Week 37

Belly! We are getting closer! I had my doctor's visit last Thursday and found out a few good things:

• I am negative for the Strep B bacteria, which is a relief because it means Baby Mo will not need to be treated after birth for any related bacterial infection. I will also not be hooked up to an IV during delivery, which is also a relief. After looking further into the implications of Strep B, I found out that not all newborns with positive Strep B moms need to be treated because it is not a given that they will get the bacterial infection from the mother, so it's good to know that even if I had been positive, there's still a good chance that Baby Mo would have been fine.
• I am progressing toward delivery, although in a pretty gradual, but consistent, way. My cervix is softening still and now also thinning. It will eventually change positions from an angle that points toward the back of my hips to a position that points more downward and forward, but it has not started that change yet. Baby Mo has also descended further into my pelvis. She's around a -3 position. The positions are measured from a -5, the highest, to a +5, head is crowning. It's typical for the cervix to soften, thin, and move forward before labor really starts, and many babies move down in the cervix before labor as well, often as low as -2 or -1. The baby typically won't rotate into position and tuck the chin to prepare for labor or descend past -1 until dilation starts, which requires all the initial changes to take place first (cervix softening, thinning, and moving forward). So, we still have some time.
• We reviewed our birth plan with our doctor, and she's on board, with some minor adjustments. We'll be sending that on to the hospital this week, and my records have already been sent along.

We also interviewed pediatricians this week and found two different offices that we like. One is closer to home, which will probably be why we choose them, but they are both great. The doctor who is further away will be attending at Baby Mo's birth because she has association with our hospital where we'll be delivering, so even if we don't end up with her, I feel good about who will be taking care of her the first few days after she's born.

We also FINALLY started the baby room over the weekend. As soon as we have it put together, we'll post photos. It may not be completely finished until after Baby Mo arrives, but we'll have it pretty close before she gets here. Can't wait!

Mo Baby Shower BBQ

Rossmoor Cakes....chocolate raspberry and fruit-topped cheese cake!

We threw a Baby Shower BBQ a couple weekends ago as a way to welcome friends to our new house and to celebrate the coming of Baby Mo. It was a beautiful afternoon and evening with Greg manning the grill and everyone hanging out. Many of our friends brought food, and we ended up having a delicious feast that included teriyaki flank steak, hot dogs, Greg's BBQ chicken, beef stew, fruit salad, dairy-free curry cream corn, green beans and bacon, and 2 Rossmoor cakes! Not to mention all the appetizers and drinks people brought.

I got Greg a new grill as a thank you

for being such a great hubby through my pregnancy,

and he manned it like a champ all night!

Michelle and Me

My girlfriend MIchelle did a beautiful job hosting and also put together all the candles and flower arrangements, as well as cooking up some awesome green beans and a killer dessert, and our friends Nicki and Ryan brought all the tables, chairs, linens, and candle holders for the event. They all helped set up before everyone arrived, and we owe them a huge thanks for helping create a beautiful setting for the party!!

It really was a joy to have everyone over, and we also got to enjoy many of the newest additions to several of our friends' families. We're definitely in the stage of children now, with so many people having babies, and the BBQ definitely had a different feel compared to many of the parties we've thrown in the past - but it was really nice to have so many good friends with children around us, and we're happy to be entering the parenthood stage in our life.

Jennifer is due 2 days before me.

Nicki and Colten

Ethan - Erin and Adam's son

Denica and Malia

Thanks to all who contributed to the food, the decorations, and the baby gifts....we had a wonderful time, and we hope to host everyone again soon!

Update...Maternity Leave is Great!

I've been on maternity leave since last Wednesday, and I have to say that I am enjoying it! I've started water aerobics classes, which are wonderful because I have a chance to be active, but exercising in the water takes all the weight off my body, so it feels fantastic. Baby Mo loves it too. Every time I have a class, she has a very active day, so I look forward to feeling her move quite a bit the next few weeks, since I hope to do at least two classes every week.

I'm also still doing yoga, although I've had to modify more of my poses, since I can't quite get into position around my belly now. But I still love the feeling of stretching my body and giving Baby Mo more room, plus the relaxation and breathing exercises are invaluable.

Two of my favorite poses!

I had a pretty intense round of contractions yesterday afternoon for about 20 minutes, and I pulled on all my resources, including my yoga experience, to get through as relaxed as I possibly could. Since it was a pretty isolated incident, I'm still not really thinking that we're close, but it's good to get these small insights into how to deal with what's to come.

Yesterday's contractions were the strongest I've felt, pretty intense, but they did not last, so we still have more time. The rule for when it really counts: consistent contractions 1 minute long every 5 minutes for at least one hour (or 5-1-1). It typically takes quite a bit of pre-labor to get to that, so I'm not too concerned about all the little rounds I'm having now.

We did, however, get the news last Thursday from Dr. Lai that Baby Mo is starting her descent, and my cervix is softening, but I do not have any dilation yet. These are all good signs of progress! Dr. Lai thinks we'll probably have at least a couple more weeks, though, so we'll let you know how things are going as we move along...

Just for a little visualization...this will soon be filled with our baby girl!

Jen & Matt's Shower

We went to our good friends' baby shower this last weekend in Newport Coast and had a great time meeting a bunch of their friends and hanging out with many we already know. There were a few of us who were pregnant, all at different stages, and a good number of moms - all with great advice for getting ready for the little one to arrive. The location was absolutely gorgeous, and the food was delicious - all around a great event!

We really have enjoyed sharing this experience with Matt & Jen, and they've been wonderful friends throughout. We look forward to the next step...parenthood! I'm sure we'll all have different adventures and adjustments, but we're so happy to get to go through it with such good people around us.

Week 36

Remember when...? 36 weeks ago we started posting these images. A lot has changed! We're starting the waiting period, when anything could happen at any time, although I don't think we're quite ready yet. I don't feel contractions, although I have had a few random ones on occasion, but everything seems pretty normal still. I'm just getting to the point of walking with my shoulders back to balance the belly, and I'm pretty happy taking it easy when I can.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, and it's the first of the weekly visits as we prepare for delivery. It's also relatively important because I have a cervical exam, and I get tested for Strep B, which we hope comes back negative because it requires that I take antibiotics during delivery, and the baby will also have to take antibiotics once she arrives to ensure that she is not infected. This means being hooked up to an IV during the delivery, as well as other implications that we hope do not need to happen. So tomorrow's test is pretty important.

Week 34

8 1/2 months! Henri has given up. He's completely exhausted by my pregnancy and can't take it anymore. He's ready for Baby Mo to come already!

I, however, am hanging in there and excited for our new arrival.

With some encouragement from Greg, Henri finally decides he could be excited...while I just ponder my fat feet.

Today is my 36th birthday, and I think I'll look back at photos of me today and be very happy (despite my fat feet!).