had so much fun and was grinning from ear-to-ear. i love my Cardinal family! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! you guys totally ROCK! baby bennett is all hooked up now in case he arrives early. below is a picture of everything laid out on my kitchen table. i feel so loved. :)

34 weeks!

we made it! 34 weeks. i can't believe we actually made it to 34 weeks. i feel like i've crossed the finish line although i know i still have a lot ahead of me. at 26 weeks when i was admitted into the hospital it seemed like it was impossible to stay pregnant long enough to get to 34 weeks. and now we're here. 34 weeks. thank God for 34 weeks.

my best friend, kayla, and her son, elijah, came by to visit last night. we've been best friends since we were 15 years old. i don't know what i'd do without her friendship. i love you, kayla!

my wonderful friend brixie came by today and brought me a scrumptious lunch and my favorite dessert (yellow cupcakes w/ chocolate frosting). she also gave us some adorable presents for baby bennett. thanks, brix! it was great seeing you and BL! love you both!

we've been blessed with such great friends and family that have shown us so much love and support throughout this pregnancy. i have to say a big thank you to all of them (you know who you are!). we've had so many visitors at home and while we were in the hospital, lots of yummy meals brought to us, enough flowers to fill a florist, baby clothes, blankets (thanks, lisa!), cards, emails, phone calls, text messages, and lots of prayers for our little baby bennett. thank you all so much. we love each and every one of you.

i cannot forget to say a HUGE thank you to our families: mom, dad, derek, shannon, kaia, leia, grandma, anne, john, elizabeth, tim, justice. i don't know what we'd ever do without you. we love you all so much. baby bennett is very lucky to be entering into a family with so much love to share. we love you all more than words could ever say.

tomorrow is my next doctor's appt. 34 weeks.... we made it!

Auntie Lettuce is here!

my auntie gladys is here (aka Auntie "Lettuce" as my neice kaia calls her)! she is one of the nicest people in the world. she lives in Hawaii and we rarely get to see her. we love you, auntie gladys! it's so good to have you here!

yesterday's NST went well. baby was very active, my fluid levels looked good and i had no contractions (actually, i did have some contractions yesterday but none while i was on the monitor). my doctor came in to see me while i was there and she decided that she wants me to have another NST after my appt with her on thurs (due to my low PAPP-A results from the first trimester screening which can indicate risk of chromosomal abnormalities, growth restriction, stillbirth, etc). i hope she's just being extra careful but it kinda scares me a little that she wants me to have another one this week. things have been going so well lately and i'm amazed that i'm almost 34 weeks along. trying not to freak out... i'll know more on thurs.

Official due date: 3/19/08

superbowl couchrest was just as i expected it would be. lots of food, napping, and a little watching the game. i did watch the last quarter which was pretty exciting. but the commercials this year were really dumb. it was nice to sit on someone else's couch though. i'm so glad that both my parents and john's parents live so close to us.

my official due date is now 3/19/08 and my weeks change on wednesdays. i still don't understand why it has changed but the explanation i get is "everyone uses a different wheel so it varies a little bit depending on which wheel is used". well, everyone at kaiser is on the same page now and it has been decided that 3/19 is my due date (instead of 3/22). i wonder how close i'm going to get to that date?? i think baby is going to come sometime in february. one of the nurses is rooting for me to have a leap year baby. i don't think i'm going to get that far, especially with all of the spotting i've had lately. plus, my mom had both my brother and i early (3 & 4 weeks early) so i think i would have gone early anyway even if i didn't have all of this preterm labor/short cervix stuff happening.

tomorrow i go in for my NST (nonstress test) to make sure baby is still doing good. my doctor wants me to do NSTs at least once a week but she may bump that to twice a week depending on how things go. i also have my weekly scheduled appts with my doctor and the next one is thursday. there was some talk a few weeks ago that once i got to 34 weeks i could resume semi-normal activity. i'll find out on thursday if it's true. there are 3 things i want to do: go to church, babies r us, and the movies. i don't think it's too much to ask for and john has already said that he will be wheeling me around in a wheelchair when we go to babies r us. if these 3 things aren't too much for me i may feel bold enough to venture out a bit more. i'm sure i won't be doing cartwheels or anything but the thought of being semi-normal is so exciting! i'm to the point now where i'm looking forward to actually having the baby instead of being scared to death that he is going to come early and something is going to go wrong. it's nice to finally feel this way. :)

