Today's Dr. Appointment

This morning I had my 37 week doctor appointment as well as an ultrasound. Craig came along this time so we could both see our little girl one last time before she's here. This ultrasound wasn't quite as exciting as when we found out what gender she was, because now, she's so cramped up in there that there's really not a whole lot you can see. She's weighing in at 6 1/2 pounds and the tech said she had "a lot" of hair!! Yayy!!! Craig was worried about her head size because he had such a huge head when he was little and was bald until he was two, and she said her head size is normal and lots of hair so we won't have a huge headed baldy!! Perri was sucking her thumb again like last time and flailing her little legs and arms like crazy that the tech had a hard time checking things and listening to her heart beat because she kept kicking her umbilical cord and at one point shoved her foot up onto the doppler so all you could see was a her foot print on the screen. The tech commented on what a "little stinker" she was. I said, "you're telling me, this kid is killing me!!" We tried to see if she is going to have bent pinkies like me (runs on my dad's side of the family) and at one point it looked like they may be, but we aren't sure so we'll have to wait until she's here.

As far as meeting with the doctor, I am now 80% effaced (yay!!) and 1 cm dilated. She commented again on how incredibly low she was and that she was able to feel her head and that it is "right there." I knew I've been having a lot of painful contractions and cramping but while she was measuring my belly she felt it and said, you're having one right now! I had no idea because it wasn't like the painful ones I've been experiencing. Hopefully this little girl will be here soon!!!

This past weekend was so nice, Craig and I got up Saturday morning and took Emma on a long walk and then went up to La Centerra, an outdoor shopping area here, and got some coffee and sat outside at Starbucks with Emma. They were also having a car show there as well as the usual Farmer's Market and Emma was in heaven. So many people and kids and dogs, I think Saturday was one of her most favorite days ever. After that we went home and lounged around then watched the Razorbacks game.... no comment there. Anyhow, it was such a nice weekend and so relaxing, I know those are going to be few and far between here in a few weeks.

Here's a picture of Emma, she always looks like she's smiling. Such a goofy dog.

Updated- Perri's Room

Well, just watched the hogs give up the Kentucky game. Not cool. But on a higher note, Leah and I got stuff hung up in Perri's room. Still don't have her dresser. Still going to be a couple of weeks until it comes in. She will probably be here before we get her dresser but we'll make due. Anyway, check out the video below of her room.

Dr. Appt/ What I've been up to

Well I had my 36 week appt. today and it turned out to be quite uneventful. She didn't end up checking me, which was pretty disappointing, as I really feel like I need to hear SOMETHING to keep me going, but that's okay. Next week we get an ultrasound and she'll start doing the internal exams. GOOD NEWS though- she doesn't think I will make it to 40 weeks, but if we do, we've scheduled my induction for Nov. 12, which is a day before the due date. She was giving me options of when to be induced and the other options were a whole week after my due date. I yelled out, "November 12th!! Please!!" Haha. There's no way I'm going over my due date.. I feel like I can hardly go on as it is now. Glad to know that's taken care of though.

I can definitely tell she's getting big in there because these past few days my stomach has been so messed up, I am guessing due to her growing and getting cramped in there, shoving my stomach aside. I can't eat as much at a time as I was, and have been getting pretty nauseated as well...

So my newest project that's been keeping me busy is making burp cloths. I've already made 9 or 10 of them and they've turned out so cute, in my opinion. They're so easy to make and much cheaper and cuter than anything you'd find in the store. My stitching isn't the best, but the more I do, they better they look. Here are some that I've made so far..



Also, I think we've decided on Perri's coming home outfit. I've posted these before to show off, but she'll probably be coming home in one of the onesie gowns that my mom, Perri's Lu Lu made for her, a long with one of the beanies mom knitted. Depending on her size, we'll probably have her wear the light purple one. So cute!

Progress?!?!?!

35 weeks!!!

Well I decided for some reason I would rather use BlogSpot to do our blog than on our .Mac site, and I apologize for it being over a month since I've posted, oops. I haven't really been up to much but just kept forgetting!! Since the last post Craig and I went through our childbirth class which I think was more beneficial for him than me, since I think I've read about all there is to know. He is so worried about me getting an epidural and cracked me up when he raised his hand and asked the risks of it, etc, as he is so scared that I will be paralyzed. I told him I'm taking that risk, sorry.

