40 weeks- We made it!

Week 40

I’m done. Tank is cooked. Now let’s get him out!! 40 weeks is the end of a term pregnancy. Most babies that make it to 40 weeks weigh anywhere from 6-9lbs and 19-22 inches. The bones in his skull has not fused yet, (THANK GOD), so that way he can fit through the birth canal. So how long is too long? Usually no practitioner will let you go beyond 42 weeks. I am hoping they don’t let me go beyond 41, though I do despise the though of being induced. I have an OB check up on Tuesday where they will check my cervix to see if I am making any progress.

Did you know that when Tank is born he will not have functioning tear ducts? They don’t develop until a little after a month. 

So now i'm on maternity leave. We (me, my mom, and Kris) are just killing time. Working on doing things to get Tank moving. I'm using the time to catch up on small house hold projects. No it's not nesting, its just having free time!  I feel good. I guess since I have never had a child before I have no idea what to expect or if I feel different. We will keep you posted each day. We are trying to enjoy our time with sunny day walks. 

Hiking and loving. Trying to motivate Tank

Mom and I working the hike in Kinkaid Park

A nice boardwalk walk

family photo...it was very windy out!

39 weeks and 5 days

 

Week 39

Can you believe that I only have a week to go? Doesn’t it seem like just yesterday that Tank was a Cletus. I am on my last 3 days of work. I can’t wait. Tank is the size of a mini watermelon(  7lbs, 20 inches). He is adding more fat every day. All he is doing now is simmering waiting for the timer to DING!!

Decisions: Circumcision or not? I have left this one open to Kris and I think he is going to choose circumcision. I made him watch a few you tube videos of it so he would get a better perspective. 80% of boys world wide do NOT get circumcised.

Breast or bottle: If we can breast feed that is what we  will be doing. I hope it comes easy.

Myths or facts about inducing labor: Here are a few ideas people have thrown my way. Castor oil, red raspberry leaf tea, eggplant, balsalmic vinegar, spicy foods

As for me.  am feeling pretty good still. We went fishing all day Saturday with Minks (Karole’s sister). We caught 35 sockeye salmon, so it was worth it. I was pretty much useless on Sunday but did do a few loads of laundry. Same as last week, no s/s of labor yet. My mom gets here Friday, and it’s suppose to br 70 on Saturday so Monday is a good time for me!

Kris and I have still not decided on a name. I don’t know if its procrastination or not, since neither of us are procrastinators by nature.

Well, I hope I make it to at least one more blog post of 40 weeks!! 

Week 38

Tank is as long as a leek which is around 19 inches and weighs almost 7 lbs!! HAHA!! Books are for average people! At 38 weeks Tank has a firm grasp and can hold on to anything. All his organs are mature and he is ready to come at any time. Kris and I have been going over what we think babe will look like. We already know it has the Honas nose, but what about eye color?  If babies are born with brown eyes they are more likely to stay brown, if they are born with grey or dark blue they can either stay blue or turn green. They have up to 9 months to do this.

Some people start leaking colostrum around 38 weeks, I have not. In fact, my boobs really have not grown at all this pregnancy!

Things are about the same for me. I had an OB appointment today. Baby is still “high” and has not dropped into my pelvis though my OB was quick to tell me that babies often do not drop with first time mothers. I really have no other signs of impending labor. Baby is high, no contractions, not nesting, and no loss of that wonderful mucus plug. I am fatter. Gained 3lbs this week according to the scale. Not sure if I believe it, total weight gain is 28lbs.

I have been boring too. I had to work this Sunday while Kris was out playing with the relatives so I don’t even have any good pictures. We plan on fishing this weekend depending on how I feel. I have 5 full days of work left, mom comes in 9 days, Tanks due in 13. Shall we start placing bets now?

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We found out we were pregnant while vacationing in Palm Spring California. Glad Kris was smiles

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I however, was certainly more surprised because I had taken a test just 8 days prior to this one and it was a big NEGATIVE

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We are HAPPY and just to make sure, we better take another!!!

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37 weeks- HIPS

Nesting might have started...except not with cleaning. I wanted to BAKE

Kris trying on Tanks presents

overlooking the Kenai on our last camping trip

a nice rainbow trout kris caught

 37 weeks. Tanks is as long a hunk of swiss chard. I have pretty much given up on weights. I have no clue how much bugger weighs, just more than 6lbs. I am counting down the days until maternity leave and NO MORE WORK. 11 more days. I have really started to feel uncomfortable and I am sure I am not at the pinnacle yet. Its my hips, "sit bones" and coccyx. My hormones must be starting to kick in and loosen all those ligaments. Everything seems to take effort now of days too. Taking the stairs at work leaves me with an elevated HR and short of breath. Tank is still moving as much as ever. He enjoys the right side. I don't think he has "dropped yet" either.

I had an OB appointment today. I am 173lbs (same as last week). Babies heart rate was 135. So far so good. I have another appointment next week and so on and so on until Tank arrives. I am thinking he is pretty comfortable and will most likely be in for 41 weeks.

Aunt Kay and Uncle Todd get in on Friday. Will be fun to have family around and hopefully we will be able to catch some fish!

36 weeks

36 weeks

I’m in THE month, the countdown has begun 29 days till due date 17 days of work.

At 36^th weeks babies usually weight a little over 6-6.5 lbs (and again, we know this is not true for Tank). He is the size of a small watermelon. ( I don’t know why they use round objects!!). Tank is focusing on gaining more weight and continuing to mature his lungs so he can be ready to go when he is delivered.

The waddle- though I don’t do it too bad it is becoming progressively worse. This is because my body is preparing for a surge of hormones for labor which will relax my smooth muscle and ligaments so Tank can come out nice and easy. This flexibility leads to my pelvis swaying  a little more as I walk…hence a slight waddle. However, I will quack like a duck if that means Tank will come out easier.

We finally also got our maternity photos last Friday. It was fun. It was actually the first professional photographs Kris and I had ever taken together. I hope there are some great ones.

My co-workers also threw me a shower at work. It was great fun and I am very lucky to work with such a great group of people.

Tank is doing about the same. He loves to kick my right rib. He’s been very nice the last few nights and has settled lower in my belly so I can actually sleep. I made kris practice yesterday with our teddy bear how to swaddle and put on a diaper. He then proceeded to hold the thing like a football the rest of the time.

This week is 4^th of July so I get an extra day off which is very welcome. Kris and I are planning on trying to use the camper one last time prior to baby arrival and headed down to the Russian and see if we can catch some fish. The rivers are VERY high this year because of the snow melt so fishing has been kind of slow. 

our first vandal gear

Diaper 4 wheeler cake made by Rachel

Work baby shower

Caroline and I. She is a week ahead of me.

Hiked winner creek. Water flowing pretty fast!

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Art is in the eye of the beholder, right? So is this a belly with a belly button in the middle or a butt?