No baby. Not yet. Still waiting.

We’ve tried everything that one can imagine to help coax this baby to come out of its very comfortable home. Monday and Tuesday of this week I checked off acupuncture. I’ve also eaten spicy food, drank castor oil, eaten pineapple, eggplant, gone for hour-long walks, and whatever else is on “the list.” Still, no baby.

On Wednesday, I decided (after reading about induction methods online from 4-6am) that I wanted to postpone the June 19th induction date. I figured that as long as the baby was doing okay in-utero, who was I to kick him/her out before he/she was ready? My impatience, I decided, wasn’t reason enough to induce.

So, instead of going in this morning for an induction, we went in to meet with Dr. Swartz and to make sure that the baby is doing fine. First, they ran an NST, where the baby’s heartrate is externally monitored. Next, we had an ultrasound, to check the level of amniotic fluid. According to Swartz, I have “plenty of fluid.” She also predicted that the baby is seven and a half pounds, which both Justin and I snickered at (we are sure this baby is at least 8lbs like its sister, Clare was). Finally, in an exam room, I had a vaginal exam to check for dilation and to have my membranes stripped (for the THIRD time). At least I had made some progress…I am now 3cm dilated.

We discussed induction again and concluded that if this baby doesn’t come before next week, then we will induce on Wednesday, June 24th. That is a whole 10 days late…enough of a grace period, if you ask me.

COME ON, BABY, YOUR BIG SISTER WANTS TO MEET YOU!!! 

My due date (June 14th) has come and gone, and now it’s time to pull out all of the stops and see if I can’t “encourage” him/her to come on out.

Since June 7th (my last blog post), I have had two more OB-GYN appointments. On June 8th, Dr. Swartz stripped my membranes. Of course, the caveat to this procedure was that it would only work if the body were already ready to go. And, if it was going to work, we’d see some action within 48 hours. You guessed it…the 48 hours came and went and no labor.

Everyone has suggestions for getting labor started and, I must admit, it’s been fun hearing from concerned friends and family wondering “what’s happening?” I tell the same story over and over, “No baby yet.” And, usually inquire about their experiences and what has worked, etc.

The list of things we’ve tried include: eggplant parmesan, sex, eggplant salad from Whole Foods, sex, Raspberry Leaf Tea, walking, and more sex. It’s not so much that I mind this baby being overdue. I really don’t. What I am most concerned about is having to be induced and the god-awful drug, Petocin, that will surely be administered. I had to go down the Petocin route with Clare after my water had been broken for more than 36 hours and still not in hard labor. Petocin sucked. I’d prefer to get these contractions going on my own, thank you very much.

Today, we went back to the OB-GYN for our appointment (one which I scheduled on a whim because really, WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT I WOULD GO PAST MY DUE DATE??) and we talked about next steps. I am still 2cm dilated and 75% effaced (same place I was back on June 3rd) and we decided that if the baby hasn’t arrived on its own by Friday, June 19th, that I would come into the hospital and we’d begin inducing (ugh). Dr. Swartz also stripped the membranes (again).

I have to admit, that having an induction scheduled has definitely kicked me into high gear, and, after reading about the use of castor oil to help get labor started, I visited Whole Foods after the appointment to purchase the nasty stuff. Why castor oil? Well, according to the world wide web: “Castor oil stimulates the bowels in the same way an enema would. For some unexplained reason, when the bowel is stimulated to empty in this way, the uterus is also stimulated to empty.” Yes, I spent the middle of today “emptying” my bowels. It wasn’t all that fun, but still no labor.

Following the castor oil experience, this afternoon, I went to my first acupuncture appointment with the hopes that some ancient Chinese medicine would do the trick. Recommended by two friends, I visited Stephanie Kelsey in her cozy downtown Pearl Street office. My first experience with acupuncture was a good one. One can hardly feel the needles going in, and the hour-long session left me feeling relaxed and optimistic. The ol’ uterus has been active this afternoon, but it’s hard to say if that activity is a precursor to something else. It’s a wait and see now.

So, dear baby, I hope that you will know that your Momma went to a whole lot of extreme measures to coax you out of what’s been your home for the last 40 weeks. I can’t wait to meet you. I can’t wait to see what you look like and we’re all excited to know if you are a boy or a girl. Come out, come out!!!

Uncle Simon's Visit

My brother came to Boulder this weekend for a visit. We were all hoping that the baby would make his/her grand entrance while he was here, but no luck there.

We did have a very nice weekend together though and Clare continues to charm her uncle. Simon and she played a lot together and he even had her kicking and throwing her soccer ball in our backyard, which was awesome.

I am officially 39 weeks (and 1 day) now and we are on “Baby Watch,” for sure. I am hoping that any day/moment will be “go time.” Last Wednesday, I had one of my weekly OB-GYN appointments with Dr. Swartz. When she checked my cervix, I was 2cm dilated and 75% effaced. Of course, women can walk around for weeks with this kind of action, but one can’t help be optimistic that things are going to happen soon.

My favorite blogger, Heather Armstrong of Dooce.com, who happens to be pregnant with her second child and due the same date as me, published a spot-on post last week that perfectly captured the cervical exam. Check it out here: www.dooce.com.

