Thirty-Eight Weeks.

My sweet baby girl,

Time is getting closer! Family has officially put my on watch-every-move-she-makes-she-might-go-into-labor mode, and while it's a little bit frustrating to make sure I don't breath too heavily, or look like I'm in pain at any time, I know they're all super excited for your arrival and want to help as much as they can. Texts are coming daily from various family members asking how we're feeling. Daddy and Grammy ask every day if I've had any contractions yet, and how I'm feeling. I have to make sure I post regularly to Facebook so that people know I'm not in labor yet. I still haven't quite decided if I'm going to post anything when I go to the hospital - I'm kind of hoping it's at night so that we don't really have to tell anyone, but I know you run the show, not me. 

Each morning I wake up and wonder if today will be your birth day, or at least the day my labor started. You seem to be quite comfortable in there though. I'm definitely ready to meet you. It's not that I'm sick of being pregnant, or I'm so uncomfortable I'd do anything to get you out, I'm just excited to start this new chapter of our lives. I wouldn't endanger you by asking for an induction just because I want to meet you, and if I was told I'd need to be pregnant for another month, then I would be perfectly content with that. I'm just so EXCITED! Sure, Daddy and I might be trying some things to get things a-movin' but I will appreciate every day I can, and be as prepared as I can for you.

I had a midwife appointment on Monday, and she did an internal exam. I don't think she expected any progress at all, but you proved her wrong - I'm already 1 cm dilated. She did say the cervix is pretty thick though. I know that's not much, but you're lower than she expected. She warned me that the exam might be really uncomfortable because you might be up so high, but then said "oh, she's right here" pretty quickly. Everyone I told was really excited, and I am too! I know that doesn't mean a lot, but it's nice to know that things are moving in the right direction, especially since I don't think I've had any Braxton-Hicks contractions at all. Every once in a while, I get a quick gas pain like feeling, or my belly gets rock hard, but then it goes away pretty quickly. I'm not sure if they're considered contractions, but that's the only labor symptoms I've had, I think.

My fingers are a bit swollen, rings have been put away. I think it's just the combined warm weather & being pregnant. If I was this pregnant in the winter, I don't think that I'd have a problem with my rings. I've also retired my jeans. Yoga pants are way more comfortable anyway. I think my thighs have gotten wider during pregnancy, and I'm not sure if that's going to be a permanent change or not. We'll see.

My last day of work was this past Friday, so now my official title is stay-at-home-mom in waiting. Has a nice ring to it, don't ya think? So far this week I've done laundry, meet with two pediatricians, wrote my birth wishes, packed what I can, and wrote a list of the rest of the things I need to pack for the hospital. There's not much more I can before you come baby girl! I'd like to bake some banana bread or muffins or something to take to the hospital for the nurses/doctors/midwives, but if I don't do that then it's quite alright. I really need to do some yoga, too. I've been doing my pelvic rocks and squats with no problem, but I've been seriously slacking on my yoga. I should take some walks too since it's so nice out.

Oh, the midwife also said that you weigh about seven pounds, so an average size baby. I was a little worried that you'd be a big baby since I was showing so early, but she said she definitely doesn't think you're going to be massive, which is music to my ears. Great Grandma Crane said she thought I've dropped even more, so she thinks you'll be here quite shortly. The pediatrician Daddy and I met with yesterday said that baby will be quiet 7-10 days before you're born, and now that I think about it, you've been pretty quiet today and yesterday. Hopefully that's a good sign? Although you've spent your time in there being quite stubborn when I try to get someone to feel you moving around, so maybe you'll just be stubborn and either come when no one expects it or come late after everyone's predictions.

Sleeping has gotten pretty rough, but now that I'm home during the day, I can sleep in. My hips are the worst. I guess the pressure of my belly makes them out of wack or puts more pressure on them so each time I wake up to pee, which is at least 5 times a night, my hips really hurt, both of them! That's my only complaint this week I think. Heartburn as pretty much stopped for the most part, it's never been too terrible. Back pain is minimal and tolerable. The worst is going to your uncle's volleyball games where I have to sit on the bleachers, but that should be over now. They lost in an intense game last night, and I was going to fully credit them if I went into labor, but I guess that's not happening today.

