Today was our growth ultrasound and meeting with the doctor about an induction.
The growth ultrasound went well, except Ansley was all over the place, so it felt good to know someone finally knew how I've felt the last, oh, 20 weeks or so. The tech had to work very hard to get the pictures she needed. We did get a glimpse a few times of one thing, she has big cheeks like her brother. :) Ansley is currently measuring 8 lbs 2 or 3 oz according to the ultrasound (let's pray it's right or even a little high, though the dr later said that is wishful thinking.)
Anyway, on to my meeting with the dr. She first made fun of my t-shirt, which she stated "no longer fits." She's such a joker :) She then listened to babies heart and measured me and commented, "Wow, your poor belly, no stretch marks but you can't get any bigger." She decided to go ahead and check me just to see "where things were." Turns out I've gone from 1/2 cm Monday to 2 cm today (yay for some progress). While she was 'in there' she went ahead and stretched my cervix in order to hopefully get things moving.
We then talked induction. She mentioned inducing tomorrow, but had to call labor and delivery to see if that was available. When she came back she had no news... labor and delivery was full today so she told me not to get my hopes up and that she'd either call me back tonight or tomorrow regarding a time for induction. I joked with her and told her anytime would be great that I didn't think I could deal with "this" (pointing to my belly) much longer. She laughed and said, "Yeah you look pretty miserable. I'm not going to lie, if I had that belly I'd be bumming too." Again, I love my doctor. She's a great advocate at the end of pregnancy!
She called at just about 5 and asked how 8 am tomorrow morning sounds. Of course, great! So that's when we go in...
Or at least we think. I've been having contractions every 2-5 minutes for the past 3 hours consistently. They aren't bad enough that I can't talk through them, but they are more uncomfortable than they were. Now I'd really like to make it to 8 in the morning for the sake of the 'plan'. (I'm very type A.) But at this point my body has a mind of its own so we'll see what happens.
Here's to quick and easy labor and delivery and healthy family all around!
-A
We get one journey... here's putting into words what is going on in ours.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Before I Find Relief I Should Say
There's something about the end of pregnancy that brings out the worst in you. Maybe it's the consistent miserableness, maybe it's anxiety, maybe it's the exhaustion that comes from carrying around extra weight, not sleeping, and then being expected to deliver a small (or in my case large) human being. Maybe it's a combination of all of them. Whatever it is I can assure you this: you miss it when it's over.
It's dumb, really? How does that make any sense? I'm up before 6 a.m. and have been up for more than an hour for good. I went to bed at 10:30 to try to get some sleep and escape my misery just to find I was waking up every 20 minutes to either pee, readjust because my hips or back was hurting, a contraction had woken me up, or my head just hurt bad enough to not even be able to close my eyes. (And please don't tell me this is 'getting me ready' for all the nights up. I personally think that is the lamest thing ever. Getting me ready would mean me sleeping so I'm refreshed for delivery and to care for my kid. Saying that weeks worth of nights laying awake at night gets you ready for all of the nights you will be getting up at night makes about as much sense as saying that to prepare for working 3rd shift you will just never sleep at all. AND - I personally think it does not encourage, at all, a new mom or soon to be mom who is tired and exhausted. That's my soapbox.)
Anyway... even after a night like this, having had one child already (which by no means makes me an expert) I know one thing... you miss pregnancy when it's over. You watch your baby grow up, even in the days following delivery, and you realize that you may never have the experience to carry a child again. You mourn the movements you no longer feel. You try to remember how tiny they were and how fragile they were. You mourn the loss of excitement that came with every milestone: baby has fingernails now, baby can suck his thumb now, baby's gender is specific now.
At the end with Bryton I think it is safe to say I was much less miserable. Swelling had the only painful affect on me at that particular time (which is not fun, mind you), but I was still able to find comfort somehow. (though not in bed) This time around I have minimal swelling, but I hurt all over otherwise, and have been having these 'early contractions' for long enough now to have surely pushed out a small child. It all gets very annoying.
But even with that being said, I say it to make this point. Whether this pregnancy ends for me today or 10 days from now (gag me with a spoon), history has proven to me that I"ll miss it when it's over. Being a mom to two will bring a whole new set of challenges, though probably not as painful, and I'll look back on pregnancy in a totally jaded view and think to myself, "It wasn't that bad," and "I sure do miss that."
It just happens...
So as relieved as I'll be to be able to actually sleep, lay down, find comfort, and wear clothes that actually cover my belly again, somewhere in the back of my mind I'll be able to look back with joy on this pregnancy...
-A
It's dumb, really? How does that make any sense? I'm up before 6 a.m. and have been up for more than an hour for good. I went to bed at 10:30 to try to get some sleep and escape my misery just to find I was waking up every 20 minutes to either pee, readjust because my hips or back was hurting, a contraction had woken me up, or my head just hurt bad enough to not even be able to close my eyes. (And please don't tell me this is 'getting me ready' for all the nights up. I personally think that is the lamest thing ever. Getting me ready would mean me sleeping so I'm refreshed for delivery and to care for my kid. Saying that weeks worth of nights laying awake at night gets you ready for all of the nights you will be getting up at night makes about as much sense as saying that to prepare for working 3rd shift you will just never sleep at all. AND - I personally think it does not encourage, at all, a new mom or soon to be mom who is tired and exhausted. That's my soapbox.)
