As my sleep reserves are quickly depleted, I figure I should jot down some of the stories and thoughts that have come up over the last few days.
After Elektra was born, another anesthesiologist came in to take out my epidural. He introduced himself and said, "We specialize here; Dr. Dominguez puts in epidurals and I take them out." It was so dryly stated it was brilliant. Hilarious!
Elektra has been talking to her food source the last few feedings. Literally, while she's eating, she's been groaning almost the entire time. She's communing with the boob, I guess. :)
Elektra also likes to sleep with her arms up over her head. She likes the rest of her to be swaddled but like DJ, she wants her arms to be free! DJ didn't sleep with his arms over his head; he would instantly roll over onto his side - from Day 1. Now he's an any-which-way sleeper.
The pediatrician came to talk to us about Elektra's check up on Wednesday. We commented that she's breastfeeding better than DJ did. His comment was that "For the first 24 months, girls are smarter than boys". Steve said, "Some people would say it's longer than that." Dr. Boscia came back with, "I'm only guaranteeing the first 24 months." lol
It turns out we were destined to have a girl. The roses in our front bed - which are over 50 years old as transplated to this house from the previous owner's mom's garden - are all blooming pink flowers this week. We've had many different colors bloom the last few blooming seasons, but these are ALL pink. Amazing.
Oh, gotta go... a little someone is HUNGRY!!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
We welcome Elektra Lynn Salisbury!
6am did arrive sooner than later on Tuesday morning. We left the house with DJ and packed bags at 7, got to Eleanor's a little before 7:30, dropped off the soon-to-be big brother, and headed for the hospital. Knowing the end was near was wracking my nerves - gee, only bringing a new little creature into the world, but also comforting that I could finally start the process of healing my body and start to figure out how the family dynamic would work.
We checked in and were sitting in the waiting room to be taken back when my dad came to find us. It was nice to see him as it was a really nice distraction from what was immediately in my future. Only a few short minutes later, a nurse came to get me and down the hall we went to begin our journey of two kids in our life.
We had a gi-normous birthing room, apparently the VIP suite, according to Aunt Elaine, who dropped in to see us as well a couple hours after the induction process was started. I guess it's good to know certain people, though it's not like we asked for that room!! Heck, I didn't even know it existed.
The nurse was new to the OB team, having done heart work before, so she was learning all the procedures necessary for OB. But she was sweet as can be, very personable, and frankly, I didn't mind at all that she was "learning" on me. There was not a doubt in my mind that this induction would be routine. And even if it weren't, Dr. Hunter, from my OB's (high risk) practice, was the attending OB, so all bases were covered.
After the initial paperwork and medical history was covered, they started my IV. By 9am, Dr. Hunter came in, told me she wasn't staying up all night for me (wink) even though they work 24 hour shifts, gave me a pelvic exam (4cm dilated), and broke my water. Merconium in amniotic fluid, check. Just like with DJ. That means we'll need an attending pediatrician, too, when the baby is born. They started the pitocin, and then we got to wait.
By about 10:30am, I was starting to squirm with my contractions. They were 2 minutes apart, 1 minute long, and I really had to concentrate on breathing just to get through them. By 11, they asked if I wanted an epidrual (yes, please!), and Dr. Dominguez came in to do that.
Now Dr. Dominguez was just as hilarious as Dr. Hunter with comments such as "a vaginal delivery is a failed c-section!" and other such one liners. He was fantastic, though, administering the epidural itself. He talked me through absolutely everything I'd feel and what I shouldn't feel as he was doing it. By 11:30, he was done and I was starting to feel relief. I had another pelvic exam (5cm now), a catheter inserted, and now it was time to relax. I sent Steve to get himself some lunch since at this point, there was absolutely nothing he could do. Even moral support wouldn't be necessary as the contractions I was feeling were literally disappearing in intensity by the minute.
I took a nap sometime after noon-ish, after Steve got back from lunch, and at about 1:30, I woke up. The attending nurse, a different one from the morning because mine was in helping a delivery next door, looked at the fetal monitor and then looked at me and said, "Do you feel anything different?" "Well, no... I don't really feel anything, actually." She said that there was something about the readings on the monitor that made her think that maybe I was fully dilated now, so she went to go get Dr. Hunter for another exam.
