Sorry, we're closed....

And so is my cervix! I've been checked at the OB the past two weeks and both times he informed me that my cervix is currently closed. He said that is pretty normal for a first time Mom. Today though he did say I was about 50% effaced, or thinned out, so atleast something is happening down there :o) I'm really trying not to get too hung up on it because I'm not sure how telling it really is...I mean, I think I could still ultimately go in to labor tonight even...it's all pretty unpredictable at this point. And I didn't really expect much because other than some braxton hicks contractions and some additional pressure down there from time to time...I've been feeling pretty much the same. My doctor and I have had discussions the past couple weeks about what my Dr. calls the "golden child syndrome"...he says often times women who have conceived via IVF...and worked so hard emotionally, physically, and even monetarily (if that's a word) to get to this point...often want to do anything they can to get the baby safely out of their body and in to their arms as soon as possible! He said he is more lenient in these instances and that as long as it's safe for both of us he would be willing to induce me early or do a c-section if that is what I feel like I need. I told him that really I just want to be "normal"...and that a c-section and induction are two things I've been hoping to avoid this whole time...and even though we're in the home stretch, my mind has not changed. So at this point I am really just hoping that Autumn is able to come on her own terms in the next week and a half or so...and that we don't even have to consider any type of medical intervention. So please say your prayers that this is the case!

In other news...I feel like we are ready at this point!! Everything is set in the nursery, all the swings, strollers, etc. are put together, the hospital bag is packed, the car seats are installed, all the baby clothes are washed...and this weekend I even made some homemade meals that I froze for us to eat a few of the nights those first couple weeks! It totally wore me out cooking all day yesterday...that and the fact that I re-mulched the landscaping and did some hedge trimming...so much so that today my back is killing me. I look like a little old lady because it's almost difficult to walk in the upright position. Guess I'll have to take it more easy from here on out!! So the plan for the next week and a half is to go see a movie or two, get a pedicure, do some reading, watch TV, and hang out with the hubby!! Anything and everything relaxing that I can think of! I think that's the perfect way to spend the last few days before our lives change for the better!! Eek!! I can't believe we're so close! I'll try to keep you all posted! And I figured since I started out this whole process with all my countdowns, I might as well end with one too!!

Countdown to due date: 12 days!!!!!!

Ready and Waiting

Yesterday we got to get another sneak peak at our little one before she makes her debut here in a few short weeks!! It was amazing to see how much she's changed since the last time we saw her!! The ultrasound started off by checking to make sure she had assumed "the position" for her entry into the world and sure enough, the first thing we saw was her head!! It's funny because her body used to fit inside the u/s screen, but now the top of her head takes up the entire thing!! So item one, check...she is in the head down position and although it is possible for her to turn in the next few weeks, it is unlikely. Next we went on to measure her belly...checked her heartbeat (140 bpm) and even got to see her breathing!! The u/s tech called it practice breathing, but whatever it's called it was amazing!! I informed the tech that she's been practicing all right...and even catches the hiccups quite frequently during her "practice sessions." I wonder if she'll get those pesky hiccups as frequently outside the womb? Guess we'll find out soon enough!! Then they measured her leg, her arm, etc...and the ultrasound machine puts all the measurements together to give an estimate of how much she currently weighs. And the results are in...currently she appears to be a healthy 6 pounds 12 ounces!! The doctor said this could be about a half pound off either way as ultrasounds were not really made to measure weight, but it's still a nice guess-timate for them to use! It's hard to say how much more she'll gain too...he said up to a half a pound each week...so potentially, she could be pushing 9 pounds!! I'm hoping though that she's somewhere in the middle 7's when she arrives...that sounds like the perfect weight...not too big, but not too tiny either!

He said everything else looked great! Next week they will begin checking to see if I'm dilated or effaced yet. At this point I would guess not, or atleast not much. I've definitely been having what they call braxton hicks, or practice, contractions. Which although slightly uncomfortable aren't too bad, but I don't think these practice ones have much effect on my progress. He also did my strep B culture yesterday and it was um, a little uncomfortable...all I'll say is they stick a swab in a place I was not expecting...yikes! We'll get the results of that next week...and if it's positive (which 1 in 5 are) that just means they'll have to give me some medicine during labor to make sure nothing gets transferred to Autumn during the delivery. In other good news he said there is no reason for me to have to have my wedding rings off...even if they have to do a c-section it is not an issue. He said I can continue to try and ease them off if I have a less "puffy day" but really, it's nothing to worry about and my hands should return to normal again sometime after delivery.

