2 days and plenty of sleep...

Sunday is our due date. I am working on getting rested and ready just in case. I fell asleep last night at 8 pm and slept this morning until 5 am. We are going to try to get lots of rest and relaxation over the weekend too and enjoy what will HOPEFULLY be our last weekend as a family of two. :) Brandon is just as eager as I am for this baby to come meet us. We read that you have to make the baby feel "welcome" or the baby won't want to come out LOL. Brandon spent about 20 minutes the other day talking to the baby about his/her room, grandparents and how nice the weather was that day. :) Apparently our baby doesn't care about nice weather. HA!

No updates yet-hopefully soon! Looks like we will likely have a May baby. :)

3 days to go and midwife appointment

We have 3 days to go....and we had a midwife appointment yesterday morning. She didn't "check" me because they only do that when they think it is really necessary, but she did say she thought things were moving along well and the baby is VERY low in the pelvis. She thought we would have the baby soon, but obviously couldn't tell us when. :) She said the full moon thing doesn't seem to be a reality, which explains why there is still a bouncing baby in my stomach this morning. HA! She will let us go 10 days beyond our due date if Baby Albano is that stubborn and at that point, they will intervene-let's hope our baby makes an appearance by then. Until then, it is just waiting game. :) Baby Albano was healthy and happy with a heartbeat of 130.

On another note, the wonderful people at my work threw me a shower yesterday, complete with Happy Cakes Cupcakes! I LOVE them. Thanks guys!!

Some of my favorite things...

As I head into the end of my pregnancy, I wanted to document some of my favorite (not so nutritious) things that I LOVED during pregnancy so that I can come back in a few years and remember... Don't judge-I ate my fair share of healthy things too! :)

4 days.....and a full moon

We have four days until our due date of May 2, 2010--a day we have waited for since we found out we were pregnant several months ago. Now, I realize due dates mean nothing but still, when everyone and their brother asks you "when are you due?" and you have to say the same date every day for months, the date sticks in your mind. Well, a good friend of mine said that tonight is a full moon and she expects the baby will make his/her appearance tonight (a few days ahead of due date) due to the full moon. I guess time will tell!! I decided to research the full moon inducing labor phenomena--here is an article I found. Reliable? Who knows...but kind of fun to wonder....

Did you know that some maternity units actually have more staff available during periods of full moon?

I've always been fascinated by the moon's effect on nature, so when a friend's wife conveyed to me what her midwife had told her during the birth of their daughter, I decided to find out more about childbirth, full moon and a possible link.

On speaking to various medical staff involved in natural childbirth, the first thing I learned was that expectant mothers often experience false signs of labor during full moon.

Contractions known as "Braxton Hicks" -- sometimes noticeable to the mother and sometimes not -- become more pronounced and many travel to the maternity unit in the belief that "it's time". Disappointed -- or perhaps relieved -- they return home, the pains having subsided and with no dilation of the cervix.

While these expectant mothers visiting the clinic with their mistaken signs of labor are part of the reason why extra staff are needed, the major difference is found in the number of women whose amniotic sac -- the water -- breaks.

Just as some women experience false labor pains, in cases where the water breaking marks the start of childbirth, full moon is the time when it's most likely to happen.

In order to discover for myself whether this could be true, I asked several female friends how their births had started. Those who responded with "the water breaking" were then asked the date of the birth. On checking this against a moon phase chart, I discovered that almost all had given birth on, or very close to, a full moon.

The theory is that the moon's gravitational pull effects the amniotic fluid in much the same way as it effects the water in the sea, rivers and even the water that's otherwise found in our bodies.

As a woman's body prepares for natural childbirth, the amniotic sac becomes distended so the point where it will easily burst if put under pressure. Under normal circumstances, the pressure of labor contractions bursts the sac. During a full moon, the pressure caused by the moon's effect on the water inside the sac can cause the same things to happen, but without the accompanying contractions.

When this happens, natural childbirth doesn't always move forward and with no other signs of labor present, the obstetrician may decide to induce the birth. During my own study of this phenomenon I found that of 8 women whose births started with the water breaking at full moon, 5 of them had no accompanying contractions.

A coincidence? Perhaps. But surely midwives wouldn't prepare themselves for an increase in natural childbirth activity if there wasn't some truth in this?

One midwife told me that when it comes to planning childbirth, full moons should always be looked for around the time of the expected delivery. If there's one within a few days either side, the chances are your baby will be born on that day.

5 days before my due date...

No sign of this baby yet, just when I think we are getting close the contractions stop. :) Everyday that I keep going into work is another day I can have with baby when he/she arrives though! Yesterday was kind of tough because I was not in a good mood being at work-it didn't help that I worked an 11 hour work day...in the 40th week of pregnancy and working 55 hour weeks, gotta love being a lawyer--I am so ready for maternity leave! After work we got all the groceries that we will need for those first few days home and some stuff for the labor--some snacks, popsicles, etc. (Brandon has been instructed to sneak me fruit/dried fruit,etc. if I ask for it in the hospital) and since we plan on laboring at home for a while, the popsicles should come in handy. We will also bring them to the hospital so that I have my own personal supply.