Sure enough, not only was I ready, apparently, the baby was already crowning! Um, yikes?! Dr. Hunter told me that I was going to have this baby in a hurry. I thought she was teasing me from earlier but when she didn't waste any time getting into her scrubs, reality hit me over the head that she wasn't kidding. She said I really needed to push and push hard because she didn't like what she was seeing on the monitor, that when a contraction would hit, the baby's heart rate would drop. Else she would need to use forcepts. Eek, no forecepts! But I couldn't feel anything... the epidural, unlike with DJ, was still going strong. With DJ, I could actually feel when a contraction was coming and how I was pushing. This time, all I could do was what they told me and visualize what I was doing, hoping that it was the right thing. I started pushing at 1:50 and by 1:59pm, Elektra Lynn came out screaming.
Steve and I couldn't believe it. She is a girl. We were so convinced that she was a boy that we didn't know what to think besides, OMG. She's just beautiful. Our little girl weighed in at 7lbs, 15oz and 21 inches long... a whole pound lighter than DJ, but the same length. And boy does she have some long fingers, toes, and feet! She screamed at us for about half an hour (how dare you evict me from my nice warm home?!) but after that, she either slept or was checking out the world. Not a fuss from her.
My dad stopped by to see us on his way home from work which just so happened to coincide with Elektra's birth. So he got to see her first by complete chance. This actually worked out well later since then my mom and my sister could come and see Elektra after DJ went to bed since he was going to stay with them that night.
After I was stitched and cleaned and the room was cleaned, Steve and I got to hang out with our little girl for a while in the relative calm after the storm. We were waiting for my epidural to wear off, basically. At about 4:30, the nursery came to get her and my mother-in-law arrived 2 minutes too late to see her then. So she and Steve went out to dinner while I was moved to post partum to wait out the rest of my epidural.
That night, my mother-in-law, mother, and sister came to visit. DJ was with Papou. The rest of my stay was fairly uneventful, though Steve brought DJ to meet his little sister the next afternoon. He was wearing his Big Brother shirt that Eleanor gave him. So cute!
When he came in, DJ first found the balloon in the room to play with. I tried to pick him up to give him a hug (holy cow he's heavy!!!) but he pretty much pushed me away. The balloon was far more interesting, of course. LOL Steve picked up Elektra and I picked DJ up, and we showed her to DJ. He just stared. He didn't reach out for her, he didn't say anything, he just watched her. I took his hand and stroked Elektra with it and said, "nice baby. nice elektra. gentle baby." After about a minute, he was done. Time to go explore. Steve put Elektra back in the bassinet and then she started to fuss. DJ heard the fuss, and stopped what he was doing to listen. "Do you heard the baby crying, DJ?" I picked her up this time, brought her down to his level, and let him watch her fuss. This time, his attention was captivated a little longer, as this little thing actually DOES something. Again, his attention span didn't last THAT long, so Steve decided to limit the exposure and just take him home. Good idea, Daddy.
On Thursday, I got to come home. Elektra did great in the car, and she did great last night. Steve and I, on the other hand, had to figure out how to handle DJ and her and dinner all at the same time. Hmmmm. This will be a challenge, for sure, and it's a really good thing DJ has a relatively early bedtime else we'd be really up a creek. While I was putting DJ to bed, Elektra apparently had the enormous diaper we had been waiting for in the hospital. Well, we know she's good to go in that department now, too!
Elektra did great last night overall. She'd sleep a couple hours at a time after feeding, and that gave me some rest, too. I'm still totally exhausted, and my body just hurts overall, but all this shall pass. I'm waiting for my milk to come in, and that won't be long either. DJ saw his little sister this morning while he was still in his crib. He looked at me, pointed at Elektra and said, "Ba Ba!" Baby! That's right!! DJ's Baby! Eleanor and Sonny yesterday gave him a picture of Elektra to carry around, which he did, saying "Ba Ba" the whole time. Steve took DJ to day care (as I am not allowed to drive for 2-3 weeks), and I'm now home, alone with the dogs (who are re-fighting for alpha status because a new little one came home) and Baby Elektra.
