Don't ask... :-)

We're still here!

Last night I think I was having a hormonal night, or my body was trying to tell me that I should be done being pregnant by now. No crying, but just a strange feeling... It's like my mind was exhausted? Not my body, but my mind? I do find it helpful to realize it's the hormones talking to me at these moments, tell myself that, and cut myself some slack.

I told Doug that I might end-up forking-out cash and booking a massage after all. For some reason, right now, when I am at my most bountiful :-) (body-wise), I feel like I am needing all kinds of snugglies: A SHOULDER MASSAGE would be rockin'. Not sure if any other pregnant ladies can relate to that? Seems like a massage would make it all "better". :-)

For distraction, it helped that we went to H & R Block to finish-up our taxes last night. It was worth going... Normally we do our own taxes using Turbo Tax, but after eight years we decided to bite the bullet and see if they would've done anything differently. Fortunately they did, to our benefit. Not that we'll get rich off of tax returns, though! But the timing of a few extra doll-hairs (as Doug would say) will help, especially now!

Mom is driving down tomorrow, so she'll get to watch the drama whenever it does unfold! Looking forward to her visit.

Well, Doug's Mom (Grandma Mary Carey) is thinking tomorrow will be the day. Let's hope she's right!

With love,
Shelly and Doug

"Do you see the light?" - James Brown in "The Blues Brothers"

We're still hangin' out! Doing just fine. Doug and I took our loop-de-loop 2.75 mile walk last night after our doc appointment... It was a little dark, but we were glad to get the walk in.

The doctor says we are a little bit dialated (not yet a "one", though). She scheduled our next appointment for Monday morning. If we don't have the baby naturally by Monday, they will be scheduling an induction at Northside Hospital. The doctor said that the induction date will depend on Northside's schedule. So, we play the waiting game some more.

The doctor did say they won't let us go the full two weeks over our due date. So, it looks like we will have a March baby after all.

The good news is, I was measuring 32 weeks. When they measure your "belly", there should be a centimeter for each week pregnant. I measured 39 weeks last week. As we're measuring 32 centimeters this week, the doctor says the baby has definitely dropped and is getting ready to join us. This was great news!!!

I'm still not really waddling or in pain or anything. The lower back pain has gone away and I got another great night's sleep last night... To be savored before the baby gets here!

Mom plans on driving down this weekend, so she can be here when the baby is born. It would be nice to call her before Saturday to let her know the baby is coming on her own, though!

We hope this message finds you well!

Shelly and Doug

The Pool

I wish I knew how to cut and paste a portion of an Excel spreadsheet into this blog... Sorry this post isn't organized in a more reader-friendly fashion!

At the baby shower in December that Aunt Freda, Grandma Burn and Rachel threw for us, attendees guessed about:
-The baby's actual birthdate
-The baby's time of birth born
-The baby's weight
-The baby's length
-Whether the baby will have a little or a lot of hair
-The baby's hair color
-The baby's eye color
-The # of hours Mommy will be in labor

The winner will be the person who scores the most points, with each correctly answered question equaling one point. So, even though someone might not guess the date right, if they get all other answers correct, they might be the overall winner...

Here are everyone's answers...

Who will win?

Grandma Burnis
3/23
11:00 AM
7 lbs / 8 oz
20 inches
Lots of hair
Blonde
Blue
6 hours

Janice
3/4
9:19 AM
6 lbs / 3 oz
20 inches
Little hair
Reddish
Blue
6 hours

Aunt Jackie
3/19
11:00 AM
8 lbs / 2 oz
21 1/4 inches
Little hair
Blonde
Blue
4 hours

Tracy
3/21
8:00 AM
8 lbs / 6 oz
20 inches
Little Fuzz
Light Brown
Blue
5 hours

Lynn
3/14
3:00 PM
8 lbs / 4 oz
20 inches
Little hair
Blonde
Grey
7 1/2 hours

Alyson
3/15
10:00 PM
8 lbs / 2 oz
21 inches
Little hair
Blonde
Blue
6 hours

Rebecca
3/15
9:00 AM
8 lbs / 10 oz
21 1/2 inches
Lots of hair
Blonde
Brown
6 hours

