Today's the day... (or maybe tomorrow).

  My BFF, the fetal monitor.

After much flip-flopping and spending almost the entire day yesterday at the doctor's office hooked up to a fetal monitor, Zach will be making his entrance into the world this weekend - whether he likes it or not.

We thought things would get rolling yesterday. I went in at 8 a.m. to get some fake contractions kick started. It worked and I was miserable. The doctor told me to go home for a few hours and to come back after lunch for a second application. She said if he didn't come on his own that afternoon, I'd be admitted to the hospital that night for a stronger application. That afternoon I spent another 2 hours hooked up to the fetal monitor, but because the "contractions" (now milder) were still coming regularly, my doctor couldn't apply the second application and said it wasn't worth checking me into the hospital because they wouldn't apply anything either if the contractions continued as they were. Instead, she said if I don't go into labor by this afternoon, I'll be checked in tonight!

The idea is that this stuff is supposed to thin my "uncooperative cervix" and trigger contractions overnight. Then Sunday morning I'll be ready to push the little guy out. We'll see what happens. I'm just glad my doctor is the doctor on call all weekend.

41 weeks and counting...

*SIGH*

Remember when I said, “Holy crap (and thank God) there's one week left?”

That was two weeks ago.

It’s Tuesday, June 22. So much for that June 16 due date. Tomorrow is my next doctor’s appointment. My doctor said I wouldn’t make it to that appointment. I'm beginning to believe she has no idea what she's talking about.

I was home last weekend to help at my grandma’s garage sale. I was really hoping all the activity would get things moving, but here I am with no baby to show you. *sigh*

While I was home I went to dinner with Madster. We were chatting and eating when the baby started to move. I pointed to my stomach and as she looked at me, the big mass (of which I believe to be a baby bottom) moved across my stomach before disappearing on the other side. When I looked up at Maddie, I couldn’t stop laughing. She was staring at my stomach with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.

“Oh my God! That was like something from Alien or something!”

It was pretty funny.

At the garage sale, my cousin, Katie, felt the baby hiccuping - but you probably already knew that... You could probably hear her screaming from your house. :)

I’m grateful to have people so excited for me. Now if only he’d make his appearance so we could all finally meet him!

40 weeks has come and gone but still... nothing.

He can't possibly stay in there much longer.
Today's countdown reads "-1 more days!"

I don’t believe this baby is ever going to come. I know it’s better to let him come on his own, but seriously. INDUCE!

A few weeks ago Maddie and I met some high school friends at Schooner Days in Eden Prairie to play bingo. While there, I tried getting her to buy me tickets to ride the Gravitron, but she refused. I bet that would’ve gotten things started!

Here are a few tips I've gotten from friends, family and co-workers to pick up the pace. So far, nothing has worked.

• Pineapple
• Chinese food
• Spicy foods - think Buffalo Wild Wings - although I just read an article that said NOT to do this because it's counterproductive. Great.
• Licorice - although now I'm being told it's BLACK licorice, which I REFUSE to eat.

Non-food suggestions:

• High altitude - Colorado trip anyone?
• Areas with low barometric pressure. According to NWS that means I should take a trip to North Dakota where all the low pressure is causing thunderstorms here!

I guess he'll just come when he comes. I'm just hoping it's sooner rather than later! 

 

The Gravitron!

Happy due date!

This morning I was woken by a text and picture from my dad:
"This is what I woke up to this morning. Where is he?"

All my countdowns are at zero. My weekly updater that tells me how big baby is says I now have a newborn. That's news to me. Come on little Zach. It's time. Everyone wants to meet you.

According to Baby Center, he was supposed to stop at the size of a small watermelon. Instead, he's now the weight of a small pumpkin.

Insert Jeopardy theme song here.

It’s official. Zach has been served his eviction papers.

Today marks the ultrasound tech’s prediction of my due date. When I went back in February (you know, when I was still tiny), the computer calculated a June 14 due date based on his measurements; however, they didn't officially change the date because it was so close to the previous guess of June16.

