One more week!!!

I never thought three days would make such a difference, but the date July 6th is music to my ears. My doctor scheduled an induction for Tuesday, July 6th. He says it'll be close on whether or not I make it to that actual date due to the following factors: I am thin, my water bag is tight and the baby is sitting so low. I really don't want to even get my hopes up about being any earlier. I'd rather start focusing on the fact that I should probably have a baby my the afternoon/evening of Tuesday, July 6. Unreal!!!! I know I shouldn't be this excited, but those three days have restored hope that I can do this. (I've been a bit grumpy lately...just ask Brian.) Please check back next Tuesday for some photos and updates. Please also remember to say some prayers for baby Boomer and for a safe delivery.

38 weeks

38 weeks actually inspired me to fix myself up and go to a wedding and my cousin's shower. Sure the dress is a bit higher in the front than it should be, but it had the least "tent-like" qualities and is a little more fashionable than the moo-moo I wanted to wear. I thought there was a point during pregnancy where my appetite and weight were supposed to level off. I guess I must have a lot longer to go because the opposite is happening. I told myself I would control the sweets at the wedding and shower. The wedding had a chocolate fountain. I don't even need to tell you what happened other than people kept pointing out all the places to wipe chocolate off of. At the shower, I only ate a piece of oatmeal fudge and a piece of venus cake. Then as I was leaving they passed out Snickers ice cream bars!!! How in the heck could I pass that up??? You may be saying to yourself, "That's not that bad." It is when after all that you wake up at 1am to eat a bowl of fruit salad and three biscuits. (I also had breakfast at 6am.) At this rate I'm well on my way to a future TLC series...The half ton mom.

Another doctor's visit

This little boy has decided to camp out and enjoy the coziness of my womb. I'm making zero progress on dilation (still 1 cm) yet the doctor can touch the baby's head. That's reassuring. I've pretty much been sitting on his head for 3 weeks now, and it doesn't seem like his coconut is going anywhere. The doctor said there's nothing to be alarmed about. It's just the normal part of carrying a baby to term. What I interpreted is, "Mrs. Rodrigue, go buy your baby a lot of hats because the cone head on this child is going to be incredible!" At least it'll be an easy crayon costume for halloween. I'm kidding! I know he could decide at any time to make an exit, and three more weeks isn't that long to wait. (If I go past July 9th...look out!!!) Brian and I just joke about him "overcooking." We're half expecting him to come out with a full set of teeth and a mustache. So much for breastfeeding if that's the case! I'll keep ya'll posted as I know more.

37 weeks

I didn't take this picture until the end of the day today. That means I went an entire day completely unaware that I sort of resembled a hot air balloon. Ah well, at least I got out of the house. My doctor's visit was pretty uneventful on Tuesday. I've made zero progress, and since my doctor was out of town there was no reassurance about an end in sight. I go back on Tuesday, and I'm hoping to look large enough to maybe spark my doctor into inducing me. It's a lot to hope for and probably unrealistic, but it keeps me going. This week the new thing is swelling and fluid accumulation. The wedding rings have been put away for now, and I just have to laugh at how much my toes look like vienna sausages some days. Thank God flip flops let my feet breathe.

36 weeks

Is it just me or did the camera add an additional 10 pounds this week???

A lot of baby to love

My 35 week visit was today. This was an ultrasound visit and my first pelvic exam check. While both of those things sound amazing, I must say I left both pretty much stunned. The 35 week ultrasound isn't really too clear on features so at one point I worried my child had mutated in the 10 weeks it's been since I last saw him. His profile shot looks like he already has a double chin. Then I learned...maybe that observation isn't too far off. The tech couldn't measure his entire head because he was so low. She went to measure the belly and the femur to give me a size estimate. I kid you not...she measured both twice because after the first measurement she said that can't be right. After getting the same result, it was announced that my kid measures 7 pounds 3 ounces. SEVEN POUNDS AND THREE OUNCES. Let me also refresh your memory. I still have FIVE WEEKS TO GO!!!! Stunned. My pelvic exam wasn't actually too bad. I'm one centimeter dialated, and the doctor said the baby is very low and in a great position. He did say that my chart gets a red star. The red star is the equivalent of saying, "If this lady asks for a c-section, give it to her!" In all seriousness though, he double checked to make sure I wasn't going all natural, which I am certainly not. Then he asked what my feelings were on a c-section if I carry this big boy to term. The reason he brought it up was because right now Boomer is in the 90th percentile. This means if he goes five more weeks, I will deliver at LEAST a 9.5 pound baby. Stunned. I have nothing to prove or gain by shooting a 9 pound kid out vaginally so I of course said that I would take the c-section with no problems. What is record for biggest baby in Louisiana? If he's going to be over 10 pounds, we may as well go for the record to get some publicity out of this. Never mind the fact that I'll be in a wheelchair post delivery.

In all seriousness though, I joke about how big Boomer is going to be, but he could be here tomorrow as just a normal-sized baby. I'm so blessed and so thankful that he's healthy, and I really couldn't ask for more than that. Stay tuned for more updates...he's coming soon!!!

35 weeks

Five more weeks, and I just can't believe it. People have started to tell me that I'm "dropping," but I just don't know if it's that or the belly has just expanded yet again. It's always interesting to see strangers in public react to pregnant women. I never really noticed it...until now. For the most part, people remain nice and just smile, say congratulations and ask a few basic questions. Restaurant workers usually get a good laugh at me asking if I'm going to fit in one of the booths. There is always the not-so-nice experience though. Brian and I were walking/waddling in the mall. This one guy looked at me, laughed, then turned to the girl we were with and he said something in Spanish. The girl then turns, looks at me, turns to him and they bust out laughing. If only I had paid more attention in Spanish class! Who knows what they were saying? I can't really see the bottom half of my body so there's no telling what breakfast item had spilled on me earlier that day. I'm sure this won't be the last time I make a fool of myself in public for the sake of my kid.