39 weeks

My parents arrived for the baby visit on Friday night. I've finally finished everything big on my "to-do before baby" list, including 2 garage sales, 2 Pampered Chef shows and my students playing at Festival yesterday. Baby can come now, please! I'm DONE. At my 38-week appointment, Dr. O said to hold tight because Baby wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. I'm considering asking for an induction at my 39-week appointment tomorrow.

37 weeks

This baby is due 3 weeks from today!! I'm physically ready for this pregnancy to be over. This has been way more difficult than being pregnant with Harry. Still, I've always said I'd happily (moderately!) be sick and bed-rested for 9 months to have a happy and healthy baby. While I'd be happy for this pregnancy to be over, I have things to do before he arrives. I'm in Iowa City this weekend for a symphony set, two concerts next week, a garage sale next weekend, two Pampered Chef shows the following week, and my students' festival on May 1. Sooo...any time after that, Baby can come!

And now for TMIFSOY (too much information for some of you): At my 36 week appointment on Monday, everything looked good. I was only dilated 1 cm but ready to hear I was 3 or more! I'd gained 3 lbs from the previous appointment 2 weeks before. Still 10 lbs under my weight when Harry was born. I somehow doubt I'll gain that much in 3 weeks. I had an ultrasound on Tuesday, mainly to check for Baby's size, as I'd been measuring big. Well, at 36 weeks, Baby was measuring 7 lbs 15 oz!! Average baby weight at birth is 7 lbs 10 oz, and average weight at this point in pregnancy is 6 lbs. He's in the 98-99th percentile right now.

Now's a good a time as any to play the guessing game! If you haven't already done so on Facebook (and even if you have and would like to put it here too), put your guess in the comments section below for Baby Boy's date and time of arrival, as well as your best guess for weight and length.

Really hoping my nausea subsides in the next 10 minutes...I'm heading out to an Indian restaurant in Iowa City with some friends. Come on, baby! Make some room!

34 weeks

I had my 34 week appointment today and saw my regular doctor...for the first time this pregnancy! She didn't even know I was pregnant...how crazy is that?

Baby's heart rate was 131 and I measured 35 weeks, which surprises me a little, as Baby feels soooo big! I'm actually feeling stretch out clear all the way to my side--draw a line straight down your side from your armpit, and that's where he's kicking! I didn't know my uterus extended that way... I also only gained one pound in the past 2 weeks, same as 30 to 32 weeks. My blood pressure was good. Dr. O thinks Baby is head down, as did the doctor last time. Harry was breech at this point, and he only turned quite late, so let's hope this baby stays put!!

We've painted Baby's room (I should say Dave has, not me), and this week when Jen comes for a visit (Dave's sister), we'll finish decorating. I have an almost-hospital bag packed. I just need to toss in a few more things. Hmmm...should I bring my hospital bag with me to Iowa City/Cedar Rapids when I have my orchestra concert set 2.5 weeks from now?? Speaking of orchestra, so I'm no stranger to playing right before my due date. I played the broadway show Camelot 2 weeks before Harry was due (3.5 weeks before he actually arrived-haha), but I did not have a problem with breathing. I'm a little concerned this time, as this baby seems to be sitting so much higher. I can hardly breathe some nights, he feels like he's pushing up into my sternum. Maybe he'll drop by then! Hmmm...then I'd have a whole other set of worries on my hands.

26 weeks

Quite the difference between 18 and 26 weeks!! From the beginning of this pregnancy, I've gained 15 lbs. At my 20 week appointment, I was measuring 24 weeks!! At my 24 week appointment, I was measuring 25 weeks, so Baby and I are on track. I was really careful with what I ate during my first pregnancy, but it's been much harder this time around. I try to get some protein in with each meal, but even that has been difficult at times. I try to nap whenever I can, but sometimes I just lie there in bed (if Harry even lets me nap--he's been a stinker these days), completely unable to sleep even if my body is screaming to! I don't remember Harry flip-flopping around this much this early. Sometimes I feel like Baby #2 is HUGE already!! He stills plays shy with Harry and most people that try to feel him kicking, but Dave has felt him move, and I'm feeling him all the time. I get some Braxton-Hicks contractions, heartburn, lots of round ligament pains, and painful muscle spasms in my calves at night. So far, I think this pregnancy has been more difficult physically. We've picked out a name though, and we'll try to keep it a secret!! I'm keeping a list of first initials on a side bar on this blog...first initials that Baby Boy Camwell will NOT have! Have fun guessing!

18 weeks

I'm a little late on my "16 week" shot...


Things are good! I'm generally feeling well. I have some heartburn like last time, and depending on what I eat, I've had some bad gas pains that keep me up at night. But I'm feeling baby kick more and more, and pretty soon Daddy and Harry will be able to feel the kicks too! Harry likes laying his head on my tummy and sucking his thumb. It's very sweet...and then he sticks his finger in my belly button or pinches my tummy hard! My 16 week appointment went well--Baby's heartbeat was in the 160's--but I didn't like the doctor. I hadn't met her before--she's the newest in the practice. She didn't make eye contact with me when she met me at the beginning, she spent 5 minutes trying to determine my due date...um...why?, and her answers generally showed a lack of experience and confidence. I won't be scheduling more appointments with her if I can help it. I'd had some cramping and spotting in the few days leading up to my appointment, and she didn't quite reassure me. After obliging me with scheduling an ultrasound (reason: "threatened pregnancy"...which I find slightly funny since the ultrasound was scheduled 4 weeks later...she couldn't come up with a different reason?), her exact non-reassuring words were, "Well, if anything bad does happen at this point, there's nothing we can do about it." Boo! To end on a positive note, I will indeed be having my ultrasound at 20 weeks, only 2 weeks away!! Hopefully Baby will cooperate and turn the right way so we can see about buying a blue or pink little something for Christmas! :)

12 weeks plus

Wow, we are way behind the times this pregnancy! I'm officially 12 weeks and 5 days, and we haven't taken my belly photo yet. I have a feeling this will be a continuing trend...

My 12 week appointment was this morning and everything went fine, all 30 seconds of it! I heard Baby's heartbeat for the first time, in the 150's. We didn't hear Harry's heartbeat at my 12 week appointment, and I had an ultrasound as a result. I didn't gain any weight in the past 4 weeks, but that evened out the 8 lbs I gained in the first 8 weeks!! I blame that on my inactivity during Wicked!

I was also lucky enough to be at the clinic on a day they received 400 H1N1 vaccines, so I stayed and got immunized. No waiting for me! :)

I'm feeling great. Happy to hear the heartbeat, because I really don't feel pregnant otherwise! I'm starting to show though!

Welcome to the new blog! We've officially made the public announcement!

Baby's first photo shoot

Here's Baby Camwell, version 2.0, at 9 weeks.

I had my 8-week appointment on October 2, and sure enough, they scheduled me for an ultrasound the following week to confirm my due date.

I was pretty much bang on my estimated due date of May 10. The doctor has May 8 as the "official" date. We had the first ultrasound for Harry when I was at least 3 weeks further along. What a difference. In his, you could see a definite baby shape. For this one, I had to ask which side was the head. (The left side of the photo, in case you're wondering yourself!) Oh, a mother's love! I love my little blob/peanut-shaped baby!

11 weeks...almost time for the unveiling of this blog! A few more people need to hear from me personally first though!