tomorrow is the big day

martin and i will be heading over to northwestern prentice women's hospital to get induced tomorrow at 3:30 am. once there is news, we will send an update. we can't even begin to describe how excited we are about the delivery and can't wait to meet baby davis. thanks again for all your support and prayers.

more soon!

2 more days!

we are getting really close. only 2 more days and less than 36 hours until we go to the hospital. i can't wait! the last day is going to go by so slow as it seemed like today took forever...not much to report here. martin and i put together the co-sleeper and everything is ready to go, including us! we are looking forward to the post where we get to introduce our little guy to the world.

rachel and massey's wedding

it would appear that i have been eating a lot better since i got out of the hospital...this photo was taken last night by saher. we were happy to see all of our beloved friends once more before the baby comes. they all rubbed the baby belly for good luck.

really uncomfortable now...

i am not sure how this is possible, but i think i have gotten even bigger than i was before and i am getting so uncomfortable that sleeping is not an option. fortunately, these last few weeks at home have helped me gain some strength and i am able to sit upright, walk around, and even do some light shopping/housework before i poop out. last night, we went to a wedding at the botanical gardens and just the walk from the car to the wedding and back pretty much wiped me out. i am sure recovery after delivery is going to be super exhausting. hopefully, i won't notice it because i will be too busy with the baby love.

hope everyone is having a safe and wonderful memorial day weekend!

last doctor's appointment

today was our final doctor appointment before wednesday. we had an nst and everything went well. the baby was asleep at first, but i ate some apple and he woke up and started kicking. the monitor that measures contractions did not look like anything but a straight line, so he is happy in his warm, comfy home for now. we opted to not get my cervix examined since we are delivering next week, and i quote martin, "we are going to a wedding tomorrow and i really don't want to stir things up." the doctor laughed because now she thinks we will go into labor at the wedding. the way things have gone with this pregnancy, i wouldn't be surprised...

so, we finally have an induction appointment. it is on wednesday at 3:30 am, but the doctor is trying to get that changed to a time a little later in the morning. now that we have something scheduled, i wonder if i will start feeling contractions or go into labor.

belly button

i swear my belly button is on the verge of popping out. it really wants to and is about halfway there...it looks like a little mouth, doesn't it??? :)

Fun With Belly

skype

one more thing. ron got everyone in the family these great cameras for the internet that allow us to videoconference with each other. we use a program called skype. if anyone else has one, send a comment and we can skype each other. it is a great way to see each other even if we live so far away!

american idol baby

last night we were watching the season finale of american idol and the baby was kicking up a storm. all day he was relatively quiet and didn't kick very much, but the moment the contestants started singing until the moment they stopped, he was kicking and moving from one side of my belly to the other. i think he likes the music, which is good, because i am not very musically inclined, although martin is. "wrong side of the family..."

no nst today. our doctor appointment is tomorrow since it is our last one before induction/labor. we will keep you posted on how it goes.

week 38!

who knew we would ever make it so long? boy, are we relieved that we decided to go home and that we are not still in the hospital! i would have definitely gone crazy by now.

nothing to report from home. i have finally begun to nest and am quickly running out of things to do. i am getting a little restless and am even considering getting in the car and going to the store (i haven't driven in over 3 months!).

one more week to go. counting down - 6 days to go!

like father like son

well, no induction today. when the doctor checked me, my cervix was the same as the last time i was checked in the hospital, which was over a month ago. it would appear that the baby now wants to stay in now. we have another appointment on friday to get checked again, and we will confirm our induction date at that appointment. it looks like the official date, if we don't go into labor earlier, is may 31st, martin's birthday.

on another note, we also had an ultrasound today, and the baby has an unusually large head. some might call it a "noble" head...but i call it hard on his mother. his estimated weight is 7 1/2 lbs, which is a bit large for his gestational age. this puts him in the 75-90 percentile, but not too big to birth still, so that is good news. it was a little disappointing to not get induced today, but we are keeping positive as we definitely think his health is most important. we still can hardly wait to meet him, big head and all.

fingers crossed

so tomorrow morning, we will see if we are getting induced or not. we will keep you all posted as to what is happening as we find out more. now, must get some rest in case there is a lot of "labor" in our future...

beautiful weekend

well, it may be our last weekend of the pregnancy and we have been blessed with beautiful weather. my diabetes has been slowing subsiding now that we are at the end of the pregnancy, and i am able to sit outside and enjoy a nice big bowl of sugar free ice cream while martin works on the house. i am still craving deserts like a maniac, but soon enough, i will have all the sweets i can handle, the sweetest being our little bundle of joy.

also, now that i have been home for a couple weeks, my strength is up and i am able to be upright and walking around without too much work. i still get a little winded when walking around and my back hurts, but nothing unusual for anyone who is in their last month of pregnancy. hopefully, the recovery will be quick and easy.

