We Made It

I survived my five weeks as a single mother! You know I'm a mom of a three year old when I feel like singing "We Did It" from Dora The Explorer. :p

Joe came home for good Wednesday night (until he returns to work on Monday, August 1st)! It went very fast and wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be. It really helped that I had Logan go to preschool 3 days a week and that last week he stayed with his grandparents and that Joe was able to come home for more than just Saturdays & Sundays.

Logan's been better-behaved this week, too. He's been doing a cute thing where he points to his nose and then at Joe or me and smiles. I don't know why he does it or where he learned it, but he does it just out of the blue so it makes us laugh.

I was able to get an appointment with my doctor today rather than wait until tomorrow because I wanted to get my membranes stripped again ASAP! (Although I had to wait an hour and was the final person in the waiting room today. . .but I didn't care because it was my last appointment ever!) The bad news is that there was no change in my dilation this week -- I am still almost 5. (Although that's not really "bad" LOL.) The good news is that I've since had lots of cramping since she did it at 5:30ish (last time I felt totally normal afterward) so there is still hope for me going into labor before Monday! (She couldn't believe that I was still pregnant, either.) If Monday does come without Baby, because I'm pretty much 5 cm, my doctor said they can start by breaking my water to see if that is enough to get me going -- then I wouldn't even need pitocin or anything else.

The hospital called me earlier today and registered me and went through the whole delivery-and-afterward process so that felt surreal. (I obviously was never prepped for my stay with Logan since he was three weeks early; I found this to be more nerve-wracking.)

I'm still at 35 lbs gained, but clearly she's gotten bigger since my 36 week check up so I'm not sure how that works. My blood pressure has sky rocketed to 140 over something. Finally, I was happy to hear that my doctor is working this weekend (she's been off the past two weekends).

I am bummed because my newborn photographer won't be able to take her 2-week-pictures because of the flooding in her area of Omaha! (She had to put her photography stuff in storage.) I spent two entire months last October thru December researching every newborn photographer in this area, comparing prices and work, etc. until I found one that was perfect. After I contacted her in December, I confirmed everything again in March because I just had a feeling it was too good to be true. I learned on Wednesday that I was right, after I emailed her to let her know of my induction date so as to schedule the actual session.

Now I have to go with someone who might not take as good of shots or the shots that I've had in my mind - because I'm certainly not spending $1000-$2000 for the more expensive photographers around here. Yet another reason I am glad I bought my new lens and have made photography my hobby (so that in the future I can take my own pics. . .I just wanted someone super experienced for her first photos since I didn't do it with Logan and regret it).

Anyway, after I last blogged on Monday, Logan and I went to the grocery store. On Tuesday we went to Babies R Us. Wednesday we blew bubbles outside. Thursday/today all three of us packed boxes since we hadn't as of that one week in May! (Joe is going to paint Monday eve and/or Tuesday while I'm in the hospital and then we'll get our POD to put everything in July 30/31st.) Needless to say, it was a very uneventful week but I did not want to get tired before having the baby, since I started to feel that way on Wednesday anyway.

It started Tuesday night because I kind of had a panic attack, as up until then I had been calm and relaxed about the baby's size. It seemed unlikely that until then she could bigger than Logan -- but by now it's very likely, as I've gone almost 2 entire weeks passed my pregnancy with Logan. I pray pray pray that there is no shoulder dystocia this time! I just keeping seeing the word TRUST in my mind and thinking that I must just trust God because for me to have done everything I could to naturally induce and to be as far along as I am and not have gone into labor, He must feel that she shouldn't come out yet. Whether that's simply because she's going to be fine no matter when she comes out, so every day longer is one less day of stress with our move, or because it's meant to be this time that I'm induced -- whether that's because pitocin will help push her out or an epidural will relax my pelvis or even a c-section may be best. Maybe I just needed to get to a point where I don't care anymore HOW she comes out, as long as she comes out healthy & smoothly! I am definitely there.

Also Tuesday night I started getting all nostalgic with Logan. I've blogged here before that I've never cried at his baby photos or felt he's grown too fast, etc. -- but that all changed on Tuesday. I decided I wanted to make Logan a photo book of our activities here in Omaha from the past three years so that he can look at it often which will help him hold on to the memories before Sister. . .knowing that this was really our final week meant extra snuggles!

So here we are Thursday evening now. . .I can't believe I'm just a few days away from having a son AND a daughter -- or sooner if something happens this weekend. (Good timing because I had to put away my last of two shirts and the last three of my four pair of pants.) I have no idea who is going to win the Baby Rodgers Challenge Part Two, as over these final four days everyone guessed I'd have a boy! My grandpa/stepdad's dad guessed tomorrow, my dad's old co-worker guessed Saturday, my childhood friend guessed Sunday, and my uncle/dad's brother guessed Monday. Size estimates range from 7 lbs, 2 oz to 7 lbs, 9 oz. The closest girl guesses are from a college friend who guessed the latest time today and a childhood friend's mom who guessed Tuesday morning. Their size estimates ranged from 7 lbs, 6 oz to 7 lbs, 15 oz. So, just like this baby girl's birthday, even the winner of the game is still a mystery!