The Miracle: 38 Weeks

Can't believe we are talking about the baby being here in a matter of days, rather than weeks! I am finally feeling ready. Since the doctor's appointment last Wed we have managed to accomplish quite a few things on the "to do before baby" list, so I am not stressing out at this point! Today we had another doctor's appointment, and while me and baby are both doing great, she said we are pretty much at the same place we were last week, so no further progress. I had figured that would probably be the case...we REALLY toned down the walking and stretching after last week's appointment, because I knew I wasn't ready for this kiddo to get here any earlier at that point! Now that we have more of our ducks in a row, I'm ready to get back to our former routine. And what a beautiful time of year to get out and enjoy walking around the neighborhood...I LOVE the spring! All the green and all the trees budding and flowers in bloom and birds singing...this is why I wanted a spring baby!

Thank you to all who have been keeping me and the baby in your prayers. I have said it before, and I will say it again...this has been a very blessed pregnancy! I really am feeling wonderful...no major physical complaints at all, still sleeping through the night (with maybe one visit to the bathroom at most), no major swelling, etc. The doctor this morning was actually surprised when she asked how I'm feeling and I told her that I feel great...she jokingly let me know that it was ok to say that I was ready for this all to be over and how horrible I was feeling, etc, etc. I just smiled and told her that, REALLY, I feel great! Now we're just playing the waiting game. My prayer is that with an easy pregnancy we can also expect to enjoy an easy and happy baby...we'll see how that pans out! Guess we'll find out soon enough, at any rate. :o)

Even though I'll be 39 weeks tomorrow, here is how "E" has developed over this past week:

How your baby's growing: Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after he's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Before & After

We went to a photographer named Lea Murphy yesterday to get some before and after shots taken. This one is obviously from the "before" category. Once baby "E" is here, we will get some infant shots with him.

Working with Lea has been a great experience so far. We would recommend anyone in the Kansas City area, especially if you are having a little one soon to contact her. Check out her website at the link above to see her great work. She posted this pic on her baby blog, we'll see the others when we go in for the next photo shoot...we'll have a little one with us then...it is hard to imagine that it could be any day now. Soon and very soon we are going to see a baby!

The Belly Pics...

Ok, so we went ahead and took some "belly pics" tonight, since the belly may not be around that much longer! Wish I had been taking these all along on a weekly basis (like I originally intended) so that I could see the progression...I'm such a procrastinator! Since the baby has dropped my belly is sitting pretty low...definitely looks like a basketball underneath my clothes! You can see all the belly pics on our Flickr photostream (click on the photostream to go to our Flickr website and see them all in a larger size), but I'll go ahead and post some of my favorites. :o) Just be forewarned...I'm kinda pasty, so my belly reflects some of the flash!! (hehe)

This one really makes my belly look like a balloon stretched so tight it's about to pop. I'm not uncomfortable, though...it just looks that way. :o)

E.T.'s First Video

I'm getting accustom to our new video camera that I might be familiar enough with it to get some good video of our baby's first days. As you'll observe in this video becoming a parent does make one quite a bit dorkier. Oh the joys of parenthood.

The Miracle: 37 Weeks

Ok, so things are definitely picking up steam here!! Saw the doctor again today, and she was very surprised with how much progress I had made over the past week (I wasn't as surprised...I've been walking our very hilly neighborhood, our basement stairs, and doing gentle squats and lunges to help prepare my body and use gravity to get "E" in a good low position). Today I was dilated to almost 3cm, 80% effaced, and the baby has dropped to a -2 station. The doctor said that "E" will probably arrive before his due date, and that we could expect to go into labor anytime in the next week or so. YIKES!! Maybe my exercise strategy was a little TOO effective! I feel like a ticking time bomb...so much to do, so little time! (of course, watch us be jinxed now, and "E" will get stubborn and decide to stay inside his current comfy home until the 15th!!)

