35 Week Bump

Can't see my face in the picture, but it's better off that way eh?
Here is baby Mason in all of his glory. Hugeness.

20 Things You May Or May Not Know About Mr. H and I

1. We started dating when we were 16.
2. We love UGA football.
3. We went to a total of 4 proms.
4. On our honemyoon in Vegas, we pretty much stayed intoxicated 80% of the time. Free drinks? Who wouldn't.
5. We would choose to be at the beach in Gulf Shores than any other place in the world.
6. We've been to Gulf Shores 8 times together.
7. Mr. H is Hawaiian. I'm not.
8. In regards to why we may be having a large child, both Mr. H and I were over 9 pound babies.
9. Mr. H picked the name Mason, and I didn't like it to begin with.
10. Mr. H's favorite meal is meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
11. I couldn't tell you what my favorite is, because I'm not a picky eater at all.
12. Mr. H has two sisters and three brothers. I have one brother, two step-sisters, and two step-brothers.
13. 9 times out of ten, we can't watch a movie together because Mr. H falls asleep within the first ten minutes.
14. Now that I am pregnant, Mr. H is a bed hog, and has elbowed me in the face quite a few times in the past few weeks.
15. We love to be around family and friends, having a good time, all the time.
16. We broke up once, and it lasted for 3 days. We realized we couldn't move forward without each other no matter how tough things were.
17. It took Mr. H 5 and a half years of dating to propose, and we were engaged for almost a year and a half.
18. We definitely weren't trying to get pregnant 3 months after our wedding.
19. In high school I referred to Mr. H as "pookie" and he referred to me as "dessie bear" (and still does).
20. We're going to outlast every marriage known to man, because we rock.

35 Week Appointment-Transverse, Possibly Breech

Just returned from my doctor's appointment, and Mason is measuring even MORE ahead than he has been. At 35 weeks, I'm measuring 39 weeks. So he's still a big boy. The doc wanted to feel around to see if he felt big, which she said he did, and also to see if I was dilated any. No dilation yet! I didn't think there would be this early on though. I still have 5 weeks left!

She also said that she didn't think he was head down. She couldn't really tell what his position was, but she seems to think he is transverse. This makes sense to me, considering I can feel where his head is and his feet are. And he's basically lying sideways across my belly. Unfortunately, it's impossible to have a vaginal delivery this way, and there are two options.

1). Have a procedure done called "version", where I would go to the hospital, have an epidural, and my doctor would attempt to move Mason in the correct position. The success rate of this procedure is very low, and it is also a very painful procedure to go through. Most babies will move right back into the tranverse position, and therefore require a c-section in the end.
2). Schedule a c-section. And if I go into labor before that date, it would still result in a c-section. Obviously.

With the combination of the doc thinking he is tranverse, and that he is measuring so large, we scheduled an ultrasound next week (36 weeks) to more accurately determine his position and size. I know that babies have the tendency to flip/move on their own before labor, or even during labor. However, like the doc said, with him being a larger baby (and considering he's been in this position for awhile), he may not actually make a move from here on out.

I'm glad he's a big healthy boy, and his heart rate was good as well. My blood pressure was normal, and all that jazz. I had my Group B strep test (which was not bad at all), and will get the results back at next week's appointment.

That about sums up my appointment. Keep your fingers crossed and send some baby somersaulting dust my way.

35/35!

Here I am at the 35 week mark today, with 35 days until my due date! Wooohoo!
I'm getting ready for my doctor's appointment this morning, and I will definitely update with how that went when I get back.
Another milestone reached! I'm getting super excited that meeting Mason is getting closer!

Possibility of Induction?

