What, me? Oh no...Brittany! Yes, this morning I found Brittany asleep on the couch with the TV on. Poor thing is so uncomfortable and cannot sleep. She got up somewhere around 1 or 2am and went to the gameroom and found a firm, comfy spot on the couch. She's ready to have this baby.
I really thought Savannah would be here now, but looks like she's perfectly content to stay balled up in her mommy's tummy. The days are dragging now, and I'm sure it's because I am eager with anticipation. But by this time next week, Savannah will be here for sure!
Which brings me to the baby update! Savannah is 39 weeks, 2 days now. Brittany is set to be induced Thursday, possibly even Wednesday. It all depends on how ready her body is. Brittany has been dilated to 1 for the past 3 weeks now. Pretty normal, I guess, but there's always that little bit of hope that she'll dilate further with each week. Doesn't really matter any more though, because this time next week, Savannah will be in our arms for sure!
Well, 39 weeks on the dot and still no baby. I am at home alone today, and Brittany is still at work. I've done some cleaning, and now that it's all done, I'm bored. So I decided to film the puppies and the cat!
The first one here is to show how well they mind. You see, I try to train Dale to never rush ahead of me out doors, or up and down the stairs. I always go ahead of him. Bentley, our current puppy guest, has followed suit. I guess he's just follwoing Dale, I dunno. Anyways, here is the stairs test:
Second, we have just the animals lounging. That's about it. Like I said, it's been a slow, boring day :)
We have our induction date for Sept. 11th! Not the greatest day, but that day is the best for all our families to be together for the birth of our baby. I am so excited. I'll be honest though, the past 2 weeks have been worse than waiting for Christmas. Time is dragging by SO slowly! Brittany is starting to feel more pre-labor pains in her back. I don't think anything is too imminent though, because I think the powers that be want the baby to come next week sometime. Just a hunch.
I've been reading alot on the care of newborn babies over the last couple of weeks, and when combined with what I already know from working in an NICU, I feel very confident that I can tackle whatever situation presents itself. Sure, saying is much easier than doing, but I think if you go into something with confidence, you have a much better chance for success. I've done my research on breast feeding, sleeping patterns and habits, skin conditions, care for mommy after birth, baby clothing, car seats, etc. We received some pretty great books from Dr. Burgess (a neonatologist at my work) that I have been reading. They have been extremely informative, and of the three he gave us, I have already finished one. They are all from the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics). Great books...very good resources.
Forgive the random subjects, but so many things are going through my mind the closer we get to seeing Savannah. That said, there is one word that keeps getting to me. Dad. I am going ot be a dad. Savannah will be running to me, calling me daddy. I will hold her when she's crying. She will make father's day cards with her scribbly writing. D A D in all capital letters. I can't wait to be a dad, but that word to me has always been associated with MY father. It is so strange that now it will be applied to me as well. My baby girl will be calling me dad. I cannot put into words how much that will melt my heart the first time she says "dada". I love my daughter so much already, and she is not even here! What will it be like when I am holding her for the first time and look into her face? It will be one of the most incredible feelings in my life. I just cannot wait!
Switching subjects again here. I think that my biggest challenge in husbandhood is rapidly approaching. Pregnancy has not been too difficult for me (I'm ducking as Brittany swings a pregnancy punch at me), because Brittany has been really great for the last 9 months. Not many mood swings, and not complaining at all. She's handled it all wonderfully. She definitely breaks the stereotype of a moody pregnant woman! So I guess we both have been lucky with each other! But my challenge will be taking care of my wife AND my new daughter together. For the next 6 weeks, for sure, it will be about the most important 2 girls in my life! (Well, Mom, you're very important too, but until you're living with us and wearing old people diapers, I can't take care of you just yet!) I am going to try so hard to make sure Brittany has every comfort as she stays home on her maternity leave. And I know we both will give Savannah all the love, kissing, and cuddling she could ever want.
I'm hoping this is the last post until after the baby is born, but we have one more OB visit to go, so there may be one more quick update on Thursday or Friday! Say a prayer for Brittany and Savannah, and that they both have a safe and healthy birth!
Of course perhaps I am a bit biased:) We went to the OB and had a sonogram. She weighs about 6.3lbs and everything about her checked out fine. The sono tech gave us some great pics of her....including a 4D one. She looks so cute in it! The doctor said I was still just 1cm dilated but 50% effaced. So we are on track. Mom and dad are on there cruise and it sounds like they are having a blast! I am so happy they are having a good time, they deserve it. They will be home in a week, so we will see if Savannah can wait.
HOW BAD MY FEET COULD HURT! Out of all the uncomfortable things that come with pregnancy, I think the worst is how bad my feet hurt. Literally from the moment I get up they are sore and tender. Then as the day goes on they get more swollen and just start to hurt more. I am drinking as much water at my bladder will hold and doing my best to stay off of them. But that is only so easy. Work shoes are only so comfortable and/or fit. Plus teaching dance doesn't help either. Again I try to do as minimal as possible but it doesn't seem to be working. Flip flops are about the best thing ever created!! And my husband is sweet enough to massage my feet at night just to relieve some of the aches. I am almost there so I know it will be over, but wow I had no idea they could hurt this bad.