On another note, these days all I crave is liquid and I drink so much water, juice and milk that I can't even believe it-I must be a camel. We go to the store once a week and buy about three bottles of juice. Brandon and I (mostly I) drink 2 gallons of delivered non-fat milk a week and I drink about 3-5 bottles of water a day. This must be one thirsty baby!!! Already as I sit here I have had a glass of water and two glasses of juice! Anyone else had this during pregnancy? My midwife said it is normal and that it just requires a lot of fluid to keep baby and I healthy-blood pressure is always normal and gestational diabetes was negative. I guess I just have a thirsty little person on my hands.

Well, better get ready for work. Please check back for updates-if we go into labor, I will update this blog as much as I can.

Barstools

Here is our modern touch for the year..... I realize some of you may hate them, but we think they are pretty cute and man are they comfortable to sit in. Thank you Crate & Barrel.

6 days and counting...

My due date is on sunday. Can you believe it? I can't....over the weekend we stayed busy, did yard work and got our lives in order in case we have the big day this week. A couple of weeks ago my midwife said she thought we would go early and that there was NO way I would go late (i know technically up to 42 weeks isn't late-but she thought I would go by 40). I am beginning to wonder whether she was right. I had a ton of contractions yesterday and actually thought maybe something was happening, and around 10 pm, they stopped. I then had crampiness throughout the night, but this morning, it is gone. I am getting ready for work and HOPING this baby doesn't come late (not because I am miserable) but because I have my time off all mapped out and a late arrival will mess things up a bit. Oh well, my feelings are that if this baby needs more time to cook-he/she can take all the time needed--I certainly don't want to rush anything.

Brandon went to a group last night in our neighborhood that our neighbor is starting called Stapleton Dads-basically all the dads get out for the night and drink beer and eat brats. He had a great time and got to talk to all the "veteran" dads. :) So cute.

Well, I will update when/if I have any news to tell :) Until then-hoping for an "on time" arrival!

1 week left

I have one week left in the pregnancy and this baby has yet to make an appearance. I did have some pretty strong contractions last night, so we will see if maybe they continue on into the day...I doubt it though. We have been living life as normal and just working on trying to get the house ready and our baby names decided-so tough to name a little human being you have never met. I have been going to bed super early and waking up super early-kind of strange. A nap or two here or there has helped too. I want to feel rested when/ if I go into labor soon. Meanwhile, if things don't get rolling today, I will continue with a normal work week next week--luckily I don't have any court appearances, so the water breaking in the courtroom thing can't happen HA! Here is what the baby is doing this week:

It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds and is about 20 inches long. His skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary. Get ready this baby will be here soon!

New Barstools

Brandon and I are starting to get a bit more modern with our style. We have had some rickety barstools for 3 years that were so rickety we were concerned they were going to someday break on one of us or our guests. We went all over the city today trying to find replacements for a decent price-we wanted white ones. Apparently white home furnishings are hard to find. We ended up at Crate & Barrel. These are the ones we picked, although crazy, they look good, and I will post pictures soon:

8 days to go...

8 days left and this must be nature's way of preparing me for 2 am feedings because I can't sleep!! So, I did what any rational 39 week pregnant momma would do-searched the Janie and Jack website for more deals! :) This time, all I could find were more deals on some baby boy clothes that I had been scoping for several months (in case this person happens to be a boy). I can take them back if we have a little baby girl on our hands soon and trade them for all things pink and ruffly-but in the meantime, check out this cuteness. Check out my favorite find: (I LOVE IT).

9 days and counting...

We are 9 days from the due date and no baby yet! :) Nothing much new here-just waiting and carrying on with life as normal. I am still working and trying to keep up with everything. I have a mediation downtown today-let's hope I don't into labor walking with my briefcase through downtown Denver! Ha!

I will leave you guys, who are anxiously awaiting an update of exciting news (which I don't yet have), with a cute cartoon instead:

10 day countdown til D Day!

Today starts the 10 day countdown until my due date! Can't believe it. Looks like this baby won't be coming very early-I guess time will tell! I am feeling good, still working and trying to keep up with life! :) Brandon and I are getting very very excited...soon I will start eating spicy food and going on long walks.....

Pictures from 38 Weeks & Spring!

Spring is upon us-everything is growing (including my belly) Here are some pics of the belly from this weekend and the flowers from this morning.

Nursery Pics!

I took some updated photos of the nursery! All ready for baby!

Baby Swing!

Thank you to my wonderful parents for helping us install our adorable baby swing on the porch. :) We love it.

Baby Bedding!

I came home on friday to a wonderful surprise from my sister-in-law, husband and parents-in-law! Thank you Brandon, Dominique, Grandpa Dominick & Ellie Bubbie!!! :) They got us our baby bedding from RH. Thank you!!! We now have a cozy great place for baby to sleep!

