36, 37 and 38 Weeks

And the weekly checks for baby Clare's arrival began on December 4.

• 36 week check was nothing. No progress. 
• 37 week check on December 10 was nothing as well. I went to my hematologist the next day to see how my platelets were doing.

37 week check entourage... oh geez

My platelets dropped big time - panic mode! They were in the 70s and so I started my prescription.

I had my blood drawn the day before (Thursday) my 38 week appointment to see how they were looking after a week of my prescription. No change!! Double panic mode! I wasn't suppose to see my hematologist, but I tracked her down and she said there wasn't much to do. I'd have to wait. I crossed my fingers that my 38 week appointment the next day (this past Friday) would be no change in the dilating/effacing area as well.

• 38 week check appointment results on Friday were 1 cm dilated and 0% effaced. Baby Clare is still high up in my belly. Phew... Now the waiting game to see if this prescription will kick in and I can get my epidural. 

I'll be 39 weeks on Monday and I'm suppose to have my blood drawn again on Wednesday. I'm going to walk into the hematologist on Monday morning to see if they'll check it sooner. I can't wait another few days because I'm guessing this baby will be coming later next week. Right now my guess is the day after Christmas... Matt says there is a full moon on Christmas and my grandma the baby nurse at Fairfax Hospital always said crazy things happen on full moons in the delivery/baby ward... I wouldn't be so opposed to a nice Christmas morning and wheeling into the hospital that night - baby being born on the 26th, ideally :) My 39 week appointment is on Christmas Eve (Friday).

I've felt a little cramping and I'm quite tired. I'm really, really trying to take it easy.

Cross your fingers for my platelets to hit 100 before my 39 week appointment! Otherwise, this delivery story may be more dramatic than the past two that were extremely uneventful, peaceful and pain free.

But most of all - I want a safe and healthy delivery for all. We are very excited for baby Clare's arrival! I can't believe it is right upon us. I've been asked if I'm ready for 3 and honestly, I haven't had a single anxious thought about having a third child at home. Maybe it should phase me more, but I figure the more the merrier! Yes it can get crazy, but the fun outweighs it all. Famous last words, right :)

I still need to pack my hospital bag... we really need to get our act together over here. I do have a few goodies pulled out for Clare's hospital bag. I love the tiny little gowns and hats for a baby...

Clare Virginia goodies

39 Weeks

Bunnies, bloomers and bows! We are ready for Grace!

Grace's 39 week appointment went as well as 37 and 38. Still 2 cm dilated / 50% effaced. Her heartbeat is happy and she's sitting cozy. I have been well, sleeping great and feeling patient. I think the past couple weeks of enjoying our new home and letting go of running around has been the key. BUT the one bummer: my platelet count is still low - on top of taking my medication. Not terribly low, but still in the 90s which technically doesn't meet the usual 100 count standard of most anesthesiologist administering an epidural.

D-Day should be interesting.

My hematologist bid me farewell and sent me off into the wild blue yonder with a simple handwritten note as a one last Hail Mary: she recommends an epidural and my platelets have been stable in the 90s. Best of luck.

We will have to test the power of persuasion when we arrive in the hospital. I guess my only hope is that my labor went so quickly with William that this labor will go the same way. My OB said not to diddle daddle at home if my water breaks or I'm feeling contractions because she could possibly come quicker than William (Matt said this doesn't bode well for my desire to shower and re-style my hair ;) Gotta look for my first meet and greet!).

So we wait. My next appointment is on Tuesday, September 3. 40 weeks. I am feeling strangely OK, so I don't have a feeling she will arrive in the next few days. It all can change so quickly though, so who knows!

Grace 39 weeks from the front - not so bad!

Then BAM! Sideways shot - she's a pointy little girl!

Less Than a Month...

until our family of 3 is a family of 4!

36 weeks along!

I can't believe it. I feel like Matt and I were saying... oh we have 8-9 weeks to go and now it's right upon us. We are in our new house, getting organized at rapid speed, trying to get Grace's nursery ready to go, and now I am going to my weekly OB appointments PLUS hematologist appointments at this point. To say life is a bit busy nowadays is somewhat of an understatement. We are doing well though and nearly ready to just kick back and relax till Grace arrives.



This looks like fun!

I had my first weekly check-up on Tuesday - 36 weeks - and Dr. Dukes said I was starting to efface already - but no dilating yet. Eesh! I was expecting nothing to report. It doesn't mean too much at this point. I would be happy to reach my due date instead of going early though :) I'm still relatively comfortable - of course, basic and normal pregnancy discomforts, but in the grand scheme I have nothing to complain about. Just tired. But that feeling won't be going anywhere anytime soon whether I'm pregnant or not!

