Bob, 39 Weeks, 2 Days & Already a Smartass

I guess I jumped the gun on that last post because within 24 hrs of making it public, I had my 39 week dr appt where it turned out there actually IS info to report. Oh Bob, already such a little trickster!

Although last week’s appt didn’t reveal so much, this week’s showed things “progressing nicely.” First, my weight gain has ceased & is now slightly reducing (which means I topped out at a gain of 35 lbs almost to the ounce – “perfect” for what the dr calls a “petite person.”) I’m 70% effaced, 3cm dilated (the big news, really), my cervix is softening, thinning & moved forward & Bob’s head is “hard & downward, in place.” She also said, “When I tap on your baby’s head, it doesn’t move away, so that’s good.” And I thought, “Are ya really s’posed to be tapping on the head so much? Isn’t that frowned upon?” I guess not if you’re a professional.  So, in summation, Bob could arrive any day…or after week 40 (which is really the same as last week’s report; however, with the pregnancy progressing, the dr thinks we’re “on our way!”) So, the 40 week blog update may not begin with the word “BOB”, but rather, whatever the given baby SmithAldridge name will be. 

So, if you wanna get in your guesses on gender & birth date&time, now’s your chance!

Bob, 39 Weeks & "Not Much to Report"

39 Weeks & Dressed for Game Day - Go DAWGS! 

That's what "the book" says, verbatim: You are 39 weeks and there's not much to report. At last week's dr appt, I learned that I'm 50% effaced & not dilated...and that this means nothing, really. So, I guess the dr & "the book" are on the same page in regard to "not much to report." Instead, let's look at some pics from Bob's room, shall we?

Although we still want to find a nice rug and I have pics & art to hang, the room is mostly complete at this point. Eventually, I'll post a full "Bob's Room Before & After", but this is it in the mean time. It will be a little while before Bob is actually sleeping in here, but I'm really happy with the way it's turned out so far & sometimes Greg & I stand in the doorway & look in & say, "This is our baby's room." Then we smooch.

Glider - Before

Glider - After

Ikea fabric for glider

Obviously, none of these "extraneous" things will be occupying the crib once Bob is, but until then...

Bob has not one, but TWO hyena toys! 

Relaxing corner

Tupelo's custom homemade bed for Bob's room

Bob, 38 Weeks & Shedding...Maybe?

38 Weeks (& pretty uncomfortable, if I'm being honest about it)

Now that we are at 38 weeks, we are on full baby Bob alert. Got our bag packed, Tupelo sitter on call, copies of the Birth Plan all over the place and the “Contraction Timer” app on the iphones! Last week’s appt resulted in the doctor telling me, “Anytime you go into labor now is fine by me.” She also told me not to worry about the 6, count ‘em…SIX, pounds I gained in 14 days. Apparently it’s all water & why my poor little feet look like sausages. My fingers look about the same. I will now have a dr appt every week until I give birth. So, anywhere between now & 4 weeks from now, we’ll have our Bob…who will then lose the name “Bob” altogether. In the meantime, Bob is putting on those finishing touches, only one of which includes shedding the lanugo or downy baby hairs all over his/her body. I told Greg this to which he replied, “Yeah, but c’mon, it’s my baby. It’ll probably be furry anyway.” It will be interesting to see which is dominant  - my hairlessness or Greg’s fuzziness. It’s quite the little science experiment I’m baking in my oven.

Paradise Cove in Malibu  

Bob, 37 Weeks & 37 Years

37 weeks...and 37 years old

Happy Birthday to me – 37 years old & 37 weeks along, whew! Bob is officially considered a “full term” baby. A few nights ago, I turned to Greg and made the bold statement, “I’ve officially reached ‘uncomfortable’.” We’ve had record heat this week and although I’m trying to stay indoors, the heat combined with my stretching skin is making my “Bob casing” (aka my big belly) itch like mad. I must look enormous to people. It used to be that strangers would see my belly & give me this goofy sweet smile as if to say, “Awww, you’re going to have a baby, SWEET.” Now, strangers are so stunned that they kinda freeze for a moment in my path & then quickly leave my eyesight with a petrified look on their faces as if to say, “Holy crap, you’re going to have a baby, NOW.”