Kristin
3/20
3:30 AM
6 lbs / 7 oz
19 1/2 inches
Lots of hair
Black / Brown
Blue
18 hours

Sherry
3/26
6:00 PM
8 lbs / 5 oz
20 1/2 inches
Little hair
Blonde
Blue
12 hours

Rachel
3/23
7:42 PM
7 lbs / 11 oz
21 1/2 inches
Little hair
Light Blonde
Blue
21 hours

Dolly
3/15
11:00 PM
7 lbs / 5 oz
21 inches
Little hair
Reddish
Blue
9 hours 10 minutes

Jenny
3/18
2:30 AM
6 lbs / 8 oz
21 inches
Little hair
Blonde
Blue
6 hours

Mary Carey
3/17 AM
7 lbs / 2 oz
19 inches
Little hair
Strawberry Blonde
Blue
4 1/2 hours

Aunt Freda
3/18
6:20 PM
7 lbs / 9 oz
21 1/2 inches
Little
Light Brown
Blue
9 hours

Shelly

Still Here...

Hello, everyone!


We're still here.

Doug was so certain that we would be headed to the hospital last night that he packed his bag of essentials... It was raining cats and dogs last night! He said he was expecting a "nudge" in the middle of the night, telling him it was time to go.

Thankfully, my lower back pain is gone and I am able to walk with more ease. Still not sure what that means.

Last night we watched "March of the Penguins". It is a documentary (narrated by Morgan Freeman) about the "love affair" between a Mom and Dad penguin, and the lengths they go to in order to bring a baby penguin into the world. For the first five minutes I was laughing hysterically at the "waddling" penguins. If you get the chance to watch it, definitely pick it up! (It was also very fitting that we watched this movie when we did, considering we're waiting for our little one to arrive safely).

I had a HEAVENLY night of sleep last night, and was also able to sleep in this morning. I guess after the night before, my body was telling me to rest...

We'll check in when we have more progress!

With love,
Doug and Shelly

Holding down the fort...

Hello, everyone!

We're still here! (notice the Jeopardy game show theme music in the background?)

Yesterday Doug and I were able to go for another walk and do some last minute cleaning around the house. Doug helped by vacuuming, which seems to be a big feat for me these days! He has been the absolute best at watching out for me and treating me well during this pregnancy (as he always does)! I washed the floor, which seemed a little more manageable to me.

Yesterday I was also able to go grocery shopping and make a few more meals that we can eat during the first week of madness, after the baby is born. I made one of Doug's favorites - curry chicken salad, a Mac and beef casserole, a shepherd's pie (ready to cook), and a creamy grape salad (semi-healthy, semi-dessert :-). Some I froze, and others are just ready to pop in the oven.

After being on my feet for quite a bit of the day, I was ready to relax last night. Doug and I enjoyed some "veg" time, too. I wasn't able to sleep very well, because I have some sciatic nerve pain in my lower back / hip area. Even with major stretching it didn't go away. When I went to bed, I had quite a bit of pressure in my pelvic area, along with the sciatic pain. I was up every hour, it seemed, when I tried to flip over. (I feel like a beluga whale when trying to flip over in bed!) I thought this kid might announce her arrival at that point. No such luck. I do have the continuing pressure today and more difficulty in walking, but nothing more. Hopefully that is some sort of progress, though?

For work, I dialed into my weekly staff call this afternoon. They were surprised that I was even on the phone, and that the baby hasn't yet arrived. My teammates are all being very supportive at this point. I'm so lucky that I work with such nice people!

I am beginning to think I might need to be induced after all. When I asked Doug, though, he seems to think we'll go into labor on our own. Let's hope so!

