Baby Update

**If the photos appear fuzzy, select the desktop view on your mobile device**

Is it just me, or have I been pregnant forever?

Because seriously, it feels like it’s been forever…

I’m 37 weeks pregnant, and I really can’t believe I made it this far. With my first two, I had preterm labor that landed me on bedrest a few months before my due date. So this time, when I ended up in the hospital at 21 weeks, contracting regularly, and scared out of my mind, I was sure that he was going to be born very, very, early.

But nope!

Now he doesn’t want to get out.
This pregnancy has been rough. Not only was I in the hospital back in October, but I've suffered through nine months of Hyperemesis Gravidarum (basically 24/7 extreme morning sickness), and this kiddo has now given me not one, but two hernias that I will get to have fixed after he’s born.

So that’s awesome.

One of the hernias, is a hiatal hernia, meaning that he pushed my stomach up through my diaphragm wall and into my lung space, which is absolutely as fun as it sounds (which is not fun at all). When that happened, I started losing weight (because who wants to eat when the food is hanging out around your lungs), and the doctor’s told me that they would most likely have to take the baby early.

I was all prepared for that to happen, when I looked at the toothpaste one morning, and had the urge to eat it.

I know I'm weird, but that's a bit over the line even for me.

I did refrain from eating any and all dental products (thank you very much), but I did ask my doctor to check my iron level's because craving non-food items is typically a sign of a vitamin or mineral deficiency. So, it was no surprise when lab work showed that my hemoglobin, iron, B12, etc, was so low, that delivering would put me at a huge hemorrhage risk.

Apparently one of the levels was supposed to be close to 200, and mine was 3.

Go big or go home, am I right?

And that phone call, came the night before my court date. After getting the doctor to bend to my will agree with my schedule (and assure me that the baby was OK), I pushed the infusions off for a few days so that I could get through court.

Which as you know, I did.

Yay me.

So the baby stayed in, my stomach is still in my lungs, and I now have to go to the chemotherapy center of the local cancer hospital every other day to get infused with a variety of things, including one that looks like black tar.

But, I am not complaining.

I love this baby, and I can’t wait to meet him. And spending time surrounded by patients in the chemo room, who are literally fighting for their lives, has left me in a place where I know that no matter what I’m going through, I’m still blessed.

I’m not fighting for my life, I’m bringing forth another one, and for that, I am eternally grateful, and have no right to complain.

Still, I’d be lying if I said that at this point I wasn’t also uncomfortable, and so when my infusion treatments are completed in a few days, you’d better believe that I’m going to be bouncing on an exercise ball around the neighborhood at midnight on a full moon after eating something so spicy that it burns the eyebrows right off of my face, and melts the clothes off of my husband, because we all know what they say is the best way to induce labor, and this kid NEEDS TO GET OUT.

These movie theater trays were super convenient. Or not.

So yep, that’s how things are going.

It’s funny, because with The Girl Child, the nursery was set up months in advance. All the furniture that I had as a child was refinished and reupholstered, in anticipation to pass on a tradition. Clothes that she might need for the next five years of her life were washed and hung, and the house looked like a Babies R’ Us had dropped its entire contents off in my living room, and then set everything up on display. I had every item you could possibly need for a baby, and many more that I never even used.

With my second, The Boy Child, the nursery was painted, furniture was bought, and everything was set up several weeks before my ninth month; complete with a select variety of hand me down items that were lovingly cleaned, prepped, and awaiting his arrival.

This kid?

Well I did have this onsie made for him...

And... yea.

He's actually going to start out in my room, and once he's sleeping through the night, we're going to move his crib to The Girl Child's room. And then when he's ready to get out of the crib, he will make his last move into The Boy Child's bedroom where they will bond, and become best friends for years to come become roommates. (All rooms which you can find pictures of in my latest House Tour post) 

At least for now, I can proudly state that the crib set up... even if it's piled full of stuff still in boxes, that I intend to weasel out of having to set up myself. I figure that The Guy can do that while I recover in the hospital with room service and on demand movies. #BirthingPerk

I just have not had the nesting instinct with this baby like I did the other two, probably because I haven't been feeling well. If worst comes to worst, I have boobs to feed the kid, I’ll steal diapers from the hospital, and I’m pretty sure that I saw a car seat in the overflow pile that is accumulating in my office.

He’ll be fine.

And loved, adored, and so, so wanted.

Get out baby, we can’t wait to meet you!