Happy New Year!

It's the last day of 2006, and it doesn't look like this little cutie will arrive until 2007!
I was in the hospital most of the afternoon on Friday, and I had a barrage of tests. I had one more ultrasound to check the baby's lungs, heart, and amniotic fluid level. (all were just fine.)
I am still dialted only one centimeter. Had I been dialated any more, I would have been induced on Friday. Instead, I am hanging out with my puffy feet up, just trying to make it through until Tuesday. I am hoping they induce me at that appointment, but I will just have to wait and see. If I get induced that day, I may just have the baby on Dan's birthday! (Jan 3rd.) That would be good! I think that would be the best birthday present ever.
Brian and Erin and Erik are here for the holiday! It's been so nice. Erin spent the last two days cooking meals for us and freezing them for when the baby comes!! It's the absolute nicest thing she could have done! She's a sweetheart.
I'm napping all of the time, because I'm not really sleeping at night. I'm always in that dream portion of sleep. I wake up all the time, and I'm up to pee every hour or so. How can you get any sleep like that? So, I'm tired during the day, too. I am able to nap since it's the weekend, but I'll have to get back on a regular scheule on Tuesday if this baby doesn't come then...
Tonight we will be laying low and having some fun. I have sparkling juice for me, and lots of fun cocktails for everyone else. I know it will be nice.
Wish me luck. I feel like I'm going to split in two!
M.

37 and a happy little centimeter

Happy after Christmas to everyone out there!
I had my 37 week checkup yesterday, and it was good. My blood pressure is not as high as it was, so that is better for the baby. The only drawback? This means that they will not induce this week. :) Too bad, but better for the baby which is good. Dr. Chen said that people who go into labor on their own have less c-sections, and a better chance of a quick delivery. Also, babies delivered at 37 weeks have a higher rate of jaundice. So, let's let this baby cook a little longer...
I'll keep everyone update on my status.
The belly is still growing...
Marta :)

Merry Christmas!

The first picture is from week 36- about a week ago. I'm not wearing makeup, but this is strictly to prove my belly is as big as I say it is.

Here is a picture from after church tonight. I just wanted you all to be REALLY aware of how big this thing is.

It's seriously like I swallowed a watermelon. A big round watermelon.

Ladies at church were asking me, WHEN ARE YOU DUE?

It could be anytime...though it could be three weeks as well...

I miss my family. I wish we were all together for Christmas. This is the first Christmas in my life where I have not been with extended family for Dan or I. I liked church tonight, but nothing beats the candlelight service at St. Stephens in Wausau...

Dad, I miss you the most of all. I hope Chrismas in heaven is wonderful. Say hi to JC for me. Tell him happy birthday, and that I'd really like a quick and painless childbirth for Christmas, ok?

M.

Puffin? I think so.

I am puffy today. This is a symptom of high blood pressure, so I am keeping an eye on it. I'll keep you in the loop. If it gets worse, I'll have to go into the hospital again, but I am hopeful it will get better...
Braxton Hicks contractions are going on like crazy today. They don't hurt but my stomach gets hard as a rock, and I can feel it contracting. It's so interesting to see what your body does to prepare itself for labor.
This could be my last day of work before I have the baby!!! (That is, if I get induced on the 26th...) Last night, I sat in the nursery and looked at everything we have prepared. It's so soon, I can feel it. I can't believe it's almost here, but I can't wait.
I also looked online at one of the Chinese Gender predictors, and it says that this baby is going to be a girl! I wonder if that's right...
More soon. I better make sure everything is ready for me to go on leave, just in case...
M.

Pictures or Erik, my very sympathetic nephew

OK, I don't care who you are, this has got to be the cutest kid on the planet. Thanks Erin for putting a HUGE smile on my face. :)

Work Frustration.

I care about my job. I am a good and loyal employee for my company. This is why I get upset when people do things that are unsavory.
Someone who is no longer employed here (Thank GOD for that) got a call from a customer saying they have a PO for me. But did this person (Whom I wish many embarrasing moments and ingrown toenails) forward them to me? No. They did not. So, I am wondering where this is, and who it could be from?? Nice. Nicely played. Jerk Store.
Anyway, I'm going to try not to let this upset me, as I don't want to go into labor over this!
My appointment went well yesterday, and I had low blood pressure which was good. Basically, I will go back into the hospital Tuesday, and if my blood pressure is high, they will induce. There could be a baby here the day after Christmas! Who knew!??!!
Until then, I am counting the days, and trying to be a good girl. I am allowed to be off bedrest on Sunday (Christmas Eve), so Dan and I are going to go shopping that day, and spend some time together, and go to church. I know it will be fun!
I had better get back to work, tracking this down. Blessings and non frustrating work days to you all!
M.

