Thursday, January 31, 2008

Week 37 Doctor Check-Up

There really isn't a whole lot to write about this week's appointment. It was rather uneventful to my dismay. There has been no progress as far as my dilation is concerned. My belly has grown another inch but the positive thing is that my weight gain has leveled off. I am starting to have a more difficult time sleeping at night and moving around due to the size of my belly. Mitch is now my official assistance when it comes to tying my shoes and escorting me around so I don't slip. It is amazing how my belly seems to have thrown off my balance.

I'm still working full time, which helps to keep my mind busy so I'm not thinking about the baby. Mitch and I are definitely ready for Clare to make her arrival. It makes me a little nervous that she wants to continue to stay inside of me since she is just putting on the pounds. She already appears to be scrunched in there. Well that is all I have for now and hopefully we will have an eventful weekend.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

36 Week Dr. Check-Up

We had our 36 week doctor check-up on Tuesday. I'm now going to the doctors on a weekly basis. Mitch was finally able to go with me to an appointment, which he hasn't been to one since we had our ultra sound at the 6 month appointment. It was a little disappointing for us since our regular doctor was on vacation. The other doctor in the practice was supposed to do the appointment but instead let a resident student do the appointment. You could definitely tell the individual was just starting her residency. I told Clare that she needed to stay in until our doctor returns from her vacation on Monday.

Everything was looking good. My belly is measuring right on target, Clare's heartbeat is around 160, and there wasn't any change in my dilation but she is definitely moving her way down. My belly already feels as though it is stretched to its max and I'm starting to see some small stretch marks. OH NO!!!! I was beginning to think I would maybe make it without any.

My contractions have started to pick-up and are getting stronger, however, they aren't happening in a regular pattern. I'm convinced Clare is waiting for me to finish some last minute projects at work. It will definitely be nice to have some time off to spend at home.

It is amazing that I'm still finding energy to work about 10 hours a day but it helps keep my mind off of thinking about when the baby will come. Mitch and I are both anxious. This week has been a little crazy for us because Mitch brought us home a cold from school. I had to work from home on Monday and Mitch stayed home on Wednesday. Thankfully we are both doing a lot better today and are just trying to get as much sleep as possible.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Clare's Nursery





Here are some pictures of Clare's nursery. Her funiture is cherry wood and the walls are painted 3 different shades of lilace with flowers, butterflies, and dragonflies stenciled on the walls. The room was painted like this when we moved in. Mitch was excited that he didn't have to paint the room. We were very fortunate that Grandma Bonnie and Grandma Terry bought the beautiful furniture. There also is a change table with the bedroom set as well.

Belly Growth!!


Here is my stomach at 9 months (36 Weeks) and I thought I was big at 5 and 6 months!

Here is my stomach at 6 months.
Here is my stomach at 5 months!





Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Doctor's Check-Up

Today I had my doctor's check-up. My test results for pre-eclampsia came back negative so that was a positive. The doctor also took me off my medication I was taking to stop contractions so we will have to see what happens. She was surprised to find that I was already 1 centimeter dilated. It will only be a matter of time before the baby arrives. She is very pleased with my progress. I was glad to see that my weight gain has leveled off. I have gained approximately 18 pounds and it seems like I have gained a ton. It is very hard for me to move and sleeping is becoming more difficult. The baby definitely has dropped and isn't quite as active as she used to be. I think she is getting ready to come into this world.

Mitch and I are as ready as we can be. We are both very excited for arrival of Baby Clare but a little nervous. I will try to post some pictures of my pregnancy by this weekend as well as of Clare's room.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Week 33 Doctor's Check-Up

Today I had my 33 week check-up with the doctor. Clare is right on target where she needs to be. The Doctor was estimating that she is about 4 pounds, which is larger than she was expecting her to be. I have finally started to put some weight on again, so my total weight gain to date has been approximately 16 pounds. I will need to continue with the contraction medication for another two weeks. There is also some concern with my blood pressure, which has been high the last couple of visits. The good news is that my blood pressure goes down within five minutes if I lay on my left side. The Doctor has decided to test me for toxemia just to be on the safe side. We are hoping everything turns out otherwise there is a strong possibility I will have to go on bed rest.

