37 Week Update

I will finally be full-term tomorrow :) I can't wait!! I went to the doctor today and I didn't get very hopeful news. The baby is doing wonderful, but my news was not so great. He checked me and I have not changed from 1 cm dilated, which isn't surprising due to the fact that I have had no major contractions in the last several days. He said he did not feel the piece of the stitch that he left in, but he said he is still not confident that he got enough of it out. Basically, he said that I could go into labor and possibly not dilate, which was not good news to hear. I was really hoping to avoid a C-Section, but it is not looking too good at this point. He also said that it doesn't help that the baby is so big already.

I'm really trying not to be disappointed, as I know that women do this all the time, but being that this is my last pregnancy I really wanted to be able to experience things as close to a basic delivery as possible. There is nothing I can do if this is the route we have to go, but it is taking a lot in me to change my thinking. I just feel like I have already been through enough with this pregnancy and now I have to add this onto it all. I am remindng myself that the further I can go, the better chance of a healthier baby and if that means a c-section, so be it.

I think I could still have some chance, if I go into labor this week and that he is wrong about the stitch. I asked him what the plan will be for the next couple of weeks and he said that he won't intervene until sometime between 38 and 39 weeks, which is pretty much what we figured over the last few days. So, basically next week or into the beginning of the week after that. So, we will either be scheduling an induction or a c-section. I know he wants me to try labor first and then do a c-section if we have to, unless he really feels that a c-section would be best.

Saturday night, I was in so much physical pain, mostly in my back that I prayed to God to relieve me of this pain and help me to get through the rest of this pregnancy as comfortably as I can. Sunday, when I looked at my google homepage the message from God that was on there said...
The difficult way is nearly over. Hold on in My Strength. Courage and Joy will conquer all troubles.

I've been reminding myself of that lately. I just ask that for those of you that are praying for this pregnancy, to please pray that God continue to work through me to give me the strength and courage to get through whatever delivery comes my way. The prayers have worked to keep this little guy in me and I know that they will work to help him be born to us safely. I'll keep you updated if anything changes during the week. I go back to the doctor next Monday if nothing happens this week.

Waiting Patiently...

We are still hanging strong and waiting patiently for this little one's arrival. I will be 37 weeks, which is full-term on Tuesday, so it would be great to make it as close to that as possible, even if it is after. We went to an outdoor mall nearby to get me up and walking. We walked for a little over 2 hours straight :) Hopefully, gravity will do its job at some point :) It was so great to walk and not feel my stitch, as it was really beginning to hurt over the last several weeks, due to the baby's weight. I was quite sore when we got home, but I rested and am feeling a lot better now, other than the fact that my feet are swelling for the first time this entire pregnancy! At least it is not taking me as long to recover from walking now :)

Ethan had such a great time and it was so good for the three of us to get out and do something fun. Most of the shopping we did ended up being for Ethan. He needed some new shoes and he was really excited to get them. He also loves books and usually when we go to a bookstore he is allowed to pick out a book, this time he picked out 3 :) He was happy to read one of them before bed tonight. We also found a really good sale on clothes for him, since he is growing out of so much of his clothing right now. We can't seem to keep up with his clothes and shoes sometimes :)

The mall had a great outdoor area for kids that Ethan loved. There was a small waterfall, a bridge and a play area that had these large stone animals that you could climb on. It also had some grassy steps, which was his favorite. He had so much fun playing and we had fun watching him. Overall, it was a great day for all three of us! We had a great lunch and a good time shopping. We were all impressed by the fact that I actually lasted as long as I did. Like I said before, having the stitch out makes a huge difference and I've also been working on building my endurance over the last couple of weeks.

