The Baby Update...

So I'm TERRIBLE about getting tummy shots during my pregnancies- and since I hadn't taken any during this entire pregnancy, I decided to take a tummy pic myself. I even thought I'd be brave and really show just how BIG my tummy has grown at 38 weeks by taking the picture in my swimsuit... Nothing like stretchy bathing suit material to flatter the pregnant belly!

I had my last ultrasound at 34 weeks (a couple of weeks ago) just to make sure everything looked good with the baby and apparently this baby has A LOT of hair- or at least that's what it looked like on the ultrasound. I was surprised, because although both Noah and Ian were born with a lot of hair, I don't remember EVER being able to see it on the ultrasound.

I learned an interesting fact by the way- did you know that if a mother has heart burn and acid reflux commonly throughout her entire pregnancy, her baby will likely have a full head of hair once it's born. I guess the hormone responsible for making the baby's hair grow in utero, is the same hormone that causes unpleasant acid reflux. Too bad this baby's not going to be a girl- I would have bought all sorts of bows and headbands to put in her hair. I guess for now, we'll just have to stick with hair gel and faux hawks for the boys.

A week ago this last Monday, my doctor checked me and said I was just past 3 centimeters dilated and 80% effaced. He also said that the baby is head down and in position.

This last Monday when I was checked I was still at a 3 - but slightly closer to 4 centimeters dilated and 90% effaced. The doctor said he'd be wouldn't be surprised if the baby arrived before my induction date which is the 19TH. Both my sister and my doctor recommended that I try taking some Castor oil to speed up delivery, I guess it's a "midwife cocktail", but I'm thinking I'm just fine progressing slowly into child labor.

Oh yeah- I forgot to mention beforehand- I'm going to be induced on the 19TH- 2 days before my due date. My doctor will be leaving for vacation the following day for a week, so it works better for him having me induced and we have quite a bit going on this month and in the next couple of weeks ahead, so an induction is pretty ideal. Besides- I was induced before with my last two pregnancies, and I've had fairly quick, easy labors. Let's hope this delivery won't be much different from the others. Just in case you were wondering, if the baby is born on the 19Th, that would make Noah exactly 2 years and 9 months older than the baby (Noah's birthday is September 19Th) and Ian would be exactly 1 year, 1 month & 10 days older than the new baby (or in short, 13 months and 10 days older)- he'll probably LOOK 3 years older than the new baby though because he's so GINORMOUS!

I was REALLY hoping that the baby wouldn't be born early last week; I had swimming lessons I had to take the boys to every morning that I didn't want them to miss- the lessons are actually still on-going until the end of the week- so really I'm hoping the baby doesn't arrive any earlier than this Friday. Could you imagine what it would be like if my water broke in the pool at lessons???!!! AGHHH!

This pregnancy has been much easier than my previous two. Lets see- my pregnancy with Noah was just miserable!... I had to use liquid Zofran and I had an I.V. pick line stuck in my right arm 6 1/2 months of my pregnancy. I couldn't eat or drink and I was pretty much confined to my house the entire time because for 14 hours each day I was hooked up to an I.V. drip line. It's pretty hard to get around with an I.V. pole. After 6 1/2 months of having the pick line, I developed some intolerance to having the pick line in my arm, so the doctors pulled it and from that point until the end of my pregnancy I was still in and out of the Emergency Room to get hydrated, but at least by the last month of my pregnancy I was able to stomach real food and pretty much keep down most liquids on my own. My pregnancy with Ian wasn't quite as difficult as the one I'd endured with Noah- although I still had to take Zofran on a daily basis until I delivered Ian- and I don't think I ate much for the first 4 or 5 months- otherwise if I tried I was usually vomiting. With this pregnancy I was still very sick in the beginning- so I took Zofran up until the end of March. I haven't really needed it since then. I still have really bad acid reflux and I really have to be careful with what foods I eat, but at least I've been able to eat real meals.