It's almost time to feed her, so more later.
We checked in and were sitting in the waiting room to be taken back when my dad came to find us. It was nice to see him as it was a really nice distraction from what was immediately in my future. Only a few short minutes later, a nurse came to get me and down the hall we went to begin our journey of two kids in our life.
We had a gi-normous birthing room, apparently the VIP suite, according to Aunt Elaine, who dropped in to see us as well a couple hours after the induction process was started. I guess it's good to know certain people, though it's not like we asked for that room!! Heck, I didn't even know it existed.
The nurse was new to the OB team, having done heart work before, so she was learning all the procedures necessary for OB. But she was sweet as can be, very personable, and frankly, I didn't mind at all that she was "learning" on me. There was not a doubt in my mind that this induction would be routine. And even if it weren't, Dr. Hunter, from my OB's (high risk) practice, was the attending OB, so all bases were covered.
After the initial paperwork and medical history was covered, they started my IV. By 9am, Dr. Hunter came in, told me she wasn't staying up all night for me (wink) even though they work 24 hour shifts, gave me a pelvic exam (4cm dilated), and broke my water. Merconium in amniotic fluid, check. Just like with DJ. That means we'll need an attending pediatrician, too, when the baby is born. They started the pitocin, and then we got to wait.
By about 10:30am, I was starting to squirm with my contractions. They were 2 minutes apart, 1 minute long, and I really had to concentrate on breathing just to get through them. By 11, they asked if I wanted an epidrual (yes, please!), and Dr. Dominguez came in to do that.
Now Dr. Dominguez was just as hilarious as Dr. Hunter with comments such as "a vaginal delivery is a failed c-section!" and other such one liners. He was fantastic, though, administering the epidural itself. He talked me through absolutely everything I'd feel and what I shouldn't feel as he was doing it. By 11:30, he was done and I was starting to feel relief. I had another pelvic exam (5cm now), a catheter inserted, and now it was time to relax. I sent Steve to get himself some lunch since at this point, there was absolutely nothing he could do. Even moral support wouldn't be necessary as the contractions I was feeling were literally disappearing in intensity by the minute.
I took a nap sometime after noon-ish, after Steve got back from lunch, and at about 1:30, I woke up. The attending nurse, a different one from the morning because mine was in helping a delivery next door, looked at the fetal monitor and then looked at me and said, "Do you feel anything different?" "Well, no... I don't really feel anything, actually." She said that there was something about the readings on the monitor that made her think that maybe I was fully dilated now, so she went to go get Dr. Hunter for another exam.
Sure enough, not only was I ready, apparently, the baby was already crowning! Um, yikes?! Dr. Hunter told me that I was going to have this baby in a hurry. I thought she was teasing me from earlier but when she didn't waste any time getting into her scrubs, reality hit me over the head that she wasn't kidding. She said I really needed to push and push hard because she didn't like what she was seeing on the monitor, that when a contraction would hit, the baby's heart rate would drop. Else she would need to use forcepts. Eek, no forecepts! But I couldn't feel anything... the epidural, unlike with DJ, was still going strong. With DJ, I could actually feel when a contraction was coming and how I was pushing. This time, all I could do was what they told me and visualize what I was doing, hoping that it was the right thing. I started pushing at 1:50 and by 1:59pm, Elektra Lynn came out screaming.
Steve and I couldn't believe it. She is a girl. We were so convinced that she was a boy that we didn't know what to think besides, OMG. She's just beautiful. Our little girl weighed in at 7lbs, 15oz and 21 inches long... a whole pound lighter than DJ, but the same length. And boy does she have some long fingers, toes, and feet! She screamed at us for about half an hour (how dare you evict me from my nice warm home?!) but after that, she either slept or was checking out the world. Not a fuss from her.
My dad stopped by to see us on his way home from work which just so happened to coincide with Elektra's birth. So he got to see her first by complete chance. This actually worked out well later since then my mom and my sister could come and see Elektra after DJ went to bed since he was going to stay with them that night.
