SEPT. 2, 2004         OCT. 6, 2004         NOV. 5, 2004         DEC. 1, 2004    JAN 10, 2005        

FEB. 2, 2005           FEB. 10, 2005        FEB. 23, 2005        MAR. 9, 2005    APR. 6th, 2005

APR. 14, 2005         APR. 20, 2005        APR. 27, 2005       APR. 30, 2005

April 30th, 2005

Hmm, well it looks as if we won't have an 05-05-05 baby!  I am not even sure I will make it to midnight tonight!  Had a little bit of bloody show yesterday when I woke up, nothing the rest of the day.  Then this morning, LOTS more.  So far the contractions are painless and irregular, but I get the feeling that I will be meeting the baby sooner then anticipated!  Thankfully I spent yesterday getting things done that needed to be done!  Mark and I talked a couple weeks ago about not making it to 05-05-05 (I had been getting that 'feeling' since around January that I would go early...which I didn't believe because I have NEVER gone early!) and so we talked about other days that would be fun birthdays.  A May Day baby (tomorrow) would be great.  And he asked me which April days I wouldn't mind.  I told him a baby on his birthday would be nice (the 25th) or an April 30th baby would be okay too.  My guess is I will get  the 30th or the 1st baby!  My doctor is traveling for her daughter's wedding shower today, and told me to 'not do anything until 6:00 PM!' I told her I'd do my best! So I am going to go lay on the couch and wait patiently.  The only concern, which my Mom, my Doctor, and I share, is, that this being a 5th baby I may not feel regular or painful contractions until the end.  Thank goodness I live 8 blocks from the hospital! (BACK TO TOP)

April 27th, 2005

Another quick and easy appointment.  In fact, I was in and out in 20 minutes.  My blood pressure is a great 122/58. The babies heartbeat is 120 beats per minute, I am measuring 41 cm's, and the Doctor has declared this a 'good sized baby' (which of course I already knew!)  She gave me a  'gentle' exam, in which she simply checked to make sure the head was down and engaged.  Which it is, thankfully, because she won't induce unless those two things have happened.  My next exam is on the 4th in the afternoon, a few hours before  I go in for the cervical.  She told me she will give me a' not so gentle' exam to try and get things going on their own then.  My goal at this point is to at least make it to May to break my 'April&February' streak I have going.  That's just 3 more days.  Monday I was feeling funny and wondered if I would make it. Funny as in a lot of pressure, contractions, nausea, etc.  But by Tuesday I felt good again and figure I just did too much getting ready for Mark's birthday the day before.  Right now I am downloading MP3's off the internet to make a CD for labor or my favorite songs, and other than that we are pretty ready! Generally I am feeling well, lots of pain in my pelvis from a baby that has engaged, swollen feet and hands at night, and sore back all the time.  But nothing extraordinary or worrisome.  I have been blessed, again.  The doctor says I 'do and wear pregnancy well.'  (BACK TO TOP)

April 20th, 2005

My 38 week appointment was fun.  The scale says I gained 4 pounds, but I drank 32 ounces of water before I left (about 2 pounds) and am a little swollen, so I (and maybe it's in blissful ignorance) tell myself it's all baby, not fat. Now in the past the doctor has said that she would be easily convinced to induce me on May 5th, and this time I outright asked her, because my mom and Mark's mom have asked me for more specifics.  She said "Oh, we'll try to get things going earlier for you than that!" and I reminded her that 05-05-05 would be a cool day to have a baby.  She said "Well, the 6th works better for me, that's my day off and I could spend more time with you".  So I reminded her that not only is it 05-05-05, but it's my 5th baby.  She said "We have just GOT to do it on that day!" She immediately called labor and delivery and set me up for prostaglandin gel on the evening of the 4th, and pitocin on the morning of the 5th.  Yay!  Now, I was reminded that I could go early, OR my cervix may not be ripe enough to go on time. Or I several things could happen that would necessitate an even earlier induction.  I suppose I have to find the fine line of ripening a cervix but sending myself into labor, but the point being babies tend to come when they want, and disregard any 'cool dates'.   The GBS test came back negative, good news!

