A little of this, a little of that....

Pregnancy Journal, er, I mean Scrapbook.

Since I'm getting ready to finish up Finley's 1st year scrapbooks, I thought it would be good to start from the 'beginning' and share the scrapbook I did as a pregnancy journal.

In some regards, this blog served as my pregnancy journal, so it was extremely convenient to just go back and print off blog posts to add to the scrapbook. I'm so glad I bored everyone with my almost weekly blood pressure stats. :)

Yes, I realize having a pregnancy journal turn into a full 12x12 scrapbook is a little much, but I'm a fanatic about memory keeping. 

"Waiting for Baby T."

I use We R Memory Keepers' 12x12 Leather 3-Ring scrapbooks. I didn't intend on using a pink one for this album, but I ended up using pink because it's right next to Finley's 1st year scrapbooks (and the two themes kinda go together!).

The beginning page...

The 'Congrats on your pregnancy' cards...

Baby bump layout...

(Notice my week markers are bumps? I thought I was being sooo clever! Lol!)

I wanted to be sure to include photos of Jim putting together all of the baby gear!

Then there's the confirmation letters I saved from our Childbirth Education class and the photos of Baby T's room all ready...

For the ultrasound photos, I took them to Office Max and had them B&W photocopied onto cardstock so they'd last. The thermal paper they're originally printed on isn't so good long term.

The little circle reads "little fingers wrapped around little toes". In this ultrasound photo, they captured Finley holding on to her foot.

I then added a dozen or so 8 1/2 x 11 page protectors where I've printed out any blog posts about my pregnancy, including doctor visit information.

About half of the scrapbook is from my Baby Shower.

I used 4-up 6x6 page protectors on this section so I could put both vertical and horizontal photos in the order that I wanted.

Even a napkin from the shower...

At the Baby Shower, the guest filled out advice cards for me (sorry, this photo is blurry)...

I really wanted to have handwritten messages from my friends and family (the memory keeper in me was in overdrive).

Here's one of my favorite messages from my friend Betty...

The guests also filled out Guessing Cards for the due date, gender, weight and length...

Jim and I filled out our own guessing cards...

I also added all of the cards from the baby shower. Even though there were a ton of cards, I still wanted the cards and the photos together in the same place.

I ended the book with printouts of my December Daily entries. For the month of December, I posted a blog post everyday, just documenting what the month of December 2010 was like. I love the idea of Finley reading these in twenty years and reading how Jim and I spent the few weeks before she arrived. 

On some of the cards with open space at the bottom, I added Basic Grey rub-ons (man those were awesome rub-ons... I wish they still made them!)...

There it is! Probably the biggest pregnancy journal that ever was. But I already enjoy going back and reminiscing about being pregnant (I LOVED being pregnant), so I really cherish this scrapbook. I can't wait to look and read through this with Finley in the years to come. 

It's time! Thursday, December, 23rd....

Hooray! Dr. Bell sent me on to the hospital today after my appointment today. My BP was really high again and he didn't want me to go through the holiday weekend with my BP and pulse acting up.

Jim left work and got home around the same time that I did. I'd already had everything packed, so I grabbed a light lunch, doubled-up on the cats' food and water, loaded up the car and headed to the hospital!

We got here around 2:30pm and I got into a Labor/Delivery room right away. Within a short time, I was hooked up like a car battery... I had the baby monitor, the contraction monitor, the finger-pulse monitor and an IV all a goin'.

Since my BP and pulse had been so high, Dr. Bell was a little puzzled over why... I never ended up getting eclampsia. So, just to be safe, he ordered an EKG and a heart ultrasound for me. Once it was determined my heart was healthy enough for labor, they'd start the process of inducing me. My heart turned out to be fine and healthy, so they started the Pitocin drip. The resident doctor also came in to put in a balloon in my cervix. This helps my cervix dialate... they slowly fill the balloon with saline to stretch things out. The doctor put the balloon in, and then I heard the word "ruptured". Turns out, my water broke when they did this! So, they cranked up the Pitocin a little more and now we're just playing the waiting game.

Here's a couple pics...

Riverside has free Wifi (and a 24 hour Tim Hortons)... so I'm in Facebook/Blog heaven...

It'll be awhile before anything happens... I'll be on the Pitocin for awhile and probably won't reach "active" labor until morning.

I called Mom and they're on their way! Mom said she'll stay the night up here!

I'll try to post as many updates as possible! I can't wait to announce the arrival of our little Christmas miracle!

Wednesday, December 22nd...

With my blood pressure being on the rise, along with my heart racing the past day and a half, I thought for sure Dr. Bell would send me on to the hospital after my appointment today. My BP was high- 160/90, and my pulse was 114. After resting, my BP was 140/88. With how horrible I've been feeling, I thought for sure he wouldn't let me go one more day. Turns out, my pulse and my BP isn't affecting the baby at all. The baby's heartbeat is still fine. We also had another ultrasound, and the fluid around the baby is good- no decrease at all. On another good note, the baby has flipped around, and is in position for delivery! (head down, facing my spine). The baby's estimated weight is 7lbs., 7 oz.

