Notice the little baby ticker is empty!! ---->

That's because today is our due date! Baby's not here yet, though.

I know I haven't updated forever, so I'm not sure there's anyone still reading, but if there is, here's the scoop:

Two and a half weeks ago, my doctor told me I was dialated to almost three cm and that I may be "one of those silent dialaters." She was surprised that I hadn't felt any contractions yet. A week after that, I was dialated to four and had felt some very mild contractions. It was nothing painful like real labor, but just a little tightening and pressure once in a while. The doctor told me if I was still pregnant by my next weekly appointment, we'd discuss induction. I went back on Valentine's Day, and I was still dialated to four. She wanted to do another sonogram to make sure the baby wasn't getting too big and asked me if I wanted to induce the next day, or wait and see what happens. I thought long and hard about it, because I'm a planner. It's been driving me insane not knowing what would happen when. It seems so strange that something so big and important and life-changing wasn't something you could really plan for. So I was really tempted to have her induce me, just so I'd know when it was coming, but I decided it would be better for the baby (if not my peace of mind) to wait and see. We were still two days before my due date after all.

They did the sonogram later that day and it was really neat! We didn't get any better pictures than we'd gotten before, but seeing it on the screen was amazing. We could see little Tadpole waving his/her fist in front of his/her face, and the little eyes and mouth opening and closing. It was so cool!! They called me that afternoon to tell me that everything looked fine with the sonogram, and that Tadpole was measuring about 7 pounds, 15 ounces. A bit on the big baby side, but nothing abnormal. I expected to have a big baby. After all, I was over 8 pounds when I was born.

So here we are, just waiting to see what this (not so)little baby wants to do. He/she could come at any time. If I don't go into labor by Thursday the 22nd, we'll be going into the hospital for induction. So within a week, we'll be a family of three. Well, four if you count our furbaby, Josie. She is going to be one jealous cat! She's already upset about all of the new things we've been bringing in the apartment. All except for our new rocking chair, which she's adopted as her own.

I haven't posted any pictures of my round self yet, so just for all of you that live too far away to see it live, here it is:



I actually didn't get nearly as big as I thought I was. I'm sure that'll be different next time. I know you get bigger and show faster after the first pregnancy. Like my poor cousin in that photo who is expecting her sixth and was showing long before me, even though her due date isn't until April.

We've finshed converting our big closet into a little nursery. Hopefully we won't have to use it for too long. After I'm able to go back to work, we plan to move to a bigger place. In the mean time, we'll be cozy in our tiny little apartment. The nursery did turn out really cute, though.

So that's everything in a nutshell, I guess. I'll be sure to let everyone know as soon as anything happens. In the meantime, keep us in your thoughts and send me some short-easy-labor-happy vibes!

P.S. Don't forget to wish Bryan a happy birthday tomorrow! I'm worried his day will be overshadowed by baby anticipation!

32 Weeks, 5 Days

Your baby measures about 18.9 inches long from head to toe and weighs almost 4 pounds. It fills almost all the space in your uterus now, either lying with the head up or sometimes still with enough room to do somersaults. A layer of fat is forming underneath the thin, wrinkly skin. Baby's practicing opening his eyes and breathing.

~Courtesy WebMD

I had another doctor's appointment today, and I just have to brag. In the two weeks since my last appointment, I lost one pound! Even with Christmas in between! Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those crazy women who think it's good to lose weight while pregnant, but I was a little worried that when I stepped on the scale the nurse would tell me I'd gained ten pounds in the last two weeks. The doctor said, "I do want you to gain some weight." I've never been told that in my entire life. I'm not sure I ever will again, either.

The doctor said everything looked really good. My glucose test came out normal, the baby's size and heart rate were just right and everything was A-OK.

We had a fabulous Christmas, and we hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday too. Have a Happy New Year!!

Tadpole Decoded

I made a little animation that helps if it's hard to see Tadpoles face in that last sonogram picture. Just click here:

Tadpole's Pictorial Debut

We finally have sonogram photos!! I was really hoping that with my sonogram being so late in the pregnancy, that we'd get some really good pictures. No such luck. The first set of pictures were almost impossible to see anything in. I didn't even scan half of them, because they just look like snow on the tv screen. Here are a few that are decent. All of these images can be clicked to see a larger view.



