5-9 weeks to go!!

I have to be realistic, considering Caden was 12 days past due and Riordan was 7 days past due. Now all the due dates were accurate. Trust me when your husband travels all the time, it's easy to remember when 'the last time' was. Plus the fact that nothing gets by me when it comes to my body or the boys for that matter. Sometimes I think I missed my calling by not going into medicine in some shape or fashion.

So Caden, 12 days past due, I literally would not dilate, so the day I finally did the midwife was able to perform a torture practice on me, if you want more details email for explaining here will surely make somene pass out, and I was in labor within 30 mins. Now I still labored for 30 hours, 19 of which were felt almost 100%, minus the two hours of two shots together to take the edge off. Not really worth it if you ask me, since it was still at least 4 hours till they insisted on giving me an epidural so my body would relax (I stay at 1cm during those first 19 hours of labor!!). Born at 5:31 pm December 21st, 2002 and was 8lbs 11 oz and 22 inches long...

Riordan 7 days past due and feeling HUGE since 37 weeks, but all my practioners kept telling me he was no bigger than 8 1/2 lbs on the day he was finally born and that was via ultrasound. Now I had the option at 38 weeks to sign up for the torture process, since I was at 1 1/2 cm, but I refused. Surely my body would know what to do the second time around! 39, 40, okay 41 weeks and at 2 cm, I can't take this anymore, same midwife, do you worst, or rather yet your best. Boom!!! In labor exactly 30 mins again later. Labored for 14 1/2 hours all but 5 hours unmedicated and purely the epidural, I made it without a shot of morphine, well almost got it because I was having some killer back labor, but when they went to order it, the anisthesiologist was walking in my door! And get this, same doctor with Riordan who administered it for me with Caden, so I knew it was going to be successful ;-) Born 5:11 AM December 8th, 10lbs 4 oz 23 1/2 inches long!!!! NO typos here! Still trying to figure out that one, I didn't have gest. diabetes and I only gained 36 lbs, with Caden I was big girl at 53 lbs!

So here we are with my baby girl, 33 weeks and 1 day along. She's not much of an active baby, compared to the boys, but when she does move she makes sure it counts! She loves chocolate already and ice cold water, that gets her moving everytime. My new OB is concerned about her size so we have a second ultrasound to compare to 30 weeks ultrasound next Thursday. D-Day to do the torture treatment is March 8th at 3 pm. Dr. VanEken and I have already discussed in great length, that most likely even with a third, my body will need help to go into labor. I told her about the boys and how the midwife did it, details in an email again if you really want to know, and she said "I know exactly what you mean and I can do that ";-). However, I'm not expecting it to work, and actually expecting to go past due.. that way I'm pleasantly surprised if she comes earlier and not dwelling on it. Then again, I'm thinking, March 8th is only 5 weeks away today! Current gain 22 lbs, 5 in the last two weeks! LMAO BUTTTTTTT I have been weighed in the morning all this time gaining a pound a week before, and this last one was at 2 in the afternoon, hadn't had my water intake for the day and starting to swell a little, so water retention. I really don't care at this point though ;-) I'm still enjoying my food! Plus chasing after two very active boys!

I have been nesting already for the past week, well when I can get the motivation and two beautiful boys out from under my feet .... There is still so much to do, where is she going to sleep? In our bed with Caden too? We've been better at getting him in his own bed to start, but like clock work when 1 am comes around he crawls into ours and we are both too tired to take him back. Our co-sleeper has had it, clothes need to be washed, bottles, j.i.c, need to be sterilized, plus a full spring cleaning in every nook and cranny here! It gets so dusty and I learned yesterday that our windows can only take up to 40 mile an hour wind, so anything past that gives and lets the dust in. It gets pretty windy out here and dusty, looks like a layer of smog.
She seemed to drop some two nights ago, some intense pain when she moves and pressure for the new location, plus the fact I'm waddling now and even slower than I was 3 days ago. Round ligament feeling more inflammed than before (a problem since Caden), so my positive thoughts of walking Caden to school while he rides his razor is fastly becoming an ideal thought..it'a about 1/2 mile away, but still too much for me, it would take an hour for us to walk there LOL. So I plan to sit on my ball, encouraging more dropping. Forget all the old wives tales of foods: eggplant, spicy, or now I hear pineapple; red wine; and sex: holy smokes why would I do that, that's how I got here in the first place! They never worked before for either so I'm not going to torture myself this time. Although wine I will definitely do, if anything it helps me get to the next day having a glass every now and again, just not the whole bottle like I really would like to do on days like Riordan teething molars or Caden missing a nap ;-)

Saturday is my incredible shower from Terri, Michelle, and Monica. They are being so secretive still and now I'm probing. I can't help myself, this is so much fun and they are completely enjoying it as well ;-) Everyone, 14 to be exact, said yes!!! I have never felt so special so fast in my life before, and I'm so grateful for these new friends. Sure I miss Atlanta, but not so much and no offense, but if you met these women you'd feel the same way.
They are family. Remember the email that has circulated a few times over the last few years, "Get yourself some girlfriends" ? I've got them! It's the neatest thing I have ever experienced. Sure I have amazing friends back home, but almost all of them is through a degree of seperation. These friends, because we are all in MOMS Club, are connected. We live within 5 miles of each other and see one another at least 2 times a week, so you see why it's easy to get addicted to them ;-) Plus the fact we all have at least one if not two children in the same age group!! To be this close with 14 women, who'd of thunk it tee hee hee....

Now for my girls, and my family for that matter, back in Atlanta, please don't take this any other way, I truely miss you!! You are constantly in my thoughts and we are trying to get an idea when we can afford 4-5 plane tickets, a rental car, and hotel stay in the future!!! So in the meantime please write and send pictures!!