Christmas

Shocker -- I'm a little late in posting this.  Oh well.  We had a wonderful Christmas and hope you did too.  David Scott received way too many gifts, but who am I to deny him educational toys and gifts given from the heart.  I think it's pretty common for new parents to skimp on gifts for baby's first Christmas -- they don't know the difference anyway, right?!?  So I was rolling along, pre-Christmas, with zero gifts for my firstborn child.  Scotty, in starting David Scott off on the right foot financially, found an LSU football-shaped piggy bank, and that's the only present we had for our child as of December 23rd.  Don't get me wrong, we know that Christmas is about the little baby born in a manger many, many years ago and not about the presents we give and receive.  However, as the day wore on, and after much nudging from my baby daddy, I went to the store and purchased a few more small gifts for our child -- a hooded towel, plastic car keys (a must-have toy for kids), a rattle thingy, and a set of rubber frog bath toys. And although we didn't leave out any cookies and milk for Santa, he still stopped by and left a few things for DS -- pajamas, a mirror for his crib (to help with vision development), a mirror for my car so that he and I can look at one another, and another rattle thingy (to help with hand-eye coordination).  Oh looky here, it's one of Santa's elves sacked out after a long Christmas Day:

We spent the week surrounding Christmas in North LA traveling between Scotty's family in Monroe and my family in Ruston/Winnsboro.  David Scott adapted well to being in a variety of environments with different people and family passing him back and forth.  Scotty and I both have traditions with our families that we don't want to break away from.  My family has always spent several hours around lunchime on Christmas Eve down at Sue Sue's house; she raised all three of us Anders children, so she and her family are like family to us.  We traditionally have a semi-formal-ish (eating on our fine china) Christmas Day lunch with my family (this year it was at my sister's house).  Scotty's family has always had a fun get together Christmas Eve evening, which in recent years, has been at his mom's house.  On Christmas morning, the Wrights/Rainwaters have always had a pancake breakfast.  Food and fellowship -- why would we want to give up the opportunity to do either of these things!  So this year, it got me thinking about what traditions Scotty and I could start with our own children now that we have little David Scott.  For the forseeable future, we intend on continuing Christmas in North LA, but at some point, I'm sure we'll begin having our own Christmas at our own home.  The first year we were married, Scotty and I went to a Christmas tree farm near our house.  That was fun, but the thrill was kind of lost with it just being the two of us.  So for the last three Christmases, we've gotten our trees from Lowe's or Home Depot.  I think, however, that we will bring back the Christmas tree farm experience next year and let that be our little tradition for "our" family.  What Christmas traditions do you have?  My mom lamented this year that she wished we'd been taking an annual family Christmas pic.  So this year, we set the timer and captured DS' first Christmas in a picture, family style:

We also took several photos with Scotty's family, but I haven't received those yet from my mother-in-law.  I'll post those asap.  And, yes, my child IS making an awful face in the family photo.  However, I thought it would be hilarious to look back at these pics and see the look on his face.  PLUS, how do you get a newborn to smile at precisely the right moment when the photo is being taken with a timer...

Finally, David Scott is 6 weeks old today.  He's getting stronger and bigger with each day that passes.  We are thoroughly enjoying every day we spend with our little boy.  Here's a picture I took earlier today.  Enjoy!

Standing Tall!

I just thought I'd share this amazing feat of epic porportions. Look who's standing up already:

Yes -- it's 5-week-old David Scott standing on our couch...all by himself.   He'd been "jumping" up and down on Scotty and so he (Scotty) decided to see what would happen if he stood the baby up.  And he stayed long enough for me to capture it for posterity.  Shocked?  Yes!  So were we when he actually stayed standing up for 5-10 seconds.  Twice.  Yep.

Also, DS is being more awake during the day.  This is a relatively new development that's been taking place over the last week or so.  Yesterday, he managed to stay awake from about 5:30 until about midnight.  He drifted in and out of sleep for about an hour or so including part of the time when my friend Racheal was visiting with us.  He absolutely would not go to sleep and stay that way.  After the Saints game, about 11:00, I decided that we should take a bath as it typically relaxes him and I hoped would put him in an attitude of sleepiness.  What it did was make him poop.  In the tub.  While we were soaking.  Yuck!  Drain the tub.  Refill it.  And he pooped in it...again.  While we were soaking.  So we rinsed off and got out.  So much for our relaxing bath.  My end goal did work and David Scott finally drifted off to sleep just before midnight. 

Our weekend has been realtively uneventful except for the above-mentioned items.  Our Christmas shopping is done.  Scotty took Lee with him to the Saints/Cowboys game last night.  Our Saints have had a great season so far, last night just didn't go in our favor.  We didn't play well and the 'Boys defense brought their "A" game.  We cheered for our team til the end and will continue to pull for them.  Although I won't be able to go to the Superbowl if the Saints end up there, Scotty will get to go, so we're pulling for them.  He'll be excited when he can cross "watching the Saints play in the Superbowl" off his Bucket List.  And DS and I will again cheer them on from the comfort of our couch.  Maybe DS will have mastered the "touchdown" sign by then.  Perhaps we'll work on that move next week...

1 Month Old!

Today marks David Scott's 1 month birthday!  I cannot believe that this bundle of joy has been a part of our little family for a month already.  Part of my reason for doing a blog is to document DS' life for him to be able to look back on my printed out posts which I will keep in a baby book/scrapbook b/c who knows what the internet will look like or if it will even exist by the time he may be interested in this type of thing.  Here goes:

David Scott, you've changed so much in just 30 days.  Every single day, it seems like you're working on mastering some part of a "task." 

• You are now able to hold on (occasionally) to your paci (the pacifier), which you are indifferent to most of the time.  You want it when you want it and when you don't, you spit it out or throw it.  Obviously, you probably don't understand your actions at this point in your young life, but it's still funny to watch you do things. 
• Twice in the last two weeks we've seen you roll over.  TWICE! 
• You seem to be drawn to the color red and your eyes immeidately go towards our red roman shade on the back door or to the Christmas tree (not red, but pretty when its white lights are lit up) when you're with us in the living room. 
• You are very strong and have amazing head control as well as a strong grip when you hold on to our fingers. You like holding my finger when you nurse.  Speaking of which...
• You seem to have a pretty big appetite  -- eating for about 25 minutes every 3 or so hours during the day although you've gone up to 5 hours a few times at night.
• You can sleep through almost anything -- the vacuum cleaner, Lola barking, Daddy yelling at the tv when his team is playing -- although you do hear what's going on as evidenced by your reaction ("jumping") to a new sound.
• You hate having your diaper and your clothes changed.  I think it's because you don't like being vulnerable.  Don't worry about it -- nobody likes changing clothes in front of another person.  However...
• You love taking a bath.    It instantly chills you out if you're upset and generally seems to make you more relaxed.  I hope this means you'll like the water as you get older as there will be many opportunities for swimming and beach trips in the future.
• You are a very expressive and alert baby; again, you arrived that way.  I love watching your facial expressions as you drift off to sleep.  You go from a gummy, toothless smile, to furrowing your brow, to poking out your bottom lip and looking upset, then  back to smiling...you get the picture.  You've also smiled back at me when I've been smiling at you several times...I don't even care that it's probably caused by a gas bubble passing through your system -- I love your smiles whatever the reason.   I could look at you for hours.
• You are a good baby.  We've been running errands most of this week, including going to my office's Christmas party today, and you seem to be able to adjust to different surroundings whether it's a restaurant, store, or being passed around by my co-workers.  You typically cry b/c you're getting hungry, have a dirty diaper, or are tired.