A little piece of good news about Ethan...On Wednesday, I took Ethan to his pulmonary appointment and they decided that we are going to see if Ethan has outgrown his asthma. We are pretty sure he hasn't, but it was good to hear that we will not need to put him back on his meds until he has another cold that requires intervention. That was really exciting news. So, we'll see how it goes :)

I go back to the doctor on Monday as long as nothing changes in the next day or so. I will update again after that appointment. Have a great rest of the weekend :)

Update after Cerclage Removal

Since I am writing this, I'm obviously at home :) The cerclage removal went ok today. I ended up needing the spinal, which I was not happy about. He really tried to do it without the spinal, but I was in a lot of pain and he could not get to the stitch without more pain for me. The spinal was awful again!! I have decided that since I have had so many bad experiences with it, I am going to ask for the main anesthesiologist to do my epidural and no assisstants or students. As much as I don't mind students learning, this is one area that is just too sensitive for me with all of my normal back problems.

Prior to that they tried to get my IV going and I had agreed to allow two students to observe during the removal, so they wanted one of them to put my IV in. I was ok with it until it felt like my hand was being stabbed. He ended up going right through my vein rather than into it. I was in so much pain that the nurse had to put it into my other hand. So, now I have two very sore hands because I have such awful veins. Like I said, I'm ok with students observing and practicing, but I think that when it comes to my veins and my spine it will have to be a no!! The students were thankful to be able to observe and I was happy to help :) My recovery was a lot better than when they placed the cerclage, which means I was not throwing up and I was able to walk well and I was not completely dizzy for hours :)

I did begin contracting after the removal and as I began to feel again they certainly became more intense. I had contractions every 2-4 minutes for the entire afternoon. Right after the removal I dilated to 1 cm and that is where I stayed for the next two times they checked me. So, the doctor decided to send me home and let me get more relaxed at home and see if anything changes. I am certainly more comfortable at this point, and my contractions have spread out slightly. I am in a lot of pain, because the cerclage was so difficult to remove. Overall, we are happy to be home and we are hoping that we may be able to make it to 37 weeks or at least as close as we can. If nothing happens this weekend, I will go back to the doctor on Mon or Tues to get checked again.

We'll keep you updated if anything changes as soon as we can :) Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers today! Even with the moments of pain, I know that the prayers helped to give me the strength to get through those moments and to also help me to recover as well as I did. So, thank you!!

I just had to share....

I wanted to share these pictures with all of you. It is weird to think that in a short while I will have two boys to love and take care of! Sometimes it is hard for me to think that Ethan won't be my only baby anymore! I don't want him to feel neglected at any point, so I'm doing all I can to make him see that he is still just as important as he always has been. He has been so great through the last several months and I know he will be a great big brother! Of course, he will always be mommy's little miracle.

A quick little story about Ethan and school...The other day I asked Ethan about the music at school and he told me that his teacher plays the music on a......record player!!! Can you believe it, I didn't know that would be in a modern day 4 year old's vocabulary :) It was such a flash back to music class in elementary school! (Remember Bev? In case you read this!) By the way I work with my former elementary music teacher and I have only good memories :) I loved music class!

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do!!

36 Weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look at how much bigger he has gotten in just 4 weeks!!

31 weeks 5 days

35 weeks and 5 days

I can't believe it! I'm 36 weeks pregnant! There were so many days where I didn't think I could ever make it this far and here I am. I'm finally at the last baby on my ticker above :)

I went to the doctor yesterday and we came up with the game plan for this week. Basically, I stopped taking progesterone yesterday, so that should help my contractions to be able to break through when they decide to start. So far, there have been no major contractions through this pregnancy to require any other meds, so the progesterone seemed to keep me pretty calm. I did have two or three small contractions during my NST yesterday, but they are still pretty minor, so we'll see how things go during this week.

The NST went well. They had to "zap" him to wake him up and once that happened he did a great job and they got what they needed for him, so Matt and I were really happy about that. The ultrasound was good too. We did not get any pictures, since he is so crowded in there right now. We did get to see him breathing, which was really good news! The amniotic fluid level was good for the gestation and his placenta is starting to show that he is getting older, all of it was normal for this point in the pregnancy. The technician also said that his heart was perfect! We also found out that his approximate weight is 7lbs 2oz already. It could actually be more or less, since this is only an estimate. I'm measuring at about a week and a half ahead, so it seems to be pretty accurate. When my doctor measured my belly he actually laughed and I told him "that doesn't sound good"! He is still amazed how big this baby is getting and how well we have been doing, he gets so happy to see us each week!