Our next appointment is Wednesday afternoon. Say your prayers that we DON'T make it to Wednedsay's appointment, and if we do, that we've made some progress.

We'll keep you updated!

With love,
Shelly and Doug

Yep, you guessed it...

We're still here! No changes at all since yesterday. I am really beginning to think they'll have to induce me, in order for this baby to come out!

Today we are 40 weeks plus one day.

A little cloudy here in Georgia, but Doug and I might go for a walk later today.

The weather was nice yesterday so we decided to take a drive to look at houses in Cumming, Georgia, to a high-end residential development called "Vickery". Doug wanted to take some pictures to add to his folder of architectural resources. It is a very nice community, with many different styles of architecture. Homes range from 400k to 1 million plus.

http://www.hedgewoodhomes.com/community.asp?communityID=2

Well, that's about it for now.

Hoping this message finds you well!

With love,
Doug and Shelly

Hangin' Around

We're still here! No news yet.

Doug and I just got back from our 2.75 loop-de-loop around the neighborhood. I am still able to walk with ease, so far.

Today was the baby's tentative arrival date, but I think she'll make us wait a bit longer.

Hope you are all having a great day!

Love,
Shelly and Doug

Eggplant Parmesan

Hello!

The eggplant parmesan was purdy good last night! Obviously as I'm typing this now, it didn't get us to the Labor and Delivery ward last night... :-) We went to Scalini's and found that our friend Amy Hoffman was working there. She is a server at Scalini's, and took the best care of us!

The mystery ingredient in the eggplant did seem to TRY to have it's affect on the baby last night... I had some strange feelings (possibly Braxton-Hicks contracts) while sleeping last night, and my stomach got very hard. Nothing before going to sleep, though.

Can't blame this kid for not wanting to give up a good thing... Right now, she is warm, fed, sleeps whenever she wants and can't be bothered :-)

Today is a gorgeous day outside. I'm wondering if I should curb my "walking alone" outside at this point, and just stick to the treadmill (aka dreadmill)... That's no fun, especially when it is as beautiful outside as it is today!

I suppose we won't be having a little "clover" today, so maybe she'll arrive as our "tulip" on the first day of Spring? (03/20)

We hope this message finds you well, and ready to enjoy the weekend!

With love,
Shelly and Doug

"Princess Buttercup"...

Hey folks!

We just got back from our 40 week doctor's appointment. No news, just yet.

She says we're doing great, progressing very well, but no signs of dialation just yet. They weren't able to "strip the membranes" at today's appointment because we aren't dialated. So, we're getting very good at playing the waiting game!

I even walked 5 MILES yesterday, knowing TODAY was our chance at being dialated for the appointment...Thinking gravity might've helped yesterday, but it didn't. I might have to go buy a pogo stick or something! (Wouldn't that be a funny sight... a pregnant woman jumping around the neighborhood on a pogo stick?)

I lost 1 lb at today's appointment, which I can't believe is possible with my appetite lately ;-), so we're up 26 lbs so far. Our next appt is next Wednesday at 4:40, but LET'S HOPE she plans to arrive before that!



P.S.- We're thinking of buying stock in Cheez-Its. :-) The starch / cheese / salt combo seems to be what this kid loves. Early on in the pregnancy it was the GHETTO VERSION (powder form - no Deluxe Shells and Cheese, thank you very much) of KRAFT MAC AND CHEESE. I could actually make Kraft Mac and Cheese in the microwave - 11 minutes, stir once after 5 minutes - without looking at the directions, I ate it that often!!! Poor Doug was a trooper for helping with those leftovers, so often! I think my queasy stomach knew that the bland Mac and Cheese was about all it could handle! Oddly enough, I still get HORRIBLE heartburn when I eat anything tomato-based. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE TOMATOES, too. I will be so relieved when the heartburn goes away. I hear it goes away as soon as the baby is born. Wacky, wild stuff.

