My, oh my, where does the time go?
Maybe I should just take things bit by bit.
The fetus: The big news here is that the fetus is still a fetus, despite a couple of bouts of interesting contractions. About a week ago, I had an entire evening of mild, painless contractions that Tim was timing at 5-6 minutes apart. Baby certainly got our attention that night, as the nursery was completely unready (not such a big deal, really) and it was really just much too early to be thinking about having this guy already. This week, it seems to me that he has “dropped” lower into my pelvis, which is nice when it comes to lung capacity, but interesting in that this usually happens about 2-4 weeks before birth. I’m playing it cool, though. I have faith that my body has things under control.
The big brother: Auggie is getting more into the idea of having a baby brother every day. We
went to a sibling class at the hospital last weekend, but I’d say that about 80% of it went over his head. He was pretty into the video part, which was good, because it told the story of a little girl who wasn’t so happy about having a baby sister. A little reality never hurt anyone, I suppose. I fully expect August to be calling for a return authorization for his baby brother within a week of bringing him home.
Delivery preparations: I’m feeling pretty good about where we stand with our birth plans. The doulas (the same one I used with Auggie and a backup) are set, my doctor is a dream, birthing pool is rented, instructions have been read and don’t seem overly complicated, and pretty much the only thing I have left to do is pack my bag.
However, when I was awoken Tuesday morning with a horrible cramp-like pain in my lower abdomen (probably from the baby dropping and stretching my muscles), I was nearly in tears. All of a sudden, I remembered what the pain of labor was like. Sure, I told myself that I would never forget that feeling, but I totally had. That cramping was so familiar and, after laying there for an hour trying to go back to sleep, I decided to go for a walk to try and do something with it. It wasn’t until I took a shower before lunch that the feeling finally went away completely. Here’s to water! Let it be my savior during this labor!
Tim: I’ve pretty much been freaking Tim out on a daily basis with all of these interesting sensations and such. He’s such a trooper, though, and I know that he’s looking forward to having some time to get a few of the thousands of projects on his list accomplished. Since Auggie and I will be visiting my mom this weekend, hopefully he will get to spend some quality time with his drill and spackle.
Oh, yeah, it was Tim’s birthday this week, too! Happy birthday, honey! Sorry that we didn’t have any money to get you a birthday present! Oh, wait, that’s right — you got a Cocodog for your birthday! Only slightly diseased! Seriously, though, major thanks go to Tim’s mom for watching a sick and cranky Auggie while Tim and I got to go out to dinner (that she even paid for!). Libby is the best!
Me: Oh, yeah, there’s me! Auggie and I were looking through my iPhoto albums this morning and I nearly wept when I saw pictures of myself from last summer. I was so fit! I was so tan! My belly was so not-pregnant! I’m trying not to obsess about the huge amount of weight that I’ve gained thus far (HUGE!), but I’m definitely looking forward to working out again once I’ve recovered from baby-making.
Coco: We’ve hit another bump in the road with Coco’s diabetes. She’s drinking a ton of water and having accidents all over the place. Plus, in the morning she’s not interested in eating after I give her an insulin shot. Tomorrow, I’ll try feeding her before the shot, just in case the sight of the needle is making her lose her appetite. Once we get the diabetes somewhat regulated, we can discuss our options for treating the Cushing’s. And we need to do that soon, as she’s starting to lose some hair on her chest (another classic symptom of Cushing’s). She’s definitely losing weight, though, which I think is a good thing.
Weeks of pregnancy completed: 34
Number of mild contractions while writing this: 2
Number of successful potty missions in the past 24 hours: 2
Meals Bookerdog has eaten today: at least 4
Thunderstorms in the past 3 days: Too many to count