The calm before the storm

Just had my final check up with Dr. P! No progress, no change...and that's actually good.  With 6 days to go until delivery day, Dr. P said don't go doing anything crazy between now in then, like go into labor!  Ha, I'll try.  That'd be a disaster because an emergency C-Section is much more stressful than me walking in, no pain, chit-chatting with the nurses and plop myself on the table, ready to go.

I had a lot of questions, but that have moved more towards concerns for Claire, which probably are better directed towards a pediatrician.  With her being frank breech for so many months, I'm concerned about her hips and legs.  Of course Dr. Google has freaked me out a bit, but I've also heard from actual people whose babies were perfectly fine.  Dr. P said sometimes they have to double diaper the babies for a few days, to hold their legs in place... since they are so used to having their legs up by their face in a pike. 

Also, there could be a few ultra-sounds of her hips at weeks 3 and 6 to check for hip dysplasia ( a term I've only heard with Golden Retreivers!).  I pray and hope that her joints resume normal position and that it's not an issue, but damn you Google if you didn't show me some freaky pics.  AND Dr. P described in detail how he has to pull out a frank breech baby and it's a crazy dancing of the limbs.  Very interesting. Meh.

In other news, I was up +33 at the Dr... but at my house before breakfast it was +32.5 , I'm going to go with that LoL.  Stupid.  Some of my online groups have started the guessing game on her height and wieght.  Can't wait to see her little face and chub cheeks!!  My Pre-Op appointment is Friday morning where they draw blood and anethstisiology gives me instructions for Sunday night.

So, until then... I'll be hanging out in my new sleepin' suit, conserving energy for next week and beyond.  Thanks Mommy, luv it! Buttons down the middle for breastfeeding and incision check...PERF.

6 days and counting....!

Little Claire Bear's Cave

Her bow holder, had to add extra hooks, hope she likes bows!

Here's family pics, toys drawers, extra bibs and burp clothes, books, and accessory drawers for shoes and hats.  I like having the maternity pics around too.  Can't wait to frame her little face in here.

Here's just a peek at Jenn's closet dividers in action.

Little Claire chair where we'll take her monthly growth photo!

Her homecoming gown is on the chair if you can peep it. She'll probably grow up to hate lavender heheheh...

Guess Shelby already is on guard!

Love these letters from Auntie Chelsea!

A peek at Grammie's organizing skills...diapers, wipes and changing pad ready to go!

Here's her first taste of home...love this little car seat!  I had a Snuzzler in it to hold her better inside, cop who checked my car for me told me to take it out. Meh!

It's so funny how pregnancy goes... at the beginning you just have SO much fun thinking about what colors and themes and making things perfect... but by the end, you really just want it done and it's almost not fun anymore because you're ready for baby and done with planning!  I'm happy with everything and so thankful my mom helped wash and organize baby clothes, bottles, pacis, pump accesories... what would we do without our moms??

14 more days to go!

Suck-Tastic Weekend: Part 2

Monday morning, my sister graciously took me to my follow up appointment/ 36wk check up, baby Claire was doing just fine and I broke down in tears in Dr. P's office because he actually scheduled the C-Section for December 5th at 7:15 am.  I'm not entirely sure why I cried to him, but he took time to talk to me , reassure me how controlled it will all be and that it's the best choice for our situation.  I'm lucky to have such a nice and understanding doctor.

I got into Emily's car and texted a co-worker about our conference call I missed and she immediately texted back "Check your Email."  Turns out I was to be on a 12:00pm call... she was on a 12:30pm call.  That's how we'd know if we still had a job or not.

Wouldn't you know, the 12:00pm call came around, my heart was beating SO fast, my contractions were def there... I was laid off, right then and there, along with hundreds of other sales people around the country on the call.  "Laid off effective immediately."  No more job.  I started hyperventilating and crying hysterically... Emily missed her turn and we ended up at the Port of Houston.  She was shocked too, and texted Josh "Erin's fired, please call."

I guess the rest of the day was mostly crying, feeling sorry for myself, accusing them of discrimination of a pregnant person...but the shining light in everything was my husband.  Josh was calm, he wasn't upset, he was ALL buisness.  He assured me everything would be ok.  He created a list of things we need to do... calls to make, arrangements to be made... He was really amazing, I was certainly a wreck.

Here's the logistics, I get a few more weeks pay, car and computer...then those are gone.  I get health insurance through December 31st. Thank God.  Did I mention I'm having a C-Section soon!  I was so relieved to hear that.  We're in the middle of Josh's open enrollment, another blessing.  He will add me and Claire to his insurance.  Yes, we'll need a car, computer, and brand new budget, but I filed for unemployment, updated my resume and talked to my sales recruiter already.

I'm already feeling better, there are many others in my shoes.  According to the news, many MANY others in my shoes, I'm just another number in the unemployment statistics now.  But everything happens for a reason, Claire needs me to calm down, forget about working and just be ready to take care of her ever need.  When and if we decide I should go back to work, I'm prepared and have a brand new outlook, I can't take this personally and we'll be OK.

