"Too busy"... Surrogate Side

It's the big day! I got up early to have everything done that needed it (i.e. get showered, final touches in hospital bag, take care of the pup, get kids ready for daycare, feed everyone breakfast, get my husband up - yes, not kidding - pack up the car, etc.) and be on our way to have this baby! Just as I was about to descend the stairs to wrangle the clan into the car, my phone rang.

The call was from the doctor on call for my OB (who is on vacation through Wednesday). She oh-so-frankly stated that our induction was being pushed because "the hospital is too busy for us" today. What delightful news just an hour before we were expected to begin. Lovely. 

We have been rescheduled for Thursday, January 2nd at 9:30am. 

On call doctor: "Is that okay?"

Me: "Do I have a choice?"

Doctor: "Well, no."

Me: "Then I guess it's gonna have to be okay."

From there, an onslaught of "to-dos" go through my head. I immediately call K&J to let them know of the disappointing news. I could hear the heartbreak in her voice. Worst job ever. 

I called my attorney so he could reschedule our post-birth hearing for a later date. (I'm sure he loved my 7am phone call to his cell phone as he was preparing breakfast for his children.) He assured me that he'd get things arranged. 

At that point, I remember that my OB said that should anything like this happen, that I call the office to have an ultrasound scheduled to check my fluid levels since I am now past the 40 week mark. So, as soon as the office opened, I phoned to make an appointment (where I was transferred four times only to end up where I started, but that's another story for another time; I seem to have that luck). I waited to be called back by my OB's assistant because they needed him (who, remember, is on vacation) to write an order for this. Not too long after hanging up (that was nice), she called me back to set up the appointment this afternoon.

The ultrasound went great. He's perfectly healthy and happy in there with plenty of fluid and perfect measurements. Did I mention that he's perfect?!? I also found out how large of a baby boy I will be delivering - nothing compared to my own! I'll wait to share the official weight when he's finally born. 

So, here we are still waiting. There is still the (unlikely) chance that he will decide to appear on his own. But, should that not happen, I can rest easy knowing that we have again worked out all of the minute details affiliated with making this process as seamless as possible. 

On a brighter side, at least I am able to be sitting here with my two little cherubs as they watch "Rudolph's Shiny New Year"; which, by the way, is the worst show in the history of holiday specials. 

My 4-year-old son wishes to "stay up to watch the ball drop". My daughter wishes to "go snuggle with Momma in the rocking chair" and go to bed. Both shall be arranged. 

Happy New Year to All! 

40 week update... Surrogate Side

Date: Monday, December 30th, 2013

Tomorrow is the big day! We will be induced at 8:30am! Baby boy decided that he didn't want to come early (that's okay), but we all determined that it would be easiest if we induced since we didn't want anyone to miss the glory day!

K&J are anxiously awaiting their beautiful bundle and I'm excited to be able to share in their excitement and deliver them the greatest gift - their own child! The anticipation they must be experiencing right now, at this moment, must be incredible. I can't wait to get this show on the road for them!

I think I've gotten all of the last minute details taken care of with respect to my family, but I'm sure I've left something out. My husband will be by my side and my children will be well taken care of by one of my most cherished friends. That's really all that matters. 

As this journey comes to a close, the feelings I am experiencing are deep. I feel blessed to be able to share in K&J's journey to parenthood and honored to be able to give them their long-awaited dream -- their own child! 

This dream of mine is not for everyone, but it certainly was/is for me. I cannot express how fulfilled I feel. I can just imagine how I'll feel tomorrow when this baby arrives. And, the support I have received from my family, friends, coworkers and acquaintances has been mind-blowing! What a lucky gal I am!

Until tomorrow...

39 and 3/4 week update... Surrogate Side

Appointment this afternoon! K was able to join me, but J's flight was cancelled last night due to the inclement weather in the area. He was arriving here just as we were getting ready for the appointment so he wasn't able to make it. 