Our lives are forever changed by you.  We love being your parents and are very much looking forward to watching you grow and learn. YOU are the best gift we've ever received!

Love,
Mama

P.S.  We went this week to have your very first picture with Santa.  You were an angel and slept through the event. 

YESSSSSS!!!!!!!

WE GOT IN!  To our first choice daycare, that is!  I found out on Friday that we got the last opening in the daycare for January.  I meant to post an update sooner, but you know how that goes.  Anyway, we are so excited that David Scott will be in this particular daycare.  As I've mentioned before, it is central to both of our offices as well as the pediatrician's office.  It's not close to where we live, but that's not a problem at all since there are very few things, besides a local grocery store, that we access on a regular basis that are close to our house.  It's even close enough to my office that I can pop in and feed him lunch if I'm able some days, so that's convenient.  I had faith that we would get in and I refused to let myself stress out about it, although I'll admit that I was starting to panic the slightest bit since we hadn't heard anything from them since our last update a month or two ago.

Here's a pic of our little boy.  This was taken after he'd had a bath due to a couple of wat we'll refer to as simultaneous excretory explosions.  He was pretty well-behaved as we were bathing him, but then he got kind of quiet afterward.  Take a look -- it's almost like he's pouting:

That was on Saturday. Later that day, we decided it would be cute to take a few candid shots of DS in one of his Christmas outfits. Here's a teaser from those -- we'll have more to post once it gets closer to Christmas:

He's not too sure about what's on his head.

It's 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.  I've already taken a shower, brushed my teeth, put on a little make-up, blow-dried my hair, eaten breakfast, AND just put my second load of clothes in the washer.  This is a huge improvement from yesterday since I was unable to get anything done before noon.  Truth be told, because of feeding times, baby sleeping (or not since he tends to be awake most of the day), changing diapers and clothes, I was a little tired yesterday and chose to sleep an hour or so after the 6 a.m. feeding instead of taking care of my own health and beauty needs.  NOTE TO SELF:  It is much easier to get a few things done earlier in the day than it is to find the time during the day to do it.  I can catch up on my sleep during the day...assuming my child takes a nap.  I don't have nearly as much "free time" as I thought I would.  Thank goodness for my iPhone.  Although I don't have the chance to get on the actual laptop to do anything, I am able to at least check the news headlines and such occasionally while I'm feeding the baby.  Yes, I know, I'm supposed to be paying attention to him during that special time.  And I do.  I tell him what the headlines and articles say.  He needs to be informed, too.  :)

Two Weeks Old and The First Holiday

Well, as you've probably figured out by now, we've been a little busy this past week.  Feeding, napping, changing diapers, washing clothes...you know the drill.  Fortunately, we've had help from both of David Scott's grandmothers since we got home.  Last Thursday was DS' first holiday -- Thanksgiving -- quite appropriate as Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.  This year, we have so much to be thankful for.  Specifically, we are thankful for our newborn son who is such a joy and blessing to our family.  Have I told you that we hit the jackpot with this kid?!?  Seriously, he is a happy, good-natured, easy-going baby and we love him so much.  Anyway, we had a great day with each other as well as my mom, step-father, and sister.  Here's a pic of our little family on Thanksgiving Day:

Yes, I know his smile is probably the result of a passing gas bubble in his system, but I don't care.  He smiles at us all the time.  And although we haven't captured it (or even tried to yet), he is really holding his head up well considering he's only two weeks old.  It's so amazing to watch him change, grow, and learn new things every day.  I guess we all take for granted that we know how certain things work -- simple things -- arm control, head/neck control and strength.  But to really watch our son learn these things on a day-to-day basis is so cool.  For instance, David Scott is "grabbing" at Scotty's face and trying to "move" it so that he can suck on his daddy's nose.  It's pretty funny to watch.  And last Thursday/Friday, DS finally got latching on.  Thank you, Lord!  Success!  I was so glad that he finally grasped this concept, and just before my mom left, too.  She was a big help for me with this whole nursing thing, and overall of course.  Scotty's mom was too.  She came in on Saturday and left today, heading back up to North LA.  So now we're on our own.  Within the next few days, I expect us to fall even more into our own little routine.  We've been on somewhat of a 3-hour schedule throughout the day since we came home from the hospital.  Last night was the first night that DS went 4 hours in between feedings where I had to actually wake him up.  He's pretty alert throughout most of the day, which I love.  This way we get plenty of face time with one another with the added bonus of a little more sleep at night for me.  Well, last night anyway.  I'm hoping that continues. 

We went for his 2-week check-up with Dr. K yesterday.  DS gained another 2 oz on his frame and is now weighing in at a hefty 6 lbs, 10 oz!  He's still 20 inches long, but what did I expect, a huge increase in height in just a week?  Nah.  Now we don't have to go back to the pediatrician until he's 2 months old.  Yay! 

Today, our little boy is two weeks old.  I can't believe it's already been two weeks.  Time is already flying by.  I want it to slow down a little...

The first week...

Today is David Scott's 1-week birthday.  For your viewing pleasure, here's a pic of him expressing his joy at being 7 days old:

Due to the aforementioned jaundice, we've been having to go to the lab every other day since Saturday to get his bilirubin level checked.  Last Saturday, he was a total angel and didn't seem to be bothered one bit by the prick and multiple squeezes to extract blood from his heel.  So I assumed that Monday would be the same thing -- why not -- he's a pretty easygoing baby.  WRONG!  First of all, the waiting room was full of people -- one big germ exposure.  Lovely.  It was past feeding time for David Scott when they finally called us back.  Once we got to the room, I was going to hurry up and feed him, but then we realized that the baby's diaper was dirty.  We were about to change it when the technician came in, so we held off just in case he got upset enough to make another deposit.  So dirty baby + hungry baby = fussy/crying baby --> leaky Mama (sorry if that's TMI -- you should know by now that I'm an over-sharer of information).  Needless to say, he was not happy with having his heel pricked and blood collected.  Once the tech was done, we continued to change his diaper -- he's still unfed at this point and about an hour past his normal eating time.  As we were changing the dirty diaper, DS went #1 on himself and the changing table.  Great.  Now we have to change his clothes on top of everything else.  Wonderful.  But finally (!) we get the diaper changed, a clean outfit, and we're off to the car to feed the baby in the privacy of my tinted windows in the darkened parking garage.  Shortly thereafter, we get the call from the doctor's office and we're told we have to go back for another test on Wednesday, which was today.  We had to be there early b/c David Scott's first pediatrician's appointment was mid-morning and we had to be sure she rec'd the results in time for his appointment.

So this morning, off we go to the lab for another heel stick/blood collection -- DS, Grandmother (who's now decided she wants to be called Grandma), and myself.  Once again, he was a total angel and didn't even whimper.  We get to the doctor's office and she tells us that his bili-levels are good and we no longer have to have the lab work.  Evidently things are now A-OK.  Yay!  Additionally, we found out that DS has gained a few ounces and shrunk an inch from his birth and is perfect (but we knew that already, but it was nice to have a professional back that up).  From what I understand, most babies lose weight after birth.  Not DS; he gained weight.  And the "shrinkage" (Scotty will love that terminology!) was due to his head returning to a normal, non-cone-shaped size shortly after he was born.  Dr. Kelleher, his pediatrician, told us in the hospital that he would be a little shorter at his first visit so we were expecting that.  We have to go back next week for his 2-week check-up; Mimi will be here to go with us for that one.

