its July 16th. . weekly chat!
Lets do this!
I am giving birth tomorrow morning Tuesday, (or Monday night around 11pm USA PST time). I just packed my hospital bag.. I'll probably post a photo or 2 to my facebook when I get a chance.. .. that is my update 
pray/chant/send good vibes my way.. I am really nervous mostly because I hate hospitals :)
Best wishes to ithappened on the birth of your twins. I'll bet you can't wait to meet them. :)
I have an OB appointment this week. So far all has been good. I just let him measure, listen to heart beat, urine lab, and take blood pressure.
Since I am waterbirth VBACing in a hospital that is 2.5 hrs away, I have found a place for my daughter and I to live that is nearby.
I am nesting like crazy. I look around my house and in my freezer (no meals frozen yet) and am saying yikes! I have to buckle down. Anyone else just feel like they are running in circles with housework and taking care of the family? I want to deep clean and organize and freeze LOTS of food. :) Two weeks before my "due date" I'll be living 2.5 hrs away which may drive me a little crazy when I want to be home nesting. Any suggestions for ways to "nest" away from home?
Can't wait to hear everyone else's updates.
Momma Melissa in MN
Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but I'm really feeling like the baby is going to be early. I never felt like this with Elsa. But it could be just me wanting to be done because of being so hot and uncomfortable. We'll see.
I definitely feel like I'm running in circles. I finally got my bag packed to where I'm satisfied with it. But there are so many other little things I want to get done that I don't know where to start. Plus having the out of town family here to help with the in-laws' move means I haven't spent much time at home. I really wish I'd taken off work by now - I could use those extra few hours.
I'll be thinking about you ithappened! The procedure itself will go really fast and those babes will be in your arms before you know it! I'll be sending you lots of happy, healing vibes!
Mommamelissa - Hmm. That's a hard one. You could always make meals where you are staying and stock that freezer, then bring them back to your house with you. I know you plan to make freezer meals now, but you can continue to do that in the place you are renting. :)
Ninetales - I hope you are able to either feel comfortable or have your babe early. I remember feeling really "ready" to have my son and I know how frustrating it can be to wait it out.
I'm officially 36 weeks and I just have to put the car seat in the car and pack the hospital bag at this point. There are a few other things that need to be done (wrapping presents for my son), but I really have most things ready. Now I'm just going to enjoy the time I have left as a family of three. Our lives are about to change dramatically!!
Ahhhhhhh! ithappened, I'm so excited for you! I cannot believe you're already there yet. And I'm so glad you got those two to term and they sound huge and healthy. Cannot wait to hear all the details (well, maybe not ALL the details...).
AFM, I'm 37 weeks (!!!). I have a doc appointment today, so I'll update if anything interesting happens there.
I'm swamped with administrative work and work my manuscript and it's been so hot that nesting is out of the question, sadly. My goal for this week is to finish up that admin work and the final chapter of the book so I can take it easy and just read novels or something for the next two weeks or so. I'm still waking up in the middle of the night with intense cramping, but there are some days I hardly feel pregnant (except for my gigantic ankles), so I'm not sure my earlier forecasts of an early babe are going to come true.
I'm so excited that we're all getting so close!
I wasn't sure at first, I thought maybe it's because I hadn't had breakfast yet, but nope - baby has officially dropped! yay!
I've got like 2-4 weeks left, eeeeek!
Also this morning while I was working, I felt my milk letdown kind of thing then had a real ctx (from the oxytocin). Very cool! I'd like to host a family BBQ sometime in the next few weeks but I have no idea when to plan it.
I still haven't scheduled my u/s....must do that!
Poor DH, I keep asking if he's getting excited but he's stressing about getting time off work. Somehow it's more acceptable to take a week or two off when it's your first/second/third but all of a sudden, it's our fourth and everyone expects him to be back within a day or two :-/
Sure sure, we were out of the house a day or two later with the last one, but it was soooooo nice to spend some relaxing quality time and for me to be able to just drop everything and rest whenever I felt I needed to.
Oh well, I told him I'd do my best to have baby on a Friday night lol
ithappened--the time is finally here! It's so hard to believe that in a little more than 12 hours, you will no longer be pregnant! Wishing you all the best throughout the procedure--I hate hospitals too, so I understand your feelings. Can't wait to hear the updates. (I sent you a FB friend request, just so I can be in on the news. So if you see a name you don't recognize, it's probably me.)
I'm 35 weeks today. Everything is starting to feel more real. We are slowly gathering supplies together and getting organized, but it's not fast enough for me. I want to be done with all the tasks so that I can feel like I have time to prepare emotionally for what's going to happen. But I know that will probably not happen. I keep trying to get back into that zen feeling I had for most of my pregnancy, but it feels allusive these days. I was awake at 2:00 this morning, and didn't sleep since then. It's going to be a long, useless day.
