38 Week Dr. Visit

Well....I caved and let them check me today.  It's my 30th birthday.

Absolutely nothing going on! Guess we will be definitely having a May baby! :)

 Here I am! 30 years old and 38 weeks pregnant!

38 Weeks!

Another week down!  New symptom this week: cramping.
It's nothing strong and it isn't stop and go, so not contractions.  Just general, uncomfortable, feels like my time of the month cramps.  It was only at night but I am feeling it this morning too.  I suppose it is just more stretching going on.
We still have some things to get done here at home but basically have everything we need.
Here's more about week 38:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.
Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

My packing lists

I thought of doing this the other day just due to the fact that I can reference it later on if needed. :)
Here are my various packing/purchase lists I've used over the past few weeks to get everything ready!


Labor/Delivery Bag:
Birth Plan
Baby Book
Boppy Pillow
Thick Towel (for various use...probably Corey in case he needs to kneel on the floor)
Snacks
Camera
Ipod
Rescue Remedy Spray
Wash Cloths
Massage Oil
Notepad/pen

Hospital Stay Bag
Pajamas?  In case I want them.
Robe
Nursing Tanks
Nursing Bras
Clothes to wear home
Toiletries
Underwear
Pads
Nursing Pads
Lanolin
Extra reusable bag for bringing "stuff" home
Vitamins
Corey's supplies

Diaper Bag:
2 extra onesies
blanket
diaper/wipes
Swaddle Me Blankets
Burp Cloths
Coming home outfit
hats
socks
nail clippers (we always needed nail clippers for our other two right away! ha!)


Katie and Noah's bags for the gparents:
clothes
vitamins
underwear
sleeping bag

The other stuff I picked up to have at home afterward is what I could remember having to send someone out for or get on the way home.  I may or may not need it this time around but I would rather have it ready and waiting than to wish I had it.  I already placed them in a little plastic bin under the bathroom sink so Corey can get it out for me easily and I can add the other stuff from the hospital that I remember getting, like the little squirt water bottle and various other "stuffs."  Here it is:

At Home Supplies
Dermoplast Spray
Witch Hazel
Epsom Salt
Pads in all various sizes and shapes
gentle stool softener
Post pregnancy tea
Disposable plates/cups/bowls to use the first couple of days. :)

A few more things on my to-do list:
PACK all this stuff.  I have it all together, but it is not in a bag, except for the double supply of toiletries I picked up. 
CLEAN the house finally! 
Pack up the school supplies and restock for next year.
Put the pack n play sheet on the co sleeper.
Put the waterproof mattress pad under the sheets on my side of the bed! (just in case! :)
Pick up a robe.
Pick up a set of full size sheets for the guest bed.  (this is a low priority)
Pick up the replacement parts set for my breast pump.  I won't need them right away or even the first 6 weeks or so, but I do want to have them because I have a really nice pump from when I worked full time and nursed Noah.  Since I already have it I figure why not use it to get some spare put away for those "just in case" situations.  It would make me feel less stressed and worried because I'm always thinking about the what ifs, ha. What if I had to have surgery or got sick with something or blah blah blah.

It's (Still) a Girl!

Today was doctor day!  I saw the same lady who did our 20 week ultrasound.  I really like her.  She makes nice conversation when she comes in.  I mentioned what the doctor said last time about suspecting she could be breech so she felt around and couldn't find the head down low.  So, she suggested we pop over to the ultrasound room for a quick look!
She immediately confirmed that her butt is up high and her head is way down low! YAY!  Such a relief! No more stressing about having to spend time trying to get her to flip.  While we were in there she also took the time to confirm that YES she is definitely still a GIRL! *WHEW!*  Corey and I had both been a little worried in the back of our minds just because we actually painted a pink wall and have tons of pink stuff already!  We lived in apartments with both the other two so we never painted anything and always stuck with gender neutral on bigger stuff like bouncy seats, etc.  She got some really cute shots......

 Alien baby face! aaaahh! ha ha ha ha.  The eyes never show up well.  This is straight on looking at her face.

 A little less of an alien look in that one.  I have another later on with labels.  Her face is sideways, if you tilt to the right you get the right view.  She said that the little white fuzzy area at the top of her head is some hair.

 This one is my favorite even though you can't see most of the face.  You can see her pudgy little nose and cheeks and lips.  There's one labeled further down so you can reference it.

 And....now....

 For the sake of perhaps one day putting this blog into book form, there's the "girl" shot, right next to the little white plus sign, ha ha.

Profile, with leg/foot up by her face.

I am thrilled I got to get these pics today!  And to confirm double good news: head DOWN and still a girl!

