Mommy's Pregnancy Journal
07/23/2000 through 10/12/2000
Third Trimester

10/12/2000 -- Well, today was my 39 week (and probably final) prenatal appointment.  I wish I had some good progress news, but I'm still just 1 centimeter (she did allow that it was a little better, but not a 2... haha!), but everything else is much more favorable because my cervix has turned and is effacing more.   She stripped my membranes (hoping to go into labor on my own).  So, unless this show gets on the road by itself, I check into the hospital on Monday evening.   They will put a gel called cervadil on my cervix to soften it and that should make contractions start.  Tuesday morning, they start the dreaded pitocin.  It feels weird knowing Jamie's birthday will be October 17, 2000.  What happened to the big rush to the hospital and everything?  Kind of a let down of sorts I guess.  But, all that matters in the end is a healthy baby, right?

I'm scared and nervous and wondering if I can do this.  I'm still going to go as long as I can without the epidural, but pitocin is supposed to be pretty wicked stuff.  Then again, people HAVE done it before, guess I just have to think positive, right?

Tom went to this appointment with me.  I had another NST, took almost an hour it seemed.  Jamie would not move around for them, so I drank so much water I thought for sure I would float away!  Nothing else interesting happened.   I'm going to spend the next few days finishing stuff up for the baby and doing everything I can to get ready for all this.

Well, I guess I'll put an update in here after the baby comes (or before if anything happens that's worth talking about).  Wish us luck everyone!

10/05/2000 -- Had my 38 week appointment today.  It has been a roller coaster week here.  Gee, where do I start?  Monday, the nurse calls me to schedule an induction for 10/9.  I was in shock because I thought we weren't doing it.  Basically, I just misunderstood the doctor.  But I decided not to worry about it, to talk to her when I went in for today's appointment.

Had to do the NST again.  Jamie did fine, we kept losing his heartbeat because he would move around too much, but could always pick it back up with no problem.  My blood pressure is fine, I gained one pound, so I'm down a total of 4 right now.

She did an exam.  I'm still 1 centimeter, 50% effaced and high, so we still aren't favorable for an induction.  I got the feeling she would do it if I wanted it, but because my blood pressure is doing well, she's willing to let me wait it out.  So, we cancelled the hospital appointment and are going to reschedule for Tues., 10/17.  I don't think she'll let me go any further than that because I'm due 10/18 and she's pretty steadfast about me NOT going past my due date!

My next appointment is 10/12.  I'm really hoping to go into labor on my own between now and then or at least before the induction.  I don't want to be hooked up to all those machines.  My plan right now is to do it without the epidural if I can (yeah, I know that probably sounds insane to some of you!), but there's a whole set of complications with the epidural on it's own, plus have you SEEN that needle?  It's huge.  So, assuming I don't have some super fast labor which results in a MoPac Freeway baby, I want to try to do as much as I can, take a dose of Nubian or Stadol or Demerol or something.  From what I understand usually by the time that is wearing off it's time to get the show on the road.

Here's hoping Tom can handle it.  He hates to see anyone in pain, so I can see the first grimace I give him, he'll be hooking me, him and his mom up with an epidural!  Of course the whole giving birth thing scares me to death, but the idea of a c-section and surgery scares me even more.  I've only been in the hospital once in my life (when I was 7, I had tubes put in my ears). That's part of the reason I'm not wanting this whole induction thing, there is a higher risk of a c-section and other interventions.  As it stands right now, I really won't have to be hooked up to anything (other than their fetal monitor, but you can walk around with that thing on).   LOL, of course, once all this stuff starts happening, I may end up flat on my back with 3 tubes in my arms and drugs flowing everywhere, so who know, but at least I'm willing to try, right?

Tom and I went to Target last night and finished shopping for the baby.  The only thing I have left to buy is a mini-blind for the baby's room.  I have to go to Home Depot and have one cut down because it's a non-standard size (of course!).  I also ordered the rest of the Thomas stuff I wanted online (a wooden coat rack, a trashcan, duvet cover for the bed in there, and some other items), so that should be here in the next few weeks.  My uncle who is doing the mural should be here in the next couple of months.  I'm still deciding what I want to do, but am thinking I'll let him decide, he always has such neat ideas.  LOL, maybe I'll turn him into Michelangelo and have him do a ceiling scene!  LOL, I don't think he'd go for that!