Yay, Ithappened! I can't wait to see your babies. Will be sending you great healing and calming thoughts tonight, and best wishes for a quick hospital stay.
I will be 34 weeks tomorrow and will be meeting with my midwife again. I'm nervous for the weigh-in and blood pressure checks, urine checks, etc. I keep expecting something to go wrong!
I wish nesting would hurry up and kick in...I have so much to do still (cleaning, gathering supplies, reading, cooking, organizing-- oh my!)
Hope everyone has a fantastic week!!
Ithappened - YAYYY!! Can you believe the day has come!!! I'm so excited for you and will be thinking of you and sending good vibes your way. Can't wait for your updates!! 
Mommamelissa - Good luck w/your final nesting and food prep before you "relocate". I second Sallyrae's suggestion on doing some of the food prep at your temporary place which you can bring home w/you.....
Ninetales - When is your last day at work? You'll get it all done one way or another, but I do hope that you can enjoy some extra time off just for yourself, before Baby comes!
Sallyrae - Yes enjoy your family time together, before the big change!!!
LiliyTiger - Good luck w/wrapping up your work this week.... reading novels afterward sounds like a great treat after all that!!
Tizzy - I hope your DH can get his time off from work.... Sounds like you both have everything under control nonetheless, but it would certainly be nice to have him home to enjoy those first few special days w/you!
AFM - Our EDD is 2 weeks from today! It's been really nice to have DH home for a good long (10 day) stretch, as he's been so helpful around the house, I feel spoiled. Had some new pressure/cramping start yesterday which made me wonder if this was the "beginning of the end" - but woke up today not feeling any worse - so perhaps not yet! DH will be out of town again Thurs-Tues so I'll be doing my best to take it easy later this week so that Baby stays put!!
Ithappened--Congratulations and good luck!! Will be sending lots of positive thoughts and wishes for an easy birth and healthy babies!!
I can't believe how close everyone is getting. Best of luck to everyone as you try to finish up all the last minute projects etc.!
As for me, I still haven't hit 34 weeks yet, so things aren't really feeling imminent yet. Which is good, since I still have done essentially nothing. We did set up the new bookcases this weekend, so at least the nursery doesn't have books all over the floor. But there is still so much to do. It's definitely stressing me out, and in general I've just been really emotional lately. Guess it comes with the third trimester territory, but I feel bad since a lot of it has come out on my poor husband who is trying so hard. Sleep would help, but unfortunately, that's been in short supply lately, between my daughter having a couple of very rough nights in a row and my trouble falling back asleep once I wake up. I really can't complain though, since it is my angel husband who handles all the night wakings (I just hear it from bed), even though he is in the middle of trial.
Ithappened, wishing you all the best for the birth in a little less than half a day! Had a dream about you and the ddc club last night (see below). Enjoy your rest in the hospital, too, and your new little ones!
Mommamelissa, it sounds like you have a great level of excitement and energy! I think sallyrae has some good suggestions.
Ninetales, if you have little things left to do, that actually sounds good, since they should be manageable! Hope it all goes well.
Sally, seems like we're at the same point and I also have the hospital bag and car seat bases to install, but dh has already practiced. I think I would still like us to take them somewhere to verify that we have done it correctly, though.
Lily, it sounds like you have a great plan for the next few weeks. Sorry about the cramping. I am not getting that as far as I can tell.
Tizzy, hope the timing works out for dh to spend some calm days with you! Good news about the symptoms.
Sarah, sorry about the insomnia. I found that I really need to exhaust myself before going to sleep and that's the best guarantee that I won't wake up with my mind racing a few hours after initially falling asleep.
Lakeruby, hope the appointment goes well. You still have some time for the nesting to kick in!
Rebecca, sounds like you have a fab husband!
Newmum, I hope baby stays put until your dh is back home!
AFM, I had the funniest dream last night that we had a ddc reunion just before ithappened was about to get her c-section, to wish her well. I guess it's not so different from the ddc itself, but it was interesting.
36 weeks today and feeling fine! I do have pressure in my low pelvis when standing and walking sometimes. That is the new symptom from the past week or so. In general the sciatica/hip pain is a little annoying and I have discomfort in my tailbone, but most of it feels like intensification of previous feelings.
In terns of preparation, things are coming together: I finally ordered the replacement mattress for the mini cosleeper and some sheets for it. We spent hours last night looking at nursery decals on etsy and didn't end up choosing any, but it was fun. We may see what Target has in stock, since we have so many gift cards still to use there. We found some cordless blinds there, which dh will install today, but they only had two that would fit our br windows, where the baby will be in the beginning, so we need to investigate further, but at least it's a start. I need to finalize the birth plan, pack the bag, and decide which nursing supplies I need now; and dh has to remove some odds and ends from the nursery/guest room and fix the caulking the the guest bathroom.
