Almost term!

Only a few days to term! Very exciting, although even if LB were to be born today, labour wouldn't be stopped as apparently the only thing that changes now is the weight - everything else is all fine.

I have been feeling a bit under the weather in the last three or four days - veeeeerry tired, headachy, and cramping on and off. Yesterday it got to the point when I decided that enough was enough and called my midwife, who asked me to come to the birth center to get checked out. And checked out I was - extremely thoroughly! They put me on the baby monitor (to check LB's heartbeat (145 average), baby movement (lots), any contractions (none to speak about)), checked my blood pressure (125/74), ultrasound (placenta is low, but baby is lower, so all is good), internal exam (cervix is long, closed and posterior - nowhere near ready, told you I have cervix of steel!), and urine exam. And, as I suspected, it turns out that I have a urinary tract infection! Not too happy about that, but happy to know what's happening. So as of today, I am on antibiotics, and I have been told to 'hydrate as I have never hydrated before' :D Hopefully this will clear up soon, and I'll start feeling better.

As a side note, I found out that what I thought must surely be an urban legend - you know, the stories of women turning up at the emergency complaining of abdominal pains, and find out they are full-term pregnant and in labour - is NOT an urban legend after all! The obstetrician that was doing the ultrasound was very nice and chatty, and told me and the midwife about a lady who turned up the day before thinking she had severe gastro, and was told that she was in fact 40 weeks pregnant, 10 centimeters dilated, and ready to deliver! Apparently she was in complete denial, refused to push, and in the final minutes yelled at the midwives in between contractions 'But I can't be having a baby, I don't even have a basinette!' :D

And on this happy note, I shall finish this post.


Edit: Not sure what happened with my font, but can't seem to fix it... hmmm. 

35 weeks

Oh, how much more can this little one grow, I wonder? I feel like s/he has nowhere to go now - I feel huge! I'm sure that's just my imagination and there is plenty of space, but man, I do feel quite done :D

We had a 3D (actually 4D) scan on Saturday, the first one I've ever had. It was interesting, but sadly LB didn't cooperate much - he is well and truly positioned for exit, head stuck down low, and his hands were, you guessed it, very nicely covering his face for basically all of the ultrasound. For a brief moment, after a lot of poking and prodding from us, s/he moved those little hand a fraction, and a part of a cute little face could be seen... just for that brief moment though. It appears that while the level of the amniotic fluid is within the normal range, there isn't all that much, and that combined with the size of the baby (normalish for the gestational age, actually) doesn't make for good ultrasound pictures. Oh well. Not that long to go until we get to meet this new little person... in person!

Kylie has been spending quite a bit of time here, helping me while hubby was away. She is coming back tomorrow for a week, then leaving for a few days, and then coming back again. As by that time I will be very close to 37 weeks and anything can happen at any time, she will probably be spending a great deal more time here. Which I certainly don't mind at all, as she does my housework, cooks, and entertains the kids! Plus she's great company, of course :D

I have had quite a bit going on, what with work and study in particular, and I feel really tired now most of the time - thus the lack of updating. I have an inkling that won't improve much until the big arrival. By the way, although the due date is 11 July, my money is on 29 June - probably because that is the last day of work (term ends) and I had a dream that I gave birth while on playground duty :-)

About time

to post something again.

We're about 33 and a half weeks now, and really getting close to the final countdown. LB is going strong, growing and moving well - just a few more weeks and s/he will be ready to come out of their temporary accommodation... And although I am feeling slightly guilty about it, I have to say that I'm kind of looking forward to that day! Getting a little tired and achy now, and all the day-to-day stuff is becoming somewhat  challenging.

I can't really complain as I am getting loads of help. My husband is away for a couple of weeks for some training (back for the weekend though, thank [insert deity of your choice here]), but Kylie came down for three days last week, and is coming next Tuesday again to help me with the kids/house. It has been great having her here, (particularly after last Tuesday's scare that Ben gave me - passed out in the morning, out of the blue... Of course, as a first-aid trained, responsible, calm adult, I freaked out and I'm sure I did all the wrong things. Thankfully, he was only out for about 30 seconds, and after 4 hours spent at emergency, they couldn't find anything wrong with him (aside from some blood in his urine, have to follow up on that). As he also had diarrhea that morning, the doctor suggested that maybe he was just dehydrated, so I'm going with that. Of course, this would happen when daddy is away, as always - it sucks, because I'm sure HE wouldn't freak out! Anyway, all's well that ends well.) I'm also being rather pampered at work, very probably because the boss keeps watching me as if I were a ticking bomb just about to go off :) I'm sure he's petrified of the possibility of me going into labor there - sure would be fun at a primary school! I keep assuring him that I have quite a while to go yet, but he tells me to take it easy whenever he gets a chance, and he even got some relief teachers to do some of my playground duties lately. Well, not complaining about that either!

