Forty Weeks

We did it.

We made it.

FORTY. WEEKS.

Say it with me, y'all: Eeeeeeek!!!!

Miss Reagan Elizabeth could literally come at any time now, and I know I, for one, am praying it's TODAY!  After spending all day (and I mean all day...4am to 9pm) yesterday pushing her butt and feet out of my ribs and feeling her pushing hard against my cervix, I am R-E-A-D-Y! lol

Now, time for our last Pregnancy Progress Update (sniff, sniff...)!

Symptoms:

-fatigue (I've been getting about 2-3 hours of sleep a night...ugh)
-restlessness
-nausea
-upset stomach
-increased aches and pains
-crampiness
-general feeling like I'm squishing her head when I'm sitting and like she's going to fall out when I'm standing/walking

Size of Baby:

Pumpkin (7-7.5 pounds and 19-21 inches...give or take)

Milestones/Happenings:

Our little Peanut's all done growing!  Her sole job right now is making her way down the birth canal...which is an impressive nine inches long from start to finish!  No wonder it takes these poor babies such a long time to come out, and why they're so exhausted once they finally do---that's quite the journey! lol

Belly Pic:

I wouldn't say The Bump is "bigger" this week, but I do feel a little bloated today, which may be noticeable in the pics.  I've managed, so far, to avoid the dreaded bloat/water weight throughout the last forty weeks...I sure hope I don't puff up like a poisoned puppy now! ;)

(Again, please ignore the lovely stripe down my side left from my shirt...I'm always all marked up in the morning time.)

Reagan also received her official Eviction Notice this morning...she's got until Monday morning at 3:30am to get out, or I'm gonna make her! Hahaha!

Well, I can't believe this is the last update I'll post while prego...but I do promise to keep posting about our little miracle and how God is continuing to use and bless us!  I may also be asking for New Mommy advice, so you guys please stay tuned so you can help a sister out! ;)

I plan on blogging sometime after we come home from the hospital (which I would imagine will be Wednesday evening) to share our birth story and a few pictures of Miss Reagan...but please don't be alarmed if I don't get a chance to post until a little later in the week once we get all settled!

As we prepare to end this chapter of our journey and begin another one, I can't help but stop and praise God again for His faithfulness, love, and mercy throughout this "trial" in our lives.  The Verse of the Day, James 1:2-4, says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish it's work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing." This is 100% true.  When I started out on this road to Mommyhood, I thought I had it all figured out.  Little did I know that God would use this intense desire to be a mother to test me, break me, and then remold me into the Christian (and future Mommy) He wanted me to be.  And little did I know that this would be the most amazing, life-changing experience of my life...but God knew.  It's funny how He always does!

So, even when things seem hopeless, or when you feel like giving up the fight, remember that God can (and WILL) use you and the trial you're going through (the trial He's specifically PLACED you in) to mature your faith, mold you, and use you for His glory!

Now, T minus thirty-eight hours left to go, then...

...LET'S GO HAVE A BABY!!! :)

Thirty-Nine Week Appointment

The verdict is in, folks...

...and we have some progress being made towards getting Miss Reagan here!  Yaaaaay!

Ok, so its not a lot.  But at this point, I'll take what I can get!  Beggars can't be choosers, right? ;)

Here's a quick little summary of today's visit, starting with the usual info...

-My blood pressure still a little higher for me this pregnancy (but "okay") at 135/84

-My weight has gone down some more since last week, putting my total weight gain at 17.5 pounds (like always, Dr S isn't concerned...and he said it's quite normal to lose a few pounds in the last few weeks because of fluid/hormonal shifts)

-He did measure my belly this week, which measured 34cm (an increase of 2cm in two weeks, so not too shabby).  Again, he's not concerned because everything else points to Reagan being a healthy-sized bambino.

-Baby Girl's heart rate was in the 120's-130's; I think she was sleeeeeeping, lol.

Ok, now for the good stuff!

-My cervix is 1cm dilated and 80% effaced (woohoo!!!!)

-Dr S tried to "stretch" my cervix a little while he was in there to get it to a solid 1cm since it's still moderately firm...hopefully this will encourage it to dilate a little more quickly!

-Miss Priss is at "-1 station", which is good because the scale goes from -3 (meaning her head is all the way up in the pelvis) to +3 (meaning you'd better be ready to catch her because she's coming out! lol).  So she's almost halfway through the birth canal---way to go little girl!

-Our induction is still set for next Monday morning, July 29th (we have to call at 3:30am to see if a bed is available).  Because I'm already dilated, he won't need to give me the Cervidil to ripen my cervix--we'll just skip straight to the Pitocin (IV medicine to make my uterus contract more regularly).  After I've dilated a little more, he'll break my water and then it'll (hopefully) be smooth sailing from there! Dr S said he plans to have a baby for us by the end of that day...EEEEEK!