Anyway... even after a night like this, having had one child already (which by no means makes me an expert) I know one thing... you miss pregnancy when it's over. You watch your baby grow up, even in the days following delivery, and you realize that you may never have the experience to carry a child again. You mourn the movements you no longer feel. You try to remember how tiny they were and how fragile they were. You mourn the loss of excitement that came with every milestone: baby has fingernails now, baby can suck his thumb now, baby's gender is specific now.
At the end with Bryton I think it is safe to say I was much less miserable. Swelling had the only painful affect on me at that particular time (which is not fun, mind you), but I was still able to find comfort somehow. (though not in bed) This time around I have minimal swelling, but I hurt all over otherwise, and have been having these 'early contractions' for long enough now to have surely pushed out a small child. It all gets very annoying.
But even with that being said, I say it to make this point. Whether this pregnancy ends for me today or 10 days from now (gag me with a spoon), history has proven to me that I"ll miss it when it's over. Being a mom to two will bring a whole new set of challenges, though probably not as painful, and I'll look back on pregnancy in a totally jaded view and think to myself, "It wasn't that bad," and "I sure do miss that."
It just happens...
So as relieved as I'll be to be able to actually sleep, lay down, find comfort, and wear clothes that actually cover my belly again, somewhere in the back of my mind I'll be able to look back with joy on this pregnancy...
-A
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Kroger Deals
So it's not a fantastic week at Kroger, but it's definitely worth running in for!
Yesterday I bought:
--Charmin 12 double Rolls Toilet Paper
--Bounty 8 count Paper Towels
--Cascade 20 Pack of Dishwasher Tablets
--2 Cans of Pringles
--Salt (I know, random. We needed it.)
--Crest Toothpaste
--Secret Deoderant
--Old Spice Deoderant
--Herbal Essence Shampoo
After coupons (both digital and paper) my total was $14.01. Not bad considering all of the paper products, dishwasher tabs and toiletries! Saved 70%!
Hint: if you have the new, very thick, P & G Coupon booklet, you'll find coupons for everything listed above except the salt ;)
-A
Yesterday I bought:
--Charmin 12 double Rolls Toilet Paper
--Bounty 8 count Paper Towels
--Cascade 20 Pack of Dishwasher Tablets
--2 Cans of Pringles
--Salt (I know, random. We needed it.)
--Crest Toothpaste
--Secret Deoderant
--Old Spice Deoderant
--Herbal Essence Shampoo
After coupons (both digital and paper) my total was $14.01. Not bad considering all of the paper products, dishwasher tabs and toiletries! Saved 70%!
Hint: if you have the new, very thick, P & G Coupon booklet, you'll find coupons for everything listed above except the salt ;)
-A
I Stink At Music
Seriously. My husband struck out in that category. Mr. Drum Playing, Rascal Flatts singing, guitar playing worship leader has a wife that can hardly, if ever, carry a tune and has no ability to play any instrument. (I can clap on beat, though, thank you.) I hope my kids are different. Bryton is already showing huge interest in music, and I love that.
But you don't have to be good at music to love and to appreciate it. Music for me has been an incredible means as to which I can express myself through my own methods. (Listened to Among Thorns the entire time I was writing my book... all of my videos I make with Bryton, etc, all have to be to music and the music has to be 'just right', etc.)
It's amazing how music can take you back to exactly a point and moment in time. For example, Beautiful Life by Fisher was the commercial song for John and Kate Plus 8 (whenever it was a fun show to watch) when Bryton was just born. Everytime I hear that song I can remember sitting in our little apartment, him in his bouncy, Christmas lights up... just in awe of this little addition to our family. Now the song brings tears to my eyes because the memories are so vivid, but Bryton is definitely not that little baby anymore. He's a little boy.
Oddly enough, I even have flashbacks to my doctor's appointments with him when certain songs come on the radio that played over the radio while I was there. It really seems like yesterday, but apparently it was about 2 years and 4 months ago worth of yesterdays.
So I may not be able to play a bunch of instruments, I may not be able to sing a lick, but music is my time machine to the past... the way in which I recollect and relive those moments that seem like yesterday but weren't.
I wonder what music will remind me of Ansley's pregnancy and babyhood???
-A
But you don't have to be good at music to love and to appreciate it. Music for me has been an incredible means as to which I can express myself through my own methods. (Listened to Among Thorns the entire time I was writing my book... all of my videos I make with Bryton, etc, all have to be to music and the music has to be 'just right', etc.)
It's amazing how music can take you back to exactly a point and moment in time. For example, Beautiful Life by Fisher was the commercial song for John and Kate Plus 8 (whenever it was a fun show to watch) when Bryton was just born. Everytime I hear that song I can remember sitting in our little apartment, him in his bouncy, Christmas lights up... just in awe of this little addition to our family. Now the song brings tears to my eyes because the memories are so vivid, but Bryton is definitely not that little baby anymore. He's a little boy.
Oddly enough, I even have flashbacks to my doctor's appointments with him when certain songs come on the radio that played over the radio while I was there. It really seems like yesterday, but apparently it was about 2 years and 4 months ago worth of yesterdays.
So I may not be able to play a bunch of instruments, I may not be able to sing a lick, but music is my time machine to the past... the way in which I recollect and relive those moments that seem like yesterday but weren't.
I wonder what music will remind me of Ansley's pregnancy and babyhood???
-A
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)