Once you pop out a kid people begin to ask when to expect number 2. Most are polite and at least wait a few months, but I promise you it begins early. Then, once your friends begin to have more children the pressure really starts. “What about you??” My best friend is pregnant with number two, so obviously that means that  need to follow suit and get preggers….ummmm NO! We don’t have to do everything together people! That is why I want to state here and now why I am not ready for number 2….Yet….

I am being completely honest when I say I have ZERO baby fever what so ever. Not an ounce. Actually, I kind of feel bad for the stress that is about to enter the lives of some dear friends. Of course it’s a blessing, but I remember very well how overwhelming it can all be. I am having the BEST time with my son each day, and I am not ready to share him, and I don’t think he’s ready to share me. I feel he deserves all my attention, and I don’t believe I’d be good at splitting my attention with him at this age. I know soon enough he’ll be doing more things on his own, and until then I want to provide him with all of me. All day every day.

Being that my life’s goal is to be a mom I am in no rush to “get it over with”. What’s there to “get over” when I am doing what I plan to do for years to come? I want to enjoy this one on one time with my son. I know that once there is a new baby there will be a lot less time for me to enjoy the “quiet” moments with my son. The new baby will have to be nursed, rocked, and in my head all of that time will not allow me to play with Christian as much as I’d like. I just can’t wrap my head around how I’d do it?

I get stressed out easily. I was lucky with the amount of sleep Christian gets, but what happens if number 2 doesn’t sleep? A tired mommy is a cranky mommy (at least when it comes to this mommy). I’m just not ready to be cranky!

I was three years apart between my sister, and she was 3 years from my brother. We all got along great, and I am thankful. My mom talks of how much she loved the time with each of us. I want that too. I don’t want any moment to be too much of a blur.

I remember all too well the stress that comes along with actually getting pregnant. I remember what it felt like to suffer a miscarriage, and I remember all the feelings that went along with “trying” to get pregnant. I was sad for so long then, and I am not ready to feel the stress again. I know it may not be like that…but I know it could…so I am just not ready to go there.

I am sooo very happy with my life just the way it is…right now. We are selling our house and hopefully finding our new home. I want to focus on that for now. I want to enjoy this summer and have fun. Most of all The Captain and I are on the same page, and both want to wait. Phew!

I get that “the heart doesn’t split it just grows bigger” when you have more kids. I just wanted to write about MY choices and I promise this isn’t a judgment against others. I know when the time comes, and I do in fact get pregnant I will be truly blessed. Hey, maybe God will give me a surprise, and if that happened I’d welcome it. BUT…..I am not going to try for it! I just hope that Christian gets to be an only child a little longer. I’m sure the baby fever will hit eventually…until then I’m just happy!

This post was originally written on Thursday, April 1st, when I got my BFP on the digital. I wrote this down because I knew The Captain wanted to keep it a secret for a while, but I wanted to share my thoughts. Just like my previous post…if you know me in real life please don’t post anything on facebook. Thanks!

It was 5 am and I woke up having to pee. I knew it was imperative that I take the test with FMU (first morning urine) so it was now or never. I laid in bed terrified to test. The day before I tested in the afternoon with a cheapo test and saw the faintest of lines. Faint enough to think I was crazy. But they say a lines a line so I decided it was time to stop playing games and I bought a digital. That is what was waiting for me in the bathroom. A digital test. I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep so I finally got up the courage and stumbled my way into the bathroom. I decided to pee into a cup so that I couldn’t screw anything up (trust me, I have messed up tests in the past). I unwrapped the digital test, popped the blue cap and the screen was blank…WHAT? DAMN! It’s broken! So I got the second one out of the package, popped the blue cap…and nothing again! SERIOUSLY? See the other digitals I have used in the past have a blinking sign to show that the test was ready to use, so I sat there thinking that it was God’s way of telling me not to test. I couldn’t believe it? Is this a joke?  So I grabbed the directions and saw that it’s SUPPOSED to be blank! Jokes on me! (can you just picture me at 5 am doing this?) So I put the pee stick into the cup for the right amount of time…it starts to blink…and I wait. I have taken tons of HPT (home pregnancy tests) before, and all of them have left me feeling the same. Nervous, excited, and sick to my stomach. This one was no different. The difference with this test is that the words PREGNANT stuck on the screen after a few minutes! I couldn’t believe it! I mean I knew it COULD happen…but why would it? It hadn’t for the past 6 months…but this one was different! It worked!!!

