First Swing

We had our annual birthday celebration at the park this year, and Caleb tried out the swing for the first time! Here was his reaction:
Caleb's been on the swings two other times since then. The first time he fell asleep! So the next time I made the swing go a little higher, and he was all smiles.

First Parade and Festival

Leanna and I whisked Caleb away on an impromptu trip to my parents' house for their town's Dogwood Festival. It was beautiful weather, and we all enjoyed the short visit. We went down on Friday, came back on Saturday, went to a wedding that night, church and birthday celebration the next day, and Caleb was a trooper through it all! I'm thinking he's a laid back little kid.

Caleb's 4-month Checkup

On Monday Caleb had his 4-month checkup and shots. Here are his stats:

Weight: 13lbs 11 oz (55th percentile)
Length: 26 1/2 in. (95th percentile)
Head: 50th percentile

So he's about average, but very tall! He's grown 5 1/2 inches since birth! Dr. P said that if she just saw his face, she'd think Caleb was 12-18 months--I guess because he doesn't have little baby features and he has a head full of hair! I don't really see it, but she is the one who sees babies all day, so I guess she'd know. And they do call him "little old man" in the nursery....

Dr. P laid him on his back and lifted him to a sitting position to see how he handled his head. Well, he flopped it back and let it hang, which is NOT what he was supposed to do. By 4 months, he's supposed to be able to keep his head in line with the rest of his body when being lifted like that. So, we have to work on that. It makes sense, because I'm still very careful with his head, and always support it when I'm lifting him from a diaper change or playtime on the floor. So now I know to let him start doing the work himself. And he CAN hold his head straight; he just doesn't do it all the time. Sometimes he almost pushes his head back and opens his mouth wide like he's on some roller coaster ride and lovin' it. Stinker.

Dr. P also stood him up, which he's loved to do ever since he was born. She said he leg strength was better than most babies his age. When she went to sit him down again, he pushed his legs out straight so he could keep standing. Dr P said, "Well I can see what mom and dad have been working on!" But it's not really true; he just likes to stand!

I asked about Caleb's sleep patterns, and it turns out that pretty much anything under the sun is normal for a 4-month old: 30-minute naps, 2-hour naps, 3 naps a day, one nap a day, sleeping through the night, waking through the night....it's all normal. So my child's 2 or 3 2-hour naps and once-a-night wakeups are perfectly fine.

Dr. P also noticed a tooth coming in! More accurately, Caleb's gums are swollen on the front bottom. She said that could mean his tooth will show up next week, or it could still be a long time. So who knows! He really likes to keep his fingers in his mouth, and maybe that's why. He hasn't been coordinated enough (until maybe this week) to even keep a teether in his mouth, so we'll see if he takes one now. Once his tooth comes in, the dr. said to just wipe it off with a washcloth during bathtime to serve as his toothbrushing for now.

Other questions I asked were about his shoulders that pop often. She said that was normal. And he seems to have a cold right now, and she said to use saline drops and the nose sucker, and a vaporizer might help, too. But mostly it's just time (just like when adults get colds).

The most exciting news of the visit was that Caleb is ready to start solids! So Dr. P laid out a plan for that:

• Put Caleb in something that reclines: the bouncer or high chair (turns out our high chair reclines!)
• Feed him 1 1/2 hours after nursing, so he's not overly hungry, once a day
• Start with a one-grain cereal (we have oatmeal) to get him used to the spoon.
• Once he's figured out the spoon, go to 2x a day feedings, and add in veggies
• Veggies in this order: Greens (green beans and peas), then oranges/yellows (Squash, carrots, sweet potatoes)
• Then fruits: Peachs, Pears, Prunes, Bananas, Apples
• Add no more than one new food every three days, and keep the previous foods in the rotation as well.
• By 6 months of age he will probably not have all of these "Stage 1" foods down, but he might.
• These foods are not his main source of nutrition. That still comes from milk.

So Monday I brought in the high chair and cleaned it up. I pulled out the bowls and spoons. And then we ran out of time. And then date night on Tuesday, coming in late from work on Wednesday, church basketball on Thursday...good grief when are we going to feed this kid? We decided on Wednesday that we just have to do it, because at some point Caleb's going to rely on us to take the time out to feed him (sheesh...). So we did. And it was fun. :)


To make a long post longer, here are some new things lately: He slept through the night for the first time on Saturday night! Of course, he made up for it by waking up just about every three hours last night.

I clipped his finger instead of fingernail for the first time yesterday. He didn't cry or anything, but it sure did bleed! We finally got a tiny bandaid on it, which did the trick.

He also found his feet this week! I thought that was more of a 3-month marker, but not or this kid. I'd convinced myself it was because his cloth diapers were too fluffy for him to bend over to reach his toes, but nope! Now he grabs them with gusto every chance he gets...even while nursing. Yeah, he's a stinker.

This 3-month period has been great. Really, just awesome. Caleb is a laid-back kid, and he can laugh and talk. We know what we're doing...nothing new (parenting-wise) comes in this period. But now we're entering the world of solids, and of a baby that sometimes shows a little short-tempered side to him (last night he was screaming by the time I could get to him to feed him). I can tell that 4 months is going to be very different from 3! He's talking a lot more, getting much better at playing on his own, and it's so much fun to watch.

This is how we do it.

Something I've always thought was weird about mothers was their use of the term "we."

"We're a little grumpy this afternoon because we decided to skip our nap."

"We love Gerber Puffs!"

Well now I get it. Every movement, every cry (and soothing), every like and dislike is very personal to mothers. We're there when they miss their naps--not only there, but the one holding, rocking, feeding, doing everything we can to help the baby nap. We're there when they're grumpy--not only there, but we face the screams, the short tempers, the inconsolable crying as we try to convince our children that they really. really. need a nap.

And we're there when they reach their feet for the first time, master a toy on the exersaucer, giggle at silly noises that we're making, try solids. And the list goes on. Mothers are inextricably linked to their children. When a mom says "We ate rice cereal for the first time today!" she really means it. For the first time, that mother put a little rubber-tipped spoon in that baby's mouth, and celebrated each swallow and wiped up each spit-up. At the end of the last bite, she can honestly say,

"Hooray! We did it!"

Happy St. Patty's Day!

First Bath

2am on Friday, November 28. Where were you?

I was in a hospital bed, eating a much-appreciated sandwich, and about to get all the tape pulled off my arm and back from the IV and epidural. Caleb was getting his first bath, and Jon was capturing it on film through the security glass of the nursery. You can hear Jon yawn a couple of times; he hadn't had much sleep in several days.

The "uncut" version of this is in the works...but it's 14 minutes long and I can't seem to find a place that will host it. Most people don't want to see 14 minutes of a baby bath, but I know family will, so I'll keep working on it.

