41 weeks, 1 day

41 weeks.

Not joking. Still pregnant.

How far along? 41 weeks. I’m going to be pregnant forever.

Weight gain/loss? Same as last week. So up 11 for the entire pregnancy after an initial 5 pound loss.

Sleep: Up all night. Don’t think that’s changing in the foreseeable future so I’m not going to worry about it

Best moment this week: Seeing how well Daniel is doing on the scan. But even that sucked because it meant that I was not holding him

Movement:  Lots of pushes. I can tell that he wants out.

Food cravings: Not really. Altho last night mac n cheese sounded good.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Labor Signs: Yep . . . contractions almost every day. Right now, actually. They get my hopes up and then fizzle out. I am so worried that I’m not going to know the real thing and B is going to be on the phone with 911 trying to deliver this kid. But he’s a wimp so when there’s blood he’ll faint and I’ll have to pull Daniel out by myself. All while the dogs bark in the background.

Belly Button in or out? In. But shallow and tight and sore where my old piercing was.

Wedding rings on or off? Back on. So weird

Happy or Moody most of the time: Having a hard time – very emotional, scared of induction/csection. Need a little peace and not going to get it.

Looking forward to: Meeting Daniel. But I’m not going to be stupid like last week and call this the last update post!

40 weeks and 6 days

A story in gifs . . .

Every morning, I wake up still pregnant and I just want to



because I think I'll be pregnant forever.


And then I have to head to work where everybody and their mother's uncle wants to make a smart ass comment about how I'm still here. So I'm all


Except when they tell me to "sleep now" or that I'll miss being pregnant and then I feel


So I spend the day trying to get things done but instead I'm all


Poor B is so tired of all my emotions that he's


But, basically, I just have so many feels right now . . .

40 weeks, 5 days

Had a check up this morning to make sure that everything is still going well with Daniel. The further past due you get, the greater the risk that the placenta starts to die or blood flow through the umbilical cord becomes compromised. They also check that he has enough amniotic fluid, that he's moving enough on his own (as opposed to moving in response to what's happening in my body) and that he is practicing breathing.

I won't keep you in suspense, it's all good news.

Right off the bat, it was easy to tell that he's still head down. They watched him "breathe" (practice breaths don't happen all the time but happen enough to check out) for about 30 seconds and he was regular and steady.

Heartbeat was a strong 141.

Just like his daddy, Daniel prefers not to be poked or prodded. As soon as they started using the probe, he would shrug away or kick. This led to a lot of laughter and made it easy to tell that he was moving on his own.

Amniotic fluid levels were normal.

Both the umbilical cord blood flow and blood flow to the placenta were strong and regular. This is apparently a little unusual as, by this point, they'd expect to see decreased efficiency. So yippee - my body was weird during the beginning of pregnancy and weird at the end. How comforting.

Interestingly, he has a bunch of hair, his butt is directly above his head (accounting for the odd lump that's been showing up between my boobs) and his feet are over on my right side- right where I've been feeling him jab and brace!

Current plan: keep waiting. Next check up is Thursday afternoon if I'm still pregnant. I'd need to be doing pretty well at that point because they typically won't let you go past 41 weeks. Latest research (and, trust me, KU has the latest research) shows such a marked decrease in functionality of the placenta after 41 weeks that most of the major hospitals are calling it a day at 41 weeks. If placenta/umbilical function is good, they'll let you go a bit later but my doc says they aren't comfortable much past that. So, likely as not, Daniel would be here by Monday the 21st at the latest.

40 weeks, 4 days

Trying so hard to be patient. I know everyday he stays in is a day he needs. But . . .

40 weeks, 1 day

Still pregnant . . .

Click: http://www.haveyouhadthatbabyyet.com/

40 weeks. Done.

How far along? 40 weeks.

Weight gain/loss? Actually lost one. WTF? That makes no sense as I am large.

Sleep: Crummy. Over it.
Best moment this week: Making it thru the wedding still pregnant – I didn’t want to be accused of ruining the day.  

Movement:  Lots of tightness and pushes. He has no room.
Food cravings: Not really. Not hungry. Just want to sleep and meet my baby.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nah. I feel like I’ve been congested for the better part of two weeks tho.
Labor Signs: Had some bad contractions on Saturday night after the wedding. Deft thought it was going to be baby time when they got to 10 mins apart. But then they stopped.
Belly Button in or out? In. But shallow and tight Wedding rings on or off? Off as of 39w and 5 days. Sad.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Having a hard time. While I know it’d be better to stay pregnant another week (even 10 days), I’m done. And very tired. And people are making increasingly stupid comments.
Looking forward to: Meeting Daniel. Here’s hoping this is the last weekly update post.

 

It happened . . .

39 weeks, 5 days . . . still pregnant.

