Still In One Piece

So it's another month and I'm still in one piece. Wow, 37 weeks, I never thought I'd get here! Very happily married for almost a whole month now and things are going great between The Man Thing and I.

Mr Squigglebum is still squiggling around in there quite happily though I think his living quarters are starting to get a bit cramped. Now some of the movements that he tries to do really hurt! Especially when I get an entire limb feel like it's trying to escape out through my side!

Still getting lots and lots of Braxton Hicks contractions which are a pain in the butt. They haven't managed to keep me awake at night in a little while but according to The Man Thing I'm now whimpering and making funny pain noises in the middle of the night, loud enough and frequently enough to wake him from a dead sleep!

Last week I had my cervix checked out visually to see if there was any remnants of the cerclage still hanging around and remove them if needed but the Obstetrician (not my usual one) couldn't see anything which is awesome. Hopefully that means that when this ship is ready she'll take off *Wink*

I also have 2 lovely med students following my pregnancy now and how everything is going to turn out. After last time where things didn't quite go to plan I'm quite happy that this time everything -should- work out, fingers crossed!
I also had another med student in on the last appointment with the OB, checking my cervix. She was lovely and I'm quite happy that I gave her the opportunity to learn *Smile* Gosh I just love being a guinea pig don't I!!
I've asked my two med students if they would like to sit in on the birth and they both said that they would love to. I don't mind having a couple of quiet spectators or even a couple more hands if required lol, and I'm hoping to get one of them to video or at least take pictures of the birth so really they would be doing ME a favour!

I've also been writing out the draft for my final birth plan, the one that is going to go with me to the hospital. It will be short and sweet and basically say "I know what pain relief is available to me, please do not offer me pain relief, if I require it I will ask for it" and "If a cesarean under a general anaesthetic should be required I would like my husband, The Man Thing, to have skin to skin time as soon as physically possible, if he wishes" and that's something I'm going to talk to him about too.

I have a new midwife. My last one has left the hospital to return to her home country and now I have a lovely lady who I feel just as comfortable with. I guess from spending a lot of time in the hospital as a child I got quite accustomed to new faces in my health care.

My back pain has been coming and going. It's usually a lot better after The Man Thing gives me a back massage, something I've been asking for a lot lately. Pity he isn't home tonight to give me one because I can feel my back starting to tighten up already.

I've started drinking Raspberry Leaf Tea to get my uterus in tip top condition. I'm wondering if it's going to make my Braxton Hicks contractions worse or if they will just stay the same. I've slowly increased my consumption from one cup of RLT a day to three as of today. I'm also going to get some Evening Primrose Oil capsules. Even if they don't do anything, well the tea tastes quite nice and the EPO caps make my skin look amazing. I know, I used to use them every day to help lessen PMS symptoms and ease the skin conditions I've been troubled with for years.

Anyway, I think that's enough from me for now. I'd better see what's for dinner and so on.

*Drumroll*

Aaaaaand we're hitched!! Have been for a week now lol. Everything went swimmingly, even though it ended up NOT being a picnic. We were at our backup location (the bar) and everything went great!! The food was lovely, the ceremony went well and we have heaps of photos of it all!
Only a couple of downsides which were people getting a little too friendly with the alcohol but meh, it went pretty damn well otherwise!


Babies have started arriving in my due date thread on a certain forum I frequent and I am SO jealous!!  I want to hold my precious little darling in my arms too!!!  5 weeks left and then I can!
It really doesn't help when my mum keeps hinting that she would like me to pop sometime soon as well!!  Grr!!! Baby will come when he's damn well ready to come! Just kind of sucks that I'm almost as impatient as she is!

So The Man Thing and I have been getting into the cleaning up of the house and I have to say I think I've been nibbled by the nesting bug. Wanting to do laundry at 2:30am??  I'd call that nesting!!

Babys room is now lovely and tidy and I just need to get in there with the sucky-moto (vacuum cleaner) and make sure it's not too dusty or musty.