All in all it was a great appointment and I'm excited for next Monday when we find out if we're progressing...stay tuned...June 5th is quickly approaching!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

May 5th...just one month to go!! Crazy!! I'm still feeling pretty good. It's getting harder to pick things up off the ground, get in and out of bed (several times a night), and slip into anything other than flip flops, but overall I am still doing really well!

Last weekend I had an awesome shower thrown by my two wonderful sisters...who went all out with a "shower" theme...we had umbrellas and rain boots and flowers...it was really cute! And what made it even more fun was all the friends who were able to make it...many from quite a distance. It was a blast...and we got all sorts of awesome things for Autumn...we're getting close to having all the essentials! And with a shower tomorrow at Jacob's work and one at my work on Friday I'm sure we'll be even closer. I can't believe how amazingly generous everyone is being...and literally showering us with love. As of May 15th we will have had FIVE baby showers!! Can you believe that?!? I can't! People are so thoughtful and we are just so blessed to have so many people who care about us!! Autumn is definitely going to be surrounded by friends and family who love her...what an awesome gift!

Other highlights of the week...my wedding rings are stuck!! I had decided I was going to take them off Sunday for the rest of the pregnancy because my hands were looking a little swollen and I didn't want to risk not being able to get them off. Well apparently my hands were more swollen then I realized and therefore getting the rings off has been, well...quite a challenge. On Sunday...after my initial trial to get them off with my usual soap and cold water routine didn't work, I decided to google "how to remove a ring from a swollen finger." Several recommendations came back including soap, soaking in ice water, reducing sodium intake, drinking more water, dental floss, windex, preparation H, and on and on. Jacob and I tried a few things that day...namely just the ice water and he tried binding my finger with dental floss...both which were unsuccessful and pretty painful, but nothing compared to what I attempted to do Monday night. On my way home from work I had decided I was determined to get atleast one of these rings off TONIGHT! So I turned the air in the car down to a chilly 60 degrees and turned it on full blast! I held my hand up to the vent the whole way home to try and reduce the swelling. As soon as I got home I started with the windex. It was spray windex, twist-twist-twist, more windex, twist-twist-twist. And it appeared to be working. I had moved it further up then I had been able to before. I quickly decided I needed to lower my body temperature, so decided to get in a cool bath. At this point it had probably been about 20-30 minutes of windex and twisting...and the ring was just under my knuckle. It seemed to be stuck again...and my finger was feeling pretty numb and had turned a lovely shade of blueish-purple! I asked Jacob to run up to walgreens to get some preparation H...I had read this helped to reduce the swelling and also acts as a lubricant. He agreed and headed out....but didn't return for probably 20 minutes (and Walgreens is right around the corner). Come to find out his car broke down at walgreens and he had to walk home...preparation H in hand!! OMG...what a night! By the time he got home my finger was looking really bad...we decided I needed to use the preparation H to try and get the ring back down my finger...which is what I did. The part between the two rings was pretty swollen by this point so every twist of the ring literally felt like a knife digging in! But finally it was back to it's original starting point. The attempt was a failure and my poor finger was a mangled mess! The rest of the night we debated about going to the fire dept to have the rings cut off as the numbness and lovely shade of purple didn't go away. But slowly it did start to look a little better...so we decided to hold out. As of today...the finger is still more swollen than any of my other fingers, but it is back to its normal shade which is good. We've decided for now the rings are staying on...we are going to talk to my OB on Monday and find out if they absolutely have to come off before we head to the hospital...if they do we are hoping our jeweler will cut them off so they can make a clean cut and easily melt them back to their original form! So we should know more on Monday...which is also the day we get an ultrasound to find out approximately how big Autumn is and if she is head down! I'm excited to see her again and also to find out more about what to expect in these last few weeks!! It's going to fly by I'm sure!!