Merry Christmas

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Glass Half Empty

Rachel is great. Really, she is. She's doing all the wonderful things babies at her age do if not more (remember, my children are extremely advanced. They are. Just ask me :) )

Butttt...there is one thing that she hasn't done that is preoccupying 90 percent of my effort. That's right. She hasn't said "mama" yet.

So, maybe it's self centered. Maybe I carried her for nine months, act like a milking cow and wrestle her multiple times a day to get her dressed, change her diaper, avoid her getting her fingers bit off my the dog...you know, normal stuff.

Oh, she says "dada" just find. "Hi, Dada". "Dadadadadadadadadadadadadadadada". Sounds like, "Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah." to me. I mean really, where's the love?

Who gets up with you at night, Rachel? Mama. Who produces nourishment for you? Mama. Who carried you? Had labor? Suffered? Pain? Agony? That's right. Mama. But, if you want to say Dada, that's fine.

Seriously, I will sit there any try to get it out of her. Like saying it slower is going to help.

ME: "Rachel, say 'Maaaaaama'"
RACHEL: "Dada"
ME: "No, 'Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaama'"
RACHEL" "Dada"
ME: "Mama"
RACHEL: (Spitefully, with an attitude and maybe a little twinkle in her eye) "Da.Da."
ME: (Crying) "For the love! Say, 'MAMA'"
RACHEL: (Hysterically laughing) "Ginger" (yeah, that would be our dog) "Ethan" (brother) "President Bush" (well, you know).
ME: (in anguish, weakly) "mama?"
RACHEL: "Um, no. Dada"

Okay, so maybe there's a little hyperbole. But really, am I asking too much?

6, er , 7 month check-up

Due to several scheduling snafus, Rachel's six-month check ended up being at seven months. She's very healthy, 19lbs, 26.75" and 17.23" head circumference which is the 78th, 53rd and 73rd percentiles. And, someone told me she was "so small" yesterday. I asked if she had ever seen a baby before ;)

This month was eventful. She is now sitting very well and able to go from her belly to a sitting position. She also has learned she can pull herself up on things and that her crib mattress really is a great trampoline! She got her first tooth on Oct. 16; the better to bite me while nursing with...and looks as though she's getting a few more. She learned how to wave bye-bye (whole arm wave) and can say hi though I really don't think she knows what it means. However, whenever she is on my lap while we're reading other baby's blogs, she'll wave at the baby and say hi about six thousand times.

I have also begun teaching her some simple signs--milk, eat, more, all done, cup and poop (you know all the important ones). Anyway, after her shots yesterday, I nursed her as usual and when I thought she was done, I started getting her ready to go. Let me tell you, she made the sign for milk like there was no tomorrow. Poor baby wasn't done :) But, I'm hoping this helps alleviate her grunting when she's not getting what she wants.

She also has learned how to bounce in a sitting position which can scoot her a little. However, the funnier thing is watching her reach for something in front of her, fold completely over, make the crawling motion with her hands but have her feet still stuck underneath (video forthcoming).

With the first one, you want them to hurry up and move--crawl, scoot, walk, whatever. But, with Rachel, I'm really happy right now knowing I can sit her down and she'll still be there when I get back. Over the next few weeks, Ben and I are going to have to baby-proof the house because I'm sure the inevitable is going to happen soon!

So Big

The missing socks and DaDa

I think it's funny that she actually reacts to my question, "Where's your socks?" by looking down like, "Gee, I don't know?!"

Why I Hate My PCP's Office Staff Part II

I showed up for Rachel's six month appointment at 11 a.m. today only to be told that the appointment is tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Now, I have an appointment at 11 tomorrow, which was scheduled after my first OB followup appointment so I know that it has been in my planner forever.

Why would I schedule Rachel's appointment for that day? So, I say to the receptionist, "Well, how are we going to fix this?" And, she says, "I don't know. I wasn't the one who showed up on the wrong day." EXCUSE ME?

Then, I think she caught herself. "Let's look at the schedule and see when we can reschedule you for." Yeah, do you think?