Well, I'll post after my next appointment.  Everyone be sending some "go into labor on your own" energy my way!

09/28/2000 -- Yeah!  I had a great 37 week appointment today!   After my initial excitement last week that this kid could be here real soon, I really had a change of heart (hey, I'm female, I'm pregnant, I can change my mind if I want!) about the whole induction scene, but had resigned myself that if it's what the doctor said, then we would have to do it.... well...

I went in today, my weight hasn't changed, my blood pressure is fine (hasn't crept up any more at all!), the baby responded VERY well to the NST (non-stress test).  Before everyone freaks out, a NST is a simple little test.   They hook you up to 2 little disks that sit on your belly, one that measures contractions (I'm not having any), and one that measures the baby's heartbeat (it's reacting normal), and every time you feel the baby move, you press a little button.   Real non-evasive and worth the 30 minutes it took.

She did another exam.  I'm still only 1 little centimeter, but have effaced 50%.  SO!  Right now, she's saying that I'm not very "favorable" for an induction.  If she were go ahead and do one, it's possible it wouldn't go well and I would end up with a c-section, which I DO NOT want.   I also don't like the idea of being hooked up to a pitocin (pit) drip.  I won't have to have an IV (unless I dehydrate or decide on an epidural) because I am Group B Strep NEGATIVE.

This really made my day!  I really would like Jamie to stay in there until he's done.  Right now, we figure he weighs about 6.5 pounds, so he could use a little more time in there anyway.  Tom and I say he's still "gooey in the middle" (those who have baked a cake and did the toothpick trick will get this one).   Plus, that will give me 2 more weeks to get things done.  Really, it doesn't mean anything, all this could change in an hour and I could have the baby tomorrow, but I kind of like the idea of not KNOWING my child's birth date, ya know?

I still have to watch my blood pressure and she doesn't want me doing anything crazy, but basically she said she'd check me next week and if I'm still doing okay, then we could just leave him in there up until my due date.  She said she would not let me go past my due date though.  I called Tom and told him.  He didn't sound all that excited (I think he's ready to meet this little guy!), but like I told him, inductions are supposed to be more painful and there is a higher possibility of a c-section, plus they keep you hooked up to all those machines.  This very well may be my only child, I don't want my memory of childbirth to be so negative. 

That's all the info I have!  I'll update again in a week.... my next appointment is October 5, and like I told Tom (he got kind of snippy at first when I told him no go on the induction), if he doesn't like it, come to the appointment and ask questions for himself!  Why put myself through extra medical procedures when I don't have to.. it's not medically required!

09/25/2000 -- Okay, I'm a few days late, but it's been quite a past few days.  I had my last sonogram and 36 week appointment on Thursday, 9/21.   The sonogram was fine.  Jennifer, Tom's mom, was able to make it to this one.   I thought it would be a nice thing for her to be there, as I'm not sure if she'd actually ever been one to one.  It was a real quick 15 minute one, she checked his size and things and his fluid and everything is normal.  She estimated his weight at 6 pounds, 2 ounces, so it looks like I'll have a good, normal-sized baby!  He had his hands in front of his face (can you believe a child of MINE might be shy?).  We got a face picture, but it didn't look any different than the last ones we had done, so I gave it to my mother in law to keep, so no new pictures.  I may get up enough nerve to take one of me and my tummy (and Tom and probably the dog so maybe the 2 of them will make me look smaller!  LOL!).

The appointment went well, and gave me a pretty big wake up call.   Last appointment, we talked about inducing around 10/11, but as of right now, she wants to induce him around 10/05!  That's 2 weeks earlier.  With my blood pressure starting to creep up a little again and everything else going on, I think she wants to be careful with him.  At this point, I'm all for it, I am getting to the point that I don't want to do this anymore, I feel like a hulk and am exhausted just from walking a flight of stairs.  But, that didn't stop me from getting things done this weekend (more later on that).  I was kind of freaked out, as I don't have so much as a diaper in this house yet!  She did an "aggressive" exam because she wants me to go early (and on my own if I can!), and said (mostly joking) that maybe she'd see me this weekend, she's on call (I'm still here, and still pregnant, so no baby that weekend!).  I'm dilated to 1 little centimeter and have started effacing (thinning out).