This is the latest in the year I have ever been pregnant.  All my pregnancy clothes are for winter, and I find myself struggling to deal with the heat.  It doesn't make sense to buy clothes for 2 weeks that are cooler, especially with the weather changing so often. Sweat pants and t-shirts are sufficing just fine, and my church friends will just have to deal with me alternating between 2 dresses for a couple more weeks.

We have been asked a lot about names and gender for this baby.  First of all, we REALLY do NOT know the gender.  We didn't find out and are trying to hide it or anything like that.  I tend to think boy because my pregnancy progressed more like my boys than my girls.  I'd be happy to be wrong...or right!  Also, we have NO idea on names.  We haven't secretly decided on a name and are withholding it until the birth.  We are utterly stumped.  I think I have to expand my list of allowable names to include names whose meanings I don't like and names that begin with 'm', 'j', 'z', 'g', 'e', or 'a'.  I can you names that we have crossed off of our short list (leaving it bare) such as Caitlin, Megan, Marina, Mairead, and Camilla for girls and Oliver, Owen, Rylan, and Noah for boys.  I still like Noah, but I am not sure it flows well with Mark as a middle name. I like the name Kamilah for girls (it's meaning is different than Camilla) but the spelling doesn't sit well with me.  Hopefully the baby will have a name before it comes home from the hospital.  Especially if it's a boy. That's where we really struggle! (BACK TO TOP)

April 14th, 2005 (with an April 15th addendum)

Today I am officially 'full term'.  I have always hated good-byes and endings, and this seems to be no exception.  I called Mark at work to chat, and that's when I remembered it was Full Term day.  To which I remembered this is that last time I will have a 'Full Term' day.  And of course broke down crying.  Not that I want another 'Full Term' day.  Don't get me wrong,  I really like the idea of being done, knowing I am done.  I am ready for it, and am looking forward to the things I can do when I am not pregnant, nursing, or potty training anymore.  But that doesn't make it less bittersweet to me.  I hate the fact that after this baby, the next newborn I hold won't be mine.  I'll miss that newborn smell, the first "Hello" when you meet your new baby with tears in your eyes and love in your heart. 'Cause I hate endings!  Obviously moving on to new seasons of life won't be easy for me.  Well, writing is a type of catharsis for me.  I love to go back in my journal and read the entry I made after I weaned Alisabeth thinking she was my last.  Now it makes me laugh and roll my eyes at the drama of it all. 

My doctors appointment went pretty well.  I measured 40 cm's, which is a huge jump from last week.  However, I was in the middle of a contraction, and my uterus balled up right where I was being measured instead of being softer and more spread out, so it was no surprise.  The rest of the exam was also not a surprise.  Baby is low, but not engaged, so when I lay down, (S)he (and I should stick with HE as everyone is predicting a HE) the head floats away.  Dr. Olson even wondered if I needed another ultrasound to determine if the baby is head down.  I declined for another week.  I know that the baby is head down from where I am being kicked, where the heartbeat is found, and where the hiccups are occurring.  (*TMI*, but I can also feel babies head when I do a self check.)  My cervix is very soft, but still quite posterior, and hard to reach for an accurate reading.  (More *TMI*, but I have checked myself and can get 2 fingers to the inner os of the cervix (I'd guess 1-2 cm's. An RN/Midwife taught me how to do this safely and accurately.)   I guess that's about it.  I should think about getting my hospital bag packed.  I also wanted to make a CD of music to listen to in labor.  I have been reading up on Bradley Birth method.  I have made the decision to try to go unmedicated if I go into labor naturally, and decide on the epidural if I am induced at that point. I'll do another update on the 20th.  (BACK TO TOP)

(April 15th Addendum) After a night of false labor (but I KNOW it's false, contractions come at regular intervals, and hurt, but don't get worse over time, and is also very normal for me) I am inclined to leave the option of a medicated birth idea open.  :-)  I am convinced I only made that decision after labor with Alisa was well forgotten.  But hey, I stuck to my guns about finding out the gender!  Goodness I forgot how much it hurts!  Especially in my back this time...hopefully baby isn't sunny-side up, I haven't had a back labor yet.

