Another great doctor visit :-)

We had our weekly dr. visit and second NST this past Wednesday. Not too much new to report on the baby front. I've stopped drinking that soda and eating those silly peeps...so my weight is back down and my feet aren't swelling quite as much. My blood pressure is creeping upward, but not high enough to require meds or permanent bed rest. Otherwise, my vitals are great. The baby is doing well from what they can tell from the outside :-o

Our second NST went similar to the first. Our little guy just doesn't perform on demand! He definitely wants his nap time between 8-10 in the morning. (Which is precisely when I have time free at work to schedule these appointments.) The nurses have this funny gizmo that vibrates the outside of my belly...supposedly it stimulates the baby and wakes him up to get him moving. Nope. Our son seems to be a sound sleeper like his mom; he comfortably ignored the vibrations, though it made me laugh my head off because it tickled AND looked funny to see my belly shaking! In the end, this meant I was "plugged-in" for a longer time (about 45min) until he moved several times on his own.

While waiting for the movements, we got to ask the doc some questions about the upcoming birth. She also thinks she might induce a bit early, and definitely not let me run later than 40 weeks. We haggled a bit as to when I should leave work and go on rest. She told me if I decide to violate the bed rest with teaching a class or two, just don't tell her about it :-) Right now, I've tentatively decided to work through the end of October...and maybe just teach my Botany class in November. Mostly because I don't know if the other faculty here can do it/or feel confident they can teach about plants. But, like all else, we'll play it by ear!

All in all, the doc says I need to start taking things easier and trying to get off my feet more. I'm about ready to agree. There are some nights I know I feel little feet pushing against my diaphragm and making me short of breath!

Month 8 = Honeydew!

I can see the finish line! I'm in the home-stretch now with a little under 7 weeks to go until I'm at full term of 40 weeks. If the baby feels like being born any time now, he has an pretty great chance of survival. Hmmm...Maybe I should put up a calendar and take bets as to when he's leaving the womb :-)

Here's what's happening this month with baby growth: Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

Grand Haven

Last weekend we headed west to the Lake for the day. I had pregnancy random desire to walk on the beach and feel the sand between my toes. Thankfully, Brian was perfectly willing to humor me in this outing. Grand Haven is a 30minute-ish drive from Grand Rapids; its pretty-much a touristy town on the water with a long canal into the boat harbor.

It was an overcast day, so the temperature was cool and good walking weather. Also, there weren't too many people out that day because of the threat of rain. We parked on the Main st. and walked along the canal toward the open water. My guess is it was about 1 mile out to the lighthouse and

a mile back to the car.

I got to play in the lake water, which was surprisingly still warmish. We then walked on out the boardwalk to the lighthouse. Brian

was really good at seeing huge carp along the pier; there were even a few people fishing out there. At the very end the wind was definitely more noticeable and I was not surprised to see some of the small boats heading back into the harbor.

The walk was slow going for me, since I'm closer to waddling than striding these days. Poor Brian had to shorten his stride so he wouldn't get too far ahead of me. It was a great time to just chill and talk and enjoy one of the last days of the summer. I didn't feel tired until near the end on the way

back to the car...but my stubbornness prevailed and

I made it. The reward was an excellent meal in a local Italian restaurant.

Just for giggles

Great answers to common Pregnancy Questions:

Should I have a baby after 35?
No, 35 children is enough.

I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
With any luck, right after he finishes college.

What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
Childbirth.

My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labor?
Not unless the word "alimony" means anything to you.

Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
Yes, pregnancy.

Do I have to have a baby shower?
Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
When the kids are in college.

Don't vote, unless you care about the issues...

A friend sent me this you-tube video created to help get people motivated to vote in the upcoming election. I expect ALL of you reading this blog to get out to the polls and vote this year!
Remember, you can't complain about the government if you didn't voice an opinion on who is sitting in Washington.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DtNcNq-TAU&NR=1

First non-stress test

We again headed to the very pink women's clinic for our (now) weekly apointment. This week our usual ob/gyn was not available, so we scheduled with one of her colleagues instead. This was also our first NST.

The doctor was...ok. A little formal, a little stuffy, and seemed a little uncomfortable with a new patient. I totally didn't mind that it was guy, but I am glad I wasn't in for an internal exam with him! Usually, Brian and I have no problem with scheduling with alternative doctors because we only have certain times in our schedules that work. We both totally like both the wife and her husband maternal doctors, who we see for the ultrasound. I'm just not sure I would like being visited by this doc again, unless I don't have a choice. Oh well...live and learn.

The NST was a bit of a hoot. I get to recline in this comfy chair and they hook me up to a monitor with two probes. One is measuring any uterine contractions, and the other is monitoring the fetal heartbeat. They are hoping that the baby is active and that when he moves, his heart rate will increase. While lying there hooked up, I definitely felt like I was "jacked-in" to the martix or at least a video game (although the graphics sucked). Today as usual, I had breakfast and big glass of orange juice, and had hoped that our dude to be jumping around after this food in-take. However, he was pretty quiet except for the occasional kick to my bladder. Brian even tried some belly jiggles to wake him up. I wasn't too surprised, because this early in the day is his usual nap time. In the end, we had enough movement out of him that they were able to see that his heart rate was fine. It was a little weird sitting there with Brian just listening to the heart beat and watching his numbers change...little action, but we were still mesmerized :-) Reminded me of college days when one person was playing the video game and the rest of the gang was sitting around watching and offering advice!

In the end, it was a good visit. My blood pressure is still about normal for me. I've gained a few pounds these two weeks...so I have a reason that my belly kept feeling like it was stretching out. I've stopped drinking the soda, and my ankles have stopped swelling as much. And, of course, as soon as I wasn't strapped up to the monitor, our little guy decides to have a party and his moving all over the place. Sheesh! Already trying to be contrary while in the womb! We'll be back to see our regular doctor next week, and get another NST, and if I'm really "lucky" I'll be on the receiving end of an internal exam as well.