37 Week Update

Stats from my appointment today...

Heartbeat: 140 bpm
Movement: Lots of moving of the butt back and forth from baby (I think "I Like To Move It Move It" from Madagascar is playing in there)
Weight Gain: I have slowed down again and gained 1 pound
Swelling:  See picture below. Not so hot!
Protein Test:  Checked for preeclampsia again and everything came back normal!!
Belly: Measuring 40.

Dilation:  1 cm !!!!!  Yay!
Effacement:  50%  Whoot Whoot!
Baby is head down still and ready to go. 

My doctor is on call tonight and Wednesday!  Crossing my fingers I can see her before she heads out on vacation on Friday.  She is still predicting a large baby but won't do anything more to trigger labor... still waiting!

Here are a few pictures of what I am looking like....

Say some prayers that Lil Hoot comes soon!

Much love!

Mama Hoot

Quick Update!

We had our 36 week appointment today and this appointment was a little different than all the rest.  The doctor now starts to check dialation and we went over the results of the ultrasound. 

Lil Hoot is a big baby... we heard that a few times today.  Lil Hoot is currently in the 89th percentile for weight and the head is the measuring to be the largest part of the baby at this point (I close my eyes and say a few prayers... please join me).

My doctor will not change my due date but hopes that I have this baby sometime by next week.  Originally she was hoping for a baby at 38 weeks but now she would be ready for the baby at 37 weeks and I am with her on that.  Today I am measuring at 39cm and have gained a good amount of weight but nothing to be concerned with... I am carrying a large baby. 

So am I dialated?  Nope not yet but who knows maybe her checking me today triggered something.  Fingers crossed! 

I just want to quick throw out a huge thank you to many friends and family for a beautiful shower this weekend.  I will blog about that as well but the doctor said I was looking quite pale today so I am instructed to get some sleep... off to lay down!

Much Love,
Mama Hoot

35 Week Ultrasound

9o'clock am we were called into the Diagnostics room at St Francis to get a look at our Lil Hoot and it was just as exciting as it was at 20 weeks!! 

Lil Hoot is head down, rump up and looking like he/she is ready to come out and play.   With one hand by the face (looking for food or something) and the other hand holding its foot and rocking it back and forth I think Lil Hoot is ready to come out and play. The heart was beating at 128bpm which is the slowest it has been but baby seemed to be extremely calm and content today.  I think Lil Hoot is a little camera shy because normally he/she is moving like crazy until the ultrasound equipment comes out. 

Let's see what else did you all want to know... oh yes that's right you wanted to know maybe the weight and even possible due date.  Now just so you know this information is normally suppose to be sent to the Dr and then delivered to us but our Tech is amazing and lets us know exactly what she thinks (love her!!).  So here it is... Lil Hoot is approximately 6 lbs 15 oz !!!  1 oz away from 7 lbs!!!  The "average" baby at this point would be 5 lbs 2 oz so that lead the Technician to tell me that I am wrong on my dates.  She said there is no way this baby is due on April 1st but that with these measurements she would predict a due date of at least 2 weeks sooner.  I guess that puts Lil Hoot due on my Mom's birthday of March 18th!  

We go to the see our doctor next Monday and learn more about what our expectations will be through the rest of the pregnancy.  Monday I will also be checked to see if I am dialated and where we are at in the effacement process.  So for now we will still stick with being 35 weeks.  But know that this baby can come anyday!

Congrats Kelly on being the closest on the guessing game!!

Much love,
Mama Hoot

Here is a picture of Lil Hoot's face from today.  Hard to see since the baby was under my pelvic/hip bone and had a fist to the mouth.  But I can see some chubby cheeks... better lay off the candy bars now and go back to apples.

38 Weeks... Oh wait we were only 34!

On Monday I had another doctor's appointment and this one was a little more exciting (well I am not sure if exciting is the right word).  See here is how it went...

I gained weight again!  Yippee!!!  Looking at my feet though it just looked like I packed on a few more pounds of water ... or is it?  My blood pressure was good and Lil Hoot's heartrate was back up at 140bpm.  Since I had a sudden onset of water retention the doctor did run a protein test just to rule out preeclampsia which all came back normal. 

So what was so exciting??

Well...  at my last appointment I was measuring at 34cm and this appointment (only 2 weeks later) I am now measuring at 38cm!  As the doctor read the measurement outload I looked over and saw Josh lose all color in his face... I am sure mine looked the same too.  38cm!  WOW! 

The doctor pushed on the baby a little bit and you could tell she was processing the measurement as well.  So, we are scheduled for another ultrasound on Monday.  Our doctor wants and updated due date and a better estimate of how BIG this baby is.  Sounds like this baby might not make it to its April 1st due date.

I called my mom after the appointment and there was no surprise from her since she had 5 VERY healthy babies of her own... I guess not only do I look like my mom but I will follow in her footsteps as well. 