Anyway, have to finish here as I have lots to do - need to clean up (since this morning, the kids have 1. built a cubby in the living-room, 2. built a boat in the kitchen, very inconveniently placed!, 3. did some colouring and sticking, and the backs of the stickers are strewn everywhere, 4. built 7 jigsaw puzzles in various corners of the house, and then walked over some of them, and 5. dropped random toys wherever they saw fit. Also, Sophie 6. changed her clothes two times, so her wardrobe is in a bit of a ...um... disarray), and do some study - major essay due in two weeks. Oh, and I can actually do this in peace, as Damien took the kids to an indoor playground - hopefully they stay there for at least a couple of hours!

Forgot to say that we have a midwife appointment next Thursday, so I'll probably update with something more worth reading then :D

In the thirties

Yes, we made it this far. Not surprising in the least, but another milestone nevertheless. I'm starting to feel a bit tired and rather heavy, and I have been getting the 'when are you due?' questions from complete strangers lately - obviously I look like I"m about to go into labour :) When I was questioned along those lines by a (surely well-meaning) lady today in the supermarket, she looked slightly horrified when I told her I still have about two months to go, and proceeded to ask me if I was sure there really was only one! The gall!! :D

Anyway, aside from the fact that LB has been doing a little more growing than is the average (at the last midwife appointment I was measuring a week ahead), s/he is doing well and moving around as if they had eight limbs instead of four...

Here's for at least six more uneventful weeks, before we hit term!

Third trimester, anniversary, and a photo

We are officially in the third trimester - home stretch, yay! I am starting to feel a bit uncomfortable now, as in the tummy tends to get in the way a bit, particularly when one wishes to roll over in bed, or one needs to crawl under the sofa to retrieve a misplaced piece of lego... But otherwise all good. I am happy to report that after the one horrible calf cramp that I suffered a few weeks ago, I have not had a repeat yet! The reason is that I asked some lovely surro (online) friends for advice, and they delivered! According to them, bananas and/or calcium supplements (over and above your normal pregnancy vitamin intake) help - and they do! I don't know which one makes the difference, but I am not keen to find out, so I will diligently continue loading up on both the yellow fruit (or herb, whatever classification you prefer) and the lemony chewy tablets every day.

Also, today marks one year from the first post on this blog! One year ago, I just found out that I was pregnant with Little Traveler, and things looked rosy. I can't believe how much has happened since then... Anyway, as I said, home stretch for Little Bruiser. I have recently had a few moments of clarity when I fleetingly recalled from previous birthing experiences the unpleasantness that the D Day ahead will probably bring, and Kylie and Adrian have been busy getting things ready at the home front - the nursery is painted, furniture rearranged, and the first batch of baby clothes washed. Impressive, if you ask me!

And, after a long pause, finally another picture of LB (who, it would appear, may now actually have a real name, as I was informed last week!).

Phew!

Last Thursday afternoon, I had to, unexpectedly, do the dreaded glucose test. You know, the one at the end of the second trimester, where you have to drink a foul, sweet drink very fast, and then have your blood drawn an hour later to check for any possible unsettling news about your body's glucose processing times...

I say unexpectedly, as I was told originally that it would be too late to have the test done at 4pm, when we had our midwife appointment and birth centre tour, and that I'd have to come in on Tuesday (today) to do it. But lo and behold, we turn up and I am sent off presto to have the test done! Not too late after all, apparently. 

I spent the last few days mildly worried about the results, as I spent most of the Thursday previous to the blood test loading myself with Easter chocolate eggs, hot cross buns, and profiteroles that were strewn all across the staff room at work - a little celebration marking not only Easter, but also the last day of the first school term. But, as it appears, I had no need to worry! The test results are completely normal - big, giant phew! as I now don't have to go on a special diet for three days followed by another test to determine if I am in danger of gestational diabetes. My body is probably so used to processing large amounts of chocolate on a regular basis that a sweet drink on top can't possibly throw it out of balance...

And to celebrate, I might just eat this Easter bunny that is eyeing me from the top of the fridge - the kids won't miss it, will they? :D

Honeymoon's over...

The day that I have dreaded now for quite some time has finally come. Or, rather, the night... The cramps from hell have arrived. No, don't worry, not those cramps! Cramps in my legs. Calves, to be precise... And they are effing bloody painful...

I had none with Ben, but with Sophie, they woke me up several times a week for the last few months of the pregnancy. I wake up in the middle of the night to sudden excruciating pain in one of my legs, and realise that I must have flexed the muscle in question while I was asleep, and it just got stuck there. No matter what I do (ie. try to relax the calf, massage it, get my husband to massage it, swear, cry and similar), the next minute is pure hell. And yes, I had the first one of those beauties just last night. Crap. Excuse my French.

Otherwise, life is all dandy - LB is growing and kicking, Ben and Sophie are (normally) quite well behaved and (mostly) delightful, I am in love with my super lovely husband, and I have an assignment due in a week. So I'd better get cracking.