I also have about a weeks worth of laundry to wash, dry and fold. Pity we don't have a clothes dryer lol.
So at the moment I'm busy busy busy, though I spend a lot of my time sitting on my bum. Hmm...

Oh mum says I've started waddling now. Thanks mum! *eye roll*
Last time I saw my Midwife she DID say that bubba boy was on the brink of engaging so I have a feeling he's made a little bit of progress since then.

I next see my OB on the 28th and she's going to have a look up me to see if she can see any more stitching and remove it if she can. Woohoo, unlocking the door for bubba to make his entrance!

Better get back to the laundry! Have lots to doooooo!!!!

Yet again, I suck, and also the latest

I seriously don't do so well with keeping this updated now do I?

*sigh* Ah well.

So, what's been going on lately is...

Wedding plans are sorted and finalised and the wedding is on SUNDAY!! (the 13th)
So that's one excuse that I have lol. I've been too busy trying to get everything sorted out for that!

Had an appointment with the Physio to see what's wrong with my back. She thinks it's just muscular from things getting strained with my pregnancy and so on. Makes sense to me. Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt though!! I have a Smiley Belt to help balance me out and redistribute the weight more evenly so I don't end up with so much pain. It helps, I think lol.

A few days before my Physio appointment I managed to arse over at the beach and landed flat on my bum. Took a few days for it to start hurting but believe me, my back was punishing me!! I couldn't even take a short trip in the car without whimpering in pain!
Good thing is that has now sorted itself out and I'm just back to the comparatively mild ache from the stressed muscles.
Goodness is it nice to get The Man Thing to give me a massage before bed lol. Must see if I can get him to do that more often!!

Had an appointment with the OB and another scan to check my cervix. Cervix is doing well, still holding up to the pressure. Also had a growth scan and Mr Squigglebum is growing perfectly to dates which is awesome!
OB doesn't need me to have anymore scans unless something goes amiss and she doesn't need to see me until the end of the month, when she'll take a little looksee and see if there's any stitching left up there. If there is then she will try to remove what she can, if not well it's not something we will have to really worry about anymore!

I'm starting to get massively annoyed with these darn Braxton Hicks that I keep getting. Last night is the second night that they've managed to keep me awake for more than an hour!
Bloody things kept coming 3 minutes apart too so I barely got a break!
I only know they weren't real contractions because they started off at 3 min apart and gave me barely a niggle, and I think that was more from my achy hip than anything else!

Now because the wedding is on SUNDAY!! (OMG!!) we're having to give the house a massive spring clean! Luckily my mum came and gave us a hand picking things up and weeding because up until a couple of days ago I couldn't bend over without massive pain. Still have a few things to do like the kitchen and bathroom but then we're pretty much done!
Only reason we're cleaning so thoroughly is because I'm expecting an influx of The Man Things family after the picnic at the park and I don't want the house looking like a bomb hit it lol.

I have 2 new Med Students following my pregnancy. I've met one of them and she's lovely, though a little skittish. I'm going to invite them around for dinner (goodness what will I cook!!) so we can have a relaxed meet and greet and so they can learn everything they need to know about me in a nice relaxed environment!

Right now, I think that's the latest. Hopefully I remember to update a little more frequently!!

*Sigh*

The antenatal classes are done! Now what am I going to do with my Wednesday nights?  Lol.

We had a good evening. Had a couple of people come talk to us like a dental health nurse and someone from playcentre. We were also supposed to have a Plunket nurse come talk to us but she couldn't make it.
Then we had nibbles!! I made curried egg sammies after a lot of worry about whether or not they were suitable. They went down a treat. Everyone dug in and I didn't have any to bring home. Luckily I have more curried egg in the fridge so I can have some more for munchies later *wink*

The man thing then had to leave so he didn't get to watch the baby being bathed. He has work tonight.
The baby being bathed was so cool!! Just seeing it happen right in front of us was definitely more informative than watching a dvd or reading it in a book.