On Thursday, I am scheduled to go in at 11:00 with my cerclage being removed around 1pm. He told me that he will try to get the cerclage out without any medication, but because the surgeon that put it in is so good, he is doubtful that he will be able to do that. So, I will be prepped for a spinal, which means I am finally sleeping in!! I can't eat or drink after midnight, so I am going to stay asleep for as long as I possibly can. Plus, I figure that I will need the extra rest in case I would go into labor. If I do go into labor soon after the removal, they will keep me there and they will not stop me from having the baby. If I would not go into labor, we'll go home and wait it out. Then we'll make the next decision at my appointment next week, whenever that would be. It sounds like if I go to far, it will have to be a c-section, due to his size. So, we are hoping that it will happen in the next week if it doesn't happen this weekend. But, obviously it is out of our hands and we'll deal with whatever comes our way.

We have almost everything ready to go. I packed the baby's things and Ethan's activity bag yesterday. Today, I'm going to work on my bag and get it packed with what I will need, other than any daily items and those I will make a list of, so that we don't forget anything. Matt will pack Ethan's overnight bag tonight or tomorrow, so that he is also ready to sleep wherever he would need to.

It is so weird to switch gears from keeping this baby in, to pushing the baby out!! We are all ready for him to come. My diabetes is still difficult to control at times, and the only cure is to get him out of me, so that has also motivated us to feel ready for whenever it happens. We are getting more and more excited everyday!! We'll try to keep you updated if things change over the next few days. Hopefully, we'll have some good news soon enough!!

Potpourri of Stuff!

Waiting for the school bus!

He's quite the super star!!

As I said in the last post being "off" of bedrest has not been much different from being on bedrest, except that I can go out now. After my birthday adventure, I was incredibly tired and sore all day on Thursday. So, for both Thursday and Friday I took it really easy. On Saturday, I got up early and went with my sister Erika, my mom and my niece Alex to go get our haircuts. We all go to the same hair sylist, so when I called him this week and asked if had anything open, they were already scheduled and he fit me in :) I finally got my hair cut and it feels great. I actually went pretty short this time. I wanted something easy for the next couple of weeks, since I know that I will have the baby and then I will have to be able to shower and get ready quickly, like I have all summer. Ethan even got his hair cut on Friday night. He kept telling us that his hair was getting bigger, so we knew we had to get it cut! I just love the way he talks :)

After the hair cuts, we went out to lunch and when I got home, I just crawled into bed and slept for a little while. I was so sore and exhausted from the morning! Then our friends Jim and Anne came by with their baby Liam. It was so nice to see them, since we haven't seen them since July sometime. We were both so surprised how big Liam was and it reminded us how quickly babies grow :) Even with the burst of energy I got from having visitors over, I still felt pretty tired and ended up laying on the couch for the rest of the evening and went to bed about an hour earlier than normal.

Today, we are visiting with Matt's family, so we ended up not going to church today, because I am still really sore from yesterday. So, I am again taking it easy this morning, so that I can enjoy this afternoon! It really amazes me how much work I have to do to just build up my strength. It will be a busy week this week, so I know I will be resting quite a bit in my down times.

I have to share a funny story from this morning about Ethan. He had us pull out a tent that he has that collapses so that it can be stored. He was playing in it this morning and he said "mama, I'm in the tent" and I said "peek-a-boo", expecting him to poke his head out, but instead he said "I don't see you!", in the same sing song voice that I had. He knows that I normally say "peek-a-boo, I see you", so he finished it in his own way :) He had me laughing so hard. I'm so glad he got Matt's sense of humor, between the two of them, I am laughing all the time :) I hope this little guy gets the same sense of humor, although I know that I am going to end up being the butt of most of their jokes, but I can handle it, as I have for the 15 years I've been with Matt! I get my own little jabs in once in awhile :) The one cell phone commercial (this is pretty close to how it goes) where the mom is complaining about the milk that was spilled on their minutes and the husband says, "who would want milky minutes anyway", and she says "my sister would appreciate milky minutes" and the dad says "isn't your sister lactose intolerant?" and then the dad and the boys laugh...shows me what it will be like to have a husband and two boys all with the same sense of humor!! Speaking of the men in my life...

