Delivery Day Drama

Got a call at 6:48am from the hospital to say that they are booked! They said they'd call "in a few hours" when they knew when/ if they could get us in. Mind you, I was already whining about not being able to eat until after my originally scheduled 10:30 delivery.

At the command of my sister, I called the hospital about 10am and was told we are now on the schedule for 5pm! That means I have 4 hours from now until the hospital will even check me in. The lady I spoke with (at 10am) said I could have clear liquids until 10:30 - chicken broth, jello, water...how generous! I didn't even bother.

Yes, I'm hungry, tired, anxious and thinking to myself that Lily Kate should be here already. Wondering what God knows about this timing that I don't.

Isn't this how it happens when you feel like you've got all your chickens in a row and are prepared for something? God just reminds you that HE is in control. Going to go plan my first meal once I can be back on solids...McDonalds, Chik-Fil-A......

2 Days

3 Days

3

3 Days Until Delivery

The wheels are in motion! Today is my last day of work (actually, I have 3.75 hours left of work because Jonathan let me get a bunch of hours in this weekend). I even slept in until 6:45 this morning! After work, I plan to make one last cleaning circuit of the house. I may even take a nap when Ace does today.

Tomorrow, Mom comes into town. Hooray! I'm excited for her to go to my last doctor's appointment and meet my new doc. Ace is so excited for everyone to come, including Lily Kate. Yesterday, he told me that he would help me with her poopy diapers.

I got my hospital bag halfway together yesterday. Discovered that there are a few more things I need. Also learned that packing for girls is soooo much harder even when they are only a few days old: the matching socks and bows and headbands....what a pain. With boys its: pants, shirt and white socks, end of story. Good thing she's worth it.

Had contractions ALL night last night. Every time I woke up it was with one. I just told her she couldn't come yet because Daddy has a big meeting on Wednesday and I've got my errands for the week planned out.

4 days

4

4 Days until Delivery

Oops - skipped day 5. It consisted of a 7:30am cleanout of the garage, vacuuming, tile scrubbing, work, church, a hot bath and a good book at the end of the day.

Feeling good today. Still thinking my water could break at any moment. Hungry like a bottomless pit and allowing myself every indulgence: donuts for breakfast & fried pickles and jalapenos for lunch. Grocery shopping yielded ice cream, peanut butter crackers, and pecans (and some diet coke for Mom while she's here).

I'm trying not to think about everything that comes after delivery: the need to lose the weight, the sleepless nights and the lack of ability to work out. Ugh.

I told Ace this morning that Mommy would have a boo-boo on her belly after Lily comes so he can't snuggle with me for a while. He patted my chest and said, "Just up here snuggling?" I guess it's good I started trying to explain it to him early.

I'm dreading being without Ace. I know he will be having a blast with his Gabby, Pops, Honey, Sashi, B and Uncles James (how spoiled am I with all of that help?!) but I just know it will feel like a part of me is missing. I think it will be physically painful.

Banner & Day 6

6

6 Days Until Delivery

This time next week I will be holding the little bundle that is current kicking me. Got a call from the hospital yesterday to schedule my pre-op lab work for next Wednesday. I also discovered that delivery is at 10:30 am (they told me 8:30 originally but that was just the time that we have to be at the hospital). Two more hours with no food - when I'm used to having breakfast about 5:30am...YIKES.

Here's another project...

Lily Kate's birthday banner.

I have no original ideas of my own and my fantastic friend Kate just made one of these for her newborn - precious Gray. So I decided to steal her idea. She gave me tons of tips and answered all my phone calls from Hobby Lobby and WA-LA.

These babies cost $85 to $150 if you buy them online!!!! My cost was about $30 for canvas and paint.
I wish I would have used colors other than the green on green background but, by the time I decided that, I had put too many coats of paint on to go backwards. At least the flowers make it girly.

Nursery Photos!

Finally photos of the finished nursery.

I pulled the flowers out of the curtains so they matched.
The door shown goes to her closet, photos to post later.

I love how her bedding turned out - an alternative to bumpers.

Everything comes off with velcro for washing!

Changing table. (Lack of storage space for my antique headboard means it's going behind the changing table but it actually looks kind of elegant in person.)

My favorite project of all! These monkeys turned out soooo cute.

I put a few tiny monkeys around her room too.

Didn't realize until now that this will probably draw her to the outlet. Better get an outlet cover!

Above her closet door.

By the lightswitch.

Now all I need is the precious baby who will live in this room!

Seven

7

7 more days until delivery.

Although cleaning wasn't really on my list of to-dos to get ready for the baby, that's what I did after work yesterday. I must say, a clean house is a happy house around here. My only chores left are to scrub the tile downstairs and all of the bathtubs. I'm going to make Ace help me disinfect all of his toys tonight (my LEAST favorite cleaning chore).

I'm hoping while he is at Nana's today I can finish work early and get to work on those onesies I need to complete, pack my hospital bag (since I finished all of the laundry yesterday, hooray), and finish painting this darn mirror that is holding me up on posting photos of the nursery.