Next appointment is Tuesday afternoon. It's pretty fun going to these weekly appointments and hearing the results. It's like gambling or something! Ha! What do I get today?? I see my hematologist next week too. When I went to my blood draw this past week my blood platelet level was at 84, which is the lowest it has been in this pregnancy. Time to start the scrip and get the levels hopefully over 100!

36 Weeks

Happy New Year!

Matt and I had a very relaxing New Year's Eve this year. We had a yummy dinner at Ruth's Chris and then headed home to watch the ball drop in NYC. 2011 was such an exciting year for us and I have no doubt the excitement will continue into 2012!

Today we had our weekly check-up and nothing has changed since last week, which isn't too surprising. Still 50% effaced and barely a "dimple," if you will. William's heartbeat was around 145-150 and he's definitely facing head down. So the waiting game continues!

Also, since taking the medicine prescribed by my hematologist my blood platelets have risen above 100. Great news! I'll still go back weekly to make sure they stay in that range.

All is well!

34 weeks

34 weeks

34 weeks along and had my last bi-weekly appointment earlier this week. Dr. Moore said everything was still right on track. Blood pressure still low, measuring on time, heartbeat great. She doesn't think I will go any earlier than 39 weeks, but I think she just meant in general most first time babies don't arrive before that time (instead of my check-up giving some sort of indication he'd rather wait till then). We shall see!

This past week I have absolutely felt "pregnant." Till now I've had some small discomforts even now and then, but now I can't stand sitting in one spot for too long because my ribs and back get really uncomfortable, sleeping on my side at night doesn't feel right unless my pillow is between my knees, there is more pressure lower in my pelvis and thought I'd never say it.... but there is definitely a waddle starting to occur as a result of that lower pelvis pressure. Eesh! 

So that's all great, but then I met with Dr. Shroff today... the hematologist. My blood platelets dropped quite a bit since two weeks ago, so now I have to take a prescription to try and up that platelet number. It may go right back to normal. It may not. It isn't a proven method, so I'll be going back next week to see how my numbers look. Then take it from there.

In other fun news - Matt and I finished our childbirth series (3 classes once a week at the YMCA). I did skip our second class - labor and delivery. I kind of figure... it is what it is. Why give myself more to think about - surprise me! The first class was helpful in explaining how to know you're going into labor and they also toured us around the hospital - from labor and delivery to postpartum. Then the last class we learned how to take care of our new baby - very important! Matt changed his very FIRST diaper (on a fake baby doll) and was a natural. This was our baby - please excuse the glasses, my contacts were irritating my eyes. Isn't he swaddled so nicely? We have much more to learn, but it was a nice little preview of life to come!

Drinkin' Champagne, Feelin' No Pain

I have only told a handful of people, since the situation only became a situation recently... but even prior to getting pregnant, my blood platelets levels have been lower than the norm. Not a big deal though because I have never had any symptoms of low blood platelets (bloody nose, bruising easily, etc). It is very possible to have low blood platelets and function completely normally. The only problem is with pregnancy the blood platelet level may drop more than usual, which is exactly what happened to me a couple weeks ago. My ob/gyn called to let me know they had dropped from the 120-ish range to 85 (ideal being 145+) at my last appointment. Not happy. See, the problem is... when blood platelets drop below 100 then the ob/gyn group I see will not administer an epidural! As in -- you're going to be delivering the natural way!  

AHHHHHH!!!

Now I know epidurals have not been around forever and bazillions of women before me have delivered naturally -- some even CHOOSE to do so today. I on the other hand would rather be feelin' no pain. 

As a result of the drop to 85 my ob/gyn referred me to a hematologist, who Matt and I met with today. Good news! Blood platelets are back up and higher than they were before. Now in the 130-ish range. The hematologist was really great and she said there is absolutely no cause for concern at this time. She recommended that we continue to draw blood to check the platelet count every 4 weeks for the next 8 weeks then after 8 weeks we will determine whether I should be back in the office having my blood drawn weekly or bi-weekly leading up to D-Day. Such a relief because already I was stressing out thinking... now I need to find one of these ladies called a doula and take natural birth classes and see a specialist more often... but for now, I am in the clear and I am definitely crossing my fingers that everything remains status quo. 

I'll leave you with my theme song for (hopefully) DELIVERY DAY as sung by one of my absolute favorites -- Willie Nelson. The title of the song being more appropriate than the actual context of the song.