35 Weeks and Still NO Baby!!

Well we thought he was on his way this past weekend. On Friday night the intensity of my contractions increased at about 6:30. Marc was at the BC lions game, mom and dad were upstairs, but I didn't want to say anything, because I think we are all sick of false calls. Anyway at 7:00 the contractions were 7-8 minutes apart, by the time Marc got home from the game at 11:00 they were 2-3 min apart! I really didn't want to go the hospital so tried my darndest to hold off. By 1:00am the contractions were quite a bit more painful. I called my dr's pager and she said to come in immediately... stating "I think this may be it!!" Once at the hospital I was checked and they found no progress, they kept me for a few hours to monitor me and the baby. The hooked me up to an IV to try to stop the contractions as I am still premature, and sure enough it worked! But the next morning I started having some "show"... called my dr again, and she was convinced that I would go into active labour within the next 48 hrs!! Well apparently she was wrong, as this little guy is still inside my belly. However, the dr's comment really kicked our butt into gear... we got our labour and baby bags packed and made sure the car seat was ready!! We also called our dear friend Matt Kennedy, who has just started doing professional photography and asked him to come over so he could take some pic, as it suddenly dawned on us that we may not have another opportunity to take pictures of me pregnant!! You know a good friend when he dropped everything and was at the house within ten minutes. We had a blast taking them and he did an amazing job... so if you ever need a photographer, give me a shout and I can hook you up!!!

Oh yeah one more thing... as of midnight last night, I am officially OFF bedrest!!! I can't wait to get out and do things... first things first...shopping and church!!! I want to thank everyone for their prayers and thoughts over the past 15 weeks... you all have made a HUGE difference!!! Below are some pics... the nursery is in the making... we still have some work to do on it. The pic of the baby is the latest taken at a 34 week ultrasound, they believes he weighs between 5-6lbs!!

35 weeks

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Should I have a baby after 35?
A. No, 35 children is enough.

Q. When will my baby move?
A. With any luck, right after he finishes high school.

Q. Since I became pregnant, my breasts, rear-end, and even my feet have grown. Is there anything that gets smaller during pregnancy?
A. Yes, your bladder.

Q. What is the most common pregnancy craving?
A. For men to be the ones who get pregnant.

Q. The more pregnant I get, the more often strangers smile at me. Why?
A. 'Cause you're fatter than they are.

Q. What's the difference between a nine-month pregnant woman and a model?
A. Nothing, if the pregnant woman's husband knows what's good for him.

Q. How long is the average woman in labor?
A. Whatever she says, divided by two.

Q. My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A. Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q. When is the best time to get an epidural?
A. Right after you find out you're pregnant.

Q. What does it mean when the baby's head is crowning?
A. It means you feel as though not only a crown but the entire throne is trying to make its way out of you.

Q. Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?A. Yes, pregnancy.Q. Does pregnancy cause hemorrhoids?
A. Pregnancy causes anything you want to blame it for.

Q. How does one sanitize nipples?
A. Bathe daily and wear a clean bra. It beats boiling them in a saucepan.

Q. What are the terrible twos?
A. Your breasts after baby stops nursing cold turkey.

Q. Do I have to have a baby shower?
A. Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Q. Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
A. When the kids are in college

Some of you may know we hit the 33 week mark today and we had our weekly Dr’s appointment. All went well and my doc does not believe there has been any progression from last week!! She is very pleased but has once again changed “our goal”.
As mentioned before our first goal was 28 weeks then 31 then 33… well today she announced that our next goal is 35 weeks, as she said the likelihood of him needing NICU time after that is slim and he would probably be able to come home with us!! I am more than willing to continue to park my butt in this bed for more two weeks if it will make our little one stronger and heavier. The Dr. thinks this little guy is fairly long but scrawny…poor guy what hope did he have between Marc and I. She (Dr.) believes he is around the 4lbs mark…I personally thought he would have been closer to 4.5 – 5lbs, but I guess only God knows.

So over the past four weeks I have learned first hand the importance of goals and the affect they have on ones coping skills. When working with my patients at work, goals are one of the first things we discuss. But I always emphasis the importance of short term goals and the importance of flexibility. As working on trauma units, change and progress take place regularly. I therefore encourage daily goals with the understanding that goals can change daily, weekly and hourly. I believe goals and hopes are situation specific, therefore as the situation changes our goals do as well. Therefore today my goal is 35 weeks, ask me tomorrow and there is a possibility this could have changed!

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Happy Birthday

Marc!!