Watching the first Browns game together and yes, they are eating Doritoes, shocking, I know!!

Not too happy the Browns lost...

I Got My Birthday Wishes!!

Yesterday was my birthday and it turned out to be a really good day. Way back when I first found out I was pregnant, I had really wanted to be pregnant on my birthday, because I knew that it was a much safer point to be at. I made it, so that was my first birthday wish!

More recently, I had hoped that I might be off of bedrest so that I could go out to dinner for my birthday and I even got that wish! Matt, Ethan and I went out to dinner and it was so nice to feel like a normal pregnant woman going out to dinner. It was interesting trying to fit my diet into my dinner, but it worked well. I did a good job and my sugars stayed nice and low, which was great :) Of course, I probably had a couple of other factors that helped me. I ended up having to get my meds increased again. I'm now up to 3 pills at dinner time, so I think it is working. I also got some exercise right after dinner. We ended up going over to Babies R' Us to get a couple of items that we needed for our growing family.

It was so much fun to go shopping for the baby :) A couple of the items were for Ethan too. We realized that Ethan is ready to move to a booster seat in the car, so we picked up one of those for Matt's car, since his car seat in my car is a 3 stage and can be turned into a booster until the baby will be big enough to need the car seat. We also needed a better humidifier for Ethan's asthma. The one we had is not that great, so we got him a better one, which we think will work out nice for him and help him better at night this winter.

The best thing we bought was Ethan's gift for the baby. Ethan likes to give babies "chewy blankies", which are little blankies that usually have some kind of animal head in the center and they usually have a silky finish to them. So, he is going to give his brother a chewy blankie. It was so cute, because Matt picked up two of them and handed them to Ethan and we let him choose which one he wanted to give his brother. One had a dog head and one had a bear head. He chose the one with the bear head and after he picked it out, I realized it said "My best friend". How cute is that?? It seemed to be the perfect gift.

I talked to Ethan's teacher yesterday and found out that Ethan has talked a lot about his new baby brother and she said he sounds so excited about it. It made me happy to hear that! Matt will hopefully get a little bit more info on how Ethan is doing when he goes to a meeting tomorrow. The lovely Ohio Department of Education (I work for them, so I can be annoyed) has decided that preschoolers need a more specific label on their IEP's. So, Matt is going in tomorrow to get Ethan's label switched. They send home a list of something like 10 different labels and he fits into a couple of those, so we don't know which one the team will choose for him. I deal with all of these last minute ODE changes all the time at work, so it didn't surprise me that they would suddenly make a change and expect it to be taken care of ASAP. Oh the joys of people that have either never been in the education field or people that have been out of it so long that they have no clue, making all of the decisions for educators and students. Sorry, I won't go into that :)

Life without bedrest has not been much different than life with bedrest. I am still taking it easy, because I still want to get to next Thursday. I am up more during the day, I'm actually sitting up to eat again, I am also sitting more when doing other things and I'm standing more. I can't drive right now, so I can't really go anywhere and I'm still dependant on other people to take me places. After 21 weeks of no driving, you can't just get up and drive, plus I don't want to risk being alone in a car and going into labor. It took me about 2 weeks to get back to driving after I had Ethan and that was after 3 weeks of bedrest. Hopefully, I'll be able to get back to driving in decent timing after the baby is born, but we'll see. The positive part of this is that I have been doing some walking, so it should move a little faster this time. With Ethan, I was on 3 weeks of hospital bedrest, with no walking except a few feet to the bathroom, so that was a lot harder to recover from. So, at least this time, I will have some time to build up my strength so that I can drive :) That will be a weird feeling!!