As mentioned at the end of my previous post, I am going to discuss the possibility of induction for me at my appointment this week. I thought this would need some more explanation, so here it is.
Mr. H and I has been discussing the upcoming weeks, labor and delivery, and our thoughts and plans surrounding Mason's arrival. Unfortunately, will Mr. H's promotion, getting time off of work is not really an option. This is not because he works for a shabby company by any means either. They understand that having a child is as big of a deal as it should be, but it just might not be a possibility for him to have his route covered if I were to go naturally.
Let me give you a scenario to better help explain.
Let's just say that tonight I go into labor and we rush to the hospital. And tomorrow Mason arrives. If Mr. H is working a store and cannot find someone to cover for him, it may be awhile before he can leave and join me at the hospital. Also, if he cannot find someone to cover for him, he would have to leave the hospital at some point during the day to go back to work and finish his route. Either of which, I wouldn't be a happy camper.
Most would ask, "Why is it so difficult to get his route covered?". Well, there are two extras. One whose first day on the job is this morning - and who will be in training for 5-6 weeks, and the other, who covers the routes of those who are on vacation each week.
Another question, "Why not take FMLA?". Because we are two young people, one of which is unemployed, who are having a child. Financially speaking, we can't afford for Mr. H to take unpaid time off.
And lastly, "So how would being induced help the situation any?". Mr. H's employers have informed him that if we knew ahead of time, it would be easier for him to have his route covered. But for it to happen unexpectedly, well, it's up in the air on exactly how things would go down.
I definitely want my husband to be there, and I know he does too. So I am hoping that given the circumstances, as well as Mason measuring ahead of schedule, this is something that could work out for us. I don't really like the idea of making Mason come out for our convenience if he isn't ready, but I don't really like the idea of going through the birthing process without Mr. H there as well. And I guess I can be selfish.
Of course the Doc can say no, and of course she could also set an induction date for me and then Mason decides to come before it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Weekend Recap

This is what went down this weekend for me.
Friday Mom and I ventured to Marietta for Frank's funeral, and it was a beautiful service. My wonderful, darling husband decided to give us some "easy directions" on how to get to the funeral home, in which we got lost. We made the best of it of course. Mom packed some Diet Coke's and all kinds of snacks, so it wasn't bad on this pregnant lady at all.
Frank's daughter, Frances, played the guitar and sang for him as well as the guests, and she did an amazing job. I don't see how such a young girl could have so much strength to do that in front of 300+ people. It's always good to see family again, but of course it would be better under different circumstances. It was bittersweet saying a final farewell to Frank, knowing that this phase of his life is over with, but the next has just begun.
We also went to Babies R Us, and got Mason some of the last minute things he needed. His changing table has been assembled and put into place (thanks to me, don't let Mr. H tell you he put it together). We also got some random things I'll need for him and for myself, which is always a relief since I seem so ill-prepared.
Saturday was spent lazying around the house until that evening, when we went to Tommy and Sandy's for a cookout. It's always good food and good company there, so we definitely had a great time. Plus it is a bonus for me to just get out of my house.
Yesterday Mr. H and I spent the day at Mom and Phil's, just chatting and relaxing. It was very enjoyable and Phil cooked us a great meal.
I'm hoping this week will fly by fast. I will be 35 weeks on Thursday, and will have my 35 week appointment. This is when I start going to the doctor every week! I can't believe it! I'll have my first internal (oh joy!) to see if I am making any early progress yet, as well as my last pregnancy test for Group B Strep. I'm going to talk to the Doc about induction possibilities, since it may be a small posibility for Mr. H to be present at the birth if I go naturally. That is a different blog in itself.
Hope everyone had a good weekend!

34 Weeks!

How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Not really sure.
Maternity clothes? What little of them still fit.
Sleep: Getting better with the help of some sleep aids. Bout time.
Best moment this week: Didn't really have anything exciting going on this week. Ordered the changing table!
Movement: Like crazy. Painful and constant!
Food cravings: Sweets still.
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out? Flat
What I miss: Everything. What's not to miss when you're pregnant and can't have/do anything.
What I am looking forward to: Meeting Mason! My next doctor's appointment this upcoming Thursday.
Weekly Wisdom: Don't take life for granted. Each day is a gift to us, so don't hold back feelings. Make sure you tell those you love how you feel.
Milestones: No real milestone I guess. 6 weeks away from my due date now!

It's Official

I'm sick of being pregnant. Completely over it. Ready to be done.
I hate the fact that I am at home 100% of the time while everyone is working or doing their own thing. I don't have my own thing. My thing is to sit around and be pregnant. I absolutely hate being unemployed. I'd rather work than sit at home.
I'm sick of not being able to sleep like a normal person.
Mason kicks me almost aronud the clock now, and it's bypassed cuteness. It's annoying and painful. Especially when I'm trying to sleep.
My back hurts constantly, my legs are cramping 24/7, I'm bored out of my mind, and I hate my house at this point.
I hate maternity clothes. You're lucky to find some that are actually cute, and when you do, prepare to spend some cash. I'm glad I at least have clothes that fit me though. But I'm ready to shop in a normal store, and buy cute things once again.
I feel like I'm as big as a house, and I don't like feeling that I am completely out of control of my own body.
These are my complaints of being pregnant. Yes, it could be worse. I could have morning sickness, or a high risk pregnancy, or be on bed rest. So my complaints might seem trivial. But knowing that I have to put up with this for another 6 weeks is physically and emotionally draining. I now understand why pregnant women say that the last month or two are the worst. It's just annoying.