That's pretty much everything in a nutshell!  The official countdown is T minus six days (well, five and some change, since it's evening time already...lol), but we're not completely ruling out the chance of her making her debut earlier than that!  I'll keep you all posted on any promising signs of labor (or if I actually DO go into labor), and if nothing happens by Saturday, I'll meet you back here for one FINAL Pregnancy Progress Update!

Before I go for the night, I wanted to share these Verse(s) of the Day that I posted on my Facebook page this morning as I was getting ready to go to my appointment.  Man, did they prove to be true! "All things are possible for those who believe." (Mark 9:23) "Nothing is impossible with God!" (Luke 1:37) I've said it before and I'll say it again: God is good ALL the time! :)

Thirty-Nine Weeks

T-minus seven days till our due date, people!! SEVEN DAYS!!

Even more exciting than that:  t-minus nine days till induction day (give or take depending on my progress and if there are any beds available that day)!  Woohoo!!  Who's excited?? This chick!!  And Reagan is, too, because she's dancing a little jig in there as we speak! lol

I can't believe this could potentially be my last Pregnancy Progress Update (if she were to come before her due date)...it's a little bittersweet! As much as I've enjoyed sharing this amazing journey with you all, I am MORE than ready to welcome Miss Thing into the world and start the journey of motherhood!   But don't worry, there will be plenty of posts regarding that journey, too--complete with pics of our munchkin! :)

So, let's see what Reagan's been up to since I left you last!

Symptoms:

-the usual (fatigue, restlessness, achy hips/back/thighs/hoo-hoo)
-shooting/jabbing round ligament pain (whether laying down or up moving around)
-decreased appetite (nothing sounds very good anymore! Boooo!)
-constant pressure in my lady parts (which is definitely intensified by exercising now)
-off and on cramping
-tightening contractions, which have gotten to be a little more painful over the last few days

Size of Baby:

Mini Watermelon (roughly 20-21 inches and 7-7.25 pounds)

Milestones/Happenings:

Peanut is steadily preparing for her arrival, making her way further down towards the cervix/birth canal.  She is still gaining little bits of fat every day, but for the most part, she's as big as she's going to be when she comes out!  While my baby apps say that movement slows down as she gets ready for her debut, I beg to differ.  I don't think anything can slow this little girl down!  Just when I think "hmm...she's been a little less active today", she reads my mind and gets things cranked up again!  She's already trying to prove her Mommy wrong...I'm in trouble, lol.

Belly Pic:

I think she may have dropped down a little more, because (to me) my belly looks like it's not quite as "full".  What do y'all think?  There's still no denying there's a big ole baby in there! lol

So, what's on the agenda for today?  Nada.  Nil.  Zip.  After trying to keep myself busy all week (with lunches out, a little shopping/errand-running, and exercising every day), I plan on doing nothing but relaxing all weekend.  Hopefully this relaxation will signal my body to kick this labor process into high gear!  (Hey, I can dream, can't I? ;) )

I'll keep you all posted on what Dr S says at our appointment this Tuesday (at 10:45am).  Please be praying for good news, continued health, and maybe a little extra stamina to get me through this last week!  As we near the end of this journey, this Verse of the Day is my motivation to keep on keepin' on!  "I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)  I couldn't have done it without my faith in God, God's constant presence in my life, and all of the love and support from each and every one of you guys.  Thank you, all, for being a part of our journey!!  :)

Thirty-Eight Week Appointment...The Whole Shabang

Alrighty...a decision has been made, y'all!  Would anyone care to know what decision that might be?  I figured you might...;)

First of all, let me fill you in on how my appointment went yesterday.

I went in with a minor headache and just feeling "blah" (which I guess isn't that uncommon for a thirty-eight week pregnant chick, lol).  My blood pressure was 133/82, which is a little high for me, but Dr S didn't seem to think it was high enough for concern.  My weight had gone down since my last appointment (probably because I can't fit much food in this belly of mine anymore!), so my overall weight gain is at nineteen pounds right now, which isn't too shabby.  Again, he didn't seem concerned with this since Reagan is such a "healthy-sized" baby per the ultrasound.

Reagan's heart rate was a steady 140-150's and sounded beautiful...music to my ears!  Dr S didn't measure my belly this week because he said I measure small anyway, and since the u/s says she's growing appropriately, there's really no reason to.  His only real comment about her weight according to the u/s from last week was that 6.5 pounds is "average for her gestational age", so he isn't concerned that she's going to be too big or too small once she arrives.  He also mentioned again that it's just a rough estimate and can be off by a good pound or two either way.  Let's just hope she's not a 8.5 pound (or bigger) baby or she may not be able to fit through the exit that's been assigned to her! LOL

So then came the cervical check...ugh.  I'm getting more used to it, so it didn't hurt quite as badly, but it still wasn't comfortable either!  It seemed to me he didn't have to reach as far back as he did before, so I'm hoping that means my cervix has moved forward some (to an "anterior" rather than "posterior" position), but he didn't mention it if he noticed a difference.  My cervix is still closed but approximately 70% effaced ("thinned out").  He said it was difficult to give an exact measurement of effacement because he can't get his finger inside the cervix itself, but that's his guess.  Hey, it's better than nothing!