At this appointment we learned that I lost more weight. So, in total, I've gained 23lbs so far this pregnancy. I guess it wasn't a faulty scale thing last time! K was even there as a witness. So weird! I asked if that was normal and okay and they said that the amount of weight I've gained thus far is adequate. I, by no means, have been trying to lose the weight - don't get me wrong. I can say, though, that I haven't been very hungry lately. Hmm. 

Anyway, onto way more interesting things! Baby boy's heartbeat is perfect and I'm measuring right on target. K was able to feel some of his body parts moving, but this little bugger gets shy around her. She wasn't able to really see/feel him dance... 

Moving right along -- I had my cervical exam and just before he did the deed, the doctor asked if we would be doing a sweep. K and I agreed that it couldn't hurt and said go for it. 

(Now let me be clear, I had never had my membranes swept before so I had no idea what to expect.)

The doctor proceeds with the cervical exam and I prepare myself for the typical discomfort. Little did I know, as I lay there anticipating the slightly uncomfortable situation of a cervical exam, that all hell is breaking loose down there. I was SO confused. I was like (in my head, of course), "umm, what the heck are you doing?!" 

I didn't realize that he would be sweeping right at that moment! And, who named it "sweeping"? More like dig around... I assumed there was some sort of tool that would be used for the sweep. Boy, was I wrong! Yowza! The doc said that he stopped after my third "okkkaaaaaaayyy!"  Lol! I didn't even realize that I was saying anything. 

The results of the exam revealed that I am 2+cm and still 50% effaced. A little bit of progress! From there we discussed our next steps. I explained (again) that I didn't want to rush anything and end up having a c-section and the doctor said that given today's exam, he felt confident that scheduling an induction for next week would be okay. That said, we have a scheduled induction for Tuesday, December 31st at 8:30am!  

We'll see if the torture I experienced this afternoon was worth it. Will I go into labor on my own this weekend? Or, will I be induced on New Year's Eve?? 

39 week update... Surrogate Side

Date: December 23rd, 2013 (updated and posted on 12/26/13)

How Many Weeks:  39 weeks! (I, honestly, didn't think we'd get this far!!!)

Total Weight Gain: 24.5lbs! I had an OB appointment on Monday and I lost weight? Wait. I put on an additional 2lbs at my last appointment, but lost a pound and a half at this one. Geesh. I think it was scale. Lol!  That, or the fact that this appointment was super early morning and my other appointments are usually late afternoon. I'm going to stick with the 24.5lbs, though (wink,wink)!

Baby Size: Watermelon!


What is going on with this baby:

• He's probably able to flex his limbs now. (I can attest to that.)
• His brain is still rapidly developing -- getting smarter by the week!
• His nails may extend past his fingertips. (May account for the sharp stabs I've felt down there?!?)

Maternity Clothes:   I actually have a fully packed hospital bag to go along with my kiddies' bag! Well, at least it's zipped up and ready to go. I'm not quite sure it has everything that I'll need, but good enough. 

Sleep:  Getting a bit more uncomfortable. Moving is getting tough which makes alternating sides a little challenging. I feel as though each time I want to switch sides, as soon as I prepare to move, I have a contraction and can't go anywhere until it's done. Not ideal, but par for the course at this point. 

Movement:  This boy ain't gonna stop now. He's been a mover since day one. 

On a side note, I (obviously) was not induced on the 23rd. My last appointment revealed that I was not at least 3cm dilated. In fact, I hadn't changed at all apart from him "dropping" a little and my measly 1cm was "looser".  No progress = no induction date scheduled. 

We scheduled a follow-up appointment for Monday morning and that cervical exam pretty much sealed the deal that this young man is just so happily content in there that he'd like to stay for just a while longer. SAME as last week and the weeks prior: "1+cm dilated, 50% effaced". He's getting lower (which makes the exams a bit more tolerable), but I think he'll be staying for a while longer. (Totally okay with me - let's just get through Christmas and then I'm all yours!) -- WE DID! 

Our next step involves another appointment on Friday where the doctor will strip my membranes... (Yikes! Never have done that before!) We'll also likely schedule a date for an induction for that upcoming Monday or Tuesday (new year baby?). 