Friday night, I finally got Tom to get his junk out of the baby's room (he politely moved it into a pile in the guest bedroom), and he even vacuumed in there.  Saturday was shopping day!  I got Tom up and he went to get us breakfast tacos (YUM, it's become a Saturday tradition for us!).  Then, I dropped him off at work so he could get some things done and I headed over to Babies R Us where I did some shopping.  Mom sent me $$ to buy what I wanted (why waste the money on shipping, ya know, it's just more $ she can send me!).  So, with her money, I bought my Pack-N-Play (I got this real nice Bordeaux one with a organizer that attaches to the side.. it's awesome!), a Pack-N-Play sheet, 4 crib sheets, the crib bumper, and the crib ruffle I wanted.  She also said she has some other stuff she's sending me.  This is her first grandson (my sister has a little girl), so goodness only knows what it is (to be honest, I'm scared to ask!  LOL - love you mom!).

For myself, I bought a pack of newborn diapers, a pack of size 1 diapers, wipes, some more balmex, baby clippers, a wall hanging, a neat baby book (it has a 3 ring binder inside so you can add pages - it's made by Carter's), a bunch of little odds and ends.

We came home, dumped stuff off, went to Target and bought some other odds and ends we needed, then headed over to my friend Sonia's house.  She had a little boy a year ago and has given me A LOT of baby clothes (I'm basically SET as far as the first 9 months goes!), as well as a lot of other stuff including a bathtub a brand new Snugli (baby carrier type thing you wear), headrests, a dresser top changing station, etc.  Well, Saturday, she gave us her Exersaucer and walker-type thingy with a car clip on thing that makes all kinds of noises and lent me her bassinet!  What an awesome friend, eh?  Jamie gave his first gift to her little boy, we picked up a CUTE little outfit and 2 feeder bibs that his mom LOVES (they pull over the head) to say thank you.  Then, back home, emptied the car, Tom went to get a movie (Mission to Mars - it was okay, nothing great), and we relaxed, we were both beat.

Sunday, I left Tom here to clean up a little and went to Wal-Mart where I bought a little 3 shelf unit in Crayola colors, a closet organizer cube thingy, and a few other things.  I also nearly decked this lady.  Why is it that a pregnant woman's body is public domain?  This old lady comes up to me and puts her hands all over me and then asks if I'm having twins.  Gee, thanks. I don't mind at all family and friends and stuff, but a total stranger?!?!?!?  It really got me mad, so on my way out, I'm trying to stuff this box that's too big to fit into the trunk, and this idiotic man is waiting on my parking place and starts honking his horn.  Ticked me off, so I flipped him off, shoved the box in the trunk and left.  I mean, there's an obviously pregnant lady trying to put stuff in her trunk, let's honk at her and see what happens.  Had Tom been there, I'd probably have walked over there and said something, I was so pissed at that point.

Anyway, so off to Lowe's where I couldn't find the mini-blind I needed, Tom called that his parents would be there soon, so I left and came home (where Kenneth and Tom had to take apart the box to get the stuff out of my trunk - apparently I jammed it in there really good).  Then they took us to Babies R Us and bought us a crib and mattress.  The crib is really cute!  It wasn't the one we had looked at before, but it's the same color and looks really good in the room.  I'm going to wait to put up pictures until we get things more complete in the baby's room.  SO, at least my kid has a place to sleep and diapers!  Tom and his mom finished putting it together and getting the ruffle and bumper on it.  I'm glad she hung around to finish up (Kenneth had to leave to do his ping-pong thing) because I was pretty beat.  In fact, Tom was actually nice enough to go grocery shopping (I was supposed to go, but just couldn't move my feet hurt so bad).  We ended up getting a lot of quick stuff so we can actually THINK this week and not have to worry about cooking anything elaborate.

One of my best friends, Tanya, in Canada, called to say that the Thomas the Train bedding set is now backordered for another EIGHT months, so I decided that I'd just do primary colors because Thomas is done in primary for the bedding and do Thomas accents.  I've already got 2 pictures and a night lamp for the room and will order a bed duvet cover and sham for the bed in the room, a lampshade for the lamp, and a rug as well as picking up odds and ends.  My Uncle Johnny will be here within a couple of months to do the wall mural of Thomas.