The songs playing are ones that I listened to all during labor and delivery...the first songs Caleb heard! He was actually born to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons." I remember because the dr. commented on it while Caleb was being born. I'd set up my playlist so lullabies would be playing when Caleb was born, but he was born a lot faster than I expected (once pushing started, at least)!

(Ooh, I'm giving you tidbits into The Story...maybe someday I'll get it all written out for you!)

Out with the Old, In with the Older!

At four months into my pregnancy, KarenN and I switched all my non-maternity for maternity clothes in my closet. My beloved clothes were packed away for almost 9 months. Somewhere between 2 and 3 months post-partum, Jon brought them back in--all two huge bins of them. Sadly, I couldn't wear a lot of it! A few pieces made their way into my closet, and as I added, I'd take out some maternity. However, I soon realized that I really wasn't wearing any of the maternity any more, so last week my mom helped me make the switch. As I went through all the clothes I hadn't seen in 9 months, I filled 4 more bags with clothes (to add to the 2 I filled before putting them in the bins). I got rid of stuff that was worn out or that I felt frumpy in. So that leaves a much cleaner closet, which is great!

As I put things in the closet, I tried them on for size. Skirts are wonderfully forgiving, so that was good. Pants, not so much, especially since I was outgrowing my pants before I was even pregnant. However, the good news is that I can wear about half of them (the bad news is that the other half are most of my dress pants). And I'm confident that I'll get back to a weight where I can wear them soon.

One funny note about switching from maternity to non is that I have to get used to zippers again! Maternity pants have those great stretchy bands of elastic, and I've tried a couple of times to pull my non-maternity pants off without undoing the button and zipper first! I wouldn't be surprised if I've walked around with my fly open and never even noticed it!

Caleb & Ian (Caleb's 3-month photos)

Last Wednesday Caleb & Ian had a second photo shoot together, this time with cute clothes that Great Grandma sent them. You can see how much Caleb has grown since their last photo shoot together! I took lots of shots of just Caleb, since it would serve as his 3-month photo shoot as well.

Enjoy!

Caleb Laughs

It's a little rough around the edge, but Caleb is definitely laughing!

This Week's Firsts

Caleb is still working on laughing. He really isn't anywhere near it, yet, but he gets all wiggly, his eyes go wide--as does his mouth--and you get the idea that he would be giggling away if he could.

He went to the dr. this past week. After his eye infection, he continued to have a low-grade fever, and then on Monday a little rash showed up on his chest. So off to the dr. we went. Turns out the low-grade fever was really nothing. Temps taken under the arm are completely unreliable, and I have to do it like a real mom--in the poor baby's heinder. And the rash? The dr. said rashes are kind of hard to diagnose, but it looked like a heat rash to her, probably due to all the bundling we've done in the cold weather. She said there's nothing to do for it, and certainly don't stop bundling! The rash hung around for a little longer, but I don't think I noticed it today.

In other news, Caleb weighed in at 12 pounds! He'd just been weighed a couple weeks before, and he'd weighed 10.6, so he's quite the eater!

On Valentine's Day, Caleb was in the church nursery for the first time! We were at the church for a Valentine Banquet. I did pretty well. I really wanted to check on him after we'd eaten, but Jon convinced me that they would let us know if he needed anything. Later I got to go feed him, and it turns out he was doing just fine. He likes to play after he eats, and he inevitably eats at the beginning of Sunday School, so we'll probably start putting him in the nursery on Sundays.

And today Caleb managed to roll over after his nap! Once today I found him on his side (from his tummy), and once I found him on his back! His first hints of independence...can you imagine trying to babyproof OUR house? Oh, dear.... I'll need a whole flock of you organized people to come help me!

Make 'Em Laugh

I think it's interesting how babies are born with a sense for the dramatic, but have no sense of humor. They come out of the womb wailing and crying. They tug at our heartstrings with big pouty lips and eyebrows raised in concern. Their eyes widen in surprise or fear. But it's not until we laugh that they start to learn what's funny.

Which is good, because I've convinced Caleb I'm quite hilarious.

Parenting

I'm feeding Caleb. All of the sudden he starts crying in a squealy sort of way.

"What's wrong? Are you done? You haven't eaten very much."

I try to shift positions for him. Maybe he's uncomfortable? His crying gets louder and squealier.

"Oh dear...baby, I don't know what you want!"

I pick him up to give him a hug, because that's what I'd want right then.

BUUUURRRRPPPP.... then silence.

"Oh."

Caleb smiles at me as I settle him back to feeding.

And this is how we learn!

This week's firsts

Caleb had his first bout of an eye infection this week. We think. It was all red with green stuff coming out, so I stayed home with him instead of going into the office this week. And we've been putting an antibiotic ointment in his eye, but it almost cleared up completely by the second day of the ointment, so I'm wondering if it was just allergies? I talked to a nurse, and she called in the ointment prescription based on my description, so it could have just been me being paranoid. Either way, his eye is better, and that's what matters!

Caleb also brought a ball to his mouth for the first time this week! I was pretty impressed, and he thought the texture of the ball was really neat on his tongue.

He also tried to laugh, I think. It came out sort of like a cough, and kind of surprised him, but he had been all smiley and wiggly, and I was laughing when it happened, so I'm pretty sure it was a laugh. I can't wait to hear it more!

To the park we go

For all you non-Texans out there, it's been a great January/February around here. Some days it's highs in the 80s, then it turns around to highs in the 30s and 40s the very next day. So it feels like winter, but with a little spring mixed in, which is just about the way winter should be!

These warm-weather days have come just in time for my work-off-the-baby-fat exercise regimen ("regimen" is used very loosely here...mostly it means "take a walk when the weather's nice"). I've made a goal to take Caleb outside any time it's over 60 degrees.

So Caleb and I have been to the park for a walk several times now! The second time there was a guy there practicing tight-rope walking on a rope tied between two trees. He was also juggling knives (not at the same time as walking on the rope). He wasn't that great at either skill, but hey, he was better than I will ever be! And it felt very "big city" to have a tight-rope walker at the park.

I'm not sure Caleb's a big fan, yet, but I know he will be.

Caleb got your tongue

I stuck my tongue out at Caleb one day last week, and his eyes widened in wonder. We spent the next little while sticking our tongues out at each other.

Could it be true?

Yesterday and today, we've been able to put Caleb down for a nap while he was still awake! He fussed for just a few minutes, and then went to sleep!

We haven't read any books on sleep training, or looked online, or anything like that, but we figure that if we can lessen his dependency on external things to get him to sleep (rocking, music, swaddling, etc.), then that's probably a good thing. I'm sure he's not fully independent--we've had to rock him to sleep a couple times today--but it's a start!

Here's our little man in a nap before church this morning.

The Tour

I did this video tour of the house and nursery when we first made the big change...around Labor Day, while I was still pregnant.

Caleb's Dedication, February 1, 2009

Thank you to everyone who was there to support us and commit with us to grow Caleb up to be the man God has designed him to be. It was a fun day, and I think we lived the "big family" commercial at Olive Garden afterward!