I've already had so many friends call/text/stop by and it means the world to me...it's been a rough pregnancy, rollercoaster of emotions, losing my grandmother....totalling our car...getting so sick...losing job...But that's life!  I'm so happy to have friends and family that are always there for us and make me smile. And, for a healthy baby girl, who just happens to be wrong side up, but we still love her.

Count down to baby:  18 days!!

Suck-Tastic Weekend

So, Thursday night Josh says "You don't look so good"... that was around 8pm.  Then at 11pm I ran out of bed and threw up in the bathroom and got a little freaked out.  Maybe I ate something bad.  We called the after hours Dr just to be sure and he said get some fluids just watch it.  I had a few contractions after throwing up, so I was just a little concerned.

Layed back down, and like 10 minutes later...BOOM sick sick sick.... the works.  You get the idea.  The on-call Dr. said to go into Labor and Delivery... so off we went, almost midnight!

I was hooked up to an IV and monitored, Claire was doing fine, I had a slight fever and many many trips to bathroom, the vommiting WOULD NOT STOP.  The dry heaving was almost worse!  They tried 2 shots of phenergran which were SO painful in each hip.  They did nothing!  So they tried Zofran in my IV and that slowed the nausea down... but not all the way.  I got a second dose and everything had calmed down.  That was probably one of the worst nights EVER.

We ended up sleeping in that L&D room, which wasn't meant for overnight sleep, so it wasn't very comfortable, poor Josh was on this little couch and my bed was very hard!  Luckily in the morning when my sister came to visit, they moved me to a post-partem room, which was very nice and comfortable.

I was poked and prodded and monitored, everything under the sun.  It was bad viral gastritis, bad... I mean HORRIBLY TERRIBLE.  There were a number of Drs. from my OBGYN's practice that checked on me, too bad Dr. P was in New York!  He really missed some fun haha.  Being on IV drip for like 20hrs straight without peeing...so dehydrated, so scary!

I'm so glad Claire wasn't affected at all.  She was actually in the safest little place she could be!  It was funny watching the other Drs. check her and say, "Hey, she's breech!" or ... "Dr. Plavidal's got himself a brech one!". .. "She breech? Hmm!"  Yes , yes I know, naughty naughty baby.

Glad that episode is over.  Josh was wonderful and cleaned the whole house, beds, Lysol... and crossing my fingers he doesn't get it... it's already Tuesday, so it doesn't seem like it, which is crazy!

I think I got it from a doctor's office I went into for work. How scary!  Shelby is glad her mommy is home.  Ok, so no more hospital until December 5th, Claire's birthday!

The final stretch hurts

35 weeks and 4 days.  Ow.  I think I say that probably 20 times a day... most of which is after 2 pm.  It's 3:33 right now, I worked and ran 1 errand to Babies R Us and I feel like my back is on fire, how can I type laying down...

I thought my feet swelling were going to be the worst part, I've totally forgotten about them! I honestly had no idea about the back pain issues at the end of pregnancy.  They are no joke!!  I'm going to try the chiropractor and/or prenatal massage next week fo SHO.

My new boots, size 8! (I'm a 6.5-7)

Well, big news is that Dr. P said baby Claire will make her grand entrance on December 5th!  He estimated her at 6.5 lbs so far and still frank breech.  It will be a scheduled C-Section, because she has not / will not turn.  Is this a foreshadowing of things to come?  No mom, I will not wash my hands.  No mom, I refuse to drink my millk.  And I'll know she's not joking, she refused turn back before she was even outta the womb!

For some wierd reason, I feel like I always knew I'd have the surgery instead of a normal delivery.  It may be because my mom had 2 CSections, maybe because I knew she'd be huge due to genetics of Josh (10.3 lbs) and I (9.4 lbs) at birth... I don't know.  I still went to the labor and birth class, but we even left early before the demos and lamaze practice stuff.

Not that it doesn't freak me out.  I've never had surgery and the thought of getting cut open really scares me.  I wish that she was normal sized and head down.  I'd rather do it the way I was made to function!  Luckily, I have many friends who had it done and have given me great advice and reassurance about the whole situation.

So, the appointment ended with him letting me know pelvic exams start next week, yippy!  So if I start to labor before Dec 5th, we'll go ahead and take Claire out early...eek!

In other news, I'm an alumni advisor for my sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma and the other advisors threw me a surprise baby shower this week, it was SO sweet!  I teared up because it was so nice and it's serious hard to surprise me.

It's so sweet and makes me be so happy to be a Kappa, these ladies of all different ages and schools have KKG in common and I'm so lucky to be part of it! Claire is one lucky legacy! She bes Go Kappa.

Halloween Silly Fun with Josh

I know this is just ridiculous... take married 2 adults, no kids, lots-o-time on their hands and Halloween as an excuse...and THIS is what you get. 

I outlined the doodle with black eyeliner and Josh painted it!  I think he did an excellent job!

 Shelby just doesn't know what's going on, but it was SO funny... how different will next Halloween be?!

I think I just thought of a theme for Claire's 1st birthday...  can't wait to meet our little LadyBug!  Seriously. 34weeks and counting....tick tock tick tock...