Almost Ready!

I know it has been awhile, but I am back at school, I am very tired, and I am feeling the joys of the last few weeks of pregnancy - including back pain, pelvic pain, heartburn (raging heartburn!), and the urge "to go" very frequently! School did start well - I actually have a great group of seventh graders who are very helpful (and excited!) when it comes to my current situation. I do not think that last year's group was self-sufficient enough to handle me sitting in my office chair at my computer throughout most of the class period. This year's group is eager to pass out papers and is very attentive! Also, they seem to be pretty sharp, so I am excited to see how the year turns out! As usual, my ninth graders are pretty wonderful, too, - I just love how much they mature in the year since I had them as seventh graders! I still have some who are going to be toots about their homework, but in general, they are a pretty great group as well.

On Thursday of last week, four of my good friends at school threw me my fourth and final shower. It was so much fun, and we received a few items that we really needed before Camden arrives soon. I hope that no one thought I was unenthusiastic about the shower, because I was so tired from the first week back at school which was preceded by a very hot week spent in my classroom before school started preparing for my students. Here are some pictures from the shower:

Not only was the cake adorable, but it tasted great, too! I had two pieces that night, and the leftovers did not last very long in our house! Yum! By the way, it came from a place called Hot Chocolates, which is located in Bedford, TX - I highly recommend their cakes!
I included this picture, not because I look huge (dresses are doing that to me lately), but because it happens to be the only picture I have of my very sweet and thoughtful hostesses: Jancy, Shea, Lindsey, and Kathleen. They did an awesome job - especially with such a busy first week back at school!

The gift and sign-in table - this was at the beginning of the shower, so there were more gifts that arrived later.

Opening one of my new favorite items - a pink nursing tank! Shea decided that I needed a little pink with all of the blue that is taking over our house! Plus, the pink will make me feel pretty (and hopefully, peppy!) when I don't have time to straighten my hair and put on make-up in the weeks to come!

Most of the guests who attended the shower - I am so blessed to have such wonderful co-workers!

I like my excitement in this picture! Even if I didn't show it the whole time, I really was happy to be there and so excited about all of the new and wonderful things we received for Camden!

I am so happy to have such generous friends, family, and co-workers!

Today was a big day, as well! Neal and I went in for my 36 week appointment, and from here until the end, we will be visiting the doctor every week. I can't believe we're so close to the end! We had our final sonogram and learned some vital information! Camden is positioned with his head pointed down towards my pelvis, so he is ready for delivery and will not be breach!!! This was what I was most worried about, so I am very excited to know that he is in the right place. Also, he weighs about six pounds, eight ounces which puts him in the 62 percentile - a little bit larger than average, but not HUGE. Our doctor thinks he will probably be between 8 and 9 pounds if he goes to full-term. Unfortunately, we did not get great pictures, because he was balled up with his back to the camera and his fists covering up his face. However, at this point, I am not disappointed about that, because we will get to see him in the real world soon enough. I would much rather see and touch him than see fuzzy sonogram pictures. Everything still looked normal and healthy! Then, the doctor examined me, and I am still doing well, also. My blood pressure and urine all checked out, my feet were even doing well as far as the swelling goes (the fan in my classroom is making a huge difference!), and my uterus measured about 37 1/2 centimeters. Camden's heartbeat is about 130 beats per minute which is still healthy and normal. She also took a culture to make sure there are no vaginal infections that will affect the baby when he is born, and measured and checked my cervix. I did not really have any expectations when it came to this, so I was surprised to learn that I am already dilated at one and a half centimeters and fifty percent effaced (that's the thinning of my cervix). So, those tiny little contractions I have been feeling have been doing some work!

Here I am at 36 weeks:

I don't know if you can tell this by looking at this picture, but I am more than ready for Camden to arrive! And, the doctor did tell us that if I were to go into labor now, she would not do anything to stop it. Even though she can't guarantee that Camden would be completely healthy and stable, she feels that we are in the safe zone as far as his viability outside of the womb - even if he did need assistance. So, keep checking my blog - you never know when I might be letting you know that he is on his way! This weekend is my birthday, and it will be Labor Day weekend, so we'll see . . . :)

