Yeah - Half Day!

Yesterday I went for another Dr. appointment with my most pathetic face on. The nurse practitioner took one look at me and said, "You're ready. You need to deliver this baby!" Amen sister!

The good news is that everything is looking great. My blood pressure, pulse, and Caden's heart rate look great. The bad news is that there is no medical reason (besides just being pregnant!) for the swelling in my feet and ankles. She couldn't believe how swollen the lower half of my body was. She said it is not totally abnormal, but it is usually accompanied by swelling in the face and hands, or some other symptom of preeclampsia and toxemia. I've always been a rare breed. :)

I was not pathetic enough for her to take me out of work full-time. However, I was pathetic enough for her to agree to write a medical note for half-days. Beginning today, I started working 4 hours in the morning, and the sub that will be doing my leave is doing the afternoons. Hallelujah! I am so excited to be able to spend a little less time on my feet, spend a little more time with my hubby (he is on the way home from his last business trip before Caden gets here!), and just have the opportunity to have a little down time before Caden's arrival.

A Few Updates

Have I mentioned that I'm done being pregnant now? If not, I'll say it one more time for clarification - 40 weeks is too long!! I'm now to the point that I don't care what happens during labor and delivery, or how painful it is - get this kiddo out of me! Thanks. I feel better now.

I've started having some Braxton Hicks contractions. I had a few yesterday, beginning as I was getting ready for school. My upper abdomen got really tight for about 15 seconds and then relaxed. The Dr. says that is how you know BH contractions from real ones - BH are in one area and real contractions are the tightening of your entire uterus.

We have now finished all of our child prep classes. We have taken a childbirth class, breastfeeding, infant care, and pre-registered at the hospital. We feel prepared and totally unprepared at the same time. We learned a lot and feel that the classes were worthwhile, but how prepared can you really be? We practiced giving a bath, changing a diaper, and cleaning the umbilical cord, but we practiced on a baby doll. Cute kid, but much less wiggly than our little bundle will be. Quieter too. This little guy didn't even scream when we got him undressed for his bath and diaper change. Totally realistic, right?

JZ practicing his diapering technique at the Babies, Baths, and Booties class. Since he's not gagging, I'm going to assume this was only a wet one!

Belle seems to be doing better too. She is still pumped full of two types of medications, but she is not crying anymore. She still wakes up during the night - but now it's to go outside. She is drinking gallons of water and just can't hold it more than about 5 hours. Poor baby!

Other than that, we are just plugging along - wondering when our fast moving life is going to slow down long enough for us to get another passenger on. I have a plan...

Poor Belle!

Our first baby is hurt :( On Tuesday, Belle started whimpering and crying every time she moved. We checked her for stickers in her paws, felt each leg to identify which one was hurting, but we couldn't really figure out what was going on. Tuesday night was awful. She was up all night long whimpeirng, crying, and panting every time she moved. I finally just went to lay by her kennel for awhile to comfort her. It was awful (but good training!).


I called the vet Wednesday morning to get her an appointment - of course 1:30 pm was the only one they had available. I had to go to school and JZ was out of town, so my mom and dad took her in. Thank goodness they were here! I was prepared that they were going to tell us that she had torn her ACL and would need surgery. A few years ago she was having pain in her knee and the vet originally thought that was the problem. Luckily, it turned out just to be fluid on her knee, and some anti-inflammatory meds fixed her up.

We were surprised to hear that, this time, the problem was not actually in her knee at all, but instead in her back. The vet thinks that Belle has intervertebral disc disease. Basically, she has a disc that is slipping in her spine, and causing a nerve that runs down her left hind leg to be pinched. If anyone has ever suffered from a pinched sciatic nerve, you know what she is feeling.

We have a couple of options for her treatment. Right now she is pretty doped up on a steroid and a muscle relaxer. Hopefully, that will relieve the swelling on her disc and relieve the pain, but this is only a temporary fix. We will have to deal with this again, but maybe not for another year. That is the best case scenario. If this doesn't help then surgery is in her future. We have to really watch her over the next few days to make sure her condition doesn't worsen. If she starts dragging her leg then that means that the nerve has pinched so badly that blood is no longer getting down to her leg. She would need immediate surgery in that case. Jeremy and I have to be prepared to make that decision at the drop of a hat. Luckily, we do have pet insurance, so that will help with a little of the cost. I'm a big proponent of pet insurance these days!