This next week is going to be a big week for us and I will be getting my exercise! On Saturday, I'm going to get a much needed haircut! I have missed my every 6 -8 week cuts! I called my stylist and said that my hair is a disaster and I need help :) Luckily my mom, sister and niece have their appointment on Saturday, so I'm going with them. Sunday, we are going out with Matt's family to celebrate his grandmother's birthday, it is the first one since her passing last November. Monday is my Ultrasound, NST and dr. appt. Wed, I have to get Ethan to his pulmonary appointment to find out what to do about his asthma this year. Then, Thursday is the big day, where I get my cerclage out! Then we'll expect this little one anytime after that and I can be a completely normal pregnant woman! We'll keep you updated with any new info we get in the next few days!

Great News!!!!

I have some great news from my appointment today! I have officially been freed of strict bedrest! He said I can get up and walk around and I will be able to go places! It will be hard, but I will be working hard to get my body ready to deliver this little guy. I'm hoping to build my endurance a little more each day this week! I went to church for the first time yesterday, since Mother's day and that was completely exhausting, but good. It was good to see everyone again and to be told how many people have been praying for this little one. I was so tired yesterday, but it was a good tired :)

I just feel so pumped up right now! I am so excited about this. I will be 35 weeks tomorrow. I am going to stay on the progesterone until my cerclage removal. I think he would like me to at least make it that far if I can and so do I. I would really like to have this next week 1/2 to build my strength, so I'm ok with staying on the progesterone. It is not completely stopping my contractions, but it is probably helping to keep them from getting too strong. I have an ultrasound to check his growth again on Monday right before my regular NST and appointment. Based on the way he sounded today, I think he is going to use that information to see if he will induce me, if needed after the cerclage removal. I know he does not want to do a c-section, unless it is totally necessary, so I think that if the baby is measuring big, he will go ahead and induce me if I don't go into labor on my own.

At this point, Matt and I are planning that the baby will come the 25th or after. We'll be prepared just in case that is when it happens. Of course, I will be watching myself closely this week and get prepared a little sooner, just in case! I am so excited we are so close. I'm sure Matt will be relieved when this little guy is here, he has had such a crazy schedule over the last several months. It was so nice to look at my calendar for October and see that I don't have any appointments scheduled until the very end of October!! This has all been a great birthday present for me, I couldn't have asked for anything better. I also get my wish to be pregnant on my birthday (well, at least I'm pretty sure I will!).

I'll keep you updated on any changes as the week progresses.

Appointment Update

I just came back from the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor and all went well. No ultrasound was done, it would have been nice, but we knew it was possible that they wouldn't do it. The doctor is so nice and funny, so it was a very relaxing appointment :) The appointment was mostly about my gestational diabetes and my control of it. Both the doctor and the dietician said that they are happy with my control and think I am doing very well, so that made me feel a lot better about my situation :) He agreed with everything I told him my regular OB has said, so it was also good to hear that. I have been really happy with the care I have received during this pregnancy and it was good to have some confirmation of that.

There has also been a second opinion on the safety zone this baby is in right now. He said what my OB has said that basically I can have the baby anytime now and he will do well. I plan to at least go two more weeks, if I can. I'm hoping that at that point I will have the baby soon after. We still want to avoid any major time in the NICU, other than the observation that we know he will need because of the diabetes. It still brings back too many memories about the NICU, so it would be hard to do that again, even for a couple of days. While at the hospital today, we saw a mom taking her baby home and this was the first time that I saw that and felt confident that I will be able to do that this time. I think one of the hardest things (other than the obvious issues with Ethan), when I would leave him at the hospital, was seeing moms get to take their babies home with them right after they had them, not 3 months later. I am so excited that I have a very strong chance of making it home with my baby this time :)

So, overall I had another great appointment to help me confirm how well things are going! I see my regular OB on Monday, so I'll update after that :)

34 Weeks!!!!

I am 34 weeks today! 3 more weeks until I am considered full-term! Nothing too major happened at yesterday's appointment. The NST took a long time again because my little man was sleeping. She actually had to use this little zapper to wake him up, he did not like that :) The first time, he got mad and then fell back asleep, kind of like a snooze button :) The second time, he got really mad and kicked like crazy and gave the information we needed.

