October 22, 2009 -- Nathaniel David Moore is Born

At 38 weeks and 3 days in utero, weighing 7 lbs. 11 ounces at 21.5 inches, Nate emerged into the world at 2:50 pm, mewling like a kitten. He is healthy and beautiful and we love him more than anyone or anything in the whole world. I know you're jealous.

It is now about a day and a half since I started this post, and I'm finally able to finish it. Now, you're probably not so jealous. But you should be. We've now had more than two days with Nate, full of ups, downs, and sideways-es. We are tired as all get out and couldn't be happier.

If you check out the expectnet.com poll, it looks like my coworker and friend, Josh, was the big winner. Good job, Josh! We were all, clearly, a bit off on the birth date.

We've got all kinds of pictures to share, once we have the time to upload them. So, maybe in 18 years....

Week 38 -- Ok, We're Getting Antsy Here

You guys are gonna be so bored after last week's picture/video extravaganza. I got nothing here. Except I feel way more pregnant-y by the day, and I know by next week, I'm going to want this kid OUT!

Ok, I do have some fun news from my doctor's appointment last Wednesday. I hadn't updated until now because I'm debating about how much TMI-type info I want to share on here. I mean, this is going in an album for Bagel. He probably doesn't want to hear about my cervix. So I'll just use medical lingo and see how that goes.

Anyhoodle, I am definitely progressing! I am 1 cm dilated and the doc says he's very low in my pelvis. So that's great. He's moving down and getting ready to make his way out. I am not effaced at all yet. See? Medical lingo. If you don't know what that means, you can either look it up, or you probably don't want to know anyway.

This does not mean I'm going into labor tomorrow or anything. I could be 1 cm dilated for weeks. But it's a good sign that things are as they should be. Most importantly, Bagel is facing my back, which is fabulous. If he were facing upwards, or "sunny side up," labor would be more difficult and it causes back labor, which is crazy painful. Even more crazy painful than regular labor. NO THANK YOU BAGEL.

I've got my next appointment on Wednesday, so we'll see if Bagel and I have progressed any further then. Wednesday is also a big day for another reason. Rob and I have decided to have one last hurrah just the two of us and go out to a nice dinner in DC that night. It will probably be the last chance we have to do something like that for a while.

Meanwhile, we're just sitting around anxious for the Bagel to get here already. Rob is so ready that he hasn't been sleeping well. He keeps joking that he'll be the first father in history to get more sleep after the baby is born. I, meanwhile, am totally bored. I'm ready with everything! Hospital bag is packed and we're putting it in the car with the carseat tonight. Nursery is ready. Financial stuff is squared away. I even took a Red Cross class on basic first aid and CPR so I know what to do if Bagel starts choking on something. Like a bagel. Actually, I took an online class. The in person component is this weekend (although, being hugely pregnant, I may not be able to participate so much). I just know the next 2+/- weeks are going to DRAG. Sigh.

I think Bagel is getting antsy too. But he's still got some stuff to do. He's busy shedding the fine hair covering his body (lanugo) and the whitish coating on his skin (vernix). If he were to pop out this week, he'd have no trouble surviving on his own, though his lungs are still maturing, even now. He probably weighs about 7 pounds or so. He's also building up meconium in his intestines in anticipation of that first poop that will make Daddy so proud.

Week 37 -- I'M FULL TERM!!!

My due date is still three weeks from today, but today I am "full term." That means if Bagel comes today, his lungs should be fully mature and he'll be able to adjust to being an outside baby with no issues. So, I'd better be ready for this kid.

I usually would wait to post until Wednesday, since I have doctor's appointment then, so I could update you. But I really just want to brag about all the stuff I've gotten done this weekend in anticipation of Bagel making his grand entrance. I might update later in the week with the doctor stuff.

All the stuff we need immediately for baby? Check! I went out this weekend and used my completion coupons and other coupons and went a little bit nuts. We've got sheets. We've got diapers and wipes. We've got burb cloths. We've got the changing pad and covers. We've got the pack 'n play. Wanna see?

I put it together myself! I figure Bagel and I will be kickin' it in the living room a lot when I'm on my maternity leave, since that's where I like to hang when I'm home. So I set it up there so I could use the changing table and maybe the bassinet if he'll just nap there. We now officially have no room for more baby stuff in the living room.

Nursery? Check. I put up the wall decals that we ordered. See?

HOW CUTE ARE THOSE? I also put together the bookshelf and loaded it up. We now officially also have no room for more baby stuff in his nursery. This could prove to be a problem. It's a little cramped in there. Let's just call it "cozy," shall we?

I've organized all his clothes and put them away. I've started packing the hospital bag (I really need to finish that). I'm working on finishing the border of his baby blanket. As I type, I'm making sure both cameras (reg and video) are charged up and ready to go. I've weeded the patio and cleaned up stray fall leaves. I've put things in the attic. I'm a prepping machine. So, kid? If you decide to come early, don't even think that you've got the drop on me. You don't. I. Am. Ready. For. You.