Tonight we're going to Scalini's for some eggplant parmesan. It helped to induce our friends the Fletchers right before Thanksgiving... Let's hope it has the same affect on us! (There is a wall at Scalini's with babies born within 24 hours after Mom ate eggplant parmesan at this restaurant. Something about oxytocin being naturally found in eggplant).

http://www.provinos.com/index.html
http://www.turnersouth.com/network/shows/bluebird-cafe/episodes/article/0,,780,00.html


I guess she'll get here when she is good and ready!

We'll be sure to post as soon as some progress occurs...

Love,
Shelly and Doug

Keep On Chooglin'

I THINK that is the name of one of the the CCR (Credence Clearwater Revival) Albums? So, we'll keep on chooglin' this week. :-)

No new signs of baby's arrival yet. I was really hoping the full moon might get something going, but nothing yet! So far, I've eaten fresh pineapple, an eggplant dish for lunch on Monday, tried walking, taken daily doses of Evening Primrose Oil and Red Raspberry Leaf tea. Anything to not go two and 3/4 weeks over like my Mom did with me! A St. Patty's little clover might be in our cards!

Hopefully all of these things prepare us for our "membrane strippage" :-) on Thursday, if we're dialated.

We've gone for our 2.75 mile walks every day (or evening) since Saturday, with it beginning to stay light out longer these days. Last night I had to walk a little more slowly with the last mile, due to pressure, but not too bad.

We'll be sure to post more when we have more info (hopefully Thursday)!

I hope you are all doing very well and enjoying this soon-to-be-Spring weather!

With love,
Shelly and Doug

The Progression Of Things (Or Lack Thereof!)

Hello!!!

Doug and I went to our 39 week appointment this afternoon. I thought there might be some sort of progress, as I've felt some increased pressure in my pelvic area. (Still not waddling yet, though). No progress this time :-( We're not dialated at all, and no new symptoms that our little one is ready for her arrival.

I lost 1 lb since last week's appointment, so IT MUST'VE BEEN THAT CUBAN LUNCH last week???? :-) Still trying to convince myself of that :-)

The nurse-midwife still said they will "let me go" until I am 42 weeks pregnant before they will induce labor. I would prefer that they NOT induce labor, as I think anyone's body will move through labor more quickly and efficiently on it's own... I also don't want to be pregnant in the month of May!!! ;-)

Next week, if I am dialated at all, the nurse-midwife stated she can "strip my membranes," which can often induce labor naturally. I have to be dialated in order for this to occur. I am hoping that this can happen next week...The nurse-midwife also stated that if "stripping the membranes" DOES work, a woman will naturally go into labor within 24 hours. I've heard of women having this done week after week, though, with no progress. We'll see if it has a positive affect on me?

Our next appointment is scheduled for Thursday (03/16) at 11:00 a.m.... This being said, we could potentially have a little "clover" of a baby on St. Patty's Day!

So... I suppose we will plan on dinner at Scalini's on 03/16 (the day of our next doctor's appointment) for some eggplant parmesan. Maybe a VERY LONG walk afterward? Jumping jacks? Kidding...

Here is a list of the things I've been told can possibly cause a woman to go into labor. Some are pretty hilarious! Some may be too much information, but hey, I'm just relaying the facts here!!! :-) I'm not so desperate that I would drink castor oil at this point... EEEWWWWW... I hear it causes more trips to the bathroom than anything, if you follow me here... Can you imagine?

I am taking evening primrose oil, red reaspberry leaf tea, and continuing to walk. The pineapple is sounding good these days, too!

Ways To Naturally Induce Labor
Drinking castor oil
Eating black licorice
Taking Evening Primrose Oil
Drinking red raspberry leaf tea
Sex
Walking
Exercise
Eating spicy food
Eating eggplant parmesan
Eating a lobster dinner
Eating fresh pineapple
Doing squats
Enemas
Fasting and dehydration
Stimulating nipples
Taking blue and black cohosh
Stripping the membranes
Taking a ride down a bumpy road
Drinking balsamic vinegar
Reflexology
Accupressure

We hope to post some GREAT progress sometime soon!

