One Day At A Time

That's what I keep telling myself.  Just take things one day at a time.  Despite how you feel right now you will feel better soon.  Last night I went to bed with some serious drainage and a sore throat.  I had already taken Clariton so I added Benadryl but then on top of that my back and hips were killing me making for a very restless night.  I woke up so many times just hurting all over. 

But that being said I know this uncomfortable sick feeling wont last forever.  And I just pray it goes away sooner rather than later.  I know I want to try and get as much rest as possible before little man comes into the world.

Speaking of him coming into the world.  I can't believe that in a matter of days, yes really days now I will be holding my precious baby in my arms.  It is all a dream come true and one that I am so ready to embrace.  I look back at this journey and can not believe the obstacles we faced.  But our God was greater.  First with the death of my brother, then with the bleeding hemorrhage I had, then with Isaac getting laid off, then with his Mom being diagnosed with cancer.  It was one thing after another after another this pregnancy.  But Our God is Greater!  He gave us our peace in the midst of the storm.  He gave us the hope of our salvation.  And in the end He brought us out into a better situation than before. 

I have been speaking in the past several posts about being scared for the future.  For what is coming, the unknown ect;  But not anymore.  I have so much peace about the future.  About the decisions we have to make.  I know that no matter what we do it will be done to benefit our family, glorify God and bring us closer together. 

Here is a picture from yesterday when: 37 weeks and 4 days:

Listen to your body

So as we know I felt so horribly sick yesterday.  Throughout the day it didn't really go away it was always lingering there in the background.  So around 5 pm I took a benadryl and decided to go to bed at 8:45 and slept till 8 am this morning!  It was wonderful.  I woke up several times through the night with contractions but they weren't anything at all like I was dealing with Saturday and not really close together.  So I was able to fall back asleep in between them for the most part.  So after I got up at 8 am I went and had breakfast, practiced my hypnobabies and then just got really tired again.  So I went back to bed and slept for another hour and a half and woke up feeling like a completely new woman. 

I however was not able to keep my breakfast down.  But I don't feel nauseous nor am I having stomach pain like yesterday.  I think it was in part because of my drainage and then the steam from the shower.  I was standing there feeling so relaxed and so much better then all the sudden I felt a bunch of pressure in my chest and knew what that meant.  And it all just came out. 

I have been pretty emotional lately but not in a bad way.  I feel Ezekiel move inside and begin talking to him telling him how I can't wait to meet him and I just get tears in my eyes.  I can not believe that in just a matter of weeks he is going to be here!  I'm less than three weeks from welcoming my little man into the world....at least hopefully he doesn't make us wait any longer :-)

I still feel a lot of random pressure down there where it feels like he is bearing down trying to push his way out.  But I love it.  I love every second of it. 

We are so ready to meet him.

Feeling Sick

I woke up early this morning with my stomach just hurting.  I ran to the bathroom and pretty much exploded.  I then continued to have the runs for the next several hours and then even vomited.  Then of course I'm assuming from the pressure of everything was also having braxton hicks, some really bad back pain and some other discomfort.  At first I thought maybe it was a sign of labor but then Isaac sent me a text from work and he was also sick.  So I'm guessing it's something we ate yesterday.  And pray its just a quick 24 hour thing and we will feel better tomorrow. 

I was only scheduled to work from 10-2 so really hoped I could make it.  But even at work I had to keep running to the bathroom feeling like I was going to throw up and explode through my pants all at the same time.  Thankfully I wasn't busy and was able to get them to move my last client so I could come home.  Once I got home I slept for a few hours and woke up still having my stomach feel upset but I was able to keep some food down so that was a big step in the right direction.    Since then I'm drinking as much water as I can and still running to the bathroom but not nearly as bad as it was this morning thankfully.

So plenty of rest and fluids for me its not even 9pm yet and I believe I will be heading to bed.  Sleep off whatever it is that's going on. 

Ezekiel has been incredibly active today though, which honestly hurt and wasn't the enjoyable sensation I normally love just due to the upset bowels and stomach.  But I will get better and listen to my body and rest. 

Got to see my little man today!

Today I went in for my 37 week check up and got to have a surprise ultrasound.  She said she just wanted to double check that he was head down since his butt felt so firm she was having trouble distinguishing between his head and butt 100% but we already knew he was head down.  I told her I'm absolutely okay with an ultrasound since I haven't seen him since he was just 18 weeks old.

So here he is with his fist up against his face:

Then here he is with just his face he was in the process of turning toward us while at the same time making sucking faces/practicing nursing.  So cute! you can see his lips puckered up lol.

Then last but not least...but looking a little scary he looked directly at the ultrasound probe.

Things are moving along.  I can't believe technically now at any point in time I could be meeting my little man that same day.  I really think my cervix has been dilating and feel like I can feel it.  I feel sore occasionally down there and feel a lot of pressure but that's not really anything new. 

This week I start my part time schedule.  And I'm soooooooo grateful for that.  Especially after how crazy things were Saturday.  So I'll only be working 4 hour shifts most days except for two days next week I was so booked already they asked if I would be willing to work a longer shift so I think I can manage and if not then they will work with me.

