Well I made it past my milestones! This baby will NOT share a birthday with his sister!
Skadi kept saying it would be the best present ever, but AB and I were pretty sure that would not be the case. Phew.
My days seem to be sinusoidal. One day will be fabulous and I will have a ton of energy. The next full of aches, pains, contractions and not feeling great. Certain that labor is just around the corner. Then the contractions peter off and I have a comfortable day following.
Sunday my tailbone started aching and sitting became uncomfortable. Within about an hour I was unable to walk by myself and had to rely on AB to get me anywhere in the house. Right off the bat - paranoia - was the baby ok? What if the kids needed me? What if I could not get to them? Should I let AB go to work in the morning?
AB's concerns were similar - was the baby ok? Should I go to work? Are you sure they aren't contractions?
Appears this isn't completely unheard of and is simply termed "Pelvic Girdle Pain" by some. It can happen when the baby drops (and I think he has dropped - my heartburn is pretty well gone) in combination with nerve pain/overuse (i.e., being too active). I tried Tylenol to no avail. Had a good night's sleep and the extreme pain had pretty well gone away Monday morning. At least I was able to move myself around unassisted.
I didn't dare walk the kids down to the bus stop (but watched them at the stop from the window). I also didn't dare drive as I was worried my legs wouldn't respond appropriately. I am feeling more confident on my feet this morning - 36 hrs later. But I doubt I will be walking the halls during labor like I did with Skadi.
We are still struggling with names believe it or not. I told AB last night that I wish a new name would pop up that would really trump the other three. The three we have selected are good names, I would be happy with any of the three, but none really blows me away. I have my favorite of the three (and for the record, Leif sides with me). AB has his favorite of the three. Mine is the non-Scandinavian name, though it appears on the Norwegian popularity chart and sounds as though it goes with my kids' names. The other two are typical Scandinavian boy names. A few that had been on the list of 10 maybe popped back up last night. But none of the names are really popping for AB and me.
Emotions. Oh my goodness out of control. The other week at Leif's parent teacher conference his teacher told us about how Leif had really latched onto a book about a boy writing poetry (we knew something had triggered this as he has been writing poetry, and it is surprisingly good). But the muse for writing poetry in the book was the boy's dog being hit by a car.
Oh my goodness tears. Uncontrollable. His teacher felt so bad!
But stupid sentimental commercials get me. Thinking about my mom gets me. Thinking about my grandma gets me. I seem to be just an emotional mess lately!
So back to my ob tomorrow for my 38 week appointment.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
37 Week Appt
Well I officially know now what a mucus plug looks like. Nasty stuff. But mine? Gone.
The 37 week appointment was a good one for the most part. The baby is still head down. I was given the choice whether I wanted Dr. M to check me or not and I decided maybe I was curious if those contractions have been doing anything at all. Baby is high - as usual, neither of my other two dropped until I was in active labor - but lo and behold I was dilated about a centimeter.
I wasn't "green as a gourd"! Those contractions ARE working!
Dr. M thinks I will probably make it to the next appointment, but maybe not. He thinks labor will happen in the next week or two - maybe week to 10 days. Prediction is an averaged size baby, about the same as Leif and Skadi (7 lbs 8 oz and 7 lbs 15 oz respectively).
A few mild concerns. 6 lbs of weight gain in a week, well that is obviously water weight as apparent by my feet and calves and the fact that no one gains 6 lbs in a week. But also my blood pressure was "borderline". My systolic was 140!! I have never in my entire life had high or even borderline blood pressure. That is high, but my diastolic was 70, so I was called borderline.
I have been having a lot of soreness and random contractions, so I bravely asked him to write me out of work. But give me two more days to finish wrapping things up. So as of the day I write this - 37 weeks 6 days, Friday the 22nd, I am officially off of work.
And THAT is what is freaking me out.
I can birth a baby. I can care for a newborn. No problem.
Not work for the next 8-10 weeks? Freaking the crap out of me. I have a few control issues.
And I have such varying responses from the people I work with it honestly doesn't help. One guy I have worked on the Navy project with for 5 years told me a few weeks ago:
KR: "seriously you are going to go out on leave and come back and we are all going to think 'you're back already'?"
His tune was only slightly changed yesterday.
KR: "I can call you, right? Cause I guarantee I am going to be calling you."
Then he made me promise to spend at least 15 minutes just sitting on my couch doing nothing for him. He has twin 2 year olds and an 8 week old at home and said he would pay money to just sit.
Then there is the other guy I work with a lot lately in multiple capacities, PM and co-PI. GE has been in denial about the pregnancy. Completely.
Yesterday I entertained multiple e-mail communications from him of a panicked sort. Him? Not so happy about my absence, but finally sent a note saying they would "muddle through".
I truly do trust everyone I work with and they are some incredibly intelligent people. I am lucky. I love my job right now, I have confidence in what I do, others have confidence in me and I see my career on a good trajectory. It is probably that the baby isn't here yet, but not flipping on my e-mail and responding is taking everything I have within me right now.
The 37 week appointment was a good one for the most part. The baby is still head down. I was given the choice whether I wanted Dr. M to check me or not and I decided maybe I was curious if those contractions have been doing anything at all. Baby is high - as usual, neither of my other two dropped until I was in active labor - but lo and behold I was dilated about a centimeter.
I wasn't "green as a gourd"! Those contractions ARE working!