This time next week I will be on my way to the hospital to get hooked up for delivery. Crazy thought! I can certainly tell she is ready to come out. Her movements are so big and strong. I will miss the closeness of her in my belly but am so excited to end the naseau that a full day of kicking brings.

Eight

8

Eight more days until delivery.

Went to the doctor yesterday and Lily Kate got a great review. She's very low, we are 1 cm dilated and my cervix is very thinned out. Could mean momentary delivery, could be waiting all the way until next Thursday - no telling.

I took a chunk out of my to-do list yesterday: bought a baby monitor, shopped for hospital clothes, purchased some presents for Ace (from Lily Kate), ordered her "birthday cake", got some nursing bras, suspended my gym membership, put another coat of paint on the nursery mirror, and a few other odds and ends.

I'm feeling so good about readiness and getting on with having her here. Just praying for a safe delivery for Lily Kate and me. I've got some nerves about everyone coming out healthy but trying to pray them away.

Nine

9

9 More Days.

I got one coat of paint on the mirror for the nursery yesterday and added to my list:

Suspend gym membership until October
Schedule facial for next Tuesday

Swelled up the worst ever yesterday but got to take TWO hours to myself to go watch the Bachelorette at Hilary's - relaxation!

TEN

10

Ten days until delivery.

TO DO LIST:
Finish 9 more onesies
Paint and hang mirror in nursery
Pack hospital bag
Purchase baby monitor
Shop for hospital-wear
Plan LK's birthday party
Pack Ace's bag for B's
Make a list to pack for Ace for San Antonio
Buy gift for Ace for hospital


Working full time until next Monday, trying to finish a zillion projects before maternity leave. Got to get the house clean. Mom coming on Tuesday afternoon. Evans arrive Wednesday. How do you spell aye-yi-yi????

Smushy Face

Had an ultrasound at my checkup today. This photo is really difficult to make out. She is actually looking directly at you. You can see her eye on the left and the entire picture is basically her face (according to the ultrasound tech - I had to ask because I couldn't make this out at all).

This photo is awful compared to what I got to see on the ultrasound machine. Lily Kate kept opening and closing her mouth. It was like she was talking to us. She kept her hands by her face most of the time.

We aren't dilated or effaced but the doc did remark on how LOW Lily Kate is. He said she's way lower than most babies at 36 weeks. He allayed my fears about the spinal anesthesia that they'll use during the cesarean. I'm still terrified to be awake during the whole thing but I'll be a big girl and just pray over it in the meantime.

17 days until delivery!

Scheduled!

I got a call from the new doctor's office yesterday afternoon and scheduled Lily Kate's arrival!

July 29th at 8:30am

I am so excited. It's crazy to think she'll be here in 21 days. I have so many projects to finish. I keep getting questions if I've finished her room. ALMOST! Today may be the day or maybe this weekend (the house is a wreck). I'm cutting it close.

May the Lord give me lots of energy for the next 21 days! And may I not run out of laundry detergent.

Baby Braxton

Ace on the examining table at the OB's office, waiting for the doctor to check on "Baby Braxton."

This biased mom just thinks he's the most precious kid in the entire world.

Whenever I talk about Lily Kate, Ace says he is experiencing the same symptoms with "Baby Braxton" in his belly. Braxton is the name of the baby to whom Ace gave all of his pacis. The last doctor "listened to Baby Braxton's heart" and really played into everything Ace was saying. I'm not sure what yesterday's doctor thought of our little make-believe.

HOW could you ever tell this face that he doesn't have a baby in his belly?

I'm sure there are lots of intellectual reasons why I shouldn't play along but, for right now, there's no harm in it and Ace loves to share symptoms with me and Lily Kate.

New Doctor's Visit

Yesterday, I had my first appointment with my new OB. I was looking forward to a relaxing appointment with Ace at daycare...not to be. Ace had a fever Wednesday night and I had to make him a doctor's appointment yesterday too. So he tagged along and that led me to the first reason I like this new doctor - his office had a playarea for the kids! So the wait to be called was relaxing.

Overall I wasn't OVERWHELMED with enthusiasm or UNDERWHELMED being disappointed with the new doctor. The more I think about it, the more I think he really resembles Dr. Patterson, who delivered Ace in Waco - you can tell he's calm and confident (which really inspires my confidence), super smart and really anticipatory of things that could happen and concerns that will come up. He gave me a lot of confidence in his experience without sounding big-headed or probably even intending to. I appreciate a knowledgeable doctor and he was. His bedside manner is more of a doctor and less of a girlfriend - that fits with me.

I asked him about my dizziness from the other day and he said it was most certainly compression of the bloodflow to my brain when I laid on my back. So the other doctor totally over-reacted. Geez.

He agreed to keep my July 29th due date (so, if she doesn't come before then on her own) both Lily Kate and Ace will be born on the 29th! How fun.

Reason why I truly love this doctor...he didn't say anything about my weight gain! Hit the 172 mark yesterday - yikes 44 pounds gained and still 3 weeks to go. The doc predicted that Lily Kate will be on the smaller side like her big brother - around 7 pounds and change. He also predicted that she'd stay in the oven until the c-section since her big brother did as well.

We shall see!!!