GB Eviction Notice '08 (5 days overdue)

So here's the deal, GB ... you've got approximately 16 hours and 4 minutes to make your debut in order for Mommy and Daddy to be able to claim a nice tax deduction for 2008.

You're part of Team Smith, my dear. And being born in 2008 is how we do things around here. So let's be a team player, shall we?

Perhaps this will sweeten the deal ... Daddy said he'd buy you a pony if you were born today.

GB Eviction Notice '08 (4 days overdue)

My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to get checked at my appointment this morning. I am 90% effaced, dilated 1 cm, and GB is at -1 station. So all of these silly Braxton-Hicks contractions have actually been doing something all along!

I have another appointment in next Tuesday. I'll get an ultrasound so they can check on the level of amniotic fluid, how active GB is, and how her lungs (and other important parts) look. Our midwife said that they'll monitor me for about 20 minutes so they can get a good feel for how GB is doing.

Assuming everything looks fine on the ultrasound and assuming I don't go into labor before next Wednesday, I'll probably be induced that day (or perhaps next Thursday). Next Friday is my 42-week mark and that's when I would get turned over to an OB. I've heard very good things about the OB I'm assigned to, but I've never met him - so I'd rather be induced by my midwife than by someone Lee and I have never met.

Induction is definitely something I'm trying to avoid, but if that's the only way to have the outcome of a healthy baby and a healthy mom, then sign me up! But hopefully we won't get to that point. Our midwife doesn't seem to think so - she's still got her money on GB coming January 5th.

And so we wait ... semi-patiently and over-the-moon with excitement.

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Weight gain: +35 lbs. I lost 2 pounds since my last appointment ... it's weird, but I bet it has something to do with my last appoinment being in the afternoon and the one today was early in the morning.

And Lee shaved his mountain-man beard!! I'm ashamed to admit it, but I didn't hate the beard as much as I was thinking I would. He now knows that he is physically capable of growing a full and fairly nice-looking beard. But I'm so glad to have my strictly goatee'd husband back.

GB Eviction Notice '08 (3 days overdue)

So we were hoping to share some exciting news today.

From about 9pm-10:30pm last night, I had fairly regular contractions every 8 to 10 minutes. In our childbirth book, it said to eat, drink some water, take a walk, take a nap, take a shower and see if the contractions are still coming. Since it was so late, I decided not to eat or take a walk - but I did everything else.

I fell asleep pretty easily last night and I wasn't woken up by any contractions - I mean, I'm a champion sleeper, but I doubt even this champion sleeper could sleep her way through labor - and I haven't had any contractions this morning.

So it's nice (?) to meet you, Mr. False Labor. Now please go away and bring your real/active counterpart.

GB Eviction Notice '08 (2 days overdue)

Who's still in my belly and not in my arms?

GB.

Even though she's 2 days late (or 6 days early, if I would only remember what I learned about in birthing class and how the average length of first pregnancies is 41 1/7 week), the lack of baby and the Christmas holidays have allowed Lee and I to spend a lot of one-on-one time together. It's been really nice.

Know what ELSE would be nice?? (*ahem, GB*)

GB Eviction Notice '08 (1 day overdue)

Since GB seems to have inheirited her daddy's sense of being on time, I realize I have time to get some little things taken care of before she arrives - like posting nursery pictures! We're about 90% done (the crib needs a couple more coats of top-coat, the dresser needs knobs, the closet needs a bit more organizing, etc), but I'm really, really happy with the way it turned out.

We decided not to go with a themed nursery ... mainly because I'm cheap and didn't want to spend the kind of money that can go into having a themed room. There's definitely a springy-green-with-a-few-pink-accents thing going on, but I don't think it classifies as a theme.

wall decal above GB's closet, courtesy of her Auntie Karen

changing table (my first Craigslist purchase!)

(yes, that's a gazelle ... and yes, there's a story behind it)

GB's dresser, the super-cute heart pillow that my mom made,

and some super-cute prints that some crafty lady from Etsy made

Lee is so proud of how the dresser turned out after he stained it

It makes my heart happy to see so many books for GB

Love, love how this turned out -

the dandelion wall decal over her crib

(yes, it was a pain to do, but so worth it)

GB Countdown '08 (Due Date!)

