Baby Watch 2011 (part 2)

I hope there aren't too many more baby watch 2011 posts...but here is part two. We went to the doctor on Friday and while there was some progress, not as much as I'd hoped for.

First we listened to the heartbeat, nice and strong at 147-150, she's still enjoying herself in there!

Second for the examination, 60% effaced (thinning of the cervix), very soft cervix and 2cm dilated. She compared the cervix to a tomato ripening, starts off firm like a green tomato and as you get closer to delivery it becomes more soft like a red ripe tomato and apparently my cervix is very soft (or like a ripe tomato!).


Third, we discussed options and again she offered to induce but Brandon and I have decided we would really like her to come when she's ready...within reason. You all don't have to worry, I'm not going to be one of those crazy girls who is still pregnant at 45 weeks! As miserable as I've been, I'm still surprised at myself for saying no and know that a lot of people don't understand our decision. Not that it is up to anyone else, but just to explain our decision, we really would like her to fully developed and come when she's ready. Also, for personal reasons I'd rather a natural onset of labor than an induction. I've read that being induced causes stronger, harder contractions and a longer labor and there has been some research that indicates a correlation between inductions and cesareans. Inductions cause longer labors that don't progress which lead to cesareans, and my doctor agreed with this. Now if I have to have a c-section, so be it but I'd rather it be for some other reason than I got impatient, so we are giving her until her due date, but not much father after that, rest assured! With that being said, the ob/gyn said she'd see us next week...scheduled our next appointment on Wednesday when I'll be 39 weeks 4 days and a it's a full moon that day!!! Fingers crossed...

False Alarm

As I was getting into the shower this morning, I noticed a lot of moisture on my inner thighs...what the? Did my water just break? It was a clear, viscous liquid with no odor, no it was not urine, no it was not sweat, but I have no idea what it was. Going with the possibility that my water may have just broke, I went ahead and got in the shower, fixed my hair, put on my makeup and was about to get dressed when I decided to call my coworker who has had three children and is a nurse. "It sounds like your mucus plug" she says, "but you should call your doctor."


I call my ob/gyn, they don't open until 9am...it's only 7:45am at this point, so I decided to get dressed and go to work but have Brandon put my bag in my car before I send him to work, just in case. I get to work but am not feeling well, lots of back pain and some mild cramping in my lower abdomen. Nine o'clock rolls around, I haven't got much done anyway because I'm telling everyone I see that I think my water broke, and I call my ob/gyn, talk to the nurse who says, she wants to see you! Yay...I'm thinking, I must have given her the correct answers to think something is happening, even told her I have an appointment scheduled tomorrow, can it wait until then...no, she wants you to come in..NOW! Okay, I got the message!


So, I leave work and head to her office around 9:30am...wait to see her until about 10:30am. I am weighed and my blood pressure measured twice, both times it was fairly elevated. When I see her, she first listens to the baby's heartbeat with the doppler. She's fine, nothing new for her, in there moving and shaking as usual. The nurse takes a manual blood pressure and it's a lot better, after I've been laying on the table for a while. She takes a swab sample to test the "fluid" I felt and said I've progressed to 1.5cm dilated. She does not think it was my water, she also thinks it was my mucus plug.


To be safe, she will test the fluid and sent me to the lab for a HELLP panels which will test for HELLP syndrome which features a combination of "H" for hemolysis (breakage of red blood cells), "EL" for elevated liver enzymes, and "LP" for low platelet count (an essential blood clotting element). She recommends I take it easy, asked that I monitor my blood pressure, taking it every 3-4 hours, and let her know tomorrow what it has been running. If it stays elevated, she may want to induce. Apparently, the cause of HELLP syndrome is unknown, and the only treatment for is delivery...so off I go to the lab.