After I was stitched and cleaned and the room was cleaned, Steve and I got to hang out with our little girl for a while in the relative calm after the storm. We were waiting for my epidural to wear off, basically. At about 4:30, the nursery came to get her and my mother-in-law arrived 2 minutes too late to see her then. So she and Steve went out to dinner while I was moved to post partum to wait out the rest of my epidural.
That night, my mother-in-law, mother, and sister came to visit. DJ was with Papou. The rest of my stay was fairly uneventful, though Steve brought DJ to meet his little sister the next afternoon. He was wearing his Big Brother shirt that Eleanor gave him. So cute!
When he came in, DJ first found the balloon in the room to play with. I tried to pick him up to give him a hug (holy cow he's heavy!!!) but he pretty much pushed me away. The balloon was far more interesting, of course. LOL Steve picked up Elektra and I picked DJ up, and we showed her to DJ. He just stared. He didn't reach out for her, he didn't say anything, he just watched her. I took his hand and stroked Elektra with it and said, "nice baby. nice elektra. gentle baby." After about a minute, he was done. Time to go explore. Steve put Elektra back in the bassinet and then she started to fuss. DJ heard the fuss, and stopped what he was doing to listen. "Do you heard the baby crying, DJ?" I picked her up this time, brought her down to his level, and let him watch her fuss. This time, his attention was captivated a little longer, as this little thing actually DOES something. Again, his attention span didn't last THAT long, so Steve decided to limit the exposure and just take him home. Good idea, Daddy.
On Thursday, I got to come home. Elektra did great in the car, and she did great last night. Steve and I, on the other hand, had to figure out how to handle DJ and her and dinner all at the same time. Hmmmm. This will be a challenge, for sure, and it's a really good thing DJ has a relatively early bedtime else we'd be really up a creek. While I was putting DJ to bed, Elektra apparently had the enormous diaper we had been waiting for in the hospital. Well, we know she's good to go in that department now, too!
Elektra did great last night overall. She'd sleep a couple hours at a time after feeding, and that gave me some rest, too. I'm still totally exhausted, and my body just hurts overall, but all this shall pass. I'm waiting for my milk to come in, and that won't be long either. DJ saw his little sister this morning while he was still in his crib. He looked at me, pointed at Elektra and said, "Ba Ba!" Baby! That's right!! DJ's Baby! Eleanor and Sonny yesterday gave him a picture of Elektra to carry around, which he did, saying "Ba Ba" the whole time. Steve took DJ to day care (as I am not allowed to drive for 2-3 weeks), and I'm now home, alone with the dogs (who are re-fighting for alpha status because a new little one came home) and Baby Elektra.
It's almost time to feed her, so more later.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Baby Salisbury to arrive tomorrow
Tomorrow is the big day. Having it "scheduled" like this is actually a little unnerving. It was almost easier the first time, not knowing what is coming (in terms of post partum) and when since DJ was early. There were other nerves that I had at the time, but those were the first time parent nerves. Those are all gone. Now it's the second time nerves - how will DJ react? How will this change the family dynamic? etc.
Tonight, I started to get anxious. I guess it's because I have time to think. I have to remind myself to stay in the right now, and then the anxiety goes away. But I can't help it. ;-)
It's 9:30pm now, watching the Jets-Chargers Monday night game, and recording Heroes. Thinking about heading to bed, even if I don't fall asleep immediately. 6am will be here quite early tomorrow.
Little Baby Salisbury - we're going to meet you tomorrow whether you want to or not!
Tonight, I started to get anxious. I guess it's because I have time to think. I have to remind myself to stay in the right now, and then the anxiety goes away. But I can't help it. ;-)
It's 9:30pm now, watching the Jets-Chargers Monday night game, and recording Heroes. Thinking about heading to bed, even if I don't fall asleep immediately. 6am will be here quite early tomorrow.
Little Baby Salisbury - we're going to meet you tomorrow whether you want to or not!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Baby Status: downgraded
Thursday night, when I wrote my last post, I could have sworn that I was on my way to full on labor. I was feeling significant pressure every 10 minutes for 30 seconds a piece for hours. Figuring I was on my way to full on labor, I went to bed at 9:30pm to get some rest assuming I'd need the energy sooner rather than later. Steve came in to check on me a couple hours later and I was definitely still feeling that enormous pressure.