Thus being said- I have definitely gained the MOST WEIGHT with this pregnancy. Spencer says I'm huge (he says it in the kindest way of course); he just started poking fun of me recently because in the mornings when I get ready in front of the mirror, he says my belly rests on the counter top of the sink- it doesn't really, I just happen to be slightly taller than the height of the counter top so it looks like it's resting from a distance. The doctor told me that my weight gain for this pregnancy is right on track and appropriate and my belly is actually still measuring slightly smaller than it should. I'm always slightly shocked to step on the scale at each doctors visit and see new numbers I'm totally unfamiliar with! I have to keep reminding myself though that the weight gain is appropriate and expected because I AM PREGO. I have about 40 pounds to loose to be back to my ideal weight- maybe the baby will be half the 40 and then I'd only have to loose 20 pounds... just wishfully thinking... Spencer made a deal with me two weeks ago and said that if I loose all 40 pounds he'll buy me a Mac notebook. I'm totally game and not only do I want to shed the baby pounds, but I love the idea of getting a Mac computer too cuz I'd LOVE to use Final Cut Pro.

During one visit to the doctors office I read an article spotlighting Kelly Ripa- the host from "Live with Regis & Kelly". She said during the interview that with her first kid she gained 65 pounds- her 2ND child she gained 55 pounds and her 3rd child she gained 50 pounds during pregnancy. She also said that after each pregnancy, it generally took her up to a year and a half to get back down to her ideal weight she started out at. First off, I saw Kelly on her morning show a few years ago when she was pregnant last, and she looked AMAZING- she STILL looks amazing to me, and she's not one of those skinny, anorexic looking t.v. celebs- so I've started to think that my weight gain this pregnancy, even though the number still seems high to me, is pretty norm and healthy. I won't try and deny though that I haven't eaten more candy, ice cream and french fries with this pregnancy than any one person should eat. It's gonna be hard parting with those yummy foods as soon as this pregnancy's over.

About a month ago, I started to notice a numbing sensation on my belly just next to my naval. I asked the doctor what it was, and he said my stomach has probably stretched as far as my stomach will allow and so the increasing pressure from the baby was deadening my nerves on my stomach near my naval! It's terrible and it's the most annoying feeling- unfortunately too the doctor said there was nothing to help with the pain- (yes, in case you were wondering, it is slightly painful). I'm not one of the lucky few women who don't get stretch marks during pregnancy (do those women even exist or is it just folklore???) Oh no, I HAVE STRETCH MARKS and my veins on my stomach are as clear as road maps!!! In fact- towards the end of my pregnancy with Ian, my stomach grew/stretched so much that one of the blood vessels near my naval burst and now I have a bright blue broken blood vessel that stands out next to my belly button like I've been marked accidentally with a blue permanent marker. If I remember right, one of my dear friends Danielle asked me last year, just after I had Ian, if I thought I'd be back in shape quick enough to sport a bikini over the summer... I had to laugh at her inquiry then, and I'm definitely still laughing... ummm, yeah- I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable enough to sport another bikini on the beach or poolside ever again. Some moms can pull it off and look good- but I've been cursed with stretch marks and broken blood vessels- probably pay back because even though I knew better and shouldn't have been wearing a bikini the WEEK before I went into the MTC for my mission, I still was. It was vanity, and I think Heavenly Father has been trying to humble me since.

I think this baby just may grow up to be a tumbler or a gymnast! He sure moves A LOT!!! I think he'll be big too- because he doesn't have much room inside me to move around- I can usually feel one foot of his kicking at my hip bone, an arm shoved into my rib cage and his bottom usually has no where to sit except on my bladder. My poor children really must be fairly uncomfortable while I'm pregnant with them. I don't accommodate them with much room to grow, considering I almost have no waist at all because my ribs practically rest on top of my hip bones. I'm short and compact; thus being said- I get upset sometimes when I see really TALL pregnant women who have long torsos because generally their tummy's are always smaller than my own and they look so elegant being preggers.

I've actually begun to WADDLE with the pregnancy- and O.M.G.- need I even explain the difficulty I have getting up off our couches or out of bed!!! It's ridiculous, I should have a crane to lift me up and out!

I'm slightly nervous about having a 3RD kid- the nervousness began setting in just a couple nights ago. It surely will be an adventure, but I think my nerves will be settled once the baby actually arrives.

We'll be sure to let everyone know when the baby is born and what we name him. The name is still TOTALLY undecided- to be honest we really haven't discussed it as much as we used to when I was preggers with the other two boys- I suppose we just figure it will come to us once we meet our new addition.