Still waiting...

This last week has been a wild roller coaster ride of emotions. It all started with mild contractions that lasted all day Tuesday, 20 minutes apart and were 10 minutes apart by bedtime. We were starting to get excited wondering if this would lead to full blown labor. I ate eggplant for dinner, walked the neighborhood for an hour, and there was a full moon! The house was clean, laundry and dishes done, and our bags were packed - the timing would've been perfect. I just knew I'd wake up in labor...nope. Just a tease! She apparently does not care what we would like her to do, there is no rushing the PRINCESS!!

All week I had contractions off and on, but they were never what I would call painful just uncomfortable. I took every little thing as a sign that labor was coming soon. No more googling "early labor signs", it makes me a crazy lady! With all the excitement, I did earn myself a Spa Pedicure, which was super relaxing and fabulous since I can barely reach my toes at this point! So, here we are with 8 days till her due date and we're about to explode with excitement, anticipation, and nerves!

Our appointment this morning was uneventful...no change, again! My doctor will be on vacation from the 2nd-6th, so you can bet she will come some time between those days. He is only out of town for 36 hours on the 3rd and 4th. So, he said that once he is back, if I go into labor he would be willing to come in and deliver our baby if the hospital called him and said it was me. What a great doctor! We have a long family history with him though, my Mom and Grandma also see the same doctor and have for years. I really hope that he will be the one to deliver our baby instead of a complete stranger, but some things are simply out of our control.

We have alot going on Labor Day weekend, which will be a nice distraction. Jinx's relatives(Missy, Casey, and Camden) will be in town for the weekend and so will my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew as we celebrate Wrigley's 1st Birthday! With so much family in town, it would be nice of her to make her debut during their visit. Maybe we can coax her out with all the excitement of Tennessee's first game on Saturday or at Boom's Day on Sunday - she does get really jumpy at the sound of fireworks. :) If we make it thru the long weekend, then our 40 week appointment is Tuesday at 11:15am.

Some things are worth the wait

Our doctor's appointment this morning went well. Adalynn and I are still healthy, and don't have any problems to speak of. After a weekend of off and on contractions I expected to have made some progress...but I was mistaken. No change from last week. :( She'll come when she's ready, and not a minute sooner. Then again there is a full moon tomorrow night, but I'm not getting my hopes up. She is definitely worth the wait! While I'm tempted to feel disappointed about not being any farther along, I have to stop myself and praise God for this amazing blessing He is giving us and for the health that He has granted us throughout the pregnancy. I am so thankful to be expecting a health and whole baby, what more can you ask for?

Jinx and I are full of excitement and anxious anticipation as her due date gets closer. Our dear friend,Rick Slagle, put it best by telling us, "Freeze that feeling you and Jinx have right now. It is pure love and eager anticipation of a gift from God. May you treasure this feeling in your heart forever." How true! I can think of no other experience on this earth that compares to expecting your first child. In a matter of days, our lives will change in a way that we can not even begin to imagine. We will never have this exact feeling ever again. It is truly an amazing high, and we are cherishing these last moments of it!

I know that I said we were done with classes, but since we've made it this far and the hospital offers one more class that we haven't taken I figured why not! So, tonight we will be taking "Advanced Labor Support". This class is designed to teach relaxation techniques and comfortable positions during labor for those desiring natural childbirth. Yes, that would be me. I desire a natural childbirth, without an epidural. Notice I said desire, not promise to have. I've read many books on the Bradley method, watched a 6 hour DVD on Lamaze, and hope that these things have equipped me with the necessary tools to deliver this baby without medication. However, I reserve the right to change my mind on this issue at any given moment during labor. :) To aid in my med-free delivery, my bag is packed with motivational flash cards, lavender aromatherapy, and an IPOD full of songs that I hope will motivate me during this process. Jinx did a great job finding and downloading all of the songs for my labor playlist, which includes:

