39 Weeks {Last Pregnancy Update}

We made it to 39 weeks with sweet Caroline! The past couple weeks have been an adventure and I am so thankful to have gotten to this point. We will go in tomorrow morning, November 9th, to be induced!

   

Past Week: This past week was my first full week of being on bedrest. Monday, I came down with a nasty stomach virus that Madison had last week and my parents had this weekend. A stomach bug at 38 weeks pregnant is no joke! I felt like it took me until Friday to fully recover. 

I went to the dr on Friday and my blood pressure was a little high. The dr started to discuss different delivery options and we decided that Caroline is a healthy size and I was a good candidate for an induction. I am already dilated to 2cm, so hopefully things will go smoothly. I have had tons of anxiety about labor this time, which I never had with Madison. As soon and the dr set the induction for Monday, tons of my anxiety went away. 

Preparing: We spent the weekend doing a few last minute things and spending tons of time with Madison. I think we are as ready as we can be! Clothes are washed, baby bed is ready, laundry and dishes are done, bathrooms are clean! Eric and my parents have been a huge help the past 10 days as I have been on bedrest. Madison loves playing with Caroline's things!

Big Sister: It has not set in that Madison is going to be a big sister. She was playing with some of Caroline's stuff today and I looked at her and thought that she still seems so little. I can't wait for the moment when Madison gets to meet Caroline. We have talked about to, but I don't think she understands that there is actually a baby in my belly and Caroline will get to come home with us. She has definitely been extra loving this week, wanting to cuddle with us and always wanting to "sit with the mommy" on the couch. 

Final Night: We have to be at the hospital at 5am, so we took Madison to my parents house for the night. She didn't bat and eye when we left. Eric and I went to dinner, came home to finish a few things and are hoping we can sleep a little tonight. 

The dr said he expects a baby by dinner time, so hopefully that is the case! Madison was an overachiever...I went from 1cm dilated to holding her in my arms in 3 hours. Here's to hoping for a quick, smooth delivery, as little pain as possible and my ability to cope with the pain. Once we get to see Caroline, it will be worth the wait!

It Takes A Village...Bedrest

A short update on the past few days...as of 37 weeks 6 days, I am officially on bedrest. 

Wednesday night, we were at my grandparents house for dinner and my feet got swollen really quickly. I didn't think much about it and just blamed it on a 13 hour day. When we got home, Eric checked my blood pressure. It was a little higher than normal, but not concerning, so I went to bed. We continued to monitor it Thursday morning and by 11:00 am it had gone up to 146/90. I gave my doctor a call, thinking they would have me come to the office to get checked. 

About 30 minutes later, they called back and said they wanted me to go to labor and delivery. I was so shocked they said that and quickly realized I wouldn't be coming back to work most likely. I quickly tried to get somethings together and do a few last minute tasks. I was extremely overwhelmed and not thinking straight. 

I left school around noon to head home to change before going to the hospital. The nurse called back and said that Methodist labor and delivery was full and they wanted me to go to UTMB Galveston. Since Eric works for Methodist, we needed to go to Methodist. At this point, we didn't know when a bed would open and thought we might have to go to Methodist in the med center. 

When I got home, I did what any rational pregnant person would do...washed 2 loads of laundry, made Halloween gifts for Madison's teachers and took a shower. Eric got home around 1:30 and we waited to hear back from the doctor. I was able to rest for a little while and then we decided to go to my parents house to get Madison. 

Around 5, the hospital called and said they had a bed ready for me. I called my mom to tell her our plan and she told me Madison was sick. She threw up after school and hadn't been herself. My mom brought Madison to our house and I broke down when they got there. I was overwhelmed and felt terrible that we had to leave Madison when she was sick. 

We didn't end up leaving for the hospital until close to 6:00. We got there, checked in and got into a room around 6:45. They hooked me up to monitor my blood pressure, Caroline's heartbeat and my contractions. When the dr came in, she had me lay on my left side. Shortly after that, my blood pressure significantly went down and averaged 115/60. After more monitoring and blood work, all tests looked good. 

The dr asked about my job and told me that I would be on bedrest until Caroline arrived. Thankfully, that will only be a couple more weeks at the most. 

Today, I am doing much better with the idea that I am not going back to work.  I rested during the day and went to my dr appointment this afternoon. The dr said he would really like me to make it to 39 weeks. I will go back next Friday and he will decide if we should induce or wait until Caroline's ready. At this point, I am hoping to let Caroline decide when she is ready. After going to the dr, I realized how much better I felt when I was laying down vs sitting up and walking. 

Long story short, I will be doing lots of laying and sitting in the upcoming days. We are so thankful to have my parents close by. They took over Madison last night when she was sick, Pops went to her Halloween party today and they will be helping in the afternoons to pick her up from school until Eric gets home from work. 

37 Weeks with Caroline

Things are getting real around here! I don't think it has truly set in that Caroline could be here any day or at most within the next 3 weeks. 

Baby's size- Caroline is 19 inches long and 6.25 pounds in weight. Caroline is growing about 1/2 lb a week!