So, let's play a little game... below you can post a comment and lets post how big you think this baby is going to be this coming Monday...  (not when the baby is born but how big you think this baby is now). 

Much Love,
Mama Hoot

32 Week Appointment

Monday we had another Doctor’s appointment and we are now down go every 2 weeks!!  The appointment was like all the others where it starts off with weight and blood pressure by our energetic nurse Angie followed by a few minutes of waiting for Dr Jenkins.  Dr Jenkins asks a few questions, answers a few questions and then it is off to measure my belly and listen for the heartbeat. 

This week I gained 6 pounds.  I almost got a high five from Dr Jenkins- she was quite excited… until a little later in the appointment when she pulled up my pant legs and noticed the weight gain was all due to water!  Not so happy for me anymore.  She tells me to keep eating.  If I eat anymore I am going to have to take a pin to pop my stomach but Dr’s orders so I will keep trying.

My belly was measuring at 34cm which is still 2cm above average.  The baby’s heartbeat was at 130bpm.  That was definitely the slowest it has been.  Nothing to worrying about though- seemed as if Lil Hoot was just taking a little nap and was feeling calm.

Dr Jenkins has her fingers crossed for me to go around 38 weeks.  She is not moving my due date and not promising anything she just thinks that is a good time to have the child J  She also let us know that they don’t stop labor after 36 weeks so have my bags packed.  My eyes filled with water at that point… for some reason it became very real for me in that moment… HOLY COW WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!  Daddy Hoot laughed at me since he said it has been real for him the moment I peed on the stick! 

Next appointment is on Kortney’s birthday…. February 21st.

Much Love,
Mama Hoot

Thank You!

I feel awful that I haven’t posted lately but my body has been EXHAUSTED. If I am not working I am in bed sleeping and that is not a lie. When someone tells you to get as much done in your second trimester that you can… they aren’t lying because the energy is gone. But on to something much more positive…

A couple of weeks ago 2 of my dear college girlfriends through me a shower. Thank you Katie and Grace for all you put into that Saturday morning. I had a blast and it was so nice to be surrounded by so many of my friends, and some of their moms along with a few people from my family as well. I even had a visitor come from Omaha, Nebraska… Thanks Sue!!! We had a great time playing bowling for bottles and pregnancy trivia- the trivia questions were half about me and this blog and the other half were general questions about pregnancy. I have to say I didn’t do too bad :)

After the shower I only had a few minutes before having to head off to work but the next morning I was really able to take everything out of its boxes and get it put away in the baby room. I can’t thank those of you who showered me with gifts enough… I am feeling more and more ready for this baby and the room is really coming together! Below are pictures from the shower. You are all so amazing!!! I feel so blessed to have so many great friends and family in my life.

Much Love,
Mama Hoot

29 Weeks Doctor's Appointment

We had our 29 week check up yesterday and this appointment was a little different than the others... why? you ask.  Because we had a visitor come with us... who? you ask.  My niece Josie came with us!  We brought Josie along to hear the heartbeat.  She had the day off of school so we thought why not!

 

Here's are some of the facts of the appointment...

1. I gained 4 ounces since the last visit.- Dr is not super concerned but she said I can eat more.  I just don't think I can eat more!!  I eat all day now! I have only gained 5 pounds so far during this whole pregnancy.

2. My stomach is measuring at 32cm (thank you Josie for remembering that number for me). 

           - Did you know that you should measure 1cm for each week you are at. 

           - So I am measuring at 32 weeks (according to the calendar I am 29 weeks) but the Dr said they baby is either big or ahead of schedule or both since 22 weeks.

3. My iron was above average at my very 1st appointment and was very impressed but it has now fallen but not to the point of concern.

4. My gestational diabetes came back PERFECT!!!  No worries there everything is RIGHT ON!

5. Baby's heartbeat was at 140bpm... a little slower than the last few visits.

6. Dr says mom and baby are looking good :)

 

Josie video taped the Dr getting the heartbeat and it was very fun to see Josie's face light up when we explained to her that the funny noise we were hearing was the heartbeat.  She first described it as it sounding like a kid on a trampoline.  The doctor said most people say a choo choo train.  Then Josie decided it sounded like a cookie sheet!  When you take a floppy cookie sheet and move it back and forth... I would have to agree with Josie.  Overall it was a very good visit and Josie seemed pretty excited that she got to be a part of it.  She said she was going to show Elias the video because he would think my stomach was gross... gotta love the innocence of a child!

 

Our next visit will be in 3 weeks and then we start going every 2 weeks... it's getting so close!

 

Here are a few more photos from my 28 week photo shoot!  Thanks again Kerri!!  Oh and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER KATI TODAY!!!!

 

Much love!
Mama Hoot