We went to the OB this past Thursday and we got two exciting bits of news. First, Brittany is dilated to a 1! So the process begins! Second, we get to have a sonogram next week. Savannah will be 38 weeks, and Brittany hasn't had a sono since 19 weeks. It's just to make sure everything is okay. We should get a crown to rump length and an estimated weight though! We are both very excited. We haven't seen what our baby looks like in 4 months! So definitely expect an update next week after the OB visit.
Everything else is just cruising along for us. We cannot wait to see our baby!
So, this week we go to the OB on Thursday. Once a week now, cervical exams during every one. Last one showed that our little girl was not wanting to come out anytime soon, so we'll re-examine the situation in the next couple days. I know Brittany is ready for the baby to come right now!
You know, you can read everything on the internet about what to expect during pregnancy. Whether it is from the mother's viewpoint, or the father's viewpoint...it's all there to absorb. Tons of knowledge from so many different perspectives. I feel like I know so much, and have learned so much during these last 9 months. Not to mention 5 years of knowledge from working in an NICU. But I tell you what, reading and learning is NOTHING like experiencing pregnancy. I think I can understand, but honestly, people don't have a clue until they actually go through it.
Poor Brittany is so uncomfortable now. I try to do the small things, like back massages, foot rubs, etc. But these are very small reliefs, and the discomfort soon comes back. Brittany says she feels like she is walking with a bowling ball between her legs. Some people say this means the baby has droppped. Others disagree. Brittany says yes, the baby dropped. So we're going with yes. In all seriousness though, we can feel what we are assuming is the baby's head very, very far down. It's very exciting to think that the baby is that much closer to being with us.
Brittany is also experiencing higher amounts of lower back pain, and has started to have trouble sleeping through the night. No matter how many pillows or positions she sleeps in, it's becoming a struggle to sleep through the night. We have read over and over about these discomforts, but it's nothing like going through them. Last night, around 0300am, Brittany got up because she was so restless and couldn't fall back asleep. She got up, got a snack, cut up a couple trays of brownies, and eventually made her way back to bed. Poor thing was so tired this morning.
Only a couple more weeks we are hoping. Wednesday will mark 37 weeks, at which point she will be full term! We are so excited. Baby will weigh in at around 6.5 pounds at the end of the 37th week, so she's getting fatter! I can't wait to hold my baby!
I love my wife very much. She has gone through so much for Savannah already, and she only has a little bit more to go. She will be a great mother, just as she is a great wife. I look forward to spending the rest of our lives together with our new baby girl, and I hope that I can continue to give her everything she deserves.
First, the...
Baby Update: 35 weeks and 6 days. So we'll just go ahead and say 36 weeks! Brittany is feeling alot more discomfort as we near the end. Her back is pretty sore most of the time, and the braxton hicks contractions are coming about 3 times an hour. She has had no cramping in the last couple of weeks, and the baby has really starting squirming around alot. She's just about completely out of room now! We have a doc visit on Friday, so we'll post and give an update on where Brittany stands at 36 weeks and 2 days.
Now the Phoenix part. My cousin Kyle got married in June, and I took some videos while we were there. Actually I had close to 20 videos, but I chose these few to share. Enjoy.
P.S. Turn off the blog music at the bottom of the blog to hear the sound. Also, if you click on the video, you can view these on youtube, where the videos have a higher resolution option. Why it displays in this standard mode I'm not sure, but by going to youtube you can really increase the quality of the video. Now you can ENJOY!
To start off, we have my family sitting in the hotel lobby, waiting for our rides to the rehearsal dinner...
And next, we have Bryan chugging...let's call it Corona Apple Juice...
Here we have Chris trying to coax Savannah into kicking by singing her a song...
And here is Chris actually feeling Savannah kick...
Finally, we have Bryan vs Chris...
That's what Brittany wanted last night. No they weren't cravings, just she wanted food, that's what she saw, so that is what we got.
Traildust off of 380 is the original Traildust. And I was shocked at how good the food was! We had fried jalapeno slices (well, I did), chicken tenders, and onion strings.
Not alot has happened for us that is really exciting, but one thing has changed.
That leads us to the...
Baby Update: Savannah is 35 weeks and 2 days! She is around 5.5 lbs right now. Big girl! Brittany came to me 2 days ago, early in the morning before work, and asked me if her belly looked different. It did!
Where as the day before, her stomach was rounded fully, as wide as it was long, the follwing morning her stomach had shifted out and down. Her sides that were once full now have a little bit of a curve inwards. We can only guess that somewhere between that night and that morning, the baby made her full turn. So now, her little head is pointing straight down! She's getting ready for birth! We will see the OB next week and get a confirmation on that, just to be sure.
Anyways, keep Brittany and Savannah in your prayers. Healthy baby, healthy mommy!
I was so lucky to have 2 showers in the last couple of weeks. Charlie and I are very blessed. We got some much needed items;) Cathy hosted my first one and it turned out so perfect! Almost everyone was able to come and I had a great time. Then my work threw me a surprise shower and I was definitely surprised. It was very sweet and I am thankful my good friend Kristin was able to organize it. Below are some pics of the great stuff we got! Charlie's work is throwing him one soon. I bet he will have alot of fun opening all that girly stuff:)