Well. I've got all the stuff for you, anyway. Whether I'm ready to go through labor and then bring a child home and be expected to actually care for it as its parent is another question entirely. Let's talk about that later, shall we?

How am I this week? I'm great. I just went for a long walk with a friend, so I'm still moving around with no problems. Aside from feeling like my belly skin is stretched to max capacity, I'm really feeling pretty good. Bagel is kicking around in there like a champ, and I'm really going to miss that once I serve him with his eviction papers. Plus, I love the hands-free carrying system that pregnancy entails.

Bagel's doing really well too, so far as I can tell. This week he is...drum roll please...a watermelon! His final fruit comparison! I'm so proud. And I love watermelon. I'll sprinkle a little salt on him when he comes out, since that's how Rob likes his watermelon. I also found a site that says he's about the length of a stalk of Swiss chard. Yum! I'm guessing that he's really packing on some poundage (on average, about half a pound a week), because I have finally started feeling really hungry. A lot. I wish it was manifesting itself in healthier meals, but I'm doing my best. Also, this week, he can now grasp with his fingers as his dexterity improves. N'awww!

I've been pretty stingy with the pictures lately, so you want one? Ok, here:

That was actually last week -- 36 weeks exactly -- on my birthday. Rob snapped a pic right before we went out for a lovely dinner.

Not enough for you? Fine, how about some video? That's right. VIDEO. We've been trying to get Bagel on camera doing his dance in my belly. He seems to be pretty camera shy, but we finally caught a bit of the action the other night. You can see his foot move down and to the left.

WARNING: this video contains the image of my huge, bare belly (don't worry, nothing else is bare). If you think this might cause you to want to gouge your eyes out, do not press play:

Week 36 -- Trying to Cram Everything In

While I would love it if Bagel was like his Mama and very punctual, even, say, a couple days early, I'm starting to worry that he'll come way too early for me to get everything done! There's still so much to do to ready the house for this little guy. I now have a ton of clothes (thanks Kate!), but I still need to put them away. We've ordered wall decorations for the nursery, but have yet to put them up (how cute is this and this?). And I just bought a little bookshelf at Target, but have yet to put it together. So everything is a mess and very in transition.

But I'm trying to just take it one step at a time and get things squared away. A few days ago, I spent a few hours cleaning and organizing the linen closet between our bedroom and the nursery. It looks awesome. And it fit the baby bath stuff too. And Grandpa will be happy to hear that the toxic stuff is all on high up shelves now (even though it will be months before this kid can even roll over, let alone get into the closet). I may have to snap a picture for you guys later.

I know what you're thinking. Why is she whining about putting away clothes when we were promised amazing stories about her first internal exam at the doctor's this week? Oh, fine. It wasn't really all that exciting. They took swabs of things and tested for whatnot like they did at the beginning of the pregnancy. They also took more blood to check out my platelets, so we'll see how I'm doing on that front when I go back next week (I'm doing weekly appointments now!). I'm not dilated at all and the doc says Bagel has already started to descend into my pelvis, which is great. Looks like he's in a good position. His back is on my left side now, with his little hip jutting out to the left of my belly button and his little feet pedaling away on my right side (as several of you have now felt). Rob even felt his head last night, which was cool. I believe the doc described the situation as "perfectly normal" or something to that effect. Good job, Bagel!

I then went into the doctor's office and he went into mini lecture about what all to expect in terms of when to call, when to come in to the hospital, how long they let things progress before talking c-section, etc. Two good things stuck in my mind. One is that they don't do routine episiotomies. I do not want one of those. The second is that this doctor (who isn't my regular doctor, she was on vacation this week) is so supremely boring that I may not need an epidural because he can just talk to me and I might fall asleep.

I told the doc that I had started the Evening Primrose Oil as directed by the midwife. I also started drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea, which is supposed to strengthen my uterus, and which the midwife said was not discouraged by the practice. The doctor said he didn't necessarily believe that either actually was beneficial, but that they wouldn't hurt and to go ahead and take them if I wanted. So I'm going to keep taking them and see what that gets me. I also told the doc that my acid reflux was getting really unbearable, so he said to go ahead and take some Zantac. So far, I am loving it.

Before I left, the doctor gave me a handout titled "Procedure Education Literature," which was sort of a summary of the spiel he had given. At the top it says "Vaginal Delivery" and under that it says, "Definition -- Vaginal = pertaining to the vagina; Delivery = to send." o_O

Clearly this is a handout for beginners who didn't take the super special intensive childbirth class.

This is Bagel's last week as a Honeydew and his last week before we're full term! He weighs about 6 pounds now (this is a very rough estimate), and he's growing rounder every day. About 15% of his total weight is now made up of fat. All his organs are developed and ready, though his lungs are still going through some fine-tuning. His bones are still quite soft so that he can fit through that doorway out into the world. They'll harden over the first few years of his life. His growth will now slow down so that he can store up his energy for the craziness that is being born.

Update: Here's a picture of the linen closet all organized. Jealous? I know you are.