With the induction being moved up and the doctor doing things to make me go into labor sooner, Tom cancelled his business trip and we are just doing as much as we can before the baby gets here.  I've made arrangements for work if something happens and I can't finish payroll before heading to the hospital (if I'm induced, I hope it's on a Thursday morning, that'd be perfect!  I finish payroll on Wednesday afternoons!).  I just need a free maid to come in and clean my house from top to bottom.  It's a disaster, we've not had time to do it and we've been so exhausted from running around.  Supposedly, I'm supposed to get this nesting thing going on within 2 days of labor.  I sure hope so!  This house could use a good cleaning!

In a perfect world, this is what I would want to happen.  My shower is 10/1.  My induction date is around 10/5.  So, I would want to make it to my shower and go into labor on my own late 10/4 after I finish payroll and be a cleaning freak the 2 days before it.  What do you think the chances of anything going my way is?  Everyone says I must be getting close because while I'm scared to death of actually giving birth, I'm willing to do it just to get this kid out of me, I'm so tired of being pregnant, even though I do think it's cute when he gets the hiccups, Tom and I both laughed for a good 10 minutes last night feeling him jerk around in there in a pattern.  I know I'll miss all the little kicks and babies are easier to care for when they are inside, but I guess with everything I've been through the past 8+ months, I deserve to have this little guy out and convince myself that his little gas grimaces are smiles (and they are, so don't EVEN tell me they aren't!).  I've been very lucky that everyone has been so generous and supportive of this little guy.  He has a lot of people that love and adore him already.  For a surprise baby, he certainly has a lot of people ready for him.

My next appointment is 10/28 (yeah, every week now, whoop-to-do), so I'll post after that if nothing happens before then.

09/07/2000 -- YEAH!!  Jamie isn't grounded anymore after he's born!  HE TURNED HEAD DOWN!!  GOOD BABY BOY!  I'm thrilled!  The appointment went really good.  We took a peek and he had turned!  I had set myself up for disappointment, I just KNEW he wasn't going to move, he seemed perfectly happy to sit right on the side of my pelvis.  I have never been so glad to be wrong before in my life!  I still have another sonogram in 2 weeks (the last one, hopefully!) to check his size and growth again.

Her scale said I gained 6 pounds, but we think it's more like 2 because I had on that boot thing again (I twisted my ankle - again - in San Antonio over the weekend, so I've been wearing it again until it heals up).  At this point, she hasn't said anything about the weight, and I think with an overall loss of even 5 pounds, is pretty good.  I'm not going to stress over my weight, only 6 more weeks to go, so I figure I've done VERY good!

She got beeped by the hospital, so I told her we'd talk more later, but she did mention she wanted to induce me the week before my due date.  I'm not sure if she's going to be on vacation or if she wants to do it because of the blood pressure thing or what, but I sure won't argue with her about it!  I told her she could do it a month early if she wanted.  Hahaha!  Yes, I'm getting pretty tired of being pregnant now!  Donna, Tom's Aunt, is planning my shower for October 1, so that's great timing, as it will give me a good week or so to finish buying stuff and doing whatever else I need to do to get ready for this baby.

I doubt my mom will make it to the birth, she was in a car accident.  She's not hurt, but she's been out of work for 2 weeks, so I don't think she'll make it because of her work and, of course, no work, no money.  I'm sad, but we all have to do what we have to do.  Let's just hope Tom doesn't faint (just kidding, honey).

Well, next appointment/sonogram is 9/21, so I'll update then if nothing exciting happens before then!

08/22/2000 --  Whew!  What a day!  Well, I had my sonogram and my 32 week appointment today.  Tom made it to the sonogram this time.  

The baby is still breech.  We are going to peek again in 2 weeks, then have another full sonogram in 2 weeks more so we are hoping he turns, otherwise, we have to think about an external version (where they turn him manually) or a c-section.  We are hopeful he will turn on his own!  He weighs about 3 pounds, 11 oz, so he's right within normal range.  We got some neat pictures, which I'll post over on the photo page.  We got to see some really neat stuff this time around.  We know he has plenty of hair.   That was so neat!  I remember an old wives tale that says if you have heartburn when you're pregnant, your baby will have hair.  This kid will be an APE, I tell ya.  It looked like just white fuzzy stuff around his head, like a little halo.   We got to see a good shot of his foot, toes and all, as well as his legs crossed.   We didn't get photos of any of this, though, but it's on the tape (I'm still trying to figure a way to take my own stills from the video without spending a bunch of money on some expensive card).

