Just checking in...

So everything is about the same, I had a few issues on Wednesday night that concerned us a bit, but Thursday morning everything seemed fine. The doctor advised me to try to limit my activity even more (which is barely possible), but I have to say that on Saturday I started feeling quite a bit better. I'm not having as many contractions and I can tell I overall just feel better. I actually think this baby may stay put a while longer, especially if I continue to feel this good.

I know a number of people who were put on bed rest for a few week early on and then ended up having a full term baby. After being on bed rest for two weeks, I'd love it if she ended up coming a "little" early, but obviously she knows she's the star of the show here.

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, so we'll see if they say anything new. But otherwise I'm just looking forward to the end of the week when I'll be 36 weeks and off bed rest!

Lucy's doing fairly well with all the change this week. She is definitely a bit wound up from having to pretty much be inside most of the time, but overall she's doing great. Marcus takes her outside or to the park when he gets home, so she obviously looks forward to that every day. She is also starting to really grasp the idea about a new baby coming home. She continues to tell me the baby is in Mommy's belly and today she went and looked in the crib and said "that's my baby sister's bed." I'm so thankful she likes her new big girl bed and gave up the crib to the baby so easily. We were making great strides in potty training last week, but obviously that is now on hold since I can't make a million trips to the potty with her every hour. Oh well, hopefully she'll pick it back up again soon.

And here is a super cute picture that Uncle "Gew" (aka Uncle Drew) took of Lucy this week. There is no doubt she loves her bears...

Quick update...

So my doctors appointment went fairly well. My doctor doesn't seem quite as concerned as I thought he'd be. He is still keeping me on bed rest, but allowing it to be a "little" more modified. I'm allowed to stand up occasionally, sit occasionally and overall take care of Lucy a bit easier. He basically said to be down as much as I can, and lay down if I feel like I'm doing too much or having contractions, but I'm not literally "chained" to the couch 24 hours a day (like I was this weekend).

I am 50% effaced and now dilated to 1 cm (which happened over the weekend with me on bed rest). I go back next Monday for my next appointment, so I'll be interested to see if he thinks I've progressed any more. But he basically said to take it easy for the next 12 days and once I hit 36 weeks, I can be off of any restriction and if she comes - she comes.

Maybe she just wanted a little attention, and she's really not going to make her debut for a few weeks - but who knows - we will just have to wait and see!

Quite the surprise...

This past Thursday (33weeks 5 days) I started to feel like something was a bit off. I couldn't quite put my finger on what was wrong or feeling weird, but I just didn't feel quite right. I also thought I may have had a few braxton hicks contractions. So Friday morning, I called the doctor and asked if I could come in just to check things out. Marcus was planning on going out of town for the night, and I just wanted to get checked out before the weekend. Well they did a NST (non-stress-test) on me when I got there and after awhile they explained that they weren't picking up any contractions but that the baby wasn't getting as "mad" as they would like. Apparently, the baby should go through three phases, low (usually when they are sleeping),mid (mostly everything else) and a few high peaks (when they are really active or get mad). Because it was getting late on a Friday my doctor sent me to the hospital to get monitored a bit more, because as she put it, if she continued to monitor me and then wanted to send me to the hospital later the doctors would have left for the day. So...to the hospital I went.

At the hospital, they hooked me up to the same machine I had been hooked up to at the doctors and after a few hours they told me that the baby looked great and was hitting all three phases and getting plenty "mad" - BUT I was having contractions now - some between 3-7 minutes apart. They sent me upstairs for an ultrasound and then told us that the baby looked great but that she was pretty big (roughly 6 lbs. 4 oz.) for her gestation and that my cervix was starting to thin out quite a bit. So, long story short I'm now on bed rest. They want to get me to at least 36 weeks (which is 2 weeks away) if possible. They did say if she decides to come earlier, she should be fine and her weight would also help.

So, not quite the Friday I was expecting, but glad that we got sent in! Especially since what the doctor sent me to the hospital for didn't even end up being the problem.

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow morning, so we will see what the doctor says then. So,lets pray this little girl stays put for a bit longer!

Baby Girl Rapp #2 (32 weeks)

Today I had a doctors appointment and it was also my 32 week ultrasound. Everything seemed to look good and the baby is doing well. The doctor also got a very good shot of the gender of the baby and if there was any question before - there is none now - we are definitely having another girl :)

Her head is measuring about 2 weeks ahead (she's following her big sister's big head trait there) and her leg bone was about a week ahead, but he reassured us neither was anything to be concerned about. Her body and everything else was right on track development wise and he estimates she weighs about 4.4 pounds right now. He said he'd guess she'd be around 7-8 pounds when she is born. (That's also what he said with Lucy - who was 8lbs 12 oz - so I think we'll just have to wait and see. :)

She is head down already too, so that is good. Hopefully she will stays that way!

We got to see her face for a few moments and I think she already looks a little like her big sister. This picture isn't the best image of her face that we saw, but it is the best he could get in a picture.

Cribs are for babies!

We decided this past Sunday (July 31st) to make the jump and see how Lucy would do in her new twin bed! We still need a rug and a few others things for the room, but other than that it is pretty much put together. I think it was harder for us not having her in the "nursery" - than for her to sleep in a new bed! She has done great!

As I said before, I've had the new crib bedding for a while, so other than putting it all together, their wasn't too much to do in the nursery once Lucy stopped sleeping in there. I need to hang a few more things on the wall, but I've got all of Lucy's clothes moved to the new room and the new baby's things pretty much ready and put away.

It is definitely getting a little harder (and more uncomfortable) to work on things, so I'm doing a little at a time. Once I get both rooms completely done, I'll post lots more pictures, but until then here is a little sneak peek....

First morning in her new bed (also my bed growing up)



A glimpse at the crib linens for baby #2

A way delayed photo....

I just downloaded some old pictures off my camera and came across these and just had to post them. They are of Marcus and Lucy on Fathers Day. We realized we hadn't taken a photo of the two of them that day and we were about to go inside for the day (hence why Lucy is sad) - so I grabbed my camera, but it was too late. She already realized her playtime was coming to a close and she was not happy. Parenting isn't always pretty :)