38 Week Bumpdate

Here I am at 38 weeks and 6 days pregnant and BEYOND getting impatient.

It's not because I feel huge and uncomfy.  Actually, even though I am getting a little cramped and uncomfortable, I'm more just wanting to meet our daughter.  Our little love!  I want to hold her, I want to grab her hand, and I want to shower her with sweet kisses.  Tomorrow, I'm officially one week away from my due date, and being so close makes the anticipation heighten.

Highlights from this week's doctor's appointment:

• I'm now 4 cm. dilated, but still 50% effaced.
• Head's still down and engaged in my pelvis, I'm at -2 station, still.
• Her heartbeat was 150 bmp.  Last week it was 136.  I forgot to type that in my last post.
• I'm measuring right on track.

Overall, the doctor was very happy with my progress.  She said that usually when a woman hits 4 cm. in dilation, real deal labor can kick start any time now, but just as a precaution to make sure she didn't get my hopes up, she said that I could be this dilated for 3 more weeks if my body wanted to do that to me.  Torture.  She said one thing that she offers around 39 weeks is what they call stripping of the membranes a.k.a. a membrane sweep.  It's a natural way of inducing and getting labor going, but only by a 50% chance. What she'll do is take a finger and literally sweep it back and forth, separating the bag of water from the cervix.  This is supposed to release the prostaglandins hormone which gets contractions going. She told me to think about it and if I'd like to have it done.  Well, this upcoming Tuesday, I'm going to say, "STRIP AWAY!!!"  There's no hurt to it.  It doesn't put me or the baby in danger and HEY!, 50% is 50%.  Better than 0!

This week, I've been on Spring Break from work, therefore, WE GOT THE NURSERY FINISHED!!!!!!  Finally!!!  As promised, here are pictures of Brynlee's nursery.

The whole view of her nursery

Another whole view.  WHITE SHAG RUG from Target.

Mirror I picked up at Marshall's for $80! 

View of the changing/dresser area.  WHITE DRESSER is from Amazon.

Close up view above the dresser.  I'm putting blush colored candles in the candle holders of the sconce.  I made those square art decor.  They were mirrors from IKEA that I had gotten about 7 years ago.  I painted them an antique white/cream, hot glued lace and crystals, and then replaced the mirror squares with a square of scrapbook paper.

View of her crib.  WHITE CRIB is from Target.  The rest of her bedding is in Austin where it was made.  Got the RUFFLED BED SKIRT as a gift from my mother-in-law from Pottery Barn Kids.

Close up view of the "blinged out" LOVE sign.  Got it at Hobby Lobby on clearance.  LOVED that it had the crystals in it that I wanted to incorporate into her room.  LOVE for my little LOVE!

Here's a picture of Brynlee's crib bumper.  If you remember from many posts ago, THIS WAS MY INSPIRATION, but I was not about to go and spend $400 on just a crib bumper.  My mother-in-law found someone to make this for me.  So, EXTREMELY grateful that she took the time to do this for me!  Love you, Nancy!!!

Little rocking corner.  BEIGE AND WHITE GLIDER is from Target .

 

Another view of the glider.  I got her SHABBY CHIC RUFFLED DRAPERY PANEL from Target .

Close up view of what's on the glider.  Had to get a blinged out and sparkly pillow, of course!!!  I just bought this pillow slipcover from Hobby Lobby and covered one of my old 20x20 decorative pillows I had.

And my favorite piece in her room.... A CHANDELIER given to me as a gift.  It was purchased from Hobby Lobby.

And to finish it off....side-by-side baby pictures of me next to Brynlee's 29 week ultrasound picture.  Can't wait to see how much of me and Tyson she looks like!!!

Whew!  I worked so hard on that nursery, coming up with every, little detail.  So glad it's finished.

Overall, I'm still feeling fine, but just getting impatient like I said before.  I can't believe we are ONE WEEK away from her due date.  Now, this IS an estimated due date, and only 5% of women actually go in to labor on their due date.  She could very well go past the 24th, being that I'm not actually considered overdue until 42 weeks.  I'm crossing my fingers that she'll be here some time next week.  This Wednesday, the 20th, is my birthday.  Tyson is banking on her being born on my birthday.  I'm saying she'll be one day late and be here the 25th.  All I know is that I HOPE she's early and NOT late.  Until then, I'm going to sit back and be patient as possible.  It's not like she'll be in my tummy forever! 

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How far along? Posting this at 38 weeks and 6 days!