K&J got here this week and will be joining my last(?) appointment on Friday afternoon. Yay! 

Symptoms:  Can I blame procrastination on this pregnancy?? I really didn't want to wrap Christmas presents. Normally, I get excited to wrap (okay, maybe "excited" isn't entirely accurate), but I just wasn't eager to do it this year. I believe this may have been due to the anticipated discomfort that would surface after hours of wrapping night after night. I wrapped Sunday night. I was uncomfortable. I had many more gifts to wrap in the days leading up to Christmas (which were very few). And, my husband (who promised to help on various occasions) always had an excuse to offer each and every time the subject was brought up -- legit or not! Lol! 

Food Cravings/Aversions:  I haven't been overly hungry lately. Not sure if it's due to the fact that there really isn't much room for food or if I'm just a bit under the weather. (Felt something super crazy on Tuesday afternoon... I was drinking seltzer and I felt it bubble in my stomach. But, the strange part was that I could feel it bubble in my stomach just under my left breast... Holy cow, that was weird!)

I'm looking forward to:  this upcoming appointment on Friday with K&J! This is just getting so real! I love it!

Belly: 

 Thought I'd give a bare belly pic... Yowza! (39.5 weeks!)

38 1/2 weeks.....Or something like that........IP Side

Well, G had her appointment yesterday, and she has not experienced much change from last week. Therefore, this baby is going to keep cooking. She will go back to the doctor on Monday, and see how things are progressing, something tells me this baby isn't coming early. That brings us to the difficult question "when should we leave"? Well, let's see how Monday goes and take it from there. In the meantime, it's very cold here, and we are going to be getting more snow, ice and rain this weekend. Oh the joy! With all the excitement, we have almost forgotten about Christmas. Almost, better put up that tree this weekend.  We didn't put one up to begin with because we didn't think we would be home. Not too much longer!!


 

38 week update... Surrogate Side

Date:  December 17th, 2013 (Happy birthday, Ma!!! xo)

How Many Weeks:  38 weeks! (K texted me wishing me a happy 39 weeks - I think she's trying to rush things and I can't imagine why..... wink,wink!)

Total Weight Gain: 25lbs - I'm guessing since my appointment is tomorrow (if it doesn't get snowed out due to the fact that we are supposed to get another 4-6" on top of the 11+ inches we just got on Sunday...)  I certainly hope that it doesn't get cancelled since this is a big appointment!  If I am at least 3cm dilated, we are going to scheduled an induction date for 12/23/13!  If I'm not dilated enough yet?  Well, we wait...

Baby Size:  PUMPKIN! (Yikes! For real?)


What is going on with this baby:

• He may have about an inch or so of hair already.  (I'm thinking blonde...  Just 'cuz.)
• He's slowly shedding that white goo on his skin (called vernix caseosa), but you might see some of it at birth. (His birth day is right around the corner!!!  So freakin' exciting!!)

Maternity Clothes:   I have somewhat packed a bag for the hospital.  I have a set of my comfy jammies in there (whether or not I will actually wear them is still up in the air) and an outfit to go home in.  I have, however, pulled together a fully prepared "go-bag" for my children that is all packed and ready to go; just in case, of course, because they are most important.  Forget my own needs.  So long as my babies are ready to go, that is all that matters. LOL!  

Sleep:  Still going well, believe it or not!  I'm not even needing to get up in the middle of the night to use the toilet!  This baby is so sweet to me.  I'm still contracting periodically through the night (and during the day, for that matter) and they can be somewhat uncomfortable.

Movement:  He's definitely running out of space.  His movements consist of sticking out his bottom as though he wanted to eject through my belly button and shoving his foot/feet outward so much that it's like he's playing tag with my sagging breasts.  I like to tickle his little feet when he does that. 