The doctor told me again that he would be ok if the baby came now. Basically, he is not going to stop labor at this point. Kind of scary to me, but at the same time exciting that we are at the point that we can say that :) I'm measuring only 2 weeks ahead, which is really good. He is going to be a big baby, but hopefully not a giant baby :) That scares me :)

I am going to get my endurance up a little this week, but I will still remain on bedrest. The only thing I will do everyday is walk out to the bus to get Ethan, which is not a long walk. The doctor said that next week I'll be able to go out to dinner or even to the store :) It has been forever since either of those things have happened and it works out well because I may actually be able to go out to dinner for my birthday! I also stop progesterone next week, so that may allow contractions to begin.

Overall, all is still good right now. I go see the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor on Thursday. We are hoping for a surprise ultrasound :) They do 3D there, so that would be fun. It would be fun to get a little glimpse of him. I'll update you after that appointment. We are looking forward to what the next couple of weeks will bring. It is exciting to know that we are really in the countdown now :)

First Cold of the Season

Well, we have been dealing with the first cold of the season already. Ethan was in school for just two days and caught a cold already! As many of you know, most of the time a cold is not just a cold for Ethan, it usually ends up turning into a full asthma attack and days of breathing treatments. Sometimes we get lucky and it just stays a cold and we don't have to do any treatments, but not this time. Ethan had been off of all asthma meds since May and did really well all summer, but his immune system is still having a hard time adjusting to the fall and winter germs. It seems like we will have to start the daily meds again, it's not much fun, but it has to be done!

It all started Thursday night when he was at his grandma's staying the night. He did not sleep well and started with a runny nose. So, in the morning I had to send all of his breathing treatment meds and supplies, with my dad, to my mom, since that was where Ethan was at on Friday. He only needed a couple of treatments on Friday, but it was Saturday that was just awful. Ethan needed treatments every 1-3 hours. He ended up with a fever and he was incredibly whiny, as most kids tend to be when they are sick. Matt had an appointment to get some work done on my car in the morning, so I was alone with Ethan for a few hours. Between 11 and 11:30, Ethan had to be given 3 different medications. I started out with some prednosone to help open up his lungs, since he was having difficulties with breathing between treatments. Then as soon as we got that down, he started into an awful asthma coughing fit, so I had to give him his treatment. Just as we finished that, he became hysterical. So, I felt him and noticed he was a little warm, so I took his temp and sure enough he had a fever. So, the third medication was for the fever. I finally called Matt and said "is the car ready yet? I'm exhausted!" Everytime I went to lay down, Ethan needed me for something, luckily I'm at a good point in the pregnancy that it wasn't such a big deal, but I was so exhausted by the time he started to feel a little better.

Luckily, he took a good nap and felt a lot better in the evening. We even went outside for a little bit, which I think is good to help kill some of the germs. He's a little better today, but he is still having difficulties with breathing and he has had a runny nose that won't go away. Poor Matt has had two nights of very little sleep, since he is the one sleeping upstairs with Ethan. The first night, Ethan spent the entire night in the bed with Matt, which means that Matt did not sleep. Ethan is not kind when he sleeps in the same bed as you. He is a kicker and he also has to be right up against you. He also moves all over the place and ends up taking up the entire bed :)

We had a ton of plans for this weekend, which has been a rare thing lately and we had to cancel everything. The plans for Saturday and Sunday included friends that have babies, one of them is only a few weeks old. We left it up to all of the parents involved to make the decision, but we figured that plans would end up having to be cancelled. We know what it is like to have a sick kid make Ethan sick, so we didn't want to do that to them. So, hopefully we'll be able to reschedule sometime before or after we have the baby :) This isn't the first time we have had to cancel plans, and I'm sure it won't be the last :) Let's just pray that I don't get this cold! I really just want to stay healthy until this little guy comes home!

My Baby Rode a Bus to School!

Ethan started his second year of preschool on Wednesday. It turns out that a fellow March of Dimes volunteer's son is in his class this year. Ethan was pretty excited to go back as one of the big kids in the class this year. He has been taking the whole big kid role very seriously lately and he even talks about how he is getting bigger and bigger! He has been making us so proud.