Back to School, Back to School

This week, I have been busy at school preparing for students to enter my classroom and start the year. This also explains why I have been MIA for the past few days. It's kind of a weird feeling not knowing exactly how long I will be there before Camden arrives and my long-term substitute fills in for 6 weeks. I also feel more prepared this year than I ever have in the past - I'm thinking that it's because I spent so much time this summer getting ready for this school year at home! By the way, I am loving learning about all of the new technology in my classroom, but I am hoping that everything will stay intact while I'm out! And, I hope that everything will be set up and working before I leave - we are still experiencing some technical difficulties with some of the outlets that have been installed in my room. Also, I can really feel that I have been on my feet much more in the past week - even in my stomach. I don't know how to explain it exactly, but at the end of the day, Camden will feel as though he is sitting really low in my uterus where it feels like I am sitting forward when I am really reclined back. This is the most frustrating part of the drive home from school, because I feel like there is no position that is really comfortable! Maybe he is sitting low, because he is just as tired as I am!

On Tuesday, we had our 34 week appointment with the doctor, and once again, everything looks good. My feet were already swollen from a warm morning at school, but she was not concerned, because I don't have high blood pressure or ketones/glucose in my urine - all of those things combined with swelling usually signal preeclampsia, which can often times mean bed rest until the baby comes. Fortunately (or unfortunately), my swelling is simply a result of this lovely triple digit heat combined with limited air conditioning at school right now - we don't get full air privileges until students are present in the building. I do not believe that is wise, especially with how hot it is outside. Now, I totally understand why so many friends who have been pregnant during the same months as I have been have had to deal with really bad swelling when they come back to school - it is impossible to stay cool. The only time my feet are able to go back to normal is when I come home and lay completely flat. And, unfortunately, it looks like this will be something that I will have to endure until Camden arrives! Speaking of our sweet little boy, it looks like he is still positioned with his head down and ready for delivery, his heartbeat is normal at 140-150 beats per minute, and he still moves like crazy! Sometimes, I will put my cell phone on my stomach and watch it bounce up and down - I am still surprised at the movements that I feel from him daily! I also know that he usually starts moving when I am hungry, and he will usually move about 30 minutes after I eat. He also needs to adjust the way he is positioned when I lay down to sleep at night, because he is pushed to one side of my stomach. I think I may have also felt either hiccups or thumb-sucking during the last few weeks, because I will feel little bounces that seem very rhythmic that do not appear to be as forceful as an arm or leg hitting me. I hope this is something that we will be able to see in our last ultrasound!

In about a week and a half, we will have our last ultrasound to check his size and position, and my doctor will begin checking my cervix to see if I'm dilated/effaced. We are getting closer and closer to his arrival! Sometimes I feel as though it could be any minute now! This weekend, Neal and his parents are helping his sister move to a different apartment while I am taking it easy and enjoying a few more days of "freedom." On Monday, I start school, and I am praying that my students will be prepared, excited, and ready to learn. I am also praying that I can keep my energy level up during these first few weeks. That may involve a few conference period naps! Also, I have one more shower this week at school, and Neal starts his last semester of graduate school (Yea!). Let's also pray that I don't go into labor while he is in Dallas on Friday nights for one of his classes - Tuesday would be the best night, because I would get my own doctor, and Neal does not have class on those nights! If you are a teacher in Texas, enjoy your last few days before Monday!

32 weeks . . . 8 more to go!

What a busy couple of weeks it's been! However, we are pretty much ready for Camden to be here - although there are a few little things that we need, but we have another shower in this month, so it's really best to wait to get those last few items until after our last shower. Last week, we finished the nursery (see pictures below)! I am so happy to have this completed, and a few times, Neal and I have gone upstairs and sat in the glider in Camden's room just to think about what it will be like when he is here. Some of our friends came in saw it on Sunday night, and the husband told his wife later that he couldn't believe how crazy people go with stuff for baby rooms. I guess it's right, but don't we all want the best for our little ones? The hardest part of finishing the nursery was definitely Neal's job. He had to put anchors in the wall to hang all of the shelves and the memory board. I am so proud of him for not losing his cool, and I love how he kept thinking of Camden's safety with everything that we put up. I'll describe the nursery with the pictures toward the end of this post.