Oh, BTW, I've had several people ask me how Lola's adjusting to David Scott.  As many of you who know Lola, know that she's not the most friendly chihuahua ever (that is an understatement).  However, she's adjusting better than we really expected her to.  She was kind of wary of  "the intruder" the first day or two.  However, she's warming up to him to the extent we caught her licking on his feet on Monday night; it was quite funny.  She normally doesn't lick anything except Scotty's hand ("It soothes her."), which makes me want to gag as I hate dog-lick, but because it was the baby's foot, we thought it was extra cute.  We got it on video camera but I don't know how to upload the video on the blog, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

Although we haven't been home for a week just yet, I think things have gone pretty well.  We're adjusting to life with an infant -- you know, the late-night/early-morning feedings, numerous-clothing changes, and the endless diaper changes.  Tomorrow, we're looking forward to spending our very first holiday as an official family along with my sister, mom, and step-father.  Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday and this year we have something, or someone rather, to be especially thankful for.   Until next time...

HE'S HERE!!!

So I lied.  Scotty is not doing the first post after David Scott's arrival.  However, his is coming, so be on the lookout for it.  David Scott Rainwater, Jr. was born on November 18, 2009.  He was 6 lbs 6.5 oz and 21 inches long at birth.  Let me walk you through our day from my POV:

3:15 a.m. - Wake up after a decent night's sleep.  I thought I would not sleep at all but I guess that my body knew I'd better rest up for the events of the day.
4:10 a.m. - We leave our house.  Scotty and I discussed how excited we both were to meet our little guy and how calm (not nervous) we both felt about everything.  I guess going to the hospital under happy/good circumstances tends to calm the nerves a little.  Scotty would probably say that his ice water veins have finally rubbed off on me after 12.5 years of togetherness.
4:30 a.m. - Arrive at hospital to check in for the Big Day.

5:30 a.m. - Getting set up in my Labor, Delivery, and Recovery Suite/Room.  Nurse blows out 2 veins trying to get the IV started.  She finally gets it on the 4th try.  Despite being a human pin cushion, I remained calm.  I was checked and was still at 3 cm.  Harnesses and such are put on to minitor contractions and baby's heartbeat.  Nurse:  "Wow!  That was a big one. Did you feel it?"  Me:  "Feel what?"  IV gets started and Scotty finally gets to come into the room after sitting in the waiting room for about 45 minutes or so.

  

 

8:30a.m. - Dr. G comes in and checks me.  I'm now at 4 cm.  As she's checking me, my water breaks.  Yuck!  But not the first "yuck" thing to happen as I'm sure you can imagine!  Mama was in the room as this happens -- David waited patiently in the waiting area.  Sue Sue and Rachel get there shortly after these events.

9:45 a.m. -  Hear a girl screaming, yelling, DYING...I start thinking about getting that epidural sooner rather than later.  Contractions aren't too bad at this point; but there's no need to be a hero.

10:45 a.m. - Scotty's family arrives -- Debbie, Lee, Mamaw, and Papaw come in for a visit. 

11:15 a.m. - Nurse comes in to check me -- 6 cm.

11:45 a.m. - Anesthesia!  Time for the epidural.  Not too painful to actually get, but I had to get in an uncomfortable position in order for the anesthesiologist to administer it.  I'm slightly concerned about squishing my baby who at the time was kicking me in my ribs.  Not the most pleasant thing to be still for.  Especially since the anesthesiologist is explaining his every move to an intern.  Yes!  I'm a learning opporunity for someone.  Afterwards, I get a popcicle.  It was red and delicious!

12:45 p.m. - I am checked and am at 9 cm.  Dr. G came in to do the honors.  She expects me to start pushing in about an hour and have the baby shortly thereafter.

1:45 p.m. - I am ready to start pushing my baby out into the real world. 

2:05 p.m. - We realize DS has his head facing towards the side rather than up or down which is why my pushes aren't getting the progress they should.  I have dead legs so that was fun having to maneuver so that he would turn properly.  Things progress.

2:42 p.m.  - Our son, David Scott Rainwater, Jr. enters the world.  His cries are the sweetest sounds I've ever heard.  Scotty, who was a trooper during this process, cuts the umbilical cord. 

2:50 p.m.  Scotty continues to get more than an eyeful of the events.  He does not puke or pass out.  I love him so much!

At this point, I kind of lost track of the time.  But to summarize it, I've got a room full of people, technicians, nurses, etc. who are all doing their part in this miracle -- taking care of Mom, taking care of baby.  Taking our first family pics:

Afterwards, our entire family is able to come in and meet David Scott for the first time.  We're all in aggreement:  He's the most beautiful baby that ever lived!  We are smitten from then on.   DS is very alert and is just adorable.  He looks just like his Daddy.  Finally, about 5:00, I get moved to the room where we'll stay until we are released on Friday sometime.  Scotty stayed with me Wednesday night.  Sleep in a hospital is somewhat elusive and my husband didn't have the luxury of meds or a decent mattress to help him out.  After having many visitors both Wednesday night, and throughout the day and evening on Thursday, I sent Scotty home Thursday night for a shower and a good night's rest.  My mom stayed with me in the hospital that night.  Right before we went to bed, I'm informed that DS is slightly jaundiced and they need to do further testing/labwork.  Fortunately, his jaundice is at the lower end of the scale; nevertheless, I'm concerned.  Although we were released on Friday around lunchtime, we were given orders to follow up with more lab work this morning and to supplement his feedings with formula each time to help with the jaundice. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, my mom is staying with us for a week and then she'll trade off with Scotty's mom who'll stay for several more days.  Since we've been home, things have been going pretty well.  We had to go in for the additional lab work this morning.  He's still got jaundice but is still in the lower end of the scale.  The pediatrician wants us to continue supplementing with formula til my milk comes in and to come back in on Monday morning for another heel stick blood test.  BTW, this test does not look painless -- however, David Scott did not cry at all while they were doing it.  He is such an awesome baby.  Since we've been home, both my husband and my mom have been excellent.  I knew that Mama had experience with kids -- obviously -- so I knew that she would be a big help.  However, I think -- no, I know -- I lucked out in the husband department as taking care of the baby seems to come very naturally for Scotty. 

I've been asked if we'll continue the blog since the baby is now here.  My response to that is:  Of course!  We want you to continue on in our journey with us as we watch our son grow and as our family grows as well.  We are so blessed...

David Scott's Birth Day Eve!

Update from my visit yesterday:  I am dilated to nearly 3 cm and still 80% effaced.  Dr. Gautreau was "shocked...shocked" that I haven't gone into labor yet.  I made the comment that only I would get through the first phase of labor without my water breaking...Oh well, it'll happen tomorrow morning if it doesn't happen sooner on its own.  Also, for the past few days, I'd been not checking my BS like I've so dilligently done these last few months.  I figured, "We're at the end, what difference does it make?"  So when my doctor asked me how they'd been the last couple of days since I submitted my last week's readings, I hesitated.  She picked up on that real quick and totally busted me for not testing.  Although I'd not been sticking 100% to the GD diet since my 2-3 day hiatus from testing, Dr. G told me that yesterday and today were still important and to continue on with my diet and testing.  So I'm doing that.  Moving on...