37 Weeks!

Any time now!  Though, I am not anticipating anything happening until at LEAST May, probably the week of the due date or later.
I am having a few minor cramps and pains at night, some worse than others.  But I think it's just due to end of the day exhaustion.  I am getting in the mood to get things done around here finally....to Corey's relief I am sure! ha.
We discussed our plans for the hospital this weekend and have decided that the best plan for success with the natural childbirth is to be alone..just Corey and myself at the hospital for labor and delivery.  I am someone who is affected by things in my head BIG TIME and the thought of anyone waiting at the hospital makes me really anxious.  I am determined to go through with the natural childbirth and I would be really disappointed if anything distracted us from that goal.  We want time alone with Ruby right after her birth, not an audience.  Especially since this may very well be our last experience, I want it to be a BIG memory for Corey and me.  Katie, Noah, and the grandparents will be the first to come and visit, and THEN we will be announcing it to the world.  I mean, what's the rush? Right? :)  All I can remember immediately after Katie's birth is the feeling of the papparazzi invading our room.  It was overwhelming.

It could happen any time now! 

Here's more about week 37:
Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)
Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Counting Down and Finishing Projects

I have had a "to-do" list posted on my regular blog.  Now that we have a lot of the big things done, it's time to move on to the little last minute things.  I don't remember any of this planning with the other two.  I think I was too busy being a college student and newlywed, ha ha.  You can read the last update to our lists here.  Since this is the baby blog though, I will share the photos of the nursery on this one.  Corey just finished setting up the furniture an hour ago.

These pictures were taken on my phone...sigh...sorry I am super lazy.

 This was Friday right after Corey painted the pink wall.  The color just doesn't show up well.

 And now...with the bed.  We have to get some full size sheets to go on this bed because the ones we had were WORN OUT by Katie in the years she used this bed, ha ha.  We got rid of them they were so bad. 

This is the only bed in the room for right now.  We plan to use it for guests and for all those times when you just need a place nearer to the baby/toddler/etc when they are sick and etc. We've never had a guest bed, I am very pleased that we finally do!  We will put a crib in here later when we get one..no rush on that.  We have the co-sleeper in our room beside our bed for now and the near future.

Here's the view from the bed corner.  There's still cleaning stuff on the dresser.  That's where we plan to put the changing pad.  We are big users of the changing pad, and were with both babies.  We have hard wood floors in the living room which means we will definitely use it a lot this time around also.  We just have to GET a changing pad.  One of the very few things we didn't get at our shower.

So...there's the update on the nursery.  She won't really be IN there for a while, but we definitely needed this space ready for all her *stuff*.  Now I can start cleaning the rest of the house that is currently piled up with all that stuff! :)

Our current to-do list:

1. Get all the baby stuff organized in the baby room.
2. Buy stuff needed still on our must have list. (changing pad for dresser, robe for me, nursing bra, replacement parts for breast pump)
3. Get bags packed for me, baby, and kids. (I have to go re-buy the coming home outfit in a smaller size)
4. Buy supplies we/I need to have on hand post partum at home. (assorted pharmacy and Walmart items)
5. Get the flower bed area in the front yard presentable for post baby visitation.
6. Wash baby clothes/blankets (esp the cloth diapers) to have ready when we get home from the hospital.
7. Finish getting house deep cleaned and keep it up! ha!
8. Get sheets for the bed in the baby room!

36 Weeks!

THIRTY SIX weeks!  Wow!  I am really feeling the pressure to finalize everything around here.  I know that some things can still be done after Ruby gets here, but....it's nice to have a deadline and make ourselves get it done.
I made a list of what I need to pack for the hospital.  I've got a list for my labor/delivery bag, another "staying" bag, the diaper bag for baby stuff, and a list for the kids' bags for wherever they end up while we are at the hospital.  I also made a list of stuff I want to be sure to have on hand at home once we get back.  I remember trips to the pharmacy for various post partum supplies and want to go ahead and have that done ahead.
Now...I just need to actually get all the stuff and pack the bags!
There are only three "big" things on the list that I need to purchase...a robe, the parts for our breastpump, and a nursing bra.  The rest is random little items.
Here's more about week 36:
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

35 Weeks

That really sounds like near the end right?! :)
So, my recent development is nightly, like clockwork...EXTREME heartburn.  Almost to the point of vomiting.
I will feel fine all day...then at about 7:30-8pm..it hits.  And it is rough.  At least if it doesn't go away I only have about 5 more weeks or so.
Here is more about Ruby at 35 weeks:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now thats he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds. Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete —s he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Baby Shower!

The church hosted a baby shower for me/us yesterday.  It was wonderful!  We got so many useful things for Ruby and had a lot of fun. Here are just a few pictures:

 I LOVE shower food.  These were yummy YUMMY cake balls! Chocolate cake with pink chocolate coating and white cake with white coating. 

 A handmade quilt from my mom. She also gave us a big supply of Econobums, 

the cloth diapers we plan to use.

 This is the gift basket from Corey's mom.  A personalized teddy bear sitting in a bouncy seat and on a boppy, surrounded with lots of itty baby goodies.

 My mom, me, Katie, and Karen (Corey's mom)

 Me and Hannah.

 Me and Bethany

 PJ!

 Chris!

 All the girls from church minus Lauren who had already left.

The stash at home! We really got so much great stuff!  We are extremely blessed.

Among everything we have diapers, wipes, bathtub, bouncy seat, quilts, burp cloths, outfits, 17 bibs and 19 onesies!  Also sleepers, diaper cream, a book, and more!