Family of Four

I was so sure that I would go into labor early and not need the scheduled C-section on the 27th. My daughter, however, wanted to prove me wrong and be able to share her birthday with her uncle. :) Harper Lynn was born at 1:21 p.m. on Tuesday, weighing 9 lbs. 6 oz. and measuring 22 inches long. The delivery went extremely smoothly, and Harper and I were able to come home today to join our boys as a family of four.

Our last picture as a family of three

ready to head to the O.R.

Welcome, Harper Lynn!

(We have this same shot of Ryder--look at the round little belly!)

Harper got Ryder a play tool set for his "big brother" gift.

Grann and Harper

Ryder found many things to "fix" in my hospital room.

Harper's first bath

Her lungs work very well!

shampooing that head full of hair

Ryder getting a closer look at his baby sister

kisses!

Great-grandma Mammy & Harper

ready to head home!

Ryder was comforting Harper during her diaper change.

snuggled in her lamb swing

(Im)patiently waiting

To my darling baby girl,
Pleeeeeease hurry! While I'm prepared to wait until the 27th to meet you, I'm growing more and more anxious each day. Your daddy and I can't wait to see what you look like and if you're as stubborn as we expect you might be. :) Ryder is so excited about having a baby sister and has promised to help me change your diaper and "rock rock" you in your swing. Just be prepared--he will probably smother you with kisses and give you lots of "huggies". It's his little voice you've been hearing when he lays his head on my tummy and says, "Hi, sister!" and, "Come play!" I know he will be a wonderful big brother to you. On a more selfish note, here are some other reasons I hope you arrive sooner rather than later:
1. I'm as big as a house. I look forward to seeing my feet again and walking in a narrow space without knocking something over. Oh, and I should also mention that you've given me some lovely beauty (a.k.a. stretch) marks that weren't there before.
2. You're using my bladder and other internal organs as pillows and punching bags. Based on your predicted size, I understand that you're running out of space in there, but could you please try to take it easy on me? Running to the bathroom every 15-20 minutes is not always convenient.
3. I waddle instead of walk. This is very cute on penguins, but not so much on me.
4. My belly is so heavy it hurts. When getting up from a seated position, I resemble a 95-year old as I try to take those first few steps away from the chair.
5. I'm tired. While I know that your arrival won't cure this problem (think middle-of-the-night-feedings and sleepless nights), I look forward to getting some of my energy back.

I want you to be healthy, happy, and perfect, so if you need these final 9 days to finish growing and developing, I will wait. But I can't promise that I will wait patiently.

Love,
Mommy

38w2d

My little butterball

Yes, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but when I use the term 'butterball', I'm not talking about turkey. Today's ultrasound was like deja vu of the one I had when I was 36 weeks pregnant with Ryder. According to baby's measurements (head, stomach, and thigh bone), my "little" girl weighs approximately 9 lbs. 6 oz., give or take a pound either way. The technician and I had a good laugh, and she took the measurements several times just to be sure. Basically the baby is measuring at 40-41 weeks, and she is in the 99.6th percentile in everything. Ha! Thank goodness we have a C-section planned.

Me:
blood pressure: 115/70
total weight gain: 22 lbs.
dilation: 1 cm (that's progress!)

Baby:
heart rate: 150
size: HUGE!
position: head down and in the fetal position
In the ultrasound, we could even see the short wispy hair on her head--so adorable!

Next appt.--> Tuesday, Nov. 20th (my final one unless the baby comes before then!)

Full term!

It's official--I've reached week 37 in this pregnancy and therefore could have this baby at any time. Wow! In fact, I was convinced that this past Tuesday night was going to be it. I had just felt "off" all day, and before going to bed that night I threw some last minute things into my hospital bag just in case. Obviously nothing happened, and I was able to go to my scheduled doctor's appointment on Wednesday afternoon. Despite feeling extremely heavy, running to the bathroom at least every 30 minutes, and having a difficult time sleeping because I can't get comfortable, nothing has changed. Belly measurements say that the baby is still right on track regarding size, but I was thrilled when my doctor said she wants me to get an ultrasound next week just so we can get a more accurate picture of Baby Girl's size and position. Sooooo, assuming that the baby stays put until then, I will get to see her on-screen on Wednesday. :)

37w1d

(My maternity shirts can't stretch much farther!)

Me:
blood pressure: 114/65
weight gain:  ~1 lb. since last week
belly measurement: 37 cm

Baby:
heart rate: 140's (It was faster at first because she had just finished a major tumbling routine before the doctor entered the exam room; she slowly calmed back down to her normal heart rate).

Next appt.--> Wednesday Nov. 14th

Big Boy Haircut

I finally made an appointment for Ryder to get his hair cut yesterday afternoon. He hadn't had a trim since May, so he was definitely overdue. I had been dragging my feet because I wasn't so sure he would sit still like he did last time; he definitely has more personality (and opinions) than he did six months ago! He wanted NO part of sitting in the chair, so I sat and held him in my lap. We decided to forego the cape because we figured that would just upset him even more. Thankfully he didn't scream and make a scene, but he kept whining that he was "done!" and wanted to "walk away". Even M&M's, his favorite special treat, didn't interest him in the least. The stylist, who has three boys of her own, was great with him and was able to get the job done quickly despite the fact that Ryder's head was a moving target. In less than ten minutes we were finished, and both Ryder and I were covered in his blond wisps of hair. :) My baby boy definitely doesn't look like a baby anymore--he looks ready for the role of big brother that is headed his way!

Some pictures from a "Daddy and Ryder" outing to the playground this morning:

Pregnancy update: 36 weeks

My doctor's appointment was supposed to be on Tuesday afternoon, but upon arriving I discovered the office was closed due to "inclement weather". I was frustrated because I basically made a giant u-turn and wasted about an hour of my time. Yes, all of the area schools were closed Monday and Tuesday due to the anticipation of Sandy's effects, but by Tuesday afternoon there was absolutely nothing going on weather-wise. Silly me--I just assumed medical offices would be open, but I assumed wrong. :( Luckily I was able to reschedule for Wednesday afternoon, so everything worked out.

36 weeks

I told my doctor that I just don't feel like I'm going to make it to my scheduled C-section on the 27th. I have a feeling that baby girl will come earlier than that just to surprise me and try to catch me off guard! The doctor said she wants me to at least make it until 37 weeks and a few days, which is only a little over a week away (whoa!), and I agree with her.  As far as planning purposes at school, I'd like to work right up until Thanksgiving to create a natural "break" for me to leave and a sub to take over. Obviously it's out of my control, so in the meantime I'm getting as much done as I can here at home so that when it's time I'll be ready.

Me:

blood pressure: 107/74

weight gain: 2 lbs. since last appointment

belly measurement: 36 cm (still right on track)

Baby:

heart rate: 140's (She's very consistent!)

The doctor had a difficult time hearing the heartbeat because the baby was in some kind of contortionist position. My stomach was majorly lopsided--huge on one side and almost flat on the other! It's like the baby had curled up into a ball to hide from us. :) She eventually shifted around enough that the doctor could locate her back and get a good strong heartbeat sound. Can we say stubborn??

Next appointment--> Wed., Nov. 7th