Category: Pregnancy

She’s Still In There, Don’t Worry

My baby shower was yesterday and it was even better than I could have asked for. There were a few discrepancies, like the hotel saying they seated 50 when they only had 32 chairs available and about 3-4 games that weren’t played since we forgot the pads of paper and pencils, but other than that, it was great :). I’ll post a more detailed entry about it tomorrow, hopefully with pictures (if I came out okay, that is).

We got tons of pink little outfits, and other friends and relatives were so generous with gift cards and money that we got just about everything we need for Alaethia’s arrival. I can happily say that I’m SO READY for her to be born!

John and I spent 2 hours shopping around at Target tonight getting important things we needed, like the carseat and stroller combo and diapers and all that sort of stuff. I also got a whole bunch of other little things on clearance, like a Boppy Slipcover (still have to go back for the actual Boppy, though!) and some outfits. We figured I should go tonight since this “Winter Freeze” is blanketing the Valley and I probably shouldn’t be driving around tomorrow when there’s sleet and ice on the roads.

I totally thought I was going into labor on Saturday. I felt sore and could barely walk–seriously felt like she was about to fall out. It was the strongest, sharpest round ligament pain I’d ever experienced. Jose came over to get something and got a little startled by my demeanor. He tattle-taled on me to Mary, Mom and Elda after they got home from shopping that day LOL. He thought I was faking being okay just so I could attend the baby shower :P.

I was feeling great the day of the baby shower, Sunday, which was totally weird. I’m feeling fine right now, and that’s because I spent the night driving and walking around. I am getting little jabs of pain every-so-often, and it feels like she’s using my bladder as a trampoline (I’m not kidding!) so maybe sometime soon. There’s 14 days left. Mayra told me yesterday that she’s predicting–just has a feeling–that I’ll go into labor by Thursday or Friday.

She (and her daughter, Sharlyze) have this foresight about things. Her daughter predicted, even before I was pregnant with Alaethia, that I was going to have a daughter. She even predicted that Mario wanted to start trying for a baby before he even mentioned anything about it! I’m totally psyched about Thursday and Friday LOL. It would be ideal if it happened on Friday, while Mario’s at home. But we do have bills to pay that day, so maybe she should wait till Saturday, if anything :P.

Well, I’m exhausted and need to take a quick shower so I shall leave you now. I’ll totally post if there’s any change!

To Be, or Not to Be?

I’m sort of freaking out guys.

I didn’t sleep much last night (in fact, I should be sleeping right now instead of blogging) because our darn dog, Rocko, decided to bark all night long and rile up the neighbors’ dogs who also barked right along with him. I also felt these horrible cramps, only I don’t know if it was upset stomach cramps or if they were contractions. I’ve forgotten what contractions feel like (that’s why we end up having more than one kid–God wipes our memory free like that little device they use on Men in Black) so I’m not sure what’s going on. As I’m sitting here I’m feeling lots of pressure in my lower abdomen and I feel it even more when I’m lying down.

And now for a little TMI Yesterday, when I actually got so tired that I had to lay down and tried to sleep in the afternoon I felt like something trickled out but when I checked (about half an hour later after I woke up) there wasn’t anything there. My water’s never broken at home (with Eenan they popped it for me at the hospital and with Jaylen it broke at the hospital right before they administered the epidural) so I have no idea what the start of that feels like. I’m a little nervous since Mary said Mario came a month early since she kept “dripping” water all day long. *gulp* End of TMI

When I dropped Jaylen off this morning, I had my daily chat as I usually do with his teachers. They asked how I was doing and I told them about being almost 2 cn. dilated. Their eyes get wide and say, “Miss! Shouldn’t you be lying down right now?!” and that’s the same thing Ricky, Big Mario’s friend, said yesterday. I wish I could just be lying down, but I’ve got children to drop off and pick up. I’m getting a little apprehensive about the whole drop off/pick up situation as I get closer to delivering. I know Mario will be here for about 3-4 days and Mary’s going to take a week off, but I can’t help but worry a little. I’m going to feel so…weird not having control over everyday things like that.

I’m also worried about the cooking! I know Mary will probably feed us for a few days, but what do I do after that? After the novelty of taking care of New Mom wears off and I have to do everything I usually do, only now I’ll have a newborn attatched to my bosom.

It does sort of excite me in a strange way. I don’t want to feel stressed, and I know I will in some cases, but I wonder how our lives will change now that we’re going to be 5 and not 4. Jaylen’s already talking about how we’ll have to get a new chair for the kitchen table and how it will go at the end so she can be “next to” all of us. How will it be now that I’ll have 3 babies with me while I grocery shop. I think it’ll be good for the boys though. They want to feel responsible and have both promised me they’re going to be the best helpers when Alaethia’s born. Let’s see if they keep that promise LOL.

I can’t wait to meet this little lady (and see who she resembles more!). I just hope she waits till at least 6pm on Sunday!

