Mothership Confessional

Only one week  until the due date!! Obviously, I am not having a csecton today. Ava has remained head down, and I am half a centimeter dilated and 50% effaced!! Not really big stats, but I guess the feeling you could say that I have is that I am "proud" of Ava for being able to do what she needs to do in my heart-shaped uterus. Even though she is head down, she is still not able to lay "normally" in there. I still have two lumps on each side when I have Braxton Hicks contractions - her butt is on my left side and her legs and feet are on the right. Ordinarily, babies would just be butt up in the middle with their legs tucked beneath. So she's a little sideways! Despite feeling a tad disappointed that we aren't meeting Ava today, we were encouraged to hear that things are happening! My pelvis has been hurting  like crazy  at night when I'm trying to roll around in bed. I have woken up many times, on my back, with my legs bent and knee

Is it really?! 38 weeks?! I know we are being incredibly inpatient, but Ava, darling...we are wanting you to join us so badly!! I have been feeling a lot of different emotions this week, and they usually come in this order: Excitement. I can't wait for Ava to be here, to see her eyes, to hold her, to admire her hair, to watch her while she sleeps, to watch her daddy with her . This wait has to be one of the most unbearable waits ever! The house is full of baby things, just sitting...waiting. I find myself spending a lot of time just staring at them, imagining what Ava will be doing in each of these baby things, what she will look like in the car seat carrier, which motion on the swing she will prefer, and I can even visualize her flailing arms and legs when she will get her diaper changed on the changer (for some reason I am imagining her hating  getting her diaper changed!). So much eager anticipation! I think about how exciting these changes will be. And then tha

I am not an expert on pregnancy. I have not even finished my first one, but I thought I would share some products and ideas that helped me make the most of this time with my little one growing inside, the same little one who is responsible for some less-than-desirable symptoms! 1. Ginger Ale, Sprite, and Water These three are your friends from the very beginning. The ginger from the Ginger Ale is helpful for nausea and most general tummy issues, while the bubbles from the Ginger Ale and Sprite can have the same soothing affect. Switch over to drinking water as soon as your upset tummy will allow - both these carbonated beverages have lots of sugar in them, which can be counterproductive for your health in the long run! Water is  extremely  important in all stages of pregnancy for the health of you and your baby, so you may as well get used to drinking a ton of it. Sometimes water can be the cure-all for whatever is ailing you - hydrating is key. How to Help Yourself Dr

Now we are for real  full-term. It's time for me to start really relaxing. And walking up and down stairs to encourage labor. And putting my feet up. And going for walks to stay active. It's kind of a contradictory time! Relax, but stay active! Sleep, but stay busy! My pelvis hurts. It has been a pregnancy symptom that I've dealt with for a few months now, unlike most of my other symptoms that pop up for about a week and then go away ( acid reflux , insomnia, pregnancy hives , and even the swelling in my ankle is almost non-existant). And the pain has kind of intensified over the past week. It's kind of like when you went for a super-long bike ride and your crotch hurts the next day. Right on those bones. But more of an achy feeling as opposed to a "bruised" feeling. It hurts most when I have been standing or walking for too long and when I am getting up from a laying down position. Let's see, what else...I still have the stif

I'm doing a quick mid-week update because this is too exciting to wait to share... Ava is head down!!! I had a doctor's appointment this morning with a different doctor than my usual (mine had no availability), and of course, Ava was sideways, per her usual. The doctor could tell just by looking at my belly. She brought in the ultrasound machine to confirm it. Then she asked if I would mind if she pressed on my belly a bit. So she started pushing down on Ava's head and up on her frog legs, and then checked her position on the screen. Her head was almost where it needed to be! So she asked if she could press on her again, and of course I said yes. She manipulated her some more, and sure enough, she was head down on the ultrasound!! She then wanted me to do a Non-Stress Test to see how Ava was tolerating that position. So I got to recline in a chair with some monitors on my belly for about 20 minutes, and after that was done, an ultrasound was done again to check

OhmygoshohmygoshOHMYGOSH!!! 36 weeks. 9 months pregnant.  3 weeks from delivery. 21 days. 21 DAYS!!! When did this happen?!?! IT'S AVA'S BIRTH MONTH!!!!!!! I can say that as much as I have loved  carrying Ava, I am SO ready for her to be born! Even though nine months is such a long time when you think about it, it has gone by pretty fast. Although it does seem like forever  ago that I saw the word "pregnant" on that stick! Sitting upright in a chair is probably my least favorite thing to do lately. Doing simple chores exhausts me. Soooo...I pretty much just do the minimum to get through the day! Both feet have swelled a little bit. And I have lost one of my ankles to pregnancy swelling. Just one! Some days it is more swollen than others depending on how long I've been on my feet. I discovered two itty bitty stretch marks on my left hip. I am hoping that's all I get! My belly button has popped, but just the top part of i