Total weight gain/loss:  I have actually LOST weight!!!!  I lost 2 lbs. in one week, so now I'm down to only 23 lbs. gained from my pre-pregnancy weight.
 

Maternity clothes?  No more buying of the maternity wear!  She'll be here sooner than we know it!

Stretch marks?  Okay.  So, I still have the same stretch marks I've acquired on the tummy.  I can't tell of any new ones, except for a few on my hips.  But, GUESS WHAT I'VE DEVELOPED?!?!?!  Freakin' PUPPPS!  They stand for Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy, and THEY. ARE. AWFUL!!!  It's a very, very, VERY intense itchy rash that develops on the stretch marks, and it's HIDEOUS looking along with just making me down right miserable.  Apparently, it's rare and only about 1 in 160-240 women get it.  Of course I had to be part of that rare percentage!  This pregnancy couldn't have gone COMPLETELY flawless! *insert sarcasm*  They don't know what causes it.  They think there's a link to the overstretching of the skin and hormones.  Usually, it occurs in first time pregnancies.  There's nothing we can do to get rid of it, except deliver this baby.  Doctor says to take Benedryl and rub Hydrocortisone cream (which are both a complete joke) and "hang in there, I'm so close!"  I just want to itch my skin off!!!  It only goes away once I deliver.  That's the only cure.  Luckily, it doesn't harm me or the baby, AND I developed this about a couple of weeks close to my due date. Some women get it earlier, in which, I feel EXTREMELY sorry for them that they'll suffer weeks on end with this.  So, this is one OTHER reason I'm getting impatient to deliver.  Until then, I'm trying to keep a smiling, positive attitude.

Sleep: Sleeping fine for the most part, but the itchiness of the PUPPPS wakes me up once in a while.  Wahhh!!!...I want to cry...

Best moment this week: Finding out that I am now 4 cm. dilated.  From what I understand, the hard part of dilation is out of the way.  I sure hope so.  Oh!  And getting the nursery finished....YAYYYYY!!!!!

Have you told family and friends: That I'm pregnant, yes... MANY weeks ago.  Now, I can't wait to tell family and friends of Brynlee's arrival!

Miss Anything?  Definitely booze.  I could use a really stiff drink.

Symptoms: Back pain, waddling/shufflling, achiness in the belly, frequent bathroom trips, random pelvic pains, sometimes sharp lightening shock pains "down there", fatigue (where's this so called burst of energy?!?), no appetite, and false labor pains.

Movement: This week, she was SO active, bumping around all over the place.  I've been reading that the baby shouldn't move around as much as they did in the earlier weeks due to lack of room.  So much for that!  I think this is the most active she's ever been!  Tyson and I were sitting side by side last night, watching a movie.  She was moving and kicking Tyson's arm, and he had no idea what it was at first until he lifted the blanket off my tummy and watched it move.  This made me get a good chuckle.  
They also say that when you're about to go into labor, the baby slows down in movement.  Well, Brynlee, slow your roll, girlfriend because you're not giving me hope that I'll be going into labor any time soon with all of your shoving and wiggling.

Food cravings: Chick-fil-A lemonade and fruit smoothies.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Actually, all of her moving has made my tummy feel all up in knots. Although, I HAVE been getting this random ickiness feeling in my tummy.  Don't know what it's from.  I've read that it could be from a drop in progesterone, meaning, labor is imminent.  CROSSING MY FINGERS!!!  Ugh.  But, I've got to remain patient.

Have you started to show yet: Been told I look like I'm about ready to POP by every stranger I come into contact with.  However, I'm not one of those women who get offended by that.  I embrace it and am like, "AMEN SISTA!  You BET I'm about ready to POP!" :)

 

Gender prediction: No more predicting....I'm going to be a mommy to a little girl!!!  Something I've always wanted.  And then I'll probably back track when she hits her pre-teen/teenage years.

Labor Signs: Stronger Braxton Hicks for sure.  Starting to freak out and hope I will be able to tell the difference between real labor VS false.  I've been told, "OH!  You will KNOW!"  We'll just see!

Belly Button in or out?  Out with just a teensy tinsey bit still in.

Wedding rings on or off? No swelling, so still on.  

Happy or Moody most of the time: Overall, happy.  Moody will start to hit probably this upcoming week because I will be back to work, uncomfortable from being on my feet, and on my last leg of pregnancy.

Looking forward to: At this point, meeting Ms. Brynlee Taylor.