I worked today on getting my bag packed for the hospital so that I can be ready to go at a moment's notice. Last night Richard put some plastic down under our mattress pad, just in case my water breaks while I'm in bed (it's unlikely, but a friend who it's happened to twice highly suggested being prepared just in case...it would stink to have to replace the mattress when you're already paying through the nose for all the baby stuff!). The carseat bases are installed in both our vehicles. We have a few more items to get at Babies R Us, but I'm hoping "E" will hold off until after this weekend...I have a coupon I want to use to get the pack n play and it's not good until the 25th!! :o) Tonight we go for our infant CPR class. I still need to call a photographer to get a nice belly portrait...before the belly is gone! The list goes on...but I'll stop boring you with the details! Just pray that "E" holds off until his mommy is through her to-do list...I'm thinking the middle of next week should suffice, but Cinco de Mayo would be even better!! :o)

Technically I will be 38 weeks tomorrow, but I'll go ahead and post about "E's" development during week 37 anyway...just so we don't skip anything important! Let's see what type of random food they compare him to this week... ;o)

How your baby's growing: Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

The Miracle: 36 Weeks

One more week down, one week closer to baby "E's" arrival! We went to see the doctor today and she said that I am progressing beautifully. I am measuring right where I should be with good weight gain and good blood pressure. The doctor said that the baby's head is "engaged", which means that he is in the proper "head down" position and he has dropped lower into my pelvis. So for those of you who have commented that my belly looks a little lower lately, looks like you were right! :o) He has been sitting pretty low this whole time, so I didn't really notice the change. Guess you other moms and grandmas out there are just much more observant!

For the nitty gritty details from the visit, the doctor also said that my cervix is dilated to 1cm and is 70% effaced, and the baby is at a -3 station. For those of you who have no idea what that means (and why should you? I had no idea what any of that meant until I got far enough along in my pregnancy!), maybe I can help put it in perspective. Basically, when my cervix is dilated (opened) to 10cm and is 100% effaced (softened), it means that the baby can start moving through the birth canal. The +/- number before the station means where the top of the baby's head is in relation to approximately the middle of my pelvis, so a negative number means he is higher than that point in the pelvis, a zero means he is right there, and a positive number means he is on his way out. I could get more technical, but I think you get the gist! If you want more info, look it up! :o)

I have been feeling pretty good lately. Some days I am a little achier than others, but really nothing too bad. I haven't started to notice any pre-labor contractions yet, but that is somewhat normal for a first pregnancy. I have been waking up early in the morning lately and having a hard time falling back asleep...I'm not uncomfortable, I simply feel wide awake! It hasn't left me feeling too tired yet, though. Maybe this is just my body's way of preparing me for all those late night/early morning feedings yet to come! Overall, though, I feel really great! This truly has been a very blessed pregnancy!

Enough about me...here is what is going on with "E's" development this week:

How your baby's growing: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, which will form the contents of his first bowel movement. At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position. But if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating him from the outside of your belly.

The Miracle: 35 Weeks

Wow...time is flying fast! We are almost through the 35th week, which puts us at about 4-5 more weeks to go! The baby is getting bigger all the time (as am I!), and he is still very active. I enjoy his movements, though...there have only been a couple times where they have been truly uncomfortable (quit poking me in the ribs, kid!). I always take his squirms and wriggles as positive signs, though...better to have an active baby than to not feel much movement and worry that something is wrong!

We are still working to furnish the nursery and get all the last little things in place, but it finally feels like things are coming together. I am starting to feel the need to get my bag packed so that we can be ready to go at a moment's notice...I've been so busy taking care of things for baby, I haven't really taken time to get my own stuff together! At my last appointment, the doctor said that the baby was head down in the proper position and that it looked like he would probably stay that way, so that is a big praise. Now to just make it through the next few weeks...

Here is a little bit about how "E" is developing this week:

How your baby's growing:Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Breastfeeding Class

I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be attending a Breastfeeding Class in my lifetime. I'm still not sure why, but Sara insisted that I go with her to the class last night. I was sure that I would be the only guy there, but to my surprise there were lots of guys in attendance. We are either really supportive husbands or we're all whipped and easily dragged around by our pregnant wives. I guess there is a third option, guys who couldn't turn down the opportunity to see breasts on a big screen. But I have to say that it was not appealing in the least. I hope that I'm in the supportive husband camp - all I know is that my dad wouldn't have been caught dead going to a breastfeeding class. How times have changed.

If this all seems rather crude, forgive me. When you are getting ready to have your first child things change and some level of modesty is simply thrown out the window. I just wanted to share with everyone that I earned some brownie points last night, and they were hard earned points, too. I guess that it is the least I can do since Sara has to really do all the work.

It is easy for us guys to get sidelined during this whole pregnancy thing. Moms get to bond even while the baby is still in the womb, they are "mom" from the very beginning. Dads are a little left out and limited in our bonding until the baby is actually here, which is coming up very quickly for us. May the Lord help me continue to be the kind of supporting husband that goes to breastfeeding classes and a loving father, just like Him.