D-Day and no B A B Y...yet

Well, today is my due date. And yet, I am sitting here on my stability ball in my office, definitely not in labor. 

I know I know. You can't rush these things. But, the heat is oppressive, exercise is beginning to get uncomfortable and each day seems to take a week at this point. I really want to meet this baby. I want to know if it is a boy or a girl. I want to hold the little one in my arms and marvel at his or her beauty. I want to know if I can convince my husband to use the name I want for a girl... if it is indeed a girl:) OK... the last one is totally selfish... but Stella is such a beautiful Italian name...and they are so far and few at this point. Plus, it is a name from nature. 

Anyway, went to the doc today for my 40 wk appt. She said it was, "looking good". I was 2cm dilated, still about 50% effaced, but softer and more "pliable". The baby was really easy to reach, so very low. She "swept" a little to try and encourage some opening movement... but we'll see. It didn't hurt nearly as much as when she did the same thing when I had Silas. Either I have gotten tougher (doubtful) or she didn't do it as much. With Silas, I was in labor like 3 hours later... but every baby, every pregnancy, every delivery is different... 

I scheduled my non-stress test for Wednesday... maybe baby will take that as a hint. I know so many people who scheduled inductions and then went into labor hours or days before it. Maybe the baby won't know the difference between a NST and an induction? 

I scheduled my 41 weeks appt for next Monday... but the doctor was hopeful that I wouldn't need it. 

My mother came up last night, so she can try and either be there for delivery if possible, or be here to watch Silas if not. I really would like her to be there, so I have called a few friends asking favors--to see if they wouldn't mind coming over if we have to leave for the hospital at night, since our nanny would be there during the day. I have fabulous friends, we have people lined up through Wednesday night. After that, my mom will have to stay home with Silas... those are the only friends we have who don't currently work:)

My lovely colleagues just threw me an impromptu baby shower--which was very nice. Crumbs cupcakes... if you have never had one they are delicious treats, and a gift card to Baby Gap which will definitely NOT com amiss. That was a very nice way to spend part of the afternoon. 

So, I may not be able to post before baby comes... keeping my fingers crossed that indeed I will not be able to. But, who knows!!!

Either way, once this little one does arrive, I will be leaving a long descriptive post with pictures, and we'll find out if the experiment was successful. If indeed, I am able to follow through with all my training and hard work and succeed in having a drug and intervention free childbirth!

Operation Get Baby Born Already!

39 weeks and 3 days. My due date is Monday, this Monday, August 9th. I am big, bulky, starting to waddle, tired and ready for this baby!!!

Technically, we are totally not ready for this baby. Silas is still in the nursery because we only just finished removing all the basement stuff from his room last weekend. It was a very long weekend, but with my parents help, we got everything done. The back bedroom is now ready to be readied for Silas. What do I mean? I mean it is in its pre-basement construction state! Actually, better than that since we removed all the boxes and clothing bins from under the bed as well. 

It is definitely the best I could hope for before this baby is born seeing as I could go into labor any day now. Which is not happening which is very disappointing!!!

But, rooms not being ready doesn't worry me. Seriously. It'll take a couple of days to sort through all the clothes that belong to my husband and myself and either move them or get them out of Si's room-to-be. But, right now, my closet and drawers are still filled with maternity clothes, so technically, I don't have space for those clothes. Once baby is born and I can wear real clothes again, I'll be able to put the maternity clothes away thereby making space for my real clothes. Painting, one day, max. I know this because we did a LOT of painting when we bought the house. At most, we'll have to paint 1.5 rooms: if this baby is a girl, we will have to repaint the top half of the nursery which is currently blue, but since the bottom is brown, we can leave it. If the baby is a boy, we only have to paint Silas' new room which is currently just beige since it was only a guest room. Will it be annoying to have to do work on the house, again, while on leave? Yes, definitely, but it isn't nearly as much work as we had to do when I was on leave after Silas was born... so not too big a deal. 

But seriously, me, myself. I am so ready to not only not be pregnant, but to meet this baby! I want to know if it is a boy or a girl! I want to hold this little baby in my arms already! As the due date approaches, I get more and more nervous about my idea of natural childbirth, but deep down, I know I am ready and capable of it... I will just have to keep reminding myself of that when contractions start!

This week, I put into action Operation: Get baby born! It consists of several steps to try and "bring on labor" most of which only work part of the time and usually because you were probably ready to go into labor anyway, but still, I think it is worth the effort!

At my 39 week appt on Monday, doc said I was still only 1cm dilated but that baby was MUCH easier to reach, probably at -2 as opposed to +2 and I was probably about 50% effaced. Dilation can happen quickly once labor actually starts... so my job is to get labor to start. 