Here is a picture of our bedding online.

14 Days Left Until my Due Date....

Heading into Week 39-Most likely we have less than 2 weeks before we meet this baby. At our appointment last week, our midwife told us that the baby is VERY low in the pelvis (explains why it feels like the baby could fall out) HA! She said I am dilated a bit, and the cervix is thinning. She didn't think we would make it to our due date. She said-she would be surprised, and would bet money that we don't go late. I guess we will have to wait and see.

So far we have had a good weekend-busy with last minute baby/ house preparations. We are headed into the 39th week-with less than 14 days until my due date. We had our breastfeeding class yesterday and it was very helpful. I learned a lot of things about what is normal/ what isn't normal with breastfeeding that I think will really help us to try to navigate that road.

At work and around town I am starting to get comments like, "Hasn't that baby been born yet?" or "Oh my goodness-how are you holding up?" Seriously-some people know just what NOT to say to a pregnant momma. :)

In week 39, here is what the baby is doing:

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He/She continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he/she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, like a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his/her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

FINAL POLL!!!!

I want to know what everyone thinks-is this baby a girl or a boy? Please leave your comments!

Cute summer hat...

I love summer, and I LOVE summer baby hats. Finally found a gender neutral one. I can't wait for summer with Baby Albano:

Baby Shopping

When you don't know if you are having a boy or a girl, and you go into Janie & Jack (the cutest baby store of all time), it is really really hard not to buy EVERYTHING for a boy AND a girl. Especially when some of their cutest collections (perfect for summer sailing on grandpa's boat) are on sale. I resisted yesterday, but today online, there were WAY too many good deals (and their return policy is great--I can take the stuff back that I bought for a girl if we have a boy and vice versa). Check out some of the purchases, so dang cute and ALL on sale BIG time:

38th Week...

We are starting the 20 day countdown until my due date! I can't believe I am full term and could have this baby at anytime! I am getting super anxious, but at the same time, want this baby to stay in there as long as he/she needs to :). I have been having A LOT of false labor-especially at night. Every time I think it is real, I get up, walk around, and it goes away...bummer, still waiting. :)

This baby is large and in charge and moves around still like a crazy bean! We have spent the weekend doing last minute things around the house to get ready. We installed the car seat, put up the baby swing on the porch (I will post pictures), bought a new video camera (to capture the labor and all of the new moments!), and Brandon attended a class called Daddy Bootcamp. He loved it and said he learned a lot. He even got to hold a 12 week old baby-he was so proud because the baby fell asleep on his shoulder :).

We also got some stuff done in the yard-including our first mow of the year (everything was uneven), and cutting back plants and fertilizing. We are so ready for summer! The weather here has been awesome (70s) and everything is starting to turn green. Our pear tree should bloom this week!

Hope everyone has a good week. We will keep the updates coming!

Nine Months!!!

Enjoy the pictures!

Under the Weather...

I am 36.5 weeks along and dealing with a nasty virus. It makes breathing difficult, which for anyone who has ever been almost 37 weeks pregnant-it is difficult to breath anyway! I am hanging in there and other than the virus-doing good.

I can't believe I only have a few short weeks left before this baby comes! I can't wait to see if it is a boy or a girl and to meet our beautiful baby! I am starting to get impatient! :) I do want the baby to stay in there absolutely as long as he or she wants though-to be good and healthy :).

I am also super excited to go on maternity leave and have 12 weeks at home with my baby to just concentrate on our family. Vinny is super excited also! He has had a preview this week because I have worked from home these last two days due to the virus.

My next appt is April 14-at which point I will be 37.5 weeks. I will update you guys and let you know if I am dilated at all! I will also get some belly pics soon and get those posted for those of you who want to see the last of them! (So sad-I will miss this belly :()

Into the 37th week

This is the final countdown. This weekend we did several things to continue to prep for baby. We attended a cloth diapering class yesterday and learned a lot about cloth diapering. We will not be doing it full time because of daycare-but want to switch on and off to cloth diapering to help save some money and some diaper rash. We bought some cute diaper covers. If there was no reason to cloth diaper, the cuteness alone would be reason enough.

We also got a Bumbo seat and more crib sheets at Babies R Us. Finally, we got ribbon for the shades we are making for the baby's windows. They will be white with tan ribbon and I am hoping they look good. :) We also got some Swimmies diapers for when we can go into the pool :) These are pretty cute too. Finally, I found some Baby Legs for 1/2 off-I love those things. I got green with brown polka dots and green argyle.

I am feeling good-although Brandon got a nasty cold last week and I am coming down with it. Obviously this is concerning considering how close I am to going into labor (only a few weeks away). I am drinking fluids and trying to get lots of rest.

Here is what the baby is doing this week:Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb.Your baby weighs 6 1/3 lbs and is a bit over 19 inches.

HAPPY EASTER!!!

HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE!!!! Hard to believe that in only a few weeks we will have our own little one!!! Hope everyone has a great weekend.