Presenting Part

Yesterday I went in for my 5th ultra sound. Yup, my 5th. The ultrasound technician looked at me and asked if I was pregnant again!

When I went to my 37 week appointment the doctor checked me to see if the baby's head was down. She could not definitively tell by palpation. I was scheduled for the ultra sound to determine the presenting part and the estimated fetal weight.

Diagnosis: Breech baby, 7# 6 oz.

Prognosis: Eternal Cephalic Version or Cesarean

We opted to try eternal cephalic version and the obstetrician was very caring and successful! Now here's to hoping she stays standing on her head for 5 more days.

Camping

I found myself overcome with panic. I pushed the zipper to my sleeping bag open, sat up, and then fought the urge to rip the tent door open and bust my way out into the bitter cold night. I told myself over and over again that I could breath. Here I was 37 weeks pregnant, sleeping in a tent, and dreading the long night that lay ahead of me. For some strange reason I freak out while sleeping in a tent. I get claustrophobic and feel like the walls and roof will shrink around me cutting off my air supply. When we first got married we had a tiny two man tent. It was so small that I could only sit up in it. I went camping when I was pregnant with my first baby. It was just my husband and me and we found a spot outside Pocatello, Idaho to set up our tent and roast hot dogs. While we were sitting around the fire an ember burst forth from the flames and landed on my round tummy, burning a small hole in my maternity shirt. (It wasn't really my shirt, I borrowed it from my sister.) I feel bad borrowing anything from anybody knowing fair well that I could ruin or destroy it while it is in my hands. She still loves me though and let me borrow her maternity clothes again. This same sister has panic attacks when we go caving. One time she had to turn around and sit outside while we all went exploring because she thought she wouldn't be able to breath in that dark, confined space. I just wish this didn't happen to me. The feeling that I can't breathe in a tent. How ridiculous is that? It really ruins my camping experiences. I picked out our current tent. It is 10' X 12' and sleeps six. It is so big that I can stand up in it without hitting my head and so big that no heat stays inside. I thought if I bought a tent the size of my bedroom it would ease my phobia, but apparently, that trick did not work. The good thing is that when we go camping with our baby we will have enough room to set up a pack n play inside and still have enough room for comfort. I am very proud that I made it through the night without opening the door and sticking my head outside to breathe. I only went outside for my nightly bathroom run and that was NOT when I was panicking, I blame that on limited bladder space due to pregnancy.

Infant car seat

I had to drag out baby item #4, the infant car seat, wash the cloth cover, and wipe the dust out of the crevasses. My second baby gained weight so fast that she did not use it very long. In fact she was over twenty pounds and could not sit up on her own. I had a dilemma while out shopping. Since she had to move to a bigger car seat that had to stay in the car, I did not have the luxury of snapping the portable seat into the shopping cart. She would tip over if I set her in the little seat and drool all over the shopping cart handle. I was too cheap to buy a shopping cart cover that we would use for three months. Maybe I should have gotten that cover, I could use it with #3.

Moses Basket

Here is baby item #3: The moses basket. My mom had a basket that we slept in from the day we came home from the hospital until we were about three months old. I don't know where her basket originated from, but she used it for all seven of her babies. When I had my first baby I lived a couple hours from home and got to borrow the original basket. When my second daughter was born I lived in the mid-west and was not within driving distance for borrowing it again. My quest my own basket began. I found this one on eBay, I loved the neutral colors, and bid more than I should have to win it. I wanted to be able to pass it down to my own daughters when they have children.
My mom's favorite movie was The Unsinkable Molly Brown. In the beginning of the movie Molly floats down a river in her cradle through the rapids. She washes ashore and is found by her adoptive father. Her life is never easy, but she does not give up. At the end of the movie she is on the sinking Titanic, and finds herself yet again in perilous waters. I won't give away any more details in case you want to watch this movie for yourself. I mention it here because this basket got me reminiscing about my mom and her baby basket. Don't worry, I promise not to float my baby down any rivers.

It's that time of year again. Not too hot or cold with cherry blossoms in full bloom. Perfect weather for tree climbing, planting the garden, and watching the hummingbirds fly in for breakfast.


Remember this project? I can't believe I started it over two years ago. Well, I have used the seam ripper.... a lot. I am halfway done machine quilting the layers together. I am racing the baby. Will she arrive before I finish? Anybody want to place a bet? I have to finish machine quilting the top and then put on the binding and I only have 26 days!

Baby item #2

The baby item of the day is the Boppy pillow. I bought one with my first daughter in hopes that it would aid in breastfeeding. I took it to the hospital so the nurses could help me when I was figuring out how to breastfeed. I only made it six months. For my second daughter, we used the Boppy to prop her up while her sister fed her a bottle. I only made it six weeks due to a terrible yeast infection in my breasts that caused immense pain and bleeding, the baby developed thrush, and we were both miserable. In order to clear up the infection I had to use a pump and sterilize it after every use. I cried a lot during that six weeks. Third time around I still don't know what I am doing. I can't say for sure if I will get the hang of breastfeeding, but I won't be disappointed if I can't. I am going to need all the help I can get and I am bringing out the Boppy.

Exciting times!

Here is my growing baby. She is due to arrive in a month. I am slowly trying to remember all the necessary items for her arrival. When I had my first child the hospital told me that I did not need to do anything about the umbilical cord. They said it would dry up and fall off on its own. I remember there was brown goop stuck in her belly button long after the cord fell off. When I had my second child the hospital told me to apply rubbing alcohol after every diaper change, thus speeding up the drying time and helping the cord fall off sooner. The cord fell off nicely leaving a very clean belly button. My request to you, dear reader, is what did you do about the umbilical cord? What proof alcohol did you use, if any? Seeking advice...




Here is the Man of the house on his big mountain bike race day. He did amazingly well for a first time racer. He entered the 2009 Wild Rockies Regional Championship Series first race of the season known as the "Barking Spider XC." The race was held in Murphy, Idaho and my sister joined my girls and me to make up the cheering section. He placed third in his age division! We all had such an awesome time that we plan to make this an annual event. Way to go! We are so proud of him.