Spot, spot, spot

what's with all the spotting?? last night i woke up twice with spotting. it's not a lot by any means, it's just a teeny-tiny-itsy-bitsy bit when i wipe after peeing. so i called L&D at 3:51am to ask if i should come in. i'm so well known in L&D now (since i've been there so much) that the nurse was like, "you again??". anyway, she asked me about the amount of blood, my contractions (i wasn't having any), blah, blah, blah, and we decided that i should come in only if the bleeding gets heavier and/or contractions become strong/frequent. at this point they have decided that if i start to go into labor they are not going to try to stop it and will just let me have the baby. since baby is being really active, i've had the steroid shots for his lungs, and i'm further along in my pregnancy now i'm not as worried as i would have been a few weeks ago. this morning all the spotting is gone but i'm still checking everytime i go pee to make sure it doesn't get heavier.

today is superbowl sunday so john and i are going to my in-laws' house to watch the game. we've already claimed the couch so i can "couchrest" there. i could care less about the game but i do like the commercials and i love superbowl food. i know i'm going to be suffering with major heartburn but i don't care. i'm getting my hot wings today. john's parents are making ribs, chicken, salmon, and all of the chips, dips, finger foods, etc. you could ask for on superbowl sunday. i'm sure i'll be napping whenever i'm not eating so it should be a good day. :)

Spotting... Hospital... Home... I'm so hot!

last night we went to my parents' house (who live 3 miles away) for dinner and a movie. i camped out on their couch and did my bedrest thing there. around 9pm i noticed a teeny amount of blood when i used the restroom. i was so bummed because i just knew that it meant another hospital stay and i was so getting used to being back home with my hubby and little weiner dog. so off to the hospital we went and all the L&D nurses were like, "you're back??". yeah, yeah, you know me. can't stay away from this place. anyway, they hooked me back up to the monitors and i was having a few small contractions but nothing to be too concerned over. the doc checked me and said i'm still dilated to 3cm, which is good since i haven't had any changes. so they kept an eye on me for a few hours and after a while of nothing happening they sent me home. we got home around 2am. another night of sleeping in my own bed with john beside me and baby safely in my belly. very nice. the reason for the spotting? who knows. maybe a broken capillary or something silly like that. i'm just glad it's another day closer to 34 weeks!

normally, john is a polar bear. he wears shorts and flip flops when i'm bundled up in sweatshirts and blankets. he freezes me out of the house in the summer time and our electric bills are sky high because he loves the house to be as cold as possible. well, i think our bodies switched temperatures because now i'm the one who is always complaining of how HOT i am all the time. we turned off the heat and the house is a comfortable 61 degrees. hahaha. normally i want it around 74ish. nope, not anymore. i'm sitting on the couch in a tanktop and boy shorts and it's perfect. i do have a light blanket on my legs but that's just because i love blankets and have to have one with me when i lay on the couch, even in the summer. i'm glad it's winter right now because i can't imagine how hot i would be if it was 110 degrees outside.

Heartburrrrrrrnnnnn

i have the worst heartburn ever. this has been going on for weeks but it's gotten much worse over the last several days. i'm afraid to eat or drink anything because even water gives me heartburn. in fact, water is one of the worst things that gives me heartburn. i think the main problem is that i rarely get to sit up straight so everything feels like it's on fire in my throat and esophagus. tums barely helps but it does provide a little bit of relief... sometimes. i want to eat everything in sight but i know that if i do i'll pay for it later. sometimes it's worth it though. i gotta have my chocolate. i really want some buffalo wings but i don't think that will help my situation. ugh, heartburn is no fun.

on a happier note, my loving husband came home yesterday with a fancy-schmancy new laptop for me. it's really nice and has a huge screen. i'm not the most tech savvy individual but i think he picked a good one! thanks, babe. :) he's also getting a new work laptop soon and his will have an air card (i didn't even know what that was but apparently it's nice to have). so we are one laptop-lovin' family now.