Well everyone... today was my last day at work until June probably... maybe mid-May... we will see. They had a surprise mini babyshower for me right before I left. I was so surprised and touched it was all I could do not to cry. A few of the parents had gotten me gifts and all the staff went in together and got me a baby wipe warmer, a Boppie, and medicine and thermometer pacifiers. I was totally not expecting anything.

My dad gets in tonight for a visit and to help me get ready for the baby. He's going to be here until Wednesday. It should be a nice visit. I'm taking a break for a few minutes from cleaning the house (really just my desk and the futon and the regular dusting/sweeping that needs to be done daily here). I'm thinking I'll make up the futon for him before he gets here so I don't have to fold the fitted sheet -- they always end up looking more scrunched than folded anyhow... and Martha makes it look so easy.... Oh well.. I never did profess to be a Martha Stewart clone... even if I sometimes wish I were a little less her absolute opposite.


Lara

Trish... it's great to hear from you! I'm so glad that Alexander is doing so well. And smiling... that has to be the best! I'm looking forward to delivering soon.... at the moment I'm not even nervous.

Keep in touch from time to time.

Lara

I am so silly. I just started a new thread and it's already here.

Well I just throught I would let you all know I had a surprise baby shower on Sunday. It was put on by my TOPS pals. I will let you know more later.

Tamara

I don't think I knew you attended TOPS too. I love my group, and can't wait until I start losing after the baby is born so that I can start adding to the "losses" side of the chart rather than the "gains" side.

Had a major gain last week, but am hoping that I've held my own a little better this week... we will see tomorrow night I guess.

Lara

Lara,

I just wanted to tell you that I will be thinking of you and your sweet little baby...My Daughter's first birthday is 2 weeks away, and so is your due date! I just wanted to say good Luck, and you and baby will be in my prayers! CONGRATUALATIONS!!!!

Thanks Melody

I don't think I'm going to last another 2 weeks, but I could. I have my next OB appt tomorrow morning and will see how dialated I am... I've been having a lot of twinges in the last few days so I think I will definitely be more dialated than last week (was at a 1).

I didn't get to go to TOPS last night as it was my Dad's last day here, but I weighed in at home, and my scale here is generally the same as the TOPS scale. I was down 3.5#. We will see what I weigh tomorrow morning at the Dr's. DH said "told you so" He was sure I was just retaining water last week.

Tamara... are you feeling as ready to pop as I am?

Lara

Hello,

Lara I am feeling ready but this little girl is going to be so stubborn. I am still dialated between a 1 and 2 but the cervix is softening. I have a feeling you will be going before me and your due date is after me. I to have lost 3 pounds according to the doctors scale. He said it was the way the baby has shifted and settling down. He doesn't think I will be going before next week Wednesday. That is when my next appointment is. We will have to see. Well take care must get a few things done since we are moving desks this week at work. Take care and keep me posted.

Well, I had my latest OB checkup this afternoon... I'm 30 - 40 % efaced and dilated a good 1-2 cm according to the dr. She was so funny, congratulating me on doing so well... as if I could have stopped the process even if I wanted to. She still thinks I'll last until my due date although she did say I could end up having it tomorrow. As she put it... "it's not an exact science giving birth... it doesn't always follow a precise schedule." So we are playing the waiting game. As much as we really want to meet our baby, and even being so ready mentally and physically we are just trying to remember that the longer the baby stays inside (up to a point of course) the better for him or her. And that really is the main goal of this whole experience isn't it? A healthy little one.

I have parent teacher conferences at school tomorrow, so even though I'm officially on maternity leave that's where I'll be tomorrow. It's funny... some of the parent's didn't realize I was pregnant... I guess they just thought their children had a REALLY fat teacher. Although I've been nothing but upfront about it the whole time. Oh well. Won't they all be surprised when I come back to school in the summer (I'll be teaching summer session) and weigh a LOT less **hopefully**.

Lara

Just me again checking in... Slept horribly last night, even though I was exhausted by the time I finally went to bed (around 1:30 am)! I kept waking up and not being able to get back to sleep... I even tried getting up an having a bath... nearly fell asleep in the tub but that didn't last once I got out. So today I am functioning on only a few hours total sleep. I called work and told them my co-teacher would have to handle the conferences. I just couldn't do it.

