38 Weeks Pregnant with Ethan

I had an OB visit today.  I am going to be 38 weeks pregnant on Friday.  There are still no changes.  I am not dilated.  There is some thinning of the lining of my uterus, which means that it is getting closer.  I will probably go full term, if not longer.  They won't let me go a week past the due date.. so in that case they will induce me.  I hope he just comes before the due date, or they schedule to induce me on April 29th, which is exactly a week later.  I have two finals on the 28th, so that means I'll get them over with, and then take the last final on May 4th.  I can do that!  The only problem is that Ethan is going to weight 8 pounds or more.  If he waits too long, it'll be hard to deliver without a C-section.  They do everything they can now to prevent a C-section.  Things have changed a lot since the 80's.  My husband was born 3 weeks late. 
I'm trying not to count down the days.  I think that will make it seem longer.  I'm so glad Ethan is going to be a healthy baby!  I have had a great pregnancy, and we really have been blessed.  We have a great place to live, filled with too much stuff.  I have a loving husband who I love spending time with.  Our families are close so we don't have to travel too far to visit with them.  Our baby will be so happy and cute. 
I haven't recieved any emails for 38 weeks yet.  I did get one about Labor and Delivery.  It was informative, but I don't really remember what I read.  I have read so much during the pregnancy, so I think I'm ready.  I told the OB today that I was nervous and scared about the labor pains.  My biggest fear is not being able to get him out.
I have gained 45 pounds.  That isn't too bad, considering people have told me they gained 77, 90 pounds.  One girl said she was 250 pounds when she had her son.  She is thin now.  I don't know how it's possible to gain over 100 pounds in 9 months.
I have posted so many pictures on facebook of the things we have for baby Ethan.  I posted all of his ultrasound pictures at 28 weeks pregnant.  My friends are so sweet with the comments saying I look cute pregnant, and they can't wait until Ethan is born.

Garage Sales for Moms

Garage sales, Craig's list, and consignment shops are the way to go!  This weekend I really racked up.  I found a Baby Bjorn for only $20.  This is one of those baby carriers that moms and dads wear in front of them to carry their infant and they cost $100+ new.  I also found one of those learning tables that light up and talk to your baby in English and Spanish, numbers, ABC's, reading and music.  They are $50 new, and I bought it for $10 at a garage sale.  I spent only $22 at one house in Hoover on Saturday morning and took home a bag full of clothing for Ethan... socks, onsies, cute outfits, baby swimming shorts, a cover for the changing table, burping cloths, a very soft, baby blue, blanket, new with the tags, an adorable shower curtain for his bathroom with monkeys, bottle rack for drying baby bottles, etc.  This was the house where I found the learning table.  I was so excited to come home and go through everything. 
Twice a year there is a huge consignment sale called Kids Market and Mom.  It is located on Lakeshore Parkway off hwy 65 in Birmingham, AL, and they have everything!  I found a Noah's Ark picture frame with individual slots to put pictures of Ethan, 1 month- his 1st Birthday so we can see how much he grows each month.  It was only $6, was in the box, never used, and I imagine it costs more than $20 new.  I found a pair of Tickle Me Elmo soft hand gloves that vibrate and laugh and talk to you and a CD to go with it for only $7.  I found one of those infant pianos for $8, some really good baby books and two rain jackets.  They really do have everything, even nursing bras, breast pumps, maternity clothes, pack n' plays, bassinets, etc.
http://www.kidsmarketandmom.com/kmm_contrib_reg.asp
Saturday I also went to Me and Mom Consignments in Alabaster.  I bought two Veggie Tales DVDs, baby socks, and a few outfits.  They have Baby Einstein DVDs for $8 a DVD.  She gets new things in all the time, and the store is packed.  You can sell your items to her when you no longer need them.
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Me.And.Mom.Consignments.205-664-8111
It really doesn't make sense to buy a ton of new things for babies.  They grow out of everything so quickly, clothes and toys.  Mothers, even if you are able to buy all new stuff for your little ones, please don't.  Do your family a favor and buy from consignment stores and garage sales.  It is not gross, and everything looks and works like new.  The extra money can go towards a trip to Disney World, Summer beach vacations, savings for college education, or a fund for your child's 20's when they scared to death because life is harder than what was predicted.  Your wallet and your husband will thank you.  Always check to be sure car seats, cribs, etc. are up to current safety codes and regulations.