Yesterday I was nervous; today, I'm excited!  Although everyone is telling me to be sure I get a good night's rest tonight, I feel like sleep is going to elude me tonight.  I think it's going to be a mixture of the nights before the first day of school, Christmas, and vacation.  Dr. G told me I could take a Tylenol PM to help me sleep, but I'm concerned that I'll be groggy in the morning.  I'm already feeling kind of sleepy, so I think I'll avoid taking a nap and just try and go to bed early tonight.  OH!  Big news!  Scotty just walked in with a camcorder!  It's super cool and he is currently trying to take a crash course in "things he needs to know" about it.  I am currently sitting on the couch contempleating what my next move is going to be...

Scotty may be making the next blog update, especially if I am unable to blog as things happen.  We've both been looking forward to his one post that will be dedicated to his hopes and dreams for our son.  I can't wait to meet this little guy who's been growing inside me for the last 39 weeks and who was destined to be ours long before we knew about him.  Happy Birth Day Eve, David Scott!  Mama and Daddy can't wait to hold you in our arms and spend the rest of our lives with you!

T - 48 hours and counting...

As I'm sure you've surmised, David Scott did not arrive this past weekend.  I'm scheduled to go meet with my doctor this afternoon to finalize the details of the inducement on Wednesday.  Yep, the time is here!  In 48 hours (give or take a few more, probably), we'll get to meet our first child.  Scotty and I are both so excited and can't wait for him to be here.  I'm taking off work today and tomorrow to get a few last-minute errands run, clothes washed, etc; as far as work goes, I won't go back until the first of the year.  Hopefully, we'll know in a few weeks about the daycare situation.  That is adding to my anxiety as you're probably well aware of my need to have things planned out -- Impulsive is NOT my middle name, although sometimes I wish it were.  Not that I don't like Beth, I just wish I didn't have this need to have all the details worked out beforehand.  Case in Point:  I have multiple lists to carry with us to the hospital.  One contains a list of contacts/family/friends to keep informed  (BTW, I hope to be able to blog during the day on Wednesday, so be on the lookout just in case...).  Another contains a list of "Things to do/get when 'It's Time'" -- obviously anticipating an unscheduled labor.  The third, which I will finalize after my doctor's visit today, will contain instructions such as:  No pacifier, No sugar-water, NO BOTTLES, etc. (Note:  I plan on breastfeeding, if that wasn't obvious).  Yes, I realize that in having a child, so many things will be unplanned and I will have to suck it up and learn to adjust.  I can do that.  I've always known that and am prepared to take on this new chapter in life without my typical gameplan other than to continue loving my fantastic husband and raising our child to be a happy, productive, successful gentleman.  Unplanned events will (frequently) happen.  Planned events will (frequently)get turned around and/or cancelled/rescheduled.  But on the flip side, there will be so many unplanned great moments that we'll get to share with our new baby and each other.  And isn't that's what life is all about...the moments...

Miserable? Party of One.

I just got in from my weekly doctor's appointment...and...no progress.  I'm still at 2 cm and 80% effaced.  However, the big news is that David Scott is weighing in at 6 lbs, 3 oz!  We were very excited to see that he'd gained an appropriate amount of weight since his last measurements two weeks ago.  Dr. G said that if we wanted to, we could start thinking about inducing labor one day next week.  That of course, assumes he doesn't come this weekend.  I've been telling Scotty for several weeks that I think the baby will come around the middle of the month -- like the 14th or 15th.  PLUS, my doctor is on call this weekend and I really want her to deliver my child.  I love my doctor -- she's great and I've been seeing her for a couple of years, and I really don't want one of the other doctors in the practice to deliver him since I don't know them.  I'm sure they do a wonderful job and their patients love them as much as we love Dr. G, but still.  So, if we don't have a baby this weekend, she said we can call on Monday and schedule inducement like for next Wednesday if we want.  Coincidentally, next Wednesday is the b-day of my best friend from childhood (Jessie -- and her twin sister Jenny), so that would be kind of cool.  The alternative is to keep waiting and worst case scenario, end up inducing on my actual due date if nothing happens before then.

Dr. G said she'd expected me to have gone into labor by now and that I could really go any time.  I would really, really like to have this baby without inducing (preferably this weekend), but there are some advantages to planning the birth of our child:  1)  We will both be ready and have things taken care of at our respective jobs.  2) We can ensure that our family will be here in time for the big event since it would be pre-planned as to what time I get admitted to the hospital.  3)  It would be practically guaranteed for Dr. G to deliver David Scott.  The cons:  1)  It's almost too formal -- picking my child's birth day, checking into the hospital at a specified time to have him.  2)  Inducements can take a while to happen, and I really don't want to be in a position where having a c-section is required due to things not moving fast enough.  I mean, I understand that even letting nature take its course, I could still have to have a c-section, but at least then it wouldn't have been b/c of a conscious decision we made to have our child on a certain day to "make things easier" on ourselves.  I don't know.  I hope and pray that he'll come on his own this weekend, and we don't have to make that decision.  Perhaps I'll go walk a few miles at the track for the next few evenings, or try some other remedy to speed things up.  :)

My stats:  BS was great; BP was great.  My weight was back up to 147 -- their scale was back to normal...I knew I hadn't lost any weight (see previous post).  But, since the baby's gained nearly a pound, my stomach feels stretched to the max.  For the most part, I can't feel my ribs and when I can it's b/c I'm in pain from the baby punching or kicking against them.  I hope he doesn't crack a rib.  Seriously.  It happens.  I'm still having Braxton-Hicks contractions; mainly in the evening, but frequently throughout the day.  My feet are starting to swell more if I don't keep them elevated -- one of my coworkers pointed it out this morning.  That's about it.  Perhaps I can talk Scotty into running errands (related to the baby, of course) Friday night.  I need to get a few more things picked up and taken care of before David Scott makes his appearance.  Then, maybe all that running around will get things stirring around on the inside...

The time is coming...

Although I promised to update after my appointment Wednesday, I have not.  Well, I guess it's still after Wednesday, but you know what I mean.  My appointment went well.  I had dilated to 2 cm and was 80% effaced.  So -- a little progress since my visit last week.  It's getting closer, though, for sure.  Dr. G said that Scotty should be okay to go on his biz trip.  So, unless I'm feeling things going on tomorrow, he'll fly out tomorrow evening and will return Monday night.  Lee is staying with me just in case, though.  Had I experienced an increase in Braxton-Hicks contractions or regular contractions, I could've gone in to be re-checked yesterday, but I haven't been feeling much of those in the last few days, so I decided I was probably safe.  Here's a pic we just took earlier today.  I'm currently 37 weeks and several days...

BS was good at visit as was BP.  The scale said that I'd lost 3 lbs., but I don't believe that's the case as you can see from my "Grandmother butt" as my sister calls it.  I tried to angle myself in the pic so that you don't get a full-on shot of my backside.  Yes, thoughtful, I know.

Other developments this week:  Lola dressed up as a Bumble Bee for Halloween.  Or, as I like to call her, a Bumble Bean, since we affectionately call her Lola Bean about half the time.  Here's a pic of our 4-legged child all dolled up:

Isn't she cute?!?  Her antennae wouldn't stay up, so I had to hold them up to capture the moment.  Also, you can see the very end of her tail which she'd tucked under her.  Oh yeah, she hates dressing up.

