It's Seeming Real Now...

At this moment, the whole having a baby thing definitely seemed real!!! I had just thought in my head, "This just seems like a time I might get squirted..." Sure enough, I was right. Does that count as mother's intuition???

Other things that have made me proud of myself (in small ways, but you gotta take what you can get) are: figuring out that if I lean the Boppy against the couch when changing Jackson's diaper he can't roll onto his side like he likes to do. Changing a sideways diaper is quite challenging... AND realizing I can use the sound machine to make a calming sound while changing diapers upstairs. When Josh is home he'll help me tag team and make the noise while I do the changing, but he's not going to be around forever...sigh...

Realizing that I will figure out tricks to help us get through the routines of the days makes me feel really good about myself! Anyone reading this knows that I like to do things perfectly the first time. Motherhood is going to be an excellent test for that and I am ready for the challenge :)

Two Week Update

We have had lots of check-ups this past week and every one of them gave us a great report! We took Jackson to the cardiologist on Tuesday to have a check-up. Since I have a mild heart issue, the pediatric cardiologist we saw while I was pregnant wanted to double check Jackson once he was born. She was really pleased with what she saw and told us to have a nice life! It's a shame because we really like her, but we are definitely grateful we don't need her anymore!

Thursday Jackson saw the pediatrician for his two-week check-up and he did awesome! He has been such a champ for all doctors checking him out. He is almost back up to his birth weight (thank goodness it shows since he's eating ALL the time). He was born at 8lbs 4oz and when we left he was over a pound lighter. He weighed in just over 8lbs on Thursday morning! He did lose a little more than usual in the hospital so the doctor wants us to come back next week just to make sure he's still on the right track. Other than that, he looks great!

I also had my two-week check-up and the doctor was really pleased with how well my incision is healing. I was just glad I didn't have to admit that I haven't stuck to ALL the rules they sent me home with...I haven't cheated on driving, but I am making more trips up and down stairs than they recommended. I feel great though! I wouldn't do it if I hurt!

Ten Days Down...

We have successfully survived the first ten days since Jackson joined us :) I am happy to report that I think we would be a very boring "Bringing Home Baby" episode. Definitely not enough drama here. Jackson is so expressive already. I love all of his little faces, especially looking at his eyes when he's awake! Sometimes when he is really excited about eating, he snorts! He makes a face with it that looks just like a little piglet! Here's a brief rundown of what I have learned so far:

**ALWAYS take care to cover any orifice that might squirt bodily fluids when changing diapers. It took many squirts for me to fully realize this...

**Taking a shower might be the most productive thing you do in a day.

**The Boppy is the BEST invention EVER!

**As much as I miss being pregnant, the feeling of taking Jackson out and having people ooh and aah over him is just as good :)

**Napping when the baby naps is harder than it sounds...I'm working on making that a better habit...

**A pediatrician you love is a very comforting feeling.

**Any outing is a good time once you've been home for a few days (I broke down in tears of excitement when Josh said sure we could go to the grocery store later that night!)

**While the nurses and doctors mean well at the hospital, and might be very helpful, you will get different advice every time someone comes in your room. It is best to just pool it all together and take from it what you can.

**We have taken more pictures in ten days than I have any idea what to do with! Thank goodness for digital!

**Having a helpful husband makes ALL the difference in the world!

**As a wise woman once told me: Get ready to do everything that you said you wouldn't do!

Welcome!

We welcomed Jackson Albert Smith to the world on Thursday, October 9th at 1:58pm. He weighed 8 pounds 3.8 ounces and measured 19.5 inches long. The day went amazingly smoothly and we both enjoyed meeting this person we have waited 40 long weeks for!!!

The Last Night

Well, we are officially planning to have a baby by this time tomorrow!!! We spoke with our doctor this morning and she strongly recommended we schedule a c-section. Based on our last few check-ups and the tests we had yesterday, she was quite confident this was the best, and safest, option for a successful delivery. We head to the hospital tomorrow morning around 10am and the c-section is scheduled for 12:30pm. We lucked out and got the same doctor that examined us yesterday. We have seen her the most and really like her. We spent tonight doing some last minute preparations around the house (I'm sure no one is surprised that there wasn't much left to do...) and eating yummy food! We had Five Guys for dinner and the huge, greasy deliciousness was a great "last meal!" Then, my fabulous husband was kind enough to go out for a Pumpkin Pie Blizzard :) I have one hour left to have a good snack and then no more eating until I'm a mom! Wow! That's a weird thought. But, a good one :D

Here are the latest belly pictures. They are from Monday night, two and a half days before Sam's birthday!

A Busy Due Date!

