38 Weeks! 39 Weeks!

How far along:  38 Weeks 

Total weight gain/loss:  +3 = +31 from initial weight

Belly button in or out:  Both still; The top half is out and the bottom half is in/flat. 

Symptoms: Swelling in my feet, exhaustion, numbness in my arms when I sleep and hip pain when I sleep on either side. You can definitely tell we are nearing the end! 

Maternity Clothes: All maternity clothes and larger pieces of my normal clothing. 

Sleep: Sleeping great for the most part; minus getting up to potty a few times throughout the night. I'm even back to sleeping some during the day when Mellany naps. 

Movement: Still moving but you can definitely tell he is running out of room in there. 

Food cravings: Watermelon and jell-o... my mama's rainbow jell-o to be exact. 

Aversions:  No new aversions

Labor signs: I have started having contractions. Some are more painful than others but they are all pretty minor. I've also had some hip pain over the past few days that make me think he is dropping.  

Best moment:  Nana came to IN! This baby can now come any day! Knowing that she is here for Mellany and us when Baby J decides to come is such a relief for this mama. 

Emotions: Emotions are still a mess! I am guessing it just comes with the territory at this point in the pregnancy. Luckily, I'm not really an angry "emotional", but more a sad/sappy one. 

What I miss:  I really miss my workout clothes at this point. I am continuing to work out still but I only have about 3 pairs of pants and 3 shirts that fit me and I am definitely not investing in larger clothes, so I am making them last....but man is it tough. 

What I'm looking forward to: His arrival and having our family here with us. 

What I'm most nervous about: The delivery itself. 

Wisdom at this point in time:  Rest and be patient....again from Johnny :) 

38 Week Dr. Appt: 

Weight Gain: +3 = +31 from initial weight

Dilated: 2.5

Effaced: 80%

Blood Pressure: Pressures were not so great this week. They were actually a little high (and they took it twice!) and I had a 1+ reading for protein in my urine.....Since I'm not having any other symptoms of preeclampsia, Dr wanted to be sure that my liver function, hemoglobin, etc were all still normal so he ordered a blood test. (When I called the next morning for the results, everything came back normal. Thank goodness!!!) He also told me to take the weekend and rest; not really bed rest, but I need to be sure and relax all weekend with feet up (including no more going to the gym). (Thank goodness Virginia came out to see us on the same day as our dr visit.) My next scheduled appt was for next Thursday, but he wanted me to come in on Tues for a blood pressure check. Here's to hoping it goes down! 

Heartbeat: 136 

**If I am outside or on my feet for a long period of time, my feet swell pretty big. The dr wasn't really concerned about the swelling though as much as he was concerned about my blood pressure readings and protein. Baby J has definitely dropped lower and things are setting up for delivery day pretty quickly. 

How far along:  39 Weeks 

Total weight gain/loss:  -1 = +30 from initial weight

Belly button in or out:  Out

Symptoms: Swelling is getting worse in my legs as the heat rises. I also have some numbing in my hands when I do certain things. I had this with Mellany and my dr then said it was carpal tunnel, which went away after pregnancy. 

Maternity Clothes: All maternity clothes and larger pieces of my normal clothing. 

Sleep: Sleeping a lot. I am tired pretty much all the time. And now that Nana is here, I am taking full advantage of the time to rest while I can. 

Movement: Still moving but you can definitely tell he is running out of room in there. 

Food cravings: Just watermelon this week....its soooo good! 

Aversions:  No new aversions

Labor signs: Still having contractions, but nothing consistent.  

Best moment:  "Prepping" Mellany for Baby J's arrival. She is getting so excited for his birthday party. :) She's really going to be a great big sister! 

Emotions: Emotions are more in check this week and I am in more of a relaxed and "get it done" mood (a happy "get it done" mood).

What I miss: Being able to sit outside without swelling like a balloon as well as wearing my summer clothes. 

What I'm looking forward to: His arrival!!!! 

What I'm most nervous about: The delivery itself and magnesium sulfate! :/

Wisdom at this point in time:  Trust in Him! I can do this!!

39 Week Dr. Appt: 

Weight Gain: -1 = +30 from initial weight

Dilated: 3

Effaced: 80%

Blood Pressure: Instead of seeing the doctor on Thursday (29th), I was told to come in on Tuesday (27th) for a blood pressure check. My urine checked out great with only trace amounts of protein, my weight gain was actually a 1 pound loss but my pressures had not gone down.....they read at 160/100!!! And here I was thinking my blood pressure would be really great after resting all weekend. The nurse came back in and rechecked my blood pressure and it was actually higher. (I don't think my nerves were helping at this point.) So, the dr came in chatted with us, diagnosed me with gestational hypertension, checked Johnny's heart rate, and checked how far along I was. He then proceeded to say that the best option at this point was to induce. I was far enough along that it would be completely safe and would be best with the high blood pressure. He also said that the hospital was full after the holiday weekend....so as it turns out, they actually bumped someone else to get me in. We go in at 7am and the dr will be in at 8 to start the process! We are beyond ecstatic! 