Also, my girls from the office threw me a baby shower on Thursday after work.  Two of my friends, Kara and Melissa also joined us.  We had a great time, but I don't have any pics to share from the get-together.  I've got to get better about taking my camera with me, but it's currently in my bag-to-go-to-the-hospital and will not be removed until it's "geaux-time."  :)

Finally, since it's all but guaranteed that David Scott will be here for Turkey Day, I decided to order him an outfit off Etsy to celebrate his first holiday:

It's a size NB (5-8 lbs) -- BTW, they didn't measure the baby at my last visit, so we don't know how much weight he's gained; we will at my next visit..."If" I make it -- Dr. G's words.  Anyway, This cute thing is a size NB and Scotty said it would be too small for the baby.  So...

...naturally, I had to show him that yes, it would fit the baby perfectly.  I'm continuing to take it easy, at least until Monday night.  Then I may decide to go run a few miles to speed things up a bit..."If" I make it.  That's about it for now.  We're getting ready for the LSU/BAMA game.  Here's hoping the Tigers pull off a W. 

Peanut

Here's a quick update about my doctor's appointment today as there's not too much to report -- sigh of relief.  I've gained the pound I lost last week back.  However, the baby's only gained about half a pound since they took his measurements two weeks ago.  Most babies gain about half a pound a week during the last 6-8 weeks or so.  My doctor isn't too concerned, but said that based on his weight (5 lbs. 6 oz), and my frame and background, he's in the 18th percentile.  The fact that he's small isn't surprising since he's been measuring about a week behind the entire time I've been pregnant; and assuming he starts gaining a half a pound a week and IF (a big IF) I make it to my due date, he'll be about 7.5 lbs.  But at this point, there's no way for me to make him bigger since I still have to stick to the GD "diet" and watch my carbs and sugars.  SO, Dr. G commented that he'd be a little "peanut" (which BTW, I love peanuts!) when he got here.  Although not much has changed, she doesn't think I'm going to make it to my due date.  I'm not too much more dilated than I was last week -- she said about 1.5 cm.  She did tell me that she really, really doesn't want me to have him in the next week so I am to stay off my feet as much as possible, although I can still work (yay -- I do love my job!).  So I'm keeping my fingers (and legs!) crossed in the hopes that he'll hold off another 12 days so Scotty can go on his business trip.  After that, bring it on David Scott!!!

Lazy Weekend

Well, there's not too much to report, which is good. Scotty and I went to dinner and a movie Friday night. TJ Ribs and "Law Abiding Citizen" -- a pretty good combination. Oh, and did I mention the movie was watched along with what was the majority of the Auburn football team. I don't know if the theater sold too many tickets, or if there were people in the theater who bought tickets to another movie and then came to ours, or what, but there were people sitting everywhere. The Auburn football team came in just before the movie started, so there were guys sitting on the floor in front of us where the people in wheelchairs are supposed to sit. Anyway, I suppose they must not have been too comfortable in their makeshift seating given the poor playing they exhibited on Saturday. Oh well, their loss is LAU's gain. Geaux Tigers!!! On Saturday, I sat on my rear end for the entire day, watching college football and taking it easy; I could not be someone who's on bedrest for any length of time. Let me rephrase that, I could totally get used to having someone wait on me, but not really going out of the house to run errands and even keeping my domestic "duties" to a minimum sucks. Today, we went to Wal-Mart -- an exhausting and expensive trip, I might add. However, I feel even more prepared should David Scott come a little earlier than we expect him to. There are still a few little things we need to take care of in his room before I consider it to be "finished," including, but not limited to hanging stuff on the walls. However, his clothes are all washed and our bags are (almost) packed.

I've found a new obsession -- Etsy. It's a website, kind of like Ebay, but with custom stuff, handmade items, etc. You can find everything from burp cloths to furniture to artwork. Speaking of art, Rachel is having a giveaway for a holiday canvas. Check out the link or go to her blog http://www.thepeekabootique.blogspot.com/, leave a comment and get yourself registered for her giveaway on Wednesday. And tell your friends as well. She's been very busy getting ready for selling her stuff at a booth in Cedar Town (a Ruston thing coming up in a few weeks), but she'd love to be even busier with her art. She also has a site on Etsy. I've literally spent hours on this site this weekend looking at all the stuff you can buy. I'm considering several cute burp cloth designs, but with several thousand to look at, it's taking me a while to get through them all, just in case I see something I like better than the ones I'm currently liking.

Sorry for the uneventful post, although, for the time being, I guess I prefer uneventful. I'll go back to the doctor on Wednesday, so we'll see if there's been any change in my stats, although I'm not expecting there to be. Fingers crossed for no progress. :)

WOW! Week 35...

Well, this is me earlier this evening. I went to the doctor yesterday and was too busy catching up with my cousin (Meredith) who was in from Memphis that I didn't have any time to update last night. Anyway, my visit with Dr. G was exciting. Not only was my mom here to experience it with me, but there's been a slight change in my pregnancy. Namely, I am already starting to dilate! Yes, I realize that I could be this way for several weeks without much progress since my due date is about a month from now. However...holy cow! This baby is coming! The visit started with the usual ultrasound/sonogram. Scotty was able to leave his office for a bit to come do that. David Scott didn't show out too much, but he was doing everything he was supposed to be. This u/s was just to make sure he was moving, and going through the motions (like "breathing" or practicing breathing, anyway). He passed with flying colors, naturally. He's assuming the position (head down), and was showing us how flexible he was. For part of the u/s, he had one foot kind of across my belly and the other one, he had it kind of by his head. Again, Scotty commented on him being a ninja, or maybe that was me, but whatever. DS wouldn't give us any good pictures (again), but hopefully he will next week.

After the u/s, we waited to see my doctor. She was running a little behind, so Scotty went back to work. That will be the last doctor's appointment he misses (pre-baby anyway). I had my list of questions (as usual) and then I got "checked." I'll leave out the details of that, but suffice it to say, Dr. G informed me that I was already 1 cm dilated. I think Mama thought I was going to pass out when Dr. G told me this. In some weird way, I was kind of expecting this, but in another, I totally was not. I still have a ton of stuff to get done before this baby comes. Two of which are to pack my bag and have Scotty install the car seat, which my doc told me to go ahead and take care of this weekend. At this point, I really don't need to have the baby b/c he'd be considered a premie. So she recommended for me to take it easy and to slow down even more if my contractions, which are currently sporadic -- not consistent or regular at all, became regular. However, anytime after the next 10 or so days, if I'm experiencing regular contractions, she said for me to start walking around, which would speed things up a little more as he'd be considered full-term at that point. Geez Louise! But, she also said that things may not progress and in a few weeks, we might have to talk about inducing me. I am a-ok with this baby not coming for a few more weeks, although I'm starting to experience some moments of uncomfortableness, it's nothing I can't handle. PLUS, Scotty is supposed to go out of town on an overnight business trip in early Nov. With this being the busiest time of year at my office, the longer I can be there and take care of my clients, the less my coworkers have to take on in my absence. Not to mention, the longer I am working, the greater likelihood that I'd be able to take 8 weeks off after DS' birth b/c my vacation and sick days start again in January. A ridiculous reason to want him to wait, but I don't care. I'm sure there've been more ridiculous reasons that mothers-to-be have had in wanting their child to be born at a particular point in time.

