Shut Tight: Taking It Day By Day, Week By Week.

My brother-in-law just walked up to me and said, "So I heard your cervix is still closed". Yep, died a little on the inside just then. But he's the godfather so I guess he can comment...and at least he cares about what's going on in Spencer Land.

Skipping over Father's Day for now to talk about my doctor's appt while it's fresh.

Went to my follow-up appointment with my OB/GYN yesterday. As soon as I walked in the office, my nurse said, "Baby's giving you troubles, huh?" and was he ever, though I don't blame him. He's crammed into a small space and probably itching to see the world. Or at least to tell me to stop talking to him so he could some peace. Added a few pounds to my tally and gave a urine sample for good measure. Same ol' routine.

I spill my story to the nurse who thinks it's a little too early for me to be in pain. My doc arrives for an oh-so wonderful and quick pelvic exam. Typically, I don't mind them because they're over in a flash but there's no room for anything else in there at this point...it was a little more uncomfortable than usual. So as you already know, my cervix is still closed and that's good news. The longer he cooks, the better.

She did say, however, that because I've been having contractions (or so I'm told), I could be a totally different person today, so I just have to keep an eye on how I'm feeling day to day and go from there. She said besides the contractions, his size or position could be making things worse as far as my back pain (and that ever-annoying tailbone throb). But when she measured my fundal height, he's right on schedule! No more measuring ahead. Good news again.

So I'll go back in 2 weeks...then again in 2 weeks...and then every week, unless something comes up in between. She said to never hesitate to call and even if she's not available (for instance, I'll be seeing a different doctor at my next appointment), I can see anyone in the practice. She would rather over examine me than under examine, and I appreciate that.

I feel a little bit like I was rushed but there's nothing I can do about that now. She said she could tell I was winded and that my body is taking a little bit of a beating right now thanks to my main man.  But I breezed through the first two trimesters and the beginning of the third. She's hoping this is my little struggle and that labor and delivery will be a breeze. I'm going to try and believe that'll be true.

For now, I just have to deal with the discomfort and crampy pains and pay as much attention to myself as I can. I knew something was up this time around even if I didn't know I was having contractions (and by the way, these are NOT Braxton-Hicks...I'm having those, too, and I recognize them...but these trouble makers are the real deal). I have to believe that I'll know again if something is up.

Now to decide if I need to decrease my works hours...oh Pre-Term Labor!

Dirty Thirty: 10 Weeks Until We Meet Our Son.

He may be as big as one, but don't call him a cabbage patch kid! A typical baby at 30 weeks is around 3 pounds and 16 inches. Todd and I were talking about our measurements when we were born and it was eerily close. He was 7 lbs. 7 ounces and 19 inches long. I was 7 lbs. 8 ounces and 20 inches long. "Twinsies", according to Todd. My mom predicts Spencer will be 9 pounds. God help my vagina.

At this point in time, my boy is 75% done cooking. Time has flown in a way that I can barely describe. It's been amazing. Pregnancy in general is fascinating, am I right moms out there? One day, there was nothing, and today, there's an ever-developing baby boy in there. I'm not getting hippie on you but it truly is something! I've created a human being out of thin air! From scratch! I'm like a MAGICIAN! Ha!

He's still just feeding and growing pretty much. His vision is developing though it will still be fuzzy when he's born (perfect...gives me time to get my face on). Other than that, he's just rocking and rolling in there. As for me, while the rest of my body may have remained the same, I'm for SURE rockin' a bump...and I love it. My back doesn't love it. Neither does my tailbone. That's become a daily struggle, but I need to remember not to complain because I've breezed through this and we're in the home stretch. 

*I had just woken up and therefore I am covered in sleep lines, ha*

Oh, you know what else is fascinating? Braxton-Hicks! Yep. It's on. They're prepping my uterus for the big event. I wouldn't say they HURT exactly but they're also not boatloads of fun. I can pretty much walk them off or rub them out (that shouldn't sound as dirty as it does). I'm actually having them right now. Bizzaro!

So, yeah. Not much to say really. The last piece of furniture for his nursery came and we got our first pack of diapers. The baby shower is in 2 weeks and while I may get really shy in large crowds, I'm excited to have everyone around to celebrate Spencer. He deserves a good time since he's been so good to me. And with Aunt Jenny Penny making cupcakes...I'm sure my little sugar monster with be having a blast in his cushy water bed!

And that about does it for being 30 weeks along!!!

Lucky Seven: The Clock Begins To Wind Down With 2 Months To Go.

Today I am officially 7 months (29 weeks) pregnant. The finish line is visible.

According to books/the interwebs/phone apps, Spencer is (or could/should be) close to 3 pounds and a little over 16 inches long. Muscles, lungs, head-n-brain are trucking along developmentally. The brain is even starting to get it's wrinkled maze shape. Luckily, I get more calcium then any one person should be allowed because he needs it right now, along with vitamin C and protein. What baby wants, baby gets. And baby is getting more fat so he doesn't look like a weathered old man when he's born (in approximately 11 weeeeeeks).

And fat = energy so Spencer is stronger and therefore...beating the bejesus out of me with more intensity and less randomness, lots of knees and elbows, or so they say. And "they" are right! He is moving far more than before and in a far different manner and he responds to EVERYTHING. I had some Skittles and the monster was all kinds of jacked up (even if Todd said if was his way of telling me he doesn't want to watch Project Runway). And speaking of Skittles, his permanent teeth are forming in his gums this week. So creepy. There weren't teeth and now...there are. Out of no where. Pregnancy is so insane.

As for me, the mom-to-be, I'm still dodging a lot of bullets. I haven't fallen into a 3rd trimester slump (though there are still plenty of weeks for that), my energy is up, my moodiness is low, my belly button remains in place, and I can see my feet...they don't look swollen at all! I AM, however, struggling in some areas. Still wrestling with constant back pain. It's not the end of the world but it's not at all awesome either. Realizing that my body can't physically do some things that I want it to...bend over, stand for long periods, etc. And I'm having trouble with heat, but heat and I never really meshed. The air conditioning is on and the pool is full so hopefully this discomfort can be altered.

But how do I alter a baby who MIGHT have an appendage of some sort up under my ribs? That is one theory of why I'm having a seriously bizarre and unwelcome pain on the left side of my "bump" that's not like anything I've ever felt before. Another theory is that it's one of those Braxton-Hicks practice contraction thing-a-ma-jigs. I don't know. I can't say for sure. I can just say that the days of being able to breathe normally are ka-put. But I'll take some skewed breathing and an annoying pain over some of the pregnancy horror stories I've heard. No doubt.

At least I was able to build his changing table before I became semi-useless!

So that's where we're at right now. 2 months/11 weeks to go and a lot on the agenda, including the baby shower. I can't wait to see my girlfriends and celebrate this dude that I am dying to meet! I'm not so much dying to go to my 1 hour glucose test tomorrow (checks for gestational diabetes and required me to drink a disgusting sugary solution within 5 minutes, followed by a blood draw an hour later). If we're in a text relationship, expect to get some because I will need to be entertained during this weirdness.

Did I mention that pregnancy is weird?