Heartbeat: 123

You can definitely tell my body is saying "it's time!" 

We are both pretty amazed at how quickly this pregnancy has gone and we cannot wait to meet our sweet little man tomorrow!!!

{{Somewhat}} Wordless Tuesday!

As we prepare for Johnny's arrival (wahoooo!!!!), I wanted to do a "photo dump" in order to be up-to-date with my posts.....I don't wanna start off blogging "behind" once he makes his grand entrance. :) So here's the latest with the Barrett Family.

My brother Brad and Sister in Law Amiee had their sweet baby girl on May 22. They named her Capri Louise and she is just the cutest thing!! I am so sad that I have to wait so long to snuggle her. Everyone is doing great!

NANA HAS ARRIVED!!! In preparation for Baby J's arrival, Nana has come to be with us. Her and Mellany are like 2 peas in a pod and Mellany is having a blast with her! I think they've been outside about 90% of the time...playing in water, on the swingset, and even working in the flower beds. 

This is how we roll when Nana comes to town....no pants, no shoes and lots of water. 

Just two kids on the trampoline. Mellany was having so much fun with Johnny in it with her. Daddy is so fun! 

It's a short week in pictures and sadly there are no videos this week, but be prepared for a million pictures in the next week or so. 

HAPPY TUESDAY!!

{{Somewhat}} Wordless Wednesday!

I am really on a roll with these Wednesday postings! I am just really amazing myself right now. We've not really done a whole lot over the past week, but we've been having a lot of fun and just really soaking up the time we have before our sweet little man arrives. 

Here's the past week in pictures! (And a video or two too!)

She's so proud that she picked her shoes out all by herself. 

Mellany & Mama

She just loves the camera....can you tell?!

Her very own Cinderella shoes!

This is a picture I took through our video monitor. It was bed time....she was just doing a little reading before bed. 

Just doing a few morning chores before we go to the gym. 

And for the videos. I'm so glad Johnny has started taking more video. We have really been slacking on video over the past, oh, year or so and it is nice to get back into it. 

Mellany singing Jesus Loves Me. Proud. Parent. Moment! (It's a little dark though because it was bedtime, but still adorable!) I know I've posted her singing Jesus Loves Me already, but I just can't help myself. 

Gymnastics! She finally got brave with the rings. 

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

36 Weeks! 37 Weeks!

35 Week Dr. Appt: I am a little "off" on my dr visits due to the move and Mellany and I's travels to KC, so starting at 35 weeks I will see the dr every week. Here are the stats from week 35. 
Weight Gain: +2 = +25 from initial weight
Dilated: 2cm
Effaced: 75%
Blood Pressure: Pressures were a little on the high side of what they have normally been at my appts but the dr was not worried and had no concerns. Let's hope this was a fluke and it goes back down next week!
Heartbeat: For the life of me I cannot remember what his heartbeat was but I do know that it sounded amazing and was very strong. 
**Baby J is head down and everything looked great according to the dr. She said I could stay at 2cm and 75% for the rest of my pregnancy so to not get my hopes up just yet. I had my group B test done as well and will know the results and the next appointment. 

How far along:  36 Weeks 

Total weight gain/loss:  +25 (from initial weight) 

Belly button in or out:  Both :) The top half is out and the bottom half is in. 

Symptoms: Nesting for sure!! Exhaustion (most days I can't make it through without napping) and a whole mess of emotions. Swelling as well :( I feel like the swelling is partially due to the warmer temperatures and is just in my ankles/feet. 

Maternity Clothes: All maternity clothes and larger pieces of my normal clothing. 

Sleep: Sleeping great for the most part; minus getting up to potty a few times throughout the night.  

Movement: Oh yes! His movements are becoming more "scheduled" and he has recently gotten hiccups which come at night, just about every night. His hiccups are super strong too. 

Food cravings: Scotcharoos. I haven't had these in forever; on a recent trip to the grocery store, the craving hit so I grabbed the ingredients and will be making them ASAP! 

Aversions:  No new aversions

Labor signs: None and I would like to keep it that way for a few more weeks at least. 