The day started with us leaving the house like we were going to have the baby after our doctor's appointment. Let me say, that was an odd sensation. It's somewhat relative to leaving for vacation in the sense that you have packed bags. On the other hand, it's not at all the same! We started at our doctor's office and the visit went well overall. In her words, they are here to help me out from this point on. That's a nice thought, I guess :)

The report from that visit was that Sam's head seems to have dropped a bit and my cervix is slowly starting to get ready. However, our doctor wasn't overwhelmed with the fact that Sam's movements seem to be harder to track. I'm supposed to be able to count ten movements in an hour. Until a couple of weeks ago, I could get ten in five to ten minutes. Now it definitely takes the full hour. Just to be safe, our doctor sent us to have a non-stress test.

We went to the hospital for the non-stress test, specifically the perinatologist (see previous post about Mr. Bean). We LOVE this office! They have a super nice staff and comfy chairs. For about 45 minutes, they monitored Sam's heartbeat and me to see if I was contracting at all (I wasn't. I was laughing, however. That seems to have the same effect on the monitor as contractions...). Every time Sam moved, I pushed a button (the controller was very Jeopardy-like) and they watched to see how his heart rate responded to movement. That looked good, as did the level of amniotic fluid. Apparently he is still happy in his home.

After we left the doctor's office this morning, we were kind of under the care of the head nurse for the rest of the day. She's the one who taught our childbirth classes and has been with the practice for a LONG time. She's also the one in charge of scheduling inductions and c-sections. After I dropped Josh off at work, I called her to schedule an induction date. At this point she asked how big the baby was. I told her I didn't know and no one had seemed very concerned with really finding out. After much debate, she sent us for an ultrasound this afternoon. So, about two hours after I dropped Josh at work, I went back to pick him up!

We ended up having the same ultrasound tech as when we found out he was a boy! The really good news is we got firm confirmation that he is indeed a boy (Josh was especially worried because we never saw a picture of "the evidence...") and that everything looks great. The not so comforting news, however, is they think he might be as big as nine or nine and a half pounds!!! That is WAY bigger than we had planned on or guessed. Now, we know that this is a pretty big guesstimate and it's not that accurate. BUT, the fact that there is a chance he measures that big, makes me VERY nervous!!! We talked to the nurse at our practice again and she seemed slightly surprised too.

The plan right now is the nurse is going to talk to the doctor that comes in in the morning (we also really like her) and call us with a recommendation. We have a list of questions we've thought of and if there is any need for discussion, I'd really like to go into the office to have this discussion. If they just decide what to do (which is what we're hoping for) then we'll go with that. That being said, Sam will not arrive later than next Tuesday from everything we heard today.

Think small thoughts!

It's Tomorrow???

Well, tomorrow is D-Day (Due Date)! We can't believe it's here already! October seemed so far off nine months ago... For the last month we have been semi-prepared because, technically, Sam could decide to come at any point. Apparently, that was not necessary. Our doctor's appointment last week showed no new progress. Sam's head was still pretty high and he wasn't making any signs of coming out soon. We realize that all could change at any time, but seeing as I'm carrying this baby, I'm not feeling any big difference yet. We have our next (and last?) appointment tomorrow morning and there will be discussion of how next to proceed.

Josh and I decided that it was time to really act like Sam was coming tonight. We decided when we go out later tonight we will throw my stuff in the car...just in case. That way, it will also be there in the morning in case we for some reason don't get to come home. So, I spent today as if it were my last day without a baby! I stayed in my pajamas until about 2pm and finished up the little things left on my to-do list. The house is clean, my bags are totally packed, and after I write a few thank you notes and pay the bills, we will be as ready as ever. Now, I know that pretty much guarantees there will be no excitement in the next 24 hours, but it can't hurt to be ready!

We'll keep you posted...

Society vs. Pregnant Ladies

It is amazing to me how people respond to pregnant women when they are out in the real world! For the longest time, it seems like people are afraid to say something for fear you aren't really pregnant. That's a legitimate concern. Then there is that magical moment when you are more frequently asked when you are due and what you're having. It's fun having people notice. Finally, you reach the point where the majority of people in stores or restaurants at least cast an obvious look at your belly, if not strike up a conversation about pregnancy. Once you hit this point, it's hard to believe it when some people seem so oblivious to your pregnancy! Well, today I had two very different experiences. The first was at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. There seemed to be an overabundance of salespeople working the floor and each and every one made a point to say hello to me and ask if I needed anything. I think they were just doing their job for the most part, but everyone looked at my belly. I even had one guy tell me his wife is the Director of Patient Care in the Maternity Ward at Alexandria Hospital (where we're delivering) and I should ask for her and she'd take good care of me. I'm supposed to tell her Bill, her husband, sent me! LOL So, that was a very enjoyable experience. Later I was in line at Walmart at one of the self-checkout thingies. I had my hands full of stuff and really just wanted to put it all down on the conveyor belt. The woman in front of me, however, had left her basket on the belt and wasn't moving it. As she finished paying, I saw her stare at my belly and then just leave! I just think it would have been nice for her to move her basket, in general, let alone for a pregnant lady! Harumph!