Here are the photos from that day:

My camera (KarenD took these)

My mom's camera

Leanna's camera

Child Development: 8 weeks

Jon and I put this video together for a class Jon's mom is teaching next week. So it's more informational than cute, but I still love it!

Only Have Eyes for Pooh...and Roo

Caleb has had smiles for his Winnie the Pooh musical toy for several weeks. This week, he just started interacting with his kangaroo toy.

Cushy Tushy

Did you know how much diapers cost? It's insane, really. Jon and I figured up that we'll be spending almost $2,000 just to protect ourselves from baby poo for the next two years. Being the cheap people we are, that really hurt. It caused us to consider something we never had before: cloth diapers. Realizing that an initial investment of less than $250 would get us set for two years of diapering really caused us to think. Then we'd say, "Yeah, but baby poo...I don't want to deal with that." And just looking at cloth diapers made my head swim--there were so many options!

Well then our friend, Stacey, made the switch with her one-year-old. She blogged about and answered many of my questions. Suddenly cloth diapers didn't seem so weird. She found two great things.

One, the diapers. BumGenius 3.0 diapers are adjustable to fit babies from 8lbs until they potty train, so one purchase of diapers will last two years...and will fit two different-sized kiddos if we have another baby while Caleb is still in diapers. Then the same diapers will last through the second kid. That's awesome.

Two, the diaper liner. This is kind of like a dryer sheet, and it can be washed up to three times. But if it gets poo on it, you just take it out of the diaper and flush it. It's biodegradable so perfectly fine to go in the toilet. So no dealing with poo! Actually, it's better than disposables, because the poo is flushed away instead of sitting in the Diaper Genie until trash day.

As we watched our stash of diapers that we'd collected over 9 months dwindle away, and as we considered that our income might be much smaller in the future, we decided to take the plunge. I did minimal research, mostly trusting Stacey's choices. Everyone I asked who used cloth, or every forum I found, rated BumGenius as the best. We bought 12 diapers for about $225. Sure, it sounds like a lot, but we had asked for money for Christmas, plus $200 for diapers that would last through all our children? You're looking at a 90% savings for one kid, and it just gets better with every child. So it was worth the investment.

And yesterday we started cloth diapering!

I've been a little skeptical. I mean, disposables have double elastics around each leg. With just one elastic, I figured we were doomed to leakage. However, Jon reminded me that Caleb leaks through the disposables and we just change his clothes and move on, no big deal, and it would be the same with cloth. Well, we put his first diaper on, took a picture...


...and then I camped out in my usual work spot at my desk with Caleb on my lap, with a lap pad under his bum, because I just didn't trust these crazy diapers. And of course he pooped. Didn't wanna give mama an easy first diaper, evidently. But no leaks!

So now what do I do? With a disposable, you roll and fold and close it all in on itself so it's a tiny ball, then dump it in the Diaper Genie. With this, I was going to have to wash it, so I didn't want to roll it up into a ball. So I folded it as cleanly as I could and put it in the bag for washing. On to the next diaper.

I put him in a disposable last night, since I don't know how much absorbency he needs at night. And today he's had a full day of cloth. I can't tell when it's wet, yet, but I guess that's just something I'll learn. And really, for all the money we're saving, he's got the cushiest tushy around! So far I'm a fan!

Aw, mom, don't take a picture! I'm in my undies!

The Blue Bulb of Unhappiness

One day a coworker and I were in a gift shop and came across the Blue Dog of Happiness:

My boss was going through a rough time at work, so my friend bought the Blue Dog of Happiness for his desk.

We have recently implemented a new tool at our house, the Blue Bulb of Unhappiness:

Yep, my boy is a snotty one. And he ain't happy about it.

Hey from us

My two men

Grandma's House

Caleb and I took a quick trip to Grandma's and Grandpa's house after Christmas. Grandma loved to play with Caleb!

There's something about grandmothers giving baths. Both have had MUCH better success at keeping a calm baby during bathtime than Jon and I ever have!

And I've decided there's nothing much cuter than a little boy dressed in pants and shoes.

Caleb's Second Week photos

Click the photo above for pics of Caleb when he's in his second week of life. It could be titled: The Many Faces of Little Man. He's grown so much already!

Hello World!

Workin' Mom

Today is my first day back! And Aunt Karen has Caleb. I know he's in very capable hands! Yesterday he stayed with a non-family member for the first time, my friend Bekah. She took pics of the occasion. I notice he's sleeping on his tummy at her house! :) But he's oh-s0-cute and now I have pics to look at today so I won't miss him so much.

He sleeps!

Jon figured out something big the other day: Caleb will fall asleep when you face him toward you and rest his head on your shoulder. It still takes a lot of jiggling and rocking, but it cuts out the walking around and around and around the house. This is a huge discovery! Now if we could figure out a way to keep him asleep; he tends to wake up about 10 minutes after falling asleep.

In other news, Caleb is starting to make prolonged eye contact! It sounds small, but it's pretty exciting.

And we put up a Winnie the Pooh toy by the changing table. He's all scrunched up, and when you stretch him out, he squeezes back together and plays the "Winnie the Pooh" song. We pull it at every diaper change, and Caleb really likes it! His eyes will fix on it, and he'll wiggle with the music...not that conducive to changing diapers, but still fun. He really likes the changing table. It's a good place to lay him to calm him down sometimes, and he's very good during [most] diaper and wardrobe changes.

Take it how you will....

Caleb is not quite 6 weeks old, and he's been to Hobby Lobby four times.

Back in the Groove of things

We went to church yesterday. It was our third Sunday to go, but the first time we got to meet with our Sunday School class. They have been our good friends since we moved here 3.5 years ago, and we had been away for 8 weeks! Everyone cheered when we walked in the door--probably not because Jon and I were finally back, but because we brought our little Caleb along with us! He did great, too. Slept the whole way through except for one moment where he woke up and let out a little cry before going back to sleep. Brent was teaching, and he turned and said, "His first amen!" Hopefully he'll do as great every week.

After church we went to lunch with several couples, and it was very nourishing to be with such good friends, and do something we've missed. Yeah, it was a little different with a baby to feed and burp and keep happy, but it was great.

Growing up

Today I put away all of Caleb's newborn clothes! He only had about 8 outfits, and he'd go through 2 or 3 even 3 on a crazy day, so we'd gotten quite familiar with them all. It will be fun to start on our large collection of 0-3 month clothes!

We also tried upgrading to size 1 diapers, since we'd experienced frequent blowouts and spillages recently in his newborn diapers, but the first size 1 diaper resulted in more spillage, this time because it was too big. So, back to newborn diapers for a bit, and we'll see how long that lasts.

