Making Progress: Dilation, Effacement, and Me

SO MUCH to blather at you about that restless bun that's been in my oven for 38 weeks!

Let's get the technical mumbo jumbo out of the way because it's EXCITING but not EXCITING. Spencer is still pretty much the size of a mini-watermelon but he's stretched from a swiss chard to the length of a leek...from a vegetable I'm not familiar with to a vegetable I'm not a fan of. "Can't wait to sneak a peak at my lil leek" - Todd. Regardless, I'm guessing I've got a lengthy little man in there because he's wedged up under my ribs while simultaneously using my bladder as a pillow. He's ALL OVER in there that I think he may be part octopus.

As for the specifics of being 38 weeks along, there's really not much to tell. The clock is winding down. He's still secreting that gunk that prevents his lungs from sticking together when he begins to breathe, he's layering on the fat, and his brain is continuing to develop it's Ivy League potential. And that's about it in that department! He's just prepping for his big debut!

As for moi, I could be leaking breast milk, but I'm not. I could have swollen feet and ankles, but I don't. No stretch marks, no itchy abdomen, no dark black tummy line, no sign of the mucous plug (ew). I AM really bouncing from hyper active to totally drained. Trying to use my spurts of energy to get last minute projects done. Contractions put a damper on that though. Yeeouch! I shed a few tear droplets the other day (haven't had many emotions while preggo) because I was in pain and frustrated but Todd rubbed the bump and made me feel a little better. It's good to have a partner in all this.

So here's my 38 week mug shot and shot of my mug, for posterity.

So I had my weekly doctor's appointment yesterday (but almost DIDN'T due to my doc ducking out to deliver a baby) and was totally ready to hear that I had made zero progress as certain people are convinced that I'm going to be late. My BP was still good (which I'm jazzed about because I've been having some headaches) and his heart beat was 142. Again, he gave the nurse a hard time and insisted on wriggling while she was using the Doppler. My little troublemaker. My weight remained the same and when she measured my fundal height, she said I was a little under but that it was alright. If she's not nervous, I'm not.

Like I said, I was honestly ready to hear that my cervix was like a steel trap and we'd just have to wait until next week for any developments. Shockingly, this was not the case! During my exam, she discovered I was 2 cm (1 and a wiggle, but she's counting it) and I'm 50% effaced. ROCK! Effacement is really what you want. Yes, they sort of go hand-in-hand (10 cm and 100% = baby) but you can only dilate SO FAR without being effaced. They can make you dilate but they can't thin you out! So I'm in a really good place and the doc said it truly can be any day.

The nurse said I might not even make it to my appointment next Wednesday!

The Godmother: Excellent. I think your body is ready to get him on outta there. I want to poke at him. Nicely of course. Rest up and efface!

Like always, I need to make notes of my contractions and call when I have them every 5 minutes for an hour. I was also told that if I am leaking any fluid to call right away, contractions or not. For the first time, I was spotting a little. I was told this could happen after a vaginal exam this late in the game but it was still scary to see. It didn't last long and now I'm back to feeling like me. All anxious and excited. It truly COULD be any time now. EEK! So tonight, we get the car seat and my bag in the car and stock the freezer and cupboard. This could possibly be the LAST WEEKLY UPDATE (if I get my way)!!!

My fortune cookie seems to think so!

The Pain Game: Having My Aching Suspicions Confirmed

Only 2 doctor's appointments (or LESS) to go before our due date!

Time flies when you're having...contractions? I had my weekly appointment this morning with one of my doctor's colleagues since she's off this week. I've seen this doctor before so I was totally comfortable. Well, as comfortable as I COULD be in an office without the air conditioning on...preggo chicks need AC, buddy...and after a day of pretty intense pain.

I had to leave work before the day even began yesterday because I was doubled over more than I was upright. I felt like I had an industrial strength rubberband around my mid-section which had me all rolled up on myself. So, feeling like a wuss, I bailed. I crawled back into bed and there I stayed for the duration. I slept on and off, watched a little TV when I was too uncomfortable to snooze, and had some mac-n-cheese care of the husband. Yep. That was my day in it's entirity.

Today I hit the doctor for what I hope was my third to last visit. My blood pressure was 110/64 (I was told this was excellent and I'll take excellent any day). Spencer's fetal heart rate was 160, which is the quickest it's even been! The nurse said he is a very active baby...I've been hearing that a lot about my little Squiggy. When the doc came in, I told him about the pain I'd been having and he had me lay down to measure my fundal height (36 cm), and right then...YEEEEEOUCH!

Me: I'm having a pain right now.
Doc: You're having a contraction right now!

He told me he could feel my entire belly firm up and that I was having a contraction at that very moment. He began feeling around to see if Spencer's head was down (and pushing on me like that while I was contracting was NOT awesome) but I was "very firm". He brought in the ultrasound just to be sure my guy was in position, which he was. I wish he wouldn't turned the screen to let me see my man. I should've asked. Wuss.

The weird thing is that he didn't do an internal physical exam. I was told I'd be examined for dilation and effacement every week until I popped but not this time. So I have no idea where I stand in that department. You would think that since he was handling me at the very moment I had a contraction, he'd be interested in what was happening below the belt. He just told me to stay on patrol (I had another contraction 33 minutes later so I'm thinking this is still all pre-term garbage) because things were definitely a-brewing. I'm guessing we'll get some news at my appointment next Thursday, if Spencer doesn't shock us all before.

In other tales of interest...

1. I am NOT a Group B Strep carrier so no antibiotics during delivery.
2. Spencer scored a third generation Yorktown Lanes bowling shirt from the Cottrells!!
3. He also scored another home-made blanket, this one with spaceships & aliens.

I managed to cart the Spencer bump to the Roll-n-Bowl for a few hours on Saturday but he told me when he reached his limit. We went home and watched Gray's Anatomy in bed while Todd rubbed my head. Sunday, I'm attempting to cart him to the Renaissance Faire in Geneva with his daddy and Auntie Phee-Bizzle. That will most likely be the last hurrah (and huzzah!) before my agenda switched to Motherhood Mode. I'm excited for both events, motherhood AND mutton-n-mead. Well, no mead for me but you get the point!

See you Thursday when we hit 37 weeks or 21 days to go!

Getting Dirty: Slathered In Paint Spencer-Style

I haven't been feeling up to snuff or top notch lately so I tried to relax this weekend. I didn't push myself. Lots of sleeping. Lots of couching. Lots of cartoons. Probably one too many chocolate covered pretzels. But just to make sure the weekend wasn't a total wash (and it wasn't...there was lots of much needed down time with Todd), I decided to do some paintings for the Spencer Dome. And I don't mean to pat myself on the back but I sure accomplished a lot in a day or two.

I love that I can do these things for my little man. I still have a pregnant ghost (I'm not sure it's supposed to be pregnant but the position it's in and the pooch that it has leads me to believe it's preggo) that my mom made in a ceramics class when she was pregnant with me. I love having it. Spencer may be pumped to have these mom-made things some day. Unless he doesn't like robots and monsters...in which case he is clearly NOT our child and I'll have to exchange him.

In non-painting news, I have my next doctor's appointment tomorrow which included the Group B Strep test. If you don't know what that is, look it up. Sounds like loads of fun. Of course I'll do anything to ensure the safest delivery for Spencer but there's nothing like getting the bulk of your nether regions swabbed to put a spring in your step! Appointments continue every week after this and the doc should start telling us if I'm dilating or effaced at all. 30 days from tomorrow. A-maz-ing. Truly.