Finishing Touches The nursery is finished! I have taken some pictures and put them on this site. The nursery looks amazing and I am very pleased to be able to present this room to Sophia.
I stayed home today and actually got some good sleep. I feel more rested than I have all week and so I feel more prepared for labor. I was having contractions all yesterday, but I guess that they were Braxton Hicks because I haven't been feeling them today. My mom said that I was born within about a day of her experiencing Braxton Hicks for the first time.
I have an appointment with Dr. Howell today so I am curious to find out if I have dilated or if anything at all has changed. This close to the due date I am starting to get anxious. I felt for sure that she would be born soon. Now of course, I am less sure but very hopeful!
2008-04-09 (39 weeks)
False Alarm
Last night I was fairly certain that I was beginning to go into labor. Okay, so maybe it was more wishful thinking than confidence. I couldn't sleep. I was feeling nauseated. I felt my stomach tighten and felt some discomfort. I thought to myself, "I'll sleep through the easy part and when I wake up, I will be having more serious contractions. Then we can go to the hospital and have the baby born during the day so that Dr. Howell can deliver Sophia. Perfect!" Definitely wishful thinking.
Now I am even more tired than I was yesterday due to my struggle to fall asleep (and the crazy hail that woke Dean and I up in the middle of the night). I'm afraid that I made Dean anxious too. I woke him up to let him know that I thought it could be starting. Then when the horrible storm started, all he could think about was having to drive to the hospital in the horrible weather. Poor thing. Maybe next time I should just keep my mouth, and my imagination, closed.
2008-04-08 (39 weeks)
Red Tape I am soooooooooooo tired! It's hard to stay awake. I guess this is nature's way of getting me to rest up, but I'm still working. Sorry Mother Nature, but I'm a modern mommy and have to keep working. Though I suppose I could take off early... I just hate the idea of staying home if Sophia isn't going to be born for another week! I might get bored.
Speaking of timing, Fort Worth ISD makes paternity leave a big hassle. I'm not sure if it is as much trouble for women teachers to take maternity leave as it is for the men to take time off, but it really borders on the ridiculous. I had to get a doctor's note saying when the due date is so that Dean could request a long-term sub. They initially wanted something from my doctor's office with Dean's name on it but since Dean isn't the patient and FWISD doesn't have a form for that, they dropped it. Luckily, they are okay with a note saying when I am due because we have the same last name. For a while there, I thought I was going to have to produce a certified copy of our marriage certificate and name change order!
I called yesterday to find out what would happen if Sophia is born after her due date and Dean wanted to continue working until she is born. At first I was told I would need a new doctor's note with a new estimated due date. What? My doctor's office is supposed to come up with some completely random date to satisfy their whims? So I asked if it would be okay if instead, we sent in a doctor's note saying when Sophia was born and that Dean just keep in touch with the district coordinator for substitutes, his principal and his sub to let them know what is going on. Finally, they determined that would be okay.
In addition to all of this, Dean has to do something like 3-5 separate things while on maternity leave- to prove that we have a child and to let them know weekly that he is still taking leave, or not. Is this just crazy red tape from a district that has grown far too bureaucratic? Sounds like it to me.
2008-04-07 (39 weeks)
Our Bags are Packed I just added some belly pictures that Dean and I took yesterday- one week before Sophia is due. We took those pictures with the new camera!
Our bags are packed, we have a list of people to call/text/email, the dresser has arrived at the store (it's been there all weekend and I just found out ), the guest bedroom is ready, the house is clean and we are just waiting for the moment when we will go to the hospital. We still need to get the car seat properly installed in Dean's car so that we can take Sophia home from the hospital.
Dean is less anxious for Sophia to arrive than I am. I suppose I am just ready for the experience and would like to stop wondering when it is going to happen. Neither of us really feel like parents yet, maybe that happens when we first see her. Our life is about to completely change, though it has already gone through many changes. That being said, I think that we are ready and will be good parents.
I did a simple test yesterday to see how my feet are affected by my eating habits. I ate only non-salty foods. My feet didn't swell as much as usual, but they were still swollen. The tops of my feet are sensitive to the touch. I suppose this is from the stretching of skin-- at least I don't have stretch marks on my feet! Unfortunately, my diet didn't affect the fact that my middle finger is now permanently numb.
), the guest bedroom is ready, the house is clean and we are just waiting for the moment when we will go to the hospital. We still need to get the car seat properly installed in Dean's car so that we can take Sophia home from the hospital.