false alarm

We spent a couple hours at the hospital last night. I've been feeling contractions since earlier than 20 weeks with this pregnancy. So I've gotten used to them and if I get a few in a row, I just lay down until they go away. Yesterday around 2, I started having some contractions that also came with horrible back pain. Every time I had a contraction, it felt like I was being stabbed in my lower back. When I went into early labor at 32 weeks with Elena, the only thing I felt was back pain - not even any contractions. So the back pain worried me. I drank a whole bunch of water and laid down. But they kept coming - about 10 minutes apart for 2 hours. I called my doctor's office and they said not to mess around, to just go over to L&D and get checked out. I waited another hour...they still didn't stop, so we headed out. I even got a bag ready with the video camera and everything, just in case (and then Keith left it at home). They monitored me at the hospital for about an hour and a half. I was having contractions the whole time, but there was no progression (I'm still dilated 1 cm) so they sent me home. The nurse said to lay down, take a warm bath, and take it easy. And obviously if it got worse to come back in. The back pain continued until I fell asleep, but when I woke up this morning it was gone.

While we were at the hospital, Keith was saying "Let's just get this over with now. Wouldn't it be cool to have him tonight?" And I realized that it wouldn't be cool. As uncomfortable as I am, I don't feel ready to bring him home. We don't have a baby car seat (the one we bought for Amya and used with all the other girls has expired so we threw it away); we don't have a bed (again, bought one of those playpen/bed things for Amya and by the time Maricela was done with it, it was so warped from all the chunky babies and the netting torn all over the place that we threw it out); Kara's not here (she's flying out at the end of the month to help take care of the girls while I'm in the hospital and for a few days after I get home); I still have basically no clothes/blankets for him (not even an outfit to bring him home in ); and my house is a wreck (I have all these organizing/cleaning/preparing things I want to get done before he comes that I haven't done yet). So I think my life is going to be pretty busy these next few weeks as I go into overdrive to try and get ready for this new little boy and try not to go into labor at the same time. Whew!

P.S. Keith says not to worry about not having a bed - he can just sleep in a laundry basket for a while. :P

Nursing Hideaway

The blog I Never Grew Up is hosting a giveaway for a nursing hideaway cover from Lilacs & Lollipops. I've seen these called a different name (Hooter Hiders) and even printed directions for how to make one. I always have a hard time with nursing in public because I'm afraid the blanket I'm using to cover up with will fall off and I can't see what's going on to help the baby, etc. I've been meaning to make one and haven't yet.....maybe I'll win this giveaway and won't have to! :)

My favorite one is the Blue City Girl Paisley, seen here.
Interestingly, Lilacs & Lollipops is based out of SLC. They have a lot of cute stuff - there are also burp cloths and wipie case covers that are made to match the nursing covers. I've also seen patterns for those and have printed them up, intending to make them, and still haven't. It would be so much easier to buy them off this website (and they are SO cute) but they'd mean so much more if I made them myself. I feel a trip to the fabric store coming on....are you up for one, Amy? I guess we'll see what happens. :)

35 down, 5 to go

Your baby, now as hefty as a honeydew melon at 5 1/4 pounds, doesn't have much room to maneuver in your belly. (Length: more than 18 inches, head
to heel.)

Yeah, there's a few things I need to change in that description. I had my ultrasound and this baby is big. His head is measuring 3 weeks bigger than what it should be (based on my due date). That means right now he has the head of a baby at 38 weeks gestation and his body is measuring 1.5 weeks bigger (36.5 weeks). Right now he's about 6 lb 8 oz and the doctor said he should grow another ounce every day. Based on these calculations, they could change my due date to March 23, or leave it where it is and see if I go early (38 weeks) like I did with all the girls.