Well I wanted to send a shout out to my husband yesterday as it was his birthday and he turned 31!!! But unfortunately this little boy of ours decided to steel his thunder. Yesterday we had quite an eventful day, the morning started out as normal, Marc opening his gifts, having some lunch and Marc heading to the office. Mom and I were doing our thing, having tea and watching our daily lineup of TV shows when she casually mentioned that my belly looked different today and questioned whether or not I thought I had "dropped". 10 minutes later I took one of my many trips to the bathroom and noticed some "show" (I am not going to explain what that is, as it may gross out some of the male readers, but if you care to Google it please feel free). I called Marc on the cell asking him to turn around and called the Dr, saying I was heading to the hospital. We all really thought this was "it" and baby and Daddy would share a birthday. Anyway mom and I proceeded to gather our things to make our way to the hosp... it was pure entertainment watching mom scurry around getting everything in order, from making sure the dogs were feed to making sure she was dressed. At one point she had all the bags in her hands and car keys ready and I had to ask her if she was going to get dressed, she was too distracted making sure I was okay... we were finally making our way out the door when I asked if I could borrow her cell phone, she searched her bag and handed me the hand sanitizer instead. However, believe it or not we made it to the hospital safe and sound!! I was even impressed with her driving, safe but adequately quick... mom has a tendency of staying in the "slow" lane whenever she drives and does not believe in overtaking the ever so slow trucks that are also in that lane. Anyway we made it to the hospital and I was put on the monitors. My contractions started to increase and they became a bit more painful... to tell you the truth I think I may be a bit of a wimp. So the contractions continued but the "show" did not increase. They continued to monitor me for 6 more hours and decided it was best for me to go home, as I would not get any sleep in the case room. After many "special" exams it was determined that my cervix has shortened and we now stand in limbo... this could be the start of a long labour or it could be nothing at all. So here I am again lying in bed waiting for something to progress. Here is hoping he can stay still till 33 weeks... only 4 more days!!

Anyway I want to wish my amazing husband a
Happy Birthday!!

Marc,
Your son and I love you so very much and can not thank you enough for all that you do. You are an amazing caregiver, encourager, advocate and friend to us both. We love.

Love Always

Natalie and Your Baby Boy!!
xoxxooxoxoxo

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN...

Every week when we have an "anniversary" I recieve an email from a website updating me on the baby's progress and development. I thought I would include what I was emailed today. Just a side note, the website refers to the baby as a she...no I have not been lying to you all, I can't figure out how to change it.

Your baby now weighs about 4.4 lbs (2000g) and measures about 12 inches (30cm) from crown to rump and about 19.4 inches (43cm) in total. Now that your baby is running out of room in your womb, you can probably see your belly moving as your baby kicks. Your baby may dream as he sleeps and when awake he may be alert, listening, feeling and even seeing dim shapes. Though your baby is still inside the womb, he is learning all the time as billions of neurons are making connections. Your baby is probably in his birth position by now. Your baby's lungs may be sufficiently developed by now, though if he were born now, he would probably still need an incubator to stay warm.

Anyway if you wanna join in on the countdown, I have included a ticker below!!!

Yeah.... 32 Weeks!!!!

Seven and a half years ago on our wedding day Marc and I danced our first dance to a Shania Twain song “You're still the one”, back then the lyrics were very fitting , as many of you know Marc and I started dating at a very young age, needless to say most did not approve and majority did not think it would last all that long. However, we dated for 5 years and now have been married for seven. I can honestly say I am just as much in love with my husband today as I was 14 years ago!
Anyway back to the song, below are the lyrics…

Looks like we made it
Look how far we've come my baby
We mighta took the long way
We knew we'd get there someday

I'm so glad we made it
Look how far we've come my baby…

Once again these lyrics seem way too appropriate Not only towards my husband but also my baby boy. When we were first told at 24 weeks that I was at risk of pre term labour, the Dr’s goal was to get us to 28 weeks not believing I would make it much past then. Then when we made it to 28 weeks they were certain baby would arrive within the next 14 days. Well, that was 4 weeks ago and baby is still inside and there has not been much progression! Today I am 32 weeks pregnant and have reached the Dr’s ultimate goal. “Looks like we made it, Look how far we've come my baby.”

Needless to say we are very excited and know that God has had his hand on us all over the past few months.

Well who knew sleep was so important… the first week I didn’t miss it all that much but now that I am well into my second I am starting to feel the effects insomnia can have on someone. For the past two weeks my sleep pattern has become WACKED! Bedtime is normally 4-6am and the morning begins around 10:30am. This meaning I am eating breakfast at lunch, lunch at dinner and dinner at my normal bed time. Needless to say my lack of patience and irritability has increased…oh yeah I am also a tad bit emotional. My middle of the night routine includes watching TV, playing on the computer and listening to Odysseys… Wait a minute this is my daily routine too!!! So in conclusion to this post BED REST SUCKS!!!