Doctor's Appointment Update

We had a pretty good doctor’s appointment today. I stayed home yesterday because I was having pretty annoying cramps in my abdomen and lower back. I made sure and walked, squatted, and bounced/rocked on my fitness ball & as the day progressed…it wasn’t getting any better. So, at my appointment today, I made sure and told my doctor about it. He decided to measure me today instead of next Wednesday. He said that I am 50% effaced (my cervix is 50% thinned out) and I am about 1 cm dilated. It was good news to hear that things are progressing. The baby hasn’t dropped anymore, but that could happen at any time and pretty quickly. He said that I wasn’t going to have the baby today, but maybe tomorrow…or maybe a week from now. It was pretty exciting to hear. I’m glad Ryan went with me to the appointment and he got to hear everything that is happening.

My blood pressure was high (2nd appointment in a row) but it went down some when I laid down, and the doctor didn’t seem too concerned. He wants to make sure I steer clear of pre-eclampsia. I go back to the doctor next Monday…so only a 5 day break this time. He asked if I was still working and I said I was (when I feel able) but he told me to stop working. He’s pretty sure I’ll go into spontaneous labor…and work isn’t the best place to be. Plus he wants me taking it easy and focusing on baby and me. So, today is my last day at work. It’s crazy how fast time has gone by—even these last few weeks when everyone had told me they’d go by so slow. They haven’t. Ryan and I are just so excited to meet our little blessing!

On a side note, it is Missions week at ABC and there are missionaries from Indonesia in town. Ron called me this week and wanted to know if it would be okay if they came over and prayed for the delivery and me. I of course said “yes!” They came over last night. First of all…they don’t speak English (at least not very well) and they had an interpreter. So even though while they were praying and I didn’t know what they were saying…I just felt this complete peace about everything. They made a good point. Because the fall of man, God allowed there to be pain in childbirth, but that doesn’t mean that God can’t take it away. Their undoubted faith inspired me. It made me realize how my faith lacks so much. All they know me as is Ron & Dorie’s daughter in law…but more importantly than that, they know me as a sister in Christ. They were praying and talking like they knew God was going to do something great. I feel like we as American’s put God in this little box, shove it in our backpacks/purses and wait to use Him when we need Him or when it’s convenient for us. I want to have that faith that God is powerful and mighty. The faith that makes me tremble at His Word and stand in awe at His grace. I was almost brought to tears during the prayer-despite not knowing what they were saying. It’s like I didn’t need to know what they were saying. They know God is great that that He will take care of me. I find myself praying that “if it’s in God’s will…” they pray knowing it is in God’s will. How humbling it was for me.

After women’s bible study last night I was talking to Ryan about the whole situation and what I had experienced with the Indonesians. I wish he could have been there to experience it with me. But I feel like it meant a lot to him for me to explain it to him. Even though I feel like I didn’t do it a justice. At any rate, it was amazing. I am so excited to bring this baby into God’s creation and have Ryan and I raise it to fear God and love others as Christ has loved us. I can’t wait to see it grow in its faith and one day accept God’s free gift of salvation into their heart. I get emotional just thinking of it!

Well, to end this novel of a blog…God is good and Pounds is on its way!

toodles,
☺ jen & pounds

38 weeks!

How our baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her 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 she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she'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 she'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.)

Dr. Appointment update

I had another Dr. appointment on Wednesday & nothing new has really happened. The doctor didn't say that Pounds had dropped anymore...which is fine since we're still 3 weeks away from our due date anyway. At first, my blood pressure was a little high, but Dr. Herron had me lay on my left side and take it again, and it was fine. All I know is that I am definitely ready to meet our little baby though.

We also went to our 3rd Lamaze class on Wednesday night and once again, it was pretty interesting. This week was on medical interventions...in other words, we learned about pain killers and epidurals. It was a good reminder why I'm not exercising those options. It's crazy how many side effects or risks there are compared to the benefits. The benefits are pretty just "it takes away pain." Uh...duh?! It's a pain killer! The risks of epidurals were like 3 times as many as the benefits. It was crazy. Poor Ryan was feeling a little light headed just watching the video...so it's just as well I'm not getting one-we're praying that God will give him crazy amounts of strength and a strong stomach when we start our journey to having this baby.

Anyway, all is good and we're just in countdown mode for baby. My parents are coming this weekend and that will be great. Ryan and I haven't seen them since my baby shower in LA last month, so it will be great to see them. My Aunt Debbie who lives in Texas will also be in town, so it will be great to see her! I'm just hanging out at home today and trying to recover from a headache and achy body....but I'm realizing the achy body won't be going away....

oh well,
toodles,
:) jen & pounds

Pound's Room

Here are some updated pictures of the baby's room!

37 weeks!

How our 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.

Update...

So for my weekly Dr. appointment I thought I'd leave a little update. On Wednesday was my appointment and it also started the beginning of my weekly visits to the doctor. All is looking good and he said that the baby has already dropped some. He told me that if "nothing happens" in the next 3 weeks, he'll measure me and see where I am in 3 weeks. So...I guess that means that if baby hasn't come in 3 weeks, he'll check and see how much longer we have. It's crazy to think that we're getting so close to meeting Pounds. We've been waiting for (what seems like forever) for Pounds and now the baby is just around the corner. We're definitely as ready as we can be. Ryan and I are getting so anxious to meet our little baby. Not to mention we're SOOOOO ready to know if it's a little boy or little girl!

Also on Wednesday I got my hair highlighted. I was debating putting low lights also, but decided on the lighter. It had been since January that I've had anything done to my hair & it felt great to go to a salon and be pampered and have my hair done! I added a picture of the new color...not super noticeable cause I didn't want it super noticeable when it grew out!

Wednesday night we went to our 2nd of 4 Lamaze classes & we once again learned a lot. It is a very informative class that we're finding that we enjoy going to. It's our little weekly reminder of how we have no idea what to expect, but excited to experience this new chapter in our lives!

At any rate, we're ready to meet Pounds and start this new journey!

toodles, jen & pounds

36 Weeks!

How our baby's growing:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her 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 she's in a head-down position. But if she 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 her from the outside of your belly.

Pounds Room

We are almost all done with the nursery & we can't wait to put our little baby in it! Here are some pictures of what we have done so far. I still need to hang some canvas art and some wall decals, but that will come soon. I am also hoping to get the valances hung this weekend. All I know is that I'm running out of energy & am ready to put our little baby in the room. One of the pictures if of me in my comfy glider my parents and Grandma bought me...I can't wait to hold our little one and glide it to sleep! Lucky for us, the baby won't know whether or not the room is actually "done!" But...a few more finishing touches and we'll be done! enjoy the pictures! toodles, jen & pounds

35 Weeks!!!

How our 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.