Home again, home again

Yesterday, Caleb and I came home from a 3-day stay with Grandma and Grandpa, and Caleb was all smiles the minute he was in Daddy's arms! He slept great last night and even had a few good naps today, so I think he's enjoying being at home. Before that latest trip, we'd just gotten back from a week at Nana and Grandad's. Our visits were so sweet, but it's nice to settle back to normal and see what kind of routine Caleb will set up.

Only one more week and maternity leave is over! I can't believe how quickly it's gone, and I'm so glad I'll be a work-at-home mom. He just seems too tiny to send off to someone else to watch!

Photos!!

What everyone has been waiting for! Here are the photos pulled from my camera. Thank you to everyone who picked up the camera and took a few shots! Jon and I set the photos up on a slideshow and watched them during dinner one evening, and it was fun to see what everyone took pics of. These photos start right before we headed to the hospital to check in, and the last photo was taken today at lunch. Hot off the press! There's a ton of them, so hopefully they'll keep you guys busy for awhile!

Today is day 7. Caleb is officially a week and one hour old! Everyone must have been thinking of us, because the phone rang off the hook today! We tried to call everyone back, but if we didn't make it to you, we're doing fine! It's been a week of adjustment for sure, but I'm feeling better, Caleb is doing great, and Jon has been amazing taking care of the two of us!

Morning Reflection

It's 6am and I'm gazing into the eyes of the most beautiful creation I've ever seen. Caleb is 4 1/2 days old. It's been a wild ride in just that short of time. Last night I was so tired of being a new mom, tired of trying to figure out what Caleb wanted, tired of being sore (everywhere!). But oh, what six hours of sleep and a few good feedings can do! We were headed back to bed for another two hours of sleep, but Caleb was content to gaze around with his beautiful eyes, and I just couldn't miss that. So I'm up! I figure I'll sleep later.

I haven't done anything on the computer until this moment (barring a web cam conversation with family), so I haven't seen photos or read stories; I haven't even pulled my own photos off the camera! I could write 10 posts about the things that have happened, but for now, I'll just say that I am so blessed. So blessed to have a perfect little baby boy, to have a wonderful husband beyond description, to have supportive family and friends, and to have quiet moments like these.

21" 6lb 14oz

It's a boy! Born @ 9:32. Details to follow. Love to all.

Fixing to push!

2 am and all's well! Cervadil caused Caleb's HR to drop, so I'm off that. Contracting strong and regularly w/o Pitocin, but scheduled to g

Thanksgiving is postponed!

After another night of contractions, Jon and I headed to our 8:30 dr. appointment, this time to see Dr. K again, who is back in town. We were happy to report all my contractions since Monday, and the loss of my mucous plug yesterday afternoon (look it up if you really want to know), which to us were good signs of progress. However, upon examination, there was no progress. Pooh. I thought for sure something would have happened!

Because we're now about 41 weeks along, we had a very quick sonogram to check the amniotic fluid around the baby. Low amniotic fluid indicates that the placenta (which, as it turns out, has a shelf life) is no longer working 100%, and can cause distress to the baby, so they keep a close watch on it for past-term mamas. When the image came up on the screen, Jon and I immediately saw that things were different. The large black areas that had indicated pockets of amniotic fluid were gone! The last time we had a sonogram, the fluid measured at 13, and this time it measured at 3. Since I had not noticed any gushing or leaking, the only other explanation is that the placenta is no longer 100%. So...off to the monitor we went.

The monitor has two discs that are strapped onto my belly: one measures the baby's heart rate and the other measures contractions. We were supposed to be monitored for 20 minutes, but it was busy, and I think they forgot us. By the time someone came back to check on us, we were a little frazzled. Dr. K looked over the monitor readings and said the baby looked perfect. However, she was still concerned about the low amniotic fluid and felt it was best for us to go ahead and induce.

Today.

She sent us home with "get your bags together and eat whatever you want for lunch. Come back between 3 and 4." So that's what we're doing! When we go back, I get a medicine called Cervadil to help with effacement, then after a certain period of time (8 hours?) they'll start me on Pitocin. And Caleb should be born tomorrow!

So Thanksgiving is officially postponed until Friday evening. Jon and I (and Caleb) may get to be there for it or not, but at least the family won't be worrying about the casserole in the oven when I'm about to pop out a baby.

I'm nervous because I've never been in the hospital before. And I feel like I'm about to run the gauntlet of motherhood. Nine months of planning and reading, but nothing is like the real thing. And there are so many unknowns! How will I handle the pain? Will I need a C-section? Will things go smoothly or be a rush from one decision to the next? I know God is in control, and I know that you guys will be thinking about us and praying for us!

We'll try to keep you informed, and see you on the other side!

Update

Well, no baby yet. :) We've walked the neighborhood, Target and Michaels. When I stop, my contractions stop. When I go, they're about 6 minutes apart. Now my feet hurt!

My mom fed us yummy yummy gumbo tonight, and Jon's putting together a shelf for Caleb's room. We're just waiting! Everyone have a good night, and hopefully more news tomorrow!

Still here

We're still at home, and the contractions are still coming, though much slower than before. I stayed up until about 12:45 timing them and doing laundry. They were starting to hurt at that point, so laying down didn't feel good at all. I sat on my Pilates ball, and I would recommend! Quite comfy during contractions!

At 12:45 I was finally tired enough to lay down, I guess. Then I just checked my watch every once in awhile, but no more official timing. I was surprised when it was already 2am...and then 4:30...and then 6:15. I don't know if I slept through contractions, or they got really slow, but I do feel I got some rest. I stayed on the couch where I could move around or sit up if the contractions got bad. Jon stayed in bed, but would come out intermittently and get me more water and check on me. Early on, he was dreaming, and I heard him say, "I think I see something!" Then a long "ohh...." groan like he wished he hadn't seen what he just saw, and he needed to sit down. Haha! It made me laugh. He's going to do great in the delivery, I just know it!

He's taken off work today, my mom's on the road and I'm expecting her here pretty soon, and Jon and I are about to go for a walk to see if we can't start these contractions back up for real!

I've set up my phone so I can send updates from it if we head to the hospital...I'll try to keep you informed! Sadly, it's a work phone that won't let me send pictures (even though I can take them), but I can at least send text. Someone else may be the first to post a pic of our little Caleb. If so, I'll let you know where to go find it!

Contractions!

Well, contractions started at about 10:15 tonight! Crazy, huh??

I thought at first it was just Caleb stretching, because it didn't really hurt, but I felt a small dull pain at the very base of the uterus, which I can only assume is the cervix moving into position, which the doctor said only happens with contractions.

So, once I figured, "hey, this might be a contraction," I had Jon start timing. In about thirty minutes, we had contractions every 5 minutes or so, lasting 45 seconds. Wow! The doctor said to come in when they're 5 minutes apart for an hour, but surely she can't mean these contractions! They don't even hurt!

So, next on my list is to drink lots of water to see if that stops them. I did, and I've had two contractions since then...I haven't timed them, though, because I figure I won't really need to until they start to hurt. And now I'm about to go to bed, because I also figure I better get some sleep while I can, if these are really real!