But, before I leave her office, she offers to schedule an induction next week...which was very tempting. I really want our baby to come when she is ready but have been feeling so crummy lately, just tired and really READY for her, none the less, I declined. I had joked with Brandon last week that he would need to come to all of my appointments from now on to prevent me for taking her up on any offers to induce, but much to my amazement, I declined this mornings offer. She decided our time together today would be my visit for the week (which was originally scheduled for tomorrow) and said she'd see me at my appointment next week. When I originally scheduled that appointment, I was hoping I wouldn't need it, I guess we shall see!


I go to the lab and wait and wait and wait, finally have a blood sample drawn and am told it will take 4 hours to result, stop at Subway and head home to "take it easy". I received a call from the nurse about 3:30pm and am told the swab sample was negative so my water did not break and the consensus is still that it was my mucus plug and the HELLP panel was negative. Good news, bad news I guess. I've been on the couch/napping all day but plan on going to work tomorrow. My coworkers seem to believe one or two more days at work should do the trick, after all being on my feet all day is pure torture lately. I'll keep you all posted...as much as I can, of course if she comes, I won't be blogging about! I hope you all have a great week!

Baby Watch 2011

Just a quick update to let everyone know I had a doctors appointment on Wednesday and a sonogram. Based on the measurements on the sonogram, they are estimating she is about 6lbs 6 ozs, has some hair and is still a girl (I had her double check, just to be sure).

After our sonogram, the doctor examined me and found me to be 1cm dilated and seemed to be surprised how low she was...she could feel her head during the exam. As she is pushing on her head, saying "can you feel that?", I'm thinking how uncomfortable it is. She said she didn't like that too much and it was making her mad to which Brandon responded, "if she's anything like her mom, it won't take much!" too true!

All in all it was a good visit, she said I was ahead of the game and thought she'd probably make an early appearance since I'm still working and am on my feet most of the day. I see the doctor again next week and will try to make the time to post an update. Hope everyone had a merry Christmas and a happy new year, may 2011 bring you all many blessings!

Taking a sabbatical

Sab·bat·i·cal 
- noun
any extended period of leave from one's customary work, esp. for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc.

I hate to do it...I have decided to take some time off of blogging until I can regain my sanity after the baby arrives. Although there are plenty of things to smile about and I'm still enjoying happy hump days, I'm just too exhausted to blog when I get home from work, even once a week. So as the definition of sabbatical states, I'll be taking an extended period of leave for rest but promise to blog when I have the energy and something to share!!!

I hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year...looking forward to sharing about the arrival of our little one, only 5 weeks and 4 days until her due date!

Happy Hump Day

Happy hump day everybody...hope you are all doing well. This week the following things put a smile on my face:

1) Free eBooks! - I've blogged before about how much I love goodreads.com, it's kind of a social network sight for book nerds. You can signup, create a profile, list books you've read, review books, look at friends books, books they recommend, etc. Well, I discovered this week that there are free eBooks on the goodreads iphone app...and am so excited. It's mostly classics, nothing really recent. I already read The Great Wizard of Oz and am now reading Dickens' Christmas Carol and am enjoying reading some of the classics, while waiting at doctors' appointments, sitting in traffic, watching the Tigers lose to Arkansas, etc.

2) My growing belly - I'm told on a daily basis at work these days that my baby is "coming any day" and I'll "never make it another 8 weeks" and I laugh everytime. You see what people don't understand is I'm very short...and have no torso, so there really isn't anywhere for my baby to go except straight out, and that's exactly what it looks like. Someone told me the other day it looks like I have a pumpkin or volleyball inside my shirt! I went for my 32 week appointment today and all is well, still measuring perfectly and the heart beat in the 154-156 range. My next appointment will be in two weeks and then once a week after that. I can't believe how quickly my pregnancy has gone by!

3) Geico commercial - I'm sorry but this cracks me up everytime I see it and had to share it here...I think it is so funny!





I hope everyone has had a fabulous hump day, may you find what makes you smile this week!

