10/29/09

Betweeny

This morning, on the way to work, I was thinking about how I feel 'so on the verge of something' that it's just giving me anxiety. And then I thought about how when this pregnancy is over, it's really over. All of this made me consider the things that I will miss and also the things that I will look forward to. So, really for no one other than myself, I will make a list. If this bores you- I totally understand- feel free to jump blog. :)

Things I Will Miss:
- the newness and excitement of being pregnant for the first time
- how amazing it is to see your body change and prepare for something on it's own
- the occasional breakfast sandwich from McDonald's or bagel with strawberry schmear
- guilt-free sleeping in and napping
- the feeling of anticipation about the new little person you are about to meet
- a good reason to get out of anything lame or especially tiring
- feeling him move in my belly
- spandex bands on jeans vs. zippers

Things I Look Forward To:
- having a little boy to play with and cuddle
- getting back in shape
- sleeping on my stomach
- new/regular clothes (!!)
- sending out christmas cards/birth announcements
- having time off around the holidays- my favorite time of year
- making little Davis wear an elf outfit on christmas
- seeing big Davis become a dad
- buckling my own shoes
- wine and sushi

10/28/09

38 Week Stats

Said in an announcer voice, with a booming echo like we're in a giant wrestling arena...

In the lowest position prior to labor, weighing in at a strapping 8 pounds, facing head down, we have Davis...Dunbar...Graves...Bennett...the 3rd.

In the most uncomfortable position, weighing in at an undisclosed amount, working with 75% effacement and 2 cm dilatation, we have Sam Swollen Foot Bennett.

According to the referee, Dr. Seeker, the two are expected to meet face to face, in the next few days, most likely prior to their set appointment on Tuesday November 2nd. Could be any day, any moment, so keep your phones ready.

10/26/09

Last Week

This is my last week at work before the baby comes- which doesn't feel as weird as it should. I think that it still feels pretty unreal and only next week when I'm either holding baby Davis or sitting at home counting the minutes, will I realize that the time has finally come to be on maternity leave. Because of the way my work schedule falls, I have to use this time or lose it, whether or not the baby is here, so I'm secretly hoping he comes late this week or early next week.

But you can't plan everything...so really I am just hoping for the best...but early would be good. :)

10/23/09

Little D's Room- Part II



Little D's Room






I finally took some pics last night. I think we're ready for him!

10/22/09

I Can't Wait

So here is the scoop from yesterday. We went to the dr. appt. and of course we bet on the way there whether or not anything would have changed since Friday. I didn't think anything would have changed, Davis did. Dr. Seeker did his check and this is what happened next...

Dr. Seeker: Well, I think it's pretty safe to say that this baby is going to come earlier than planned. (Davis and I look at each other in shock)
Sam: What do you mean?
Dr. Seeker: Well, you're 1 cm dilated, 60% effaced, and the baby is in the -1 position (which is basically the lowest position prior to delivery).
Davis: Well, do you have any idea when? If you had to guess...
Seeker: If I was a betting man, I'd put my money on a week early, maybe November 5th.
Davis/Sam: Holy cow.
Sam: But could this happen any day? Should I be prepared?
Seeker: Oh absolutely. It could happen any day. In fact, there is probably a 20-25% chance it could happen this week.

We were giddy with shock and excitement. I can't believe how much things changed in just a few days. Now I feel like I'm a ticking time bomb that could go off at any minute- which is both really exciting, and I'm not going to lie, really scary. I still feel like I'm in shock and disbelief. After being pregnant for so long, you almost start to think that there is no outcome, it's just a non-stop state of being. To think that I'm almost done is unreal. I don't really know what to feel.

So that's the scoop. Don't tell Davis you read it here first. :)

10/21/09

What a Difference a Few Days Make

Quick update though I'm dying to share more- but can't give away too much until Davis gets his answers on birth date predictions. So send them his way please so i can post the exciting news from our 37 week appointment today.

In the meantime- spent Monday morning in the ER from a bug both Davis and I caught. All is well as it ended well but I was pretty miserable Sunday night through yesterday. I'm back in fighting form and apparently so is baby Davis.

Okay so really- get your dates in- I have news, people, and I'm dying to share!

10/17/09

Catch 22

I just met Nikki and some friends for a drink at the lovely San Jose hotel- the weather was amazing, the music was perfect, and in general, I was so happy to be out and about. I made myself go. Not to say that it didn't sound fun naturally- it did- but it also sounded like a lot more work than lying on the couch watching a movie or lying in bed reading after a long day of hard work. But I said to myself "Self, you don't want to look back and wish you had used the time in these last few weeks differently..." so I got dressed and headed out, and I'm so glad I went.

I left feeling a little down though, I am not going to lie. Maybe it's obvious to most, but I feel as though I have realized a major catch 22 with pregnancy. After 9 months of being a bit reclusive and boring, being less active than normal, spending less time out and about being footloose and fancy free, it stands to reason that your body and mind would like to reward themselves with some mixing and mingling, nights out with the girls having glasses of wine, dates out with your husband, basically going out with a bang, if you know what I mean. Of course, the catch is that it's at this time, in your ninth month of pregnancy, that you can't really do these things, or you can, but you don't really even feel like doing those things in your current state, if you're honest with yourself. And so it is these thoughts that made me a little nostalgic about saying goodbye to my youth and how things are about to change.

But maybe I should look at things from Davis' perspective, even if the specific perspective being referenced came about after hours of drinking and celebrating on his 30th birthday. Around 2:00, sitting in the back seat of my car, Davis asked "Why do we always have to talk about our youth? Why can't we look to the future?"