Best moment: Finishing Johnny's room and other projects that needed to be done in order for his arrival; you know, things like cleaning my car, organizing Mellany's room, dresser, closet, etc., dusting, washing all the sheets, washing and putting together all the baby equipment (swing, car seat, bottles, etc) and this weekend we will finish some landscaping. I'm pretty sure Johnny is completely worn out but we both agree that it feels so good to have all this done and we can sit back and relax. 

Emotions: Emotions are a MESS! I am such a mess! I am crying at the drop of a hat, especially when it comes to Mellany. We were reading her "Big Sister" book to her the other night before bed and I just could not keep it together. I totally forgot about this part when I was pregnant with Mellany....my poor husband! (Have I mentioned how thankful I am for him?!)  

What I miss:  It is so minor, but I miss just being able to get off the bed or couch. It can be such a process to get up....I look forward to the day where I can easily get back up again. With that said, I am soooooo thankful for the little boy in my belly and already love him so much. I will take the "getting up" issue over not being pregnant with him any day! 

What I'm looking forward to: I cannot wait to meet our little man!! It feels so close at this point and we are beyond ecstatic! 

What I'm most nervous about: Definitely the delivery timing still as well as the delivery itself. Trusting Him is so hard to do sometimes! 

Wisdom at this point in time: "Relax!" From Johnny and many of our friends. 

36 Week Dr. Appt: 

Weight Gain: +2 = +27 from initial weight

Dilated: No "check" this appointment

Effaced: 

Blood Pressure: Pressures were great...lower than last week so that's a plus. 

Heartbeat: 136

**Dr. was happy with all the numbers. She did take a look at my swelling but wasn't concerned. I am really not near as swollen with J as I was with M but thanks to no working A/C last night, my legs were pretty puffy this morning. The Dr also informed me that my group b strep test came back negative so that is a plus. 

Little man is definitely getting big and this mama is showing it...puffy face, big belly...BUT my wedding rings are still on!!!!! That is a huge feat in my book!

Painting Baby Johnny's room. Mellany wanted to help and she had such a blast doing it. She's going to be a great big sister!

Final product minus curtains and a few other wall hangings. We are so happy with the way it turned out!

How far along:  37 Weeks = FULL TERM!!!!! 

Total weight gain/loss:  +28 (from initial weight) 

Belly button in or out: At this point it is out and even sticking through shirts

Symptoms:  Swelling in my feet and exhaustion

Maternity Clothes: All maternity clothes and larger pieces of my normal clothing. 

Sleep: Sleeping really well except for when I have to get up to potty. 

Movement:  Moving like normal. Some of his movements are definitely lower in my belly. 

Food cravings: No new cravings

Aversions:  No new aversions

Labor signs: None yet

Best moment: We took Mellany to Toys R Us this past weekend to pick out a gift for her baby brother's birthday. She was such a doll picking out his gift.....she chose a mini soccer ball (after picking out one for herself as well), a penguin stuffed animal and a car seat vibrating toy. She then picked out a Mickey Mouse gift bag to put it all in and suggested we have cupcakes at his birthday party. :) Made my heart melt! 

Emotions: Still a mess! Crying at the drop of a hat...getting upset about the smallest things....you name it, I got it! 

What I miss: My warm weather clothes 

What I'm looking forward to: Mellany meeting her baby brother. We are talking about him, to her, A LOT and I feel like she is actually grasping the concept. So I cannot wait to see her reaction to him. 

What I'm most nervous about: Getting nervous about delivery at this point. Praying that things go much more smooth than with Mellany's delivery. 

Wisdom at this point in time:  Relax! (continued from last week) 

37 Week Dr. Appt: 

Weight Gain: +1 = +28 from initial weight

Dilated: No "check" this appointment; checks will start next appointment

Effaced: 

Blood Pressure: Numbers looked the same as last week, thank goodness!! 

Heartbeat: 125

**Dr. estimated that baby J weighs a little over 6 pounds and that he'll be about 7(ish) at delivery. His positioning in my belly looks great (head down, feet on my right side and buns at my ribs). I'm really pleased with the weight I've gained as is the dr. He prepped us for what to do if contractions start and become consistent, if my water breaks, etc. The dr also told us that even though Johnny is still "high" in my belly, that labor could come at any time so to be sure we have our bags packed. I still have some swelling in my ankles/feet but I don't have any swelling in my fingers so I'm still in my wedding rings!!!!! Mellany joined us at this appointment and the dr was so nice in explaining everything he was going to do, to her. She loved hearing Johnny's heartbeat and even shook the doctor's hand when he left. Proud mama/daddy moment for sure!