First Walk

Today we went outside because it was such a pretty day. Baby Ruby slept the entire time. I'm not even sure she knew we were outside. I know this picture is a little cheesy but it was the only one I had where I didn't look like I weighed 500 pounds! Looks like Baby Ruby and I will be out walking a lot until I shake this baby weight.

Our Precious Baby

Ruby after her first sponge bath. She hated it and cried like the dickens but really liked it when I toweled her off. She bounced back quickly :)

This is Ruby with her great-grandmother, Nannie. I wonder if they planned to wear the same clothes.

Here is Ruby in her car seat carrier. She is so beautiful and such a good little girl.

Introducing Ruby Noel DeHaven

Ruby was born at 10:08, Sunday morning. She weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces and is 19 and a half inches long. She is perfect. Carrie is doing great. She did an awesome job. I am sooo proud of her.

Hooray for epidural!

This is Noel filling in for Carrie. We are at the hospital waiting for Ruby to get here. Carrie started labor around 2:30 this afternoon and we were at the hospital by 5:00. She was admitted and then the contractions really started coming on stronger and stronger. At around 9:30 Carrie made the decision to get an epidural. Now she is very comfortable and feeling happy about Ruby's pending arrival (she was NOT happy before the epidural). I'll post photos as soon as I can.

Overdue!

Well I am officially now overdue with a big ol' baby. I will be induced next week if labor doesn't come on naturally. I'm sore as I can be from doing squats and lunges and walking. Even sitting on the birthing ball is making me sore. But really at this point I'll do about anything to have this baby vaginally and avoid a c-section. Make sure to keep checking the blog. Noel has been taught to upload pictures and updates and he wants to do it from the hospital so an update will be up shortly after the birth! Check this picture of me Noel took the other day. Is there any doubt it's time?

No Baby Yet and Stripping the Membranes

I had a Dr. appointment today and found out that I am 2 cm dilated but the baby's head is not dropping. Bummer. Anywho, my doctor was really going to town during the pelvic and then I had a contraction. Turns out she stripped my membranes. It would be nice if that brought labor on this evening :) I have to go back to the doctor tomorrow for a non stress test on the baby to make sure it's OK to let her go past 40 weeks. I was also told it was time to go on maternity leave so today is my last day at work. My time off of work is to consist of lots of walking to help shake this baby out!

39 Weeks! and a Few More Thank Yous!

How your baby's growing:Your baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

Also, I want to thank Aunt Babe for the Fiestaware she got me for my birthday, Noel for the picture frame he made me, and Terri for the tops and pajamas. Babe's gotten me so much Fiestaware that I might actually realize my goal of having enough for everyone to use at Thanksgiving! The picture frame Noel made me says Mommy Loves Ruby Noel and is so cute. The tops and pajamas Terri gave me are a much needed insertion into my wardrobe! Thanks to everyone!

An Incident and 2 Dr. Visits

Monday morning I had a Gatorade and a bowl of cereal. A little while later I started shaking and sweating profusely. And this is the weird part, I couldn't stop crying. I sat down and rested for a little bit and then called the doctor. Turns out I had a hypoglycemic incident. The culprit? Gatorade! Apparently, that stuff is FULL of sugar! The shaking, sweating, and crying are all symptoms of hypoglycemia. Shoo, anyway, good to know it wasn't anything serious but I am banned from Gatorade until I am no longer pregnant.

Tuesday morning I went to the dermatologist because I had a really weird looking mole on my chest. The doctor checked out the mole and I failed the ABCDs of moles. Asymmetry-F, Borders-F, Color-F, Diameter-F. She gave me a shot and used a scalpel to take it off right then and there. She sent it away to be examined. I'm glad to have the thing gone!

This morning I went to the baby doctor. I'm sorry to say that I have made no progress. The good news is that the doctor will not let me go anymore than one week past my due date so one way or another Noel and I will have a baby within two weeks!
Here's a picture of our boys for you viewing pleasure!

But I'm the Baby!

Here is my baby Felix sleeping in the cradle that Noel's family got for us. Doesn't he look so cute in there? I can imagine he thinks we already have a baby and do not need another one. Of course, I might be a crazy cat lady thinking that he comprehends all of this! FYI, no I do not plan to put the baby in this cradle with only a blanket, it doesn't afford much support and it's a smothering hazard. I plan to either purchase or make a pad for the cradle.

38 Weeks!

How your baby's growing:Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Birthday Dinner and a Dr. Visit

Last night Noel and I went to Tidewater to take advantage of the free birthday dinner. Our food was delicious as usual and I overdid it as usual. So much so that when I got home I was feeling sick as a dog. Like, moaning and groaning sick. I thought I was going to puke several times. So, I took a Zantac and went to sleep, thinking that surely if I slept I would wake up feeling better. No such luck. I woke up about and hour later feeling as crappy as I did when I fell asleep. I then got up and didn't fight it anymore. Yep, I puked. And boy did I feel so much better. Should have let my body do it hours earlier! Anywho, no serious damage done!

My Dr. visit today was fine. Not much going on except that I am now 50% effaced. I am still only 1 cm dilated. I have been walking on the treadmill at the gym trying to get something going but it looks like she'll be coming when she darn well feels like it! Still though, at this stage of the game it could be any time!