This is the best picture we got out of the first bunch. As you can see it's a cute little pudgy-fingered hand.



This one of the bottom of the foot isn't as clear, but if you kind of squint, you can tell yourself you're looking at a foot.



This is what we got when the sonogram tech tried to get us a nice pretty profile. Our little one is a bit camera shy, so we only get to see the top of it's head and it's ear.



This is the very best picture we have. I had to go in and have a sonogram of my kidneys to check for kidney stones. (I don't have any thank God! I'm really happy about that fact, because I'm already scheduled to sqeeze a large something out of a small opening in the very near future. I don't need any more. TMI?) I mentioned to the tech (not the same one) that we hadn't gotten a picture of the baby's face at the original sonogram, so she gave it a shot when she finished looking at my kidneys. This picture shows the wittle bitty face of our wittle bitty baby. It kind of looks like an alien with a piggy snout, but at least I can see a face. And a little arm with a tiny fist curling up around the right cheek. I can see it fairly well because I've been staring at this picture a lot, but if you can't make it out, leave a comment and I'll post it again with a little outline to show you what's what. Here's a hint: It looks like Tadpole is laying on it's side, with the top of the head pointing to the right.

So that's our beautiful baby. You think it looks more like Bryan or more like me??

30 Weeks, 4 Days

Your baby measures about 17 inches from head to toe and weighs about 3 pounds. Baby is growing plumper and beginning to control its own body temperature. Eyebrows and eyelashes are fully developed, and hair on the head is getting thicker. Head and body are now proportioned like a newborn's. Hands are now fully formed and fingernails are growing.

~Courtesy WebMD

I'm here, but is anyone else?? I figured most of you have probably given up on me since it's been FOREVER since the last update. It's just that there hasn't been a lot going on lately. Things are going really well, though. I feel movement almost all the time. This is a very active little tadpole. I'm starting to get big, too. I'm at that point where everyday I wake up feeling way bigger than I did the day before.

We've finally had a sonogram. I'll post the pictures as soon as I get them scanned, but I think I'll have to offer a prize to anyone who can see a face. There's one really good one of the baby's hand, though. The tech said the baby weighed 3 pounds, nine ounces, and the heartbeat was 146. She said everything looked very normal and we were right on with the due date. We actually got to watch the heart beating. It was so cool! You could see all four chambers just beating away. We still don't know the sex of the baby because we wanted it to be a surprise. Apparently, we're the only people in the free world who don't find that out in advance. Everyone says, "I couldn't stand that. We had to know." We didn't have the sonogram tech tell us the sex, but almost everyone I talk to tells me what they think. There are about a million different ways to guess the sex of your baby, from the heartrate, to the position of the baby, to the way I'm carrying, to something about hanging my wedding ring from a string over my belly. It's kind of funny when you consider one of the reasons we didn't want to find out from the sonogram is because it could possibly be wrong. It'll be fun to see who was right, though.

We did our gift registries last night. We registered at Target and Walmart and we were once again convinced we were the only couple in the world who didn't want to know the sex in advance, because it is very hard to find baby things that aren't pink or blue. We weren't able to find a crib set or a diaper bag that we liked, so today I also registered at Babies "R" Us. They have a much better selection obviously. I feel a little guilty having registered at three different places, but it's all in the name of spoiling the tadpole.

While I was shopping and checking registries online, I found some of the cutest little onesies! At least I think so, but I do have a rather warped sense of humor. Check these out, they're my favorite:

Click for larger image.

Until next time!!

22 Weeks, 5 Days

Your baby measures about 7.6 inches and weighs about 12.3 ounces. The muscles are getting stronger every week now, and the eyelids and eyebrows are developed. Your baby's acrobatics are pretty constant, and since he responds to sound, rhythm and melody, you can try singing and talking to him. After he's born, the same sounds will soothe him.

~Courtesy WebMD

I felt movement!!! It's so exciting, and wierd, and cool, and just a little creepy, but there's something moving around in there! I was playing poker on the computer, (I was up 28,000 fake dollars, thank you) and I started to feel a little bump, bump, bump. It felt like something was bumping up against my bladder. Not in a rush-to-the-bathroom, get-out-of-my-way-you-fool, kind of way. Just the softest little nudge. I think I felt this before, but I just dismissed it because all of the books kept saying it would feel like butterflies or a little flutter. This time my bladder was just full enough to tell me that it really couldn't have been anything else.

