So here we are...roughly four weeks away from the blessed event and the levels of discomfort, excitement, and even apprehension are starting to really go up. We've also been staying very busy with accomplishing a few final tasks in preparation for Olivia. First and foremost, Amanda's health and general well being. As mentioned in my previous post, Amanda is feeling the Braxton-Hicks contractions with more frequency and with greater intensity. This is not only the body's way of getting prepared for "the big push", but also giving Amanda a taste of what's to come. Today, the false-labor contractions were their strongest yet probably for two reasons: One, at the doctor's appointment today, he checked on Amanda's progress which may have exacerbated things a bit (more on the doctor's appointment later). Secondly, we had a record warm day today with highs in the lower 80s and that made Amanda one uncomfortable mom-to-be. The contractions are still erratic and "weak", so there's nothing to worry about at this point. Other than that, she's doing very well.
We've been quite busy the past few days. Saturday, we went to the breastfeeding class offered by the hospital. It was a very informative and enlightening class...maybe more than I need to know, but Amanda got a good bit of information out of it.
Sunday, we did a little shopping. We took back the Roomba vacuum (robotic vacuum) I got her for Christmas because while the concept of the Roomba is good, the functionality of it isn't. It can clean the surface of the carpet, but can't get down and deep clean...especially if you have dogs that shed. We purchased a few more baby items, then Amanda and I went to Outback for a nice dinner date. We're going to try to squeeze in a few more of those over the next couple of weeks while we still can.
Monday, we went to the hospital. Now don't get all jumpy or excited...nothing went wrong and nothing happened. We went there to get all the admitting paperwork filled out and signed so when it is time to go to the hospital, all we have to do is show up. Amanda signed all the necessary forms then we were given a tour of their facilities. I have to say it's pretty nice up there. They have private rooms with the ability to get fairly comfortable, listen to music of your choice (bring your own CDs), even take a bath or shower to help the mom-to-be relax. We also strolled by the nursery...and that's when it hit Amanda that this really is going to be happening very soon. We talked about it later at lunch how seeing those newborn babies in the nursery is the subtle scream that our time is coming quickly.
Today (Tuesday), we had our latest appointment with the doctor and he did a low-grade ultrasound. Unfortunately, we didn't get any take-home pictures with this ultrasound. He used it to make sure Olivia is in the right position (head down) and she is. He also checked to make sure she has enough amniotic fluid which she does. He also estimated Olivia's weight which is roughly five and a half to six pounds. His examination then focused on Amanda and found that she is 50% effaced meaning her cervix has started to thin out and is about half way through the thinning out process. She is not dilated yet, though. The next appointment is March 6th (this Monday) and we'll find out what kind of progress she's made. Speaking of progress, here is a picture of Amanda at 36 weeks:
Just one more thing to add...as the day gets closer, I'll do my best to keep y'all posted. However, the length of the posts will likely drop off drastically. Basically, you can expect quick bursts of information. This will likely be the last lengthy post for quite a while...so wish us luck!
Just a quick update...I will be posting a full entry either Tuesday or Wednesday after our next ObGyn appointment. This will likely be the last ultrasound before Olivia's birthday. I should have a fresh batch of pics to share as well.
Amanda is doing very well as she begins her 36th week of pregnancy. The Braxton-Hicks contractions (pre-labor contractions...also called false labor) are getting a bit stronger and a touch more frequent, but not to the point that they have any determined rhythm to them. Her back is starting to ache more as well. Other than that, she's doing okay.
One side note to pass along...Warren is out of the hospital and feeling much better (except for some sore ribs). Thanks to all of you who kept him in your thoughts and prayers.
Much more to post early next week!
I had a difficult time starting this blog entry. Not because there isn't anything going on...trust me, there's plenty of things still taking place. It's mainly because we're at the point in the pregnancy where we are in the "baby holding pattern". I almost feel like we're in a plane with Amanda as the pilot and I'm the co-pilot. We're circling the airport waiting for a runway to clear so we can bring Olivia Airlines flight #1 in for a (hopefully) smooth landing. In the meantime, we're "preparing the cabin for landing" by tying up any loose ends left dangling around. I attended Daddy Boot Camp last week Thursday and that was very educational. They had a couple baby dolls so the guys could practice changing diapers and also had an "empathy suit" so the guys could feel the extra weight and awkwardness their wives/significant others are putting up with. It was an excellent class and I would highly recommend it to any guy getting ready to be a dad.