So, we begin looking at dates and every day or time she gave I couldn't do. And, then, like icing on a cake she peers over her reading glasses and says sternly, "You're going to have to work with me to get this scheduled." What exactly does one say to that?

"Really? Because up until this point, I've been trying to see how long until you snap. Looks like I've done it. Now, let's get down to business."

Bashful

Rachel is a rather pleasant baby but her over-the-top reaction to strangers (and, funny enough, her dad) is just too much.

Every time, she'll look away and bury her head in my shoulder and then quickly look back like "Oh, you're too much. But, really please do more". It's sad, but I think she's a prima donna already!

See for yourself...

Mmm, Mmm, Good

The picture to the right is macaronni, tomato and beef dinner. Delicious! *Warning: Once consumed, Macaronni, Tomato and Beef Dinner will cause anything coming out of your baby to smell just like the contents of the jar of baby food* PS: The smell is not exactly what you would call pleasing...

Unrelated but Pretty!

Here's our view from the dining room. Gotta love all the pollution in the air around here that causes all the colors :)

Words!

Well, sort of words. She is saying "da" and "ba" and what sounds a whole heck of a lot like "hi". All in one day. She slept in today. That must have done it!

Talking, or whatever you call it

Ahhheeee. Agggeeee. Ahhhgh.

Yes, the words of a 6-month old. She talks non-stop to anyone and anything. Usually flailing her arms and legs and screaming between "words".

I read online today that a 6-month old should be able to have noticable words "da", "ma", "ga". Though she doesn't do that quite yet, it's coming. Endless babble flows, mostly with her hand wedged inside her mouth.

Still no teeth yet. They are also coming.

She's getting up on her knees but usually has her head down. Or she's on her hands but butt is down. Ahh, the complicated combination that will open the door to mobility (and the rooms we've been keeping her out of).

It happens so fast. I half expect her to walk into the room one day with a "Hey, mom".

Someone once told me that we spend the first year telling them to stand up, walk and talk and we spend the rest of their lives telling them to sit down and shut up.

Profound, I do think.

Peek a Boo

Kisses

Brotherly love :) At least for now...I have a feeling that when she starts getting into his stuff, it may be a different story!

My Little Tigger

Rachel is quite active these days; sitting still is for the birds! She loves her scooter and "Johnny Jumper" (that's what they used to call it at least). Ethan would get to the point with the JJ that he would back up until his little tootsies would be barely touching the ground and then he would pick his feet up and SWING!!! She hasn't figured out she can do that yet but here's a video of one of her first attempts. And, yes, I know that the American Association of Pediatrics does not recommend using them. And, yes, I'm sure my son could have hurt himself. And, yes, I did watch him while he was in it. And, no, I don't use it as a baby sitter ;) Just thought I'd be proactive.

Oh, and I use a scooter, too. Tisk, tisk I know.

The Witchdoctor

So, after finding out that it's a virus and antibiotics will do no good, I turn to alternative medicine...the chiropractor.

Ben and I have been going to this chiropractor, who we fondly refer to as "The Witchdoctor", since we've been married. He's awesome, does great adjustments, provides us with advice and uses some interesting tactics.

When I told him that Rachel was sick, he did his "voodoo" tactics (okay, applied kinesiology to be specific) and said he suspects that she is not digesting her food as well as she should and believes she is a little adverse to carrots and peas. Her inability to digest causes a backup of the "poison" that should be passed through and causes illness.

He gave me some suggestions for vitamins that I would take (B12 and another supplement that I haven't received yet) and she will get passed to her through my breast milk.

I'll try anything once :) We'll see if it has an effect!

A No-Win Situation

Maybe I'm just a bad mother. Or maybe I have bad luck with pediatricians. But, everytime I seem to call when my kids are sick I am the one who ends up feeling awful.