I still think he's on the smaller size (I say 6-7lbs).  My belly hasn't stretched nearly as large as it had with my previous pregnancies.  I think this is the smallest I've ever been during this stage of pregnancy.  I'll be surprised if he's a biggun' (in comparison to my 9 & 10lb-er).  Although, I've been known to be wrong.  I can honestly say, I am not a good judge of just about anything when it comes to pregnancy/birth, etc.  I've been wrong each time when guessing sex, size, due dates...  I thought my son was a good 7lbs and he turned out to be 9lbs.  My daughter?  I thought she was a boy, for sure.  We didn't have to guess her size since we had weekly ultrasounds for monitoring purposes.  We KNEW she was at least 9lbs a week before her birth.  (Docs weren't letting me go past my due date with her...)  I thought this baby was a girl - wrong - and I had/have a feeling that he'll come early.  Given how I feel right now and have been feeling for the last week; I'm thinking I'm wrong there, too.  But, only time will tell. 

Symptoms:  Apart from the contractions and monstrous stretching on baby's part, I'm good.  Really good, actually...  Yes, my back hurts and I have a difficult time getting up from a squatting position (which I find myself in constantly with two small children), but I feel good.  So, I'll take it!

Food Cravings/Aversions:  I find myself very hungry these days.  I'll eat a good lunch and still be ravenous afterwards.  I try to keep some "healthier" options for me to snack on at work, but given the holiday season, there is just way too many people baking and bringing their goodies in to share...  Don't worry K&J, this baby will have a well-adjusted palette.  :)

I'm looking forward to:  having the baby!!!  I wake each morning wondering if today will be the day.  I also wonder if I should pack a spare set of pants/undies just in case my water decides to break because we all know that I won't be going anywhere looking as though I've just peed myself... I haven't done it, but the thought has definitely crossed my mind.  I've never had my water break on its own before, so maybe that is keeping me from taking the plunge.  Maybe I should.  (Just asked Siri to remind me to do this tonight when I get home.)  Ain't nobody got time for that!

Belly:

38 weeks!  I was actually contemplating about sharing a bare belly pic.  I thought twice. 

Wait, what?!... Surrogate Side

So, I went to the doctor on Wednesday for my weekly check-up and walked out of there pretty confused.  (Not REALLY "confused", but kinda shocked.)

I told you all of my exciting Saturday where I thought that I could go into labor very, very soon due to all of the painful contractions, the pressure down in my cervix and my cramping and lower back pain.  Welp, this baby was just teasing, teasing, teasing!  NO progress since my last appointment. Nothing. Nada.  WHAT??!?  I was sure there was progression.  Nope.  I cringed, held my breath and grabbed the table while the doctor performed my cervical exam.  As soon as I felt that he had to basically insert his entire forearm to reach my cervix, I pretty much knew the bad news.  He said, "still 1cm and 50% effaced."  I was like, "are you kidding me?  All of that work and I get nuthin' in return?"  He politely says, "I am sure they are working; just taking a little longer than you would think."

If that's not enough bad news (no, not really bad, but you get what I'm saying), at this same appointment I was told that they got the results of my Group B Strep test ... and that it was positive!  Wait, what?!  Come again??  What the heck is that?  And, what does that mean??  I never had this with either of my other pregnancies.  I was like, "is that an STD???"(I clearly was not well-informed of this condition prior to... so, bear with me.)  He laughed at me and said, "no, absolutely not.  In fact, it is very common - 1 in 4 women have this - and it is not something you can control."  He, obviously, does not know what not being in control does to me...

Okay, so now what?  He explained that I will need to be on an antibiotic prior to delivery.  Due to my allergy to penicillin, they had to test whether or not my new "foreign friend" was sensitive to a medication that I could tolerate.  Luckily, it was.  Phew!  He was sure to tell me that I should call the hospital right away and not "labor at home" due to this being my third delivery and they like to have antibiotics going for at least 4 hours before birth.  I told him that I live a bit of a distance away from the hospital and was already 8cm when I arrived for the birth of my daughter almost 3 years ago.  He shared that he's not worried and that the baby will be just fine as long as we got at least one dose in me before he comes.  His theory was that if it's a fast delivery, it's just that much less time the baby is "exposed".  I feel so terrible that my body decided that it wanted to "expose" this whatever it is  to this child.

I've had some time to process this information and have come to the realization that it is out of my control and 25% of women go through this and I'd never heard of it before so it can't be too, too bad.