April 6th, 2005 (and March 23rd, and ultrasound March 24th)

Today's doctors appointment was quick and easy.  I think I was in and out in 30 minutes.  The doctor wanted to check for dilation because of my contractions (which is normal for me) and loss of mucus plug (also normal for me) but I had brought Alisa with me because she likes to hear the heartbeat (134 this time. I did find out that it's normal for the heartbeat to get gradually slower as pregnancy progresses).  So next week we will do an internal check and do the GBS test (group B strep).  I will be 37 weeks, and full term at that point.  At my last appointment (March 23rd) all was normal, baby's heartbeat was 130, and I was offered another ultrasound. Baby was measuring in the 25th percentile at the January ultrasound, and the doctor wanted to make sure baby wasn't still small.  The ultrasound (March 24th) was great, baby is now in the 75th percentile, and approximate weight is 5 pounds 10 ounces (though these things can be off by 2 pounds.  Assuming it was right, and using an average 1/2 pound per week weight gain, the baby should be 8 to 8.5 pounds.  Baby has dropped significantly, and I am feeling lots of pressure in my pelvic bones and less heartburn (except horrible acid reflux in the middle of the night).  I have never liked the feeling of any of my babies rotating their heads after they have dropped, and this is no exception!  Baby is moving a lot, gets hiccups a lot, and growing a lot (judging from my current beached-whale look).  The bathroom is thisclose to being finished.  Paint touch up and some shelves in the closet.  Blinds for the window, and some paint for all the trim.  Once the shelves are in, I can wash all the baby clothes.  We have purchased all the things we need for baby, though Mark's assignment is to run to the store and buy a cute 'going home outfit' after baby arrives.  We have the baby book, we have film, and we have finished my pregnancy pictures.  We do need a new infant car seat, as our other one is 8 years old, and I hate the thought of spending $100 on something I will use for 6 months before baby moves on, but what can you do?  Come to think of it, I should check the baby bath tub too...it's been through 4 kids and my need replacing!  I think that's about it.  I will update if there is any progress after my next appointment.  (BACK TO TOP)

March 9th, 2005

My doctor's appointment this morning was boring and predictable...which is great news!  No problems, no concerns, no worries.  The babies heartbeat was 126..hmm there seems to be a pattern established here...as time goes by the heartbeat lowers.  The doctor speculated that the baby was sleeping.  Could be...if (S)he kicks in his/her sleep! Baby is head down, and has dropped a bit.  I didn't look at the scale, so I have no idea how much weight I gained.  And I don't want to know.  It all comes off eventually (let's hope!), and I am eating healthy and exercising, drinking my water all day, so I tend not to worry too much. Of course with Zach it took 4 weeks to get the baby weight off, and with Alisa it took 18 months!  Dr. Olson's daughter is getting married June 4th, so she would prefer I didn't go overdue. I'd prefer it too! I've been reading about natural childbirth a lot, and *think* I can do it, until I have a braxton hicks contraction (mine have always been strong) which reminds me what labor feels like...and then I think I don't *want* to do it natural.  We will see!  I was perusing the baby name book and came across Ingrid.  Mark actually said "That sound's good".  I think were becoming ambivalent at this point.  I know of one woman who was so frustrated with naming her baby that she auctioned it off through Ebay. She is now $15,000 richer, which sounds nice, but I don't think I could name my child "Golden Palace" at any rate! (BACK TO TOP)

February 23rd, 2005

I had my 30 week appointment this morning.  My doctor had another woman in labor, so I was actually able to get in right away, as opposed to waiting in the lobby for 30 minutes.  The lab technician asked Alisabeth when baby 'brother' would be born.  I asked him "You think it's a boy?" and he looked at the way I am carrying and said "Definitely."  Then Dr. Olson referred to the baby as a 'he', which of course makes me think that the ultrasound tech really DID look at the bits and pieces and put the gender into the report without mentioning it to me. (Probably not, but I like all the mystery surrounding it!)  Baby's heartbeat is 140 bpm today.  My blood pressure was high (142/60) and I told the nurse "Well that's because I didn't get to sit in the lobby for 30 minutes!" and so they re-did it and it was 116/60...much better!  I also had my Rhogam shot, which Alisabeth cried over (she must be remembering her own inoculations 3 weeks ago!) I am not sure why she cried, it didn't hurt me at all!  And I start seeing the Dr. every 2 weeks.  Where did the time go?  The baby loves to kick.  I am at the point where I can see a body part arc across my stomach, but not in a painful way, yet.  I think the baby is head down, as I feel most of my kicks at the top of my uterus.  Oh, and I gained 4 pounds, just about right (1 pound per week in the 3rd trimester). (BACK TO TOP)