If you don't call, you feel bad when you finally do call, go in and find out that they have a double ear infection. Then the nurse looks at me like I'm a bad mother. But, I also feel bad when I call and it's like it's a complete inconvenience for the nursing staff and a "how dumb are you?" conversation ensues. Or, you feel bad when you take them in and nothing is wrong, like you've just wasted their time (or at least that's how they make you feel).

Case in point...

Rachel has been running a 100-101 fever since Thursday. On Monday afternoon, the temp goes up to 102. I don't like giving my kids Tylenol unless they really need it but after a lot of lukewarm baths, cold compress, etc. and no resolve, I give her a dose of Tylenol to which the fever drops to 101 and then rebounds three hours later (it's a 4 hr dose). I continue with the Tylenol but on Tuesday morning she doesn't eat but two spoonfuls of cereal and a sip of milk. So, on Tuesday afternoon I call.

Here's the conversation:
*answering machine picks up* "Thank you for calling..blah blah blah...we're updating our medical records so we're limiting patient visits" Great. "Our nurses will triage for the situation...blah blah blah". I hit a number which goes to VM. I try again. Same thing. Finally, I hit the magic zero and get a live person who sounds pissed that I even called in.

Me: (already feeling bad for calling considering it's obviously a bother since they're doing that medical record thing) "Hi, my name is Meghan and my daughter, Rachel, is a patient ...."
Her: (cuts me off) "Date of birth"
Me: "APril 1, 2007"
Her: "Your name"
Me: "Um, Meghan"
Her: "Reason for calling"
Me: (Impressed how "efficient" she is being...oh wait, that's her being rude) "Well, she has been running a temp since Thursday, etc. (See above for details).
Her: "I'm sure it's teeth"
Me: "Well, I just thought since her temp went up to 102 and doesn't seem to be responding to Tylenol and she's really not eating and seems really tired that...
Her: "102 is a low grade temp"
Me: (in my head) "Since when!" (really) "Oh, well, with my son, the doctor told me anything over 101 was a fever?"
Her: "Uh, huh" (obviously irritated that I am still on the phone)
Me: "Okay, well, I just thought I should call" (feeling stupid)
Her: "You can bring her in at 2:45 if you want but that's the only appointment that we have today because we're changing to electronic medical records."
Me: (there's the medical records thing again) "Okay, that should work.. I'll ..."
Her: "You'll be seeing the nurse practitioner" (as if to talk me out of it)
Me: That's fine. I'll..
Her: Okay, bye. (Hangs up)

Nice huh? Well, Rachel was fine, just a virus they suspect or teeth. So, I feel stupid for taking her. I always feel like they're looking at me like I'm dumb when there's nothing wrong. Oh, well. Better know than her be really sick I guess.

I suppose I just can't win.

Potty Training

Okay, no more diapers. That's it. We're done. We're going to potty train our 5 month old. Ethan, our oldest, was 3 before we potty trained him. So, we're not messing around with this one. We're starting early. In fact, we should have started at birth.

Okay, yes, I'm kidding. But, you have to check out this article about how parents are potty training their kids from birth. It is common in parts of Africa and Asia where parents can't afford diapers. One woman quoted was training her 14-week old. I don't think it's the kid who's getting potty-trained...it's the parents.

Asleep at last

Ben asked Ethan to hold Rachel while he made a snack for him. Ben noticed it had gotten very quiet and when he went in this is what he found...

4 month check-up

She's healthy! 15lbs11oz, 25.5" and 40cm head circumference. She's doing just fine at the 75th, 50th and 90th percentiles.

New tricks for this month: in addition to shoving her hands in her mouth, she has also learned how to screech (and no, I don't mean scream...there is a big difference), how to barrel-roll across the floor though she's only done it twice, how to sing (in about the same key and tone that I sing...poorly for those who don't know me), and she's started reaching and grabbing. After she started grabbing for our food, we decided to try cereal. She does like her cereal and grabs onto our hands and shoves the spoon in her mouth. However, the applesauce gets an "I just ate a lemon" face that we're try to capture on camera. She also is fascinated by our mouths. She loves to stick her hands in my mouth and moves her lips like she's talking but all that comes out is either baby babble or a loud screech.