Isaac told me yesterday he thinks Ezekiel is coming this weekend.  He's not sure why he feels that way.  So we shall see.  I'm just so excited about everything! 

I also realize I never said what the contractions felt like from the night before.  There was no denying they were contractions that's for sure.  And they were so different than braxton hicks.  At the beginning of the contraction I had a stabbing feeling in my back that worked around towards my lower abdomen then back again to my back until the whole thing would subside  for a few minutes then start again.  I was worried before what would happen if I started going into labor at work but didn't realize it was labor till too late...well that fear is most certainly gone.  there was NO denying they were actual contractions.  So I will feel better now working up till the 13th since I will know if I'm having contractions that day or not. 

No little man yet

No little guy yet.  But I am actually really excited about last night.  It gave me an opportunity to see what labor is going to feel like and to practice my hypnobabies.  Which most certainly does help.   Didn't take them away completely but definitely helped.  Though I have to say when I had the tapes on in the background I was able to drown them out almost completely.  So I will most certainly have them playing constantly while in labor. 

Today Isaac and I get our date day....still once a week while we wait for little guy to arrive we are going to be going out to lunch, breakfast, dinner, ice cream something with just the two of us that we never do until he arrives since when he gets here who knows when we will be able to go. 

Not sure what we will do but whatever it is will be awesome and wonderful since it will be just the two of us.  I will be staying away from everyone else today.  I just want us to have some nice quiet time together. 

Oh you know just timing contractions

First of all for all you pregnant readers definitely look into the app called contraction timer.  So easy to use.  So for the past several hours I have been having pretty constant contractions.  Spaced out anywhere from 3-5 min to waiting 10 minutes then back to 3-5 minutes.  They seem to start in my back then make there way to the front then to my back again.  Do they hurt?  Oh yes.  Do I think I can manage?  Yes I do.  When they first started I was getting them every 3-5 minutes and still needed to do my hypnobabies so I decided this would be a wonderful time to practice.  So I decided to do it and I was able to relax and be at peace during the contractions.  I also just went to the bathroom and saw some pink cervical mucus.  I'm assuming it's in part from the rest of my mucus plug that has been coming out and in part that I worked a 8 hour day booked back to back not stopping along with we had sex tonight for the first time in 2.5 weeks.  I wasn't planning on a orgasm during sex but it happened and low and behold on came the contractions pretty much immediately so I'm believing its all that and will go away in time.

But we are ready to welcome little man any time he wants to come into this world so we aren't scared at all.  I do think I'll be going to bed now and if I wake up with myself in full force labor then it's off to the hospital we go.


Our boxer has been acting really weird today though.  He was sitting about 4 feet away from me just staring at my belly, this is before we even had sex and the actual full on time-able contractions started.  I told Isaac to look at him and he saw it too he was just staring directly at my stomach. So I said Optimus(his name) whats wrong he runs over and sticks his head on my stomach then tries to dig his face in so hard that i had to yell at him to stop because it hurt he looked at me and tried again.  I told him to stop so then he just set his nose up against my stomach and just laid there.  And then after I started getting the contractions he has been following me around the house crying.  So very strange.  I'm not quite sure what to think about it.  But I guess we will find out soon enough if he's predicting labor or if he's just being a little extra clingy for some reason. 

Time to be real

As I sit here on the back porch home from a long day at work I put on some worship music and watch Ezekiel dance to it from within. It brings tears to my eyes.  I am so amazed.  This whole journey has been one of wonder, excitement, constant fear and joy.  Such a roller coaster but of a different kind.
 I think about labor and cry with joy! I can't wait to meet this little man. I have loved and do love being pregnant....at the same time I am so ready to meet this little man and welcome him into the world.

I also think I have reached the too pregnant for public stage. I have NO patience for people. I can't pretend to care about what your saying as I cut your hair and have a braxton hic, feel like I can't breathe, am trying not to throw up and all at the same time while I feel like I'm going to fall over from lack of sleep.  I love people.  I love my job and I love my coworkers.  But not anymore, at least not right at this moment.  All I want to do is hermit away and rest and be by myself.  I do believe I may not do anything Sunday but stay home and spend the entire day home and with Isaac. Got to get the two of us quality time while we still can.  We still need to have our date for the week.  I am not sure if I had shared before but I want to go out on a date once a week till the baby comes starting last week since who knows when we will be able to do it again.  

So I haven't talked in a while on how my hypnobabies has been going...but I think this next section will cover some of it.  I have done it faithfully since 26 weeks.  I have not missed a single day.  It has made me excited for my birthing time.  Excited for when my water breaks and my pressure waves(contractions) start.  I'm not worried about the pain.  I'm ready to embrace it knowing that each pressure wave will bring me closer and closer to meeting my amazing little man.  I am just so excited!  

I know practice most definitely has made a difference.  I think about holding him and just get tears in my eyes.  I am so ready and so excited!