Dr. M thinks I will probably make it to the next appointment, but maybe not. He thinks labor will happen in the next week or two - maybe week to 10 days. Prediction is an averaged size baby, about the same as Leif and Skadi (7 lbs 8 oz and 7 lbs 15 oz respectively).
A few mild concerns. 6 lbs of weight gain in a week, well that is obviously water weight as apparent by my feet and calves and the fact that no one gains 6 lbs in a week. But also my blood pressure was "borderline". My systolic was 140!! I have never in my entire life had high or even borderline blood pressure. That is high, but my diastolic was 70, so I was called borderline.
I have been having a lot of soreness and random contractions, so I bravely asked him to write me out of work. But give me two more days to finish wrapping things up. So as of the day I write this - 37 weeks 6 days, Friday the 22nd, I am officially off of work.
And THAT is what is freaking me out.
I can birth a baby. I can care for a newborn. No problem.
Not work for the next 8-10 weeks? Freaking the crap out of me. I have a few control issues.
And I have such varying responses from the people I work with it honestly doesn't help. One guy I have worked on the Navy project with for 5 years told me a few weeks ago:
KR: "seriously you are going to go out on leave and come back and we are all going to think 'you're back already'?"
His tune was only slightly changed yesterday.
KR: "I can call you, right? Cause I guarantee I am going to be calling you."
Then he made me promise to spend at least 15 minutes just sitting on my couch doing nothing for him. He has twin 2 year olds and an 8 week old at home and said he would pay money to just sit.
Then there is the other guy I work with a lot lately in multiple capacities, PM and co-PI. GE has been in denial about the pregnancy. Completely.
Yesterday I entertained multiple e-mail communications from him of a panicked sort. Him? Not so happy about my absence, but finally sent a note saying they would "muddle through".
I truly do trust everyone I work with and they are some incredibly intelligent people. I am lucky. I love my job right now, I have confidence in what I do, others have confidence in me and I see my career on a good trajectory. It is probably that the baby isn't here yet, but not flipping on my e-mail and responding is taking everything I have within me right now.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
36 week appointment 3/12
Another not terribly interesting appointment. I can't believe how soon the due date is sneaking up!
BP = 120/60
Weight Gain = +1 lb for a total of 17 lbs. (And proving that that last spurt of weight gain was all water.)
Baby is head down, but not dropped.
I seem to have random contractions. Yesterday, I was positive that the 6-8 min apart contractions were going to tighten up and we were going to head to the hospital. But nope. They ended up petering out in the early evening after plaguing me all day. And today, nothing. Like Sunday and Monday, nothing.
My doctor is estimating 2 more weeks. We will see. I am still measuring ahead.
I am worn out though, but I suspect that this largely has to do with work running me into the ground and not the pregnancy. The stress of work is starting to get to me and I am starting to get this attitude of "I really do not care anymore". Which is bad. I was given the lead (for my lab) on a large, multi-lab (6 total) venture proposal. It is very political external to our lab and I feel as though I am watching every single step I make. I am thrilled about this position and in a way, feel as though I am letting everything else suffer in the name of nurturing this proposal along. Thankfully on nearly everything else I have people willing to pick up after me.
If I can just get this draft proposal out the door and hopefully have a second telecon with the team at large... that is the goal. Make it through Wednesday of next week.
We went and registered at the hospital last Friday and took the kids on a tour of the birthing center. The poor nurse who gave us the tour though - my kids had loads of questions. What is this for? What is that for? Why is the baby holder there in this room and it was out in the other room? Can you roll out the couch so we can see the bed? I think they enjoyed it.
Skadi keeps asking if I have scheduled the day the baby is coming yet. I keep telling her that there isn't any scheduling, the baby comes when he wants to come. I don't think she believes me.
Skadi is very engaged with the whole baby thing and loves to hug and love on my belly. Leif is seeming more indifferent.
I loved this picture Skadi drew:
BP = 120/60
Weight Gain = +1 lb for a total of 17 lbs. (And proving that that last spurt of weight gain was all water.)
Baby is head down, but not dropped.
I seem to have random contractions. Yesterday, I was positive that the 6-8 min apart contractions were going to tighten up and we were going to head to the hospital. But nope. They ended up petering out in the early evening after plaguing me all day. And today, nothing. Like Sunday and Monday, nothing.
My doctor is estimating 2 more weeks. We will see. I am still measuring ahead.
I am worn out though, but I suspect that this largely has to do with work running me into the ground and not the pregnancy. The stress of work is starting to get to me and I am starting to get this attitude of "I really do not care anymore". Which is bad. I was given the lead (for my lab) on a large, multi-lab (6 total) venture proposal. It is very political external to our lab and I feel as though I am watching every single step I make. I am thrilled about this position and in a way, feel as though I am letting everything else suffer in the name of nurturing this proposal along. Thankfully on nearly everything else I have people willing to pick up after me.
If I can just get this draft proposal out the door and hopefully have a second telecon with the team at large... that is the goal. Make it through Wednesday of next week.
We went and registered at the hospital last Friday and took the kids on a tour of the birthing center. The poor nurse who gave us the tour though - my kids had loads of questions. What is this for? What is that for? Why is the baby holder there in this room and it was out in the other room? Can you roll out the couch so we can see the bed? I think they enjoyed it.
Skadi keeps asking if I have scheduled the day the baby is coming yet. I keep telling her that there isn't any scheduling, the baby comes when he wants to come. I don't think she believes me.
Skadi is very engaged with the whole baby thing and loves to hug and love on my belly. Leif is seeming more indifferent.
I loved this picture Skadi drew:
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