Operation: Get baby born consists of several lesser Operations. One of which is easy and I have no issues putting into action. One of which, while is strategically difficult, it at least (in general) is enjoyable to put into action. The last two... well... lets just say they aren't operations I want to put into action, but will if I have to. They are:
1. Operation Walk and Exercise a LOT: I have recommenced walking the mile home from the subway. At the gym on Tuesday, I ran for 2 miles, walked for 1 and did my strength training. I head back to the gym tonight for my weekly trainer appt. 
2. Operation Get it On: My husband is a big fan of this operation as he has at least 6 weeks of celibacy to look forward to after baby is born... might as well get it in now. Finding a comfortable way to enact this operation is usually challenging, but once accomplished... well... the rest of the operation is much more enjoyable. 
3. Operation Castor Oil: Not something I want to put into action. Knowing my luck, I will end up with 7 hours of awful diarrhea and no labor!
4. The last resort... which if I make it to my 40 week appt on Monday may just need to be done is Operation Strip the Membranes. I remember quite clearly how painful this was when my doctor did it when Silas was born. I do not want to have to go through it again if at all possible, so I am hoping my first two operations are successful sometime this weekend. 

All told, it would be awesome if I could go into labor tonight or by tomorrow morning. Jacob has off tomorrow but will have to go into work tomorrow night. Going into labor while he is home and not sleeping for his shift would be ideal...getting him up and alert is always a challenge and getting him home from work because I am in labor could be as well depending on the mood his boss is in. 

If anyone else out there in blogger land has any tips on how one might bring labor about naturally without drugs, I am all ears!

In the meantime, Operation Get Baby Born continues...

Bigger and Bigger

So, it has been quite awhile since I posted a new blog. No, I did not fall off the face of the earth, and yes, I am still pregnant!

My work computer blocks my access to blogs (all blogs) randomly and for different periods of time. Why blogs are considered "personal data storage" is beyond me. 

Anyway, I am 38 weeks and 2 days today! Eek!!! Although mentally and physically, I am totally ready to have this baby; our home is totally NOT ready! The bathroom project, since they screwed it up so bad, took over a month longer than it was supposed to. It should have been done mid-June...they finished last week!

Needless to say, we are still working on organizing it and putting things back where they belong. So, since the basement isn't fully together, neither is Silas' new room. Which is where we stored everything that was in the basement while the work was taking place. Since Silas' room isn't even ready to get ready, he is still in the nursery... which means the baby is homeless (or will be once he or she is here). But, we have a bassinet, so the baby will just sleep in our room for the first couple of weeks. My only goal now is to have Silas' new room ready to get ready for him before the baby comes. That is, have the basement in order and everything that should be stored in the basement there... so that the back bedroom is back to its "pre-construction" state. Then it will be a "simple" matter to get it ready for Silas. 

I was hoping for a somewhat relaxing maternity leave this time around; time at the beach, time in VT... yeah... that is obviously NOT going to happen. Last time, I spent my 12 weeks painting, packing, moving into our new house, and unpacking and organizing that new house. This time won't be much different except that it won't be a new house... just the current one. 

Anyway, I have kept up with exercise even if I haven't kept up with blogging about it. Still hitting the treadmill (no way am I going out in this heat and humidity to run outside) about 3x a week, and strength training 2x a week. Feeling good physically, if not entirely comfortable. And, if I do say so myself, I have remained rather small. I am pretty much all baby, as one stranger in the lunch place remarked: "It looks like someone just placed a pregnant belly on you! Your tiny!" and as a co-worker proclaimed only yesterday, "Wow! You're due in two weeks?! But you're so small! My sister in law just had a baby and she was HUGE!"

So, why oh why do some people feel the following statement isn't offensive, "Girl, you are getting bigger and bigger each day! That belly is growing so big!" OK, biatch. First of all, I have gained all of 1/2 lb in the last 3 weeks. Did it not occur to you that yesterday, I was wearing a bit tighter of a top and today I am wearing a flowy sundress... so I just appear to be bigger. And not only that, have some damn tact! Nobody, pregnant or not, wants to hear the words, "Wow, you are so big! You're getting bigger and bigger!" Seriously. I don't care if I am getting bigger because I have another human being growing in me. It is still rude. Especially since I have been exercising and eating healthy all in an effort to ONLY gain weight the baby NEEDS. I have gained 30 lbs. Saying it like that, I don't mind it so much. Really I don't. Even though I worked and slaved for months to LOSE 30 lbs prior to getting pregnant, it actually doesn't bother me hearing the words, 30 lbs. I know in order for this baby to be healthy, I need to gain weight. Plus, all my maternity clothes are a size 8 or 6...and they are a bit big on me. But, generalizing it by saying I am getting big? No, I am NOT getting big. I am growing a human being. There is a difference. 