February 10th, 2005

I received the phone call from the doctor this a.m.  I passed my 3 hour glucose test with flying colors, though my 3 hour draw was only a 53, which is very low, and she suggested that I snack more often.  How strange to go from too high to too low!  The test itself was not fun.  The blood draws had left my arms bruised and sore, and by the time I got home from the clinic I was shaking and starving.  But all is well, I feel relieved and grateful that things turned out as they did.  My next appointment is in 2 weeks, at which point I will be 30 weeks along.  Not long after that I will be going every 2 weeks.  I still can't believe how quickly the time is going.  My gut says the baby will be a boy (probably because I have a pattern established) my head wants a girl (because they are easier to name and more fun to dress) but my heart will take either (and is grateful it's only 1).  One way or the other we will be a lopsided family!  I have had some comments lately that I am finally showing.  It seems to me that I have been showing for a long time! But I have noticed that I am carrying this baby really high, and it sits like a basketball on my stomach.  From the back I don't look pregnant at all.  This makes walking easier then when I carried low, but sleeping isn't as fun!  (BACK TO TOP)




February 2nd, 2005

I had my next OB appointment today.  I actually lost 1 pound, not by dieting, but by consistent exercise and no delicious Christmas cookies to contend with.  For the first time, however, I failed my 1 hour glucose test, which is a screening test for gestational diabetes.  You take a 10 oz drink that is like orange syrup without the carbonation (I actually preferred the carbonated drinks they used to have) and 1 hour later test your blood to see how it responds.  A lot of false positives come from this test, but in doing so prevents overly large babies or even worse, stillbirths. My number was 150, and the pass/fail number is 140, so I am slightly elevated. So now I get to take the 3 hour exam.  That is when you fast for 12 hours, then have a blood draw for a fasting number, and then take a 10 oz. drink with twice as much glucose, and have your blood drawn every hour for 3 hours to get 3 different readings.  I have been doing some study on the best things to eat to prepare for the exam.  You can't fool the test, but you can prevent false positives. Wish me luck, and say a prayer. Gestational diabetes can be controlled through diet, but nobody likes to be labeled high risk when they are pregnant. (BACK TO TOP)




January 10th, 2005

This month I gained a grotesque 13 pounds (Hey, Christmas, New Years, give me a break!)  The heartbeat was 140 beats per minutes, and I also had my ultrasound.  The tech asked if I wanted to know the gender of the baby, and I immediately said "No!" to which she said "Good, I don't want to know either, so I won't even look!"  Every things looks good.  We saw the baby get hiccups, yawn, and spend the entire time with its arms tucked behind its head.  My due date is still May 5th, and I asked Dr. Olson if if would be possible to convince her to induce me on that day (I just think a 5th baby born on 05-05-05 would be too cool!) and she said she would be 'easily convinced'.  Now if I can only hang on that long.  I swear another April birth will drive me mad.  Can you believe that when I was little I wanted all my children to be born in different months so that I'd have a really pretty Mother's ring?  I guess that's why all my children will have different letters for their first initial instead!  Anyway, despite my weight gain, I am only measuring 1 week off, which is normal for me.  I expect to have another 8+ pound baby.  My colostrum has been in for a while now, and the baby is kicking up a storm.  (S)He tends to wake up around 10:00 AM and have a late schedule...which sounds like me, and Mark if he had his choice! (BACK TO TOP)

