38 Weeks (still no baby)

Some of you might be wondering if we have a baby by now since it's taken me a while to post this, but (alas!) no baby yet. I had another doctor appointment last Friday, and I didn't make any progress (still 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced). I was discouraged, even though I know there's no reason to be and I still have time, but I'm ready to have this baby! The week prior to my appointment I felt like she had gotten bigger, and the doctor confirmed it for me when she exclaimed, "Wow, this baby added some bulk this week!". Honestly, I'd rather her not gain much more "bulk", because I'm sure she's already plenty big...

Although I was discouraged Friday, I'm more encouraged now, because Friday night my lower back started to ache, and has been all weekend. I have another appointment tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have made a little more progress...

Also, here are the votes for little one's birthday!

--January 24th (that was Chet's guess, so he's out of the running)

--January 25th

--January 27th (my guess)

--January 28th

--January 31st (my birthday...this is Casey's guess, and a much better guess than her first one, which was February 11th!)

--February 5th

37 Weeks

38 Weeks

Then and Now

Since I don't think I'll be pregnant much longer, here are my "before and after" pictures (not fair that the "before" picture was taken in the summer when I looked healthy and tan, as opposed to the dead-of-winter "after" picture when I'm wearing orange)...

8 Weeks

37 Weeks

37 Weeks

Well, I would have posted this picture sooner, but we had to take our computer to Best Buy to get "fixed" (they claimed there was nothing wrong with it) last Sunday, and we just got it back yesterday (Saturday). Also, our TV (we only have one) has been broken for nearly two weeks now! (I love saying that out loud, because it sounds so ridiculous to me.) One morning I turned it on to watch the news, just like I always do, and a few minutes later it turned off by itself. The problem has since been diagnosed and the replacement part ordered by Best Buy, and the repairman is scheduled to fix it this coming Thursday. What have we been doing without a TV or computer? Chores around the house that we've been putting off, and putting a puzzle together (because it's been too cold to do anything outdoors). Chet said, "I feel like we live in the 1800s".

In other news, and to get back to the point of my blog entry, here is my 37-week (and 36-week) picture!

36 Weeks

37 Weeks

I think I look (and I definitely feel) bigger. Also, it's not noticeable in the picture (or even in person, really), but the baby has definitely dropped and is now sitting squarely on my bladder. I had a doctor appointment this past Friday (the doctor agreed that the baby had dropped), and I am 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced! I wasn't sure what to expect at the appointment, and was betting myself that I hadn't made any progress, but was pleasantly surprised! The doctor doesn't think I'll make it to my due date (February 3rd); she thinks I'll have the baby within two weeks! Chet and I decided to take bets on when she'll be born: Chet thinks January 24th, I think January 27th. Any guesses? My next appointment is this coming Friday (January 22nd), so I'll update you after that!

36 Weeks

Hi, everyone! Here is my 36-week picture, compared to my 35-week picture. I can't tell or feel much of a difference, but 36 weeks seems so much closer to me than 35 weeks! Only a month to go (hopefully...I'd rather her not be late!).

I had a doctor appointment this past Monday, and it went very well. She estimated that the baby weighs 5 lbs, and probably won't weight more than 7 lbs at birth. We also did an ultrasound, and her heartbeat is in the 150s and she's head down, with her feet somewhere near my left ribcage. The doctor had no reason to think I would deliver sooner than my due date, then said, "But who knows...she could come any day!". Hmm... That made me want to install the car seat and pack our bags immediately, but I've chilled out a little since then. My next appointment is Friday, January 15th.

35 Weeks
36 Weeks

Finished Nursery!

Hi, everyone! Here are pictures of our finished nursery! I feel a little lost now that it's finished; it's been a lot of fun decorating and doing little projects the last few months. Now all we need is a baby! Let us know what you think! (The first picture is the "before" picture, posted a while back.)

Before

After

Closer View

Also, not shown in the pictures posted, are wooden letters that I painted and hung (they're on the wall just to the left of the crib and to the right of the changing table). I've seen wooden letters everywhere lately, and thought about purchasing them already painted, but decided to paint my own. It was definitely my favorite project! Here's a sneak peak of two of the letters, not necessarily consecutive or in this order! ;-)

34 and 35 Weeks

Here's another belly update! I'll be 36 weeks on Wednesday, and am starting to feel more uncomfortable (usually in the evenings). I can't believe we only have a month to go before our little girl gets here!

33 Weeks (for comparison)

34 Weeks (all ready for bed by 8:30 p.m.)

35 Weeks

Jacksonville Baby Shower

This entry is a little late, but I wanted to share the pictures from the great baby shower that Mom Wyckoff and Jenni (Chet's sister) hosted for me on December 5th. It was funny to have both Christmas and baby shower decorations up at the same time, but the weather ended up being nice and cool, giving the day a Christmas-y feel, and made Mom Wyckoff's tasty apple cider that much more enjoyable! Everything, from the decorations to the food to the company, was perfect, and I received great gifts that helped us complete our we-need-this-for-baby list.

Mom Wyckoff, Ashley, and Jenni

Decorations and Guess-the-Baby-Food Game

Food Table

Decorations and Food

Adorable and Extremely Tasty Cakes (thanks, Carolyn!)

Diaper Cake (Jenni made this...it was so amazing!)

Mingling

Guess-the-Baby-Food Game

Measure-the-Belly Game

Baby Gifts Under the Christmas Tree

Adorable Tutu Skirt (This was way too cute to hang in the closet, so it's displayed in the nursery...thanks, Sam!)