Raspberries: It's What Makes Eating Fun

Rachel has learned to blow raspberries. She makes them when she's happy, she makes them when she's mad, I even think she makes them in her sleep. They're cute until...she's eating. She loves to talk while I'm feeding her cereal but now she blows raspberries causing quite a mess.

Rolling Part II

Though I tried to get a video of Rachel starting on her back and rolling to her front, this is the best I could get after running and getting the camera. Then, of course she wouldn't do it again. So, really I didn't start her on her side.

Because I'm cute

Just because it's a cute outfit, I thought I'd take a picture. Her great-aunt and uncle Barbie and Steve got this for her.

Big Girl

Look at me! My first big girl bath!

Good Morning to You, Too!

We have a morning ritual that involves Rachel laying on my stomach (tummy time!) and talking to me. She usually gets excited, yells and shoves her hands in her mouth (hey, to each their own I guess). Anyway, this morning we were chatting and she got excited except this time she stuck her fingers too far down her throat and well, you can guess what happened.

I'm just thankful my mouth wasn't open.

Does this count?

Rachel rolled over from back to front yesterday so now she's really dangerous considering she has the potential to barrel roll across the house. Will she do it? Probably not but the potential is there. In other news, and because I love to push the envelope, I decided to see what would happen if I sat her up. Why not? Here's the results...

Whew!

Yes, we're still here. Just back from a lengthy, much needed vacation. For the record, if you have a three month old and your car air conditioning quits on hour 2 of a 12 hour trip, park the car and rent another. We drove to Washington, DC, and Outer Banks, NC, with no air. To make it even better, the forecast was 90+ and humid. Then, it rained on the way to DC so we had to roll the windows up! AHHHH!!!! Never again. But, the vacation was wonderful and the trip home was much cooler and therefore much better.

(above) Dad, Ethan and Rachel and Mr. Lincoln

(below) Happy Fourth of July

Rachel had her first taste of the ocean and wasn't too sure about it but had a good time otherwise. She got passed from person to person (we went with my family) and was very good. We think she's teething considering the slobber increase and the fact we haven't seen her fingers in a few days because they've been wedged inside her mouth!

First visit to a friend's house

Rachel has finally met Lily, a friend's daughter who was born 9 days after Rachel. (Lily's so adorable and I have pictures to prove it--see below!) Though the girls didn't really notice each other, I'm sure they will in the months to come. For us moms it's also much more fun when you have someone who really understands the concerns of leaky diapers (and leaking through shirts!) and sleepless nights.

Preferences

We had an emergency this morning that nearly killed us both...yes, it's true, we lost Rachel's pacifier. Now, we have nearly 10 others scattered throughout the house and you'd better believe I tried each of them. I tried feeding her, rocking her...anything I could think of. But no pacifier, no peace. FINALLY, I found it under her co-sleeper, wedged between her bed and the wall. Got it rinsed it "plugged it in" and ahhhh. She was asleep in about 2 minutes.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

So, curious me wondered when babies roll over. And, after a Google search I found a site that said babies may be able to roll over from front to back as early as two months. "By George! she's two months," I thought, "let's give it a whirl." And, wouldn't you know, she flipped right over. I guess this also is my admittance that I do not give her enough tummy time! This opens up a whole new world of being cautious when we're changing her and leaving her on the bed, etc. I guess they don't flip from back to front until four months so I have a little more time before she begins barrelrolling through the house.

As proof, (and since I finally learned how to add video to the blog), I have posted a short clip.

Fickle As A Pickle

It's funny what happens when moms stop looking...

2 Month Check-Up

"Little" Rachel weighed in at 13lb3oz and 23.5" and is perfectly healthy according to our favorite pediatrician at our 2 month check-up... that would be the 95th percentile, so I guess she's getting enough to eat!

Bath Time (how does her arm bend that way?)