Happy Hump Day

Happy hump day everyone...hope you are all ready for Thanksgiving! This week the following things put a smile on my face:


1) Taco de Paco came to work! Yes, I know it sounds strange to get so excited but with the only two choices of Subway and the hospital cafeteria, any new options are very exciting. Taco de Paco is part of the "food truck revolution" in Baton Rouge and they travel around town at various locations selling tacos and burritos out of their truck. I was so excited to see they would be at OLOL on Tuesday and had to check it out. I had the Juan taco (chopped steak, corn relish, sour cream) and the Miguel taco (chicken, sauteed onions, bell peppers, pico de gallo, cheese, and shredded lettuce) with chips, salsa and a drink for only $7...you can't beat that, and it was delish!


2) Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie - it's on the menu for Thanksgiving and I made it yesterday for the occasion and can't wait to partake. I got the recipe as a marketing tool from a home health company a few years back and have been making it for the holidays each year since. Last year I baked a bunch of them and gave them to all the neighbors for Christmas and they were a hit. Here's the recipe if you're interested (or if you're Amanda, who asked for it!)


Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
1 cup chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup melted butter
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup flour
9" deep dish pie shell

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, beat eggs. Add flour, sugar and butter. Stir until blended. Add in chocolate chips and pecans, pour into pie shell and bake for 1 hour.


Please be sure to get the deep dish pie shell because last year I didn't do that and almost burnt the house down. The pie filling overflowed and got on the bottom of the oven. I guess it was the sugar or possibly the pecans, not really sure, but there was a flame in the bottom of the oven! It's super easy and very yummy!


3) Generic drugs for Millie - last time we brought Millie to the vet she informed us of our "last option" to treat her allergies, which is an oral medication that works by suppressing her immune system, thereby suppressing her allergy response. The kicker...cost is about $100/month to treat! HOLY COW...I've been so upset about it, wondering what the heck we're going to do. I told her yesterday I was going to drop her off at the Country Club of Louisiana and hope a rich family adopts her because we can't afford her anymore. She was very upset, looking at me over her shoulder (cold shoulder, that is) with her bottom lip stuck out, it was as if she understood what I was telling her. So, imagine my delight when I did a little internet research and found a generic is available. Now, most of what I read online is that it isn't as effective as the real drug but I'd like to at least try the generic at first!


Happy hump day to all of you and hope each and everyone of you have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Hump Day

Happy hump day to everyone! I took the day off today and find it funny that my "to-do" list is always so long! Today I went to the library, ob/gyn appointment, had lunch with friends, went to a three hour class, had a "second lunch" date, went to Monogram It...just getting home at 5:30pm! All was well at the ob/gyn, just got measured and listened to the heartbeat. Hope you are all having a great week...the following things made me smile this week:

1) A handmade baby shower invitation - I was very surprised by my coworkers on Friday when they gave me this.

They got together and planned a baby shower without my knowledge and surprised me with the most precious hand-made baby shower invitation, how creative is that?!? I heard they wanted to surprise me all together about the shower and fake some sort of meeting and a location where we rarely meet (except for parties) but decided against it. I thought this was truly one of the cutest things I've seen in a long time.

2) Fabulous baby shower - my sister and three of my besties hosted a baby shower for Baby Girl Abadie this weekend and it was perfect! All of my girlfriends were there and we had a great time eating and visiting and of course we got fabulous goodies for baby girl. I kind of feel like I'm all set for baby...got the car seat which is, from my understanding, the only item required in the state of Louisiana. We certainly have many other fabulous items too, to take care of our baby. Here are a few pics...and you can click here to see them all.

3) Millie and her new bed - I bought Millie a new bed at Target on Saturday because I'd like her to have her very own "place" that she is accustomed to when the baby arrives. Her old bed has been relocated to her kennel and she likes it in there, but I also wanted her to have a place outside of the kennel where she can go when she needs to chill out or calm herself, which if pretty often. I'm just hoping it works! I brought it in and she immediately went to sniffing. On Sunday morning, I'm in bed and can hear her growling so I go check it out and she has it in her mouth, going to town on it...I guess we shall see how this works out!?!

I hope everyone is having a great hump day, may you find what puts a smile on your face this week!