I went into this appointment hoping that I'd be at least thinned out enough for him to offer me an induction for next week.  Apparently, though, I was incorrect in my understanding of what a "favorable cervix" means.  It doesn't just mean "thin enough", but also soft and dilated.  Bummer.  So, in figuring this out, I realized I was going to go home with no end in sight...again.  And then came the tears.  I know, I know...but I couldn't help it!  I didn't bawl like a baby, but there were a few big fat alligator tears that rolled down my cheeks.  Ugh.  Hormones!!

Seeing this patheticness, Dr S said the words I've been dying to hear for weeks now: "I can see this has taken an emotional toll on you...so, if you were willing, I could put you into the hospital next week--when you're thirty-nine weeks--and try to induce you."  Say whaaaaaaat???!  I almost jumped off the table and hugged him, but since I was naked from the waist down, I refrained. lol

We talked about what this would entail (admitting me at night and placing a medication in my cervix to help it soften and dilate, then starting another medication in my IV the next morning to bring on contractions), and I told him that I would have to talk to the hubs because this was a big decision.  He said to go ahead and make my routine appointment for next Tuesday and then call if we decided to go ahead with the induction.  Needless to say, I left the office feeling pretty optimistic!  

Then...I talked to my husband.  He's the realistic thinker of the two of us.  He likes to have all the facts laid out and make an "educated decision", so I knew he'd want to ponder this option a bit.  He did a little research and we discussed all of the pros and cons associated with doing the induction this early and with me not being dilated at all (which increases the risk of a c-section by a lot).  In the end, and after lots of prayer, he confessed he just didn't feel comfortable with it at this time.  And since I feel that we should both feel at peace about something like this if it's the path God wants us to take, we decided to wait.  Yes, this made me a little sad.  Believe me, I am READY to have this baby!  BUT I couldn't shake the feeling that God was telling me "not now" through my husband.  And when God speaks, I listen! :)

Now, we weren't throwing the idea of an induction out the window entirely.  We just felt like God was telling us to wait just a little longer.  We both agreed to pray some more about it overnight and see where we felt led to go from here.  This morning, we made the compromise (after all, marriage is all about compromise, right??) to call and schedule an induction for the following week, which would put me at forty weeks.  I will keep my appointment for next Tuesday (at 10:45am), see what's happening in the land down under, and then adjust the scheduled induction date based off what my cervix is looking like.  If I'm dilated and it looks like I'm ready to go earlier, we may bump the date up and do it next week (which is a lot less risky, given that my cervix is changing on it's own already).  If I'm NOT dilated, we'll proceed with the prescheduled date.  We both feel like this gives my body another full week to make some change and prepare itself for labor a little more.  Not a bad compromise, eh? ;)

So, I called and talked to Katie, Dr S's nurse, and...we have a date!  EEEEK!  As it stands right now, if there is no change at my visit next week, I'll be admitted to the hospital Sunday night, July 28th, and we'll get this party started with the cervical medication.  If there IS a change (but not enough to bump the induction up to next week) I'll be admitted VERY early Monday morning, the 29th, and we'll skip straight to the IV medication.  How exciting is that???!  Ahhhhhh!!!

Of course, Miss Priss could decide to come on her own before then, which is absolutely fine by me! Heck, she can come tonight and I'd be happy as a clam! lol  I just feel better knowing that there's an end in sight and that we can be fairly certain (Lord willing) that she'll be here by the 29th!  That means only TWELVE days till we meet our baby girl!!  O. M. Geezers.

Well that's it--that's all my exciting news about our decision!  I'll be back Saturday for our usual Pregnancy Progress Update (the second to last one--gah!).  Till then, please keep those prayers coming!   We love you all, and we can't wait to share this amazing blessing with you guys!

Verse of the Day (which definitely helped to guide us in our decision making!): "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." (Psalm 32:8)

(Side Note: Sorry if this sounds like a lot of rambling...I'm having a little trouble getting my words out in a coherent manner tonight.  Again, I blame hormones, lol.)

Thirty-Eight Week Appointment...Well, Sort Of

I know you guys are probably on pins and needles waiting to hear how our thirty-eight week appointment went yesterday...but you're just gonna have to wait a little longer! lol  Sorry, guys! ;)

Now, don't go worrying.  Everything is just fine!  But, based on yesterday's appointment, we have had some decisions to make, which the hubs and I are still in the midst of making...but things should hopefully be decided by later today, and I promise to fill you all in as soon they are!

Please be praying for God's guidance and peace...after all, we only want what's in His will for us! Thanks, y'all!  :)