Movement- There is nothing better than feeling Caroline move. Madison never moved much, so this is a new experience. I'm to the point now where I rarely feel kicks, just whole body movements. My stomach will roll and become lopsided. I love to feel Caroline's little booty sticking out by my belly button. This weekend, Madison was laying next to me. She sat up and started to rub the back of her head after Caroline gave her a few pushes. Sisterly love already...

How I'm feeling- I think I'm doing well all things considered. 37 weeks pregnant, working full time and keeping up with a 2 year old. I try to rest when I can... This past weekend, we stayed home for 2 days due to rain. It felt wonderful to relax!  On work days, my stomach starts to get really tight by about 2:30 pm and the Braxton hicks pick up. I'm really trying hard to push through and make sure Madison gets some quality time each night. We have been going to the park and playing outside quite a bit. 

Dr Visits- I have started my weekly dr visits. As of last week, the dr said Caroline is getting lower, but no dilation at this point. Caroline is measuring right on track with a strong heartbeat. So far, I've gained 12 pounds total. I think I had gained about 18 with Madison at this point. With Madison, I was going to the dr twice a week to monitor her movement. It is so different this time to be "normal" and have quick, easy dr appointments. 

Preparations- We are ready for you Caroline! This weekend we washed the rock and play sleeper, car seat and swing. We just need to install our car seat bases. I have Caroline's bag packed and a lot of my stuff together. I also went shopping Friday and got some random last minute things we needed. 

Big Sister Madison- Madison loves to talk about Caroline, touch my belly, go into Caroline's room and name all the things for "the baby" around the house. She came up to me tonight, but both her hands on my belly and said "hi baby Caroline". I melted... 

We are hoping for the best when it comes time for this transition. My biggest worry is the time we are in the hospital. I know Madison will be with people she knows and loves, but I just hope she does ok for those couple days. Her little world is about to change! I know we will miss her like crazy and be so anxious to get home. 

I can't wait to see Madison with Caroline! It is hard to believe that Madison will have a big sister, we will have a toddler and a newborn, we will have 2 girls...it is just amazing!  Eric said a few weeks ago that it was just a few years that we wondered when we would be able to have a baby. After a long 14 months, we found out we were pregnant with Madison in January 2013. Imagine our surprise when we got pregnant with Caroline right away in March 2015! Here we are today, 2 years and 2 baby girls. Life is pretty amazing! 

32/33 Weeks with Caroline

Time is flying by all of a sudden! We will meet our sweet girl in 6-7 weeks. We are going tomorrow for a 3D ultrasound. I can't wait to see if Caroline looks like Madison. Here is a picture from Madison's 3D ultrasound:

Baby's size- Baby girl is 17 inches long and 4 pounds in weight. Caroline is growing about 1/2 lb a week and the size of a pineapple!

Movement- Caroline is a mover and a shaker! I love to feel her move. Madison wasn't ever much of a mover, so this has been exciting. As of now, Caroline is still breech. Her head is by my left rib, butt by my belly button and feet by my right hip. Sometimes at night when I'm laying on my side, the bed will shake because Caroline kicks so hard or has a big movement. 

How I'm feeling- I have really been feeling wonderful! The Braxton hicks contractions have picked up big time the past 10 days. I mostly feel them around dinner time, after being worn out from work. I think I have experienced nesting recently... another thing I never experienced with Madison. We have been working on getting Madison all the way moved into her big girl room, cleaning Caroline's room, getting the crib back together and washing newborn clothes. We washed the 0-3 month pajamas today. They are so sweet!

Dr Visits- I went this week for a regular visit and everything looked great. Still holding steady at 8.6 pounds gained. Caroline is measuring right on track with a strong heartbeat. I am now going to the dr every 2 weeks, then start once a week appointments towards the end of October. 

Preparations- We are almost done with Caroline's room. The crib is ready and the closet and dresser are cleaned out. I started washing newborn pajamas today and will work on clothes throughout the week. I forgot how tiny and adorable baby clothes are! It is exciting to look through and see things I remember Madison wearing. 

Big Sister Madison- Madison got to feel Caroline kick for the first time last week. Every morning, she loves coming into our bed and feeling my belly. One day, Caroline kicked. Madison pulled her hand away and said "mommy, what's that?!" It was really cute. 

Madison had a little trouble with the idea of Caroline sleeping in her crib. We have been trying to redirect her and remind her about her big girl room. Madison has fully transitioned to her big girl bed and has done fabulous! She loves being able to have all her baby dolls and stuffed animals in her bed. 

Happy 2nd Birthday Madison!

Happy Birthday sweet girl! You are an absolute joy to everyone around you. You are smart, talkative, funny and kind. It is unbelievable that you are 2 years old. 

Mommy and Daddy still remember the second you were born and you laid on Mommy's chest. We are looking forward to enjoying the next 2 months with our family of 3 before we welcome Caroline. I know you will be a wonderful big sister and teach Caroline how to be sweet, just like you. 

Right now, Mommy is sitting in your room as you fall asleep. As I was putting you in bed, I told you how special you are to us and we are so thankful to have you as our baby. You looked me in the eye, kissed my lips and now Mommy can't stop crying. We love you sweet girl!

One thing we love most about you is your smile that lights up the room. Especially when you say "cheese"!