Sometime shortly after midnight, though, everything calmed down. I was grateful to be able to get comfortable and get some rest for the rest of the night. Then again, I've felt nothing like those Thursday night feelings since.
In fact, on Friday, I stayed home from work (sick day) thinking I was really close and as the day went on, I actually started to get concerned. The baby wasn't doing much wiggling or moving. I could still feel it move every once in awhile, but it's activity level was definitely less. In retrospect, I have to guess the baby was getting rest from all the activity from Thursday night.
Yesterday (Saturday), the baby was back to its wiggly self, and so my stress level about the baby's well being has significantly decreased. At the same time, though, it's clear this baby is perfectly content where it is and has no interest in coming out into the world for us to meet it.
So everyone hang tight. We'll be meeting this baby on Tuesday.
Sometime shortly after midnight, though, everything calmed down. I was grateful to be able to get comfortable and get some rest for the rest of the night. Then again, I've felt nothing like those Thursday night feelings since.
In fact, on Friday, I stayed home from work (sick day) thinking I was really close and as the day went on, I actually started to get concerned. The baby wasn't doing much wiggling or moving. I could still feel it move every once in awhile, but it's activity level was definitely less. In retrospect, I have to guess the baby was getting rest from all the activity from Thursday night.
Yesterday (Saturday), the baby was back to its wiggly self, and so my stress level about the baby's well being has significantly decreased. At the same time, though, it's clear this baby is perfectly content where it is and has no interest in coming out into the world for us to meet it.
So everyone hang tight. We'll be meeting this baby on Tuesday.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Baby Status: Upgraded!!
Upgrading Baby Watch status to Baby Warning.
Ok, so I was wrong about what I've been feeling. Apparently, what I've been feeling has helped dilate me, but they aren't contractions. I'm 3cm dilated already. With DJ, I was in relatively painless labor all day, then painful contractions hit me just after dinner time, and by the time they saw me in the triage room at the hospital at 1:30am, I was only 3cm dilated at that point. My comment at the time was, "That's IT?!" This time, it was, "REALLY?!"
But since I'm not in active labor, I'm home right now, waiting for active labor to start and/or my water to break. That could be in hours, that could be in days. Either way, I'll be induced on Tuesday if the baby doesn't come before then.
You'd think I'd be running around trying to get all the last minute things I want to get done, finished knowing that the end of the pregnancy journey is near, but no... i'm sitting on the couch like a lazy lump.
I'm taking a sick day tomorrow so I'm not going in to work. This makes me happy... today, all I really wanted to do was be home laying down, so hopefully I'll get to do that some tomorrow. It's only 9pm and I already want to go to bed. Maybe the baby is trying to tell me something, eh? Maybe something like, "Get some sleep, Mommy. You're going to need the energy sooner than you think!"
Ok, so I was wrong about what I've been feeling. Apparently, what I've been feeling has helped dilate me, but they aren't contractions. I'm 3cm dilated already. With DJ, I was in relatively painless labor all day, then painful contractions hit me just after dinner time, and by the time they saw me in the triage room at the hospital at 1:30am, I was only 3cm dilated at that point. My comment at the time was, "That's IT?!" This time, it was, "REALLY?!"
But since I'm not in active labor, I'm home right now, waiting for active labor to start and/or my water to break. That could be in hours, that could be in days. Either way, I'll be induced on Tuesday if the baby doesn't come before then.
You'd think I'd be running around trying to get all the last minute things I want to get done, finished knowing that the end of the pregnancy journey is near, but no... i'm sitting on the couch like a lazy lump.
I'm taking a sick day tomorrow so I'm not going in to work. This makes me happy... today, all I really wanted to do was be home laying down, so hopefully I'll get to do that some tomorrow. It's only 9pm and I already want to go to bed. Maybe the baby is trying to tell me something, eh? Maybe something like, "Get some sleep, Mommy. You're going to need the energy sooner than you think!"
