Last day of work....

I feel like a kid about to get out of school for summer vacation! I was planning to work until June 13 but decided over the weekend that today would be my last day in the office. Last week I worked on Thursday and Friday and was so sore on Saturday all I could do was sit in the recliner all day (poor Dave even had to help me walk to the recliner!). It's time to just sit and wait for JD to arrive, I guess.

My boss has asked me if I would sit at home and type some instructional sheets that he can use as training tools. I can email them to the office when I'm done and bill for my hours. I told him that would be just fine.... it will give me something to focus on while I'm waiting.

So, today is my last day of work... it will seem strange to not be a real estate paralegal anymore. I've been doing this for the past 8.5 years! I am excited about staying home and being a mom, though..... and when JD is 5 or 6 months old I'll probably find a part time position closer to home.....

36 weeks, 1 day...and PROGRESS!

I had a non-stress test and a doctor's appointment this morning. JD is looking good and still kicking around. I have been having more and more contractions over the past week and they've been accompanied by cramping so the doctor did a pelvic exam. Turns out I'm already 1 centimeter dilated and 75% effaced which is great!

I will be considered full term on Monday. The doctor said she doesn't think I'll go into labor this week but if I did she wouldn't do anything to stop it. I know a lot of women will walk around being 3 or 4 cm dilated for weeks so I'm not getting my hopes up but I sure do hope he decides to come in the next couple of weeks!

The doctor also commented that he "feels" like a big baby as she was measuring my belly (she said I'm measuring large but didn't tell me how large) so I have another ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, 2008. I'll also have another NST and doctor's appointment so I'll be there for most of the afternoon.....

35 weeks, 1 day

I had my weekly doctor's appointment yesterday and all is well. My mom came with me and, although I thought it was going to be non-eventful, I found out that I get a non-stress test every week so she got to sit and listen to JD's heartbeat for about an hour with me. He moved around a lot and I had about 4 contractions while I was hooked up to the monitors.

I saw Nora, the NP, who looked at the printout and said we have a very reactive baby, which is a good thing. She also told me that my Group B Strep test came back negative so that's one less thing to worry about!

Today I went to the Hibiscus Spa at the Marriott and got a maternity massage, manicure and pedicure. Dave gave me a gift certificate last July for my birthday that I put to very good use! It was very relaxing and nice to have the massage therapist concentrate on my hips and upper back which have been bothering me the past couple of weeks....

My next doctor's appointment is on Tuesday, May 27 at 9:00 AM.

34 weeks, 1 day

The doctor's appointment went well this morning. I saw Dr. Markley, my blood pressure is good and my belly is measuring right on track now. She said he might have just been laying funny last week making my belly stick out further. I had my Group B Strep test and my first internal exam. She said my cervix is softening and she could feel his head, which is good because that means he's already in a good position.

I was also supposed to have my non-stress test today but they didn't have the paper for the machine. They're expecting it to come in today so they rescheduled it for tomorrow at 8:15 AM. If the paper doesn't come in today she said they'd just send me to the hospital for the test, no big deal....

My next appointment is one week from today on May 20, 2008.

33 weeks, 1 day

It's official... I have one big belly! I just got back from my doctor's appointment. She measured my belly and it is measuring in at 39 weeks! The doctor was quite surprised that I'm measuring 6 weeks ahead so she went to review the ultrasound that I had on Thursday. She came back into the room and basically reiterated what the other doctor told me last week: JD is a big boy and he has a lot of amniotic fluid surrounding him.

Then she mentioned the dreaded "I" word: Induction. She said she would probably talk to me about inducing when the 37 week mark got closer, depending on how much he grows between now and then. While I would LOVE for JD to arrive a couple of weeks early, I'm not really keen on the idea of inducing labor. Studies show that most inductions eventually lead to the necessity for a C-Section... but if the doctors think he's going to be too big, I guess I'll consider it!

I'm scheduled for non-stress test (NST) on May 13, 2008. They basically hook me up to fetal monitors, put me in a comfy chair and monitor JD's heart rate in relation to his movements for about 30 minutes. I guess it's just to make sure he's not in distress or anything?? I know it's a common test and I believe all pregnant women get them....

32 weeks, 3 days

I am growing a big boy! He now weighs 4 pounds, 15 ounces... he's gained exactly 2 pounds since the last ultrasound on April 3, 2008. The doctor said he's in the 81st percentile and is thriving! She also commented that he has a lot of amniotic fluid surrounding him which is why my belly is so big, but she says it's not excessive and nothing to worry about. She just said that I shouldn't be surprised if I have a hard time bending down because of my big belly (which I do).

I am also doing well. I've only gained 3 pounds since my last visit and my blood pressure is good.

My next doctor's appointment is on May 6, 2008.