An example of my big ole belly is shown below. Bob is being oh-so-helpful, holding up my plate while I have a snack of apples & cheese. If you look closely, you can see a little wiener puppy nose in there as well (she likes apples & cheese snacks too!)

Bob, 36 Weeks & in the Home Stretch!

36 Weeks 

“No pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater…than central air.” - Azrael,  "Dogma"

I’m officially in my 9^th month of pregnancy…and I’m BIG! So is Bob – around 6 lbs (according to “the books.”) And to welcome my ninth month is a week’s worth of 100+ degree heat (108 at the ranch) – woo hoo, yuck. When we found out we were pregnant back in January, the first big thing we did was have central air installed. Best. Decision. Ever. EVER!

I'm a mama bird - the nesting is in full force. I go from bursts of highly effective and focused energy to sitting quietly while blankly staring into space. Tupelo prefers the blank stare as it is more conducive to hanging in my lap. Greg & I assembled the crib – a feat that took about 1/100^th of the time it took to assemble the dresser. I also started packing the hospital bag. I don’t plan on packing much, so that’s not so challenging either. One of the great things about our hospital being so close to our home is that if Greg has to run home for something, the drive is mere minutes – highly unusual for Los Angeles.

In other news, I (finally) had my home inspection for my childcare business…and passed! For those not in the know (or those that were in the know, but this process has taken so long that you’ve forgotten or thought I’d given up), instead of returning to working outside the home after Bob’s birth, I want to open a small in-home childcare. My business plan is to open a ½ day “Mommy Morning Out” that caters to the types of families that I’ve worked with in the past – the stay at home Mom who needs a couple mornings to herself to “get stuff done.” There are already 3 full time in-home day cares walking distance to our home, so that demographic is covered. Plus, I don’t want other people’s children here for 12 hours a day – that would just be ridiculous as this will take place in our main living space (not in a separate area of our home.) Originally I’d hoped to open WAY back in March, but the application process has taken so long that clearly, I won’t open until after the 1^st of the year. This time frame will also depend on Bob & how all is developing on the home front. Or I could just win the lottery & nix this plan altogether. Everyone says, “You gotta play to win.” Well, once I played and I didn’t win, so…not sure what I’m doing wrong.

Bob, 35 Weeks & Working on that Immunity!

35 Weeks!

I’m in my final week of the 8^th month – wow! Can’t believe time has flown so quickly. Today I bought milk that expires after Bob’s due date! According to “the books”, Bob weighs in around 5 ½ lbs & is building a big ole baby Bob head. All those antibodies I’ve been imparting upon my unborn monkey are being tested as Greg was told he has bronchitis! He’s been sounding like he’s hacking up a lung for a couple days now. Although he’s always battled allergies & residual childhood asthma, I can’t remember the last time he had a “real” respiratory illness. He went to the dr. & was given a steroid, antibiotic & a breathing treatment. So, yeah, that’s happening.

Bob has really been keeping me up at night. Since the end of the 1^st trimester, I wake around 4am throughout the week. I’m usually awake a couple hours and then fall back asleep for about an hour. However, last night Bob woke me at 2:24am and I never fell back asleep. And it shows – I haven’t made any sense at all today. I don’t know if Bob is considerately preparing me for the impending arrival…or just being really rude to me.

In decorating news, I’ve made a little bed for Tupelo that matches Bob’s room. I bought a basic wooden crate from Michael’s. Greg removed some of the slats. I sanded it & painted it to match the room. Then I added a pillow and wrapped it in a blanket that matches the baby’s bedding. I don’t know if Tupelo will ever choose to slumber in it on her own, but the option is readily available to my picky little wiener. Pics below: 

Basic wooden crate from Michael's

Sawed, Sanded, Painted, Adorned and...

...Wienerfied! She seems to be saying, "Why are you making me sit in here?"