Some more sleepless nights and my last appointment

So a good nights rest at 37 weeks is definitely hit or miss. Here it is at 7 am and I can't sleep due to all the discomfort (sore and achy hips, REALLY swollen fingers that I can't even ball into a fist and get numb depending on what side I am sleeping on, and of course having to be conscious just to roll from one side to the other). I am usually up every 2 hours (sometimes every hour and a half) either rolling over or mostly going to the bathroom due to the contraction that rolling over induces. Nothing less fun that having a contraction with a full bladder. So when there is nothing comfortable or appealing about laying in the bed any longer I just have to get up and so here I am :)

I had an appointment with Dr. Galloway this week on Tuesday at 36 1/2 weeks and it was extremely uneventful. I thought I may at least have come out with some knowledge about whether I might be dilated (even just a tiny bit). But all we did was the routine bacterial swab to make sure I don't have an abundance of the bacteria that could pose harm in the baby that occurs in 1 in 5 pregnant women. No one has called me so I assume all was well. He measured my belly, took my blood pressure and we listened to her heartbeat. Being as swollen as I am his nurse said she thought he may not let me go back to work...but of course I was not that lucky. But he did say if I did not feel like I was up to it then he could write me out for 4 weeks and I reluctantly declined. Main reason being I want all the time I can spend with her and don't want to waist time off sitting around the house twiddling my thumbs. Besides if I really needed to I could sit in a chair most of the day at school since I do have a collaborative teacher. So there are ways I could cope while still working although I think it is going to be pretty difficult as far as me being tired etc. I did tell Jonathan if it was to much I would call Dr. Galloway to get that "pass out of class". I don't want to be so stinking exhausted the week(s) leading up to her arrival that my head does nothing but spin, because I know I'll be tired when she arrives.

Consignment Heaven

So my dearest friend Katie got me hooked on consignment shopping a while back ago when she had MK and I saw all the super cute things she would find for such great deals. So for a while now I have been shopping Kid to Kid here in D'ville and have found some amazing deals on clothing like Janie and Jack to Carters to Rare Editions. Here are two of the cutest things I found today:


This outfit is made by First Impressions. I paid $5.99. It is 18 mo. so Emersyn can wear it not this Christmas, but the next. The top and bottom are a deep plum velvet. They also had a gorgeous hairbow the exact same color that cost more than the outfit, so I decided to wait on that one.
This dress is made by Carter's and was brand new. I bought it for $3.50. I think it is one from their new line and cost about $32.00 in the store (or at least I saw one that was the exact style but was a different pattern that was $32.00 at Sears...a little steep)

No lie about sleepless nights

That was sums my night up in a nut shell. I literally did not sleep a wink at all. I was up all night. Mostly sitting straight up due to this strange pain in my back. About 8pm last night I got a sharp pain in my back on my right side just about where my kidney would be. I explained to Jonathan it felt like I had been punched in the kidney and the pain was wrapping from my back around to the front of my abdomen and more intense when I would contract. I would also equate the pain to what I would assume back labor would feel like. Especially since when I would get my periods I would have most pain in my back. I got up walked around a little, but the pain did not ease much. So we headed home from the church and I got in bed pretty quickly and spent all of about 20 min. there before it could not tolerate lying down any longer and wanted to google what this pain was. It does not feel like muscle pain, but could pass for a nerve issue. That being said the symptoms most resemble a kidney stone...yay...one thing they can do much about. So with the discomfort being so miserable with me lying down I laid propped on the couch which I could only with stand in 20 min increments as well until I had to get up and walk around again. I put a call in to the doctor on call (not one of my favorites and she certainly did not seem to have much concern or tenderness for my pain) and she said the only way to find out if it is a kidney stone is to go to the emergency room. The pain did not have me in tears but I literally could not sleep. I can't go the next 4 weeks without sleeping so I decided to try some tylenol. The tylenol is definitely working (it is the first pain reliever I have taken during this pregnancy and honestly felt a bit guilty) but if I was in horrible pain the next four weeks that would stink too. I guess this is one more thing to add to my list of things I thought I was exempt from...pain that is not serious enough to go to the hospital for but miserable enough to drive you insane.

PS if any one has any ideas (since the doc on call really was not all that concerned) or has felt this sort of pain before, let me know. My book did not describe anything like this.

I Thought I was Exempt...

There have been several things about pregnancy I thought I was exempt from (mistake numero uno). Before I became pregnant I envisioned pregnancy would feel like how I felt when I was not pregnant but that I would just have a baby bump. And amazingly other than a few tolerable symptoms it has felt that way...up until recently.

Here are 3 of the myths my very own mind created illusions to:

• I'll always be able to reach my legs to shave. Yeah right. It has become nearly impossible to do. I still sadly make the attempt to shave my lower legs while standing in the shower (VERY dangerous with only 4 weeks left to go). Otherwise the only safe way to reach them, which is still extremely uncomfortable, is the tub.
• I wont have the discomfort of her kicking my ribs, I've carried her low all along. Um yeah, a week ago I awoke with the strangest discomfort of something pushing on my ribs. Yep, she proved me wrong. She finally figured out how to get those little feet up there and make for some really uncomfortable positions.
• I'll never lose my balance. I don't know what they are talking about when they say pregnant women are clumsy. In all I have not experienced to much in this area, but I did notice not to long ago I started dropping things ALL the time. Mostly laundry, but other things too. This actually would anger me at times, but it is OH SO DIFFICULT to bend over! I feel so lazy but had to actually start asking Jonathan to help me pick up the things I would drop. I would even find myself walking off and leaving things (mostly out of frustration for dropping the same thing 3 time in a row) on the ground until he was able to help me pick them up. Also Sunday I was in the shower and was washing my hair and when I looked up I evidently got dizzy and started turning to the side losing my balance. The only thing I had to hold onto was the shower curtain which of course came tumbling down rod and all. Luckily I did not slip and put the curtain and rod right back up, so a serious fall was luckily diverted.