I called my mom, who did not answer the phone, I might just say.... My dad eventually woke up and called me back. He wins the grandparent award for that one! :) Anyway, my mom is already planning on coming tomorrow, so she's doing the same as we are: going back to bed to see if she can get some sleep before things start to happen. After all, this may just be a false alarm (I mean seriously, aren't contractions supposed to hurt??), and then we'll all be nice and rested for whatever tomorrow brings us.

Ooh, now I'm excited! Let's see how much sleep I really get! I'll keep you posted if I can!

Dr. Appointment

Another day, another appointment!

Here are the stats:
Weight: Still gained 0 lbs. Staying steady with a total of 26lbs
Uterus: 37cms
Blood pressure: 118/70
Caleb's heart rate: 130s bpm

And the big news: dilated to one centimeter and effaced 60%! Our first sign of progress!

My blood pressure is back to normal, which may indicate that work stress was truly the cause, or it may just be the result of being a complete bum for several days!

The doctor really doesn't like people to go beyond 41 weeks (which is Thanksgiving day), so she's scheduled an induction for Friday night. I'd go in that night for a medicine that will finish the effacement, and the next morning start on pitocin, which causes contractions. Then, I should have a baby by Saturday night! Induction is certainly not my first preference, and pitocin causes pretty rough contractions, so my hopes of going natural would probably not happen. So, if this baby could get a move on before then, that would be great! :)

And that's the report! My normal doctor is back in the office on Wendnesday, and we're scheduled to see her bright on Wednesday morning to check in and talk over the induction with her. Pray for more progress from now to then!

Forty Weeks!

Well, I've got quite a bit to update this week. First things first: no baby yet!

Let's see...after Monday's appointment and prescription for bed rest, I spent Tuesday frantically getting last-minute things together for work. I packed up my laptop and Jon shipped it off for me that evening. Let me tell you, I smiled as I erased my marker board of "to dos before baby." I put away all my work papers that cluttered my desk, and I could feel my blood pressure lower as I said goodbye to work for the next 6 weeks (at least). Jon asked me if I was sad to say goodbye, and I said, "Nope! I'm so relieved to be done!" And at this point, as far as we know, I'm going back to work after my maternity leave, so it's not like I'm saying goodbye for forever.

On Wednesday...well, let's just say I stink at bed rest! I was on the couch or the computer, I did a little bit of laundry (really, I just switched out one load), and generally realized by the end of the day that I was worrying Jon more than helping by not wanting to appear helpless. It turns out that the everyone but me is a champion bed rester around here.
Well, Jon was taking a much-deserved break from studying, but the cats...champion bed resters!

Thursday, KarenN was gracious enough to drive down to come to the dr. appointment with me, since Jon had to work. I was so glad she came! My blood pressure was still high, but not as high as it had been, and considering my one day of attempted bed rest, I figured that was okay. Then I went in to get my sonogram, and that took quite awhile. The sonographer was trying to determine if Caleb has a cleft lip or cleft palate, or if everything is fine. The problem was that Caleb has his nose pretty firmly smooshed into the placenta, so it looks asymmetrical, but we can't be definitive on whether that's the smoosh or a cleft. There was one shot that she took that seemed pretty good, that nothing was wrong. But then there were 5 more shots that indicated there might be a small cleft palate issue. So, at the end of the sonogram still had nothing definitive. However, if there is a cleft, it's probably minor. And we can't do anything about it until Caleb's born, anyway, so no reason to worry about it! But I will say I'll be checking his mouth before I count his toes!

After the dr. appointment, Karen and I ate lunch, then she made my Amish Friendship Bread for me, since I was supposed to be on bedrest. And flowers were delivered to my door!

It turns out Caleb already has a connection with his Grandma! After Karen left, I really did rest, and took a nice long nap. So I did much better!

Friday morning, Jon and I went to a chiropractor, which was a new experience for both of us. We went because I was concerned that now that I have high blood pressure, there would be more likelihood that the dr. would induce, and since Caleb has shown no signs of progression, the only way out for him is by C-section (induction would be fruitless). I asked a friend to check with her midwife about what to do, and her midwife suggested I check with a chiropractor to see if perhaps I was unaligned, not allowing the baby to drop as he should. Well, it just so happens that Holly has been going to a chiropractor recently, and not only had good success with it, but also had a voucher for half off! So I made an appointment, and off we went on Friday morning. The chiropractor could be a blog in and of itself, but in the end the dr. said my tailbone was pretty unaligned, and he got it back to about 98% correct (my legs had been different lengths by an inch, and after the adjustment they were back to normal!). So, though he didn't guarantee it would help the baby drop, he did say it might make a difference since I'd been so unaligned. I go back on Monday for a second adjustment, and I think it will be our last.

After our appointment, Leanna came to hang out for the day. Hooray! She made cake! With all these people coming over and making things for us, this is pretty great! We watched movies and did our best to stay rested. :) She also tried the acupressure points to start labor. Nothing happened, but we did it anyway.

This morning, I slept 'til 11:00!! I couldn't believe it! But then my stomach was upset and I was nauseated...which I hate, but is a sign that labor could be coming! So we got in gear and I folded laundry and Jon ran to Wal-Mart for some final things. Then he worked on his paper and I worked on photography...and nothing happened. After that bit in the morning, I felt better today than I have in a week, really! Which could also be a sign of impending labor...usually it comes out as energy for nesting, but maybe mine was redirected to photography because it needed to be done. We went for a small walk, just a couple times around the block, because I thought that when I started to walk around the house, I'd feel a little cramping, so maybe a walk would kick things in gear. But we didn't try too hard because really, the baby is coming soon, so no need to rush things! And nothing happened.

All in all, yesterday I felt there was no way this baby was coming until Thanksgiving, but today I feel like it could happen tonight. So maybe the chiropractor and the acupressure is actually working, or maybe it's just time...or maybe he won't be here 'til Thanksgiving! It's exciting however it happens!

BabyCenter estimates Caleb to be 7.5 pounds and 20 inches long...we shall see soon!

Dr. Appointment

Today Jon and I got to meet Dr. P. She's very nice...a little awkward, but still informative and patient. She answered all our questions and took her time, which was good.

The appointment started out with the regular checks, so here they are:
Weight: Gained 0 lbs. Staying steady with a total of 26lbs!
Uterus: 33cms
Blood pressure: 137/93
Caleb's heart rate: 133bpm

Were you paying attention? Have you been learning from my oh-so-informative baby blog? If so, you would have noticed that once again, my blood pressure is high. Once again, I was left to lay on my side for 20 minutes or so, but this time, it didn't have the same effect. My blood pressure did go down, but only to 120/90. 120 is fine, but 90 is not. And since this is the second week in a row, the doctor has officially put me on bedrest.