So yeah, the man thing is working tonight. He's doing some behind the bar work at one of the pubs and pool halls just down the road from us. It's great. If he does a certain amount of behind the bar work then he can go for his bar managers license (after some other prep work for it that is) and then he will be pretty employable. The bars and pubs around here would much rather hire someone with their bar managers license than hire a rookie.

So yeah. My Wednesday nights are free again and I get the bed to myself for most of tonight. Here's hoping it cools off a little!!

Counting Down

I now have 3 days until my baby is considered viable. A mere 3 days. The thought actually frightens me somewhat. I'm not entirely sure why, this baby is most certainly wanted, but still I'm nervous. Possibly the whole fear of the unknown thing.

Counting down the days and making small goals are a couple of the ways that I've been finding helpful while I try to cope with such a stressful time. Not overtly stressful, but the worry is still there, niggling in the back of my mind. I feel paranoid about every little niggle, ache, twitch and twinge. I worry if baby hasn't moved much in a day, or if I have a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions. I'm a compulsive knicker-checker. I cant help it, every time I go to the loo I check.
I worry about how the movements feel, especially if they're low movements. I could swear that I've felt this little ninja attack my cervix a few times. Rather disconcerting when I'm super paranoid about any feelings/pain/discomfort in that area, a sudden fist to the cervix can make me jump lol.

Once I make it to 24 weeks (3 more days, only 3) then my next short term goal is going to be 26 weeks. Long term goal is going to be 32 weeks so I can deliver at my local hospital (a hop skip and a jump down the road) rather than needing to be airlifted to the national childrens hospital 2 hours away (by car)
9 weeks to that goal.
I'm pretty sure I can make it but I have to be realistic with my expectations. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst and all that jazz.

Baby Making

So theres now 20 days until my darling fiance and I can try for another baby. Believe me, the waiting is excrutiating.

I have dabbled in the mystical arts of temperature charting, mucus observation and ovulation prediction, with poor results. I'm the person who forgets to eat breakfast until lunchtime, so I find it damn near impossible for me to remember to take my temperature every morning before I get out of bed.

I am reconsidering my stand on trying to temp, but until I actually get to the first day of my cycle, theres really no point.

For charting to work, I will need to change my entire routine basically. Currently, I go to bed and go to sleep whenever I feel tired. Whether that be 9pm or 2am, it doesnt matter. Theres no routine to it. I must make a routine. And actually stick to it...

So for now, until I can find the willpower to make a routine and actually stick to it, the baby making plan is just have sex when we feel like it, as often as we feel like it, until we either get sick of having sex (yeah, like thats going to happen), or until I get pregnant. Lets hope it doesnt take me very long to get preganant.

Baby-land

So up until recently I was pregnant. That didnt end so well, with me having the baby at 21 weeks gest. and there being no chance of survival for him. We named him Antony.

So we were told to wait 3 months before trying again. we have 22 days to wait now, and the waiting is getting... interesting.
So many people cant understand that my partner and I have intergrated the loss, we have worked through it and everything. They dont seem to be able to get it.
My mum for example. Pretty much all I keep hearing is wait wait wait.

We dont want to wait.

I went to the sexual health clinic the other day, and I heard pretty much the same thing from the nurse I was talking to. Yes, thank you for your opinion, but butt out of my life would you!
My partner and I made a decision to try for a baby. The dream still hasnt been fulfilled. Yes, my firstborn will always be there and I will never forget him, but our want for a baby hasnt been put on hold because of him. He was an experience, a dream and I am thankful that I got to share the time with him, short as it was.

Just because I had a baby and he died, hasnt made my life go on hold. It took me a while to work through it, and work through it I did but when my partner and I talked it over after Antony, we still want to share our lives with a child of our own creation. We still want to have another baby and we dont want to wait.