She has been getting more and more alert every day and has taken to her bouncy seat (the one that vibrates) and has just started getting interested in her activity gym though it scares her when her hand accidentially hits Elmo or Big Bird which are hanging and they begin to swing or make noise.

Playing with Big Bird and Elmo

She's sleeping a little longer (which does not mean I feel more rested). In fact, last night she slept six hours straight! She continues to try to suck her thumb but mostly settles for her hand since she hasn't quite figured out how to coordinate sticking her thumb out, putting it in her mouth and not stabbing herself with her own fingernail.

We've also decided that we should begin a resume for her. I'm still working (from home) but we've been cutting commercials and working on several other projects. She has experience supervising commercial production and edit, media buying, Web site design and edit, print advertising copywriting and placement and writing policies. I'm pretty impressed! I made the comment the other day that she cut her first commercials before she cut her first teeth. And, to brag about what a good baby she is...she sat through four hours of TV edits, twice! What a trooper! I'll make a PR pro out of her yet!

What's on your desktop?

Here's what's on my desktop these days. It's my favorite picture of the kids. This was taken on Mother's Day at my mom's house. Many thanks to "Aunts" Sandy, Heather, Stacey and Carley for the soooo cute outfit!

Sleep Depravation

Another blog that I check frequently was discussing sleep deprivation in moms with babies. It was just funny until the other day when I was in the McDonald's drive thru. I had placed my order, given the girl my credit card, which she swiped and handed back, and was waiting for my food when she poked her head out of the window, looked down the building and then looked back at me....I forgot to pull forward.

Maybe another hour of sleep would do me good.

Torturing the Children

One way that we can effectively torture our children is to dress them in things that they never will wear when they are older.

Get me out of this stupid outfit!

Co-sleeping

One of the best sloutions I have found for getting Rachel to sleep is co-sleeping. It's like she's right in bed with me but protected by a bar so no one rolls and it is an add-on to the bed so we don't loose any sleep space either! Plus, I don't have to get my lazy self out of bed to change her diaper in the middle of the night. There are pockets right on the end of the co-sleeper that you can stuff all that stuff in. Now if only she will sleep through the night...

Mother's Day 2007

Happy Mommy's Day to all those who have kiddos! Ethan asked us yesterday why there was a Mother's Day. Of course I chimed in with "a day to honor your favorite person in the whole world....your mom". Ben's answer was a little different but probably more true..."Hallmark".

I thought as a tribute to Mother's Day 2007, I would post pictures of the other moms in Rachel's life....Her Nana (my mom)-top and her Grandma (Ben's mom) - bottom

What is it with grandmas and only having pictures when the baby is asleep. I scoured my photo library for photos of both of them and in all of them, Rach is sleeping!

Rachel turned 6 weeks old on Mother's Day. I can't believe it's been that long already. And, I can't believe how much she's changed in that short time. She's started smiling... and attempts to laugh but you have to work with her. Though at 4 a.m. she's usually wide awake and will smile at just about anything (if you can keep your eyes open).


And, finally she also has transitioned from that "cute baby cry" to the full out screams!

Grocery Shopping Reality

Rachel's first trip to the grocery store with mom...

• 2 trips to the bathroom to change her diaper,
• 1 feeding
• six people stopping us to look at her
• oh yeah, and 2 weeks worth of groceries (which I think is what I came for)

Total time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Third Chin

Yes, I know I am terrible for not posting. I remember this being easier last time :) So, I come bearing several pictures since none of you actually read what I write anyway!

Rachel is doing well; she's an eating machine. In fact, I think she's working on her third chin. I managed to sneak her onto the scale when Ethan was in for a sick visit yesterday, and she's well over 10lbs! She slept four hours yesterday (9pm-1am) which seemed like a full night sleep for me. She's a good baby but seems to have a bit of colic and is fussy from 5pm-9pm but then crashes so I really can't complain too much. She is holding her head up a little bit and tracking us all with her eyes though she goes cross-eyed pretty often which Ethan thinks is hysterical.