Hoping to help things along, Friday afternoon, Simon and I made Eggplant Parmesan from a recipe I found online. Apparently, there is a restaurant outside of Atlanta called Scalini’s, which serves an Eggplant Parm that is famous for sending pregnant women into labor within 48 hours of eating it. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked, but the dinner was tasty nonetheless.

Meanwhile, things at work have significantly slowed down for me and I am officially working from home until I roll onto my maternity leave (Friday, June 12th, if not before). It’s so much better to be home, barefoot, and on the couch, rather than having to battle my wardrobe each morning and face the stares and comments of coworkers asking “when are you due?” for the one-thousandth time.

Our good friends, Josh & Marni Zapin, were due with their second child on June 9th, five days before us. Their son, Elijah, was born five days early this past Thursday. Can’t help being envious that their little man is here and we are still waiting. Finding out the baby’s sex is even more exciting now that the delivery day approaches. I can’t wait!

In other news, this afternoon, Clare asked to put on her “big girl panties,” and we decided to let her wear them. We reiterated that wearing the panties meant that she needed to make all of her pee-pees and poopies into the potty and if she had accidents we would have to put her back into a diaper. I am happy to report that she peed twice in the potty and had zero accidents during the 2+ hours she wore the panties. Of course, we reminded and encouraged her to “try” sitting on the potty both times that she went, but still, progress was made on that front. Way to go, Clare!

Clare had two run-ins today with sharp household objects where I found myself saying, “Yea, you’re going to have to remember this.”

First Incident: This morning, shortly after putting on a new summer dress, Clare wanted the tag cut out. I had already removed the price tag and another laundry tag, but she wanted the brand-name tag removed, too. (Lord help us she doesn’t become one of those texture-challenged children that has to wear her socks inside out due to the seams driving her crazy.) Justin was in the kitchen getting breakfast ready and I was making my way into the bedroom to begin my daily morning battle with my pregnancy wardrobe. That’s when Clare decided to go into the top drawer of her dresser and take out the pair of scissors we keep there for tag removal and other cutting chores. She retrieved the scissors and carried them into the kitchen to hand over to Daddy. (Hi, sharp objects in my 2 yr old’s hands. Oops.) Mental note: Keep those scissors OUT of her room.

Second Incident: Later this morning, while awaiting the arrival of a friend for a scheduled playdate, Clare and I were playing make-believe. She was “shopping” she said for food and had decided that she was going to buy pizza. She then determined she needed a knife to cut the pizza. While I played the role of bad mother and turned my back for a few minutes, Clare went into the kitchen, into the top silverware drawer, and removed a knife. (Second sharp object in my 2 yr old’s hands inside an hour.) When I reminded her that knives were for Mommy’s and Daddy’s to use, she took this as cue to begin RUNNING with said knife into the bedroom. Fortunately, no one was hurt or impaled. (I know, I am winning all kinds of parenting awards today, believe me.)

It’s been MANY months since I sent out a Clare update of photos, so I have put together the following slideshow which captures March-May.

That is the beautiful phrase I heard when walking into Clare’s room this morning. (Definitely worth sharing, Internet.)

The MacClellands left today after a great holiday weekend together. It was awesome to see Clare playing with both Chase and Gracie. We hit up the Boulder Creek Festival, the Dinosaur Park at the East Boulder Rec Center, Red Robin with the extended MacClelland family, and had an awesome time with our good friends.

Thankfully, this is a short week with work for me only Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Tomorrow, we have another OB appointment with one of the other doctors in our practice. Yesterday marked the beginning of week #38 for us, too, which is exciting. We are under the three week mark at this point, so we’re getting there. Probably time to start packing a bag, right?

Also just finished reading Water for Elephants, which I would highly recommend. Loved the writing and the story. It was a terrific read.

In many ways it’s hard to believe that we are already in the middle of May. But, for those that have seen me lately and the size of this belly I am hefting around, one would think that it’s the middle of August, and I am two months overdue! Of course, getting comments such as, “Are you sure you’re not carrying twins?” doesn’t help the ol’ self-esteem much either. Seriously people, do you not know better than to ask a pregnant lady such a thing?

This weekend marked the end of week #36 and the beginning of #37. Yes, I know I am getting “close,” but honestly to think that there are FOUR more weeks of this is a bit depressing. I am ready for our newest one to make his/her arrival –even though I know it will mean night-time feedings, craziness in our household, etc. Whatever. I say, “bring it,” and let’s get the show on the road.

We had our doctor’s appointment this morning where we saw Dr. Swartz, who we’ve chosen to fill in for our regular OB, Dr. Jensen (out on maternity leave). Swartz actually delivered Clare two years ago as she was the on-call doctor, so we feel pretty comfortable about her handling the remainder of this pregnancy. Everything looked good, she said, but the baby’s belly during the ultrasound was measuring big so we are going later this week to get another measurement/ultrasound. Nothing too alarming, they just want to be prepared for the labor, should the baby actually have the buddha belly it appears to. For us, it means another look at the baby come Thursday morning when we have the follow-up appointment scheduled. Meanwhile, baby #2 is head down, face up, and sitting in my uterus froggie style–just like Clare did.