WOOO HOOO 36 and counting!

I woke up this morning and was just so happy that it is finally week 36. The baby is so close to being full term, we could have it now, and it probably wouldn't even need to go to the NICU. How great is that??!!!
I have the regualt Dr.'s appointment, as well as my NST today, so I will be at the hospital for the majority of the day. I don't even mind. I'm just glad to be testing this stuff and making sure everything is ok.
I had Dan put my hospital suitcase and my baby bag into the car today. You know what that means, right? I won't be delivering for weeks! :) Seriously, though, I am going to ask him all of the burning questions about when bedrest is ending, if I can go to church on Christmas eve, what I can expect(and if we will) induce, all of that fun jazz! I hope to have some details for you soon.
Bedrest has been so much harder than I thought it would be. I have such a hard time not getting up and doing things around the house. I have been very good, though. I hope all this laying around will be rewarded with a very healthy baby!!! (Week 37, please.)
Other than that, I'm just counting the minutes until my doctor sanctioned trip out of the house! Can you believe it! I'm actually leaving the couch!!!!! YAY!!!!!
Have a great Tuesday everyone!
M.

Another day, another Insurance Claim...

I was in the hospital for another Non Stress test again today? What is it, you might ask?
Baby Center Says:
This simple, painless procedure is done during pregnancy to evaluate your baby's condition. During the test, your healthcare practitioner or a technician monitors your baby's heartbeat, first while the baby is resting and then while he's moving. Just as your heart beats faster when you're active, your baby's heart rate should go up while he's moving or kicking.
Since I have mild pregnancy hypertension (Or high blood pressure), I also get my blood pressure taken every ten minutes. I swear, that automatic cuff is going to squeeze the blood right out of my arm.
The baby looks good so far, and thank GOD for that! I have another one scheduled for Tuesday, as long as I don't have any problems between now and then.
The baby is so very active right now, it is GREAT! He or she is rolling and kicking, and I often wake up with a baby bum sticking out of one side of my belly. You can just see the tiny little tush pushing out the skin on the side of the buddha. It's awesome.
I hope I make it to 37 weeks, but then I am ready to deliver. That's right. I'm ready for you little baby. Come to mama.
Busy week at work! I have a lot to get done tomorrow, so the day should go fast!
I'm off for a little swim in the tub before bed.
Much love to you on this glorious Thursday, halfway through my 35th week. :)
M.

an interesting experiment

Hello!!
So, if you are the bedrest police, please ignore the restof this post. Seriously, there is nothing else to see here...
Dan could tell I was going crazy, so this sweet man was running all of my errands, and then came home to get me, just to take me with him to the "super store". Seriously, very sweet.
In the hospital, my nurse told me I could go out very occasionally if I was pushed in a Wheelchair. I loaded myself into one of those chairs with a small basket on the front, and we were off.
The first surprise to me is at this point in my pregnancy (9th month as of tomorrow) I get motion sick in a wheelchair. That's right, I needed to suck on a life saver and breathe deeply to keep from getting nauseous in the chair. That's not the interesting part of the story...
When I was in the wheelchair, I got so many stares, it really made me think. Is this how disabled people are treated all of the time? People were staring. They didn't even bother to make it look sly. It was like I was such an oddity to the shoppers that they wouldn't close their mouth and stop staring. No one asked what was wrong with me, oh no! That would be rude! Much better to just gawk and stare.
There was one notable exception. The lady in the fabric section was so sweet to me. She went totally out of her way to help out and get what we needed. Yay to you, crafty lady! I wish you many happy and productive projects. You are the nicest person in the store!
Needless to say, I walked out (was rolled out) of the store with 4 craft projects to work on while I am on bedrest. (I'd like to pretend instead that I am a victorian lady with "the vapors", but I digress.) From this point forward, I will be busy crafting when I am not working to keep my days filled with activity. Horray for the crafts.
The baby has been doing the lambada all day long. This is going to be a dancer, for sure.
Much love,
M.

Well...

Here is a picture of the belly as it looks today. I hope you are as impressed as I am. I am almost 35 weeks, and I already have stretch marks.
Here's a quick picture of our Christmas tree, too!
The breastfeeding class was pretty good. The lady had a tendency to ramble, but Dan came along with me which was nice. Now at least we are on the same page with breastfeeding and the information we received.
After the class, I was pretty tired, so we came back home, and we watched Superman returns. It was so much better than I thought it would be.
More very soon...
M.

