Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The good and the Gustav

Good: 35 weeks! Six more days, and I'll surpass my first pregnancy. The birth is now officially scheduled for September 25, although Dr. Pro says she really doesn't think I'll make it that long. I'm mostly effaced, which while not uncommon for this point in pregnancy, doesn't necessarily bode well for going another month. I kind of have the feeling it may be getting close -- restlessness, nesting, and some fairly intense contractions. If I had to guess, I think he'll be born the next week or two, and my money's on early next week.

Thankfully, I have been able to engage in some intensive shoppiness, so I have clothes to put him in and blankets to wrap him in. My mom had bought a few things, but she simply cannot be convinced of his likely size. I called her on Monday to tell her about the things I'd bought, and she was all, I hope you bought them in 3-6 months! Um, no, because he likely won't be wearing that size until NOVEMBER. I understand, to an extent -- my sister was nearly 11 lbs, and I was a hair short of 10 -- but I'll be very surprised if he clocks in at 8, or chunks up quickly afterwards. I had a hard time not picking up a few preemie-sized things, just in case...

The other interesting wrinkle:



Yeeeaaaah. It's early days yet, but if it follows the projected track, it's gonna hit almost exactly where Katrina did, potentially at close to the same strength at landfall. Katrina was still a Category 1 hurricane when it passed over my house, 150 miles inland. We personally came out of it relatively easy, with no significant damage and without power for less than 24 hours, though my mother went without it for over a week less than two miles away. However, the entire city was a giant freakin' mess for more than a week -- trees down everywhere, no power, and no gas. It felt like (and was) a disaster area, even this far north, and was much worse for G's family on the Coast.

Understandably, everyone is a little bit on edge, and that most definitely includes me. Of course, Murphy's Law would seem to imply that my odds of going into labor increase during a natural disaster, particularly one which may well strand my in-laws at home for days. And did you know that there's apparently a well-established correlation between falling barometric pressure and onset of labor?

Of course, hopefully the storm will go elsewhere, or peter out before landfall, or otherwise become no big thing. But if you're picking days in the betting pool, Tuesday/Wednesday wouldn't be terrible ones to pick, methinks.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Nearly there

34 weeks, people. No matter what, he'll be at least a near-term baby.

Actually, it is looking like we have a really good shot at going all the way -- 10 weeks of near-constant irritability doesn't seem to have had any effect at all. Dr. Pro wants me to stay on the Procardia for another two or even three weeks, but I can ease up on the bedrest to some extent. I'm still supposed to spend most of my time sitting or reclining, but I'm free to move around the house more, run a few short errands, and I even have the OK to go out to dinner or a movie or some other "quiet" activity.

Yesterday's ultrasound showed an estimated fetal weight of 5 lbs even, exactly consistent with gestational age. Dr. Pro says she'd be shocked if he actually weighs that -- I'm measuring a full 5 weeks behind, and I am neither tall nor long in the torso, so there's some question about where exactly I'd be keeping 5 lbs' worth of baby. In any case, it looks like he probably won't top 8 lbs even if I make it all the way to my scheduled CS. Guess I'll be picking up a few newborn-sized things for coming-home wear after all!

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Black velvet in that slow Southern style

One of the few joys of a late-summer pregnancy in the Deep South? Fresh local watermelon, ripe and chilled.

I've eaten three-quarters of the melon all by myself, and it wasn't a small melon. I eat it till I'm stuffed, and I would go back for another chunk if I had anywhere left to put it. It's out of control.