Sorry, I am a total hermit!

I want to apologize to everyone for being terrible about returning peoples phone calls! There are certain days were I can't bring myself to answer the phone or even get out of bed. (I am official a hermit!).
The last few days have been all over the place and I have gone to sleep each night wondering if I would be becoming a mother that same night. But to no surprise I guess I am still VERY pregnant! lol My contractions have picked up, last night they got to 6 minutes apart but then after several hours they stopped. So I guess that wasn't it. Today they are back and are about 15 minutes apart but nothing much more than that. I have lost my mucus plug (I know sounds gross) but that is another positive step in the right direction. I promise I will update you all as soon as I know more. Being a newbie at this surely doesn't help. Knowing whether you are in labor is not easy to do. I mean, in the beginning at least. I am getting really excited to see and hold Turtle. (maybe she doesn't want to come out until I stop calling her Turtle???) naaa...
Well hopefully in the next day or so we will have our little angel! If not at least on Wed we will know if I have made further progress when we meet the new doctor. Until then...

For those inventors out there: Just like a test where you pee on a stick to determine if you are ovulating, pregnant, etc...Develop a test that can determine if you are in labor. It was save us so much time! I would pay hundreds for it at this point! he he he

We have made some progress...

So today we went in for my 39 week appointment. I can't believe we have made it this far!
The last few days I have gone to bed wondering if tonight was going to be the night, but woke up feeling like I did the night before. I have had a lot of contractions but to be honest it hasn't been anything crazy so I just kinda went with it. Let me put it this way, I was not going to be surprised if there was no progress.

Well at today's appointment Dr. R did a cervical check and to my surprise I am now 2 cm dilated! YES!! My effacement hasn't changed much so there is not much to report on that forefront. (although she has recommended a few things to change that!) But any dilation is positive.
The only negative that came out of our appointment is that we realized the reality of Dr. R not delivering Turtle. She is going out of town for the 4th of July (the pleasures of a birth over a holiday weekend). Basically in order for Turtle to be delivered by Dr. R she needs to come by Tues. Trust me, no complaints here but I think it is unlikely. Either way we have hedged our bets and had my membranes "massaged" (stripped). I like massaged better! lol Many of my girlfriends have had this procedure done and it has worked for some. Since there is a possibility of another doctor delivering Turtle, we have an appointment with the that doctor on Wed. to meet him in case we go into labor over the holiday weekend. (so only 5 days until the next appointment).

So until then I guess! My doctor said normally massaging membranes generally works within 24-72 hours if it is going to work at all, ummmm.....

Oh and I am officially huge!

How accurate is a "Due Date?"

Even if you know your exact date of conception, and the exact gestational age of your baby, and know the “average” length of pregnancy, it is still difficult to predict exactly when your baby will be born. DUH!

Here are some stats for you:

Only 4% of babies are actually born on their “due dates”.
6-10% of babies are born early – prior to 37 weeks
4-14% of pregnancies last more then 42 weeks. (Please god, don't let this be me!)
So, with that being said most babies approx 80% are born between 37-41 weeks.

That was supposed to make me feel better, but shockingly doesn't! lol

I must admit though, today feels like a better day! The weather is nice...at least I'm not already wanting to take a ice bath! I am ready to take on the day...but I really don't have much to do. :)

Either way, the count down is on! I can't believe I am in the single digits until Turtle is supposed to arrive! 9 days! WHAT!
The last time I was counting down to something was for my wedding, and at 9 days I think I started to run like I was training for a marathon...just to get those last few pounds off. Oh how things change!

Still pregnant...

Today I went in for my weekly OB appointment. Standard checks were done and everything went well. My blood pressure was normal, weight gain good, very little swelling of the ankles, etc. She did do a pelvic exam and sadly I must say she saw very little change.

My cervix is still softening and I am not dilated at all. :( In time I guess. I am struggling a little bit now with the heat but I guess I just need to get used to being pregnant for a little while longer. I guess there could be worse things in life, so I have decided to embrace being over 9 1/2 months pregnant in 100 degree weather and just go with the flow. There really is no better way for me to protect Turtle than the time she spends in my womb, so I can do this.

14 more days until my due date...maybe longer until she gets here...all I need is for the weather to cooperate! I just can't wait to hold her!

