Pregnancy Highlights:
How far along: 38 weeks!!! (as of Friday 5/6)
Size of Baby: According to Baby Center, Baby Tippins "weighs about 6.8 pounds and is over 19.5 inches long...." HOWEVER - Baby Center is obviously not the be-all-end-all to baby weights, because we had exact measurements taken of Baby Tippins today and he/she weighs 8 pounds (or possibly a little more)! More on this later.....
Total Weight Gain/Loss: A lot. More than I wanted. Not as much as with Libbi. Still a lot. And I'm already starting to think about losing it - is that bad?!
Maternity Clothes: yes, but these days it really is whatever fits. My pregnant belly is out.of.control. and even Jeffrey's t-shirts don't really cover it anymore. Thank God I'm not working, because I know I wouldn't be able to find anything appropriate to wear!
Gender: Only the good Lord knows....most people (strangers!) guess boy. Jeffrey thinks boy, Libbi thinks girl, and I flip-flop back and forth between the two. Even though we've had umpteen million ultrasounds, I STILL haven't found out the gender! I definitely surprised myself! I figure if I've made it this far, I can't back out now (even though it is tempting!) ;-)
Movement: All the time. I mean seriously, all.the.time. I know they say the movements tend to slow down at the end and become less frequent because of the lack of space, but I have yet to notice this. Baby is also way, way, way down (according to my OB and the constant pressure that is on my bladder) so I have to go potty at least 500 times a day.
Sleep: non-exsistent. I had horrible insomnia when I was pregnant with Libbi, and it looks like the trend is continuing (BOO!) I have started just getting up and going downstairs. For some reason, sometimes I can just get more comfortable on the couch than I can in my bed. I hate it, because I am SO unbelievably tired all day long, but then I dread "bedtime" because I know it is just going to be uncomfortable and frustrating.
What I miss: sleep, bending over, wearing normal shoes, my clothes, and not feeling so tired all the time.
Cravings: Blueberry muffins, fruit, and anything cold. Lots of ice cold water! I think I've finally hit the point where my belly is just so big that I feel full all the time, but don't worry, somehow I fight through it and still manage to eat. :)
Symptoms: insomnia, shortness of breath, and some irregular and regular contractions. Also, I guess you can count my recent heart issues as a "symptom" but the medication seems to be working and I have been asymptomatic since my hospital visit.
Some "Fun" Facts this week....
*I went to the maternal fetal specialist this morning for my weekly ultrasound and baby still looked really good - everything is as it should be! :) I immediately went across the hall to my OB's office for my check-up. No change....still 4.5cm dilated and 75% effaced.
*We had previously discussed induction because of my heart condition and high blood pressure. At one point when my heart was unstable and my blood pressure was poor, she considered inducing early (37/37.5 weeks) but since all has regulated and seems to have calmed down, she really wants to wait until 39 weeks - especially since I have already started dilating and having contractions on my own.
*We had previously discussed induction because of my heart condition and high blood pressure. At one point when my heart was unstable and my blood pressure was poor, she considered inducing early (37/37.5 weeks) but since all has regulated and seems to have calmed down, she really wants to wait until 39 weeks - especially since I have already started dilating and having contractions on my own.
*HOWEVER, my OB was a little concerned with Baby Tippins's size today. When they measured him/her three weeks ago, he/she was already measuring 6lbs 15oz! So, she sent me back to the maternal fetal specialists and requested that they take measurements of Baby Tippins again. If he/she measured on the larger side, then we would induce earlier this week, otherwise, I am scheduled for 6am Monday morning - praise Jesus there is a light at the end of this tunnel!
*Of course, I could always go into labor on my own before then, too!
*Of course, I could always go into labor on my own before then, too!
I'm not sure what exactly she considers "big" so if it's 8 pounds, then we're good to go, if not then we'll wait until Monday!
*When the ultrasound tech was doing my ultrasound today, she told me that the reason my belly felt so tight is because the baby's tailbone is pressing out against it. And, not only that, but there is only 1.1cm between the tailbone and my stomach - how crazy is that?! No wonder it feels like I am going to have some sort of "alien" moment at any given time.
All in all, I'm still pregnant.....still having contractions......still dilated.......still just waiting. BUT....if nothing else, I know that next Monday at 6am will be the absolute latest that I will still be pregnant! :)
All in all, I'm still pregnant.....still having contractions......still dilated.......still just waiting. BUT....if nothing else, I know that next Monday at 6am will be the absolute latest that I will still be pregnant! :)
And finally, I can't believe I'm posting this, but here is my 38 week preggo pic....