I'm breaking out!

My Dr. gave me the ok to go to my breastfeeding class. YAY!!! I never thought I would be so excited to go to a prenatal education class. Three hours away from the couch! Whoo Hooo!!!
I am going to get all dressed up, and do my makeup, and be all FOXY to learn about boobs. And using those mammaries as they were meant to be used...
I am almost through one week of this bedrest thing. I'm looking forward to getting closer to the end so I can walk and clean and help out Dan.
Tonight, Dan is getting ready for the Wesenicks to come for a Christmas celebration. I'll blog about it after Sunday. They will be here by tomorrow night.
I hope I can get in all of the business I want to before the end of the month...I might just be able to afford to stay home for 12 weeks!!!
Much love and happy Friday!
M.

The mailbox is just a distant memory...

So, As I am halfway through my second day of bedrest, I have a couple of observations to share:
1. I am not very good at laying on my side all day long
2. I miss the mailbox. Seriously, I love you mailbox!
3. Sammy is a sassy dog.
4. I need a new hobby.
I want to clean the kitchen and do the laundry, and get everything ready for my upcoming weekend with Dan's family. But, I can't. So instead, I'll sit here and work.
Work is really helping my sanity level. I have to get the ok from my doctor to continue working from my bed (Sofa, in this case). I really want to keep working. It keeps me busy all day, and I don't have to watch TV at all. I think it is really helping my sanity level. If he says no, I'll do whatever it takes to help the baby, but I really would like to take care of everything before I go on my "vacation".
I am one step away from beginning to online shop for everything. Who needs to leave their house? I am getting groceries delivered at 5pm today. Isn't that nice? I don't even have to leave home. I'm only putting the refrigerated stuff away through. I don't want to push it.
Well, I had better get back to work. Drop me an e-mail. Lord knows I'll be here. :)
M.

Well, If you need me, I'll be in bed...

Thanks for all of your birthday well wishes. I was going to take a half day yesterday, but of course, things got busy and I was unable to. Today, I was very busy, and went to my first two appointments, and then had my scheduled 34 week check-up. I had very high blood pressure, and my doctor sent me straight to the hospital. After 6 hours of monitoring, I was released with a clean bill of health for me and the baby, but I will be on BEDREST until week 37. (For the next three weeks) This is going to be tough!! The first day or two will be nice, but after that, I'm going to need a hobby, people! I'm going to try to scrapbook or do some of the other crafts I have been holding on to and not having time for. I know I won't have time until the baby gets here!
More news on the details tomorrow. For now, It's bedtime.
M.

Has it really been that long?

IT has been almost a MONTH since my last post. How crazy is that? I know you cuties are reading though as I have had a few calls and e-mails checking in. Thanks!
Here it is; though it may be random and all over the place. (When am I not random and all over the place?)
We are having crazy snow- it snowed 12 inches last night here, and we are in for another 6 or 8 inches today. Dan had a hard time going in to work, so I am just hanging around home and working here today. I'm still in my pajamas. Gotta love the home office.
Thanksgiving with Brian and Erin and Erik was really fun. We just had a liad back time, and Erin and I did some great after Thanksgiving shopping. It was really nice. After the dinner, Brian, Dan and I all had a nap together on the couch. Turkey induced coma! It was nice.
The day after Thanksgiving was a little crazy as my feet started to swell, and I had to go into the dr's office for a non stress test. The baby looks great, and everything is fine, but they just wanted to check me out.
I am at 33 weeks now, and some of the pregnancy complaints are starting to really take over. I have been really luck my whole pregnancy, and I have felt very good. Now, some of the aches and pains are settling in. Round ligament pain? Check. Heartburn? Check. Problems sleeping? Check. I have thankfully done very well with not gaining weight- the last month I actually grew in the belly, but lost 1 1/2 pounds. My doctor was very impressed. I think we are in for a weight gain this week on Tuesday, though. I can just feel it.
Our dinner party group is getting together this Saturday for a nice little pizza par-tay! I can't wait. I'm bringing birthday cake, and we are going to have a fun time! Get down! It's my birthday!
Then, on Sunday, we are planning on going to the city (just Dan and I) to have our annual Christmas shopping/ birthday extravaganza. I am really looking forward to that!
The big change and transition in my job is happening within the next two weeks. I'll let you know how it goes.
I know I'm leaving out lots of stories, but I wanted to get a quick hello into the blog so you can at least know I am doing well, I am HUGE, and everything is fine here.
I'll try to get a good belly shot from Dan soon and post it here.
Much love to you all from Snowy Wesenick-land.
M. XOXO