37 Weeks- Full Term

I had my OB visit today.  There are still no changes to the cervix.  I found out that my blood type is O Positive, which means I can give blood to any blood type, but I can only take O Positive blood if I need it.  I thought that was interesting.  I try giving blood, but they always have trouble taking it from me.  I have been successful at giving blood twice.  The other times my veins were too small and they were unable to get a whole bag from my arm.  I wonder if this means that Ethan's blood is O Positive.  We are sharing almost everything right now.
Again, it was such a relief to hear his heartbeat.  It was 133.  I'm always a little concerned that I wont hear a heartbeat.  I talked to the nurse about it and she gave me some really encouraging words.  She said that you just have to remember that God is in control and He is taking care of the baby.  Whatever happens will be His will, and I just have to take care of myself and the baby and not worry about things that could happen beyond my control.  I absolutely love OBGYN South.  I was reading the Bible verses on the walls today, and the nurse today really blessed me.  I knew I liked her.  It is always nice when people are excited to talk about God and what He is doing for us.
Ethan is now measuring accurately.  He was a measuring a week ahead, but he is right on track now.  My OB, Dr. Campbell, said he is probably almost 7 pounds right now.  He will be about 8 pounds at my due date.  I read about 2 or 3 pregnancy emails a week.  I read somewhere that some women will dilate a couple weeks before they go into labor, while others do not dilate until they are in labor.  This means that we could still have the baby any time now.  My husband said he was going to pack his bags tonight, but I guess he forgot.  There are checklists for everything:  baby registry items, what to bring to the hospital, and to-do lists for the final months of pregnancy.  I just read that we shouldn't put the crib in front of a window, and Ethan's is currently right in front of a window.  I didn't think about that, but I guess we will have to move it.
The following link is my a link on my pregnancy email from Gerber for 37 weeks:  http://www.gerber.com/Pregnancy/Growth_And_Development/Week_37_Your_pregnancy.aspx?source=10076892&utm_source=Gerber&utm_medium=email&utm_content=10076892&utm_campaign=PreNatal_Newsletter
According to the website, the baby's immune system and dexterity is strengthening.  Ethan is now able to grasp with his fingers.  He will be able to hold onto my fingers and hair after he is born, and he'll continue to grow stronger.  Babies actually lose weight after birth.  If he is born an 8 lb baby, it wouldn't be surprising if he is only 7 lbs a week later.  Almost any questions I have are answered when I read from these pregnancy websites.  I will need to continue to eat more and take vitamins after Ethan's birth.  I will be breastfeeding, and breastfeeding requires more calorie intake than normal.  Fish oil is a recommended vitamin for breastfeeding mothers. 
I have also learned some good exercises to do to make labor a little easier.  I expect it to hurt, but I am not worrying about it.

More Fun Baby Preparations

I have never enjoyed laundry and cleaning so much.  I have finished washing, drying, and putting up all of Ethan's clothes, blankets, and bedding.  We have Baby All, especially made for babies.  It smells like a baby.  I love it.  Today I hung his wall decorations.  He has sports theme bedding and some monkey and giraffe things.  I like Zoo animals and sports for Ethan.  Baby things are so adorable.  His 5 drawer chest from Buy Buy Baby is packed full, and I need more hangers to hang some of his clothes in the closet.  Last night I found two more bags of clothes and blankets in the bottom of his closet that I wasn't aware were there.  It was really exciting.  I knew he had more clothes and blankets somewhere.  Kris and I always walk in his room just to look at his things.
Last night, my husband Kris, put together Ethan's bookcase.  It looks so good, and even better with so many books already filling it up.  I have found some great deals on baby books.  The dollar bins at target have board books for baby.  Board books and the soft books are recommended because babies put everything in their mouths.  My parents brought the mattress for the Pack N' Play this weekend.  I washed the sheets and put the mattress down.  Now it just needs a sweet baby boy to sleep in it.  We took a trip to Buy Buy Baby last night to see if they can replace the sounds thing that doesn't seem to be working.  Our Pack N' Play was shipped, and we don't know why the sound isn't working.  It has some sweet noises to help soothe babies and put them to sleep.  It may work, because Kris said we didn't change the batteries yet.  We have to unscrew it to put new batteries in, so I'll do that tonight.  If it doesn't work, they will replace it for us.
I think I said in a previous post that I had the bags packed already, but there are a few more things we will have to pack when it's hospital time.  My 36-37 week OB visit is tomorrow.  I'll be 37 weeks on Friday, which is considered full term.  It'll be exciting to see if any changes have happened to get me closer to labor.
I feel really gross at my pregnancy weight.  I just cannot wait to go for a walk today.  I'd rather have only gained 20 lbs instead of 50.  I'll get it off this summer. The way I dress now would make me a perfect candidate for "What Not To Wear".  I am a fashion no-no.  Nothing fits!  I know there are cute Maternity clothes I could buy, but I just haven't.  When I think about getting my 20 year old body back, I get very excited and motivated.
We still need to put in the car seat and buy a few things before going to the hospital.  I don't know that I will ever feel ready for certain things in life, but we can at least do what we are able to do that needs to be done.  I am also going to disinfect the baby 's room with some Lysol kitchen wipes today.  I'm not going to keep Ethan away from dirt and germs.  He is a boy!  There is new evidence that children need to be exposed to germs, and it is actually bad to disinfect everything and wash your child's hands all the time.
Greenvale Pediatrics called today and said our baby's doctor will be Dr. Darby McElderly.  She will actually come to the hospital when I have Ethan to check on him.  I didn't know that.  I will be able to add him to my insurance after his birth.  I need to buy a humidifier.  I am sure I will think of other things that we need to do, but that, like laundry, is endless. 