You know how in every weekly post, the meme asks if you're still wearing your wedding rings? Well, today, they are too tight. Not in a bad oh-my-Gawd-I'm-so-swollen-that-it-must-be-preecclampsia kind of way but just tight enough that my fingers aren't comfortable in my rings.

Sad face.

Latest Baby Swag!

39 weeks, 4 days . . .

So Daniel's Grandpa and GranLee were in town for the wedding this weekend and brought goodies with them! Check out this sweet sleeper for when he's a little bigger!

 

Knowing how much I loooove the animals for baby boys, they found this set of monkey-themed snugglies - came with a wee teeny plushy, a snuggly soft animal and a cozy blanket!

 

 

 

 

Next is this fabulously gorgeous monkey hat! I've mentioned my affinity towards hats with ears . . . LOVE!!

 

 

Last up from Grandpa and GranLee is this awesome bag with Daniel's initials! We used to have his toys in a white basket but that's now moved to the family room closet because this looks so amazing as a toy box!

 

 

More of the NZ contingent arrived on Friday and they brought D this super sweet little sheep

 

And a little All Blacks tee . . . so cute!!

 

This hilarious pacifier came from the NZ cousins:

 

 

I found these two sleepers (with the help from a JCPenny gift card) - both are for 3 to 6 months because it'll be freezing cold then! The monster on the butt might be the greatest thing ever!!!!!

 

 

 

Mum found this cozy elephant sleepsack

 

 

And this "outerwear" . . . not sure what to call it but it's not a snowsuit and it's not a coat but it's also not regular clothes. Outerwear works for me! Also, EARS!!!

 

 

 





 







 

 

39 weeks, 1 day!

 

How far along? 39 weeks and 1 day.

Weight gain/loss? Sitting on +10

Sleep: So bad. Waking up for no reason. Not able to sleep. On and on. Upside, sleep deprivation with a newborn won’t be anything new.
Best moment this week: The NZ fam arriving!

Movement: Tons but it’s more general pushing and rolling. Not so much kicks. Poor kid. He needs more room.
Food cravings: All of a sudden: sweets!
Anything making you queasy or sick: The heartburn makes me a little sick to my stomach.
Labor Signs: Nope. Which is good if you’re worried about the wedding. Sucky if you’d rather not be pregnant any more.
Belly Button in or out? Sort of half in and half out. Very weird.  
Wedding rings on or off? On. And I’m going to have to be really suffering to take them off.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Tired. Happy about Daniel. Overwhelmed with not wanting to go into labor and ruin the wedding.
Looking forward to: Still being pregnant at the end of the wedding. I feel like it would suck to go into labor at the reception but it wouldn’t ruin anything the way it would if things happened tonight.  

Same shirt at 22 weeks . . . lol . . . NOT a maternity shirt. For real.

 

Dear Non-Pregnant People

Saw this online and love it. Wish I could give it to certain people . . . (disclaimer: if you have been invited to view this blog, you're probably not a problem. There's a reason it's a small group) - E 

Dear Non-Pregnant People/Person,

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women, as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm.

1. The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!?" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you a jerk.
 

2. Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father, not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase 'my baby'.
 

3. On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth, and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it!
 

4. The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix, or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5. Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight... ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about to pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!".
 

6. By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes. Nor do we need to know how badly you will feel for us because we will be pregnant during the summer and how glad you are that YOU will not be pregnant this coming summer.
 

7. There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL, or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. You weren't invited to be there when the baby was created, you probably won't be invited to be there when it comes out either.
 

8. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital, and the parent's home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to 'help out'. If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
 

9. If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules, and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
 

10. The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.

 

Sincerely, 

All the Pregnant Women/New Parents in the World 

And from this corner of the world . . .

The Kiwi contingency has arrived in force for R's wedding and it's kind of nice to have them here to share the excitement and to distract me from the fact that I am still pregnant. I know that 38 weeks and 5 days is hardly a gestational record (elephants = 2 years. Check it out) but if you think this is fun for one second then you aren't paying attention.

Anyway, the kiwi side of the fam has arrived, planted a flag, and this baby will understand that there's more than just Kansas in his history . . .

 

I'm on record with being a little frustrated with the sheer volume of 'Daddy' items that seem to have taken over Daniel's closet. Imagine my delight to find these!!

 

 

 

The awesome Rob and Eth sent along this sweet onesie - he's got a KC Chiefs jersey that's about the same size (about a year) so it'll be kind of fun to have a "kiwi option" . . . ;-)





 

To complete the look, he has a new born long sleeve version:

 

 

Additional All Blacks gear means that the extended family might get a little culture . . . and that Daniel will be kitted out in for at lease his first two years!

 

 

 

Next up is this amazing vest - supposed to fit 18 to 24 months! Super fuzzy and cool

Last - but certainly not least - are these shoes. Soft leather soles and too cute!!