the baby likes steak and birthdays

i was a vegetarian from 1993 to 2000 and i didn't eat red meat again until 2004. now, as a twist of fate, i think this baby likes steak because i can't seem to get enough of it...i hope he is not having yet another growth spurt. i am not sure how much bigger he can get - or i can handle.

also, many birthday greetings to all the may geminis in our family:
janice, tiffany, martin, and soon to be baby davis!
hope you all have wonderful birthdays.

xo,
arlene

final nst? possibly...

could this be our final nst? we will find out on monday morning at 8:30 am...

the baby was asleep today when we got hooked up to the monitor. he slept for a good half hour before we tried waking him up. he sleeps like his poppy - very well and undisturbed by the outside world. once he did wake up, he was full of accellerations and i was full of pee. it took us a while to get out of the doctor's office, but hopefully, we won't be spending much time there from here on out.

Week 37! Full Term

so, we are finally considered full term in our pregnancy - yay! we never thought that we would make it this far, but we are very glad we did.

the baby is really active now and i can tell that he has gotten bigger in the last week because every movement is now very noticeable. he still gets the hiccups, usually a couple times a day, and sleeps most of the mornings and is active during the evenings. i have a suspicion that he will be a good size when he is delivered, because i can practically feel only baby in belly now.

ready to go

the bag is packed
the car seat is installed
the baby clothes are all washed
the nursery is all set up, as is the co-sleeper/bassinett
we have a two week supply of diapers
what's left???

oh yeah, the baby...looks like we are ready to go.

does anyone have any advice for the parents to be?

Totally uncomfortable now...

okay, so i think i have reached the point in the pregnancy where women are just miserably uncomfortable. the size of my belly makes it impossible to sit, stand, or lay down without it being a huge ordeal. i have to pee so frequently that i can't get more than 2 hours of sleep at a time and the movement of the baby in my overstretched belly feels like i am getting stretched way further than the skin's elasticity will allow. have i mentioned that i have to pee again???

fortunately, we are on the homestretch, even though i still haven't had anything that resembles a contraction in ages.

we talked to the doctor today and decided we didn't want her to check to see how dilated i am. the nst went well and little baby d completed his accellerations in 20 minutes (very quick)! the new plan is to check my cervix next monday (may 22nd - which also happens to be the day martin's mom predicted) and if i am further dilated, then they will ship me off to labor and delivery for induction.

it's exciting to think that in a couple weeks, we will be home with our little baby boy. a little scarey, but totally fantastic!

Babo's Waiting

the cooking continues

so, we now have doctor's appointments every monday and thursday until we deliver. everything looks really great with the baby and he continues to grow and make me more and more uncomfortable each day. after speaking with the doctor, we are just going to ride out this pregnancy until the 39th week, and then she will induce, unless we go into labor or my water breaks first. who knows, maybe this baby will be a gemini after all...

life at home has been a transition for me, since i am now on a modified bed rest program. i can get up and walk around, instead of being horizontal. i have to admit, it is a little hard on my tuckus, since i haven't used it in so long, but i feel like i am getting used to it and will be back in sitting up shape in no time. it is actually easier for me to be on my feet walking around than it is to be sitting up in an uncomfortable chair.

last night, martin and i actually went out to dinner for the first time in months and despite the fact that i had to stare at his frozen margarita throughout dinner, the chair was doing a number on my rump, and the person waiting on us was incredibly slow, i had a great time. it is a very odd feeling being in public for me, and i was exhausted. baby steps. each passing day i get stronger and bolder. before you know it, baby davis will be here and you will have something more interesting to look at in this blog.

ps. Martin's mom has her money on May 22nd and Martin claims she is psychic, so keep your fingers crossed.

Non-Stress Tests

...or NST's as they call them. They strap a microphone to Arlene's belly and monitor the baby's heartbeat for about 1/2 an hour. They like to see that he's reactive. Heartrate goes up and down just so. Had one today and it was just as it should be.
We've become very knowledgeable about all of this stuff so when the doctor comes in I can "look at the strip" and point out where the accelerations are, see where the movements are, and note that there were no contractions.
Afterwards on the ride home I did a test to see how the baby reacts to the oldies station. Works pretty well, too.
That's about all that's going on around here.

Week 36!

i can't believe it, we are finally 36 weeks. things since we left the hospital have been great. i am enjoying the time that i am spending at home with martin and am able to even get some stuff done before the baby arrives. last night, martin grilled out and we had the most perfect dinner ever. can you tell it has been a long time since i have had a home cooked meal. even my gestational diabetes is beginning to subside, as it typically does during the end of pregnancy. so, things have finally gotten better, which i am so thankful for. thanks again to everyone for their love and support. this little guy is going to come into the happiest home ever and get tons of love.