So, my mother chastized me for not having any pictures of Rachel's big brother holding her so I have posted a few. The first one shows just how excited he is to have a baby sister. He is a very big help to me (mostly, "go and get" types of errands but he LOVES to hold her too).

I like the look on her face in this one...
She has dimples! Which of course only come out when she "smiles" which she only does in her sleep (I guess we're not funny enough for her yet!)
And, she has her daddy's blue eyes at least for now.

April Fool's Baby!

Rachel Elizabeth finally arrived on April Fool's Day (and her aunt's b-day!) weighing in at 8lb3oz and a disputable 19.75". Labor and delivery went as well as could be expected (I'll spare you the details!), but I have to say that a 4-pounder (Ethan) and an 8-pounder feel about the same on their way out ;)

She is beautiful, healthy and at her check up on Wednesday has already gained another 6oz and miraculously an inch (I think the hospital measured wrong because she is loooong). She is a very good baby--sleeps 6 hours at night, never cries...oh wait...maybe -- is up every 2 hours and has a set of lungs on her is a little more accurate. But, we'll keep her anyway.

Big brother Ethan is doing very well with Rachel. He loves to hold her and she seems to think he's pretty cool too. Though he has been a little jealous of mommy spending too much time with the baby.

Now that I am up and around, I'll try post a little more often. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers.

Impatiently Waiting

Yes, I know I am not overdue but I am contracting every two minutes (as confirmed by my non-stress test), still 2 cm and 80% effaced. NO PROGRESS!!! They gave me more "stuff" to try. But, I am still here anxiously waiting and getting uncomfortable. So, yes I'm impatient! And, I can't fit behind the steering wheel :) I'll keep you posted!

We're getting there

So, after a "I think this is it" on Tuesday when contractions were 6 minutes apart for 4 hours, I have to say I'm disappointed that she's not here yet! We're sitting at about 2 cm and 90% effaced as of this morning...now it's all a waiting game. Though, after telling my midwife that I would rather have a self administered c-section rather than be induced with pitocin, she gave me a few suggestions on getting this process moving--raspberry leaf tea and evening primrose oil. So, off to the co-op we go! Baby is doing well but if this is any indication of her temperment, I'm in big trouble. Stay tuned!

We're getting there

So, after a "I think this is it" on Tuesday when contractions were 6 minutes apart for 4 hours, I have to say I'm disappointed that she's not here yet! We're sitting at about 2 cm and 90% effaced as of this morning...now it's all a waiting game. Though, after telling my midwife that I would rather have a self administered c-section rather than be induced with pitocin, she gave me a few suggestions on getting this process moving--raspberry leaf tea and evening primrose oil. So, off to the co-op we go! Baby is doing well but if this is any indication of her temperment, I'm in big trouble. Stay tuned!

No St. Pat's Baby

Well, this weekend came and went without event. Darn! I was hoping for a St. Pat's baby! Last Thursday's checkup was good. Rachel's heart rate was back up to normal and her NST was very good (though she moves too much and they have to keep adjusting the monitor). She would not cooperate on the photo end so no pics again this week. However, and without going into a lot of detail, things are beginning to happen that indicate the onset of labor. BUT, depending on what book you read, there are big disclaimers that say things such as "this may indicate labor is beginning or it may be weeks away". So much for predictive medicine. They did say that I am 80% effaced and 1 cm dialated so we're at least moving in the right direction. My mother-in-law took pictures of my wonderful little basketball shaped figure so I will post those as soon as I get them. At least I don't look like I did last time! (For those of you who didn't know me then, it was quite a site to see....I gained about 100 lbs because of toxemia and looked like a blimp.) This time I'm carrying all in front. Anyway, another week down and a maximum of 5 possible!

35, er 36 weeks?