Didn't your mom ever teach you, "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?"

My Review of Odor Remover

Originally submitted at Diapers.com

bumGenius Odor Remover

 

bumGenius odor remover quickly eliminates the source of odor-causing bacteria in cloth diapers. It is non-toxic, biodegradable and is completely free of chemicals, oils, detergents, perfumes and solvents. Use instead of deodorizing dis...

Odor Remover

Ridiculous price, great product

By New to Cloth from NY,NY on 6/25/2010

 

4out of 5

Pros: Easy to Use, Efficient

Best Uses: Diapers and diaper pail

Describe Yourself: Meticulous Cleaner

I would give this diaper odor spray 5 stars if it weren't so expensive for something that gets used up very quickly. For people who still have smells, I think this is designed to be used on wet and dirty diapers... not as a way to clean the smell OUT of them. I spray this on my sons organic cotton diapers, and the wet covers, before putting them in my diaper laundry bag. It helps to cut down on the smell while they are waiting to be laundered and I know will help avoid bacteria growth. Diapers should ALWAYS be washed on hot cycle to kill the bacteria that create smell. if you have stinky diapers after washing, lay them out in the sun!
They need to have a less expensive refill for this because having to buy these tiny bottles and them trash them (recycle them) after a couple of weeks isn't exactly very environmentally friendly...and the price isn't wallet friendly. Otherwise, really works great!

(legalese)

Cloth wins...hands down.

Since I have found a cloth/hybrid diaper that I really like and that really works, I have been very happy with diapering my little man. Never even once reaching for the "easier" disposable or wishing I had one on hand.
I love my GroBaby diapers. They never frustrate or disappoint me at how awesome they are. I have even begun to really like using the cloth inserts. With a flushable liner, even changing poopy diapers is super easy and not gross or icky at all. 

The problem came in, when GroBaby changed to GroVia. The changes they made to the diapers, actually seem like they are going to be awesome. Tuck-in tabs for the velcro so it won't come undone in the wash, 1/2 higher rise for those of us with tall babies, and a waterproof back to the organic cotton soaker pads. AWESOME!!!

Of course, since I had just spent quite a bit of money buying GroBaby shells and soaker pads because they were on sale and GroVia wasn't, I probably won't be purchasing too many GroVia diapers anytime soon. We are on a tight budget and buying the GroBaby shells and soakers was already out of it... so... the newer more awesome diapers will have to wait *sigh*. 

No big deal. 

BUT... the biosoakers were not available for purchase at the same time as the other diapers were. The nanny and my husband used the biosoakers exclusively, while I used mostly cloth and the biosoakers when leaving the house or traveling. I only had 2 boxes of 50 GroBaby biosoakers and they were no longer available as everyone had sold out of them. eeekkk!!!

Needless to say, I ran out of GroBaby biosoakers before the GroVia biosoakers were available for sale. Which meant.... I had to go out and buy some disposable diapers. *Side note, GroVia biosoakers came in earlier than expected on Gro-via.com and so I am "patiently" awaiting my order to arrive sometime in the next few days*

I was too tired the night I realized there would be no diapers for the nanny the next day, so I sent Jacob out to CVS to pick up a pack of diapers. I didn't really care which brand as they were all equally bad for the environment and I didn't plan on using them on any permanent basis. He came home with one of the Huggies brand diapers--not the Pure & Natural ones we used before which weren't too bad I have to admit.

A couple of nights ago, I was talking to Jacob about cloth diapers and how I couldn't believe how easy they were and how much I liked them. He just said, "I like disposables." I didn't feel like getting into a discussion over which was better with him because I know he has made up his mind NOT to like the GroBaby diapers, whether the biosoakers or the cloth soaker pads... it wasn't an argument I was going to win, so it wasn't worth having.

The next night, I was putting Silas' diaper on before bed, and I noticed a rash up his back, near where the back of the diaper is, and in the creases of his legs, it was rubbed raw. I pointed it out to Jacob and said simply, "He got a rash from those Huggies diapers, and they rubbed his legs raw." Jacob looked at me, almost defeated and said, "Yeah, I noticed that too, but the rubbing could be from the swimmie diapers that were a little too small." In his voice, I heard the sound of defeat, the sound of giving in, the sound of, 'you were right, the other diapers are better but I am not going to admit it out loud, this is the best you'll get'.

I didn't want to gloat, so I didn't say anything like, "I told you so." I didn't say anything at all. I just smiled, and on the inside, was totally doing the Dance of Joy, Balki Bartokomous style.

Now, if I can just convince him of how awesome cloth diapers are... 

Baby steps... baby steps...