Baby Movements

I love feeling Ethan move in my belly.  It is the best experience of pregnancy for me.  I felt him for the first time around 19 weeks.  These first movements are called quickening.  It's hard to tell at first whether this is the baby moving or just something funny you ate for lunch.  At that time, Ethan was doing all sorts of flips and turns.  He had much more room to exercise.  I actually remember the first time I felt Ethan move was the morning of the Iron Bowl.  I was so excited.  I called Kris, who was working that morning, and sent a text to my Dad to tell them.  He said that he was excited about the Iron Bowl.  I completely agree!  Kris and I are both huge Auburn fans, so Ethan must have felt the excitement, even inside the womb.  I probably made Ethan do a lot of flips that day.  The Iron Bowl was such a close game, and Auburn was losing during the first half.  I was yelling at the tv, and jumping up and down, but carefully.  It was just really hard to hold back the emotion during that game.
The next milestone for me was when I could see Ethan move.  I was in the bathtub with hot water and saw him kicking.  I called Kris and said, get back in and get the camera.  He wanted me to videotape it for him.  It would have been hard to see.  Ethan didn't even weigh a pound at 19 weeks.  He was more like 9 or 10 ounces.  It's hard to believe that I could see him kick when he was so small.
Movements over the last 18 weeks have been enjoyable for Kris and I.  It is comforting to feel and see him move, especially when I begin to worry that something may be wrong.  I have even worried that he was not alive anymore.  I know I'm not the only one with those concerns during pregnancy.  One morning at church I was so concerned that my hose were cutting off his air supply that I went to the bathroom and decided to do without hose during church.  I didn't like my pale legs, but it was better than being worried that my son was uncomfortable and the hose was hurting or even killing him. 
Baby kicks and movements now feel like my stomach is trembling.  It's like an earthquake in my belly.  It doesn't hurt.  I haven't felt any feet in my ribs or anything like that.  The uncomfortable part is when he shoves into my bladder and I feel like I'm going to pee in my pants.  That doesn't feel good, but it doesn't hurt.  I love every time I feel him.  His head is down now, and his feet are up.  It's really cool when I feel him poking his bottom out.  I think one or two times his movements hurt me.  He weighs over 6 pounds now, and he is taking up more room.
Kris loves feeling Ethan move and kick.  he is sometimes amazed seeing something move from one side to the other underneath my skin.  He rubs my belly, talks to him, and reads him books sometimes.  When I rub my belly, or Kris rubs my belly, Ethan will move more.  Kris is going to tell you his perspective:
Hi I'm Kris. When I see Ethan move in my wife's stomach it really puts it all in perspective for me.  As a first-time father its kind of weird to think about a baby growing inside my wife, but at the same time it's cool. I remember the first time I felt him move it was so awesome.  Of course with the excitement of having a child comes worries about how I am going to raise him.  Every little thing can affect him.  I think these are worries that every father has.   I know that my wife will be a great mother.  With a mother like that I can't fail!!!!!!!!! I told you he was a wonderful hubby!  I'm feeling our baby move right now.  My lower belly where his head is was shaking.  It really is the best experience, and I'm blessed to have such a fun and loving husband to share it with.                                                                                                

