Week 36

I'm still feeling good but the Xander man has not turned yet. I went to my OB appointment on monday and have scheduled an external cephalic version for next wednesday morning. This is kind of the last straw before scheduling a c-section, so I really hope that it works. The procedure starts with fetal monitoring for about 30 minutes, then they will give me a utarine relaxant, which oddly will make me feel jittery and make my heart beat fast, according to the doc. Then, they will invert me on my back so my head is down and feet are up. The doc will massage my stomach and ease Xander incrementally into the head-down position, all the while monitoring his heart rate for signs of distress. Dr. Davis claims there is about a 50/50 chance it will work, so I am trying to stay positive about it. Molly, my acupuncturist friend who has been giving me treatments lately, is going to accompany Lyrik and I at the version. Hopefully the acupuncture can ease some of the anxiousness from the utarine relaxant. Molly has also agreed to do acupuncture on me during the birth, which I am excited about. It should help with pain-management and help things go smoothly whatever type of birth I have. There is a tiny chance of complication during an ECV, in which case they may do an emergency c-section. That is why they wait until 37 weeks when the baby is considered full-term. All in all, I am nervous and excited because no matter what, we get our little Xander here in a month or so!

Dad's two cents

Xander is packing on the pounds. He is likely about 6 or 7 pounds already, according the doctors quick guess at a visit today. As we count down the days we are trying make the most of BX (life before Xander). We made two happy hours and a movie this past weekend. Life around the house is still filled with a diverse variety of activities. Cooking elaborate dinners, having friends over, playing with Lilly, house improvement projects, long conversations, beer drinking, hot tubs and sleeping. Of course there are signs of the changes brewing… For instance the nesting behavior is getting stronger (for some of us) and what a fine looking room the little man has. Also, laundry is a good indicator of change. I remember when Sarah’s underwear first started showing up in my sock drawer. Now there will be miniature socks that look like finger puppets and “onsies”. But in the end, this is a very exciting time and we look forward to his arrival.

Week 35

Xander still hasn't turned head down, but is squirming around constantly. My least favorite position he gets in is when he protrudes that ever-growing head out to one side of my tummy and his feet out the other side. My stomach takes on the strangest apperance when he does this-like a giant square belly. It seems like he is possibly trying to get into position but can't. Or he may just be warming up for the trip down south. I'm feeling good this week-no complaints really. My weight even seems to be tapering off-thank goodness, and it seems like I am sleeping with less interruptions during the night. Next monday the doc and I will talk external version sheduling, that is, if he doesn't turn by then.

Baby Shower

This last weekend my Mom, sisters and Jasmine threw an amazing baby shower for me at my Mom's apartment. Everything was so beautifully decorated and thoughtfully arranged. I was so happy to see all of the friends and relatives that showed up, especially the ones that I rarely get together with, it seemed like a reunion almost. I only wish that I could have spent more time chatting with everyone. We lucked out with some beautiful sunny weather, a rarity in mid-January. Much of the shower was spent opening, literally, a mountain of adorable gifts of clothing and baby gear. All I know is that Xander is going to be one well-dressed kid, thanks to everyones generosity! We played a few games including "baby" (Brooke Bragg won), Mother goose nursery rhymes (Kaitie Mieleg won that), and guess which candy is melted in the dirty diaper -yuck!(won by Harriette Benson). It was a really fun day that I finished with a tiny glass of champagne-what a treat!

Week 34

So, today I am at 34 weeks and I am feeling pretty good but large, needless to say. I just started experiencing heartburn, but I think the Tums keep it under control pretty well. I went to the doctor the other day and spoke to him about external versions (where they turn the baby from outside your tummy) and c-section, which are both a possibility considering Xander hasn't put his head down yet, and may not be able to due to my bicornuate uterus. I have some options as far as trying to get him to turn by my own means. I have tried using moxbuxtion, where you use a charcoal stick that is red hot and place it very close to the outer pinkie toe (an acupressure point) for 15 minutes or so. This causes the baby to move, which could result in him turning. I have only done this once, but it is recommended that you do it everyday on each foot. I am still waiting to hear about my return to work and if my boss will let me trade my full-time position with a woman I work with who is in a job-share position. I am just praying that my boss will go with it because I really, really want to stay home at least part-time with Xander, and any other children we have. I am trying to stay positive about this, but I am getting a bit antsy about the final decision. Only 6 weeks to go!

New Baby,New blog!

Lyrik and I decided that we wanted to start a Blog due to our impending arrival, Baby Alexander. We hope that in doing so, we can keep friends and family updated on what is going on with our family and of course, show off lots of cute photos of the little guy! It will take some time to get used to having a blog so bear with us, but hopefully it will pay off in keeping all of our loved ones in the loop. Keep checking back, it's bound to get better over the next few months!