Dear Toby...

Very soon you are going to be a big brother and a middle child. We are looking forward to discovering how these changes in our family will shape you. You are already so fun, so hilarious, so quirky. Like how you in insist on wearing your rain boots all the time. Even to bed. And always on the wrong feet.

Or how you pout at the breakfast table because I've offered you cereal instead of the requested pumpkin pie. Trust me, I wish we could have pie for breakfast, too.

You are learning new things every day and becoming such a helpful little man. I love it when you help me put wet clothes in the dryer. You're good at recycling paper and throwing things away in the trash for me, too. And you always know where to find my shoes--probably because you are the one who hid them in the first place.

Remember when I asked you to put away your (brand new) toothbrush in the bathroom? Yeah...this is not what I meant.

I love you, you little turkey.

Love,

Mama

Final(ish) Countdown

There is just one week to go until my due date! Of course, Baby M could decide that it's way too comfy inside the womb and choose to hang out in there a little longer. I'm just really hoping and praying that he decides to come out on his own and that we don't have to evict him with the use of Pitocin.

At my appointment today the doctor said I was 1 cm dilated and "really soft." I forgot to get an actual number for what "really soft" means but it's still encouraging news. My body is getting ready!

Family Dinner

I made this recipe for Enchilada Casserole tonight and noticed Noah sucking in his breath.

Jeana: Sorry, I made it extra spicy in hopes of inducing labor.

Noah: No wonder my mouth is fire!

Geary: No wonder I'm having labor!

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Noah: Dad, one of my classmates has a question for you.

Geary: Okay.

Noah: What's Latin for "ninja"?

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Jeana: Last night at the Craft Fair Holly and Shelly complimented Noah on his good behavior. I said, "Yeah, we'll probably keep him," and Noah said (hopefully), "And give away Toby?"

Geary: Ha ha! That was pretty quick. But we'll keep you both.

Noah: Yeah, who would even want Toby!*

*They really do love each other, it's just that Toby is...well...two.

Ruby Willow in McMinnville

My friends, Shelly and Holly, are letting me send some Ruby Willow stuff with them to the 20th Annual Church on the Hill Craft Fair in McMinnville this weekend. I won't be there (although I may stop by) but you can find my jewelry at the Dragonfly Designs booth if you go. I hear the bazaar has some amazing caramel apple dumplings, too!

Continuous Monitoring

So, I'm officially in the "any day now" zone. I saw my doctor on Monday and everything checked out fine. Then I had to go into Beaverton to have another non-stress test. That means another ultrasound and two more hours of fetal monitoring. And once again the fluid levels looked good and the baby looked great. So guess what the doctors there wanted? No, really, guess. They wanted me to go back on Thursday to do it again. I told them that I earliest I could go back was on Monday. I mean, three ultrasounds and nearly 8 hours of continuous monitoring and they still want more? Meanwhile, the baby continues to be very active and I continue to feel great (except when getting stressed out about more monitoring.) So my plan is to pray and walk and walk and pray and hope this baby decides to come out soon! Let it be so!

Narrow Escape

Well, I guess my low fluid levels were more serious than the radiologist suggest. My doctor called me last night after seeing the ultrasound report and said my fluid levels were not slightly low but very low and that I needed to go into Labor & Delivery to check the health of the baby. With low amniotic fluid the umbilical cord could become squished and the baby would have no source of oxygen.

So I spent the night in Labor & Delivery Triage being monitored, getting two ultrasounds and praying my head off that I would not have to be induced. After nearly 7 hours of being there I was told that my fluid levels looked good, the baby looked great, and that I was free to go home. It was a long, frustrating night to say the least.

I have an appointment with my doctor on Monday and right now she wants me to agree to have ultrasounds twice a week (at a location 40 minutes away) to keep checking the fluid levels. I'm planning on calling her back today to ask more questions. I'm also planning on drinking fluid pretty much non-stop and hoping that my body goes into labor all on its own within the next couple days so that this will be a non-issue.

Baby News

I had an ultrasound today because my belly was measuring kind of big. The baby looks good and they are estimating his weight to be around 8 lbs today. However, my amniotic fluid level was lower than they'd like to see. The ultrasound tech, the radiologist and my doctor are not worried though because I'm basically at full term. On Sunday I'll be 38 weeks pregnant and officially in the any day now zone. The radiologist predicts I'll go into labor within the next 72 hours. We shall see!