First, we had another sonogram to make sure Caleb was doing okay. The sonographer had to look for heart rate, breathing, a certain number of body movements, and amniotic fluid. All of those were fine, though Caleb wasn't too cooperative with moving. I promised her he'd had the hiccups and had been rolling around just before the appointment (and is as I write this, as a matter of fact), but she had to witness it. We finally caught his foot twitch a little, his hand move, and we could see his lips moving as if he were sucking on a paci. It was pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

So Caleb passed, and we went back to the room to wait. I'd like to mention here that I was not wearing pants at this point, but the thin blue sheet they give me at the beginning of each appointment. So yes, I was waltzing down the hallway wrapped in a sheet. I think OBGYNs live to humiliate women, but that's just my opinion. :)

Back in the room, Dr. P discussed the sonogram and said it looked good and Caleb seemed to be doing fine. She said the sonographer did have some concern about the formation of Caleb's palate, that it might have a bit of a cleft to it, but from the images, it looked like his nose was just jabberwocky because it was smooshed against the placenta. However, to make sure, we're getting another sonogram next time, and probably in 4D! The dr. was really not concerned, so we won't be either. But good grief, isn't it amazing the random things that come up!

Dr. P talked about the high blood pressure a little more. Basically, the only "cure" for it is to have the baby, but our baby is clearly still not ready to come out (that's right, still no dilation or effacement). Because of that, any medical induction methods we could try would not work. So that's why we have to do our best to keep the blood pressure low to wait for Caleb to get ready to come. If the BP gets a lot higher with still no signs of progression from Caleb, I'll have to have a C-section. However, this doctor, like Dr. K, said that anything could happen, so we'll just wait and see.

I have to go in on Thursday for my blood pressure check and sonogram, and I think I'll be going in twice a week for BP checks until Caleb comes. Dr P felt the same as Dr. K, that we probably wouldn't be seeing this baby until the week of Thanksgiving.

So bed rest for me! I'm going to do enough work tomorrow to pass off the things I've been working on, and then I'm done! As you know, work has been quite stressful lately, so while I'm not happy that it's apparently affected my pregnancy, I will be glad to say goodbye to it a little earlier than expected, and get a chance to be rested and relaxed before Caleb comes.

Today

Today I woke up with my hips hurting. They haven't done that in several months, and I'm pretty sure it's a sign that they're widening. Which means something is actually happening!!

Which, given the weekend I put in, makes a lot of sense! On Saturday, Jon and I roamed around the park with Sophie, our 2 1/2 year-old neighbor who LOVED the slide that required a whole obstacle course to get to, so I was up and down, up and down, helping Sophie up the ramp, through the chain bridge, and up the steps to the slide. Jon would catch her at the bottom and we would do it all over again. We had a blast, but my arms are sore today as if I'd been doing pushups!

After that, I had a maternity photo shoot with Leslie (who took my maternity shots) and her husband Sam, which was tons of fun, and we walked all over the Botanic Gardens. I came home that afternoon and told my mom (who was here for the weekend) that if this baby hadn't dropped yet, he never would! She studied my belly and said, "You know...I think he has dropped!" Hm...maybe wishful thinking, maybe not. I really can't tell!

But just in case, I spent another couple of hours yesterday doing a photo shoot in another park, this time with my favorite nephew, Ian! We had a blast, and Ian had the most fun on the swings! By the time my brother and his family left, I was pooped. I slept until dinner (which Holly brought over--you're the best neighbor ever!!), then worked on editing photos yesterday evening.

All in all, a busy but very fun weekend! And my mom helped me get my hospital bags packed, and we got up most of the family photos on the orange door in the nursery. I guess I need to take pictures of the nursery now, since it's all pretty much done!

And it was crazy to see my mom and my brother and family, and my grandparents this past week and say to all of them as they left, "Next time we see you, it'll be pretty exciting!!" And last night I talked to Leanna and went over how to get to the hospital (yes, I realize I need to send maps and info to family), phone numbers, and other stuff. It's like it's really happening!

Jon asked me if I was ready for the labor/delivery part. I'm really not thinking about it too much. Mostly I'm focusing on the after part, the part where I get to hold Caleb in my arms. :) Hopefully that will get me through the labor/delivery part!

This afternoon we meet Dr. P and find out if there's been any progress! More updates after that!

Thirty-Nine Weeks

Well I knew this day would come. One day it would have to. But I thought it might be more gradual. I didn't expect it to be so sudden.

I'm ready for this baby to be born!

One day I'm bee-bopping around, getting things done, moving a little awkwardly, but still pretty normally. Then the next day...bam! Every movement is slow, it hurts to roll over, it hurts to sit at my computer, I can't make it to the phone in less than three rings, and I'm worn out!

I feel like I dream all night long. I dream about nursing, about labor, about money, about my job. When the alarm goes off I'm grateful for the break! Last night I tried to clear my mind before bed with a bath. I thought it worked until my head hit the pillow, which triggered "Bekah suggested I bring lots of pillows to the hospital...I wonder if two is lots, or do I need four?"* And so it went for the rest of the night.

However, one thing I did NOT think about was the holidays! Thankfully, my mom and the rest of the family are planning those events, and this little newbie family just has to show up! So that's a nice relief. Maybe if I spent a good effort tonight packing my hospital bag, I would quit dreaming about that, too.

*Regarding pillows at the hospital, the hospital pillows are notoriously horrible, so every class we've been to has suggested we bring our own pillows, in colored pillowcases to differentiate them from the white hospital pillows. Because Jon will be sleeping on a pull-out couch not meant for a 6'4" guy, my friend Bekah suggested I bring more pillows to accommodate. However, a guy in our Lamaze class said that there's a chair in the room that's the same height as the couch, so that can be used to extend the length a little.

So these are the thoughts of a 39-week prego. Despite the things I haven't done, yet, I'm still ready. I'm ready to be done with work, I'm ready to focus on one thing for a bit, and I'm ready to meet our son! Do you think he'll be a laid back little boy? Will he be fussy? Do you think he'll come out red and hairy like Esau? Do you think he'll be an animal lover? That Bonnie and Clyde will love our baby? Do you think Caleb will love the stars? Keep his nose in a book? Fight imaginary dragons? Take up photography or the study of military history like his parents? I'm excited to find these things out, and in all of it, I pray that Caleb will love the Lord and follow after Him courageously through his life.

So how is Caleb this week? BabyCenter says he's about 20 inches long and a little over 7 lbs. Based on Monday's sonogram, I'd say that was pretty close. He still wiggles around and stretches his legs. Occasionally he gets the hiccups, but not that often any more. He still seems pretty content to stay where he is, and I suppose for the most part I'm okay with that! I have plenty to keep me busy at work and with photography, and though I've complained about work quite a bit lately, it's certainly been a good distraction for these final weeks!

Dr. Appointment

Another week, another appointment!

Today's was more eventful than most, though, so more to report. Woohoo!