Guess that's really it this week. Just playing the waiting game now. I did ask the midwife how far past my due date they'd let me go and she said 10 days, which doesn't seem that long, but we'll see how that all goes. I would love, love, love if you came by your due date. This weekend looks pretty good, and next week looks awesome too! But I know it's all up to you, and I won't force you out baby girl! Everyone is just getting quite excited to meet you!

Love always,

Mommy


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P.S. if you want to make sure I haven't gone into labor yet and would like to follow me on twitter, there's a link on the right to follow me!

Pink or Blue?

First of all, happy birthday to me! I know that I am a huge dork in that I love my birthday, and I use it as an excuse for everything! We were raised that your birthday is your special day, and you get to eat what you want and go anywhere you want (within reason of course). I never get sick of someone telling me happy birthday, and I make sure that everyone knows it is my birthday. I'm sure I'll grow out of this someday, but for right now, I'll enjoy it. Especially considering it's my last birthday as a non-parent and I'm sure next year I will be more concerned with planning my baby's birthday than my own.

Made myself birthday cake pancakes!

Now, onto what you all have been waiting for. Is the baby a boy or a girl? If you remember my predictions, I had 6 pointing toward girl, and 2 pointing toward boy. As well as my feelings that it was going to be a girl. Well...

All those predictions were right - we're having a baby GIRL!

She has her own section of the closet already and we're getting her a bunch of clothes. There's more coming today and more coming Friday probably!

Tell me:
What do you do for your birthday? 

Should We Tell?

Remember when I wrote a post about not wanting to find out the sex of the baby? And once we had the ultrasound, the tech didn't tell us whether it was a girl or a boy? Technically, I've never lied about it. The tech didn't tell us the sex, but we do know if it's a girl or a boy. I don't know why I've been keeping it a secret, but before telling the blog-o-sphere, I figured I would ask my faithful readers if you guys want to know, or if I should keep it a secret and you find out once we have the baby.

At the ultrasound, the tech asked us if we wanted to know, and I told her no, but I knew my husband wanted to. Remember, Mr. Skinny wasn't allowed in while she did the measurements for whatever reason. Once I told her that Mr. Skinny did, she suggested that she could write it down on put it in an envelope so that if we changed our mind before the baby was born, we could look. Mr. Skinny and I agreed that seemed like the best idea since we couldn't really agree if we wanted to find out or not.

When the tech was looking at the goods, she said it was obvious, and printed out the picture and put it in a frame, like a frame they give you when you get your picture with Santa Clause, not the sealed envelope that I was envisioning.

Once the ultrasound was over, I had to pee, duh, they need a full bladder for the ultrasound and I'm pretty sure my bladder has alway been the size of a pee. Well, I handed the pictures we got to Mr. Skinny and went to the bathroom. When I came out, he had a huge smile on his face, and I knew instantly that he snooped at that picture. So, then I just had to know. I couldn't have him know and not me, so I looked and we started talking names right away and over dinner. We decided to keep it a secret though, since ultrasounds are not the most accurate way to reveal the sex.

A few weeks later when we lost our ultrasound pictures, we went to see if we could get more pictures printed, and they actually did another quick ultrasound. When this tech asked if we knew the sex, we said yes, but had her double check just to make sure, and there were no flip flopping sexes!

Slowly then, we started telling people. First, we told my mom because I knew she could keep a secret. Then we told my father-in-law, who was having a few bad days and Mr. Skinny slipped while he was talking to him, then we told my brother, and decided that we might as well just spill the beans. I'm glad that we did tell, but I'm hoping that the baby comes out what we're expecting! I'm not sure why I've hidden it from the blogging world, but the time hasn't really felt right. I think because I was so determined to not find out that I feel like I'm letting someone down to say that we did find out.

But I'll let it up to you -

Would you want to know Baby Skinny's sex?

To Find Out Or Not.

