38 Weeks

Hi, friends.

Baby's due date is October 31. The original due date is October 27. (One day after Lara's birthday!) But an U/S showed the baby to be measuring closer to the 31st. While I know that is not any indication of when the baby is going to get here, I was under the impression they changed the due date based on the U/S (because a nurse mentioned the new due date on the phone). So I started going around telling people the due date is the 31st. After an appointment with my doctor, however, she informed me they do not change the due date based on the U/S and my due date remains the 27th. But since you are only talking a 4 day difference, it really doesn't matter, so she asked me which due date I would prefer, and she would change it accordingly in my records. I decided to go with the 31st, basically to give me more time before the doctor starts talking about induction (because many like to do that).

The pregnancy is progressing well and fairly uncomplicated. Around maybe 30 weeks, the baby's heart rate was looking too high. Not dangerous-high, but out of the normal range.  So I went in for a fetal non-stress test and an ultrasound. Everything looked good, so the doctor blamed it on me just having a very active baby (which the baby has been crazy hyper this entire pregnancy). At the next appointment, the baby's HR was fine. The one after that, it was high again, but eventually calmed down. All the subsequent appointments have been fine.

I mentioned in the last post that I was really unsure how we would make room for the baby. I couldn't be more pleased with the way everything turned out. Dustin worked like mad every weekend to turn our upstairs common room into a nursery. This was no small feat. We live in a farmhouse that was built in the late 1800's. We have sloping floors, lose boards, and old wood. Getting everything even was quite a challenge by itself. He put up a wall and door to close in the room. So naturally, there was trim that had to be done and walls that needed to be painted (also, for some reason, he was really keen on putting in several more outlets, so there was electrical work to do). Then he made a closet in the hallway upstairs. We had been using these two closets that you see in the pictures below for books, linens, and general storage. But we didn't want to be walking into the baby's room constantly for these things, so Dustin made a new closet, and it works perfectly. Anyway, Dustin did a great job (and a huge thank you to Grandpa who helped us a lot) and the nursery is very sweet. I kept it simple and gender neutral since we don't know the gender. Just a few more finishing touches, but nothing pressing. We are ready for the baby!

Also, the flowers hanging over the crib are handmade by the girls. We were studying Mexico, and we did a little Mexican flower craft.

All of our bags are packed, including the girls' overnight bags. I've purchased everything I think I could possibly need for the little one. I've put away a handful of freezer meals. Don't tell the girls, but I even made them "Big Sister Kits" for the Big Day: a camera to document the Big Day from their individual perspective, a photo book once we get around to developing the pictures in about two years, and some treats. We also bought them some little dolls and book lights that we will add in later.

A lot of people have asked if the girls are excited. Yes and No. They are looking forward to the baby, but I think the excitement has worn off since it has been 9 months of waiting. ;) They are going to be great helpers.

In other news, we are officially on our homeschool break. I will continue to do some math, reading, and writing until the baby is born, but we have put away our curriculum until about mid-November (I hope). This week will be full of organizing, cleaning, cooking, and baking. But really probably just napping.

Will write more tomorrow. Hopefully something more interesting.