Room With a Different View

Finishing this pregnancy at home

we are home. no, we haven't had the baby yet, but we are going to try and finish this pregnancy from home, and i must say i am happier already. this weekend i finally reached a breaking point and got so depressed about being in the hospital, that we decided it would be best to talk to the doctor about going home today. without any hesitation, our doc gave us the discharge and i could not be more thrilled. i am still bedresting of course, but now at least i get to sleep in my own bed and not be bothered with all the stuff in the hospital - bad hospital food, new nurses ever day, and taking vitals every 4 hours.

so, if anyone needs to get a hold of me, i will be at home! yay yay yay!

Gaze Upon It

You looking at my look at Arlene looking at herself - I could write an art theory lecture on this...
Not too much going on here except hatching plans for busting outta the hospital.
This belly's just getting bigger everyday.
Gonna pop.

Week 35 Day 3 - lazy saturday

not really much to report on today.

reading a lot of tabloid magazines. playing gameboy. watching cooking shows on public television. missing out on wedding showers and graduation barbecues. watching the boats go by and daydreaming about being a mom. the hours crawl by.

it's been a really boring day, although today i got my 40th nurse...thank goodness for the internet and visits from my friends.

Week 35 Day 2 - pajama jammy jam

well it's friday and like every friday, it is pajama jammy jam day. that is, martin spends the nights on friday and saturday nights to keep me company and help me get through the weekend boredom. did i mention that i have the best husband in the whole wide world? thanks janice and bill, thank you again and again.

not much to report here, still no contractions, and no labor...

happy cinco de mayo all, have a frosty margarita for me. today was my guess at the baby's delivery date, so i guess my intuition was off.

Week 35 Day 1 - no baby yet...

Mobility

last night i took advantage of my walking priviliges and walked over to the feinberg pavillion with martin for dinner. here at northwestern, there is an intricate network of pedways that connects each hospital/pavillion to each other. i think round trip i may have even walked maybe 1/2 a mile, although it did take quite a while. it is great to be mobile again. i want to explore more, but i am afraid to go it alone - in case something happens.

NST today

today's nst went well. it was funny because when the baby was first on the monitor he was active and kicking around - his heart rate was pretty steady in the 150s+, then after a few minutes, he must have tired himself out, because he stopped moving around as much and his heart rate leveled out to the 140s (his usual baseline is 145). i had to move around a little to get him to have a final accelleration and so that we could finish up the nst. i think i have become a pro at these now and can coax him into doing what i want on the monitor. that, and he is getting so big and there is so little room in the belly, that it is easier to bother him these days...hopefully, we only have a couple of nsts left.

Baby Basics

tonight martin and i took a class on newborn care. considering neither of us has really much experience with babies at all, we thought it would be appropriate. it was nice to see that we are not the only expecting parents with little or no experience. i think it finally sunk in that in a few weeks, we are going to be on our own with a new baby. i hope we are not in trouble!

aside from that, still no contractions. i am beginning to think that the baby won't be born until mid may, although i was hoping for this week. he is stubborn, but from what i hear, all davis men are...

Week 35 and still no contractions...

today marks the beginning of our 35 week of pregnancy and coincidentally, was the day that martin was supposed to be born back in 1972. i was hoping that fate would be welcoming our little bundle of joy today, but alas, no contractions, not even a single uterine irritation.

i have been walking around my hospital room and even around the hospital (although there is really not much to see outside the baby nursery, the cafeteria, and the gift shop) and still nothing, although i do feel a lot better...



i know i am less than a couple of weeks from delivering, but i am getting very antsy to get home and start this new chapter of my life. right now, it's just me and babo...hanging out and waiting.

Week 34 Day 6 - still hanging in there

well, we are almost at week 35, and we are still hanging in there.

yesterday, i had some pepperoni pizza for dinner and i didn't think i was going to be able to sleep because the baby was having a super kick party. i think he may like pizza, which is no surprise given the food i have been eating while in the hospital. my doctor assured me that there is no such thing as too much movement with the baby, which is good, because i thought he was having a seizure or something for a while.

The final ultrasound...

we had an ultrasound today to check the baby's growth. He statistically weighed in at 6lbs 1oz and is head down. In fact, his head is so far down, that the ultrasound person had to shift the bed so that my feet were elevated over my head to see if she could get a good shot to measure his head! not sure if this means that he will be ready to go soon or what.

now that he is so big, his ultrasound pictures are not as easy to make out, although martin and i both gasped as we saw him trying out his sucking reflex. he opened his mouth and made this great kissy face a couple times as we were trying to get a good money shot of his beautiful mug.

we also had a non stress test (nst) this morning, as we do every monday and thursday. usually, he sleeps all morning and i have to switch from one side to another to get him to have an accelleration (where his heart rate increases at least 15 beats higher than his baseline heart rate for 15 seconds), but today, he wouldn't stop with the accellerations. it's funny how he never does what i want him to do...i hear i should get use to this kind of behavior for the future, great.

all in all, everything checked out great today and we are impatiently waiting the day we deliver. i can't believe it is already may 1st. it seemed so far away when i was admitted in march. looks like we will definitely have a taurus on our hands...