EVICTION NOTICE

To: GB Smith

You are hereby given an eviction notice and notice to vacate, on December 26, 2008, the premises owned by Suzanne L. Smith of the state of Florida, which premises are now occupied by you.

The reason for your eviction notice is:

Tenant has occupied the aforementioned premises for 40 weeks and her presence is requested elsewhere.

Dated: December 26, 2008

GB Countdown '08 (1 day left)

Merry Christmas to our friends and family!!

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One of the names we really like is Natalie. It means "born at Christmas" ... but it looks like if we go with that name, we'll have to change it to "ShouldaBeen Natalie" because it doesn't appear that she's coming today.

Lee and I had a really nice, really relaxing day. We slept in a bit, had a really great breakfast (I made blueberry pancakes and Lee fixed eggs and sausage), and took a much needed post-breakfast nap.

I've felt really drowsy all day today, so I haven't been as productive as I was hoping. But it's been nice having such a relaxing and low-key day to spend with Lee.

And GB? Just an FYI: Your eviction notice is going up tomorrow. So I hope you're all packed up and ready to vacate the premises.

GB Countdown '08 (2 days left)

Suze = baby-full.

The past few days have definitely been the most uncomfortable. I'm able to sleep in short bursts (I'm grateful that I can even sleep, what with this massive belly I'm sporting), so the lack of sleep isn't too terrible. It's the hip/knee pain and the amount of energy required to do silly things (getting into/out of my car, getting off the couch, etc) that's wearing on me a little bit.

We're both pretty antsy and can't wait for GB to make her debut, but we're still very much enjoying these last few (hopefully) days as just the two of us.

We spent a lot of time working in GB's room yesterday. Lee finished the last coat of topcoat on the dresser yesterday evening and we loaded it into her room a couple of hours later. We hung some pictures and loaded up her bookshelf (which is full of books that I cannot WAIT to read to her!). I think Lee is putting on the first of three topcoats on the crib tonight.

Side note - I love that Publix employees take your groceries out to your car for you. I know they offer it to everyone, but it was so nice to shop in a clean, organized, quiet store (I'm looking at you, Walmart) and then get my groceries loaded into my car for me! I could have done it myself, but there's never been a time where I wanted someone else to do it for me more.

Merry Christmas Eve!

GB Countdown '08 (3 days left)

*looks down at my bulging belly*

Yep, there's still a baby in there.

We had another appointment today. Thankfully it seems that GB has indeed dropped. I didn't get checked, so I don't know if I've made any progress, but my midwife said that I was measuring (from the top of my pelvis to the top of my uterus) smaller than 39 weeks. Which means that GB has dropped lower into my pelvis. Which means ... hooray!

I was convinced that I was going to go into labor today - only because Lee had an endoscopy scheduled this morning, and I knew it'd be our luck that I would need to go to the hospital but Lee would still be doped up on his drugs from the procedure. So I'd have to drive myself to the hospital.

But thankfully GB held off - and thankfully Lee's endoscopy went well.

And hopefully GB can hold off from coming on Christmas morning since that's the only time that our midwife isn't available. Christmas morning = bad; Christmas afternoon and night = good.

It's hard to believe that it's already Christmas Eve Eve.

GB Countdown '08 (4 days left)

Whose name rhymes with 'snooze' and is still pregnant?

Me.

I spent the day with my mom running errands and shopping for last-minute baby things (washcloths, a crib mattress, a changing table pad). It was a great way to spend my first day of maternity leave.

I seriously love the look on people's faces when they ask me when I'm due and I reply "Friday". Often, it's a look that says "Aaaah! Please don't let your water break all over my shoes!"

Maybe it's weird for someone 4 days away from her due date to be out running errands and visiting with friends, but I felt really good today. It's pretty crazy to think that the next time Lee and I see them, I could very well be un-pregnant. I've almost forgotten what that feels like!

GB Countdown '08 (5 days left)

Raise your hand if you're still pregnant.

*raises hand*

My parents came over tonight and they think I might have dropped, too. Prove them right, GB!

GB Countdown '08 (6 days left)

Today's update: yep, still pregnant.