Frankie Moates

I find it's only appropriate to dedicate a blog post to my Uncle Frank. He's technically not my uncle. Actually, he's my second cousin. But he's known by everyone as Uncle Frank. And to me, distant relatives are just as important and significant in my life as immediate family members. And to me, he is my Uncle Frank.
Uncle Frank battled a long fight against cancer, and yesterday, the cancer won. Although I didn't get to know Uncle Frank as well as I would have liked, I was lucky to have known him period, and to have had in my life even if it was for a short time.
Frank is my mother's cousin, and she has shared with me some wonderful memories of the times she had growing up with him in her life. Frank was also one of the best guitar players I think I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. He played frequently at the Blues Train in Dalton, Georgia. I'll never forget when Phil wanted to surprise Mom with a marriage proposal, and Phil wanted Frank to be a part of it. So we loaded up and went to the Blues Train and listened to Frank play all evening. Frank tricked Mom into thinking she was selling his CD's to the crowd, and had her get up on stage. And that's when Phil surprised her with his proposal. It was a very memorable evening, and I'll never forget seeing Frank perform.
The man can play. And not only can he play, but he can play with his teeth. It was amazing.
So it was appropriate to have Frank play at my Mom and Phil's wedding. And again, he amazed us all. He wasn't just a guitar player, but he was a real performer. And in his day to day life, he showed the same exhuberance and vitality that he did when he played his guitar.
When we received the news that his health was declining, it was devestating. Mom and I made our trip to Austelle, knowing it would be the last time we saw Uncle Frank alive. And it was. He passed the day after our visit. He was loved by so many people and it was obvious why.
He has an amazing family who has supported him every step of the way during his fight. His wife and daughter seem to have the strength that we all wish we had.
Frank was a wonderful and amazing person and he will be missed by many.

100th Post! 4:04 A.M.

This post was going to be left for something worth a crap. It's my 100th blog post since I started this thing, and I wanted it to be something sentimental, or monumental, or just something.
But I've failed. Instead, I dedicate this post in remembrance of the Great Period of No Sleep.
I was told it would come. To prepare for it. To buy as many body pillows and Tylenol PM as I possibly could. Pregnant women should heed warning. It's the pregnacy woman's equivalent to the Y2K freak out. Prepare.
I prepared, I listened. I hoped that like many other of the pregnancy ailments (morning sickness, fatigue, etc)I would also miss out on the Great No Sleep. But here it is in all of it's horrible glory.
It's not the first night of the Great Period of No Sleep. It started weeks ago, and has continued to spiral deeper into a stream of pure sleep deprivation as the days pass.
And do not tell me this is my body's way of preparing for the baby. This is pure insomnia people. Mother's actually get sleep. What I'm getting is big fat NO sleep.
So here I sit, past 4 am, after hours of lying awake in the bed, with a cold bottle of water and some Tums for the heartburn. And all I can think is "Daylight. Hurry up daylight". I don't actually want to sleep at this point. I want daylight to come, and save me from the night and the wrath of the Great No Sleep.

32 week 6 day Doctor's Appointment

Just got back in from my doctor's appointment, and everything is looking relatively good. Mason is still measuring ahead (roughly 35 and a half weeks) and his heartbeat is strong. My blood pressure was normal, and I've gained WAY to much weight. Of course, I'm definitely not revealing the number for everyone to see. Tough cookies.

She also found sugar in my urine, which is a good indicator of gestational diabetes. She said that although my test results came back normal, with him measuring ahead and the sugar in my urine, she wants to look at it as if I may have GD and basically keep an eye on it.

I'll have my next appointment two weeks from tomorrow with my first internal to check for effacement and dilation as well as group B strep (my last "test"), and she wants to follow up with a growth ultrasound at either my 36 or 37 week appointment. We definitely don't want to have a big 10 pounder, so I'm hoping to avoid that at all costs.

That's pretty much all that went down at the doc's office! After my next appointment I'll be going weekly, so it's definitely going to make time fly by!