On Thursday, Ethan rode the bus to school for the first time. Both Matt and I were nervous about it, but in the end Ethan loved it. It was actually a pretty humorous event...Ethan was eating his cereal and I was watching out the window as I was finishing my breakfast. All of a sudden the bus pulled up a couple of minutes before we expected it. So, I yelled for Matt and we literally had to throw his shoes on and shove him out the door. Poor Ethan had no idea what hit him. He just knew that he couldn't finish his last bite of his cereal. He just looked at us like we were nuts. Both Matt and I felt winded afterwards and we couldn't help but laugh, thinking that Ethan must think his parents are crazy. Because we were both still a little nervous about it, Matt drove down to the school to make sure he got there ok and that Ethan handled it well. Luckily we only live about 2 miles from the school and Matt didn't have to be at work just yet. I think we both just needed that to make sure that we had made the right decision.

After school, I had my dad pick him up and bring him home so that I could say goodbye properly before he went to my mom's house and then he was going to stay the night with Matt's mom. Ok, the pregnant mom in me was too emotional to let him go without kissing him goodbye. I'm so glad I saw him because I will never forget his face when I asked him about the bus ride. It really made my day to see him so happy. So, on Monday, he will ride the bus to and from school and he will have his shoes on before he eats his breakfast :) We'll also have him ready well before the bus might come :)

I go back to the doctor on Monday and we'll learn a little more about how much I am going to be able to do. I know I will get a short walk out to the bus (it stops in front of our house) every day to get Ethan after school. But, it would be nice to know that maybe I can go out for a dinner, not that I know what I would be able to eat on this diet, but I can try my best :) I guess we'll see. They did up my medication for the diabetes because I was still getting a high number at dinner time. So now I take 1 pill in the morning and two at night. It looks like they will most likely put me on 2 in the morning and 2 at night. I also got my time for the cerclage removal. I will need to be at the hospital at 11am on the 25th with the removal happening at 1pm. There is a possibility that after being able to walk a little and being off of progesterone, I will go right into labor either that day or within a couple of days. I have also heard of some people going to the end after the removal. My hope is to go sometime that weekend or even once I am 37 weeks, which will be the 30th.

I can tell my body is getting ready and I am also now pretty sure that I will have back labor. I've had a lot more back pain and more contractions through the day. They are still not timable, which is good, but I am getting them more often. Before, I would get maybe 1-4 in a day, but now I have more than 4 in a day. Still pretty normal, but I'm sure it will increase as the weeks go on so that I am better prepared for actual labor. Now, if I could get some sleep at night that is a little more solid that would be great! I think a woman's body gets her ready for being up every 2-3 hours, because that is how often I get up. Sometimes, it is just simply because my body is in pain and I need to change positions, but then it takes some time to go back to sleep, as it does after being up with a baby. At least when I get a nap, it seems to be a little more peaceful. Of course, the naps are becoming less and less because of the amount of times I have to either be testing my blood or eating. It seems like I lay down and I already have to get up to do one of those things. So, I've been setting alarms so that I can sleep for even a half hour.

I'll update you on Monday about the appointment and hopefully we'll have a picture of Ethan getting on the bus. I didn't get a chance on Thursday because we had to move so fast to get him on there in the first place :) Have a great weekend!!

Words of Inspiration

Throughout this pregnancy, I have had many people offer words of inspiration at just the right moment. Most of the time it has been through a card or an email. Usually, they have come at a point where I have been feeling pretty low and it has brought me back up. Almost 2 months ago, I set up a google homepage for myself and I put two areas on it that give some words of inspiration. One is called "Words of Christ", which has quotes from the Bible. The other one comes from the Two Listeners, who said they heard the words of God. I have collected a few of the inspirational quotes that I have read that have made me feel so much better about lying here on bedrest. Even with as far as I have been able to get myself, I still have the hard days once in awhile and these quotes were on my home page on those low days. The words always remind me why I am here lying on the couch...

"Seek diligently for something to be glad and thankful about in every happening and soon no search will be required." - Two Listeners (This was an important one, as I have had many days where I have not been able to be glad and thankful, and this reminded me that I need to.)

"Look on each difficulty as training to enable you to acquire My Peace." - Two Listeners (All I can say is Wow! I feel that the experience we had with Ethan was training for this experience and now I wonder what this experience is training me for.)