The Good Stuff
Kenny Chesney

There goes my life
Kenny Chesney

The Lord works in a strange way
Corey Smith

I will always love you
Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers

Because you loved me
Celine Dion

Baby Mine(Dumbo)
Toby Bluth

You are my Sunshine

Brahm’s Lullaby

I will survive
Gloria Gaynor

Ring of fire
Johnny Cash

Come away with Me
Norah Jones

Somewhere over the rainbow

Only Time
Enya

Sweet Caroline
Neil Diamond

Remember When
Alan Jackson

I got you babe
Sonny & Cher

My Girl
The Temptations

Isn’t she lovely
Stevie Wonder

What a wonderful world
Louis Armstrong

The way you look tonight
Frank Sinatra

At Last
Etta James

Our next appointment is Monday at 8:55am. Please continue to pray for us as the big day draws near. We ask for a healthy mom & baby, an uncomplicated delivery, and the wisdom to be the parents that God wants us to be.

3 weeks to go...

Jinx and I had a fabulous weekend in Gatlinburg celebrating our 4th anniversary! We went to the Peddler, the Aquarium, and did lots of walking on the strip. It was very relaxing and nice to get away together one last time.

Our visit to the doctor yesterday was not nearly as exciting as last week. Adalynn is still doing great, but I did not make any progress from last Monday. :( I was really hoping to be another cm dilated. Oh well, she's the one picking her birthday so I'll just be patient and wait. I also found out that while I passed the gestational diabetes test, I tested positive for Group B Strep. This means I will have to be on IV antibiotics once I arrive at the hospital in labor, and we will be required to stay a full 48 hours after her birth. She will not require any antibiotics or special treatment, they will just want to keep an eye on her to make sure that she doesn't show any signs of having contracted the bacteria in birth. This bacteria is present in 10-40% of adult women, and has nothing to do with strep throat as many people assume. It does not cause any problems or symptoms for the carrier, but can be problematic for a baby if untreated. For more information on GBS, this website is full of information: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/groupbstrepinfection.html
Our next appointment is Monday at 8:20.

We finished our chilbirth class last night and will be taking a breastfeeding class tonight, then all of our schooling is done. :) I'm still feeling pretty good, just starting to tire out and having more trouble sleeping at night with my ginormous belly. Contractions are becoming even more common and stronger by the day as we are gearing up for labor. With only 3 weeks left, my emotions are a mix of nervous, anxious, excited, scared, happy, and everything in between. Can't wait for her BIRTH DAY though!

Finally, here are some nursery pictures:

Exciting Day at the Doctor's!

Well, we had our 36 week appointment today and it went great! We got to see our little Adalynn again, it's been 16 weeks since we saw her last. She has grown quite a bit since then, too! They estimated that she weighs about 6lbs(44 percentile) and should weigh around 7.5-8lbs by her due date. What a relief!! We got to see her opening her mouth and her chest moving up and down as she practices breathing. The ultrasound tech said she has lots of hair too! YAY!! Bring on the bows! :) Our ultrasound picture didn't turn out too great because her face is a little squished in there. Even when we tried to get a good look at her in 3D it was very distorted. The top pick shows her hair waving around, and the bottom pick is a sideways shot of her face.

I had another glucose test today and was swabbed for the Group B Strep test. We will get these results next Monday at our appointment. My blood pressure is still low and her heartbeat is still high which is great! I also got checked by the doctor today and was 1cm dilated and 25% effaced!! Which was very exciting to know! I was expecting to be at least a little dilated since I've been having lots of pressure and tons of braxton hicks. Adalynn has already settled nicely into delivery position. Her head station was -2 (locked and loaded)! Only a few more weeks to go! We are super anxious to meet her, hold her, and shower her with love! Can't wait for all of you to meet her, too!


Nursery pics are coming...I promise! Everything is pretty well ready for her arrival. Her bag is packed and ready and I've begun throwing things together for my hospital bag. We are as ready as we're gonna be, and are excited about becoming a family of 3! Jinx and I will be celebrating our 4 year anniversary on Thursday and are heading to the mountains for a weekend away(still within driving distance to the hospital-just in case). It will be a nice, restful weekend for us to spend some time together right before we meet our baby girl! I'll update again on Monday, our appointment is at 4:15pm.