Well, after having contractions all day on Wednesday, I called to ask when I should be concerned since I've been having them for 3 weeks now. After getting passed around a few times they determined that I shouldn't worry because I was 36 weeks. I, of course, told them that they must have the wrong patient because I was only 34 weeks (as of Mar. 7). And, then they told me that when I was in getting my sono the Wednesday before at the hospital that they measured her at 35 weeks which would put me at 36 weeks on March 6. So, now that I have no idea when I'm due (guessing April 3. And, I guess I'm not supposed to worry about being in labor. However, I am still concerned that I will have no idea when I am in "real" labor without my water breaking or the baby actually coming out. That should make for an exciting time!

I had my ?week appointment this Thursday complete with non-stress and sono (pictures coming). Rachel's heart rate dropped when I had one of my bigger contractions and set off all sorts of alarms. However, they said it's nothing to worry about. Now, I don't know about you, but when I hear an alarm going off and watch her heart rate drop, it seemed like something I should be concerned about. But, they are the experts. So, another week down and a maximum of six to go (if I go to 42 weeks!)

Sorry, No Pics

Well, sorry for the picture lovers but there will be none for this week. I ended up in labor and delivery last night after having contractions that were about 7 min apart. So, Ben and I got to stay for 4 hours while they checked everything out. And, I was having contractions which was kind of a relief to me that I wasn't going nuts. In fact, I was having many more than I was feeling. However, I am not progressing which means everything's still "sealed". So, lucky me, I will continue having them until d-day! They also gave me a fetal fibronectin test which tells if you will deliver within the next two weeks. And, mine was "negative". So, looks like I'll make it another few weeks. But, the midwife did strongly suggest I "slow down", a.k.a. cut my work days. Well, for those of you that know me, you know that's not happening easily so I have her talked down to me leaving a few hours early and trying to work from home as much as possible.

They did do a sono but the hospital wasn't sharing their pics. But, Rachel is doing fine. She's measuring at about 35 weeks (4.5-5 lbs, 18") and was moving like a crazy woman. Until next Thursday!

Gotta love the face

Well, Rachel cooperated a little more for her 33 week photo op so we could see more of her face. Though she also showed us that, yes, she does have a tongue and knows how to use it (see photo below). The appointment went well; she jumped around a lot which made the non-stress test go a lot faster.

We're still guessing as to when this little bundle of joy will appear. However, I was having Braxton-Hicks contractions last night (PS, which are not fun) and my midwife said that in another TWO WEEKS they wouldn't try to stop labor anyway because I'll be at 36 weeks. I guess I still am looking at 40 like it's a given deadline, but I suppose anytime after 36 is considered "on time". So, will she be more of a St. Patrick's baby, an Easter baby or born on her daddy's birthday? Despite the requests from family and friends born between March and May, I'm hoping she picks a birthday that's all her own.

32 Weeks!

We'll here we are at t-minus 2 months (no, I'm not kidding. and yes, I feel like I've been pregnant forever!). I have to go to the doctors every week from this point for an ultrasound and a non-stress test because of the pre-eclempsia from last time. And, as an added bonus, today's appointmented ended with me getting a doppler done to check for DVT. No worries, all was good.

I asked my midwife about my increasing size...specifically that I'm HUGE. So I asked my midwife if I was of normal "belly" size. When she stopped laughing, she looked at my chart and guess what..I'm carrying about 2 times the normal amniotic fluid. Which, come to find out, is not a bad thing; they just don't like it when you only have half. So, little Rachel has a swimming pool in my stomach. Let's hope that I don't just tip over one of these days. Anyway, Rachel is fine. Measuring right on for 32 weeks and is about 4 lbs, 7 oz and is in the 55% of baby's at this gestational age.

This 3-D photo is a little better because she actually has fat (see the 20 week pics below). However, she wouldn't put her arm down so you can only see one side of her face. But, it was enough for me to determine she looks like a Corbin. Just look at those cheeks! We'll I'll post more next week after the appt.

Sonos

The Before

The photos are from L to R: 8 weeks gestation, 13 weeks and then the last three are at 20 weeks gestation. The third and fourth are the new 3D sonos or as my brother calls them the "burn victim" pictures. You have to admit they are kind of scary! I guess a baby with no fat will look like this.