This week, we had our breastfeeding class, my 32 week appointment, and a consultation with our pediatrician - like I said, we have been very busy! I absolutely loved the lactation consultant who taught the breastfeeding class! In fact, Neal and I both thought that we could see ourselves being friends with her if we had met her outside of the class. She was very relaxed and personable, and she is passionate about the importance of breastfeeding. I very strongly believe in the necessity of breastfeeding, so I did not need to be sold on its importance, but it was great to learn all of the information that she had about how to get a good latch, the proper positions, how/when to pump, when to introduce bottles and pacifiers, etc., etc. I also feel much better about pumping when I go back to school. I was even able to figure out a good schedule for pumping while I was in the class, so I will much more prepared when the time comes. The only thing we haven't really decided on is when to wean our little boy, and it surprised me, but my husband actually thinks it would be just fine for us to breastfeed Camden until he's two! We'll see about that - I know that we will know when the time is right for our family.

Here I am at 32 weeks - just trying to stay cool. That has been the main issue, lately. The highs have been in the 100's for the past week and a half, so it has been really hard to keep from sweating - even when I am sitting inside with the ac and fan running. The worst is when I get out of the shower - I can't take a cold shower, but I try to turn the water as cool as possible and I still feel like I'm sweating the entire time that I am finishing getting ready. I can't wait for the highs to get lower! I am also experiencing much more lower back pain and hip pain - especially when I roll over from one side to the other or getting up from the couch or the bed. Thankfully, Neal is helping out with back rubs - he is also helping me by putting lotion on the parts of my legs that I can no longer comfortably reach. I still feel bad having to ask him to do things like this for me, but I am so glad he is willing to help. I definitely do not think all husbands would be willing to do what he does for me! I have also noticed a drop in my energy level as I seem to need more naps than usual, and for some reason, I have been getting hungry and waking up between 3:30 and 4:30 am some mornings if I don't get a good snack before going to bed. This is something I experienced at the beginning of the pregnancy, so it's weird to have it happen again. At our appointment, everything still measured as normal, no significant spikes in blood pressure, normal weight gain and uterus size, Camden's heartbeat was about 140 beats per minute, and it appears that he may have moved to the correct position for delivery! This is just from the doctor's feel of my stomach, but she believes that his head is located toward the bottom of my uterus with his bottom up by my belly button. Let's just hope he stays there! Once again, we had a great visit with her, and I still really like her!

On Thursday, we met with the pediatrician who is closest to our house, and we really liked her office, personality and views on medicine. She is the mother of a two year old, so she totally understands what we will be going through over the next few years. Also, we like that her vaccinations are spaced out so that he will get no more than two shots at one time, and she offered help with breastfeeding/pumping if we need it. Because her office is associated with the children's hospital in our area, we can call a nurses' hotline at any time if we have a question, and they can look up our file from any computer with internet access to make sure we get the most helpful information. They can also connect us to the doctor if they feel like it's necessary. One other thing I liked about this doctor is that she is not someone who overdoes it with antibiotics for children, because she does not want them to build up immunities to them. We really felt like she will be an excellent fit for us, and I am so relieved to have this important decision out of the way!

And here's the part you've been waiting for . . . the nursery!

View from the door
Camden's crib (the canvases on the wall came from our church shower - they were decorations on the tables at the shower)

Close-up of the glider and the window

I love how the canvases turned out - even though I had to be very patient with the level while I was hanging them.

The memory board with some of my favorite outfits for Camden - he is going to wear the one on the left when he comes home from the hospital.

Ikea shelves, changing table, etc. I may put the sign on his bedroom door, but, for now, I like it on the shelf above the changing table.

Close-up of the shelves (thank you, Neal, for your patience with these - I know how much fun you had with the hardware :) )

The changing table - the cover for the changing pad was in the wash, so I this was not complete at the time of this picture.

Close-up of Camden's memory book made by my friend Keri - she is so talented!

A sampling of some of the pages

There is a page for a picture of Camden at each month of his first year

More cute pages

And, finally, this is where Camden will sleep for the first six weeks at home, and I love seeing this when I wake up each morning. By the way, his bassinet will move to my side of the bed, and the dogs' kennel will probably moved to this corner of the bedroom. I can't wait to see him sleep here!

Right now, I am enjoying my last few days of summer (I can't believe how it has flown by), before I go back to school. Pray that I have a great start to the year with my students before I take off six weeks to be with Camden. I am actually excited for school to start, and I feel more prepared this year than I ever have before - maybe it's because I have made a point to have everything ready for Camden's arrival before school starts - just in case he comes early!