We had dinner with our cousins tonight and they both think I've dropped a lot since they last saw me. And it might be my imagination, but I think they're right ...

GB Countdown '08 (7 days left)

Now that I'm so close to my due date (how did that happen so quickly?!), I figured I should start writing daily entries to keep our out-of-town friends and family updated on our progress.

We saw our midwife yesterday (12/18/08). I decided to forgo getting checked for progress this time. I hadn't made any progress at our last appointment and got a little bummed out even though I know full well that making progress (or not making progress) really means diddly-squat. So instead of getting my hopes up or getting bummed out unnecessarily, I'll just revel in my ignorance. I'll wait until I go to the hospital to get checked again.

The baby's heartbeat still sounds strong. And even though she's pretty much maxed out the available real estate I've provided, she manages to find room to wiggle and poke. My ankles and feet are channeling Fred Flintstone more and more each day - it's so not cute. My maternity leave starts Monday so it'll be easier for me to keep my feet elevated now that I'll be home during the day.

Our midwife will be out of town this weekend, so GB isn't allowed to come until Monday. (Not that we think she'll be early, but it'll be just our luck that she comes this weekend).

We're working on finishing up the nursery and hope to post some pictures soon. (here's a mental picture: celery green walls, espresso-finished crib and dresser, heirloom rocking chair, general baby cuteness, etc)

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Weight gain: 34 lbs.

BabyHawk

I got a groovy BabyHawk baby carrier in the mail yesterday - it's quite cool, if I do say so myself. Of course I haven't the slightest idea how to use it without getting tangled up in the straps, but thankfully YouTube has several videos about it.

I had a hard time picking out a pattern, so I decided to go with a reversible one so Lee and I could each pick one out.

Thanks, Jess :)

(the cool, hip pattern that Lee chose)

(the cool, slightly girly pattern that I chose)

Good to Know

I learned something new at our appointment yesterday - the fact that I'm not sleeping very well isn't just due to my humongous belly or trips to the bathroom every two or three hours. Our midwife told me that there's some pregnancy hormone that literally changes your sleep cycle. My lovely REM sleep is a thing of the past, and I have that wonderful hormone to thank.

So thanks, hormone, for taking some of the blame off my belly and my bladder.

Hospital Tour

Last night, we went to the hospital orientation at Baptist. There were a bunch of moms who were due in March, April, and May - so perhaps I should have signed us up for it earlier than I did. Lee said it was a good idea for us to do it when we did, so that we won't forget anything (like where to park, where to register, etc). It makes sense.

She told us about a lot of the classes that the hospital offers (breastfeeding, infant care, infant CPR, etc). I think some of those will come in handy. We also got to tour the maternity ward. I really, really liked the look of the L&D rooms. They felt pretty homey (you know, for being a hospital room and all), and not all cold and impersonal like I've seen in other places. The recovery rooms are nice, too. They each have a pull-out sofa and there's room to put an air mattress if the pull-out couch isn't comfortable.

Two of the L&D rooms have Jacuzzi tubs, and they're given out on a first-come first-served basis. Though at our weekly appointment today, our midwife said that she's kicked out politely asked people to switch rooms if they aren't using the Jacuzzi. Since I'm hoping to do at least some of my laboring in the tub, I'm crossing my fingers that we can snag one of those rooms!

She also commented on how swollen my feet/ankles were (they're pretty bad - I'm glad it's cold so I can cover those puppies up in socks!). She told me to drink more water and rest more (she mentioned that I look more tired than I did at my last appointment - which is true). Resting sounds delightful ... the stack of laundry in our closet will just have to wait.

Nervous?

I've been asked quite a few times if I'm nervous ... and I'd be a loon (and a big fat liar) if I said no. I'm very nervous about a lot of things. But one thing I'm not too nervous about is the whole labor and delivery process. I think our Bradley Classes were tremendously helpful in getting both of us prepared for that. Of course, I'm a little nervous about it, but not nearly to the degree I was thinking I would be.

To be honest, I'm more worried about my water breaking while I'm at Walmart. Or work. Or my car. Or anywhere that's NOT home. I'm very happy with our choice to do this completely natural and unscheduled, but not knowing when it'll happen is driving me crazy. It's like knowing someone is going to punch me in the face sometime between now and January 9th, but that's all I know. So I start walking cautiously around corners and looking behind me in the hopes that I'm able to spot the face-puncher before he gets to me. Not that I'm equating going into labor with getting punched in the face, but you know what I mean.