I can't believe how close everyone is getting.
Ithappened, I'm thinking of you and sending good vibes your way. I'm so excited for you and to hear how everything goes!
Mommamelissa, I wish I was in nesting mode. It is good that you're in that mode now while you're home, but I agree with PP about maybe preparing some meal to bring back with you.
Ninetales, I hope you start feeling more comfortable. The heat is crazy where I am as well lately. It is very possible that your momma intuition is right and you go early!
Sallyrae, enjoy your family time!
Lilytiger, I hope you are able to wrap up all of your administrative work and the work on your manuscript!
Tizzy, I'm hoping for a Friday for you as well, and that things work out for your DH to be able to take more time off of work without feeling all the pressure to return so quickly.
Here's hoping you're able to regain your zen, Sarah, it seems like a lot of people have been having a few hiccups in that regard.
Lakeruby, I hope everything with your appointment goes great, and since it has been so far, I'm sure it will! I'm 34 weeks tomorrow as well...and having a complete lack of nesting instinct....
NewMum, so glad you got to enjoy this week with you DH being home. Maybe the new pressure is just an evolution of your BH?
Rebecca, I hope that you're able to get some more restful sleep. How great of your DH to wake with your LO.
AFM, we just got B's travel schedule for the next 3 months and he is pretty much gone through October. He was out of town last week and I was feeling pretty down and not in the mood to prepare or even think about anything to do with the baby (hence my absence from Mothering last week). I even skipped my Bradley class and spent all my free time vegging out watching stupid shows on Netflix. I'm trying to get more in the swing of things this week with B home, but I'm still a bit bummed that he will miss so much of Q's first couple of months, as is he. He could get up to three weeks off with paternity leave, but since it is a really busy time for him at work, he will likely only take two weeks, and then take a week sometime down the line. I believe he will only be home for 1 week in September and he will be gone for all of October. Luckily, he will be flying home each weekend. I contacted my oldest sister and asked if she would come visit in September or October and she is going to try and make that work, but she has to find out what is happening regarding scheduling some pretty serious surgery on her spine/neck. I'm 34 weeks tomorrow and just got back from my MW appointment. Q is measuring right on target, heart rate 140, and everything is looking great. My MW will be on vacation 8/13-8/21, and my EDD is 8/28, and while I've been hoping for Q to make her entrance at 41-42 weeks for financial reasons, now I'm really hoping that Q comes a little late and not early, because I'd really like to be able to deliver with my MW. She really wants me to go on time or a little after 40 weeks as well, as she seems to really get a good laugh during our appointments and doesn't want to miss the birth with us. She thinks B is the funniest guy ever. That said, she seemed a little apprehensive about my plan to fly out to LA at 35 weeks to spend the weekend with B (he is scheduled in El Segundo for two weeks) just a week after flying to Tampa for my baby shower this coming weekend. But it is his birthday weekend, so I'd really like to go, and assuming the flight to Tampa is uneventful and doesn't bother me, I'm going to go ahead and book the flight to LA. She just asked me to not do anything to strenuous and to avoid DTD too much....just in case...
Sorry for the long post.
ithappened, How exciting! I know you're not looking forward to the process, but you get to meet your babies soon. I'm a little jealous. I can't wait for an update and pics.
mommamelissa, Are you crafty at all? Could you be making something for the baby? Knitting or crocheting or embroidering. Or decorating some onesies. I've seen several no-sew ideas for using fusible interfacing, fabric and an iron to add fun designs to plain onesies.
AFM Well, our world got turn upside down again last week (maybe that makes it right side up?) Anyway. On Thursday DH was let go from the job we were moving to be closer too. We're really not sure why or what really happened. They told him he hadn't done anything wrong and they'd be happy to give him a good recommendation but that his skill set didn't quite fit with what they needed and that they had debated hiring him at all and decided to hire him on a trial basis, but that it just wasn't working out. All of that was news to us, especially since 2 weeks ago DH was concerned with some vibes he was picking up and talked to his boss and was told that he was doing fine and that, "You'd have to be a real F&^% up to get fired." and that it was safe to go ahead and move his family. We're both kinda confused.
It's not a major tragedy. Thankfully DH is fully capable of going back to free lancing and still has good relationships with his former clients. It is a major PITA though. We have the house almost totally packed up and the garage is full of boxes that now need unpacking. We had signed a lease for a house near the job and put down a deposit. Thankfully we were able to break the lease, but the deposit was non-refundable. The company that fired DH has agreed to reimburse us for that though.
Insurance is another issue. We had switched to the company's policy and DH gets to keep benefits till the end of Aug. but then we're most likely on Cobra or shopping for individual insurance again.