First, we had a sonogram to check on Caleb's growth. He's growing just fine, but slower than the average baby. In the past two weeks, and average baby would have grown 1 pound (8 ounces a week), but Caleb has only grown 11 ounces. They're estimating he's 6lbs 14oz right now. His amniotic fluid is very good (they don't want it to get too low), and the placenta is also in very good shape (did you know the placenta actually gets old and starts to break down? that's one reason doctors don't like overdue babies.). So overall, nothing to worry about at all. Again, he's still kicking and rocking, which is a very good indicator.

One funny note is that the sonographer noted that yep, we were still having a boy. She said that last time, but Jon missed seeing it before she moved on to something else. So this time I said, "Wait, make sure Jon gets a chance to see!" I was just joking mostly, but not only did she hold that spot for awhile, she zoomed in and printed a picture! So now we have a nice pic of our little boy. And no, I think I'll keep that one off the blog.

After the sono, it was back to the waiting room for us. A nurse friend of mine had suggested we go visit the nurses in Labor & Delivery. The doctor's office is in the hospital, just down the hall from L/D, so Jon and I decided to use our wait time to do just that. I felt a little funny walking in there, but I'm so glad we went. As we walked up, a nurse immediately asked if she could help us. I realize now that a pregnant lady walking into L/D is usually a sign that they're about to check in a new patient, but at the time I thought it was great service! Anyway, we ended up talking with her for a bit.

We had our birth plan with us (to go over with Dr. K), so she asked to see it and we went over it with her. She seemed very open to most of our requests, with a few flags being a hep lock (where they put in an IV port in case it's needed, but don't actually hook an IV up), food consumption, and nipple stimulation. She said a hep lock can sometimes close up, so she'd recommend the full IV, and food was okay if I'd had a natural delivery before and knew I could do it, but otherwise, in case I got an epidural, she wouldn't allow it. Nipple stimulation is a natural way to speed up labor (and avoid pitocin), and I really wouldn't mention it except for our conversation with Dr. K later (keep reading). The nurse said it was fine, as long as we let the nurses know first. She was also very firm about only two people being there at the delivery. We'll see if we can warm her up on that one with some homemade bread or something. :)

She said the shift changes every twelve hours at 7 o'clock (handy to know so we don't show up right at shift change), and there are lots of different nurses on rotation, so we'll likely see all different people than the ladies we saw there this afternoon. She gave us the phone number to the nurse's station and suggested we give them a call when we're on the way, so they can keep a nurse on that might have gone home because it was a slow day or something. So that was neat. All in all, she seemed very nice and accomodating, and I hope the other nurses are similar.

Back to the waiting room.....

Finally our name is called, and here are the stats:
Weight: Gained 1lb. Total of 26lbs.
Uterus: 35cms
Blood pressure: 131/93
Caleb's heart rate: 133bpm

If you're paying attention, you'll notice that my blood pressure is high! For the first time, I failed! Well, the nurse had me lay on my left side for 10-15 minutes, and she retook it, and it was back to normal: 117/82. So that whole left side thing really works! As for why it was high, I don't really know. I hadn't had much water today, I had caffeine, and we didn't wait in the waiting room so long that I had fallen asleep. Any of those could be factors, I suppose.

Dr. K did the pelvis check, and there's still no development in regards to dilation and effacement. She'll be gone next week, so we're meeting with Dr. P. I asked if Dr. P would make any decisions, such as to go ahead and induce or something. She said, no probably not, though she might set a future date for induction. She checked her calendar quickly and said maybe somewhere around December 1st. But she said that really, we didn't need to have that conversation until we saw her (Dr. K) on the 26th. She understands our desire for a natural delivery and for things happening on their own, so she actually never used the word "induction," but only said, "We'll have to talk about doing something." So maybe that week before would be a good time to get a pedicure and foot massage to trigger those points that supposedly start labor!

We went over our birth plan with Dr. K. Again, I was amazed and thankful that we have such a great doctor. I know I don't have anything to compare to, but I really didn't expect her to go over each piece with us, offer her own advice and explanation, and even give us some tips on how to talk to the nurses, who can tend to be anti-natural. She specifically brought up the hep lock/IV choice, and said there are many nurses who walk into your room right after you've checked in with an IV bag and pole, ready to hook you up. She said that's unecessary, and the best thing to do is to say, "Dr. K requested that we not have an IV until we're ready for pain medication." That way, they get the satisfaction of knowing we'll get it eventually (if I don't make it natural), and it holds them off "for a little while," Dr. K says. The worst thing to do is tell them straight up that you don't want an IV, because it just starts things off on the wrong foot, and you really want your nurse to like you.

She also mentioned the food issue, and basically said not to eat something that you wouldn't mind seeing later, because around 3 of 4 centimeters dilated, lots of women tend to throw up. I told her I figured I'd only eat things I would eat if I had the stomach flu (clear liquids, bland foods), and she said that would probably be fine. Now regarding nipple stimulation (I told you it would come up again), she said that it was fine as long as I'm on the monitor at the time, and to under no circumstances tell the nurses! She said the monitor was important because it could actually cause the baby's heartbeat to change, and if it did, and the nurse comes running in, just say, "I don't know what happened! I was just scratching an itch, and all of the sudden THIS happened!" Ah....labor humor...I love it.

But I thought it was especially interesting how the nurse brought up these three issues--IV, food, and natural labor stimulation--and Dr. K also (without our prodding) brought up the same issues. She said there's one nurse named Joyce who is the most encouraging nurse when it comes to natural labor/delivery, and will do everything she can to help you meet your goal. So if y'all want to pray for Joyce to be on duty, that would be fine with me!

Dr. K said she would be in and out of the room periodically while I'm in labor, assuming she's around when I'm delivering. I was a little surprised, because I just expected her to show up at the end. She said she used to hang around a lot more, but she values her sleep more these days. I guess I can respect that. :)

I asked about an Arbonne cream I'm trying as an experiment to lessen the swelling in my ankles. She gave her usual response, "As long as you don't drink it or inject it, it's fine." So we'll see how it goes. If it works, I'll report!

And that, my friends, was the appointment! Very informative, for sure! Everyone, from the sonographer to the nurse to the doctor, was a fountain of information today. And I've just passed it on to you and you didn't even have to pay a copay. How's that for service!

Thirty-Eight Weeks

Here it is: the 38-week update!

Caleb is approximately 6.8 pounds and over 19.5 inches long! He should have a good grip by now, so BabyCenter says. Another interesting tidbit from BabyCenter is about eye color:

"Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)"

So there you go! Jon has blue-green eyes, and I have brown-green eyes, so it'll be interesting to see what color Caleb's eyes are.

Caleb is still moving away. His bumps and kicks aren't as spastic as they used to be; they're more like he's rolling around, or doing a slow stretch. Sometimes he still catches me off guard with a quick whack in the bladder or something like that, but usually it's fairly slow. His movements will get smaller as his living quarters get more cramped.