I'm going to the doctor now weekly and had my 35-week appt yesterday. Not TOO terribly eventful. I got the Strep-B test done, which is a standard test given to everyone, but won't know the results until next week. Dr. Andrews checked me and said while I'm not dilated, I am 50% effaced and Perri is at a -2 station!! Woo woo!! I told Craig on Sunday while we were at church that I could literally feel her moving into my pelvis and how it felt like she was hitting the bones of the pelvis, and sure enough, she's down in there now! I knew well before that happened that she was already head down, though, because she gets hiccups 24/7 and I know just right where her little head has been from those! Also, at my last appt (not yesterday) Dr. Andrews also said Perri definitely won't be late. Praise the Lord!! I wouldn't mind her coming a couple weeks early so that's fine. She's starting to really, really hurt me and I actually had to call the Dr. on Monday because I had noticed that every time I bent over one of my ribs would literally pop and you could even feel it from the outside popping out. It hadn't been hurting but then it starting to be very painful, even just to laugh or breathe. They told me it was likely inflamed and to take Tylenol and use a heating pad and not bend over. So at my appt. yesterday I asked Dr. Andrews about it and she said that yes, that was actually my rib popping out because of them being stretched so far out and the cartilage is very stretched as well. Lovely. So I guess I just have to deal with it until she's born. Eek.

One more thing!! We also went and met with a pediatrician a few weeks ago and were extremely impressed with him and have decided to use him for Perri. He's with Texas Children's Hospital, which is very nice, and the office was so cute too! We were really impressed by how thorough he was, and he even spent 45 minutes with us just talking and answering our questions. Everything we asked he also had about 10 different sources to back up his thinking, it was amazing. Craig said, "This man must read the medical journals for fun," because he knew SO much. We were most impressed by how willing he was to work with us on things, especially Perri's vaccinations, which most pediatricians poo poo at and will only follow the AAP guidelines. We're definitely vaccinating her, but we are dong a delayed, alternative schedule to really space them out and not give some until she is a bit older, and he was perfectly fine with this. He definitely had his sources to back up why the AAP guidelines were fine, but then said he really wants to work with us and be a team and it is totally up to us with how we would like to go about vaccinating her. Yay!! He also let us know his 13-year old daughter has a rare blood disease and is on the list for a bone marrow transplant, and at any time he may be gone for 2 months or so if they found a match. Apparently they would have to go to Minnesota to get the transplant. It's really sad, though, because they've been on the list for 2 1/2 years and things aren't looking good at finding a match because of their race. They are from Pakistan and apparently it's very hard to find a match with them not being Caucasian. I'm very impressed by him through this, though, because he has really taken a stand about bone marrow donations and holds donation drives all over Houston and tries to raise awareness about the need for donors and the simplicity of donating. Craig and I decided we may even sign up with him after Perri is born to be on the donor list. All they do now is simply draw blood and can take the marrow from that. You don't have to get a needle in your hip anymore. So, anything to help his cause!!!

I apologize this is so long but I haven't updated in forever!! I'll try and update more often, especially as it is getting so close!!

Update on the Room

Well we finally got the bedding in and it looks great!! Also got Perri’s letters painted (yes, we painted and did everything for them). Craig also got a cabinet thing painted for her room and we got the curtains hung. We still need the dresser, which as noted earlier, won’t be in until the end of October, stupid, I know, and a rocker and more accessories and decorations. We’re getting there though! (The letters are crooked because we hung them up but haven’t nailed them in so they will be fixed soon!) Check for more pictures of the room on our pictures link up top!
We went to the doctor this morning for my 28 week checkup and I got the RhoGam shot (I’m A neg. blood and Craig is positive so this can cause some complications in future pregnancies if you don’t get the shot) as well as the glucose test for gestational diabetes, which is a standard test for everyone. They had me drink this bottle of nasty orange tasting stuff for it. I had been trying to space out drinking it a little bit because it was so gross then the lady told me I needed to down it before I got my RhoGam shot. I about threw up it made me so nauseated. So after the shot in my butt and drinking the nasty drink I had to get blood drawn and my finger pricked. No gestational diabetes though! Yay!
Other than that the dr. said all was going great and I start going every two weeks now and then in the last month I go every week. Finally getting closer and closer!! Perri isn’t used to getting any sugar and after the glucose drink she went crazy and was kicking the fire out of me and then the nurse was listening to her heart and it was going so fast! The nurse said it was all the sugar in the drink that was making her go crazy! That’s all the sugar she’s getting after that.
Other than that there’s not too much to update on. Craig and I have gotten to be pretty good friends with a couple down here and they’re expecting a little boy just 5 weeks after me so that’s been really fun to have them to talk about everything with and they’re right there with us on all of it. They already have a three year old little girl so they’re already experienced pregnancy and childbirth, etc so they’ve been a big help with all our questions and just having someone to talk to about it all. We’ve definitely been blessed to have them in our lives!!