The biggest issue to me right now is what to do about where to deliver the baby. I really don't want to switch back to the practice here. I just don't have any confidence that I'll have a natural birth with them. Plus I've gotten kind of attached to the water birth available at the hospital where the new MW practices. The problem is that it's an hour away with no traffic. At rush hour that could grow to 2 hours or longer. That makes me very nervous. I swear for the first time a home birth seems appealing, but there's no way DH would be comfortable with that without a lot more discussion and research than we have time for at this point. I have an apt with the new MW this Thurs. where I plan to ask her advise on staying with her or switching yet again to a closer provider.
At home I have to find and unpack the baby clothes and diapers then wash them. I should also make sure the car seat fits in the car with DD's car seat. Thank God for nesting, maybe it will help me get the house back in something like order before baby girl gets here.
Oh yeah, and at some point we're going to have to come up with a name for this kid.
Hello everyone!
Holy Smokes ItHappened! I seriously can't believe how fast the time has gone. Although I imagine you are pretty ready to get those babes out.
Praying for an easy, and blessed delivery. Can't wait to see pictures!
Veritas, do tell, what "stupid shows" have you been enjoying over the weekend? I am desperate for something new to watch. Sorry about DH's schedule 
Hoping that something works out so he doesn't feel like he is missing out. Good news is, first three months is all about sleeping, nursing, changing.
Joy! You are super close too! I am envious mamas. Nonetheless, can you believe we are all rounding the corner to the next stage??!!
Happy to hear all the reports. Gotta go get dd off of the table, apparently she has taken to climbing!
Ithappened, yay! I can't wait to see pictures! I'm sure they'll be the most adorable babies.
Ithappened- I will be be thinking about you tonight. Good luck! I hope you are able to get all the care you deserve from your family these next couple of days.
Veritas- I'm sorry you will have such little time with your partner after Quinn is born. I know I would feel similarly if I was in your shoes.
KristyD- What a crazy stresser this late in the game. I'm glad to here you are staying positive about things, but wow that's a lot to figure out right at the end of pregnancy. Good luck figuring out which practice you will be using. I hope you feel good with whatever you decide.
We are all so close! It is AMAZING! Ithappened will most likely be the next one to have her babies, but I can't wait until we get to "meet" everyone's little ones. It won't be long now. 
I'm 37 weeks along now (well according to my midwife's dating... 38 weeks according to the ultrasound) and things are becoming more and more real that we are about to have a baby. Thankfully I still feel pretty good. Only real complaint is swelling ans stiffness in my feet and hands, which I am going to acupuncture for tomorrow. Our midwife is going to be doing home visits here on out and should be bringing over the birth tub today. I woke up this morning with consistent menstrual like cramping that lasted for about three hours and then went away. It seems like my body is doing some warm ups. I would really like for the baby to wait until after the 22nd because I want her/him to be a Leo 
, but we'll see. I hope everyone continues to get all their loose ends tied together!
Quick update after my doc appointment today: It looks like this kid is staying put for a while. Cervix totally closed and thick. She felt what she's pretty sure is the head, so that's a relief, but said she could "bounce" it, meaning it's not fully engaged yet. She did say they can engage and then un-engage, which would explain why I felt so much cramping and pressure last week and very little this week. Oh well. I'm actually a little relieved, since I'm not sure I'm ready work-wise for this kid to come next week. So I'll look at this as more time for myself.
And KristyDi, holy crap what a mess!!!!! I can't believe they would do that without any forewarning. You are a better woman than I, sister. I'd be a complete basket case. Good luck getting everything sorted out in what little time you have left. I really hope the insurance situation works out and that your DH finds something soon. Sending you calming vibes, though you sound like you're handling it amazingly. 
KristiD--What a ridiculous thing for the company to do to your family. I'm really sorry your dealing with this right now, but add me to the camp of completely impressed about how you are handling things. With that attitude no doubt things will all work out. And I feel you on the name . . . we still don't have one either and seem to be at a complete standstill with it. But I've never met a nameless kid, so I'm sure we'll all find a name that's right sooner or later.
LilyTiger--glad to hear that the baby is head down.
I picked my daughter up from the first day of her second week of preschool this afternoon to find her sitting alone on the floor staring into space, completely wet from pee. Ugg. Apparently it just happened, but still not exactly the most confidence inspiring scene for a mom still super nervous about leaving her daughter at school.
Ah! I'm so excited for ithappened! 45 minutes! Sending you easy labor vibes, mama! I hope everything goes well and can't wait to hear the story and see pics soon! (That was a lot of exclamation points)
Ah! I'm so excited for ithappened! 45 minutes! Sending you easy labor vibes, mama! I hope everything goes well and can't wait to hear the story and see pics soon! (That was a lot of exclamation points)
me too! It's nuts! Can't wait to see those happy kiddos!
Lily, sounds like a good report nonetheless. Thank goodness baby is head down!
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