Now I know The Captain is by no means a morning person, but I figured there was no possible way I could keep this to myself. No way indeed! So I jumped in the bed and shook him till he woke up. He was obviously startled and mumbled something about wondering who died..lol (overreact much?) And then I shoved the positive test in his face. You see, the last time I was pregnant I put the positive test into a father’s day card (since I tested positive on June 5th close to fathers day). I used to think of clever ways to break the news to him…but not today. After 7 months of trying, just having the test read PREGNANT was special enough in my book…so  a test shoved in his face was all I could muster that morning. I think he got the point. He was excited….but I think nervous. We’ve had our hopes up before…only to get them crushed so I know why it’s important for him to be gaurded. But we are headed in the right direction. Getting pregnant is the first step!

Needless to say we both couldn’t really fall back to sleep. We both laid there tossing and turning, but we pretty much just laid there. Since it was 5 am there was no real celebrating…like I said The Captain is rather crabby at that God forsaken hour…but that’s ok. I celebrated inside. I started to plan, I started to hope, and I started to pray that this pregnancy would be a healthy one. I thought to myself…Here we go again!

The other week a friend of mine asked me if I missed being pregnant. My first instinct was to answer NO, because I truly enjoy having my son in my life. But now that I have had a little time to reflect and think about it…I did truly enjoy being pregnant, and maybe sometimes I can admit that yes, I do miss it. I know that I’ve said this before, but I am still in awe that I am a mother. I can’t believe that my little man is 4 months old, and that my first pregnancy, first birth, and first few months are all behind me. It’s strange to know that I will never get that time back, and if I am lucky enough to have more children, none of those things will ever be the same.

Take pregnancy for instance. I was lucky enough to have a good pregnancy. Yes it was a long road to get there, but once I did I truly enjoyed it. I love attention, and not many people get more attention than pregnant women. Women even let me cut the line in bathrooms! Men always gave me their seats…who doesn’t love that?! With your first pregnancy you get to really focus on yourself. I ate what I wanted, slept when I wanted, and loved that The Captain was willing to do whatever I asked.  The bottom line? It was all about me. But what happens with future children? It will never be like that again, because I will have my little guy to take care of. I doubt that he will be as willing to let me nap and sleep in when I want. It certainly won’t be all about me…because my life is now all about him!

How about the first birth? As scared as I was ignorance was bliss. I imagined the worst (and it kind of was), but I never really knew. But now I do. I have yet to reach that stage that women CLAIM they reach. The stage that they “forget” about all the pain. I’m still at the point where I am like…how could I choose to ever do that again?! Obviously I have to get there, because otherwise women would never have more children if they remembered what it was like to give birth. Plus, since the first delivery went rather well…I worry if I ever will be that lucky again!

I just can’t believe 4 months have passed already. So many firsts have come and gone. I have learned so much. They say motherhood is a lot about instinct and boy are they right.  But I have a feeling nothing is going to be like my first. Right now I get to enjoy just him, and cater to just him. I will never get to do that again. He has all of my attention. I wake up, spend my day, and go to bed just for him. No child from now on will have that. I guess it’s the nature of the beast!

Whether I am doing right by Christian or not, I feel like I am meant to be a mom. I love it, and enjoy every second. I just sometimes sit back and think about how my first born is here…and that although so much is behind me..even more is ahead. It’s good to reflect sometimes about what as passed. Sometimes the whole pregnancy, birth and newborn stage is such a blur, but when I take a moment to think about it. I truly realize how blessed I am.

Summer is my favorite season, and always has been. In my eyes nothing beats the warm weather, and long days. Not to mention sipping margaritas by the pool and beach. Just talking about it makes me long for the summer months. They certainly can’t get here fast enough! This year in particular needs to be a good summer. Why? Well, I have realized that the past 2 summers have somewhat lacked in the carefree and fun department, and to be honest, I think I will have to make up for them both this year.

The summer of 2009 brought me a lot of sadness. For those that don’t know it was the summer that I suffered my miscarriage. The summer started with the best news of finding out I was pregnant, and quickly turned into the saddest summer I could remember. Not only was I left to deal with the emotional pain of the loss, but the physical effects lasted through out the entire summer. It was a constant reminder of what I had lost, and therefore that summer is left to be remembered as one of total sadness.

