38 Weeks

Check out my New Jersey hair!  LOL:-)

He is sooooooo BIG!!!

2 weeks left!

Only 2 weeks (hopefully) until my Mace arrives:-)  My doctor's appointment did not go as great as I was hoping.  The good news is that Mason's heartbeat was at 134 beats per minute and I was measuring at 38 1/2 weeks.  His head is down and he is in the right position, but unfortunately, I am still only one centimeter dilated.  I had 3 days of continous contractions and no progress was made:-(  In order for the doctor to strip my membranes next Tuesday, I have to be at least 2 centimeters dilated.  It is time to bring out the big guns!  This week will consist of long walks, jumping jacks, spicy foods, and any other old wives' tales I could find on the Internet, minus the castor oil.  LOL!  The doctor was concerned with my swollen feet and ankles.  My blood pressure was higher than normal as well, so I have to go back on Friday and the nurse will check my pressure again.  With all of the record breaking heat over the past 2 weeks, no wonder Mason doesn't want to come out.  LOL!  Between the heat, aches and pains, and contractions, I am finally at the point where mentally and physically I am ready for him to come.  My hospital bag and Mason's diaper bag are ready to go.  Now it is up to him to decide when he will grace us with his presence:-)       

Greenway Baby Shower

On Friday after school, my wonderful coworkers surprised me with a very special baby shower.  I am so blessed to work with such an amazing group of people.  Everyone has been so caring and generous since the beginning of this pregnancy.  I feel so lucky to know that my students will be well taken care of in my absence.  In the beginning, I was stressed out because I have never left my students for such a long period of time.  But now I feel secure and I know that everything is going to work out perfectly.  Thank you so much to my fantastic special ed team and everyone else!  My last day of work will be this Friday, 9/2, and I will return 11/7.  I will be able to focus all of my attention on my little angel!

This weekend has been interesting!  I had consistent contractions Friday and Saturday night.  The contractions started at about 5 PM both nights and lasted until after midnight.  On Saturday, they were painful and about 3-5 minutes apart for 3 hours.  When I was ready to head to the hospital, they finally slowed down.  I have been taking it easy all day today and I have had inconsistent contractions here and there.  This has been so frustrating.  I wish there was a definitive feeling that would let me know if I was in labor.  Everyone keeps saying you will know, but I sure as heck did not know this weekend.  I have my next doctor's appointment on Tuesday, so hopefully I will get some answers.  My goal is to make it to this weekend so that I could get through my last week of work.  Mason may have a different agenda:-)

Maternity Pictures

Thanks to our friend Beth, Marc and I took maternity pictures 2 weeks ago.  I was very skeptical about these photos, especially after visiting websites that show extremely awkward pregnancy photos.  LOL!  (you should check it out:-)  The photographer was very nice and made us feel comfortable.  We only purchased a few pictures, but I was overall pleased with the way they turned out.  Now I have to prepare for Mason's first photography session.  I can't believe that he is going to be here really soon!!! 

37 Week Appointment

After leaving the doctor today, I feel better about my "big" man.  She was very pleased with the progress that he made.  Mason has officially dropped and I am dilated to 1 centimeter.  Only 9 more to go!  I am 25% effaced and she was able to feel his head.  The doctor explained that I could go into labor tonight or in 2 weeks.  She also did show some concern about the size of my angel.  She explained that if I have not gone into labor by 39 weeks, then she is going to strip my membranes.  I hope Mason comes on his own because that sounded pretty painful.  But, on the other hand, pushing out a 9 pounder sounds pretty painful too:-)  The earlier I go into labor, the smaller he will be.  Now that everything is really happening, I better finish all of those last minute details I have been putting off.  At least the nursery is done, bassinet is put together, and the car seat is installed.  Ready or not he is coming!  I can't wait!!!! 

The nursery is finally finished!  We only need pictures of our Mace to put on the shelves:-)

7 Pound Honeydew??!!!!!!

My Handsome (BIG) Prince

The Nursery (95% finished)

We are just waiting for the glider and a new light!

A 7 pound baby is in that large belly!  OMG!!!

According to the website thebump.com, at 36 weeks pregnant, the baby should be the size of a honeydew.  According to my ultra sound today, Mason weighs 7 pounds!!!  That is either the biggest honeydew ever, or their scale is wrong!  My little man is HUGE and I still have 4 weeks until full term!  Mason could potentially be a 9 pounder if I make it the remaining 27 days.  According to my doctor, he has not fully dropped and I am not dilated at all.  She feels that he will most likely not come this week.  On a positive note, he is healthy and looks gorgeous!  I still tear up every time I get an ultra sound and I get to see my little angel.  The ultra sound tech said that Mason has a lot of hair.  So much for that old wives' tale of hair on the baby's head means that mom has a lot of heartburn.  I have been blessed to not have to experience that so far throughout this pregnancy.  I am experiencing swollen feet and ankles.  My once thin, bony ankles are now retaining tons of water.  I also have Fred Flinstone feet!  I am so grateful for my wonderful husband though!  He fills buckets of warm water and epsom salt and I can sit on the couch and soak my feet.  I was orginally sitting on the edge of the bathtub for 30 minutes, but that was really hurting my back.  Marc surprised me the other night while I was catching up on my favorite shows.  Now I get to relax, watch TV, and soak my swollen limbs in comfort!  My next appointment is set for Monday, so I am hoping he has not grown too much by then:-)    

35 Weeks

I can't believe that this pregnancy is coming to an end in a few short weeks.  I am starting to get more nervous and scared at this point.  I am extremely excited to finally meet my little Mason, but I am terrified of the process beforehand.  At 35 weeks I am starting to experience a lot more discomfort.  Sleeping is pretty much nonexistent at this point, but on the positive side, I will be prepared for late night feedings:-)  I feel like an old lady between my hip and back pains, but thank goodness for my wonderful husband and his excellent massages.  Unfortunately, my kickboxing days are over:(  I am struggling walking around my house, so needless to say I won't be going to the gym until after my Mason arrives.  I feel like Mason may have dropped this weekend because I can breathe a lot better, but I have some serious pressure in my lower abdomen and I rush to the bathroom constantly.  I understand that this is all part of the process and all of this will be forgotten when I hold my baby in my hands for the first time:-)  I went to the doctor the other day and she said everything looks great.  Mason was relaxed and his heartbeat was 135 beats per minute.  I am still measuring a week ahead.  I only gained 1 pound in 2 weeks!  I was nervous that it might be more because I ate so much when my family was here visiting.  The next visit we will do an ultra sound to find out how much he weighs and to make sure he is in the correct position.  The doctor will also be checking to see if I am dilated yet.  I still can't believe that this pregnancy is almost over and a new chapter in our lives is about to begin!

Poppa's 80th Birthday

Happy Birthday Poppa!

The Family (That dress makes me look huge!!!!)

George and Marc

My Austin is growing up so fast!

Marc and Jeffrey

Aunt Susan, David, and Uncle Andrew

Momma and Poppa

We celebrated my poppa's 80th birthday on August 1.  It has been so great having my aunt, uncle, and cousins visit from New York.  We have had a lot of fun eating, hanging out at the pool, shopping, and eating some more!  I think that I have eaten more food in this one week than I have throughout the entire pregnancy!  It is very difficult to resist Momma's cooking.  I am going to miss my family and I look forward to taking Mason back to New York for a visit.  I have my 35 week doctor's appointment tomorrow and I will keep you posted:-)