Status: Baby Watch
We are still on Baby Watch status, though it would be nice if Dr. Khouzami upgrades that to Baby Warning during my weekly appointment with him today.
Clearly, our predictions for the baby's birthday (September 9th (steve) September 15th (me)) have long since come and gone. This baby seems to like Mommy's perverbial nest as it were. I haven't seen one sign of labor yet except for the settling down in the birth-ready position. That makes sitting in any position other than leaned back rather uncomfortable, for sure.
I asked Steve to come with me today to my appointment with Dr. Khouzami because now it's probably time to start talking post-prediction date options. How long do I wait before we consider inducing? How big is the baby and when does that factor into forcing me into having a c-section instead (which I really would rather avoid)? What's involved with both? I don't really want to make a decision - if I have to - without Steve's input. Besides, I'm not convinced I'm thinking all that clearly at this point anyway.
I also really want a massage. I want to ask the doctor first if I'm allowed before I schedule an appointment. My shoulders, lower back and legs could use the tension release!! A nap would also be a killer thing right about now, but going home and laying down just isn't an option for as much as it should be at this point! So I'm settling for having my feet propped up on the computer under my desk. ::sigh::
Speaking of work, at this point, I'm pretty much stagnant at work. They can't really give me anything to work on since we don't know when the baby is going to come. I have finished what I was assigned, though I'm going to reread what I wrote after I've finished writing this to see to proof read it. Honestly, there hasn't been enough time elapsed between when I wrote it and now to really proof read it well, but I may as well try.
I think that's news from here. Heh, that's not even really news.... ;-)
Clearly, our predictions for the baby's birthday (September 9th (steve) September 15th (me)) have long since come and gone. This baby seems to like Mommy's perverbial nest as it were. I haven't seen one sign of labor yet except for the settling down in the birth-ready position. That makes sitting in any position other than leaned back rather uncomfortable, for sure.
I asked Steve to come with me today to my appointment with Dr. Khouzami because now it's probably time to start talking post-prediction date options. How long do I wait before we consider inducing? How big is the baby and when does that factor into forcing me into having a c-section instead (which I really would rather avoid)? What's involved with both? I don't really want to make a decision - if I have to - without Steve's input. Besides, I'm not convinced I'm thinking all that clearly at this point anyway.
I also really want a massage. I want to ask the doctor first if I'm allowed before I schedule an appointment. My shoulders, lower back and legs could use the tension release!! A nap would also be a killer thing right about now, but going home and laying down just isn't an option for as much as it should be at this point! So I'm settling for having my feet propped up on the computer under my desk. ::sigh::
Speaking of work, at this point, I'm pretty much stagnant at work. They can't really give me anything to work on since we don't know when the baby is going to come. I have finished what I was assigned, though I'm going to reread what I wrote after I've finished writing this to see to proof read it. Honestly, there hasn't been enough time elapsed between when I wrote it and now to really proof read it well, but I may as well try.
I think that's news from here. Heh, that's not even really news.... ;-)
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Steve is the happiest man on the planet
When Steve got home last night, DJ was still in the high chair, trying to rebuckle his high chair buckle. This is DJ's current favorite thing to do - buckle buckles. Upon walking in the door, Steve exclaims, "DJ!" DJ looks up at Steve and says, "Da Da."
Pause.
Steve starts dancing around the kitchen. I give DJ huge amounts of praise.
Just to confirm what we really heard, Steve said to DJ again, "DJ!" And to our delight, DJ looked up from his buckle at Steve and said, "Da Da."
This morning, we tried it again, this time while I was getting DJ into his outfit for the day. Happy Dance from Steve followed quickly thereafter. And apparently, DJ demonstrated this for Miss Eleanor, too.
"Da Da" is the happiest man on the planet. DJ just made his month. :-)
Pause.
Steve starts dancing around the kitchen. I give DJ huge amounts of praise.
Just to confirm what we really heard, Steve said to DJ again, "DJ!" And to our delight, DJ looked up from his buckle at Steve and said, "Da Da."
This morning, we tried it again, this time while I was getting DJ into his outfit for the day. Happy Dance from Steve followed quickly thereafter. And apparently, DJ demonstrated this for Miss Eleanor, too.