Wise thoughts, I think. And so after thinking this through, though I know things will change and I am sure I will love the change as it happens, I also vow to bounce back and stay true to myself and the things I enjoy doing. There is no reason I can't find the balance of loving being a mom and loving being me as I am and always have been.

So that is the challenge, Joseph Heller, and I will rise to meet it.

10/16/09

Big Boy

We just got back from our highly anticipated 36 week appointment with Dr. Seeker. Davis and I made bets the whole way there on just about everything we could think of- and Davis won most of them- starting with the weight of baby Davis.

Baby Davis is 6 pounds, 11 ounces today.

Davis is going to be a big boy- they are predicting he will be about 8.5 pounds when he's born. What this means is that 1) my prediction was off by almost 1.5 pounds, AND 2) he's already outgrown a few of the little newborn shirts we bought for him.

Dr. Seeker also informed us of the following today:
- Davis is in the 70th percentile for size
- My tailbone is not a problem- so no scheduled c section
- They say that you can deliver in weight up to the size of your shoe
- Davis looks really healthy on all fronts
- The due date still stands at this point
- And because we ask to check each time- Davis is definitely a boy

Anyway- it was a great appointment and now we'll go in every Wednesday until he is born. It feels totally crazy knowing that really he could come at any time- and I have no control over it. I guess this is just the beginning of that feeling, though! Time to get lax about things! Wish me luck.

Pics to come- both nursery and new sonograms.

10/9/09

Also...

Went in for my 35 week appointment today- which begins the weekly visits for me. It was pretty uneventful- but I learned that my blood pressure is good, I gained two pounds (which I can deal with- and which puts me at needing to lose the 26 I've gained being pregnant plus the 10 extra I was carrying right before being pregnant- and I think that's doable), his heartbeat is right on target and I need to drink more water and eat more bananas.

Next week is the big visit with the doctor where I get checked for all sorts of stuff. In addition to checking the size of the baby and predicting what he will weigh when he's born- they check his position, my cervix and my tailbone. I've decided the following:
- I'd like to have him the normal way if possible (with drugs, natch)
- But I'm not afraid of or against a c-section if that will keep me from breaking my tailbone again in delivery and having to sit on a donut for 6 weeks. No thank you.

May be more than you want to know- but while this blog is to share things with others- it's also to document things- so I'm trying to keep a good balance.

Pickles and Ice Cream






As mentioned- Carrie, Nikki and Katie threw me a fabulous shower a few weeks ago. It was so unique from the invitations being the shape of little ice cream cones with a pickle on top to the food (sundaes and fried pickles) to the decorations. I knew it would be fun- but it really was beyond my expectations. All of my girlfriends were there- which made it so special- and it was just a really memorable day. Here are some pics...I will add more later too.

10/7/09

Childbirth Classes- Part I

We went to our first class last night- and the best part was when this totally flustered and overly dramatic pregnant lady barged in late in front of 30 people and instead of just saying "oops- sorry" and sitting down quietly- she went on to let the whole class know why she was late and how horrible the experience she had just had was. The "experience" was really just that she couldn't find her way to the room and the lady downstairs didn't know where the class was. "Really- someone should do something about this..." It's this kind of lady that gives pregnant gals a bad name.

Davis and I just braced ourselves- as we are becoming used to these scenarios ever since our church joining experience a few weeks ago when another cast of characters (a 40 year old woman and her 95 year old, mute husband) barged into a 4 hour small adult class 30 minutes late, with two less than well-behaved boys, explaining that THEY were late because they'd been at Souper Salads. And you have to have ice cream when you're at Souper Salads.

This happened right in the middle of us all describing how we view God. They sat down, we tried to recompose ourselves, and then when it came around to the aforementioned lady, instead of saying all-knowing, powerful, loving, mighty, or really any word that described God she paused and said "Some people call me God's angel." And I wish i could have captured Davis' face on camera. It was priceless.

So back to last night's class before I get struck by lightning or get kicked out of the church I just joined...

The class was informative- but Davis and I both left feeling like there weren't any "ah-ha" moments. Maybe those will come next week. We did find it interesting that today's woman (mainly the lady that was late) is more and more interested in new ways to deliver- including "the squat". I had never heard of this and I don't think I'll be trying it- but I suppose I should never say never.

Anyway- we were the people with the closest due date so everyone turned around to see how I was faring with only a month left to go. I slumped over a little bit, with a real exasperated and spent look on my face as I reached around to pretend I was rubbing my sore back. Just kidding. Sort of.

All in all, it was a decent time, I suppose. I'll keep you posted on next week's class where we're going to learn to breathe- that's the part I've been looking forward to. Adios for now- I'm having a hard time focusing.

10/5/09

High School Reunion

I did it. I made myself go to my 10 year high school reunion on Saturday. I have been going back and forth and finally decided that because it was short (two hours) and because I helped plan it- I should see it through to the end. I expected a lot of funny stories to come out of the reunion- remember I went to school in small town Texas where it was common to pull into school on monday morning with your trailer still attached to your dually and where becoming "Peach Queen" was the highest accomplishment- but it was surprisingly uneventful. Most people are kind of how I remembered them or how I figured they would be. I wonder if people thought that about me.

I DID however get some amazing comments about the size of my belly- mainly from the same guys that would ask girls on dates that included Sonic and pasture parties- so things like "Wow- you're really about to pop..." or "Geez- you might go into labor right here at the bowling alley..."

Anyway- I left and I felt like that was really part of a past life. Not to say that I'm a completely different person- but I don't know that I could go back and do that (high school) again, though it was good to see people. So the positive note to end this story is that I am thankful to be where I am, and I think that is a great thing, to be happy where you are.