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Baby is Icumen... Soon?

(The title to this post is a bit of a shout-out to all you teacher friends there ;) Or if you read Sarah, Plain and Tall, you might get it, too.)

So what do you do when you are overdue? You begin to realize that the kid can't stay in there forever! Trying hard to keep busy and reserve the energy at the same time... having contractions now as I type this, so that is good, right?

This week, we watched the due date come and go. Actually, we watched two due dates come and go. The original one was the 28th, and had been moved due to evidence at an early ultrasound... but going from the 26th, we are now five days late. Does the baby want to be a Halloween arrival? Perhaps. Let's just hope he doesn't go until election day (even though I was prepared for this and I already voted via absentee ballot).

At today's appointment I was still 50% effaced, 2cm dilated, and -2 cm in position... nothing really too close, or too different from last week, despite all that contracting on Sunday and Monday. I have an ultrasound scheduled for this upcoming Monday in case he is still in there, to check on fluid levels, placenta, and the baby's movement. A non-stress test given today showed good movement-- heartbeat around 145 until he kicks (then 150ish). So now it is just the patience-waiting game.

I have to give lots of THANKS to both my parents and my in-laws. They have been awesome with lending a hand this week! We all thought for sure that baby would be here... but even as he is not, family has stepped in to help me care for Trenton (and cook-- woo hoo!) while Jim continues to work. Trenton absolutely loves all the attention and I love the peace of mind that goes along with knowing that someone is there to give me an extra energy boost or a smooth transition if I need to leave for the hospital.
You guys are great! We love you!



Below are some pictures from Barnes and Noble. They read spooky stories and paraded around the store a bit this past Tuesday. The stinker did NOT want to put on his costume. Funny, how all the other kids had theirs on, except for his friend Rachael. The two of them like to go against the grain...

That's what they call "Parading"... seems like it is a race to the food area for cookies, if you ask me ;)

The plan is for my mom to take him tomorrow again for another parade B&N is having. This time, we'll have him put on his cow costume BEFORE we leave... He looks so adoreable in it.

Well, that is contraction #2... maybe this is the last post? Will we miss out on trick-or-treating? Or will he come tonight? Tune in again soon for updates!

Still...no...baby

OK, blog update, as I'm not going to email everyone ;) Baby was due on the 26th, and he's still not here. Which is fine-- T was eight days late, and we all survived!

The thing is, I started having contractions early Sunday morning and we thought for sure that it was the beginning of labor! We waited for them to last 3 hours (every half hour or so) and then called my mom to come and watch Trenton (as was the plan). But the contractions were not very strong, did not start in the back and wrap around, or stay too consistent as the day wore on. There was one point when they were ten minutes apart during one hour and that's when I called Patti (0ur midwife) to give her a head's up. She reminded me to rest, drink lots of water, and not worry too much about the timing. The real thing to watch for was the intensity. She said (and she's right) "You'll know when they're the ones that are hurting... that's when you call back and get in here." She knows how fast I went with T ... we actually found the book where I was tracking contractions with him. We started writing them down at 11 that morning, and then my water broke at 6 that evening (in the pool!). After laboring at home for a bit, we were at the hospital by 8 ish and he was out by 9:30.

But this little guy does not want to do it that way! After having contractions almost all day on Sunday, I was able to go to bed and not really wake up last night. Today, I did have about a dozen or so contractions, but they were all 45 minutes apart or so. But stronger. So is this just everything getting ready? Does it mean that things will go faster once the ball truly starts rolling? Who knows!

I'm telling Jim to plan to go to work tomorrow, and Grandma Konopack is coming to help out with Trenton. If contractions do get more steady and intense, the plan is for us to meet up at the hospital. We'll see!

Take a Guess!

Thanks so much to Dani for sending this along...

I know it is kinda late, but still might be fun. So if you're reading this today, click on the link below and make a guess!

One Week Away!

Time is getting close... we can all tell! Monday night my mom came down to help out again. Trenton posed us for this picture and said, "Take our picture, Grandma!"

This is how most evenings look for us... Mommy on the couch, T watching the Wiggles... especially if Daddy is working late ;)
Not sure about this face below. He made it for Jim.

I've really been proud of T for all the different foods he likes to eat. Maybe it was from diversifying my diet during nursing? I've read that can help... but I also know that giving him the veggies first is KEY. Above, he eats a green bell pepper (from our CSA) along with roasted pumpkin seeds that Jim made. We got a pumpkin a few weeks ago, and two butternut squashes. This Sunday, we made pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin spice muffins, roasted pumpkin seeds, and of course, a pumpkin pie. Eating it fresh out of the oven, with chunks of fresh pumpkin in it, Jim declared it the best pumpkin pie he's ever had. Awww!

Halloween Party, '08

Who is this handsome looking cow, you ask? Why, it is Trenton!

Today the MOMS Club had their annual "Fall Festival" (aka Halloween Party). We were very excited that the weather held up. Although costumes were optional, T just needed to be in the cow suit! Once we got there, though, he changed out.

Which was a good thing, because he ate one of these deliciously messy cupcakes ;)














Jim came with us to the party, as I was assigned to work one of the booths. The kids rotated through stations and earned prizes. Trenton came home with a pirate bucket, a medal, a few little Halloween baskets, a glow-in-the-dark bracelet, and skeleton rings.









I was glad that they held the party this early and that I could attend. We have a few more Halloween events that we can attend (a parade at B&N, an event at the local senior center), and I'm pretty sure I'm going to miss them. But that's why we have grandparents and Daddy!

Getting Excited

For both Halloween and brother's arrival. The video below is of our neighbor's decorated home. They began with 3 decorations... the next night, there was a dozen more. A few nights later, even more. Most of them have sensors that allow for some spooky noises (they turn them off during the day, sorta). Trenton can't decide if he likes them or if he is afraid of them, as he sometimes asks to hold my hand while walking on the sidewalk, and sometimes makes a run for it across the grass.

Going again today for a check-up. Not feeling that much different than last week. How long after the baby drops can this last, really?
Saw this FANTASTIC article in Consumer Reports: "Back to Basics for Safer Childbirth: Too Many Doctors and Hospitals are Over-using High-Tech Procedures". Ain't that the truth. It is nice to see something like this in a mainstream publication. Get the word out! Most of the info is based on this study. Highlights include:

• Maternity care is so procedure-intensive that 6 of the 15 most common hospital procedures used in the entire U.S. are related to childbirth.
• The reasons for this overuse might have more to do with profit and liability issues than with optimal care. Convenience for health care workers might be another factor.
• Rupturing membranes ("breaking the waters") does not hasten labor.
• Routine use of episiotomies offers no benefits, but rather increases women's risk of experiencing perineal injury, stitches, pain and tenderness, leaking stool or gas, and pain during sexual intercourse.
• Labor itself can improve a newborn's immunity.

I am really hoping that this labor is much like my last and I can enjoy the full benefits of an intervention-free experience.