"Da Da" is the happiest man on the planet. DJ just made his month. :-)
Friday, September 12, 2008
Restless
I remember the week before DJ was born, DJ settled down into my pelvic bone nice and solidly. There was no mistaking the distinct feeling of pressure in a spot where there hadn't been pressure before. I remember people asking me all throughout my last two months if I was uncomfortable, and I could honestly say I wasn't, until that week. I couldn't get comfortable no matter what the position, laying down, sitting, propped up... it didn't matter. Getting out of and into chairs was a challenge. Walking down stairs would seemingly knock the baby's head against my pelvic bone, sending a ping of an uncomfortable sensation through my body with every step.
But what I don't remember is being restless.
I have reached the stage again where the baby has settled into my pelvic bone, and I'm most definitely uncomfortable in the same ways I was with DJ. But this time, I'm having very restless dreams when I settle down for the night to sleep. When my alarm goes off in the morning, I feel like I haven't slept a wink. I know I tossed and turned all night, and there was nothing relaxing about laying in bed except that the belly has been supported by my pillows and my muscles are less tired. And because I'm basically awake all night, I now feel how often the baby is moving around. The belly gets uncomfortably tight as the baby flips from side to side or tosses an elbow or knee at the walls of my uterus. I also feel every kick to my relatively full bladder, and those kicks usually make me wince.
I have read that restlessness is a "symptom" (i use this word loosely as it's not really a medically sanctioned - for lack of a better term - symptom) that labor will be starting soon. The problem is, I also wonder how much of it is really just my being ready to just start the process of no sleep and healing from the pregnancy.
Another supposed "symptom" of labor starting soon is nesting. I started nesting last weekend. I put all the laundry away, cleaned the kitchen, gave my mother-in-law all of the bed linens for the queen size bed set we gave her, etc. It helped me settle down my brain of my "list" of things to do. Still, the bathrooms need to be cleaned, the kitchen needs to be cleaned again, we need to pull out the bassinet (not that that has to be done before we go to the hospital), and we really should vacuum one more time. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make the basement disaster organize itself but if wishes were fishes, I'd never go hungry.
And, as part of the nesting process, I started to pack my bag for the hospital. I think that's the other sign that I think the baby is coming sooner than later. Nevermind that I'm a planner...
I have a gut feeling that the baby will be here in a week or less. My inital prediction was September 15th. So we'll see!
But what I don't remember is being restless.
I have reached the stage again where the baby has settled into my pelvic bone, and I'm most definitely uncomfortable in the same ways I was with DJ. But this time, I'm having very restless dreams when I settle down for the night to sleep. When my alarm goes off in the morning, I feel like I haven't slept a wink. I know I tossed and turned all night, and there was nothing relaxing about laying in bed except that the belly has been supported by my pillows and my muscles are less tired. And because I'm basically awake all night, I now feel how often the baby is moving around. The belly gets uncomfortably tight as the baby flips from side to side or tosses an elbow or knee at the walls of my uterus. I also feel every kick to my relatively full bladder, and those kicks usually make me wince.
I have read that restlessness is a "symptom" (i use this word loosely as it's not really a medically sanctioned - for lack of a better term - symptom) that labor will be starting soon. The problem is, I also wonder how much of it is really just my being ready to just start the process of no sleep and healing from the pregnancy.
Another supposed "symptom" of labor starting soon is nesting. I started nesting last weekend. I put all the laundry away, cleaned the kitchen, gave my mother-in-law all of the bed linens for the queen size bed set we gave her, etc. It helped me settle down my brain of my "list" of things to do. Still, the bathrooms need to be cleaned, the kitchen needs to be cleaned again, we need to pull out the bassinet (not that that has to be done before we go to the hospital), and we really should vacuum one more time. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make the basement disaster organize itself but if wishes were fishes, I'd never go hungry.
And, as part of the nesting process, I started to pack my bag for the hospital. I think that's the other sign that I think the baby is coming sooner than later. Nevermind that I'm a planner...
I have a gut feeling that the baby will be here in a week or less. My inital prediction was September 15th. So we'll see!
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