And I'm also nervous about our first day home from the hospital. I'm sure we'll be ready to leave the hospital, but it'll also be scary being away from the 24/7 help of the nurses. Do they realize that Lee and I won't have a single idea of what we're doing? That GB will be left in the care of two amateurs? Poor GB ... I hope you don't mind being our guinea pig for child-rearing.

Unnecessary Worries

36 weeks, 6 days - We started our weekly appointments on 12/4/08 (our midwife told me that I'm now on the Frequent Flyer Program!). Lee had a meeting for work so he couldn't go with me, but our doula was able to come. She hadn't met our midwife before and wanted to introduce herself before we got to the hospital.

We had to wait a while to be seen because right before my appointment, our midwife got called to the hospital for a delivery. It wasn't a big deal, and it gave our doula and me a couple of hours to chat. I'm very glad she'll be there with us. I think her calm and easy-going personality will be a huge help to Lee and me.

I also found out that I don't have Group B Strep - woo hoo! It wouldn't have been a huge deal if I were positive for it, but it's nice to scratch that off my list of things to think/worry about. Now my list only has 599 things on it!

Our midwife also confirmed that GB is still head down. I told her that I swear it feels like she's sideways or completely turned around at times, but she assured me that it probably wasn't the case. At most, GB is probably just rolling from one side to the other (kind of like pivoting on her head). She said that gravity helped to get her head down, and it's not like gravity is suddenly going to stop. In other words, "Stop worrying about that, Suzanne."

She asked how the swelling in my left foot was, and I told her that it still gets pretty swollen at times. She checked to see how bad it was. Thankfully she said it was just normal 3rd trimester swelling and nothing to worry about. My blood pressure is also normal, so that helped to confirm the swelling shouldn't raise any red flags. (Worry List total = 597!)

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Weight gain: 31.2 lbs

Car Seats and Such

There's no turning back now - we are now the proud owners of a car seat and a stroller. At our last appointment, our midwife recommended we go ahead and get a car seat just in case GB decides to grace us with her presence earlier than we had planned. She didn't want Lee to have to make an emergency run to Target to pick up a random car seat just so we could leave the hospital.

So on Friday, we went to Storkland and made our financially-painful-but-so-worth-it-safety-wise purchases. The ladies who work there are so great. They took the car seat out to our car and showed us how to install it. We decided to go with a convertible car seat instead of an infant carrier, so it takes up a bit more room in my backseat. It's not terrible though; my parents were able to fit in the backseat without feeling too much like sardines.

My family and I have always been amused when we see someone pushing an empty stroller - we always want to go up to them and make sure that, yes, they know the stroller is empty and, yes, they know who has their baby ... and not, oh no! I must have left Junior at Starbucks! I wonder if anyone thinks of that when they see me driving around with my empty car seat.

I canNOT believe it's December already. In some ways, I feel super prepared for GB's arrival. In other ways, however, I feel woefully unprepared. I started organizing her clothes and diapers to make sure we have enough of each size (or at least enough of the newborn and 0-3 month sizes). I think we have enough onesies (says the woman with no experience of how often newborns end up needing an outfit change), and I think we're okay on diapers (says the woman with no experience of how often newborns end up needing a diaper change), but I might get a few more just to be sure.

I'm curious to see how this cloth diaper adventure will pan out. We've received plenty of disposal diapers from my baby showers, so we'll definitely have a backup. But hopefully we won't need them. Lee's been so sweet and supportive with my wanting to try cloth - and the diapers are so stinkin' cute - that I really hope we can get the hang of them.

Oh - and Lee's decided not to shave until the baby is born. He hardly ever shaves on Saturdays, but with our long Thanksgiving weekend, he didn't shave on Thursday or Friday either. And on Sunday he had a pretty good stubble going. I was convinced he'd shave before going to church, but he left it. And decided that he wants to take the month of December to see how long it'll grow. I'm not a huge fan of beards, but I'll do my best to support my scruffy, mountain man husband.