We did get pictures of his face, his "boy parts", and of his nostrils and his lips (it always amazes me the detail they can see on the sonograms!).   She still can't get him to cooperate to see the 4 heart chambers, but she's not worried about it, so I'm not either.  We also got to see him practicing breathing, and they are always VERY glad to see that.  We got to see his stomach, diaphragm, and heart.  All his measurements are right on target.

My appointment went fine.  I GAINED 2 pounds!  LOL... finally!  That brings my total to a loss of 11 pounds.  She didn't say anything about it, but at least I finally feel vindicated, lol... who else could get pregnant and LOSE weight but me?  I'm doing okay.  I'm VERY tired these days.  I just can't seem to get it together.  I don't think I've ever been this physically exhausted in my entire life.  Well, my next appointment is 9/7, I think.  So I'll update then if nothing exciting happens before then.

08/11/2000 -- I have major preggo brain these days.... duh.   My next sonogram is actually 8/22, NOT 8/15, so new pictures/updates will have to wait until then.  Geez, I'm a bonehead lately.

08/10/2000 -- Had my 30 week appointment today.  God... 30 weeks.... This baby is already 75% cooked!  EEK!  And I have *NOTHING* done yet.   I keep waiting to get that nesting thing everyone talks about, but I still could really care less.  Hopefully after my shower I'll get the urge to get stuff going.   I did have this strange refrigerator thing going on last weekend.  Poor Tom, I basically took the refrigerator apart and threw away anything that was GOING to go bad in the next month.  I also took apart all the shelves and everything and WASHED them... I think it's cleaner now than it was when I bought it new!  Whatever it was is gone now, because my house is a mess again.

My mom's friend, Roberta (we call her Berta or Aunt Berta) made me some maternity outfits and I got them today!  Yeah!  I was starting to outgrow most of my clothes.  Around the house my big old rags are fine, but when I go somewhere it's nice to have clothes that are decent again!  I do feel like I'm wearing a tent though, but I guess I will "grow" into them slowly by surely.   I didn't want to buy any because they are just so expensive and I can't see spending all that money on something you will only really need for 3 months.

The appointment was one of those good uneventful ones.  I think the doctor feels useless because I never really have many questions for her.  I guess I've read too many books on this whole pregnancy thing, not to mention the childbirth class and the good information you can find on the net these days.  I'm *still* 13 pounds down overall.  LOL.... haven't gained an ounce, but I sure do feel like it these days.

Jamie was being a pain in the butt though.  I laid down, upped my shirt so they could do the heartbeat thing and he was kicking all over the place.   You could literally sit there and watch him go to town.  BUT, the nurse, Tracie, tried for about TEN minutes to find his heartbeat and just couldn't get a fix on it.  He kept kicking and moving and squirming around, even kicked the Doppler a few times.  She was about to give up, but finally got it for longer than 3 seconds.   It was strange, she had to time it by her watch because it was so faint.  He was in the 140s.  I think he fell asleep because he didn't move anymore after that.   We think he was either way back by my spine or just playing hard to get.  It was cute.

Other than that, my blood pressure is doing great and I go back on 8/15 for another sonogram and a doctor's appointment.  I'll update then unless anything interesting happens before then :)

08/08/2000 --  Today was a hormonal pregnancy day (one of those nobody likes me, nobody cares, I may as well go eat some worms).  Ick!   Anyway, one of the ladies I talk to on a pregnancy board sent this to me to cheer me up.... it's really cute... click here

Not much really going on, I have another appointment Thursday.   I'll post if anything worth talking about happens.

07/27/2000 -- I had an appointment today and a sonogram.  It went very well.  Tom wasn't at this one, so I went to this sonogram alone.. of course, since I was by myself, it was the neatest one yet!