"The beauty of My Kingdom is in its growth. Spend no time thinking of failures. Count lessons learned as rungs in a ladder. Step up." - Two Listeners (I love this one, for so long, I blamed myself for what happened in the pregnancy with Ethan, which was part of why I waited so long for another one and I realized the blame I put on myself was holding me back from losing weight, because I felt that once I lost some weight, I would be ready for a pregnancy again.)

"Not only in the great decisions of life accept and welcome My Will. See it in each interruption, each task however small. Accept it and the resulting Joy will transform your life." - Two Listeners (This is His Will and I am accepting it, even though it has taken me a long time to do so.)

"Be full of gratitude. Take all that happens as My Planning. I have prepared all in my My Love for you." - Two Listeners (Not much to say here, I have always believed in this, especially since I have had many things happen in my life that could not be explained by anything other than it was God's plan and he had his reasons.)

"So trust and know I am leading you. Step with confidence in Me into each unknown day.
And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." (Luke 7:50) (I really felt this was meant for me on the day that I read it. I really needed to feel peace and after reading this, I did.)

"Never lose heart. Draw near to Me and in that nearness is all you need." - Two Listeners (Another simple reminder that I am not alone and that I cannot give up, I'll bring this baby home soon.)

This one is from today...

"No need to plead. How wonderful to feel you can simply claim help and so lovingly it is there." - Two Listeners (This has been something that has amazed me this entire pregnancy. It has been so helpful to both Matt and I to have so many people willing to step in and help whenever we needed it, especially when it comes to taking care of Ethan. We have appreciated all of the help that we have received. It is so great to know that we have such caring and loving friends and that this baby and Ethan have such a great support network. So THANK YOU!!)

33 Week Appointment

All went well again today. We had a little difficulty getting some kicks for the NST, but he eventually cooperated enough. He was really busy kicking right before the appointment, the little stinker! When I went into the doctor, the nurse gave me some info about labor, delivery and post-delivery! That was so crazy to get. It really made it real how close we are now. The doctor told me that he was really happy with how far I have gotten and he feels that the baby would be ok if he would happen to be born now. Obviously, he nor I want that, but it was reassuring to know I got him into another safety zone!

He confirmed that he will let me get up a walk around a bit more next week. I'll know more on Monday's appointment on what that means. I plan to still rest enough so that I can get to my cerclage removal date without any major problems. We also confirmed the date for the cerclage removal, which will be Sept. 25! So, barring any early labor, the earliest I should go into labor will be Sept. 25 or sometime soon after that. That is only a little over 3 weeks away. I am finally starting to feel like a normal pregnant women, which is a great feeling. The anxiety is changing for me, it is not so much a life or death anxiety, it is more the anxiety of having a new baby in a few weeks! I'm happy to have that anxiety! After 19 weeks of bedrest, I think I deserve it :)

I almost forgot, I was put on medication for my gest. diabetes. It seems to be helping already. I was still having high numbers at lunch and those have gotten better. I told them I would do anything I needed to get this baby here safely. I see the Maternal Fetal Medicine Doctor (the one who put in the cerclage) next Thursday. He wants to see me, since he was the one that had to prescribe the medicine.

Thanks again for all of your support. We'll keep you updated on any changes, otherwise, I will update you after the appointment on Monday and then on Thursday if there is anything to tell!

My Cedarpoint Trip!

On Friday, I went to Cedarpoint. The last time I was there I was too little and scared of the loud roller coasters, but this time I had a lot of fun. I went with Daddy, Grandma, Uncle Adam, and Aunt Joyce. I got to ride my very first roller coaster and it was really fast and I got to ride a lot of other rides too. I even went to the beach for a little bit and that was fun because I have been asking to go all summer! After Cedarpoint, I went with Grandma and Uncle Adam to Aunt Joyce's house in Cleveland. I had a lot of fun! It was another place I have been asking to go to all summer! Here is a video montage of some of the pictures that were taken of me at Cedarpoint. Just click on the words Cedar Point 2008.

Cedar Point 2008