My stats during the visit: BP was good, BS is good and I've been testing it every other day, have I told you that already? Yep, my doc has me on an every other day testing schedule b/c my numbers are so consistent -- more on that in a minute. My feet and ankles are starting to swell ever so slightly, but I'm not to the point where I have cankles...yet. And, I've lost a pound since my last visit -- so back to 17 lbs in total baby weight gain. Yipee! So back to the BS. One of my questions for Dr. G was how soon after I have the baby can I have a coke, as it pertains to the GD. #1, she said I could be having a few sips right now if I wanted some. However, I've been coke-free for nearly two months (since being diagnosed) and will continue my "sobriety" until at least 5 minutes after the baby is born. After that, any coke within a 5 mile radius is fair game! And, #2, she said she thought my GD diagnosis was a fluke. My numbers have been too consistent and too good for GD. She thinks I was just tested on a bad day. Hmmm...I think I've said that same thing, or something similar before. It's good to know, though, that my doctor has the same sentiment concerning this that I do. And, if nothing else has come of this, I have avoided pigging out, and will continue to do so, which has attributed to the small amount of weight gain here lately...that and great genes -- thanks, Mama!

So that puts me at right now. Currently, I have one hard little booty perched right at my sternum -- I think that's where your ribs meet -- and I've got to get him to change positions b/c it's beginning to be uncomfortable. I'm probably going to go take a nice, relaxing bath and continue reading one of my baby-related books, while simultaneously making a list of all the little things that need to get done. One by one, I'll cross them off and if this baby comes sooner rather than later, well, somebody else will have to do some of the dirty work for me.

Lola: My POV

Mama is letting me be a guest blogger just this once. I am currently sitting beside her on the couch, trying to figure out what I'm going to say. I'm sitting beside her and not in her lap as I'm prone to doing because she's running out of room. There used to be plenty of room for me to sit wherever I wanted to on her, but her belly has gotten big and I'm now relegated to sitting beside her most of the time, or behind her, which is my second favorite place to be -- really anywhere within the vicinity of my Mom is fine with me. Oh, I know what I can talk about. To start with, Mama and Daddy will not stop talking about this "baby." Well where is it? That's what they've always called my toys -- babies -- as in, "Lola, go get your baby." So where is this new toy? I haven't gotten anything new to play with in a while, so I hope it's something I can drag under their bed. I love taking stuff under there! Q-tips, bottle caps, if I can get it under there, it's mine for the taking.

I hope they're not talking about bringing home another dog. I hate most other dogs. I tolerate the ones at Grandmother's house and at Mimi's or Mamaw's, but I DO NOT want another one in this house. I'm Queen Bee in this household. BUT, I have noticed a big cage in the room that used to be the office. A few weeks back, Mama and Daddy changed up some stuff in the other two rooms -- moving furniture around and bringing in some new stuff. The office is now called the "nursery" or the "baby's room." My cage is small and perfect, just like me. It's the perfect size for somebody of my stature. This other cage is kinda like mine except that it's pretty big and it doesn't have a top on it. Something big's gonna go in there, I just know it. Daddy brought home this big tiger a while back. I'm not too bothered by it because it doesn't move all that much; it pretty much just sits there. For a couple of weeks, Mama had it sitting in the big, no-top cage, but it's on the floor now. Maybe that'll stay in there.

We watched the big box on the wall on Saturday. That's a pretty nifty thing -- the box on the wall. Daddy likes to watch me go crazy when I see other animals on it. Daddy was the one going crazy on Saturday watching people run around chasing after a little ball. He kept screaming, "Go, go, go!" or "Are you kidding me?" Mama kept telling him, "Enjoy it while it lasts. You're not gonna be able to scream like that much longer." I don't quite know what she meant by that. She keeps telling him that about lots of things. Like when we're getting in the bed ready to go to sleep. Daddy usually tries to play with me and get me all riled up right before bed. I usually bark at him because I don't like being disturbed once I'm in the bed. He knows this yet he consistently tries to do this nearly every single night. Mama keeps telling him, "You're not gonna be able to make Lola bark like that in a few more weeks; the baby will be sleeping." He's been antagonizing/playing with me for forever, what's a few more weeks? And now we're back to this "baby"...again.

We've had a few visitors here lately. Uncle Lee is here at this very moment. Grandmother and David came a couple weekends ago. I love having people come stay with us. I only like a handful of people. It takes me a while to get used to new people/things, but once I do, it's for life. So maybe whatever this "baby" is, I'll like it. As long as it's not another dog, I think I'll be okay.

Love,
Lola Bean Rainwater

T - 6 weeks and counting...

I had my weekly sonogram/ultrasound today. No cute pictures to share or too much noteworthy news. David Scott was still measuring about a week behind my due date -- currently about 33 weeks and a day vs. 34 weeks and a day. His weight was estimated to be 4 lbs., 14 oz. The u/s tech said that he may slow down the weight gain as it gets closer to my due date, so he may not reach the 8 lb prediction my doctor mentioned at my visit last week. That's a relief...although he'll be whatever size he needs to be whenever he decides to come and join us on the outside world. I'm excited about my u/s and doctor's visit next week (see previous post) as we'll possibly have a better idea of things and I'll be able to pre-register at the hospital so that'll be one less thing to have to worry about once I actually do go into labor. Anyway, the baby was pretty calm and wasn't trying to communicate with us today. He was just maxing and relaxing in his crib, so to speak. We were able to watch him breathe a little bit. You could see his little mouth opening and closing so that was pretty cool. Then we noticed that he had his little hand across his forehead like he was trying to convey to us that he was exhausted after a hard day's work of lying in womb-goo. That was pretty cute! But, we didn't get a picture of it.

Mama and David came in town this past weekend. While Scotty was getting ready for the LSU-FL game and David was taking a test, Mama and I rode around town picking up some must-have baby things. I feel better prepared just in case the little booger decides to come early. I'm sure I'll spend the next few weekends doing the same thing, picking up a few items here and there. I don't know that you can ever have enough "stuff" when it comes to being totally prepared for having a kid.

Is it weird that I feel oddly calm about bringing this baby home? I mean, you're probably reading this and thinking, "How naive Sarah is," especially if you've already had kids yourself. But seriously, I've had many years of hands-on baby care starting with my brother Brad who was born when I was 7, and continuing through college when I kept my Leslie (part of my extended family) for a summer. It's just kind of strange. I think most soon-to-be-mothers -- especially those who are first-timers like me -- are probably a little freaked out about being responsible for a child for the rest of their lives and nervous/anxious about actually taking care of it. I'm just really confident in my abilities to raise a child. I know it's not always going to be easy -- nothing that's worth it ever is. But I do know that this is going to be a fun adventure that we're about to embark on...and I can't wait!