Busy Weekend

This weekend was extremly busy for Christian and I. Or at least busy since I am now 9 1/2 months pregnant! WOW!


On Sat we went to a good friends wedding. The bride and groom looked amazing and the wedding was beautiful.

Pictures of the beautiful couple~!

Me and Jill Jill :)
On Sunday we went to the US Open. Now this was funny.

Some how on Sat I threw out my back (I had a pinched nerve in my lower back). I don't know if I actually did something to it or whether the pain was a result of Turtle pushing on my nerves or something like that. Not really sure. It got so bad that I actually went to the chiropractor. It didn't get any better but I battled threw it. Anyway, I woke up on Sunday and it was worse, but we had tickets to the US open so I had to just deal. Well, we got down to Torrey Pines and I was in pain (and couldn't really walk that well). Weird right, I was walking everyday like 2-4 miles and now walking 100 feet was almost impossible! Thankfully Christian thought it would be a good idea to see if I could get a cart or something so I could ride around rather than walk. At first I was embarrassed, but after the 10th person that looked at me and said, "Oh my, you are brave, you are going to have a baby today!" I decided maybe the cart isn't such a bad idea.
So basically, call me WHEELS! here is what I was able to drive around all day! I must admit I wouldn't have made it all day without it!

37 weeks

We made it! I am full term today. I also went to the doctor and everything still looks great. Dr. R said that things looked similar to last week with my cervix still softening but no dilation...how long will Turtle make us wait?? I guess only time will tell

Maternity Photoshoot

Maternity Shoot 8 1/2 months

A few weeks back Christian and I decided it would be a good idea to take maternity photos (okay, really I decided...). I figured who knows what I am going to look like at baby number 2 and pregnancy is something that should be captured on film. I wasn't planning on taking a lot of the traditional photos but some how I ending up doing so...oh well. Here are a few of my favorites.

I went in for the shoot when I was exactly 34 weeks/8 1/2 months pregnant. I didn't really do anything to prepare for this shoot but now that I have the pictures back, I should have gone tanning! lol I have never been this pasty! Who knew a Latina could end up so pale.

I have another doctors appointment tomorrow...and tomorrow is a big day! I will be FULL TERM! holy crap! I must say though this heat is making these final weeks harder! Where is JUNE GLOOM???

36 week doctors appointment

So today I went in for my weekly doctor appointment. Our doctor appointments from now on consist of urine analysis, weight checks, fundus height measurements, and cervical checks.
Today was a little different because Dr. R also went over my results from last week. So far we know I am Strep B negative (good thing) and that the baby is still head down. She has been head down this whole time so this was no surprise.

Anyway, I am not sure if it is Turtle making it happen or the primrose oil helping stuff out, but today the doctor said I have made some movement. I am now 20-30% effaced! still no dilation though. Although this really means nothing (I can still be pregnant for another 30 days!) I was excited to know something was happening or at least my body understood that I will be delivering her at one point. lol

My Fundus height was measuring at 35 1/2 from 34 last week...so Turtle is getting bigger!

Until next week...

Ummm...when will Turtle join us?

I kn0w I just posted how great I was feeling, blaa blaa...well like most things in life, I should have never said anything because the minute I did, it ended!
The last few days I have struggled on my daily walks. I used to walk my dogs everyday anywhere between 2-4 miles. Well right now 2 miles is doable, 3 miles starts lots of braxton hicks contractions, and 4...well I haven't made it to 4 since Thursday. I can't really believe this is happening...I mean she is really almost here! 30 days????
Also my Douala advised that I start using Evening Primrose Oil starting now. I started 3 tablets at 500 mg on Monday. It is supposed to get my cervix ready or "ripe" for child birth, again holy crap! At 37 weeks (which is in 10 days..OMG) I am supposed to start placing these tablets inside near my cervix. This kinda freaks me out so I am only going to take the pills for now. Ask me again at 40 weeks...I think at that point, Que sera sera...
Next doctors appointment is on Friday, after all the "stuff" I have been feeling I am curious to see if there is any progress (which of course means there won't be!).
Until then....
These pictures were taken today just shy of 36 weeks (sorry for the outfits...I do get dressed once in awhile)...I told you, HUGE!