36 Weeks

Today I had the 36 week OB visit.  It was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but a few complications that made me 40 minutes late caused me to reschedule for this morning.  I met the last doctor that I had not met yet, Dr. Adcock.  I was a little unsure about this visit because I knew he would have to "check" me to find out if I'm dilated yet, and also do the Strep B test.  Well it was an interesting way of introducing ourselves.  I would have rather met this doctor earlier.  I will see my OB, Dr. Campbell, next week. 
If the test for Strep B comes back positive, they will have to give me antibiotics during labor.  I don't think it will be, but the test is necessary for all pregnant women as Strep B is harmful for newborns passing through the birth canal.
Well, I'm not dilated.  I didn't expect to be, but it would be nice to know that he is closer to being ready for birth.  The baby is still head down.  The doctor touched his head.  It was weird.  Ethan was squirming around this afternoon after the visit.  I talked to him for a minute and said, "That was weird wasn't it?  Someone poking you in the head."  I love him.
At 36 weeks, our baby should weight about 6 lbs.  The Pregnancy Babble website says our baby is the size of 3 pomegranates.  Every week I get to see what fruit Ethan is the size of.  Ethan is probably closer to 6 1/2 lbs.  I have gained a whopping total of 48 lbs.  Wow!  You would think with only a 7-8 lb newborn, pregnant women wouldn't gain that much.  Well, this is something I grabbed from http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/healthy-weight-gain

Baby	8 pounds
Placenta	2-3 pounds
Amniotic fluid	2-3 pounds
Breast tissue	2-3 pounds
Blood supply	4 pounds
Fat stores for delivery and breastfeeding	5-9 pounds
Uterus increase	2-5 pounds
Total	25 to 35 pounds

Ok, and still I have gained 13 lbs, to date, more than the recommended weight gain for an average size woman, which I am.  I started this pregnancy with an average BMI.  Underweight women should gain more and overweight women should gain less than the recommended 25-35 lbs. 
I have been a lot less active, and have been eating a lot more fast food and chocolate than I normally would.  I have made some really healthy choices, but also some bad choices.  I'm really upset about it, so my husband will have to watch the baby while I exercise this summer, and I'll need to revert back to my healthy eating habits. 
I am getting really ready to have the baby.  I don't want to be pregnant anymore.  I am sore at night.  I waddle like a duck when I walk, none of my clothes fit, and I want to hold my baby.  I know Kris is ready too.  We are probably both a little concerned too.  This is our first baby, and what is the adjustment going to be like.  I know we will be fine, but I really wonder what the new expenses are going to be.  You don't really know until you get there. 
Well, I just remembered that I was going to go to get a pediatrician today at Greenvale.  They are only a minute from where we live, and they were recommended to us by one of the OBs at OBGYN South at Brookwood Medical Center.  I am convinced that this is the best practice in Birmingham!  They are a Christian facility.  There are bible verses on the walls of every room.  This is comforting to me.  I have not gotten much accomplished today, so I better start.  I have had the worst anxiety and headaches, so I have to lie down and sleep or just relax to make myself feel better.  I hope this goes away, because it is really disrupting my daily life.  If I still feel like this after Ethan is born, I am going to talk to a doctor about it.  

SIDS

SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is the unexplainable death of a child under the age of 1.  It is a really scary thing for a mother and father to think about, so I try not to.  Since 1992, the rates have dropped dramatically.  SIDS can be caused by several different things, second-hand smoking for one.  Most people now seem to know some of the likely causes, but it is still a very good idea for parents-to-be to do a little reading and research on SIDS to prevent it from happening to their new babies. 
The experts will warn you not to place a baby on his or her stomach while sleeping.  Babies should always sleep on their backs.  Also, nothing, this includes blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, etc., should be in the bed with a baby while he or she is sleeping.  Babies breathe much more easily lying on their backs with nothing around them to hinder the flow of oxygen.  Babies should not sleep in the bed with their parents.  Premature babies, multiples, and babies born with late or no prenatal care are also more likely to die from SIDS.
Well, we do not smoke or do drugs.  I have had wonderful prenatal care.  We are prepared to have baby Ethan sleep in a pack n' play sleeper near our bed for the first few months, and then in his crib.  We will not have anything in the crib with him, and he will be placed on his back.  He is not a preemie, as I am already 36 weeks along this Friday, and we have done some reading, talked to the doctors, and talked to the grandparents about how he should sleep. 
If you want to read about SIDS yourself, just Google it.  Here is a good website:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002533/
I try not to worry about all the possible dangerous things that could happen.  It would make me sick.  I do think about it, and will probably check to make sure he's breathing when he's sleeping sometimes.  I sometimes get a sick feeling about carrying him upstairs or driving with him in the car.  This is our first child, so the worries, fears, and joys of parenthood are all very new!  I just can't wait to have him sleeping beside our bed instead of in my belly!!