I go back tomorrow so Dr. Bell can check on everything. I'm hoping he doesn't let me go until next week. This is the most uncomfortable I've been... it's exhausting to have my heart racing. Even if I'm laying down, I just can't relax.  Plus I can't seem to catch my breath, with the baby crowding my lungs along with my increased pulse.  With how careful Dr. Bell has been with watching my BP, I am so surprised he's not inducing me. Maybe he'll change his mind tomorrow, and send me on to the hospital. I'm all for letting the baby come out when it's ready, but not when I'm feeling so miserable.

On our way home from the doctors, we had dinner at Easy Street Cafe in Powell. We thought we'd take the opportunity to have dinner as just the two of us while we can!

Only 3 more days until Christmas, and only 8 more days until my due date!

 

 

Tuesday, December 21st...

I've been sleeping in lately, but I really slept in this morning. I didn't have a very good night for sleeping last night. I was so tired yesterday, I ended up falling asleep around 8:30pm on the couch. I slept on the couch all the way until 2:30am and then I headed upstairs to bed. I wasn't able to go back to sleep, so at 3:15am, I came back downstairs and watched TV. I felt my heart beating fast, so laid down to try to relax. It was about 1 1/2 hours before I was able to fall back asleep, but my heart was still racing. I woke up around 7am, headed back upstairs and slept until 10:15am. I was still tired, so I stayed in bed for another hour.

Once I finally got up and came downstairs, my heart was still racing. After a couple of hours, I ended up calling the doctor's office and made an impromptu BP check appointment. Turns out, my BP was high- 128/98. The real problem was my pulse- it was 120. After resting on my left side, my BP was then 124/88 and then my pulse was 100. The nurse called Dr. Bell and he said to go home and not do anything other than to rest on my left side. He said to do this until I came in to see him on Wednesday.

This evening was a little tough. While my heart didn't feel like it was racing as much, it was still beating fast throughout the evening. It was hard to relax when I didn't feel relaxed on the inside.

I'm betting Dr. Bell won't let me go another week on my own, with my BP and my pulse acting up. I think he's going to send me on to the hospital after I go tomorrow, or schedule me to come in on Thursday. I'm kinda hoping he does, just because I'm worried about causing any harm to the baby if my pulse/BP is high.

So, we'll see how things go tomorrow! It would be a great Christmas present to have the baby here before Saturday!

Only 4 days until Christmas, and only 9 more days until my due date!

Monday, December 20th...

After a morning of lounging around, I got ready and headed to my doctor's appointment. I first had my weekly Non-Stress Test. The baby was moving all around again, so the NST was a good one! During my exam with Dr. Bell, he said I was ALMOST 1cm dialated. My BP was OK... 124/88. I've gained three pounds, so I'm up a total of twenty pounds.

At this point, Dr. Bell said he was going to be an "old fart" about watching me and my BP during this last week before the baby is due. I have to go again on Wednesday for a BP check. He also wants to make sure the protein in my urine doesn't change. He said things can change day to day at this point. He also wants to do another ultrasound on Wednesday, to check the fluid around the baby. With high BP, the fluid will sometimes decrease. He said if my fluid has decreased, then it'll be time to get the baby out!

Only 5 more days until Christmas, and only 10 days until my due date!

Sunday, December 19th...

A big day! We had visitors today! Mom, Granny, and Uncle Terry (Terry was making them laugh!)....

I made a big pot of vegetable soup and brought out the ol' panini maker for lunch. It's was just like Panera's 'You Pick Two' soup and sandwich combo.

And just because I wasn't sure if we'd get another chance for someone to take our picture by the tree this year, I had mom go ahead and take ours...

You really can't tell that my belly SERIOUSLY looks like it has a watermelon in it, so I had Jim take a profile shot.

See? I told you.

Seems like a great time for one of my all-time favorite movie quotes...

"I carried a watermelon" -said by Baby to Johnny (Dirty Dancing).

Not much planned for this evening, just lounging around and watching the 'Survivor' finale and reunion show!

Only 6 more days until Christmas, and only 11 more days until my due date!

Friday, December 17th...

I had a BP check today. These are the most annoying appointments to me. My BP was high (I could've told them it would be, I drove in snow flurries amidst holiday shopping traffic... it took me 35 mintues just to get to 71, when it normally takes 15). My BP was 132/98. So I had to lay on my left side for ten minutes. I think they forgot about me, because it was more like 20 minutes (I hate waiting around, so I'm sure this didn't help my BP). Plus, the nurse didn't even get me a pillow, which doesn't make for a very comfortable 'rest' for a 38 week pregnant woman. After taking it again, it was 124/64. The nurse came in and said she needed to call Dr. Bell to see what he wanted to do. Oh boy, here we go again... what tests are they going to come up with today?!

Turns out, I had to get ANOTHER round of bloodwork (this makes my FOURTH set of bloodwork) AND since I had a trace (TRACE... T-R-A-C-E) of protein in my urine, I got sent home with another stupid orange jug. On Sunday, I have to collect my urine for 24 hours.

Maybe they're trying to meet quotas for 2010 with the insurance companies. I don't have that much longer to deal with all these tests, so that's the light at the end of the tunnel. 

After my appointment, I went to Kohls and then to Carters. I had told myself I was done shopping for baby clothes until the baby was born and until I knew if it was a boy or a girl. Wouldn't you know it, Carters came out with a couple of super cute new collections, one for girls and one for boys, with little elephants on them. Damn it, Carters! Little elephants are my weakness! (along with baby hats). The good news is half of these clothes will be returned soon. I guess we'll take that money to pay for my bloodwork and urine tests!

Only 8 more days until Christmas, and only 13 more days until my due date!

 

Baby Aiden Taylor or Baby Sophia Taylor?

No, we're not really going with Aiden or Sophia, but I thought it would be fun to document the top ten most popular baby names (according to babynames.com) of 2010.

The top ten most popular boy names for 2010...

1. Aidan

2. Liam

3. Noah

4. Jackson

5. Ethan

6. Caden

7. Mason

8. Logan

9. Landon

10. Oliver

The top ten most popular girl names for 2010...

1. Sophia

2. Charlotte

3. Ava

4. Addison

5. Olivia

6. Amelia

7. Lilly

8. Isabella

9. Chloe

10. Bailey

For other fun facts, when Jim was born, James was the #2 most popular boy's name for 1971. In 1974, Amy was the #2 most popular girl's name.

FYI... Baby T's name isn't in either the boys' or the girls' top ten list for 2010. Isn't the suspense just driving you crazy?! :)

38 weeks...

Baby T. has now progressed to a watermelon! It's amazing that at just 3 to 4 weeks, Baby T. was the size of a poppyseed, and now is ready for the outside world.

My pregnancy is considered full term, meaning Baby T is likely to thrive after birth. Baby T spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Baby T has hiccups almost daily now! Meconium, which we’ll find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. During the journey out of the womb, Baby T will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.

Back in May, I was trying to imagine what mid-December would be like and how I'd feel. Everyone told me that the last month drags on and that I'll reach that "completely miserable" stage. While I am soooo excited for Baby T to be here, I haven't reached the completely miserable point yet.  I also think the past 38 weeks have flown by. The slowest stage for me was the first trimester (up until around week 14). Up until that point, I was so tired and exhausted all of the time.

My updated prediction is Baby T will be born on January 4th. While I'd love for the baby to be here ASAP, I have a feeling it's going to be after my due date. We'll see if my intuition is right!

Baby shower pics...

I'm finally posting the rest of the pics from my baby shower!

Special thanks to Leslie for taking pictures at my baby shower. Her sister Michelle also took some too, although she's busted... I had Leslie take a picture of me with each person and the one of me and Michelle 'strangely' disappeared.

With Lisa (Jim's second oldest sister) and her two daughters, Kendall (on the left) and Brett (on the right)...

With Chris (Jim's youngest sister) and her son Kadin...

With Nan (Jim's mom), Debbie (Jim's oldest sister) and Chris' son Kadin...

With Deb (Granny's nephew's wife)...

With Aunt Sharon (Granny's youngest sister)...

With Aunt Betty (Granny's older sister) and her daughter Julie...

With Aunt Rita (Granny's sister-in-law)...

With Bobbie (Granny's niece) and her daughter Shelley...

With Jeannie (Granny's nephew's wife) with her daughter Chrissy and her son and daugther Colt and Paige...

With Cathy (one of Granny's cousin's wife)...

With Louise (Mom & Granny's neighbor)...

With Evelyn (my uncle's girlfriend)...

With Granny...

With Mom and Baby Troy (my youngest cousin Sara's little baby boy; he's almost five months old here)...

With Aunt Suzi...

With Marilee (Aunt Suzi's mom and my cousins other grandma)...

With Suzi,  Bethany, Baby Troy, Michelle, and Michelle's two daughters Olivia and Averie...

With Olivia...

With Averie...

With Chris, Angela, Colleen and their mom Rita (Rita is my Pa's nephew's wife)...

With my OU girls! Lisa, Stephanie and Jen...

With Jen...

With Stephanie...

With Lisa and her mom Nancy... (Lisa's an expectant mother too! She's expecting a baby girl March 22nd!)...

With Betty (I worked with Betty waaay back in the day at HQ)...

With Leslie...

With Tasha..

With Felicia...

With Stephanne..

With Debby...

With the Lemon Shake-Up Maker, my uncle Terry...

He also had a little helper...

With the two grandmas-to-be...

Thanks again to everyone for making my baby shower so special!