And, to top things off even more, I was right about my weight.  I have gained a whopping 24lbs so far this pregnancy.

37 week update... Surrogate Side

Date:  December 9th, 2013 (Happy birthday, Alli!)

How Many Weeks:  37 weeks!

Total Weight Gain: I'm going to say 24lbs... Eek!  At my last appointment, I had gained an additional 2lbs.  BUT, WAIT! I didn't remove my shoes (because I was too lazy to take my Uggs off partially due to the thought of putting them back on...) and I also was wearing a pretty heavy, knee-length, chunky knit sweater.  Yes, I am pulling out all the stops on this one.  I have an appointment on Wednesday afternoon to confirm.  (I don't know why tracking my weight gain freaks me out so much.  I know that I really haven't put on THAT much weight and I should be happy with my luck with carrying so well.  It's just so bizarre to watch my weight increase when I've never really cared much before. Bear with me as we progress into the next few remaining weeks.)

Baby Size:  Winter Melon (now this is more like it, geesh!)


What is going on with this baby:

• He's practicing some skills: inhaling, exhaling, sucking, gripping and blinking.
• He's getting his first sticky poop (called meconium) ready for his first diaper.  Have fun with that one, K&J!  My hubby had never changed a diaper before in his life and I had him change our first born's very first diaper chock full of the delightful meconium!  I got pictures... 

Maternity Clothes:   I am beginning to wonder what I'm going to bring to the hospital as far as "after delivery" clothing.  On the one hand, I think I will probably just wear the hospital gown that I wore for my entire stay with both of my other deliveries, but on the other hand, I feel as though I want to be a little more comfy.  (I am REALLY loving my new jammies.)  The primary reason I wore the hospital gown for my other babies was because of the convenience of being able to nurse easily.  I won't be nursing this time, so I'm wondering if I should bring my comfy jammies.  But, then again, do I really want to destroy them with the mess that follows a vaginal delivery??  YIKES!  What a predicament.  LOL!

Sleep: I've been having quite a bit of contractions lately.  Some are very uncomfortable and sometimes occur while I'm sleeping.  I'm still sleeping relatively okay, though.  It could certainly be worse.  Finding a comfortable position is probably the worst of it - lots of tossing and turning. 

Movement:  He's still very active - stretching his arms and legs and bottom regularly (at least trying to stretch as far as my belly will let him)!!  It's pretty funny to see his actual position during one of my contractions. 

Symptoms:  At my last OB appointment, I was told that I was 1cm dilated and 50% effaced.  I just knew there was magic happening!  That said...

Well, I thought I was going into labor on Saturday.  Okay, maybe not REAL labor, but my body was definitely getting some work done in/down there.  My lower back hurt so much, my contractions were, at times, 6 minutes apart and super painful with lots of pressure in my cervix area.  My husband questioned whether or not I would be having the baby that night!  He even encouraged me to give K&J a call just for a heads up.  And, the kicker is, he even pulled out a timer to time my contractions!  LOL!  He was so worried that I would have the baby that weekend that he called out of work.  What a good man I have.

When I phoned K, I could immediately tell she was on high-alert.  I mean, wouldn't you be if you had your carrier calling you 3 weeks out from your due date of the child you have been waiting a lifetime for??  I explained what was happening and told her not to book a flight just yet (wink, wink).  She was so cute.

Although it did not happen this weekend, I still feel pretty confident that Mr. Butterball will be making his appearance sooner rather than later...  Just my opinion.  And, for some reason, December 21st is the date that keeps popping in mind.

(**Having lower back pain/cramping as we speak...**)

Food Cravings/Aversions:  I was caught!  My urine sample from my last appointment showed "higher levels of sugars" in it...  Eating a bag of Skittles just before my appointment probably wasn't the smartest idea.  I confessed.  My doctor, however, was not worried about that part of my urine results, though.  He said that because I passed my glucose screen so nicely, I could have as much sugar as I wanted.  (SCORE!)