Clare is doing great. She continues to make us laugh daily at the things that she says. We’re making some progress on the potty training front, which is also a good thing. Some of the kids in her class and one good friend who lives in our neighborhood are close to being potty trained and the peer pressure is working! Just last night, before beginning our bedtime routine, I asked Clare if she wanted to try and make pee pee. While Justin and I folded laundry, I peered out of our bedroom and watched as she marched herself into the bathroom, pulled her shorts down, took off her diaper, sat on the potty and took care of business! ALL BY HER SELF! She was quite proud of her performance, too, and together the three of us celebrated the accomplishment.

Hopefully, she will continue on this path and the arrival of her sibling won’t set her back. We figure that once baby #2 is 2-3 months old, we will try to put Clare into panties and make the big push to fully potty train. We’ll see.

Over the weekend, we managed to squeeze in a lot of activity. We hit up the Sunflower Farm (a Clare favorite) for a friend’s birthday party. Clare had been (and still is) singing happy birthday to Lucy all of the time. Clare loved feeding the goats and would have done that all day, had there not been cupcakes and hot dogs to lure her away from the bucket of corn.

We had a babysitter Saturday night and got out with the Bieners for some bbq. Justin and I even stayed out later and indulged in some Ben & Jerry’s before going to see a friend’s bluegrass band play at a local bar. Sunday morning, my girlfriends honored me by getting together for a baby #2 brunch at Q’s in downtown Boulder. I am fortunate to have such good girlfriends and they’re a great support system. In the afternoon, following a playdate with Nolan & Francis Kelly, Justin and I left Clare at home napping with a babysitter while we snuck out to see the new Star Trek (awesome!) movie.

Meanwhile, Justin hit up Home Depot and Target, fixed our sprinkler system, unpacked more books to go on his newly hung office bookshelves, planted new lavendar bushes, and whipped up pancakes for a tasty breakfast one morning. I have an amazing husband.

This Friday, our friends Caren & Scott MacClelland arrive with their kids, Chase (almost 5) and Gracie (almost 3) to stay the weekend with us. We’re looking forward to the full house, the Boulder Creek Festival, watching the kids play together, and having a bbq at Chautauqua Park with a bunch of families.

I’ve thought about this before, but on Wednesday, while spending the day with Clare, it really started to become more real. Our time with Clare –just the three of us– is soon coming to an end, and it makes me sad. These mother/daughter days that we have each Wednesday will no longer be for just the two of us. We are soon to be a trio on Wednesdays with the new baby’s arrival in mid-June. Our family of three will be a family of four and while this has always been a planned event, the reality of it is really starting to hit home.

Clare will likely have no memories of these early years in her life. Her earliest memories will probably start with her life with a sibling. She won’t remember that we were once a threesome and will instead always know as as a foursome. I guess, in some ways, that’s good for her and not something she can take with her into her one day therapist’s office, with tales of, “I remember the day they brought home the other kid and, boy, did that suck.” Sure, she might have some of these feelings as a toddler when we do bring home a screaming, pooping, little potato, but she likely won’t even remember that day. I hadn’t really expected these feeling though, which is why I write about them. They were a surprise side-effect of pregnancy.

Wednesday was a great day though. Clare is really a lot of fun right now and definitely one of my favorite people to spend time with. She makes me laugh and her hugs and kisses are powerful enough to melt even the hardest of people. The fact that she gives them so freely is proof positive that her heart is so open. Every day when we pick Clare up from daycare, she goes from child to child saying goodbye to her classmates –giving each one a hug. I’m pretty sure that Clare is the only kid that does this upon leaving each day and it’s incredibly endearing, of course.

In the last month or so, she has really solidified her grasp on numbers. She easily recites the numbers from one to 10 and can actually count things. Meaning, her comprehension of 1-10 is not just a memorization, but she knows what one apple looks like versus three. The kid can count, I tell you. Her grasp of the alphabet is coming along, too. For some reason, that seems harder (to me), because not only are there 26 letters in the alphabet, but the capital and lower-case ones look different from one another so there really are 52 letters to learn. She definitely knows the letter “C” and calls it “mine” whenever she sees it in books, on shirts, etc. Clare is also singing the A, B, C’s and usually gets to somewhere in the middle before starting over at A again.

My 36th birthday was last weekend and Justin surprised me by arranging for his mom to fly out and watch Clare while we flew to NYC for the weekend. It was a great trip. We stayed at the W in Midtown East, saw the show “Chicago” in front row seats, had dinner with an old friend of Justin’s, ran into an old friend of mine, ate at the Gotham Bar & Grill (delicious) and slept in both mornings. It was wonderful.

Clare did amazing with her Nanny while we were away and greatly enjoyed the Easter basket Nanny gave her. Here she is with a blissful grin enjoying m&m’s and jelly beans from the basket.

On the pregnancy front, I am about to finish my 32nd week. Eight weeks to go until June 14th.

Justin did an amazing job editing this beautiful video. Way to go, Daddy!