Hallelujah! My Blog is Currently Fixed!!

I don't know if it fixed itself or if that email I sent Blogger worked or what...but yay! Let's hope it lasts, right? Watch, now I'll probably have other "issues" as a result.

Okay, so the OB visit today? Went well, actually, and this time we gave them a taste of their own medicine when we were the ones that were late! Since the appointment was at 8:30 Jason opted to head up to Boulder when we did rather than leaving work 20 minutes after getting there. We got us all out of the house relatively close to our goal time (5 minutes late) but guess what...it's snowing again! And people are afraid to drive around here if there's anything falling from the sky. So I called when I realized we'd be late and it was all okay anyway.

We got there and went back for the ultrasound. Yup, this little guy is still gigantic. Wanna know what the ultrasound estimated his weight to be this time? At a mere 35 and a half weeks the machine put him at 7 pounds 1 ounce!! He grew perfectly on track since the ultrasound 4 weeks ago and continues to measure 18 days ahead of his due date. CA-RAY-ZEE! His head of all things measures at 39 weeks, belly at 37, and the rest of him rather normal. So the machine does it's fancy formulas and averages him out at 7 lbs. 1 oz. and 18 days ahead.

Easton is not as afraid of the images as he once was. We saw that Decue is still a boy when he revealed his testicles. Easton said, "Bubbles". Ha! We did learn today that the placenta is starting to show some aging with what they call "calcifications". They say they're not worried and this is not that uncommon at this point in a pregnancy but that I really need to pay attention to his movement and be certain that he's still active when he's normally been active and such. If there's a large decrease in fetal movement I'm to call...or go in...I forget. As far as what might be causing these calcifications (other than the placenta's "age") I know that hypertension (which I DO NOT HAVE! Yay!) can do it as well as smoking (another big fat NO!!). Well, since neither of those are the case I'm going to blame it on my daily coke habit...as in Coca Cola, people...calm down. Anyway, if they're not worried I'm going to try not to be either. Obviously Deuce's growth isn't suffering in any way. They say the amount of amniotic fluid I have is a good indicator of overall placental health and function and that I'm doing great for fluid. So there.

After the ultrasound we saw the doctor. I didn't gain any weight since my visit 2 weeks ago. I was the exact same. Interesting, but I'll take it! So, I'm still at a net gain of 18 pounds for this pregnancy so far. My blood pressure was 98/50. No protein in the urine (something they look for as a sign of preeclampsia). My fundal height (basically measuring the uterus externally) is still right on track: 35 cm for 35 weeks. How is that possible with such a large child? I'll tell you how...he is SOOOO low and yet so high. The doctor explained to us that the weight guesstimate comes mostly from head size, but that at this later stage in pregnancy when his head is so low in my pelvis it can be hard to get an accurate measurement of his head on an ultrasound. So, in all likelihood his head is probably not that big and he probably doesn't weigh that much. Anyway, his head is down very low (explains getting up every hour at night to pee!) and his butt is up in my ribs (quite high!). Seriously. His little legs stick out of my right side where they have resided for most of the last few months.

The doctor said she was very very pleased with how things were progressing for me. She asked if I had any questions or concerns and I told her about these sharp shooting pains I get in my thighs from time to time. I told her I'd heard they were normal but no one knew what they were. She agreed. She knew just what I was talking about (even though she's never had a kid) and said, "We don't know what causes them but it's common and normal." Fine with me. I didn't need a better answer than that. I told her that I contract a lot too which is weird to me since I didn't have them with Easton at all. She said, "Are they Braxton Hicks?" and I had to tell her "I assume so. I don't think they're doing anything [to my cervix]". Then she said, "Do you want me to check your cervix?" and I said, "Sure...since you're already going to be in there." Why was she going to be "in there"? I had to get swabbed for GBS. Pretty much all pregnant women get cultured for group beta strep at this point in pregnancy. It's a potentially dangerous infection to the baby but if you get antibiotics in labor then there's no worries. Assuming I go into my scheduled C-section without my water having broken beforehand--if I'm GBS postitive or not I won't need treatment anyway. So, then she checked my cervix: tightly closed...the contractions aren't doing anything as far as dialation. Good to know, I guess. Most people probably wouldn't opt to have the whole cervix check just for fun but I like to get my money's worth out of this pregnancy experience. Ya know? Getting this far into a pregnancy and still being healthy is just so different than before. I never had my cervix checked with Easton's pregnancy...there was no need. So I did this time (probably the only time, just so I can said I did it). I love it all.

When Easton and I got home we packed my hospital bag...here he is buckling himself into it:

And giving me what appears to be the evil eye as he plays with some travel size bottles:


He was so good at the appointment (Daddy was there so that really helps) and then good when we were packing my bag. He ended up getting some hair product of J's on his face--he tried to rub it on like lotion. Oops! He had a reaction and he got all red where he had put it. I washed it off with water but.....instead of putting him down for his nap I had to keep him up a little longer to make sure the rash got better instead of worse. Sooooo he was going to have some lunch. He wanted milk and cereal. I put him in his booster chair but he apparently didn't want to sit there and he hit me! How unlike him! He got a warning and I backed up so he couldn't do it again...as soon as I got close enough he hit me again. Not cool, kiddo. So...it was a minute and a half in his naughty corner. He did great again by just sitting there and being sad. He was talking to Blitz at one point but that's allowed, I guess. When he was done we were all better again and he had crackers for his "lunch" so that he didn't have to sit in his seat.

His rash improved so he went down for his nap. I think we're gonna stick close to home this afternoon. We've got nowhere to go. Maybe we'll try some Play-Doh? Anyway, hope you are enjoying this last day of January. Toodaloo!