The concern he did have regarding my urine was the elevated protein in it.  He was somewhat shocked by it given that I wasn't at all swollen, my blood pressure was low (normal for me) and everything else checked out.  He really didn't think that I was heading into pre-eclampsia so he asked if I could leave a couple more drops so he could retest it himself.  I told him I'd do what I can!   Just as he thought, my urine screen was just fine.  Protein levels were in the slightly elevated to normal range.  He thinks that the test may have sat longer than it should have.  Phew!  That would not have been fun. 

I'm looking forward to: having this baby!  Not that I'm excited to be done with this journey/pregnancy, but more-so because I just cannot wait to have K&J meet their bundle of joy!!!  

Belly:

24 Clear Signs You're a Mom... Surrogate Side

Sometime last week, K sent me a link to an online article titled, "24 Clear Signs You're a Mom" by Ulli Appelbaum and co-authored by Mark Simmons (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ulli-appelbaum/24-clear-signs-youre-a-mom_b_4174101.html). 

I read it and I could totally relate to this!  I replied to K and gave her a few of my own responses to some of them.  I've copied and pasted the article below and included my responses to my absolute favorites.  K thought they were a riot...  Soon enough, K, soon enough!  (wink,wink)

     24 Clear Signs You're a Mom

   We asked the moms of www.wemothers.com what it means to be a mom. Here is what they told us. 

       

      You know you are a mom when:

          1. Instead of running from projectile vomit, you run towards it.

          2. You do more in seven minutes than most people do all day.

          3. Happy hour has become the 60 minutes between your kids going to bed and you going to bed. 

                    - FOR SURE!  (Haha - I loved the fact that it was 60 minutes - very true!)

          4. A night of drinking requires more recovery time than minor surgery.

          5. A glass of wine counts as a serving of fruit.

          6. You have mini-therapy sessions all day long with anyone who will listen.

                    - absolutely...                    

          7. Going to the grocery store by yourself is a vacation.

                    - yup, but really weird, too.

          8. You can experience heaven and hell at the same time.

          9. You think of physical pain on three levels: pain, excruciating pain and stepping on a Lego.

         10. You have the ability to hear a sneeze through closed doors in the middle of the night, two bedrooms

               away, while your SO snores next to you.

                     - uh-huh.

         11. You'd rather have a 103 degree fever than watch one of your kids suffer with it.

                    - most definitely!

         12. You'd rather go to sleep than have sex.

                    - YOU'RE NOT KIDDING!

         13. A 15-minute shower with the door locked feels like a day at the spa.

                    - yee-haw! (But, this does not happen anymore now that they know how to unlock the dang     

                     thing...  Stupid little plastic coins and cheap bathroom door locks...)

         14. Peeing with an audience is part of the daily routine.

                    - every single time (unless I'm at work... ahh!)

         15. You use baby wipes to clean up random spills and the dash of your car.

                    - yep.

         16. You lock yourself in the bathroom and pretend to have diarrhea just to get a break.

                    - I've done it!!!!

         17. You love Moms' Night Out and Date Night with the Hubs.

         18. You have a secret chocolate stash because frankly, you're sick of sharing.

         19. You've been washing the same load of laundry for three days because you forgot to dry it.

                    - done that, too....

         20. You realize you've been watching Nick Jr. alone, even though your kids have been in bed for over 

               30 minutes.

         21. You can cook dinner, breastfeed, talk on the phone and yell at the kids, all without breaking stride 

               or missing any of the TV show you are watching.

         22. You get more excited about the Mini Boden Catalogue than J Crew's.

         23. You decide to stick with your car for the next decade because a) you can't afford to switch and b) 

               you haven't found a car wash that knows how to get all the milk stains and glitter removed.

         24. By the end of the day, brushing your teeth feels like a huge accomplishment.

I know there are other mommas out there who are right there with me on some of these.  Very funny, but many are still very true...  The time is almost here for K to experience the transition from "K" to "Momma".  Be prepared! I wouldn't change a thing and I am confident that most moms wouldn't either.  It's the greatest gift.

