September 24th...Maybe

Hi everyone!  I FINALLY have something exciting to post!  That's right, not another wah-wah post about discomfort, pain, frustration, etc. 

 

Husband and I had our weekly check-up today.  Last week I was a bit deflated when I had not made much progress from the week before, except that SG dropped a bit more.  In terms of dilating, I was exactly where I was the week before.  I was pretty disappointed when I heard this.  I thought the ball bouncing and exercise would help but as SG would have it, she wasn't interested in making any changes.  So this last week I have tried not to think about it all too much.

 

Well, my plan must have worked because today we found out that I am dilated to 2 cm (I know, not much), I am 60% effaced and SG has dropped even more.  It wasn't the progress I was hoping for but it was still something.  The doctor asked how I was doing and I told him that I was experiencing the usual pregnancy pains and discomfort.  Then he asked if we were interested in inducing.  Unbeknownst to him Husband and I had been discussing this.  I really did not want to induce but not being able to get out of bed and/or roll over and on some days not get up the stairs because of my ligament pain, I have slowly changed my mind.  I told the doctor I knew I was being selfish and he explained that it wasn't selfish.  He explained that SG has progressed very well and he feels very comfortable with us inducing if we wanted to.  He then told us he would be out of the office Tuesday and Wednesday.  That pretty much sealed the deal for me.  I really didn't want to have come this far with my doctor only to have someone else deliver.  I know, I know, it happens all the time but remember I am a control freak.  So, we decided collectively that if Sofia Grace does not arrive over the weekend then we are going to induce Monday, 09/24!

Insert extreme excitement and fear!  Husband's face was awesome, "Wait so when you say Monday, you mean this Monday right?  Alright, this is getting real!"  How cute.  He was so funny and sweet all at once.  So here we are...only a few days from meeting our lil puff nugget.  I cannot even explain what I feel.  Fear, anxiety, excitement, love...everything all rolled into one.  Which probably explains my breakdown in the parking lot.  I just feel so filled with emotion that I don't know what to do with myself.  My good friend Priscilla says everyone needs a good cry, or "oil change" as she calls it every now and then. 

 

The next few days will be full of lots of emotions I am sure.  Husband will be frantic getting work lined up and prepping for daddy-hood.  I will be spending the next few days wrapping up a few things around the house and snuggling our pups and as much time with Husband as possible.  I will also spend some time in private with God.  I just feel so immensely blessed to have been given such grace by such an amazing God!  He is my rock, my strength and my protector.  Thank you to all of you for being such wonderful friends and doing everything from listening to me vent, offering advice, bringing us meals, grocery shopping, etc.  We are so blessed to have all of you in our lives.  Please keep us in your prayers and hopefully by my next post our lil Sofia Grace will have made her debut.

 

Love to all!

10 cm is how big?!

Hi everyone...I haven't posted in a bit because there hasn't been much to post other than I am still getting big!  Daniel and I visited the doc last week and found out that I was 1 cm dilated and about 30% effaced.  I know that means nothing to some of you but for my mommy friends you know it means we are getting close.  Yay, because this momma is getting tired of being pregnant.  Our doctor told us everything looks great and he was pretty sure I would make it to our next visit, which is Thursday.  He also told us that if I were to go into labor anytime before then that he felt comfortable letting SG make her debut.  He told us he would not try to stop the labor, that she would be healthy enough to be born if even a bit early.  That said, I no longer need to remain on bed rest (although sometimes bed is the most comfortable place to be).  So.....we wait.....and wait....and wait.

Today I am officially 37 weeks!  Despite the discomfort of being pregnant up until about Saturday I have been ok.  Ok meaning that I can still get around (though not gracefully) and I can still do a few things and run some errands.  Then Saturday came and I woke up feeling like Sofia gained 10 extra lbs!  Seriously, what did this kid eat because overnight I went from feeling large to HUGE!  She's very active and loves to kick and stretch and she especially hates when I am on my side.  The other day my good friend Kylee came over and got to feel SG's in utero acrobats.  She freaked when she felt how hard SG kicks.  It's crazy how strong they get and I imagine at this point SG is over being squished inside me too.  I joke that she's trying to kick her way out of me...kind of like the scene in Kill Bill when Uma Thurman punches out of her grave.  Yup that's what it feels like our lil one is doing.  I just asked SG that if she is going to come could she do it any day but Saturday becuase that's football day---as if I can negotiate with her.  

Ahh football...how I love college football season!  It was a bit sad to miss our first Longhorn opening game in three years but thankfully ESPN and the Longhorn network struck a deal the night before the first game.  Since we are missing games this season we invited friends over to watch the game (and about 3 others) Saturday night.  It was great having our friends around but I was super uncomfortable and was having contractions the entire night.  Kylee had to play hostess to our guests in my house.  Thank goodness for friends!  Sunday I literally did nothing all day.  I sat around and watched war movies (yes, I should have been a man becuause Saturday I watched football all day and then this) all day.  You would be surprised how much time you can waste watching "We Were Soldiers" and "Saving Private Ryan."  I was so tired of laying around all day and being cooped up that I decided I would try to exercise.  So I pulled out the trusty exercise ball, did some arm workouts and then began to bounce on my ball.  Some people say bouncing helps bring on labor so I figured, why not?  Plus my good friend Papar bounced her baby right out when she went into labor.  Daniel laughed as I just bouned away.  Strangely the ball and bouncing relieve a lot of pressure from your back.  Up until Saturday I have had some minor back pain but now it's much more intense.  In fact I today I have had some contractions in my lower back (don't worry, nothing on schedule...just my body getting ready).  After my ball bouncing (which BTW reminded me of being a kid) I wanted to take our pups for a walk and take advantage of the small cold front that came through.  We took our walk and I thought, "hmm this isn't so bad" and about five minutes after I said that I wanted to turn around.  They say walking is good, especially when you are close so I am going to try and go for a few more until SG arrives.  Poor DJ was walking with me at a record slow pace.  Even the pups were getting bored.  

Anyhow, today I am still here...waiting.  I have this feeling SG will arrive early, maybe it's wishful thinking but I have felt that way since the beginning.  I feel like it might be sometime next week.  Eek!  Hopefully I will be more dilated at my next visit.  I became curious as to what 10 cm looks like because it sure doesn't sound like a lot.  So I decided to see....seriously?!  How do babies come out of something that is only 10 cm?!  I mean I understand you stretch and all but goodness!  God is always perfect in his planning but how about a lil more?  I mean we are talking cm's not inches!  I probably should not have looked it up.  It definitely didn't put my mind at ease.  Labor reminds me of when I was training for the half marathon.  I had no concept of how the run would go, would I be in pain, would it hurt, could I make it?  I told Husband I was nervous about labor because it's so unknown and what if I don't do a good job (this is the competitive side of me)?  His response, "Well babe, I don't think there is a wrong or a right way to do this.  I'm pretty sure there isn't a good job way of doing this...you just push."  Hmm, simple yet true.  

For those of you who are visual here is what 10 cm looks like (don't worry I didn't upload some gross pregnancy picture). PS, I tried to show this to scale but for some reason it's not working, but you get the point.