It's been awhile since I've got around to posting, so here's what has been going on with us and little guy...
1. Well, the nursery is all pretty much finished. We finally got our prints from Etsy, and they are framed and on the wall. We still have one area in the nursery that is pretty bare, so we're working on finding something to fill that space. I'm not too concerned about it right now. We'll figure it out eventually. So for the time being the nursery is done :)
2. We met with both possible pediatricians and have decided to go with Dr. Kate Hartman at Shawnee Mission Pediatrics. Several people I work with take their kids there and have all had positive things to say about the office and the docs. Bonus is that Dr. Hartman can see little guy at the hospital after he's born, where as the other doctor didn't have privileges there (their office is over in Leawood).
3. My weekly visits with Dr. Piquard are going well. Everything is on track and looking good. I have been slowly dilating and effacing each week, which is encouraging being a first-time mom. Usually this doesn't happen until actual labor sets in, which can make the whole process a little longer. As of today I'm 3cm dilated and 80% effaced (37w2d). I'm hoping this means when labor does start, it will move a little faster than the usual 12-14 hours (another first-time mom statistic that varies widely). I've been dilating a centimeter each week since Dr. Piquard starting checking. PS- the only reason we started checking anyway was some mild lower abdomen discomfort and cramping at 35 weeks, a bit early for labor to be starting. Each week we go to our appointment, she seems to be hinting that he'll be here sooner than later. However, it's been 3 weeks since my first check and still no baby... Getting my hopes up every time. It gets disappointing. I do know and realize that he could even be a week late before we'd be induced which wouldn't be until the start of August! And I also know that small pre-term babies have a harder time adjusting to life outside of mom. But just to be clear, full-term is considered 37+ weeks, which I now am! :)
4. I had my last visit with the perinatologists at 36 weeks. At 36w1d he was estimated to be 6lbs 5oz, and doing well. The morning of that appointment I noticed that he had DEFINITELY settled himself firmly into my pelvis. They call it "dropping" or "lightening". It was a big change and I was definitely uncomfortable! I've just now started to get used to it. Dr. Wickstrom (our main perinatologist that has been following us since day 1 of all the heart business) said she wanted to meet our little man and to let the staff know when we got to SMMC to deliver that she had been taking care of us so she could come by. I thought it was nice she wanted to meet little guy :)
5. On Matt's last week out of town, I had an appointment after work to get our pre-registration paperwork filled out at SMMC and get familiarized with their policies and procedures. The previous night I had some pretty strong and regular contractions that woke me about an hour after I went to bed. I called Matt to give him a head's up, and then started doing what I knew to help relax them if they weren't real labor. I ended up going back to bed about 2 hours later hoping I could sleep though them. Matt was in NJ and had no way of getting home until about 10am the next morning!!! This whole thing really got me anxious to have Matt back home for good. I couldn't imagine him not being there for the birth of our son! So I went to work as planned, had loads of contractions with back pain all day, and then on to SMMC for the paperwork. The nurse doing the paperwork suggested I get a labor check just to make sure, and if nothing else, to give me peace of mind and not to have Matt fly back early if he didn't need to (he had training in Chicago Friday and wasn't going to be home until Saturday). I was having regular contractions every 4 minutes or so, but not getting closer together or stronger over the hour they watched me with no progress in cervical dilation/effacement. The nurse suggested I say for fluids and further monitoring, and no work the following day. They felt labor would be very soon (the nurse said that weekend or beginning of the next week) and here we are a week later still pregnant. I suggested they let me go home, and I would come back if the contractions got worse. SO, they agreed to giving me Vistaril (helps relax the uterus and slow/stop contractions), Tylenol 3 for the back pain, and I drank a liter of fluid instead of an IV. The Vistaril worked wonders! I didn't have anymore contractions until Sunday :) The Tylenol 3 however, gave me some serious chest pain like I had last time I took a similar medication (something St. Luke's gave me for the kidney stones back in my second trimester). Makes me wonder if the digoxin and pain med combo is a no go. I've taken Percocet with no problems for my other stones while on digoxin, but until I had this chest pain again I totally forgot about the connection I thought they had last time I had the chest pain. Anyway, Matt took a late night flight home after training Friday evening. I felt so much better with him home to stay until 6 weeks after baby boy is here. YAY!!!!! It's the longest we'll have been in the same house in 3 years (since he travels every week). Can't even begin to explain how awesome this is going to be having him here this long!!! :)
6. And lastly, babies babies everywhere!! My friend Rachel had her sweet little girl Sunday July 1st, Courtney had her twins on Tuesday July 3rd, and Ashley will be having her baby no later than this Saturday (due to induction). That's 4 babies in 1 week! Holy moly! This makes waiting for our little guy just that much harder, but I know he'll be worth the wait :) I'm just so stinkin' excited to meet him. We've spent some time with the twins twice, and I'll get to meet Rachel's lady tomorrow! It's really interesting to see the transformation that occurs when you talk to someone who's just had their first baby. It's like they're a whole new person in a very discreet sort of way.