But, we all still have our moments:

36 week update... Surrogate Side

Date:  December 3rd, 2013

How Many Weeks:  36 weeks!

Total Weight Gain: I'm guessing a whopping 21.5lbs - a whole pound from last week...  Just 'cuz I've been eating a lot (duh, it was Thanksgiving!) and the apple pie had my name ALL over it!  Maybe even more than a pound??  Geesh, I hope not!

Baby Size: Honeydew Melon (still, this seems small to me, but who am I to scoff?)


What is going on with this baby:

• He's getting closer and closer to being able to breathe on his own.  Let the countdown begin!
• His skin is getting smooth and soft and his gums are rigid.
• His liver and kidneys are in working order.
• Circulation and immune systems are basically good to go, too.

Maternity Clothes:   While out shopping on Black Friday (that was so much fun!), I purchased a couple pajama sets!!  They are not maternity, but I got a bigger size than I would normally wear and they are delightful.  A little big, but so comfy and warm.  My belly is even covered!  My clothes otherwise are beginning to get smaller.  I feel like I have nothing to wear.  I almost want to go shopping, but decide not to since I only have a few weeks left.  I guess I can tolerate wearing the same wardrobe week after week for the duration...  I try to spice it up a bit, but there is only so much that still fits - and that's not so much at all.  Ha ha!

Sleep: Still going pretty darn good.  My crazy, weird dreams have calmed down.  My husband is no longer waking me up from my screaming nightmares.  (Well, I guess I woke him up first, huh?)  It's funny.  I think the only time I have dreams where I'm screaming for help is when I'm pregnant.  I believe this was the case for both of my other pregnancies as well.  I know for sure with my first because it prompted my husband to get an alarm system for our home because of my recurring nightmare where we were victims of a (not-so-nice) home-invasion while sleeping.  Hey, at least I got a security alarm out of it (which, by the way, I love).

Movement:  He's still moving quite a bit.  His movements are more centralized and a product of running out of space.  I have less sporadic kicks/punches and more "dragging" movement.  He also likes to stick his bottom right out there causing my belly to appear lopsided. 

Symptoms: Oh geez, I don't like this part because I always feel like I'm complaining.  But, really, I'm not!  Okay, with that said, here goes...  My back hurts.  I sometimes feel like I am smushing poor baby boy's head when I sit - this is kinda painful.  I think my cervix has some magic happening because that, too, is sometimes painful.  I cannot walk too fast because butterball in there just doesn't appreciate that.  I can feel him push into my cervix like he wants out.  Well, this happens even when walking slowly.  In fact, I think he prefers that I don't move at all.  On a more positive note, my boobies don't hurt!  Well, not like they did in the past at least!  (Only to return in a few short weeks with a vengeance...)

Food Cravings/Aversions:  No real cravings or aversions.  I ate very well at Thanksgiving.  My homemade apple pie was delicious.  I made it with some granny smith apples because I wanted it to be on the tart side.  Oh. My. Lord.  It was good.  I can honestly say that I ate the entire pie apart from one slice -- (Eeek!) -- over the course of three (or maybe it was 2?) days.  Oh well.  Don't judge me.

I'm looking forward to: tomorrow's OB appointment.  I eagerly anticipate the news of how much weight I have gained in this last week given I ate an entire apple pie...  I'm also curious to see if I've dilated at all.  (Yeah, I have a cervix check tomorrow along with a Group B Strep test.)  I can't wait!

(...you are welcome to interpret that last section as you see fit...)

Belly:

Waiting..................Intended Parents Side

We are waiting and waiting.....We are getting nervous, super excited and we both feel like it's Christmas, New Years, birthdays and everything all thrown together. In addition, we are still waiting for our nursery furniture to be delivered. Let the record show we ordered this stuff back in SEPTEMBER. It's back ordered..Go FIGURE! So, for now the room still looks like this.....

Please note, we are making some progress. We have a rug pad and it's been painted. At this rate we are hoping it arrives by his first birthday. Oh well! We are getting more excited and G is most definitely getting more and more uncomfortable! Anyone want to take bets on when this baby is coming? My bet is December 27!