Day of Painting

Today, Leah and I painted Little Perri’s nursery. When I say Leah and I, I mean I painted Little Perri’s nursery. Since Leah is carrying some precious cargo, we didn’t want her to be exposed to the fumes or be bent over trying to paint. Plus, she gets in a hurry and isn’t very careful, so I end up going back over what she does anyway. :)
I was so excited about painting that I got up at 5:00 AM (yes, that is AM) to get started. I had decided that getting an early start means that I also get to finish early but for some reason, painting is always an all day event when I am doing it. Yes, that is a picture of the nursery above, not something that we cut out of the Pottery Barn catalogue. We are very happy with how it turned out. The room is pretty empty. We are still waiting on some furniture to come in stock as well as her bedding to get here. Found out that they might not have her dresser in stock until October! Not cool.
Anyway, below is a short video of the painting process. I wish I was able to paint this fast. I’d be rich...

Finally... my first post

So I am finally getting around to writing on this thing even though Craig’s had it set up for... months? A year? Not sure. I figured it would be neat to blog about the pregnancy, etc but here I am at 26 weeks and just now starting it . Ooops.
So I’ve been preoccupied with other things. Such as, decorating Perri’s room, buying her clothes and searching for hours on end (I kid you not) for cute diapers for her (we’re attempting the cloth route and my gosh they are adorable!! and no, they aren’t the old school type of cloth, they are pretty much like disposables but you reuse and wash them yourself.. saves LOTS of money and better for the environment, yadda yadda) Craig has made fun of me over and over again about the time I spend searching for diapers but seriously, and sadly, its become an addiction. There are just so many options and brands and they are all so cute that I’ve had to seriously refrain myself from going overboard. The tough thing is Perri is our first so we have no idea how large she’ll be or what when she’s born so I’m just kind of winging it on the sizes of these. But, the good thing is, you can resell cloth diapers for at least 60% what you bought them for if you use them, and if they were just the wrong size I could sell them back for what I paid... and you can’t do that with pooped in Pampers now can you? I’ll get pictures posted later of some of her stash.. I can’t wait! She’ll have quite the little bubble butt from these!!
As far as other items for her, my mom has been amazing with the things she’s been making and has created the cutest little onesie/ gowns for Perri which I know she’ll be in all the time when we take her out. (Check out the pics up top!) She’s also knitted tons of little beanies for her and several blankets. Having a little girl makes me want to do the same thing so I’ve begun trying out different projects and really enjoy making things for her. I’ve already made two headbands with giant bows on them and am working on some things for her diapers. I tried my hand at sewing today (haven’t done this since 8th grade and mom generously gave me one of her sewing machines because she got a new one) and well, let’s say I need A LOT of practice. I jacked up the machine several time and had to rethread it over and over again. I was trying to make these diaper liners and the one I made looks like complete crap. And it’s huge. The size of something for say, a toddler. Haha. Oh well, I’ll keep on trying. It’s pretty fun to do though.
On another note, I feel Perri kicking, punching, elbowing and flipping in me pretty much 24/7. It truly is the most amazing feeling, yet extremely weird to me at the same time so know that there is a little person growing inside of me. Craig and I are amazed every day to look at my belly and see how big it’s getting and how your body just kind of makes way for the baby, pushing all organs aside and stretching out to limits beyond what I thought was possible. She is quite the wild one and wakes me up several times each night jabbing me. I try and push her little foot back or attempt to adjust her but she immediately kicks back and refuses to change positions. Looks like we’re going to get quite the little booger if she is like this when she comes. Oh well, at least she’s got some personality!
Check back soon and I’ll get some more pics up...