I'm so tired I can barely see straight this morning but couldn't sleep once I woke up again at 8 am. So I'm up and trying to get through my to do list. It's pretty long these days -- there's so much to get ready for the baby. I'm really enjoying these days of anticipation.

I hope everyone is doing well,

Lara

Hello all,

Lara how was your baby shower? I had a good one. Not a very good turn out but I got a lot of nice stuff. I am still here at work and got 2 cute little outfits today. I am still thinking I am going to go over the due date. I will see on Wednesday. With all the stress on me right now at home I hope everything will be OK. My husband and I are having some problems we are trying to work out right now. I hope we can continue to work them out but after the baby is born if they don't get better I will be leaving him. It will be hard but I know I can make it. I may get on later and go into more details on it but right now I am at work and don't want to start balling all over again. I was sitting in church yesterday and I just felt like crying and almost did but my parents don't know anything is wrong so I held it in until I was alone. I guess things will get better that is the only way it can be.

I got some really cute stuff at my baby shower too, I think my absolute favorite is a hand crocheted baby blanket that one of the ladies made for us. You could just tell the care that went into each stitch. I also got some really nice little outfits that will be great once into the 3-6 month clothes... Not a great turnout at mine either, although there were some there that I really didn't expect to see.

I hope everything works out for you and your husband. I know how those things go. Right now hubby and I are doing well though thankfully. I hope the stresses on you ease up.

{{hugs}}

Lara

Hi everyone, I hope your doing well. I had my first ob appt on Monday. It was neat, they did the ultrasound, and we got to see the baby, and we could see the heart beating! The dr said everything is going fine, from the exam she had me at 8 weeks 2 days, from the ultrasound it was 8 weeks 4 days, and from all the internet sites I had visited, I had it at 8 weeks 6 days. She said that was good, and kept my EDD at Oct 19. It was such a relief to know that everything is ok, and to actually see what was in there! It's kinda weird right now, I fell yucky most of the time, but I am not showing or anything, so it is frequently hard to believe that there is actually something alive in there! LOL

Tamara, hang in there, please let me know if there is anything I can do! I hope things get better for you soon.

Nicole
229/230/165

Hello all,

Still here. I have 4 days till my due date. My next appointment is Tuesday. Yesterday the doctor told me the head is in place and I am offically at a 2 dialation and if on Tuesday when I go back am at a 3 dialation he will have me go in and they will break my water and induce me. It will only be a couple days after the due date but I have to be at a 3 or better. The way I am feeling I may go on my own. I will try to get in here when labor starts to let everyone know. I am getting really anxious about this day coming. As for my husband things are getting better but I still don't trust him farther than I can see him. I hope it gets better. I am going to try and get on the internet later tonight and catch up on some old posts here since I have only been in this area the last 6 months. Take care all and I will post soon.

Hi ladies...

Nicole: isn't that first ultrasound fantastically exciting? I felt the same way about mine... I knew I was pregnant, but other than the morning sickness I really didn't feel any different. (And at first I thought I had the flu -- before I realised that we were pregnant.) So seeing that little heart beating was like a miracle. It was wonderful. Brad and I both had tears in our eyes afterwards. It's something we'll never forget.

Tamara: sounds like you are as ready as I am! I'm glad things seem to be looking up for you and your hubby. Let us know if there's anything we can do to help.

I had my appointment this morning. At the start of the exam I was at 2 1/2 to 3, but by the end of the exam I was up to 3 1/2 cm dialated. I'm more than 50% efaced, and she stripped the membranes too. She is on call today so I'm hoping that it happens before tomorrow... otherwise unless I last until Tuesday we will have one of her partners deliver the baby. She definitely doesn't think I will last until my next appointment next Thursday. Even before she stripped the membranes she was really excited about how progressed I am already. Apparently I am having more contractions than I realized as I had two in the office that she had to point out to me. I had not classified all the little "tightenings" I have been having as contractions as they aren't at all painful. But then she said that as long as they are working they don't have to be painful. Of course I'm not expecting them all to be as easy as these ones.

I hope everyone is feeling well.

Lara

Well, it looks like this is it... I'm just waiting for the Dr to call me back, my contractions are about 5 1/2 minutes apart. I think I'm really in labor.

If so you won't hear from me for a few days. if not I'll be checking in again to let you all know it was a false alarm.

Lara