2010 was a summer of joy. I was pregnant and happy. My dreams were about to come true! But as happy as I was to be pregnant, and as much as I enjoyed it, I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a bundle of laughs. The no alcohol thing was rough. As sad as it sounds I have to ask..is it really summer without Mojitos and margaritas? Umm no! I couldn’t go on my friends boats, or play in the ocean (ya I said play..I love the ocean!). Don’t get me wrong, I was so excited to be preggers, but it definitely led to a more “relaxed” summer then I am used to.

This summer is going to be different. This summer I get to experience my favorite season through new eyes. I get to experience it through the eyes of my son. I get to watch him be introduced to sand, and the ocean. I get to take him to the park, and into the pool. Along with all of those things I get to also relax with maybe a margarita or two! I am so excited for this summer to be a happy one! I have so much to look forward to.

The warm summer days can’t come soon enough, and I think I deserve them. It’s time for this girl to make a ton of new and great memories. Summertime..here I come!

When you are pregnant you have many a doctor appointments scheduled. Each week ticks by and you just wait to go to that appointment just so you can hear that little heartbeat, or see a sonogram, and just know that the little one inside is still growing strong. Then, you have your baby and BAM! You are old news…they just say see you in six weeks and send you on your way. Now that that’s happened I feel a little sad…I think I am going through doctor withdrawal!

In the beginning the appointments are every month. The four weeks seem like a long time while they are happening, but looking back it all went so fast. But no matter what I knew that every month I would get to know that everything was going as it should. They would listen to the heart, or take different tests…all things to tell me our little boy was A ok! I looked forward to those appointments each month, they certainly couldn’t come soon enough…

From the start I knew that at the end of the pregnancy I would be going to the doctor a lot more. I looked forward to that time and once it came I started to go every two weeks, and then at 35 weeks it was time to go every week. It was great getting to know my doctors better, and it was exciting to wait to hear about any progress I was making (even though there was none!). Then, you go through delivery, which in my opinion is extremely traumatic for your body, a after 2 days in the hospital they send you on your way! Buh Bye!

Yesterday was my 6 week follow up appointment. I went in thinking that we’d chat about the delivery, chat about how I have been feeling, and show pictures of my little man. Nope! Business as usual at the lady doctor. They even go as far to tell me that I’m not completely healed (which they said is normal since healing is slow while breastfeeding), and then in the next sentence said…see you in 6 months! SIX MONTHS?? How will I know when I’m healed? I guess they aren’t too worried about it!

Now I am back to my appointments every 6 months. I’m no longer a special OB priority patient, and that is kind of odd. I guess now our pediatrician can be my new best doctor friend. I get to see her every month now! Lucky them!

I looked into a few maternity photographers, and finally ended up choosing Lori from Ava Jack Photography in Long Island. The name Ava Jack comes from the names of her two kids. I saw the pictures from her website and knew that she was what I was looking for. She does Maternity, Babies, Kids, and Day After (wedding type shoot).   She also was looking to do a maternity shoot outside in the park and I thought that would be perfect. On top of that she agreed to do a studio shoot so I could do more “belly” shots. I was going to get the best of both worlds!

Meeting Lori was great! She was so personable and easy to work with. We met up at a beautiful local park. Captain Awesome was such a good sport because he came too. I really wanted pictures with him, along with our little Tinkerbell. That is our family you know! And with little Christian still in my belly I wanted to have us all there. here are a few of the shots!

I loved getting the pictures taken! For these pictures she really wanted to show that not all maternity pictures need to be studio pictures or bare belly ones. She wanted to show that fully clothed casual shots can also make for beautiful pictures…and I think she certainly captured that! (If I do say so myself!)

Next came the studio pictures! I really wanted some bare belly ones because like I said above, I really wanted to show my pregnant belly so I can remember. I think someday it will be fun to show Christian what mommy looked like while he was in my belly. For this shoot I was really up for anything, and so was Lori. I’m not a very shy person, so to be honest most of the pictures from this shoot are for me and The Captain alone..lol We did lingerie shots, and some of those “demi moore” type almost naked shots. I personally think they came out great! She did them so tastefully, and they were exactly what I was looking for in a studio shoot. I made The Captain come for a few shots too because I thought it was important for him to get in a few shots…here are some of the ones that are G rated…

As you can see I liked the black and whites from this shoot the best..lol they are more forgiving on the belly! I had so much fun playing model!

