Pregnancy Journal

Well, I am getting very excited! I went to my doctor on Friday and he told me that I'm 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced. Wheeeeee!

Great! Let's get this show on the road! I am more than ready to go. Unfortunately, it's a situation of "hurry up and wait." I'm still working because:

a) We need the cash flow for as long as possible before I go on UNPAID maternity leave

b) I figure all the walking around the building will help move things along.

However, I think I can do without all the nurses joking about who's going to deliver me if I go into labor at work. Yeah, yeah, I get it. Hilarious.

Anyhoo, I anticipate Charlotte will make her grand appearance on Thursday (the 8th). Why, you ask? Oh cuz that would be THE worst possible day. My mom will be on a business trip in Vermont, and Frank is having his surgery that day. Time will tell.

Anyhoo, I posted the latest sonogram picture, as promised. She's a little squished in the nose, but then again, there's not a whole lot of room in there anymore. Check out the phot album section (link is on the left side of the screen for those of you who have told me you were having trouble finding the pictures).

Yesterday we had another sonogram. This one was to check on Charlotte because she was measuring a little small (34 cm instead of 36) at my last appointment. There were three potential reasons/remedies that were conceivable:

a) She's fine. She's just little.  

b) She's little, but she's not fine. If she were behind in her development (as far as lungs are concerned) they would give her some steroids to speed things along. And no, she would not come out as big as Barry Bonds with the steroids. These steroids just help her lungs develop more quickly.

c) She's fine, but running low on amniotic fluid. Eep. If that were the case, they'd admit me to the hospital right away and induce my labor.

Luckily, the result was option a. She's fine, just a little small. And she's not even THAT small. They estimated that she weighs between 6 and 6 1/2 lbs. So by the time my due date rolls around, she'll top out at 7-7 1/2 lbs.

In case you were wondering, she looks exactly like Frank. All except for the giant melon. I think she actually inherited my head size, but all of Frank's facial features- that boy has some strong genes! I'm very happy about the head size, cuz I gotta push that sucker out.

So the moral of the story: everything is fine. We're right on schedule. However, Frank and I are trying to do what we can to move things along. We're both anxious for Charlotte to make her appearance already!

I'll post the latest ultrasound pictures ASAP, I promise. :)

Nine months. That's 36 weeks for those of you keeping score at home. I'm in the home stretch now. I can't wait to go into labor. Not that I'm a masochistic weirdo or anything, but I am looking forward to being a mommy and not being pregnant anymore. 

I know lots of women out there "loved being pregnant." I mind this highly dubious. I am not one of these women. Yes, I will miss feeling Charlotte swimming around and such, and the giant boobs are certainly a welcome addition- but that's it. Me no likey anything else about pregnancy. I'm so big I can barely move, My feet, knees, and back ache constantly, the constant, severe heartburn nearly brings me to tears, etc etc etc. I could go on (and I think I just did).

Never mind that. Let us not dwell on the negative. Let's accentuate the positive. Oh, here's a positive thing, I learned that there are 23,588 little tiles in the PT bathroom at work. I know this because I count them whenever I'm in there peeing (which is about 50 times a day).

Sorry about my complaining everyone. But at this point in pregnancy, I have become a miserable load. But don't pity me. Pity Frank, who has to live with me. Poor Frank. He has no idea what he's gotten himself into. He is such a sweet, accomodating, doting hubby and I feel I may have crushed his spirit with my massive belly and sausage feet (figuratively, of course). :)

At least I can rest assured that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. See? There is is! What a nice light. Huh, that's odd....it's getting bigger. Hmm. Oh crap! It's an oncoming train! Run! Or in my case, waddle awkwardly out of the way! Phew, we made it. Ok there's the REAL light. Sigh....it still looks so far away....

So last time we met, I told you about the Miami baby shower with all the trimmings and trappings of a fancy pants affair. This time I have not one, but two showers on which to report! Wow! All these baby showers- can ya feel the love?

Anyhoo, Frank's work decided to throw us a very nice shower at his office. I was really surprised at how many people came to it. We got to use the main conference room. Not just anyone gets the main conference room. :) There were probably about 40+ people there- ooh and delicious cake! Also, we received a diaper cake and a one-sie cake- they were super cute. Let's not forget the presents! Piles and piles of presents in all shapes and sizes!

Mo and Charley made Frank earn the right to open presents by having him identify all the Disney princesses. He actually did really well! I'm tellin' ya, that boy surprises me with all this girly knowledge. Of course, after identifying the princesses, he made sure to provide all the stats for the '85 Chicago Bears, just so that I would know he was a manly man. "Did you know they did the Super Bowl Shuffle?"

The moms (mine and Frank's) threw us our latest shower. It was at a very cute Victorian tea room all decorated with the doilies and lacey things. It's really hard to describe- I'll have to post some pictures. Needless to say, it was very fun. There was a lot of good food, and of course- games. You know how I love me some games! My favorite game was trying to identify the mystery baby food. In this game, you are allowed to use any of your 5 senses (or your 6th sense, if you see dead people) to try to figure out what's in those little jars.

Note to everyone: NEVER feed your baby pureed papaya- it smells like vomit (according to Greco) and tastes like it too (according to everyone who tasted it- except for Tia, who thought it was quite tasty!)

Of course, there were more presents to be had. Let me tell ya, Charlotte will be THE best dressed baby in all the land. She has more clothes than she could possibly wear. I'll be changing her clothes 10 times a day just to make sure she gets to wear everything.

Thanks to Mum and Momula for the great shower, and thanks to Charley, Mo, and everyone at the DEP for making us feel so loved. Awwwww, warm fuzzies!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have about 75 bajillion thank you cards to write.