David Scott

This pic was taken at my visit yesterday, and I'm loving these weekly sonograms/ultrasounds Here is your first look at the silhouette of David Scott Rainwater, Jr. AND, in case you didn't know, he will go by David Scott -- the double name. Scotty and I decided on his name a while back but we never could figure out what to call him. As you may be aware, there are a number of Davids already in the family -- my dad (David R. "Bud"), my brother (David B. "Brad"), a cousin and his son, my grandfather and great-grandfather, my step-father David A. and on Scotty's side, we have Scottty -- David Scott, obviously -- his grandfather (David B. aka Papaw to us), his uncle (David B. "Davey"), another uncle David M. (Mike), and I'm sure I'm leaving out someone, but you get the idea. We have a LOT of Davids already in the fam. And then there's the Scott part. Although most everyone refers to my hubby as Scott, I've always called him Scotty and always will. He wanted me to start calling him "Scott" and we'd call the baby "Scotty." I refused. And that's how we finally arrived at calling him David Scott. In fact, I'm starting to believe I really do have a little genius inside me b/c as I was telling my sister of our decision a few weeks back, the baby kicked me as I said his name. So I said "David Scott" again. And again, he kicked me. I thought I'd be pushing my luck with a third time, but I tried it again, and I was right. No acknowledgment that time. BUT, two out of three ain't bad...PLUS he had never acknowledged me talking before, so I was pretty impressed with that.

Not too much happened at my doctor's appointment yesterday. I've gained 18 lbs., BS and BP were both good, no swelling (yet). Baby's HB was at 144 bpm. I asked Dr. G how big she was expecting the baby to be once he's born. If I go to my due date (November 24th), she anticipates an 8-lb baby. Holy cow! I was NOT expecting that. 6.5 or 7 pounds, yeah, I was totally expecting that. Not 8 pounds. Although both Scotty and Lee were 8-lb babies according to my MIL; all three of us were in the 7-lb range. Oh well, as long as he's not 19-lbs like that kid from Indonesia, I will be fine. My doctor did tell me that she would not let me go past my due date b/c of my being high risk with the GD. Babies whose mothers have GD tend to be bigger babies and are at higher risk for injuries at birth. Apparently, shoulder dysplasia and clavicle injuries are more prevalent in these babies. So, it looks like we'll have a little turkey of our very own just in time for Thanksgiving! Excited doesn't begin to describe what we're feeling leading up to this special time.

This past weekend several of my friends in North LA hosted a shower for me. We had a great turnout and had a wonderful time catching up with everybody. We're so lucky to have such great friends and family -- even those of you who couldn't make it. :) But it's still kind of overwhelming to look over my list of "things we still need to take care of this kid." The pic below is me with my fabulous hostesses -- Rachel, Betsey, Baby Mama, Jessie, Courtney, and Racheal.



I go back for another sonogram next Wednesday, so hopefully we'll get more pics of David Scott at that visit. In two weeks, I'll get "checked" to see if I've dilated any. Dr. G said that after that visit, she'll be happy for me to "go" at any time. Luckily for me, Mom and David are coming back in this weekend and Mama and I will be running around town picking up a few more items to get us a little more prepared in the event that the baby comes earlier than expected. So much to do...so little time!

Week 32...

Finally! We got to see the baby for the first time in 3 months today as it was our first of the weekly ultrasounds from here til it's time we get to meet our little man. Both Mimi and my hubby got to come with me to the visit today. As usual, he was hamming it up -- constantly moving around to the point that we almost didn't get a "good" picture of his little face or get a "good" reading of his heartbeat. But he finally cooperated and we were able to get both...along with a little bonus action from our son. We got a ton of pics from today's visit, but I've scanned in the 6 that I like the best. Well, I didn't scan them in; the guy at Kinko's did b/c I figured they'd do a better job than Scotty or I would. Wrong. As you can see, the genius guy at Kinko's scanned the top two pictures upside down. M-A-N is all I can say. No disrespect to my husband or any of the competent guys who read this blog; I know none of you would have overlooked this important aspect of the pics. This guy was just clueless, I guess, that u/s pics should be viewed one way -- and that's not upside down. Anyway, if you can't read what the captions on the top two pics say, the first one is pointing out his hair (if the tech says so -- she looks at these every day; I don't, but I still don't see any hair). And the second one is a picture of his balls -- "I'm a man." She kept trying to get a good shot of his business, but he wouldn't oblige. She kept saying, "Come on, show me your testicles." Scotty commented that she wouldn't be the first female to say that to him. Typical guy... The second two pics are of his face. You can see that he has chubby little cheeks. So cute! But then again, I am already partial to the beauty/handsomeness of this kid. The last two pics, and I think these are our favorites, are our son giving us the "thumbs up" sign and a "peace" sign. Just his little way of telling us that everything is fine and he's doing well. Which the nurse confrimed. Based on his measurements and such, he's still measuring about a week behind, but everything looks great. His weight was estimated to be about 4 pounds. I was expecting a little less although 4 lbs. at this stage of the game is average. I'm expecting him to be between 7 and 8 lbs at birth.

BTW, I don't really think he knows about "thumbs up" or "peace" just yet. I'm sure he was just about to suck his thumb or on his hand since that was part of the reason that it took us so long to get a decent facial picture of him -- he kept his hands too close to his face. But, it is funny to think about him communicating via sign language already. OR, maybe he's just a genius! I think I like that. Well, that's about it. I'll go back to the doc for another u/s and visit next Wednesday.

OH -- and this is big -- I found out from my boss, who is trying to help ensure us a spot in the daycare we want, that we're in the top 10 and that they're expecting 4-5 infant spots to become open in January/February. We may be #2 on that list, or #5, or #10. I don't care. I just hope and pray -- and I ask you to do the same -- that we get in this daycare when we need to. They are one of the best in BR. It's convenient to my office and Scotty's. I half-jokingly told my boss that if we didn't get in that I would be bringing my baby to work until we had a spot available at this particular daycare. We should know more in November or December at the latest. I'm just going to have faith that we will continue to be smiled upon and that things will work out. I've always done that and don't intend to stop anytime soon.

Week 31 -- and counting...

I had another doctor's visit today. Everything went great! The baby's hearbeat was 148 bpm, and as always, he was moving around like crazy. My blood pressure was fine, and my blood sugar's been great -- I'm still not convinced I have GD, but will continue to follow my dietary guidelines and prick my fingers 4 times a day to be on the safe side. I've gained 15 pounds so far. And even if I gain a pound a week from here on out like the books tell me I will, I will be under the 25-pound threshold that Dr. G initially set for me. Yay me! At this visit, I also received my flu shot for the year. After much deliberation and independent research (mostly done by Betsey), I decided not to get the swine flu vaccine. Like I told my doctor, there just isn't enough evidence on the long-term side effects of the vaccine, PLUS, I don't understand how it's not safe for infants under age 6 months, but it's safe for my son who is not even born yet. My doctor had no problem with me not taking the vaccine which was a relief.

Next Wednesday begins my weekly ultrasounds/sonograms and I am pumped! I am so looking forward to seeing better images of the little ninja who kicks me in my ribs and wakes me up in the middle of the night with his activities. He's much more active in the afternoon than any other time of day, plus it's more convenient for me work-wise to leave an hour or so early so all of my appointments are towards the end of the day. Next week, Mimi (Debbie) will be down here for work and will be joining me for my u/s as Scotty may or may not be out of town for work. This will be her first "introduction" as she called it to her grandson. My mom, Grandmother (or possibly Gran -- she's going back and forth now as to what she wants to be called), is probably going to make the trek down from North LA later on in October for her first live viewing of the David Scott Rainwater, Jr. Show. I just hope that we're able to get a few clear images of him. His prior u/s pics look like every other baby and I'm ready to have a better idea of what HE looks like. We decided not to do the 4D u/s, so there will still be some mystery to our child since we already know he's a boy, but I'm really ready to see him!