The Doctor is very pleased with the health of Baby Clare and would like her to remain inside her momma for a couple of more weeks. More than likely, the Doctor is going to have an ultra sound done after my next appointment to get a better estimate of the size of the baby. The Doctor is starting to think that Little Clare is going to be early rather than late. She is definitely running out of room inside my stomach. In fact the Doctor was laughing because my belly is looking like most women look at 38 weeks. I will keep everyone posted on the results of my tests performed for toxemia.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

The First Seven Months

We have decided to keep a blog to provide family and friends updates on our bundle of joy we are expecting in February, Clare Lucille. Mitch and I are both very excited but nervous at the same time. Lets just say we were a little surprised when we found out we were pregnant.

Mitch and I have been married going on five years and decided that we were ready to start a family. We just didn't think it would happen so quickly. Our little miracle was conceived in April about a month after we had decided to start a family. I thought for sure it would take at least a year for us to become pregnant. The first trimester of pregnancy was very easy for me with the exception of feeling tired all the time. We took a home pregnancy test at the end of May but the results were negative.

The third week of June I was still very tired and experiencing some stomach pain. I thought for sure my stomach ulcers had returned so I made an appointment with my doctor. I described my symptoms to the doctor and told her I needed a refill on my ulcer medication. The Doctor had a funny look on her face and mentioned that I should take a pregnancy test. At first I was reluctant and told her that I wasn't pregnant because I had taken a test a couple of weeks earlier and it was negative. Plus, I wasn't experiencing any other preganancy symptoms that are common in the first trimester. She insisted that I take a quick test and then we would proceed from there. I was a little upset because I just wanted to get in and out of the office.

The Doctor came back into the room and had a smirk on her face. At that moment, I knew that instead of my diagnosis of stomach ulcers I wasn't feeling well due to the fact I was pregnant. I was completely shocked because I had convinced myself that I wasn' t pregnant due to the negative home pregnancy test. I immediatley called Mitch and at first he thought I was teasing him but eventually he could tell by the tone in my voice that I was serious. He was completely shocked. Our original due date given to us was January 18, 2008.

An appointment was made to see the OB. Mitch and I were able to see the first pictures of our little one at the appointment and the due date was changed to February 18, 2008. It finally sunk in for both of us that we were going to have a baby. Prior to us getting the ultra sound I thought Mitch was going to pass out in the chair. He was so nervous and couldn't sit still. The Doctor thought it was funny how nervous he was. We left the office and decided not to tell anyone for a little while.

We finally started to tell our family at the end of June. They were all really excited especially Mitch's parents because Baby Clare will be the first grandchild for them. My pregnancy for the next couple of months went really well and I finally started to get some energy back. We had another ultrasound in September and found out we were having a little girl. Again, Mitch and I were completely shocked due to the fact that boys seem to dominate his side of the family. Mitch's mom was so excited that she was finally going to have a little girl. Mitch's first question was, "What will I do with a daughter?" I just told him you can do the same things you do with a son.

November was a little scary for us because I started to experience swelling and pain in my legs. I was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and was prescribed special compression tights to wear for the remainder of my pregnancy. They seem to help ease the problems and my pregnancy continued to go pretty smoothly until December. In December I came down with the worse case of the flu I have ever had and got so dehydrated I ended up in the hospital to receive IV's. My pains were so severe Mitch and I thought I was going into labor but it turned out to be the flu. We were thankful that was all it was.

A couple of weeks later I was experiencing some similar symptoms and we thought my flu was back. I tolerated the pain for three days and finally decided to call the doctor. It turns out I was actually experiencing contractions this time but fortunately my cervix hadn't dilated. The doctor prescribed some medication to stop the contractions and I'm currently taking them three times a day. They seem to be doing the trick. I will continue taking them for a couple of more weeks. The Doctor wants Clare to get a little bigger before she makes her entrance into the world.