This is making me quite nervous. If I go early (let's hypothetically pick March 26), he could weigh over 8 pounds. If I go any later, he definitely will weigh over 8 pounds. If his head continues to grow, on March 26th it will be the size of a 41 week baby. OUCH!!! My biggest baby was 7 lb 7 oz. This baby is shaping up to beat that record. The u/s tech said that's the reason I'm measuring bigger. Not that baby boy is humongous, but definitely bigger than my other babies have been. I am now officially as big as I have ever been, with at least 3 more weeks to go. My uncomfortable-ness has reached an all new level. I can barely move without needing Keith to help me get started. Once I get going though, watch out. Like I taught the third graders in Jan, an object in motion will stay in motion until something stops it. You don't want to be the "thing" that stops me - just ask Téa. She learned to steer clear of me when I fell on her. :)

Here are some recent belly shots.....we needed to get Keith's brother Arax involved for some perspective. We were trying to figure out who's belly is bigger...what do you guys think?



I think that's enough of a baby update for now. I hear Oreos calling me.

34 down, 6 to go

Your baby has bulked up like the average cantaloupe -- to about 4 3/4 pounds. (Length: almost 18 inches, head to heel.)

Somehow it feels like there's something WAY bigger than a cantaloupe in there. The boy is moving around so much - the girls will just be sitting next to me on the couch and they can feel him kicking without having to put a hand on my stomach or anything. Just sitting next to me is enough. He gets the hiccups ALL the time and they like to feel that too. I haven't measured myself this week, but I'm assuming I'm measuring at least 38 weeks. All the girls came at 38 weeks and I measured right on for them, so that means I'm now as big as I've ever been, with at least 4 more weeks to go. How big am I going to get???? I'm hoping this boy will follow the pattern of his sisters and comes a little early to put me out of my misery. My maternity pants are already getting tight on me and there's no way I'm going to buy more. When I bought them they were so loose I thought "These will totally last me the whole time". Yeah, not so sure about that now.

Just for kicks, here's a video I found on YouTube. It's a little boy baby, playing for 4 hours but sped up to last about 2 minutes. It's really cute. But I don't think any of my babies ever played that well for 4 hours.

Speed Scrap!!

I'm hosting another speed scrap over at ScrapMatters..... it's coming up this Wed night. I'd love to see you there! Here's the ad and the awesome participation prize that everyone who plays along will receive:



Hope to see you there!!

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

HOLY COW!!! I have been dying to get one of these for my girls (Elena and Mari in particular) and this awesome lady is giving one away for free!!! Go check it out!

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

findings

About 15 minutes ago (literally) I was on the phone with my sister when Maricela came up to talk to me. I noticed something funny in her nose (thought it was a weird booger) and told her to lift up her head. As soon as I realized what I was looking at, I told Kara I had to call her back and hung up the phone. I plugged Mari's other nostril and told her to blow. She sniffed. "No, BLOW" I shouted. She figured it out, blew really hard, and out shot a flower bead. She then opened her mouth to show me what she had in there - a pretty marble. I called Keith over to show him, and he said he thinks the bead has been in her nose since yesterday. He said she went to him and was talking about something in her nose and he checked it, but didn't see anything. We're wondering if it was up there even further and had somehow worked its way out enough for me to see it. Really, it was barely showing and I was afraid it wouldn't come out with just blowing and I'd have to break out the tweezers. We told her "Mari, don't EVER put things in your nose again". And she replied "That's what my friends do". Lately she's been telling us about her "friends", who usually do things we wouldn't want her to be doing. The other night, we had her in our bed because she was talking too much and keeping the other girls from going to sleep. Keith and I were in the living room watching tv, and could still hear her talking and giggling in our bed. Keith went to check on her and asked her who she was talking to. She said "my friends" and Keith said she was looking at something behind him and smiling. I don't know if we're dealing with imaginary friends (none of the other girls had any) or if it's just a phrase she heard and is using. Either way, these "friends" better straighten out their act before I straighten it out for them.

Here are the bead and marble, in case you were wondering. I think this will have to be the picture of the day for today.