1. Well, the nursery is all pretty much finished. We finally got our prints from Etsy, and they are framed and on the wall. We still have one area in the nursery that is pretty bare, so we're working on finding something to fill that space. I'm not too concerned about it right now. We'll figure it out eventually. So for the time being the nursery is done :)
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| Looking in |
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| Looking out |
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| Changing table/dresser |
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| Fabric bunting that I made for the gender reveal party now decorates his window :) |
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| Rocking chair that I finally put together, and the nightstand off craigslist that I refinished to its current state of sunny yellow. |
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| Sneak peek of what's inside the bins in his bookcase! |
2. We met with both possible pediatricians and have decided to go with Dr. Kate Hartman at Shawnee Mission Pediatrics. Several people I work with take their kids there and have all had positive things to say about the office and the docs. Bonus is that Dr. Hartman can see little guy at the hospital after he's born, where as the other doctor didn't have privileges there (their office is over in Leawood).
3. My weekly visits with Dr. Piquard are going well. Everything is on track and looking good. I have been slowly dilating and effacing each week, which is encouraging being a first-time mom. Usually this doesn't happen until actual labor sets in, which can make the whole process a little longer. As of today I'm 3cm dilated and 80% effaced (37w2d). I'm hoping this means when labor does start, it will move a little faster than the usual 12-14 hours (another first-time mom statistic that varies widely). I've been dilating a centimeter each week since Dr. Piquard starting checking. PS- the only reason we started checking anyway was some mild lower abdomen discomfort and cramping at 35 weeks, a bit early for labor to be starting. Each week we go to our appointment, she seems to be hinting that he'll be here sooner than later. However, it's been 3 weeks since my first check and still no baby... Getting my hopes up every time. It gets disappointing. I do know and realize that he could even be a week late before we'd be induced which wouldn't be until the start of August! And I also know that small pre-term babies have a harder time adjusting to life outside of mom. But just to be clear, full-term is considered 37+ weeks, which I now am! :)
4. I had my last visit with the perinatologists at 36 weeks. At 36w1d he was estimated to be 6lbs 5oz, and doing well. The morning of that appointment I noticed that he had DEFINITELY settled himself firmly into my pelvis. They call it "dropping" or "lightening". It was a big change and I was definitely uncomfortable! I've just now started to get used to it. Dr. Wickstrom (our main perinatologist that has been following us since day 1 of all the heart business) said she wanted to meet our little man and to let the staff know when we got to SMMC to deliver that she had been taking care of us so she could come by. I thought it was nice she wanted to meet little guy :)
5. On Matt's last week out of town, I had an appointment after work to get our pre-registration paperwork filled out at SMMC and get familiarized with their policies and procedures. The previous night I had some pretty strong and regular contractions that woke me about an hour after I went to bed. I called Matt to give him a head's up, and then started doing what I knew to help relax them if they weren't real labor. I ended up going back to bed about 2 hours later hoping I could sleep though them. Matt was in NJ and had no way of getting home until about 10am the next morning!!! This whole thing really got me anxious to have Matt back home for good. I couldn't imagine him not being there for the birth of our son! So I went to work as planned, had loads of contractions with back pain all day, and then on to SMMC for the paperwork. The nurse doing the paperwork suggested I get a labor check just to make sure, and if nothing else, to give me peace of mind and not to have Matt fly back early if he didn't need to (he had training in Chicago Friday and wasn't going to be home until Saturday). I was having regular contractions every 4 minutes or so, but not getting closer together or stronger over the hour they watched me with no progress in cervical dilation/effacement. The nurse suggested I say for fluids and further monitoring, and no work the following day. They felt labor would be very soon (the nurse said that weekend or beginning of the next week) and here we are a week later still pregnant. I suggested they let me go home, and I would come back if the contractions got worse. SO, they agreed to giving me Vistaril (helps relax the uterus and slow/stop contractions), Tylenol 3 for the back pain, and I drank a liter of fluid instead of an IV. The Vistaril worked wonders! I didn't have anymore contractions until Sunday :) The Tylenol 3 however, gave me some serious chest pain like I had last time I took a similar medication (something St. Luke's gave me for the kidney stones back in my second trimester). Makes me wonder if the digoxin and pain med combo is a no go. I've taken Percocet with no problems for my other stones while on digoxin, but until I had this chest pain again I totally forgot about the connection I thought they had last time I had the chest pain. Anyway, Matt took a late night flight home after training Friday evening. I felt so much better with him home to stay until 6 weeks after baby boy is here. YAY!!!!! It's the longest we'll have been in the same house in 3 years (since he travels every week). Can't even begin to explain how awesome this is going to be having him here this long!!! :)
6. And lastly, babies babies everywhere!! My friend Rachel had her sweet little girl Sunday July 1st, Courtney had her twins on Tuesday July 3rd, and Ashley will be having her baby no later than this Saturday (due to induction). That's 4 babies in 1 week! Holy moly! This makes waiting for our little guy just that much harder, but I know he'll be worth the wait :) I'm just so stinkin' excited to meet him. We've spent some time with the twins twice, and I'll get to meet Rachel's lady tomorrow! It's really interesting to see the transformation that occurs when you talk to someone who's just had their first baby. It's like they're a whole new person in a very discreet sort of way.
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| 36w5d |
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| The front view! |
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| Getting stuff set out to take to hospital! Matt has now packed most of this since he's home :) |
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| Get it in there snug!! |
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| Getting the car seat in the LR3 |
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| Me and Courtney pre-babies!! The twinsies arrived July 3rd :) |
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| Our last 4th of July with just the two of us :) |
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| Happy 4th of July!!!! |
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