Please continue to keep us (all) in your prayers as we go through this new venture in our lives.

With love,
Shelly

WE'RE growing in leaps and bounds....

Hello, everyone!

Well, we're in the home stretch! Again, I am amazed that the belly can stretch this far. I've caught myself snickering at the gi-normous size of my belly in the mirror (it's gi-normous to me, at least, although girls at work think I'm carrying "petite"). No decorative stretch-marks yet, but that could be just around the corner!

We're still feeling great. I don't think I will be having the baby this week, based on how I'm feeling, but what do I know :-) 'Never done this before!

Doug and I walked three miles on Saturday, and then three miles on Sunday. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here, so we decided to enjoy some sunshine! I've been keeping up with a brisk treadmill mile or two a day (more often 1.5 miles) to keep the muscles in shape for labor. Some days are rougher than others, but I truthfully haven't been "waddling" yet.



Doug and I also took our last pre-kid "road trip" on Saturday, up to Cleveland, GA, situated in the north Georgia mountains. Doug is working on house plans for someone we know, and wanted to see the land on which the house will be located. It was a perfect day for a drive, and nice to get away for a little bit. We saw Cabbage Patch "Babyland" while visiting Cleveland. Cleveland is the home of Babyland General Hospital, where visitors can "watch the delivery of the unique Cabbage Patch Kids." Cleveland is the hometown of Cabbage Patch creator Xavier Roberts. The old town hospital was turned into the museum. Very cute! http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com

Last week, when I went to the doctor, I had gained 4 lbs! Unbelievable! I don't see how this is humanly possible (especially since I've been good about the treadmill and haven't been spending my day stuffing the "face"). They typically say in the last two months that a pregnant woman should gain 1-2 lbs per week. I have been gaining 1 lb per week, so I guess I was "due" for the 4 lbs. My appointment was after lunch this time (instead of before lunch, as it typically is), so THIS pregnant lady tried to tell herself it was the Cuban restaurant food sitting in my stomach that caused the big # on the scale :-) We're up 25-26 lbs. from pre-pregnancy weight. This is actually right where they want me to be... They told me originally that they want me to gain 30 lbs while pregnant. So, limiting future Cuban lunches, we should be okay ;-)

I did tell Doug the other night, while eating dinner, that I would rather just be fed intravenously now, instead of eating food. :-( Food isn't the glorious experience I imagined it would be at this point. It seems to be all about "calories in", and because my stomach is all crunched-in there with the baby and all, I get full so fast, so it's really not that enjoyable. Funny thing is, I remember a friend (Kathy Flanigan) telling me that everything she ate when she was pregnant was "the best" of whatever it was she ate. For example, if it was a piece of chicken, it was "the best chicken" she'd ever had. If it was a piece of broccoli, it was "the best broccoli" she'd ever had. At this point for me, food hasn't been anything to write home about. Interesting how different people experience different things during pregnancy!

We've been seeing a lot of knee and appendage action in my belly, lately. The doctor commented that the baby is very active, and that it was refreshing to see such a healthy pregnant lady like myself. Okay, I think he must say that to everyone. It was nice to hear that, regardless, though!

WE'RE READY
We're down to the weekly appointments, now. At the last appointment (last Thursday), we weren't dialated at all. Hopefully that changes, now that we're officially considered "full term". The next appointment is this Thursday at lunchtime. The bun should be fully cooked by now! Our house is almost as clean as I'd like, dinners and soups are frozen, baby clothes washed and organized, and bags for the hospital are packed...

Doug is thinking she'll make her grand entrance on 03/20 and weigh 7 lbs 6 ounces. I am thinking 03/20 and 8 lbs 2 ounces, although the thought of a St. Patty's baby is sounding better and better these days...

Can't wait to meet her, finally! Looking forward to seeing Doug as a sweet Dad, too. I know he's going to be the best Dad!

With love,
Shelly