My movements have also gotten slower these days. The other day I mopped, and it wore me out so much I couldn't even put the rugs and things back on the tile when I was done. Bending over was just too hard. So from now on, if you come by and notice my dirty floors, well you just grab the mop and bucket and have fun! :) Today I'm supposed to be finishing the house cleaning...we'll see how that goes. I'm hoping as long as I stay upright (not lots of bending or stretching), I'll be okay. I'm thankful for Jon and his constant willingness to help!

I've also gotten very tired lately. I wear out easily, and wanted to go to bed at about 7 the last two nights. I managed to stay up until 9 last night. (10 the night before, but that's because it was girl-talk with Karen night, and usually we stay up until midnight or 1 for those!) When I do sleep, I dream about labor, about work, about moving...and I wake up and think about these things. Then I pray about them and go back to sleep to dream some more. I don't know if it's the discomfort of pregnancy or my mind racing that wakes me up throughout the night. I do know that I'm thankful there's a God who listens to my midnight prayers!

I found out on Wednesday that our company has been sold to another company (maybe more on that will show up on my LMNovations blog someday). It's a big deal, and I think a good thing. No jobs will be lost, which is very good. However, our whole "look and feel" has to change by January, and that happens to be my department solely...and oh yeah, I'm having a baby in two weeks and won't be back until Jan. 5th.... So, yesterday, for the first time, I thought, "I don't want to be pregnant any more. I don't want to have a baby. This is more than I can handle. This is too much change." I'm not a big change person anyway, so to add the sale of the company on top of everything else has just felt like the last straw.

However, this morning my mindset is better. Of ALL the changes coming our way in the next couple of months, Caleb is the one I'm most excited about. Job changes, role reversals, moves, and marketing will all settle down...and eventually will change again. But Caleb is here to stay!

I've tried to formulate a post in my mind about what it feels like to be pregnant. To be sure, I've conveyed the physical feelings as thoroughly as I could, and some of the mental ones as well, but I haven't been able to explain--even to myself--the impact that being pregnant has had on me. I thought it would change my life: that I would grow in wisdom and spiritual truth as I prepared for parenthood. I thought it would be on my mind at all times of the day--this new joy that I haven't yet met. So I've been surprised and felt a little guilty that I have not become that wise mother-figure, and there are many times in a day when I'm thinking about the laundry or work or church plans or countless other things. I don't sit in Caleb's room and dream, and I don't rub my belly and have conversations with Caleb about how much God loves him and how much Jon and I love him. I don't gravitate towards small children and want to hold them. I expected these things, but it hasn't happened. And since that's what I expected, I feel at a loss to describe what really has happened, because I can't really tell. Have I matured these past 9 months? Am I a different person now? Does that come at Caleb's birth? Or perhaps I'm expecting to become my own mother overnight, when I know it probably took her years to become the woman she is.

At some point, perhaps, I'll be able to look back and see how the last 9 months have affected me. Once Caleb is no longer my constant campanion in my womb, maybe I'll figure out the emotions I had when he kicked and squirmed.

I know that over the last 9 months, I've had time to adjust to new things. Nine months ago, Babies R Us scared me, diapers were an unnecessary conversation, and I could really care less about the correct methods to soothe a baby. All that is now everyday life: diapers, wipes, socks, onesies, the best bottles, the right lighting.... It's all part of my conversation these days. So I'm glad I've had these 9 months. I've needed them! And though I may not be able to explain what has happened to me as a person over this period of my life, I do know I've changed. And I know I'll continue to change as our little baby becomes a little boy and then a young man.

Dr. Appointment

Yesterday we went to another doctor appointment. They're coming around quickly these days!

Here are the stats:
Weight: Gained 1lb. Total of 25lbs.
Uterus: 33-34cms
Blood pressure: 119/82
Caleb's heart rate: 130bpm

You might notice that the uterus measurement is actually smaller than last week's, and that we certainly aren't keeping up with the cm/week average. (It should be measuring at 37-38cms this week.) That could be for two reasons. First, a 4th-year med student did the measuring this week, so maybe she just picked the wrong spot. Or second, maybe Caleb isn't growing like he should be, though everything else seems fine, and he's still kicking and moving around, which is a good sign. To check on things, Dr. K scheduled yet another sonogram for next week! I agree with Leanna that Caleb's going to have quite a photo album going before he's even born! Though last time they didn't give us any pictures. Hmph. Dr. K is not really concerned, and said she would only become so if I stopped feeling Caleb move around. So I'll keep a watch on that this week, but I don't see him slowing down any time soon!

I have had a cold for about a week, and the cold medicine I've been taking (approved Tylenol brand) seems to have caused my heart to do something weird--race, work harder, I don't know exactly how to describe it. So, I stopped taking it. Dr. K said I was correct that it was probably my cold medicine, but that I could still continue taking it if I needed it, that it wouldn't hurt me or Caleb. So that's good. The better news is that I'm feeling much better today, so I probably won't take it anyway. She also said I could use pretty much any cough medicine but Nyquil, which I thought was interesting. And my trusty Vicks was also fine for use.

Something I forgot to mention last week is that I had a test for Group B Strep. If it was present (and it is in 30% of women), then I would have to be on an IV antibiotic during labor/delivery so as not to pass it to Caleb. The test results came back negative this week, so we're good to go!

Dr. K checked again for dilation and effacement, and again, no change! She said he's just waiting for her to get back in town before he comes! However, she did think he'd dropped a little, because this week she could feel him a little, whereas last week she didn't feel him at all. And yeah, a little odd that my doctor can feel a baby inside of me. I know there is one, but still...weird when you think about it!

Because it looks like Caleb's going to take his time, and I'd really like to avoid medical induction, I asked Dr. K about maternity/labor acupressure that naturally induces labor. She said it was fine to try--she didn't know of a whole lot of people who have done it, so she couldn't attest to its effectiveness, but that it certainly wouldn't hurt. She did say someone used hypnosis: it didn't work very well with her first baby, but worked like a charm with her second. So you never know! I figure I should probably get out and start walking to encourage Caleb to drop a little more, and then--at the point when the doctor would recommend medical induction--I'll try the acupressure. The main thing for me is to stop thinking about the convenience of a certain date, or the inconvenience of a baby born on Thanksgiving, or whatever, and realize that Caleb will come when he comes! There's no reason for me to try to plan it.

We set up a few more appointments. Dr. K will be gone on the 17th, so we'll be meeting with Dr. P, which is good, because she might just be the on-call dr. when Caleb comes, so it'll be good to meet her. Then we set up an appointment for when Dr. K gets back--Nov. 26, the day before Thanksgiving--to check in with her if this baby still hasn't come. If he comes sooner, we'll cancel that appointment.

And we'll be parents!!

Clothing update

Let's just say I have surpassed the green pillow....


New belly pics up to week 37 are up in the sidebar!