When I got home from school yesterday, she seemed to be in great spirits. Of course, she was full of a steroid shot, the muscle relaxer, and adrenalin. Trying to keep her calm was like keeping a two-year-old calm - impossible. She was pretty sure she still needed to chase rabbits and squirrels in the backyard. Today she is a little more subdued. She is totally milking it for all it is worth and is looking quite pathetic. Last night when I put her kennel right away instead of letting her snuggle on the bed with me (the vet said absolutely no stairs and no jumping on and off the bed for two weeks), she very sadly stuck her nose out of a hole in the kennel and did a big sigh. She did sleep all the way through the night and this morning had much less whimpering and crying than the day before. We can only hope this will work!

Based on the length of this post, you are probably thinking that we are going to be fanatical parents. Yep, you're right. JZ is a "wreck" (his word, not mine!) about not being home. We are trying to game plan how to keep her calm, off the bed, how we are going to pay for a costly surgery, and get her outside frequently enough that she doesn't have an accident (the meds make her VERY thirsty and she is drinking as much water as I am these days).

All of this for our dog. Nope, I take that back. All of this for our first baby. We would most definitely do this and more for Caden, so we'll certainly do it for our Belly too.

One Month to Go!

Yesterday we went for our 35 week appointment. The Nurse Practitioner checked me for strep, checked to see if I had started to dilate (not yet), and checked to see if he was head down. She could actually feel his head before she even did the ultrasound; however, she was not able to tell if he had hair or not.

I was really excited to have another ultrasound done - another chance to see my little guy? Fun! Unfortunately, at 35 weeks, you do not get very good pictures. He is now too big and squishy to really see much. Instead of seeing his whole body on the screen, we saw one foot. We were able to see him breathing, waving, kicking, blinking, and swallowing. The NP was very pleased with what she saw, and although she was not able to tell me anything about his size, she assured me I would not be giving birth to the whale I've been preparing for.

The next appointment is in two weeks, and then we start going every week. In case anyone is keeping track, my due date is one month from yesterday! The countdown is on...

At Least I'm Not an Elephant

We have now reached a critical point in our journey. Now that I am 35 weeks, if I were to go into labor the Dr. would not do anything to stop it. They won't help me along at all (ask my friend Jessica about that one!), but they won't do anything to stop it either. That also means that there are only 2 more weeks until Caden is full term. So, he needs to stay in there and cook for 2 more weeks and then he is welcome to come out. Quickly. Painlessly.

I think I'm about done being pregnant. 40 weeks is a long time. I think 37 is more reasonable. My biggest issue is my feet. Since I stand all day (I really do try to sit, it just doesn't work!) my feet are incredibly swollen and sore by the end of the day. It often times feels as if I have broken every bone in my feet. I hobble around and look extremely pathetic. I have tried sitting more. I have cut out sodium (seriously, no chips for lunch!). I try walking around the school to get my blood moving during the day. It is what it is. And what it is is swollen, sore feet.

At least I'm not an elephant. They have a gestation period of 2 years (or something like that).

35 Weeks - on the way to church on Easter

Jeremy has a new hobby - guitar! He bought himself an electric guitar back in November and was teaching himself chords using a DVD. He has been looking for someone to take guitar lessons from and a few weeks ago he found someone. He had his second lesson tonight and he is loving it. He is practicing as we speak and I am currently listening to him play along with John Mellencamp. When he first bought the guitar I was a little confused. I didn't even know he wanted to learn an instrument. I asked him if he was having a midlife crisis early! He told me that he wanted to be musical, and have something to teach Caden. I think he may have visions of us being that Von Trapp family. He says he has visions of us sitting around a campfire singing camp songs together. How cute is that?!?

Practice, practice, practice!

Totally Caught!