In less than two weeks, as long as baby cooperates, Mr. Skinny and I could find out the sex of the baby. Our ultrasound, I think, and hope, is scheduled for December 21st. When we had our first appointment, and they made the consecutive two appointments, we were informed that the next appointment (November 21st) would be the heartbeat, and that it was. We were also informed that the following appointment (December 21st) would be the ultrasound where we could find out the baby's sex, if we chose to. 

Let me say that up to this point, and before we were even trying to get pregnant, Mr. Skinny and I agreed that we didn't want to find out the baby's sex. We thought it would be fun to guess and have our family members be guessing right up to the delivery. After this appointment, Mr. Skinny told me he wanted to find out. Ugh, really? With the appointment less than 2 weeks away now, I'm still not positive I want to find out, but I know I'm going to be easily swayed to find out. 

One reason why I'm not totally on board with finding out is because I don't want a ton of pink or blue stuff for my shower. I want things that I could use for all my children, regardless of their sex. And the other huge reason I don't really want to find out. They could be wrong. My cousin, who was born in 2003 was supposed to be a boy. It wasn't just a mistake on one ultrasound either, it was multiple ultrasounds. She got blue stuff for her shower, they had a name picked out, and Gwennie came out Gwennie and not Dominic. Yeah. I don't want that to happen. I don't want to expect one sex and get the other, bring home a girl to blue everything, or vice versa. 

So what are our options? Obviously we could not find out. But Mr. Skinny is really adamant on finding out. He's even gone so far to say that he'll tell the ultrasound tech to tell him and not me. Yeah, not a fan of that. 

Another option, find out but don't tell. I'm actually okay with this. Granted I couldn't tell everyone we knew and wouldn't be telling, I'd just tell them the baby didn't cooperate, so that way when we slip and say he or she, they wouldn't catch on. 

Which brings us to the third option. Pray the baby won't show us his or her goods. This is what I have my goals set on right now. Mr. Skinny doesn't think that we'd be able to keep it a secret, and honestly, I don't think I'd be able to keep it a secret either, but I don't think I'll be able to convince Mr. Skinny to find find out, so this is our option.

Predictions

As for predictions, I mentioned this before, but Mr. Skinny's grandma and father both think it's a boy for the simple reason that if it is, then it will be Pop Pop's "replacement." I can understand this, but it's still a little weird, no?

My cousin and her husband both think it's a girl. Don't know why, but they do. I think it's a girl, too. Mr. Skinny doesn't have a feeling, but he wants a boy. 

Let's go through some old wives tales, shall we?

1. Chinese Gender Test. If we go by the month I believe we conceived, it's a girl, if we go by the date of my last period, which is how they do the due date, it's a boy. To be honest, I think conception is more important than LMP so I'm going with Girl for this one.

2. Carrying high or low. Well, I'm gonna go with high so far. I have no lower bump at all, it's been high the whole time, so Girl.

3. Baby's Heartbeat. It was 156/minute, so definitely points to a Girl.

4. Sweet or salty cravings. I haven't had a ton of cravings, but I've never craved anything sweet, so that means it's a Boy.

5. Mayan prediction. Mom's age at conception - 22 - even, and year of conception - 2011 - odd means it's a Boy.

6. Acne. I've talked about this before. Definitely points to a Girl.

7. Ring on a string. Put a string (I used a necklace Mr. Skinny got me) through your wedding band and drop it over your belly. Points to a Girl. 

8. Morning sickness in the first trimester. Well, I was almost constantly nauseous, but only threw up a handful of times, I'm not sure if that counts as "sick as a dog" or not. Since I was constantly nauseous, I'll say sure. Means it's a Girl.

I was hoping for an even 10, but I can't find anymore! Well there was a website I found that has this crazy stuff, but I can't find it again, and sorry, I'm not peeing in a cup and putting drain-o in it, I don't have any drain-o! So we have 6 saying girl, plus my inkling, and 2 saying boy. Interesting. Guess we have a shot at seeing in less than two weeks!

What other baby sex predictions have you heard?