Anyway, as promised in my last post, below are some pictures of the nursery in it's current state. We're probably going to leave the furniture as it is in these pics, but may be adding a couple of things here and there -- definitely adding some things to the walls.

Baby bed with current occupant -- the tiger. My giraffe room theme is now becoming more of an animal/jungle theme courtesy of Scotty who couldn't resist this at the store.

The curtains -- love these!

The dresser (with a bunch of "stuff" on it), the rocking chair/glider which we had recovered to go with our motif, and Lola who still doesn't know what to make of all of these new things.

That's about it for now. If someone could please tell me how to center my picture commentary underneath my picture, that would be great. I can't seem to figure out how to do it without changing the alignment of the entire post. More info to come after next week's visit. Possibly even an updated belly pic before then!

Busy Weekend

Whew! I need a weekend to recover from the weekend. Do you ever feel that way? It's like vacation -- when you return after being gone a few days, you need a few more days to catch up on the things you missed doing while you were gone. Anyhoo, as I've mentioned previously, my friend from college, Alicia (Price now Crooks), was making the bedding and curtains for the baby's room. Well she just finished it and I received my package in the mail on Saturday. I was soooo excited to get it! Everything turned out beautifully. I'm simply baffled how some people have great creative talents like sewing or drawing/painting, and the rest of us -- or maybe it's just me :) -- are lucky to sew on a button corretly. Oh well, I guess my talents lie more in the people-arena or in having the ability to see things. Not like psychic stuff, but being able to envision how something should be done or what the finished product will look like. Which brings me to the point of my post.

As soon as I found the bedding I wanted to use giraffe-print with blue, I knew that was "the one" kind of like most decisions I make...when something's right, you just know it. Same thing with the baby bed and dresser. Yes, I went back and forth between two different sets, but it was strictly from a financial perspective that I did so. I actually let Scotty make the final call when he went to pay/pick up the furniture. He picked our original choice, which I was 100% in favor of. Yes, it was the slightly more expensive choice than my Plan B, but it was so classy and versatile, that we really had no choice. Sorry, you'll have to wait a few more days for pics of the furniture b/c I'm too tired (or in this case, lazy) to get up and go to the other computer which has all of our pictures on it to upload any on this post. But I digress. For the past couple of weeks, Scotty and I have been cleaning out closets and getting more organized in preparation for our upcoming bundle of joy. This weekend, we were able to move the desk and such from the office (now baby room) into the extra bedroom which we also did some rearranging in. Then, we moved around the furniture in Baby Rain's room...well, Scotty did -- I just supervised for the most part. And let me tell you, supervising can be tiring. Not nearly as exhausting as moving around the furniture in the extra bedroom (twice) and then in the baby's room, but tiring nonetheless. Once the nursery is a little more "complete," I'll post pics of it. We don't have anything on the walls just yet (see previous posts), but I have no doubt that we will in the very near future. THEN, I'll post some pics.

We had a couple of visitors over the weekend. On Saturday, Racheal (Evans) Bellemin came all the way over from Port Allen (about 10 miles outside BR in the opposite direction of our house) just to see us and check out our progress. Lola loves Rach as she and I were roommates when I adopted The Bean, AND she was the one who started calling Lola "Bean." So needless to say, Lola was ecstatic with our visitor. Then Lauri, one of my coworkers who lives a mile away, came by with her little girl. Lola was less than thrilled with this set of visitors, but it's only b/c she doesn't "know" them well enough. However, she will be excited tomorrow night when her Grandmother arrives. Mama and David have to come down to BR so she can get some education on Tuesday, so they'll be coming to our abode tomorrow evening.

I have to go back to the doctor on Thursday and will make another post then. I'll be sure to post the pics of the bed and dresser sans giraffe-print decor. I know you can hardly contain yourself. :)

Website update

Although I corrected it in my previous post, Rachel's website is www.thepeekabootique.etsy.com. Sorry if I directed you to an incorrect site! Send her an email if you see anything you like or want to customize something -- thepeekabootique@gmail.com. Thanks!

29 weeks...

Yes, it's a terrible picture of me due to the shadows and the fact that I'd just gotten done walking up and down my street...twice. However, this is what I currently look like -- belly-wise. Apparently, walking helps regulate blood sugar, especially after mealtimes, so my goal over the next few weeks is to try and walk more after supper at least several times each week. I can't walk as much or as fast as I could pre-pregnancy, but it will still help with endurance and stamina when it comes time to birth this little man.

I had a doctor's appointment this week. I've gained 13 pounds, and the baby's heartbeat was 146 bpm. This is the lowest it's been so far, but not surprising at all considering that he's getting bigger and bigger every day. My doctor told me that I won't have to go on meds to regulate my blood sugar and that whatever changes I'd made to my diet were working well enough. Yay! I just have to keep telling myself that these changes are only temporary and that I will be able to drink the biggest coke I want after the baby arrives. In fact, I've already decided my post-birth first meal. Assuming the baby is not born on Thanksgiving Day, I think I'd like a big, greasy hamburger with french fries and a ginormous coke from this little grill right around the corner from the hospital. It's not too far from my office, so I was eating there every couple of weeks or so. Since my diagnosis, though, I've had to cut back on those kinds of foods, so I probably won't go back and face those temptations for a while. Anyway, due to the GD, my doctor wants to monitor the baby's growth weekly starting in a couple of weeks. I go back to see her again on the 24th and then beginning on the 30th, I'll have weekly ultrasounds. When the nurse called me to tell me that they were all scheduled from the 30th until I give birth, that was kind of a sobering moment for me as I realized, "Oh crap -- time is running out on us!"

We do have part of the nursery "put together." Scotty and Lee went last weekend to get the crib and dresser and put them together -- pics to come once the room is closer to completion. My friend Alicia is making the bedding, curtains, etc. for me, so I should have that arriving soon. My next step is to get stuff up on the walls. Enter Rachel, aka Boo, my little sister. Boo's always been quite the artist. For some time now, she's been painting canvases and such for friends having babies and giving them as gifts. Everyone loves them so much that they always end up requesting more of the same. She recently decided that she wants to do this in addition to her real estate (or totally in place of it if it takes off), so she's putting together a website (http://www.thepeekabootique.etsy.com/), where you can request specific designs, themes, whatever and she'll do it for you. In order to have more pics for her site, she's offered to do the whole baby room for me -- picture frames, growth chart, canvases, etc. I'm ecstatic! Thanks, Boo -- I will gladly be your walking advertisement. :)

As promised, here are two pics from the wedding a few weeks ago:

The Anders Family

The Anders/Randall Family

We still have our season tickets for the Saints. So Baby Rain attended his first NFL football game today. It's never rained on us for any Saints game ever. However, that was not the case today. Even though I happened to have my umbrella with me, we still got drenched. Once we made it into the game, our blue jeans were soaked to about mid-calf level, our hair was wet, and it's a good thing I wasn't wearing a white t-shirt b/c it was soaked too. I can't fit into my regular Saints attire (a child's large jersey), so I improvised with a stretchy/kinda tight black shirt with black and gold beads. This was probably going to be the only Saints game I go to this season unless we change our minds, otherwise, I would've just gotten another shirt. Anyway, here's a pic of Scotty and me from after the game: