1 week?

Okay, Rob and I just got back from *hopefully* my last prenatal visit.  However, I wouldn't hold my breath.    Although I actually made some progress this week!!  I am currently a "loose" 1 centimeter dilated and about 50 percent effaced.  Woohoo!  That is much more welcome news than my doctors saying things like, "Well, your cervix is hard as a rock".  Now I just need some contractions!  My midwife told me that she doesn't like to induce before 41 weeks and 3 days because statistically speaking, most women give birth by then.  So, if baby Eli hasn't come by Monday, on Tuesday I will go back in and have a biophysical ultrasound or whatever to check in on the little guy and make sure he's doing alright. After that, I will go in on Friday (assuming he still hasn't come) and then repeat that schedule for the next week. Also, I was told that Eli is going to be a very long baby (thanks for the genes, Rob) so he will probably be much more closer to 9 pounds rather than 8 pounds.   Let's just hope he doesn't come home all bruised and battered from being cramped in the womb like his pop.


ALSO.

I totally meant to write this yesterday but I was having some problems with uploading photos on blogger.  I had two showers this weekend.  A family/friends shower on Saturday was followed by a shower at church on Sunday morning.  Let me tell you, Eli really cleaned up.  I seriously have nowhere to put some of the stuff that was given to him.  We feel really loved and blessed to have been taken care of like this.

2 weeks?

Okay, I guess not much to report this time either.  Rob came with me to this appointment; the only appointment he's come with so far is the ultrasound, but I told him I'd like him to come to these last few, because I feel like they're probably pretty important and he's better at retaining information like this than me. Anyway, so I saw the midwife and she measured me and listened to the heartbeat, and all that's good.  But then she asked me if I wanted my cervix checked.  Like, it wasn't necessary.  And I was thinking, well, I don't particularly want anyone to stick their hand up my parts, but I would like to know if I am getting anywhere?  So I did get checked, and she didn't give me any particularly useful information, like if I was thinning out or dilating or anything, but she did say she could feel the baby's head through an extra small opening, and my doctor last time probably couldn't feel it because her fingers were smaller than his.  Okay?  Also, it was probably a good thing Rob was with me this time because I couldn't even put my own pants back on.  My ability to bend over at this point is pretty much shot.

just a little update

Today I am officially 38 weeks, but I will save the 2 week countdown update for tomorrow, because I have my appointments on Tuesdays.  I am just needing something to do while we watch the Olympics :)  Rob has been mildly obsessed with them since yesterday around noon and they pretty much have been on our TV nonstop since then.  I find them pretty interesting as well, so I'm not complaining.

Yesterday my parents came over for a short while so my dad could hang up the blinds I ordered for baby's room.  He also finished hanging up the pictures.  I hate having plaster walls.

Anyway.

His room looks way more complete and I am excited to share pictures when the room is completely done, which will likely be after he is born.

Speaking of baby being born, I hope that happens soon.  I have been SO freaking uncomfortable, and I feel like it's really magnified today.  He is vertex, which is great, but his head is pushing more on my left side, and certain movements I make can be extremely painful.  I have also been lucky enough to avoid stretch marks throughout this pregnancy but in the last couple days a few small ones look like they might be forming where I feel the most pressure where his head is.  Did I mention it is uncomfortable?

To try to speed things along I am still referring to my list of natural ways to induce labor, according to the timeline.  I walked for about 2 and a half miles today, which took about 45 minutes, and by the end my lower back felt like it had a knife in it.  Week 38 I am supposed to start introducing the induction foods, so I guess I will be coming up with recipes where I can use basil and start eating more salads with balsamic vinegar!

3 weeks?

Today's doctor appointment didn't have too much exciting news.  I mean, everything is looking good but my cervix is still completely closed so baby Chipman isn't coming any time too soon.  At this point I am considered full term so really we will welcome him whenever he's ready.  I've been reading up on natural ways to induce labor and one of the things was to start long daily walks at 37 weeks, so Rob and I were at the gym yesterday and I walked quite a bit.  Hopefully I will be able to keep that up; it's unbelievable how tired you feel at this point in pregnancy.  I'm also trying to do squats and things that are supposed to get baby moving down.  I also recently required a recipe for eggplant parmigiana from a lady at church who swears by it.  If you are unfamiliar with this, apparently there is a restaurant in Georgia that has an eggplant parmigiana that women believe makes them go into labor.  Anyway, the lady from church has a daughter and a daughter-in-law who both recently had babies, within 2 days of eating this specific recipe.  Hey, I'll try it.

In other news, a bit more progress has been made on Eli's room, as far as decorating.  Rob's half of the room is still...Rob's half, but when my dad was over the other week when we *finally* had all the demo crap hauled out of our backyard, he hung up half of the pictures and my mom and I put up the map I got.  

Eli also got a large bag of goodies from his grandma Chipman which I believe has doubled his wardrobe!  He also got a lot of cute little baby toys, some diapers/wipes, socks, bibs, and other useful baby things.  We're also super thankful because she scored a good deal on a second-hand swing, bouncer, and two bumbo seats which all look brand new and would of been really expensive to buy new!  I think this kid is set.