Changes

Looking back on the past few years of my life, so much has changed. More of it is for the better, and then some for the not-so-better.

I lived with my best friend for almost a year in the ghetto. We rocked it.
We spent most of this time working at Hooter's together and spending our off time parting way to hard. Just as any 21 year old should do. Like I said, we rocked it.

I was proposed to by my high school sweetheart at out favorite destination, Gulf Shores.

Just a few short months later, my best friend lost her grandmother, I lost my grandfather, and we lost a lifelong friend from high school.

A year and a half later, Mr. H and I married each other during a beautiful outside ceremony.

My best friend got married two months after our wedding.

Three weeks after her wedding, she lost her Dad to cancer.

4 months before our wedding, my Mom married the man of her dreams.

Mr. H and I had an amazing honeymoon in Las Vegas.

3 short months later, we found out we were expecting.

Shortly after that, we had another wonderful addition, my nephew Dexter, added to our family.

Changes. And so many to come.

Online Album 3D Pictures

If you'd like to see the rest of Mason's pictures, you can go to this website and view them!
http://tinyurl.com/myfcxv

3D Ultrasound Pictures!

The ultrasound was just as fun and exciting as I thought it would be. Mason is definitely going to be a porker of a baby. Even the ultrasound tech said he didn't look like he was only 32 weeks along. We'll see. But his chubbiness almost scares me.
So here is the first look at little Mr. Mason Jack.

Not sure if he was really yawning here or just making faces.

Mason smiling.

His serious face.

Today is the Day!

I get to see Mason's little face and what he's been up to for so long! I will post pictures when we get back!

Update on Randomness

How far along? 32 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 28 pounds
Maternity clothes? I have a few things that still fit me. A lot of my pregnancy shirts are a lot shorter now, so my belly tends to fall out of the bottom. Nice.
Stretch marks? Not a one. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will stay that way for the next 8 weeks!
Sleep: Pillows, pillows, and more pillows. Still have yet to have my Ambien filled. I don't think it'll be necessary unless I have another week of no sleep whatsoever.
Best moment this week: Hasn't happened yet, but the 3D ultrasound tomorrow will be it!
Movement: He's a dancing, kicking, rolling, machine.
Food cravings: I've really been craving a cinnamon roll.
Gender: Still a boy!
Labor Signs: Nope.
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but slowly getting flatter.
What I miss: Same things I've been missing. Beer, sleep, my feet, etc, etc.
What I am looking forward to: Seeing Mason's sweet face and holding him in my arms.
Weekly Wisdom: Get the car seat installed as soon as you get it. It's just something else you won't have to worry about.
Milestones: Being able to see him move around in my belly. It's very bizarre.

Update!

I got my results in, and NO GESTATIONAL DIABETES! Wahooo! Definitely thrilled about that. Yeah, still sucks that I had to go through 4 hours of testing to figure that out, but at least I don't have anything to worry about.
Mason is just a naturally big and healthy baby!
Now I just wish Saturday would hurry up and get here!

32 Weeks!

Mason could arrive in as little as 5 weeks. Wow! I still feel so unprepared, even though I know we have the majority of everything we need. At least what we think we need. I'm sure there will be some things after his arrival that we are rushing out to get, not even realizing that we needed them in the first place.

As far as size goes, according to the average baby, he should be around 3.75lbs this week. I'll gain around a pound per week that mostly going straight to Mason. Great for him, but not really looking forward to packing on even more weight.

I have yet to hear back from my doctor about my glucose results. I'm assuming that's probably a good thing. I think that if I had gestational diabetes they would have called to let me know by now. Whenever the results are good, they tend to slack off on calling you and informing you of that. It'd be nice to hear something back though, I could use a little celebrating!

My 3D/4D ultrasound is day after tomorrow, and I am super excited about it! I think it will be so awesome to see his little face, and figure out what he has been doing in there for so long.

Other than that, not much else has been going on. I have a doctor's appointment next Wednesday, and then another two weeks after that. After that appointment, I'll be going every week! I just can't believe this pregnancy has gone by as fast as it has. I definitely won't complain about that! So for my birthday, wedding anniversary, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, we'll have a new little man in our family to start all kinds of wonderful memories with. I can't wait!