I was so happy that I had these done. I think its something that people don’t think about when they are pregnant, but I know that I will cherish all these photos, and will love looking back at this time in my life. I also think some of these will be great additions to the nursery decor!

If you are in the Long Island area I definitely recommend Lori of Ava Jack Photography for any photos you may need of yourself or your little ones. She truly is great to work with, and her pictures come out amazing! You can contact Lori here for more information! She is also a new sponsor on my blog so you can check out her badge over on the right sidebar!

Ava Jack photography provided me with these pictures for the purposes of this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am happy to announce that Captain Awesome and I welcomed our son, Christian into this world on Wednesday, December 1,  2010!! Eleven days EARLY!!! At 7 lbs, 11 oz, and 20 inches, our little Pooh Bear came into this world….and I couldn’t be more blessed and happy. He is just perfect!

I always wished that he would come early, but I never dreamed that he actually would. He actually listened to his mommy….It’s funny because if you read my last post on Tuesday I officially evicted him! Low and behold…11:30 that night my water broke!!!

It was a night like any other. I was 38 weeks 3 days and I went to dinner with 2 of my friends. I felt fine and even joked about how late I thought I would go. I came home, watched TV and went to bed..I was reading and finally turned off the light when I all of a sudden felt that I wet my pants. Now, it’s truly possible that that far along in pregnancy that I could’ve in fact peed my pants, but when I stood up more liquid came out…and to be honest it had a pinkish hue. I knew I had broken my water. I called down to The Captain and informed him that I thought I broke my water…You could see the panic in his eyes. He started up the steps and started to grab my hospital bags (just too cute). I informed him that we weren’t going anywhere yet and I had to call my doctor. After speaking with the doctor my instructions were to wait at home till contractions were strong and 3-4 minutes apart for 2 hours, and if that didn’t happen I was to go to the hospital at 7:30 to be induced. Around 1:20 the contractions began to get constant. I told The Captain to get some rest since it was going to be a very long day…not that I thought he could sleep but he did try. I laid in bed and used an app on my phone to time the contractions. Ouch! But not too bad…at 3:30 I decided it was time to go when they averaged between 3 and 5 minutes for 2 hours. So we said goodbye to our Tinkerbell, packed the car and went to the hospital. It truly was surreal to know that soon we would meet our son. It was time to go through the part of pregnancy I was terrified of the most….labor.

The night was very stormy. Of course we had to drive in the massive rain. (better than snow I think!) We checked into the hospital, and I was put in the bed. At this point the contractions were feeling pretty strong. I gotta tell you how much it stinks to have everyone and their mother continuously ask questions while you are in the middle of a contraction…very unpleasant, and it was only to get worse. After the initial exam I was told the very disheartening news that I was only 1 cm dilated…How sad! I had so far to go! I just wanted to cry. So we were left to wait…My first question? When can I get the epidural?

The contractions continued to get worse and to the point where I couldn’t speak while they were happening. Oh the pain! I had the worst back labor that wouldn’t stop even when the contraction had, so I had no relief in between. I had reached my pain threshold. I was ready to do pretty much anything to make it stop. I requested the epidural, and was told I had to wait till I was at least 3 cm along…the good news was that after examination I was just that. Epidural it was! The anesthesiologist quickly became the best friend I ever had. He was amazing, fast and efficient. He brought me the only thing that anyone could…relief!

I will honestly say that I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t get an epidural. They are totally amazing! For the next few hours I felt some peace. I even was able to take a nap! For those that are scared of getting the actual epidural, don’t be! Compared to the pain of contractions, the epidural is pure heaven. My doctor was quick and talked to me through it all and tried to keep my mind of what was going on. I was surprised to find that The Captain wasn’t able to be there to hold my hand, but I guess it’s understandable since they were working very close to my spine! I give the epidural an A++!!

Time just moved on…slowly I might add, but it moved all the same. Soon I started to be able to feel when the contractions were coming. No pain, but I could just tell. They told me I would know when it was time to push when I felt pressure “down there”…and at around 1:30 I started to feel just that. I told my nurse, and eventually my doctor came into check. I was worried that they’d tell me I hadn’t progressed, but instead I got the news that I was a full 10 cm and it was go time! I was terrified! I didn’t think I’d make it through. They told me that I could keep the epidural going if I was pushing good, and I was determined to do just that. There was no way I was going back to feel contractions. No way! So it began….