36-37? Week Appointment

During the little bouts of sleep I got to experience between Rocko’s crazy barking outside and my waking up to pee, I had a dream that I’d gone to the doctor and she (although my doctor’s a he) exclaimed while giving me a pelvic exam, “You’re at 2 centimeter’s dilated, Miss Yajaira!”

I sit up quickly (this confirmed that I was dreaming since there’s NO WAY I’d actually be able to get up that fast from a laying position in my current state) and say, “Oh my gosh! Will she stay in there till Sunday? Sunday’s my baby shower!”

The nurse looks at me sadly and says, “Oh no, Miss. I don’t think so!”

This was on my mind all morning up until my actual appointment at 9:15. I even told Mario and Mary about it.

After dropping Mario off at John’s workplace to pick up the Sentra (John’d borrowed it to get to work since it was freezing this morning) and then having some quick breakfast (Honey Bunches of Oats cereal) I left to my appointment. I forgot to change my shoes; I was wearing black spongey flip flops instead of changing into my black flats or socks and Adidas and my feet were frozen. Didn’t feel any better once I got to the office where it felt as cold inside as it was outside.

They called me in pretty fast today. I was so surprised. I got there at 9:06 and I was in by 9:20–to the vitals room anyway.

I gained a pound; I now weigh 135.5 since Friday (when I was 134.6), my blood pressure was fine but once again they had to prick my finger to check for high glucose since it was high in my urine. My sugar was at 115, which is good, but the doctor was concerned with my numbers from Friday, which were 160–too high for me. I told him about the waffles and syrup and coffee I had but he said even then it shouldn’t be that high. He thinks I “may have become a little diabetic.” I asked him if it was possible, since my 1hr Glucose Test came back diabetes-free. He said that yes, it was totally possible. Great! At least there’s only 3 weeks left. He didn’t say I had to change my diet or take any meds, so that’s cool.

I sat in Room 3, the sono room I’m usually in and waited to be seen. I was shaking with cold again. Erica, the nurse, peeks her head in and says, “I have good news and bad news: The bad news is you need to be checked “down there”, so you need to strip from the waist down…which means you’re going to get colder. The good news is you’re 36 weeks!” That last part is not true–I’m 37 darn weeks!

I already knew about the pelvic exam so I obeyed and stripped down. The floor was cold, the examination table was frigid, even with the “sterile” paper and plastic napkin on it that I’d be sitting on. I tried to wrap myself as best as possible with the long, white paper “blanket” they’d given me but of course that didn’t work out. There was an annoying draft blowing on my backside :(.

I tried reading my book again to get my mind off of my chattering teeth and finally, after 15 terrible minutes, Dr. C. came in.

He did a sono first, lectured me about possibly being mildly diabetic, and started pressing on my tummy. Alaethia does not like being poked at or bothered. I should know: that’s how I get her to start moving at night to do my Kick Counts :P. She immediately started squiggling around, which hurt like hell since I was lying flat on my back.

He performs an ultrasound to check her measurements. She’s growing well, thank goodness, and weighs approximately 6 lbs. right now :). I asked him if she still had room and water in there (Jaylen didn’t around this time, which is why they induced) and he said she had plenty of fluid and as for space, he said she’d stretch me out more if she needed to. I wasn’t too happy about that last part–I have enough “new” stretch marks, thank you!

I completely forgot to take my camera with me this time, so I didn’t get any pictures of her. Her head is huge though, and so is her abdomen! Her head’s wedged really deep in my pelvis now, which I can literally feel with every step I take!

After the U.S. came the dreadful pelvic exam. He kept telling me to relax but 1), I was freezing still and 2), I’m not too fond of having another man’s fingers shoved up there, thankyouverymuch. I loathe pelvic exams!

I told them about the dream I had and he said, “Well, let’s see!” I felt a twinge of pain and lots of pressure so I yelped, “Ouch!” and he replied, “Sorry, sorry! I’m trying to move her head so I can get a good measurement of your cervix.”

I think, Move her head?!

“Her head? She’s that low already that it’s right there?!” He says, “Yup!” and then, “Aha…you’re at about 1 1/2 to 2 centimeters.”

Remembering the dream I ask, “Will she stay in there till Sunday? Sunday’s my baby shower!” and he says, “Oh, yes. She can be in there for weeks.” WHEW!

I go back next Wednesday. I asked about my vision changing and if I should get new glasses and he said yes, it happens to a lot of pregnant women but that I should wait a few weeks till after she’s born to get a new prescription. He said sometimes womens’ vision even gets better (but unfortunately for me, that’s not the case). I’ll have to avoid driving at night if I can help it, since it’s then that I can’t see too well.

So I’m really nervous. I can’t believe she’s so low already and that I’ve actually dilated more than a centimeter. Who knows, maybe labor won’t take forever this time like it did with the boys. I just hope and pray I can get an epidural and if anything, at least make it to the hospital. There’d be nothing worse than giving birth in my truck and only being in the company of my brother *shudder*. He’d pass out before I would.