Last week my co-workers threw me my final baby shower - six days before I was supposed to give birth. I’m not complaining because I really appreciate their generosity. It was a fantastic spread of food (I love potluck lunches at the New Richmond News) and only one person in the office wasn’t able to be there. Even the publisher (who doesn’t work in our office) showed up to grill burgers and brats.

I'm still blown away by the kindness, love and support everyone has shown us throughout this pregnancy. A special shout out and huge THANK YOU goes to Bridget LaChance -- she knows why.

Is he here yet?!

The beginning of week 39 - looks bigger than a watermelon to me!

Yesterday my co-workers started a pool to guess the baby’s due date. I gave helpful hints including:

1. My due date is June 16.
2. Myself and three siblings were two weeks late. Three of the four had to be induced. My doctor says, “Oooh, that’s not a good sign.”

After offering that information, guesses ranged from June 15-July 1.

When the sheet reached my boss (after being passed to about half the people in the office), I asked if anyone had picked June 9 (that particular day’s date). His immediate reaction was an excited one. “Why?! Are you feeling something?”

He ended up being the one to pick June 15, a day before I’m due. He thinks it’ll be on a Tuesday, the day we lay out the paper.

I picked June 25, which also happens to be Maddie’s birthday.

Last week my doctor said, “If you get to 41 weeks, we’ll start talking about inducing.” June 25 just happens to be the first Friday after 41 weeks, and we all know how much doctors like to induce on Fridays...

For now, we wait.

I feel like a whale

Your baby matches up to a mini-watermelon, weighing a bit over 7 pounds.

Holy crap (and thank God) there's one week left.

Anyone who thinks the first trimester is the worst part of pregnancy has clearly not reached her ninth month. This is the month I've affectionately named the "I hate life" month.

Let me tell you a little bit about how I'm feeling. I can't walk more than 10 steps without my feet hurting. My stomach cramps every day. Every time I have to stand up I have to do it in sllllooooowwww motion because the baby is starting to make his way into my pelvis and it hurts like crazy if I stand up too fast.

Do I sound like a complainer? Yes, I am.

On the bright side of things, I gained 30 pounds (only I would consider 30 pounds a good thing) - well within the "healthy" range of 25-35 pounds. At my last doctor's appointment, baby was estimated to weigh 7 pounds (although he'll continue to add .5 pounds each week he stays in there - INDUCE!). The nursery is progressing, although still a disaster zone. I finally think I picked a paint color for Zach Attack's room at the new house.

I finished packing my hospital bag this week. It's something my online baby checklists have been yelling at me to do for about 4 weeks. It's been quite the ordeal, but that's mostly because I don't have a lot of maternity clothes and didn't want them just sitting in a bag for 5 weeks. Now, I'm ready.

We continue to work on picking a middle name for the little man. Adam, my first choice (and Jamer's former middle name), was vetoed because it starts with a vowel. Now, I'm pushing for James. Zachary James Grumish.

Personalizing the changing table

 Dresser drawers lined with paper from the baby showers.

Last week Jamer and I stopped by the Stillwater Goodwill to look for a dresser that could double as a changing table. We weren't expecting to find anything, but we hit the jackpot.

We found a dresser (with a mirror) in almost perfect condition that matches our crib. The best part? It was $40. We also discovered that the changing pad we registered for came with a strap we can screw into the back of the dresser to secure it and prevent it from sliding around. Awesome.

This week I've been spending most my free time lining the drawers with the wrapping paper from my baby showers. Apparently this is something they did in the "olden days" and came as a suggestion from my mom. I thought it was a stupid idea at first, but it turned out really cute. The hardest part was narrowing down the paper. I had tons of choices but only 6 drawers!

Now, all we need are some updated drawer pulls (the ones it came with were U-G-L-Y) and we're good to go!