My Secret Obsession...

Ok so its about to not be a secret much longer. I resisted and then had curiosity and then resisted and then had some more curiosity and this battle went on for some time. People were telling me how amazing it was, which would trigger my curiosity, then my husband would show his disinterest (as he does with anything of it's nature). Finally I broke down and decided for myself I would check it out. A couple of weeks ago I sat down to watch the first of the twilight series saga movies. Well, lets just say I loved it so much I watched the second, New Moon in the same night. I was done for. My obsession over came me. I immediately phoned my good friend Brook (who had been telling me the books were amazing reads, she had not seen the movies yet) and told her we had to do a marathon and then go see Eclipse. She was immediately on board so we sat down Saturday and watched both movies and then off to the theatre to see Eclipse. Which by the way was AWESOME. I decided I could not wait to find out the ending so I broke down and bought the final book in the saga, Breaking Dawn. In two days I have made it 3/4 the way through and almost 800 page book. All I have to say is it is such a love story and unexpectidly with great values (although it is about vampires and wherewolves). You just don't expect to see values in movies these days about abstenence and desiring marriage before sex etc. And much less those values held by the male character. I was very pleased at how clean the movies were, no sexual content or cursing (maybe a word or two). Just a great love story. Anyway, if you have not checked out any of the twilight stuff, it really is great! It's kept me entertained the past week or so :) Can't wait for Breaking Dawn to hit theatres (which will be in two parts)!

Two babies....

And not much I can do to help them.

Baby No. 1 is my hubby. Poor thing is sicker than I've ever seen him. IF you know him well you know not much keeps him down. He has been on the couch for the past 3 days (101.5 temp, achy all over and horrible headache) and in 7 years I have never seen him lay around. So we did go to the doctor this morning and she said he probably has a nasty virus that she has seen going around lately. The last lady she saw ended up in the emergency room and seeing the infectious disease people...ok so I would never want to see my hubby go through that much less worry that I could possibly get it... Most likely as long as wee keep him hydrated he should be ok so I am not stressing to terribly much other than the fact there is not much I can do to make him feel better or make this ugly virus go away.

Baby No. 2 is obviously our sweet Emersyn Kate. She has been getting the hiccups lately a lot and I feel so bad that I don't have her here to pat her on the back and soothe her. It didn't help much that I read yesterday in my book that babies already cry in the womb and that is partly why they come out knowing how to do it so well. That being said again, another helpless feeling.

But this does remind me that sometimes I just can't control everything and only one person can (my Jesus). And sometimes a little tender love and care goes a long way.

OB Appt. Tuesday

Ok so nothing crazy...just another 10 min. appt. Measured my belly, listened to her heartbeat (Dr. Morris said she was a busy little girl moving all over the place), and took my blood pressure. I got some answers to some questions about when to go to the hospital when I'm in labor and where to go (front desk or emergency room). I did not get to see Dr. Galloway (he was doing a c-section) at this appointment so I will have some more detailed questions to ask him when I see him in 2 weeks. At my next appt I will be 36 1/2 weeks and will probably be checked! Yay finally a break in the routine of these appointments.

So we are just waiting for her to get here. Guess this is when it really slows down for some people, but I will try and keep a positive attitude and enjoy my time with Jonathan before we become 3.

Speaking of Jonathan (who never stops and works harder than anyone I know even when very sick), he is extremely sick. He has been on the couch now for 2 days straight with a temperature that keeps going up. This is extremely unusual for him so we are certainly going to be visiting the doctor tomorrow. Keep him in your prayers that he gets well soon.

Our air conditioning was fixed yesterday so that was a wonderful blessing.

Other than that we are doing good.

A real summer break

I am finally getting a real summer break for the next 3 weeks. The first two weeks of summer I was in a class, then I had one week off, then the last two weeks I have been teaching a class. Now I have 3 weeks off until school starts. Unbelievable how fast time flies. But I anticipated this summer to go by fast. My plans for th next couple of weeks is to relax, but I am also going to keep as active as I can with some exciting water aerobics. It absolutely feels amazing to be in the water. Im hoping for some decent weather the next couple of weeks so I can get some good exercise in.

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow and I'll update you about how it goes tomorrow but for now here is how things are going bullet style:

• Swollen feet (the only thing that takes the swelling away...the pool and water aerobics, who would have ever thought?)
• Just plain uncomforatable: no position aleviates the discomfort, sleeping at night is the worst because of my hips. But I did find a more comfortable way to sleep and it has been a bit better the past couple of nights.
• Braxton Hicks continue relentlessly. I am now feeling more lower abdominal pressure when I feel them.
• Other fun facts: We have her diaper bag packed for the hospital, Ive made lists for me and Jonathan's bag that I'll probably start working on packing this week. We are touring the hospital on Friday so that "we" ie Jonathan feels comforatable with where we will be going when its time. Her room is officially ready and could not be cuter!!! I know I've been promising pics so I'll get some up soon.