37 Weeks: Swollen Hands, Swollen Feet

Alright, I have to warn you. I don't have a 37-week bump pic ready yet. So if that's all you came for, you might as well leave now. I'm working on my chalkboard today and hope to take my pic tonight, but I still have no idea when I'll get around to posting it. Pregnancy has made me pretty lazy these days. I did manage to vacuum today though, which I'll consider an accomplishment. =)

But I do have other updates!

At 37 weeks, we should be about three weeks away from meeting our Peanut. But we're not. We're actually quite a bit closer. I had another visit with the doctor this week, and she'd like to go ahead with the plan to induce labor on Monday, July 28th. So sometime in the next ten or eleven days, Jeff and I will be proud parents to a sweet baby girl.

I have to admit, I've warmed up a bit to the idea of the induction, but that could be because I know I really don't have a choice. The doc believes that this is what's best, so I'm trying to be as on-board as I can. I'm a little worried, because at this point my body is showing zero signs of being ready to let this baby go, and I think we could be in for a challenge getting it to give Peanut up. Not that I blame it, she's sweet and adorable, who would want to let her go?

If nothing should change in the next week or so, by my next appointment, I'll likely be admitted Sunday evening, the 27th and given chemicals to start to prepare my body for an induction. Sometimes labor is induced even though the body has already started the process on its own, and sometimes you have to start completely from scratch, so to speak. I'll try to save you the gritty details and keep this as G-rated as possible.

They'll need to get my body started Sunday night so it's at least a little bit ready when labor is actually, technically induced sometime on Monday. From there, it's just a matter of how quickly my body responds to the drugs, and how agreeable Peanut is to arriving a little early. I'm (obviously) hoping for a smooth labor with minimal complications. The book is very clear that labor inductions have a higher chance than natural labor for any type of assisted delivery, including use of forceps or a vacuum, and cesarean section. I'm hoping Peanut isn't quite as stubborn as her mom and just goes along with what's happening, but you never know for sure. So I'm hoping and praying for the best.

This has been a particularly rough week for me, and although I don't feel comfortable elaborating more here, I'm happy to discuss privately what's been happening, should your curiosity get the best of you. Don't worry - Peanut and I are fine - we're just feeling strongly for people we love that have faced very challenging days this past week. You know who you are, and you know that we love you very much.

So as the reality sets in that we're just over a week away from meeting our little one, I've been trying to line up the last few details of our lives so that we're ready for Peanut's arrival. After a couple hefty Amazon and Target orders, and with the exception of one last package arriving on Monday, I think we've got everything we need to care for our baby. Now we just need the baby herself. It's surreal to think "at this time in two weeks, we'll have our baby" or "next time we do this it will be with a baby." Even after almost ten months of carrying our Peanut girl, knowing about her, and dreaming about her, it still seems surreal that she'll be an actual baby girl, laying in our arms in just over a week. I think Jeff and I both have done a good job of side-stepping the panic and anxiety that first-time parents sometimes face (as much as we can), and are focusing on our excitement to meet our daughter.

My plan right now is to do another post with my week 37 pic tomorrow or Sunday, and then update again after my doctor's appointment next week, along with my 38-week bump pic. After that, you may not hear from me again for a bit, as we head to the hospital and then bring home the Peanut girl. I know you're all dying to hear what we've decided to name her, and you've only got another few days to wait, so hang in there! Just don't expect me to stop calling her Peanut, I think we've stuck her with a lifelong nickname there.

That's about it for today, I'll try and post the week 37 picture as soon as I can! Happy Friday everyone!

34 Weeks: Feelin' the Love!

Yes, yes, I realize I've been gone a while. It's been almost two weeks since my last post, which sucks for those of you who check for new ones regularly (which, apparently, is a lot of you...haha).

I'm six days late with this post, but here's my 34-week bump pic, taken from my baby shower at home this past weekend:

I did my photo a little bit different this week because I found a bunch of cool chalkboard fonts online that I wanted to try out, so I made a virtual chalkboard instead of my usual one and put it with the photo. Looks okay I guess, but it ended up being a lot more trouble than it was worth, so I think I'll stick to my normal chalkboard. Only five more to go!

I'm feeling particularly pregnant these days, and certainly noticing some of the discomfort of pregnancy, although I try not to complain too much. I know there are a lot of women out there who contend with a lot more than the discomfort I feel, so I should be grateful I've got it as (relatively) easy as I do.

I had my Oregon baby shower this past weekend - what a great time! It was so nice to see some of my friends from childhood, girls I've worked with at Oregon State, and other friends and family who traveled to visit with me and celebrate our little Peanut girl. She certainly is WELL LOVED!! Thank you to those of you who came (or wanted to!) I very sincerely appreciate it. And a HUGE thank you to my Auntie and Mom for putting on such a wonderful little party. The food was delicious, the punch was tasty and the atmosphere festive. It really was a great time.

Baby showers are funny. You hear your friends and family talk about how excited they are for your child, and you know that they are, but then to see their generosity with their time and their gifts, and watch their faces when they tell you how much they're looking forward to meeting your little one, it's amazing. I really cannot believe how loved this little girl already is by so many people. She is beyond blessed to come into such a huge network of love and support, and Jeff and I are beyond grateful for each of you. You don't have to love our daughter as much as we do, but it seems as though you do anyway. Incredible.

I had a visit with my doc last Wednesday, and everything went pretty much as expected. It seems she's no longer very concerned with the preeclampsia, given that I'm not "spilling proteins" (Google that if you need more explanation...) but she did say she still believes that Peanut will arrive around 37 or 38 weeks. I didn't do a great job of asking for clarification on why she thinks Peanut will come early, but that is my main mission at my next appointment (a week from tomorrow for those of you who are curious). If she truly does arrive around week 37 or 38, that's only 2-3 weeks from tomorrow, which means Jeff and I need to kick our prep into high gear. We are mostly ready, but do still need to pack our hospital bag, install her car seat, and generally make sure we and our  home are ready for our daughter.

No doc appointments this week, but this is my last "week off" from visits. Starting next week, I'll see the doc every week until Peanut arrives to check my progress and just generally asses how things are moving along. This means I'll have even more to update you about! Hopefully...

After a fun few days at home in Corvallis visiting friends and family, I'm glad to be back in Klamath Falls for a while. It feels like I've done quite a bit of traveling in the last few months, and I'm looking forward to taking it easy until Peanut arrives. Undoubtedly once she's here, there'll be few relaxing moments.

I suppose that's about it for this week. I'm technically 35 weeks tomorrow, so I'll try and post another photo maybe Thursday (although at this rate, they probably won't look much different).

It's 89 degrees outside as I write this - at 8:30 at night - so I'll be spending the evening in front of the window hoping for a breeze. Air conditioning is a rare thing in Oregon, so we're stuck with fans and wind. Not that I'm complaining...

Toodles!