It's really exciting because I was getting a little down about the fact that I hadn't felt it yet. Everytime someone asked about the pregnancy, they wanted to know if I'd felt movement yet. I hated having to say no. I was by no means past the normal time when I should be feeling something. They say it should happen between 18 and 22 weeks, and it takes a little longer if it's your first baby and if you're not of the skinny little twig persuasion. It's not abnormal unless you've felt nothing after 26 weeks. Sadly, none of the books had any shortcuts to offer those of us who lack the virtue of patience.

It's also exciting because it's a little piece of good news in a stressful time. As most of you probably know, I was laid off a couple of weeks ago. I've filed for unemployment and put in a few applications around town, but it's hard to get hired when you're five months pregnant. I commend my (ex)boss for his fabulous sense of timing. (Can you see the sarcasm dripping off the screen?) We should be okay, because even if I don't find a job, my unemployment will outlast the pregnancy, and I was planning to look for a new job afterward anyway. Even so, it's been a bit stressful around here. At least for me. Why is it that a man(Bryan) never feels stressed? Don't they know, they're just causing us females to stress-eat for two? In my case, three. But that's a subject for another post. In the mean time, I'm rather enjoying my bum status. I could get used to this whole housewife idea. Now if I can only convince Bryan...

"Auntie Em, Auntie Em!"

I just have to point out, that even though she violently opposed the notion of Tadpole calling her Auntie Em, Meagan has commented right here on this very blog under that very name. That means that henceforth, my sister shall forever and always be known to my child(ren) as Auntie Em.

The Mom has spoken.

17 Weeks, 3 Days

Your baby, now about in its 15th week of development, measures about 4.4 to 4.8 inches from crown to rump and has doubled in weight in the last two weeks to about 3.5 ounces. Fat begins to form, helping your baby's heat production and metabolism. The lungs are beginning to exhale amniotic fluid, and the circulatory and urinary systems are working. Hair on head, eyebrows and eyelashes is filling in.

~Courtesy WebMD

I've been having trouble figuring out what to write on this blog since there really isn't all that much going on right now. I've not yet begun to show, though I believe it won't be long. I'm going to have to change underwear styles soon. TMI, I know, but I have to write something on here or they all yell at me. Most of the sickness is gone, which is good, but occasionally I still un-eat at random times. ("Un-eat" : a word Bryan and I came up with to replace all those ugly words for vomit. You know, like chuck, heave, blow chunks, puke, spew, technicolor yawn, pray to the porcelain god, yodel groceries, hork, etc. etc. Did you ever notice the grosser something is, the more names we have for it?)

You know what's great about being pregnant? It's the privileges, man. You get more perks than Paris Hilton at the VMAs. It's pretty cool, and a little hard not to take advantage of. I just say things like, "My throat is really dry lately," and Bryan gets me some water. The other night I was watching General Hospital (Tivo'ed) from my new favorite TV position: flat on my back on the floor. It makes my back pretty sore, though, so I like to put my feet up on the computer chair. It's kind of a horizontal sitting position. I said something like, "That chair is always just a little too far away," and Bryan got up and moved it for me. He earned 1000 extra brownie points for that move, because we're the couple who will sit with our empty dinner plates in our lap for hours, watching out of the corners of our respective eyes to see who gets up first. Our favorite word in the Redneck Dictionary has always been "sensuous." Later that same night, I saw someone on TV eating chocolate chip cookies and I said, "I want chocolate chip cookies!" in my very best demanding 3-year-old voice, and do you know what Bryan said??? He said, "Do you want me to go get you some?" I was amazed because the 3-year-old voice has been in my repertoire since long before I was pregnant, but it pretty much never worked before. It was just kind of a joke. I never ever ever expected to get what I was whining for.

I am such a spoiled brat. I totally admit it without hesitation.

It's not that way all the time, though. I have an ugly three inch burn on my arm that I got while cooking my husband's dinner. I was in the kitchen, barefoot, and pregnant at the time. When I pointed this out to Bryan, he said, "But you didn't make me a pie?"