First, I had the sonogram.  Jamie was awake and moving a lot.   We got some really good shots of his face.  He even was playing peek-a-book with his hand in front at one point.  Also at one point, he reared his head back and we got a neat shot of his mouth/lips and his little nose and nostrils.  It was neat.   I hope Tom can scan these..... they were cool.  The only thing she couldn't get a look at is the 4 chambers of the heart -- she can see 2, but he wasn't moving the right way to see it.  I have another one in 4 weeks.  He weighs about 2 pounds, 7 ounces and is growing just fine.  All his measurements are saying he's 28 weeks and 1 day today, so we are right back on track for that 10/18 due date they gave me -- personally, I think he'll come when he wants to, regardless of what date they say!  I got it on video tape, so at least Tom can see it!  His heart rate was 163 in the sonogram.  Right at the end, the baby got the hiccups!  That was TOO cool!   He's also turned breech, he will probably turn back around, but it's nice to know I was right.  I thought he might have because I felt some major kicking near/at my cervix.  I swear, if this kid had tools, he'd be outta there by now!

The doctor's appointment went great too.  My blood pressure is fine, the glucose test results were fine and I'm NOT taking it again.  I look like an IV drug user from all the needle marks/bruises on my arms!  I'm still 13 pounds down, so I've not gained an ounce since this all started.  Doctor's fine with that.   Baby's heart rate was around 152 for the appointment.  I asked why the difference, and they said that usually when he's awake, it's higher, so he was probably sleeping.

Ginger is getting married in mid-September.  I asked the doctor about traveling there and she said "No way".... flying is out of the question for sure and she doesn't want me leaving anywhere, much less riding in a car for a long distance.  I was supposed to go meet my mom and sisters in Jackson, MS in mid-August, but she also vetoed that.  She's still concerned about the blood pressure thing.  She said she wouldn't forbid it, but she would recommend against it.   So, I guess I'm stuck in Austin for the next 3 months!!!!!!!

Hopefully, Tom will get those scans up really soon..... I have another appointment in 2 weeks, then an appointment and sonogram in 2 more weeks.  Oh boy... I think I want my own desk there!

07/23/2000 -- Well, tomorrow I have another 3-hour glucose test.   I really HATE the 3 hour one because you get there, you pee, they stick you, you drink this horrible drink.  You wait an hour, you pee, they stick you.  You wait another hour, you pee, they stick you.  THEN you wait ANOTHER hour, you pee, they stick you.  ARGGGHHH!!!!!  Last time I felt like a pin cushion!  I've also started the 3rd trimester, I'm in the 28th week right now.  Time really has flown out of control.  I'm also starting to get kind of scared about this whole thing.  I mean, am I really cut out for this parenthood thing?  What if I forget to feed him?   I did that to the poor dog last week!  I know, I'll do just fine, it's still kind of "out there" though. 

I've also noticed that there is a lot of work to do in the baby's room.  It's painted, thank goodness, but there's a lot of storage junk that's in there that has to be moved.  I guess that'll be a project one night when I get really sick of looking at it.  Donna, my aunt-in-law, is giving me a shower.  I really wasn't expecting one as I really don't know too many people here in Austin still (isn't it funny how you can live somewhere for a year and a half and not really make friends? -- I mean, with work and the house and everything, who had time?).  It's so nice of her to do that! 

I also keep waiting for this whole "nesting" thing everyone keeps talking about!  I don't know WHAT they are talking about, but I just look at the house and go "so what, I'd rather be _____" (insert sleeping, eating, etc here).

My sister, Ginger, told me today she's getting married... it's about time!!!  :)  I gave her a hard time, of course, after all, she said she'd NEVER get married (of course, I said I'd NEVER have a baby, so there ya go!).  I'm VERY happy for her though.  I pick at her a lot about him, but I really do think the guy she found is a keeper.  I've not met him yet, as they are in SC, but he seems to genuinely love Ginger (god help him) and he REALLY gets into little Marie (my 16 month old niece).  I don't know, though, if I'll make the wedding, it's in mid-September, so I really don't know if I'll be up to traveling or not.  I hope so!  We shall see though!

I also finally picked out some Thomas stuff I like and put it on a registry.  I hope making all these lists helps when I finally start buying stuff -- probably in the next 2 months.   Well, that's it for now.  I have an appointment on 7/27 - Thursday so I'll post how that goes.

This page was last updated at Monday, May 17, 2004 at 12:15:50 AM