Amanda and I were supposed to go to a breastfeeding class this past Saturday, but she felt sick with a sore throat and was simply worn down...so we'll attend the next available class in another week or so.
The appointment with the ObGyn on Monday was uneventful. The next appointment will be on the 28th and it will include the next ultrasound. Monday we also went out and purchased the last wave of items needed before Olivia graces us with her presence. Included in the purchase were diapers, wipes, crib and bassinet sheets, thermometer, children's Tylenol, and more hand sanitizer (I guess you can never have too much of that stuff). A big thank you goes out to my dad for picking up the tab from this last mini shopping spree.
Tuesday was of course Valentine's Day and it was also my Dad's birthday...Happy Birthday Dad!!! For Valentine's Day, Amanda got me three different types of chocolate collections. As a verifiable chocoholic, that's just what I needed. I'm sure my waistline will thank me later. For Amanda, I bought her some flowers and a card...but I also did some of the things around the house that she wanted to do but simply didn't have the time or energy to get finished. The biggest thing I did was put the finishing touches on the nursery. I bought a couple power strips for all the nursery items that require electricity...and the number of items totaled more than the number of plugs available. I put up the curtain rod and valence. I put all the toys away and the tools in their proper places. The result is: The nursery is now fully baby ready. Here is the last batch of pictures of the nursery before Olivia makes her arrival:
Everything is looking good...especially my gorgeous bride and mother-to-be! I got a little ahead of myself in the previous blog entry when I said it was week 34...that was actually week 33. This is now week 34:
One more thing before I wrap up this entry...this morning, my stepdad Warren (he's the one who was such a big help in getting the nursery painted) became dizzy and briefly passed out at my sister's house in Indiana. He was taken to the hospital where he's being monitored, but is doing just fine. It appears that Warren's body told Warren's hard-working mind and spirit to take a break for a few days! Still, I'd like to ask everyone to keep Warren in their prayers. Thank you very much! More to come soon!
Sorry for the long time between posts. It's been a busy couple of weeks with generally small things going on, but with so many of them stacked up back to back to back, it really starts adding up quickly.First, we had another ObGyn appointment back on the 30th of January. Everything is as it should be with our next appointment coming up February 13th. After that, Amanda will be making weekly visits to see the doctor. On or about February 20th, we will be having one more ultrasound (the "low-grade" version) to make sure Olivia is ready to come into this world. Now the question is...are we ready for Olivia? For the most part, the answer is "yes". We have a few more small items to purchase before she gets here, but in general we're about as ready as we're gonna be. Other than a possible set of drawers, the nursery is done too. Here's a picture of the nursery with the crib, changing dresser, and glide rocker (with a nightstand just off camera to the left side of the rocker) all set up: 
With the exception of sleep depravation, almost always feeling overheated, and not ever seeming to get enough to eat (Olivia is just taking every last calorie!), Amanda is doing pretty well. We got a good dose of birthing education this last weekend. After the class, we went to Wal-Mart and bought a birthing ball (one of those large exercise balls) since Amanda liked the way it worked when we tested it out in class. Tomorrow (Thursday), I'm going to "Daddy Boot Camp", a baby education class strictly for the guys. On Saturday, Amanda and I are going to breastfeeding class. I don't know if I should be going or not, but all this stuff just fascinates the hell out of me, so I'm planning on going for the educational value if nothing else.I'll certainly be trying my best to keep y'all updated better over the next few weeks. It's all starting to blur together and my mind is turning into a bowl of oatmeal, so please excuse me if my ramblings seem to wander off on some weird tangent. Once the Daddy Boot Camp and breastfeeding classes are done, I'll post another update. Until then, here's Amanda at 33 weeks:
