She's still got it...

well, sort of! I didn't bowl as well as I could have, but still managed to "break a buck" both games!! And that was without bumpers! LOL!

three posts in one day?!

Doing a little comparison...
from my last journey:

Mr. J took it well, although I didn't give him much indication that it could truly go into August. I'll wait to see what happens next Tuesday, I guess. Oh, and our hospital coordinator, who was due after us, is now on maternity leave. Mr. J's reply to that was "So we're due first, but she's going early? Hey, I thought it was bad manners to cut in line!"

Can you believe the same thing happened this time?! Our original coordinator (same as above) is out with a new baby again. It's okay though, we have very capable hands to guide us through the process this time too!!

and how's this for comparison...

2007


2009

Even the fifth time can seem like the first...

I must admit feeling a little anxious lately. Sanna's been instructed to stay put until her parents arrive, but that doesn't mean that I don't feel like she is definitely getting ready to enter the world! It's all good.

Every birth is different, however. Pregnancy amnesia sets in almost immediately after giving birth and somehow my brain needs a refresher just about now. I was dreaming scenarios last night as I slept and woke every two hours. Will my water break? Will contractions start at 1:00 A.M. again? Will this little girl take her sweet time and we'll end up having to walk all four levels at the MOA and even then the floors of ANW before she is ready?

So I was looking up a few things about false labor v. the real thing (you know, as a refresher) and had to chuckle at the comments about "mom's mood":

Mom’s Mood. One of the biggest indicators that active labor has begun is a big change in mom’s mood: she becomes much more serious. During a contraction, the contraction takes all of her energy and concentration: she can’t walk and talk during a contraction. She doesn’t like distractions in between contractions; just wants to focus on labor.

and then:

Mom’s mood: Because of the intensity of transition, mom’s moods may be volatile. She may be irritable, hostile, confused, disoriented; she may feel trapped and want to go home; may fear she is dying; often very dependent; discouraged or exhausted. It is common for her to say: “I can’t, I can’t.”

The second is a little extreme... and made me chuckle. But I suppose that might have been the way I felt the first time I gave birth to a babe.

Then I came across this, which is how my physician prefers to get through the second stage of labor:

Laboring Down / Delayed Pushing. Some caregivers recommend that mothers with no urge to push, and particularly mothers with an epidural in place, just rest and relax. They recommend waiting to actively push until baby is crowning at the perineum; this may be an hour or more after you reach 10 cm dilation. Laboring down will lead to a longer second stage than a more active, directed pushing, but it’s not as exhausting, and some studies have shown that it leads to fewer instrumental deliveries. Some caregivers are not familiar with this method. If you and your baby are doing well, and tolerating labor well, you may ask if this is an option for you.

I suppose by now you can tell that I'd rather be anywhere but at work for the next two weeks? I spent my lunch hour shopping for Easter baskets and Hanne & Tommy's visit. Tonight I will get a few more things ready for their visit and perhaps pack my own bag for the hospital. No harm in being ready?!

SMILE.

Did I ever tell you...

that I dreamt the night before transfer that baby was going to be a girl??

Oh, the fun I've had shopping for a little girl!! I cannot wait to meet this active, healthy, pink little bundle of joy!

38 weeks...

From BabyCenter:

How your baby's growing:
Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Are you packing? or panicking?
Take a deep breath... (in...... and out......)
and get ready for the ride of your lives!

More soon...

Saturday, April 18th

...if the timing works out as we anticipate, I am inviting a few ladies over to the house to meeting Hanne & Sanna. It will be a very fun way to celebrate MOTHERHOOD with you, Hanne!

Milk!

An oz a day makes the doctor go away.. .hopefully... I am one of the IM that tries to prepare for breastfeeding with "induced lactation". I must pump as much as I can, a minimum is 6-8 times a day, and one session during the night too. So its pretty much me and the pump these days. Cant wait for Sanna to arrive and let her check out the meny :)

Hugs from Pumping queen Hanne

37 weeks

3 weeks until due date... 1.5 weeks until Hanne & Tommy touch down again in the US.

From BabyCenter:

Congratulations! Your baby is full-term! This means that if your baby arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away. She weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long.

Braxton-Hicks contractions woke me up at 4 am this morning. Sanna seems to be on a 2-1/2 hour sleep/wake schedule (or maybe that's just my bladder?!) throughout the night. This morning, the contractions were enough to surprise me, but definitely not the real thing. It did not stop me from wondering, however, how quickly the time will be here!

...and how far we've come!

36/37 Week OB Update

It was a nice, easy way to spend a Friday afternoon. Or maybe I should just say 45 minutes of a Friday afternoon. Dr. E checked baby's length (right on), heartbeat (good and strong), Group StrepB test (results come in later, but I'm sure there's no issues), and did an internal exam. Cervix is closed, high and not dilated. Baby's head is down.

I asked again for a doctor's note to get parking closer to my work building and she obliged. Apparently they thought I was asking for a state permit. No, no, no, just one that gets me front row "reserved" and to the car faster at the end of a long work day! With the weather turning to rain, it will be a nice indulgence these next few weeks.

The next time we go in, the exam room will be filled with smiling faces of anticipation!

Passing the time...

I pre-registered today for hospital admittance. One less thing to do while standing there in full-on labor! For those not in Minnesota, and curious about where we will meet up to welcome Sanna into the world, this is the hospital:

Abbott-Northwestern Hospital - Birth Center

I'm a tad behind in posting pictures... this is from last week. We are already at week 36 and I have not taken a new belly photo. Stay tuned for the weekend when we will be at 37 weeks to compare how/if I look different in two weeks' time!

...surprise...

Tiny yawns, and sleepy sighs, nursery rhymes and lullabies.

In his eyes...

this is how Oliver sees me as pregnant with Sanna. I think it is a very cute drawing! We were at a choir concert at church and he drew this on the back of a prayer card. There were at least four drawings that evening and all with an artist's eye... my baby is growing up!

(click to enlarge)
*see "baby belly" drawn over my clothing....

You've got mail....

has it arrived yet in Norway??

With 5 weeks to go...

it's official... I am waddling!

Please, no comments about being ready for the Easter parade... having webbed feet in a Minnesota Spring... or looking vaguely like I'm hiding a giant Easter egg... just help me get through it!

...giggle... waddle ...giggle...

Yep, you guessed it

Another uneventful OB appointment - the very best kind!

Main Entry: uneventful
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: monotonous, dull
Synonyms: boring, common, commonplace, humdrum, inconclusive, indecisive, ordinary, prosaic, quiet, routine, tedious, unexceptional, unexciting, unfateful, uninteresting, unmemorable, unnoteworthy, unremarkable, unvaried

I thought we were going every week now, but that doesn't happen until 36 weeks, so our next OB appointment is March 20th.

Dr. E informed me of a new monitoring system being used at ANW: the STAN S31 fetal heart monitoring system. Apparently this is widey used in Sweden. I googled it already and am kind of excited that she's embraced this technology. She said that ANW is one of four hospitals in the nation using this right now. Dr. E said that it's amazing how a newer technology with bells and whistles isn't being used when it is finally available. I think it will be a good thing for someone like me attempting a VBAC and knowing exactly how baby is responding. Hanne & Tommy, you'll have to let me know if you've heard of this?

34 Weeks

It was fun to Skype with Hanne & Tommy this afternoon... the clarity of image and voice is just amazing even though we're crossing an ocean to talk!

From Babycenter:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

We won't have to worry about any premie... Baby Sanna is comfy right where she's at for the next 6 weeks... even though she's stretching her muscle and very active, I know that she will wait until her parents are in town before making her grand entrance!