Things Rob and I still need to do to get prepared are make a list of things we need to remember on the way to/at the hospital as well as pack a hospital bag.  I still can't believe in a month or less we are going to have brought a child into this world.  I can't wait to meet the little guy.

OH!  And it would be great if you could say a prayer for Rob and me.  Family and some others know, but Rob's boss had to move him and his other employee down to part-time.  While we are thankful he still has work and that his super generous boss is paying our insurance through the end of the year, it's still a bit unnerving to not have full-time income with a baby on the way.  He has had two interviews with a larger company and we are waiting for the top boss to return from vacation, when he will have his final interview.  I am praying the job works out, but only if it is a good fit and he will be happy there.  He really, really liked/s his old/current job but knows we need something full time with preferably a larger company that can offer more stability.  Rob is really good at what he does and he also pretty much rocks the interview process, every time, so I'm not too worried - just hoping that things happen sooner rather than later :)

4 weeks?

Here's my irecentlyreturnedfromthedoctor update:  I had that group b strep test today.   Ouch.  I am measuring at 36 weeks, according to this doctor, though he didn't actually measure me.  Only the midwives have actually measured me.  Heartbeat is good, blood pressure is good, baby is vertex, cervix is completely closed.  Also I asked this doctor to guesstimate baby's weight and he says if the baby comes by August 13 he will be around 8 lbs.  If later, then more, obviously.  Also he says I will most likely not be having this baby before my due date, and possibly later.

THE END.

one month minus one day

I was going to post this yesterday, but daily events plus my SD card being a jerk, etc etc prevented me from doing so.  HOWEVER.  Now I have some time, and since yesterday was exactly one month until Eli is due to be born onto this earth, I thought I would do a post.

We went to the Red's game last night.  I am not the hugest baseball fan.  I grew up with three brothers who were all very into athletics, and baseball dominated my childhood.  Going to baseball games was pretty much a punishment to me because I would have to go to all their games until my mother deemed me old enough to stay at home alone (which took far too long in my opinion).  But, I do enjoy going to a professional game every once in a while (yearly?), but it's not like I follow any teams.  Because I don't care.  It was good to see my in-laws which was the reason for the occasion (Rob's dad's birthday).

Now Rob and I just returned from Midas, in which we discovered his car NEEDS NEW BRAKES.  His NEW CAR.  Seriously.  We haven't even taken off the temporary tags yet and we are going to be shelling out over $600 in a few hours for new rear brakes plus a few other safety issues.  This was right after going to the DMV and paying over $300 for titling the car and all that dumb crap you have to do to get an out-of-state purchased vehicle registered in Kentucky.  TODAY IS AWESOME.

Anyway, about the baby.  I thought I would post a few pictures of what we've come up with in the nursery so far and perhaps a picture I took showing how humongous I am with a month to go.

I totally got the chevron rug I wanted.  I also washed his little sheets and things and so his bed is made.  His first outfits are washed and stacked in the bed because I'm waiting on his wardrobe to be finished.  The lamp next to the crib will be moved out when it has a place but the Chewbacca toy sitting on it will stay, as it's the first/only thing Rob has picked out for Eli :)  Also the swing we are borrowing from Aly and Brandon.  Simon will likely be in and out.

To show the unfinished-ness of the room, this is the other side.  Rob's stuff is still there plus a bunch of other junk.  Where Rob's desk is will probably be where we will put either a rocking chair or bookshelf.  

Here is Eli's closet.  It was previously serving the purpose of my overflow closet plus we had all of Rob's sweaters in there.  Now it is full of baby things, minus the top shelf, which will stay as is because I can't reach it anyway.   I also need to buy a new door for it, because the old one never was brought out of the basement since being repainted when we first moved in, and it suffered water damage when our basement flooded when it used to rain.

Also, lastly, here is me one month from my due date.  You will notice I am exceptionally large, complete with thunder thighs and mom butt.  This will happen to you when you are pregnant if you are not careful.  

Also it is comical to me that this is the only other picture I took of myself pregnant and I thought I was getting huge then.  Also this was taken March 13, 5 months from my due date.

THE END.

5 more weeks?

Hello!  I just returned from my 35 week appointment (well, after a pit stop for a milkshake and my mom's pool).  I am measuring 36 cm and after questioning the nurse midwife about how big she suspected our little (big) bundle of joy will be, she is guessing Eli will not be more than 9 lbs, maybe more in the high 8's and that he's pretty long.  WE'LL SEE.  I have a concern, because both Rob and I were large babes, me at 9 lbs 2 oz and Rob at 9 lbs 14 oz, and I wanted to be sure this kid wasn't on the fast track to being a 13 lb baby or something terrifying like that.  So, you can all remember those numbers and then see how little Eli compares.  The midwife also told me that if I was a big baby it is likely my body is more than capable of giving birth to a big baby.  I guess that's good?  From here on out I will go see a doctor or midwife every week until he is here, which will hopefully be by August 13.  But considering I'm late for literally everything, it stands to reason my offspring will be the same.