December 1st, 2004

Well I must be psychic, as I gained 7 pounds from my last appointment.  Of course, on a cruise ship all you do is eat, eat, eat, and so I am not surprised.  Other than a few contractions on the way to New Orleans and swollen feet after the long drive, all went well.  I had my second OB appointment today.  The baby's heartbeat is about 150 beats per minutes. Old wives tales about the speed of heartbeats have never held true for me, I have had fast and slow girls, and fast and slow boys.  One way I always knew I was having a girl is that I craved Ice and snow, but I am not this time. It could mean a boy, or it could mean that there is no snow to crave (not to mention that I have been very consistent in taking my vitamins, and my hemoglobin has been normal...low iron can cause weird cravings...)  We have decided to not circumcise this time around if it is a boy, after studying the facts and statistics. I regret that I choose that path with my other sons before realizing that God makes babies perfect the way they are.  Mark has been able to feel the baby kick for a couple weeks now.  I imagine it becomes more real to the fathers when they can feel the baby too.  We haven't decided on names yet...I like Irish names right now, but so many sound awkward with a German last name. Perhaps there is a compromise out there!  I liked Caitlin, but have recently found out how popular a name it is.  The middle name for a male is 'Mark' and nothing is decided for a girl at this point. The doctor said no ultrasound this month, and I was grateful.  After having so many with Alisabeth, it is nice to hear "You are doing great, no need for one yet!" (BACK TO TOP)



November 5th, 2004

I had my first OB appointment.  My doctor was thrilled to see me.  She still claims that my labor and deliver with Alisabeth was her favorite one.  It was a neat experience having all the kids in the room, but Mark and I are thinking that a nice quiet delivery with just the two of us would be a great way to end this season of life too.  At this point we are undecided.  Anyway, Dr. Olson's nurse said that when my name popped up on the computer for that day's appointments and it said "OB" the Dr. got a huge grin on her face and was so excited for me.  This made the pregnancy seem more real, as so far it hasn't really sunk in yet. But doctor measured me and said "Yep, that's definitely a uterus!" and then found the heartbeat with the doppler, so now I must believe it!  I felt the baby kick on October 26th...you know those first kicks.  They feel like butterflies in your stomach and make you wonder "What am I nervous about?  Oh, it's the BABY!"  The amazing thing about those kicks, and the first time you hear the heartbeat it, that whether it is baby #1 or baby #5 it feels like a precious miracle and is equally exciting in each circumstance! So far I haven't gained any weight, but with a cruise and the holidays approaching I expect a big weight jump in the coming months. (BACK TO TOP)

October 6th, 2004

Me and my big mouth!  Not expecting to ever be pregnant again, I openly said that if I ever had another baby, I would not find out the gender, nor would I have one of those awful epidurals again.  In all honesty, I really DO want to be surprised about the gender this time.  My thoughts in the past were always "What's the difference between being surprised in the delivery room and the ultrasound room?" but I have learned that there is definitely a difference! And to be fair, I really did not like the epidural...it was nice because I was induced (you can read Alisabeth's birthstory HERE) and the contractions were painful from the get-go, but otherwise my labors are fairly easy until those last couple of centimeters at which point you can tell yourself "just one more hour...just one more hour".  I make no promises, but do go into this knowing that women's bodies in general can handle birth, and that the less drugs used the better for both Mom and baby.  So far I am doing 'Ok'.  I am tired a lot, get dizzy sometimes, and am nauseous often, things I didn't experience with the others.  I am guessing that it has to do with being pregnant and over 30 years of age.  I was more sick with my girls in the past, but then I have many boy symptoms as well (face is breaking out,  don't have to shave my legs as often).  I imagine that  guessing the gender will be a recurring theme throughout this web site. (BACK TO TOP)



September 2, 2004

Well, you can pick my jaw up off the floor, because we are expecting baby #5.  This has come as a complete shock to both Mark and myself.  I kept in the habit of charting my cycles from when we had Alisabeth (our only 'planned' baby!) and so I know when I ovulate...but my body pulled a fast one on me.  I bought and took the pregnancy test expecting to just be reassured that stress was keeping my period away, but instead was shocked to see those 2 pink lines.  I put together a card and stuck the pregnancy test in it for Mark (by the 5th baby all thoughts of elaborate announcements are sidelined for more prudent announcements).  A few days ago, when my period was one day late, I discussed the possibility with Mark and he was the calm one "Well, at least we won't have to worry about the timing of that for the cruise!"  I think that was because he honestly didn't believe that we could be pregnant, because upon seeing the test his response was "You have GOT to be kidding me!".  Immediately thoughts turn to our house that seems to small, our van that seems so cramped, and the check register that seems so low.  The other children remind us that there is joy in the unexpected, and that our hearts and arms are more than big enough for one more child.  So it is in thanksgiving to God that we accept this gift from Him! (BACK TO TOP)