Yesterday, as my class was lining up to go home, an older student stopped me in the hallway and said, "You're having a baby!" I said, "What makes you think that?" She quickly pointed to my ginormous belly. I said, "No, it's just ice cream." The girl laughed, obviously knowing I was kidding, and walked away.

Unfortunately, one of my students also overheard the conversation. He said (with a look of shock on his face), "Mrs. Zahrte, why did you just lie to that girl? Your belly isn't ice cream, it's a baby!" I told him that I had just been teasing. A look of horror crossed his face, and told me that because I had not said, "Just kidding!" the girl did not know I was teasing, and in fact, I had just lied to her. He was mortified that a teacher would tell a lie! He then proceeded to give me the same speech about lying that I have given him several times. You know the one... "You will always get into more trouble for telling a lie than being truthful," and, "Friends don't lie to one another," and the ever important, "If you tell a lie no one will ever know when to believe you."

Yikes, it is possible I have scarred this child for life! I quickly told him that I had told her I was teasing with my body language. I'm not sure he believed it, but it was the best I could do at the time! Today I am being very careful to be on my best behavior....

Totally Prepared Now!

On Saturday we took a childbirth class. We were supposed to get another big snow storm on Sat., and I was a little worried that we were going to have the same type of childbirth class experience my parents did. They went to one class and watched a video about how they got pregnant. The second class was snowed out, and by the third class they had already become parents because I came so early. My dad went to the fourth class and asked for a refund. :)

We took the express class - that was all I could talk JZ into committing to - everything you need to know about labor and delivery in 6 hours. We went into the class with several questions that we had answered, but also left with new fears and anxieties. Sometimes I think ignorance is bliss. Maybe I didn't really need to know the risks associated with an epidural or watch the ladies on the video whither in pain for 30+ hours. Possibly I didn't need to hear about some of the yucky (bodily function) things that could happen on the delivery table or that I could throw up (my worst nightmare!). Worse yet, there are going to be other people around. Anytime these gross things happen to me, I prefer to be in the privacy of my own home. NEVER would I want to be sick in front of an audience! If I thought there was any possible way I could get through this without Jeremy I'd make him wait in the hallway too. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I can't do this without him, so he's going to have to deal with the possibilities, and I'm going to have to get over it!

Other than the scary stuff, our class was informative and helpful. We learned when to go to the hospital - the 5-1-1 rule - contractions 5 min. apart, that last for one minute consistently for one hour. We also learned some relaxation and pain management techniques and positions. My favorite part was the 15 min. back/head/hand/foot massage I got. I think I will be requesting that technique frequently! JZ was also supposed to practice whispering his encouraging words to me. That part did not work quite as well. He kept being a smart alec because he said it was uncomfortable to "Whisper sweet nothings in your ear while there's a room full of people watching!" I totally understand, and JZ passed the class with flying colors. I know he is going to be an excellent support system. He says he's a little worried about watching me be in pain and not be able to do anything about it. He is a total "fixer," and to not be able to fix the situation will be hard for him. We have discussed a birth plan, but I have already told him that I reserve the right to change my mind in the moment!

So, I guess that's it. We're officially prepared for childbirth! Hmmm...I wonder if we should feel a little more confident?

Girls' Only (OK, one boy allowed!)

A few weeks ago I was able to get together with a few of my favorite gals for a fantastic lunch and a little more Caden-spoiling.

Anyone who knows JZ, knows that he has had a very tight group of friends since high school. I have watched these boys grow up (although I use that term loosely!) and each marry (close enough Trav and Marie!) wonderful ladies. I feel very lucky that, not only do I enjoy spending time with them as couples, but I also consider each one of these gals a great friend.

Unfortunately, none of the girls could attend the shower last month, so we did the next best thing - we had our own shower luncheon! The girls were so sweet to organize our get together, and they spoiled Caden and I!

Here are some pics from our afternoon...

A perfect gift from Katie, the sports fan - a Broncos onesie and cap and a Rockies jersey

These are pee-pee teepees. You are supposed to put them on the pee-pee during diaper changes to prevent spraying. I'm willing to try it!

Allison, Charmaine, me, Marie, and Katie - thanks girls, love you!