4th of July

Well, I guess we spent the 4th like most people. Eating good food, being with friends, and shooting off fireworks. The weather was hot, and waking up to a rainy day today was really nice.
Mason liked the fireworks. The noise really woke him up and got him kicking like crazy.
Next Saturday is our 3D/4D ultrasound, and it's been 15 weeks since I've since my little guy, so it'll be really nice to see what he's doing in there. And of course, to see his face!
Other than that, not much has been going on. I'm 31 weeks and a few days! Time is going by fast. Anywhere in between the next 4 and half to 8 and a half weeks Mason could make his arrival. I'm so, so ready for him to be here.

Things I Miss As A Pregnant Chick
1). Sleeping on my stomach. That's the only way I used to be able to fall asleep.
2). Cold beer on a hot day.
3). My ankles
4). My feet
5). Wearing my engagement ring. I can still wear my wedding band, but that's only because I can't take it off anymore.
6). Walking any short or long distance without getting out of breath.
7). Standing/sitting for long periods of time without it making my feet hurt.
8). Being able to tolerate loud, drunken people.
9). Skinny people clothes.
10). Wearing shoes other than flip flops.
11). Not having constant back pain.

Things I Enjoy As a Pregnant Chick
1). I don't get hangovers.
2). Foot rubs.
3). Feeling Mason roll around like a jumping bean.
4). Knowing that the end result of this is well worth it, and it's one part of my life I get to be over with once it's done.
5). Mr. H, being the great husband that he is, (and also knowing that there are certain things much easier for him to do than me) has been making sure I've got what I need.
6). Swimming. I enjoyed it before getting pregnant, but it has definitely helped much more since I've been pregnant.
7). Getting to indulge in my cravings. It's the one time during a woman's life that she actually gets complimented on her weight gain. "Pregnant women are so cute." Pft. Whatever people.
8). Pregnancy fatigue is a good reason for being lazy.
9). Did I mention foot rubs?
10). Bubble baths.

Doctor's Apppointment and Tolerance Test

So today was my big three hour glucose test! It didn't go as bad as I pictured it would. Basically I got to drink the lovely sweat-flavored drink, Glucola, and have my blood drawn 4 times in the course of 3 hours. I won't hear back about my results for another week, but I'm not too worried about it.

As far as the rest of my appointment went, everything seemed normal. Blood pressure was good, got to hear Mason's heartbeat again, still measuring ahead of schedule, and I actually lost 3 pounds since my last appointment. I'm pretty sure it's water weight, since I have been chugging down water like crazy lately. And I'm also aware that I will gain this back, but that just gives me all the more reason to indulge myself this week. Also, we discussed my crazy insomnia I've been having lately, and after talking about it for a bit, she decided to prescribe me Ambien. I'm only going to use this on a have-to basis and not rely on it. I'm not much of a medicine taker (I normally refuse to take over the counter meds for headaches and colds), so I definitely don't want to take it more than necessary.

Afterwards, the girls and I (since I had to fast after midnight last night) went to lunch at Longhorns. I devoured just about everything and it was delicious! Then we headed over to Floyd Hospital so I could go ahead and pre-register for labor and delivery. Now that that is out of the way, I won't have to worry about sitting there for 20 minutes during the time of labor to give them all of my information.

All in all it's been a good day! My next Dr's appt is July 15th and my 3D/4D ultrasound is a week from this Saturday! Woohoo!

Stroller!

Last night we made a trip to Babies R Us and picked up our stroller! Luckily, we made it about 15 minutes before closing, and they only had one left of the kind that I was wanting. I'm so glad that we got it, since it's one of the few remaining more expensive items. Mr. H sold his old headlights for his truck to a guy for $100 bucks, so that defiitely helped us in getting it.
Unfortunately, I didn't have my coupon with me (which would've saved used about $40), but the cashier said that as long as I save my receipt and bring it back with the coupon within 90 days, they can still honor it. So that's good!
Of course Mr. H was tired by the time that we got home, so we haven't taken it out of the box yet or assembled it. I plan on taking a few pictures of him trying to figure out how to put it together. Ha!
Tomorrow is my 3 hour gluclose tolerance test, so I can't eat anything after midnight tonight. I'm not really looking forward to it, but I am looking forward to the other parts of my doctor's appointment. Seeing if Mason is measuring ahead still, what progress we've made, etc, etc. It'll be fun even though I get to spend half of the day in the doctor's office.
I'll definitely update tomorrow with any news once I get finished with the appointment!