I will spare you the gory details. Those that have had children know what happened next…pain. For a while I was like “I can do this” because the epidural made things a little easier, but as it got closer to Christian coming out, the more intolerable the pain. I tried to quit a few times, The Captain can vouch for that. I kept telling my doctor he was a liar because they kept saying “your almost there”, but we just kept pushing. I pushed for about an hour and 45 minutes….and then the doctor called to me “Jen Look!” to which I said no..lol ( because until then I didn’t want to see what was going on down there). And he wouldn’t give up…so I looked…and saw the most amazing miracle. My son. On his way out and into the doctors arms. Very soon after I heard the most amazing cry, and knew that I had done it. He was finally here. The boy I carried in my belly for over 38 weeks. My little boy was finally going to be in my arms…and then he was.

Welcome to this world little Christian! We have many adventures ahead! I can’t wait to show you this world. You have so many things to look forward to.

Every time I go to my doctor appointments I am asked if I have any complaints. To this question I have always been lucky enough to respond…No! As lucky as I felt to be able to honestly say that I was feeling good, I also started to get nervous that something was bound to go wrong. I didn’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but I just knew I had to have at SOME worry at the end of my pregnancy, and finally I am sad to report the other shoe has finally dropped. With less than 2 weeks to my due date, I can now worry.

I am extremely prone to UTI’s and always have been (you can read more about that background here ). Throughout this pregnancy, I have had a UTI probably 4 times. Which is a lot if you ask me, but thus far I have been told that the Macrobid medicine given to me was perfectly safe (even though this study about the dangers of UTI medication came out). Three weeks ago I mentioned to the doctor that I felt some of the normal UTI symptoms, but couldn’t tell if it was just pregnancy or really a UTI. I was told that the test stick they used in the office showed negative, but they would test my urine anyway. Low ans behold it came back positive. I was prescribed Macrobid….fine. Fast forward to last Tuesday’s appointment and the same thing happened. Test stick showed no UTI, but I mentioned that I was up peeing at night about 5 times and the doctor wanted to get it tested.

I hadn’t heard from him, so I decided to call the office. When I got a call back this is what I heard.. “to be honest the reason I haven’t called you back is because I don’t know what to do with you.” WHAT? He said that Macrobid is no longer safe this far along in the pregnancy, and he can’t give me anything with Penicillin due to my “supposed” allergy (boy do I have to look into this after Pooh bear is born). Long story short, there is nothing to treat my UTI till AFTER the baby is born. Just wonderful….

What can I do? He said to drink lots of fluids, up my vitamin C, and take cranberry extract. Not exactly a cure, but something I guess. But what now? A UTI left untreated can cause kidney infections, and be very dangerous. Will they want to induce me should it get worse, and baby doesn’t come on his own? I have another appointment Wednesday, so I will ask these questions in person.

I have now officially given little Pooh Bear an eviction notice. Mommy now has an infection and needs him to come out (should he be ready of course), so that she can be treated. So yes, the other shoe has finally dropped and I have started to worry. What would the end of pregnancy be with out a little bit of worry right?

Yes, I know this post is rather late…sorry!! Better late than never! I actually wasn’t going to write a Thanksgiving post, but how could I not considering that I have to much to be thankful for this year. I feel so lucky to have an amazing husband, dog, home, and family…and most of all I feel blessed that very soon I get to meet my son. Can you believe it? Any day now The Captain and I will meet our first child….the child that I have been carrying in my belly for 9 (ish) months. Yes, this year I truly need to give thanks for all the blessings in my life.

This holiday season will be different from the others. Change is extremely hard for me, but this year, change comes with good reason. Being 38 weeks pregnant has made me stay put and not be able to travel to see my family in Pennsylvania. This was hard. I missed out on a lot of tradition that I hold dear to my heart…but I just keep reminding myself that I can resume those traditions next year and the years after that. This year, I had to think of little Pooh Bear, and myself and stay in New York.

