Week 39 - We are ready!!!

Well, here we are in week 39 and I feel like I am twiddling my thumbs. I have ALL the clothes organized up to 12 months and I have purchased everything else possible. The house is as clean as it can be with a toddler running behind me undoing everything I have "done". LOL

I had my 39 week appointment on Monday and the doctor said that I was definitely 3 CM dilated but I was still measuring thick. It is so nice to go to a doctor appointment and have progress. I have been waking up with contractions all week around 2 am. (which is weird hat they are always at the same time) I usually lay there for a minute and try to time them and then get up and go to the bathroom and get a drink of water. By the time I do all of that the contractions have gone away. I told my doctor that the contractions were making it hard to sleep through the night and part of me was thinking about an induction if she thought I was a good candidate.
NOW let me say I have been SOOOO against having an induction this time around. With Malaika we had a lot of family drama going on and I really needed to have the induction and have all of my family around when she was born. With Chileshe I have not had a real reason to induce and I kind of want to see what labor feels like when you can do part of it at home. BUT I guess when you hit 39 weeks you could really care less what happens as long as you are healthy and baby is healthy. I am just ready to move forward with our little family and see what she looks like!!!

At my 38 week appointment I had my membranes stripped and I thought for sure that would bring on the contractions but I had no such luck. So the doctor stripped them again this week (CAN WE SAY PAINFUL!). She did advise me that she could induce Tuesday (which was today) but she also recommended that I wait and see what happens after the membrane stripping. She thinks I am going to have a Halloween baby.
Initially I said yes to the Tuesday induction, then Edwin and I discussed the pro's and con's and felt like we should wait a week and see what happens. So next Tuesday will be Chileshe's eviction notice.

I have felt fairly good this week. I gained 3 pounds bringing my grand total to 17 pounds this pregnancy. I am tempted to close my eyes next week so I can stay under 20. =0) I can't believe it is already October!

Stayed tuned for the Delivery...

Week 37 - the waiting game begins

So, I really don't mind being pregnant. The minor aches and pains cannot compare to the alien like stomach movements at the end of each day. I can have the toughest day, and then I feel a little person move inside of me and I realize this is SOOOOO worth it. I had my 37 week appointment yesterday and I am almost done with the doctor rotation. It will be good to see my doctor again next week. So the highlights of this weeks appointment were;
* Gained 1 pound - That puts me at a total of 12 pounds this pregnancy
* Baby's heartbeat was fine and she found it down low so she is still in position
* This was my first internal exam and she said I was 2 CM dilated and 25% effaced
*She could also feel the bag of waters and Chileshe's head. (SO COOL!)
* They asked me if I wanted to have the flu shot and I said, OF COURSE! (Now my arm hurts like I had a serious weight lifting session. )

My next appointment is Monday and they will check me again. hopefully I will have progressed.

Last night I woke up to a few contractions. They were coming pretty regularly but my stomach was not hard like a rock. But these suckers were painful. Once I got up and went to the bathroom and drank a glass of water they went away.

I was making fun of Edwin this week because he is in TOTAL nesting mode. He is cleaning out drawers of paperwork and organizing cupboards in the kitchen. Last night we pulled the totes of baby clothes down and I sorted through them. I am trying to get a little bit ahead of the game on these clothes. It is one of the most annoying tasks. We also have an extra playpen, breast pump, and jogging stroller that I am going to see if my internship location would like or need.
Well, that is all I can think of right now. I need to go study for my final tomorrow night (biomedical ethics - gotta LOVE it)and then I need to relax! I have my last day of my internship on Thursday and I am SOOOOO excited to have finished all of those hours in such a short period of time. I will miss seeing the girls, but I know they are going to text me constantly. I will be posting a blog about my first maternity photo shoot that I did with one of the girls and her sister. They let me practice on them and it went REALLY well.

Week 34- Baby Chileshe, we are almost done!

Since I left you all in suspense at week 14, I thought it was about time I let everyone in on my "never-ending" pregnancy. (At least that is what this week feels like)

I currently have 2 days left in week 34 and I am not going to be sad to see it go! I have been a sore, emotional, irritable, and a pathetic MESS this entire week. It all started when Chileshe decided to flip into position, which I am VERY thankful for since Malaika was Breech up until the end. The consequences of her flipping have brought the constant reminder to my lower back that I have a baby growing inside of me.

All whining aside I am so excited that we are nearing the end of this journey and I get to meet my sweet little baby in a few weeks! This pregnancy has been COMPLETELY different from my pregnancy with Malaika.HEre is my mental list;
* In the beginning I had a lot more morning sickness

* With Malaika I had bleeding and a lot of complications and with Chileshe I have had a pretty uneventful pregnancy.

* I would say I have been a little more emotional this pregnancy. But you would probably have to ask my husband or my mom since they are the ones who have to deal with me crying.

* Had one ultrasound at 18 weeks and found out we were having a GIRL! The doctor told me I will not have anymore ultrasounds soooo we are hoping they were correct when they told us a girl. (18 weeks is a little early) If not then we have a TON of pink clothes to give away!

* Had my Rho-gam shot for the RH negative blood type around 24 weeks.

* Edwin is getting more excited as we draw near to the end. He is really excited to have two little girls!