The Captain and I had a great weekend though. We celebrated Thanksgiving with my in laws, and watched an abundant amount of football. Isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about? The Captain even played football with a group of friends. I was terrified that he’d break a leg or something and not be able to drive me to the hospital, but he made it through pretty injury free (minus a sore ankle). This weekend our house got a good cleaning too! Best of all??? I didn’t have to do it! My mother in law was generous enough to shampoo our rugs, and then my in laws treated us to their cleaning lady for the day! Now my house is spic and span! Just in time for little Pooh Bear! Later, I decorated for Christmas, and The Captain, Tinkerbell and I went to get our Christmas Tree. I am happy to report that it is up and decorated. Usually Captain Awesome complains when it comes time to decorate the tree…forcing me to fire him from Christmas due to being a grinch, but this year he even let me play Christmas music on the TV rather than the 4:00 football game. Can we say progress? I’ll make this guy a Christmas guy yet! Maybe next year he’ll even hang an ornament! Last year his job was to make us Hot Toddies, but since I couldn’t indulge this year he lost that duty….I promised him that he could have it back next year.What’s tree decorating without Hot Toddies?

The weekend  gave me time to reflect on all the good in my life and it also made me remember where I was last year at this time…The holidays last year I was sad since there was no baby on the way. Now this year, I am going to be a mom before Christmas! I am always amazed at how different my life can be in just a year. So in honor of Thanksgiving I want to publicly say how truly thankful I am for all the good in my life….and boy is there a lot of it! As always…I see what a blessed life I am living right now.

Dear Pooh Bear,

Welcome to full term little one!! Can you believe we are this far? I have been waiting for long, but it still surprises me to think that you could come any day now. I think I have passed the nervous stage, and am just excited for your arrival.

The countdown clock I have says 16 days till our due date. Wow…when put that way it doesn’t seem so long does it? I had my weekly appointment yesterday and things have yet to start to progress. I’m still closed up tight with a soft cervix. The doctor reminded me that it really means nothing, that I could walk out of the office and my water could break, and as helpful as that is, it just reminds me how unpredictable this baby having thing is. No rhyme or reason what so ever! I guess that’s the theme of anything regarding a baby…from TTC to actual birth. It’s all a wild card! And as you will soon see, your mommy doesn’t handle “what if’s” very well.

I’m not the only one waiting to meet you! Your grandparents are just waiting for that phone call from us saying that we are in the hospital. Baby watch 2010 has finally begun. That means your daddy too. I have reminded him that it’s time for him to be responsible and to be ready for anything. You see, he’s trying to get in as many nights out as possible since once you are here he won’t be able to bare to leave you (isn’t that right daddy?) .

This week starts the holiday season! We have Thanksgiving on Thursday, and then your daddy and I are going to decorate for Christmas! We even get our Christmas tree. Don’t worry, we have some ornaments for you, but they won’t go on the tree till you get here. Our house will be nice and festive by the time you arrive. You get to spend your first Christmas here in our home with your mommy and daddy. We will be sure to send Santa your Christmas wish list.

Pooh Bear: 37 Weeks

Your baby is now considered “full term,” even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you’re planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there’s a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don’t be surprised if your baby’s hair isn’t the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Braxton Hicks contractions may be coming more frequently now and may last longer and be more uncomfortable. You might also notice an increase in vaginal discharge. If you see some “bloody show” (mucus tinged with a tiny amount of blood) in the toilet or in your undies, labor is probably a few days away — or less. (If you have heavier spotting or bleeding, call your caregiver immediately.) Also be sure to ask your caregiver about the results of your Group B strep culture. That way, if the result isn’t yet on your chart when you get to the hospital or birth center, you’ll be able to give the staff there a timely heads-up if you need antibiotics.

It may be harder than ever to get comfortable enough to sleep well at night. If you can, take it easy through the day — this may be your last chance to do so for quite a while. Keep monitoring your baby’s movements, too, and let your caregiver know immediately if you notice a decrease. Though her quarters are getting cozy, she should still be as active as before.

While you’re sleeping, you’re likely to have some intense dreams. Anxiety both about labor and about becoming a parent can fuel a lot of strange flights of unconscious fancy.

Will you have hair little one? I am dying to know what you look like. What color will your hair be? How about your eyes? Sleep has become a thing of the past, and I am accepting that it’s gone for a long long time…your worth it little Pooh Bear, but be sure to remind mommy of that ok?

Love, Mommy