* This baby is a MOVER and a SHAKER! She is constantly doing flips and kicks and jabs. With Malaika I had to drink Orange juice and lay down and pray I would feel 20 kicks. I have not had to do that once with Chileshe. She is awake when I wake up in the morning. When I eat she kicks, when I go to the bathroom she kicks, and when I go to bed at night she rolls around! It has been really nice to not have to worry about her and I kind of like the feeling.

* I think we have decided on the middle name...maybe? I won't say yet because we have changed our mind SOOOO many times.

* Had an AMAZING baby shower and feel so blessed by all the friends and family in our lives!

* Pretty much have everything washed and organized. We just need to set up the cradle and playpen.

* Still working on getting Malaika into her own bed. We have our good weeks and then our bad weeks. But I do kind of like having her around so much. I just miss snuggling my husband!

* So far I have not had any outrageous cravings EXCEPT: Hash-browns! For a good two weeks that was all I wanted and one night I almost cried when I burned them. LOL
Watermelon is a constant and I think it is the reason I do not gain very much weight in pregnancy.

* As of my appointment on Monday I have only gained 9 pounds this pregnancy!!! THANK YOU JESUS! The doctor told me to expect about 2 pounds per week from now on so I am bracing myself to see that scale move up.


That is pretty much all I can think of right now. I am really thankful for my husband and his hard working bones. I have been able to be a stay at home mom throughout this entire pregnancy and I feel so blessed to have this time with Malaika and time to focus on school. I graduate this December with my Bachelors in Healthcare Administration and then I am looking at a Master's program in Public Health to start winter term. God just keeps providing for our family and helping things work out!

I will try to keep everyone posted in these final weeks and also post pictures ASAP!

Mwango Baby #2 - week 14

Hey everybody,
I wanted to share a little bit about this pregnancy so far and finally have some free time to do it. I am currently 14 weeks and 2 days along. This pregnancy has been completely different from Malaika's. I have been SOOOO sick and crabby and emotional. Some days it hits me so hard I feel like I need to hide in another room so no one can see me like this. HAHA! But alas, my husband has been a trooper and has tried his hardest to understand when I need him to and lend me a shoulder to cry on. He is also enjoying cold cereal for dinner multiple times a week. =)

I have not had as many doctor appointments which has made the pregnancy feel a little unrealistic. Some days I feel like I am making the whole thing up. BUT then my nausea kicks in or my boobs hurt and I remember what is really happening. LOL
My next doctor appointment is set up for May 18th. My doctor said that we will schedule my first ultrasound at that appointment. YIPPIE! That will be my 20 week ultrasound and I will know the sex of the baby. Edwin and I both have a strong feeling that it is a girl and I just cannot WAIT to find out so we can get started on transitioning Malaika's room into a big girl and baby room. As far as weight gain goes this time, my home scale says I have lost 8 pounds and the last time I went to the doctor it said I was the exact same as my first appointment. I am hoping I can keep it up and not gain very much so I can lose it quickly afterwards.

Malaika is VERY excited about being a big sister. She tells everyone that she has a baby in her belly and she comes and talks to my belly and gives it kisses throughout the day. It will be interesting to see what she thinks when the baby is actually here and she see's it for the first time. Potty training is going FANTASTIC! She will definitely be out of pull-ups (except the nighttime ones) by the time the baby comes. This is going to save us a LOT of money! Hooray!

Hope everyone is doing good and enjoying MAY! Hopefully the sun will grace us with its presence soon.

Malaika would like to announce...

That she is going to be a "Big Sister"!! We are sooo excited and cannot wait to add to our little family. If you ask Malaika what is in mommy's belly she will tell you, " A BABY" and then she will walk over and start saying hi to my tummy and giving it a kiss. So cute! Then if you ask her what is in her belly she will say, "Baby Andre!" (That is her cousin who is the only baby she knows.) It will be fun to see how she reacts as my tummy gets bigger and when the new baby arrives.

So far this pregnancy has been just as complicated as Malaika's except I have had MORNING SICKNESS. UGH! I found out I was pregnant in the beginning of February.(We had taken Mirena out the day before Thanksgiving) I contacted the doctor and they set up my first apt. for March 24th for the vital history and blood and urine test and April 13th for the first Doc apt and the fetal heartbeat (can't wait for that!)
At about six weeks I started to bleed (surprise surprise) and I felt all those emotions coming back from my pregnancy with Malaika. I contacted the doctor and she wanted me to keep an eye on it and contact them if it got worse. I waited it out but a few days later I was still bleeding.I decided I needed to just ask the doctor if I could at least get my Rogham since I am RH negative. They said they would see me the next day to check everything out.
After my exam she said the bleeding was not coming from the uterus and everything looked okay. (PHEW) So I was sent off with the message of only call if I have cramping accompanied with bleeding. (yada yada)

On March 24th I had the usually prenatal screening, blood work, urine, and medical history questionnaire. Everything went well and they gave me the packet of info with all the things you can and cannot do while you are pregnant. BUT a few days later they called and said I have a UTI and I will need to take medication for that. (yippee)OH well I will take it all and enjoy these precious prego moments.

I am currently 9 weeks and 2 days and according to the online calculation I will be due October 30, 2010. (Which is a week behind Malaika's original due date which was Nov 4th, 2007)

So there you have it, all up to date! Hopefully the second trimester will be a little kinder to me and I can relax and enjoy. Poor Edwin, I am not sure if he wants to have anymore kids after this round. (hehe)