34 Weeks! 42 days left! (and a non-political soap box)

Today, I officially have 6 weeks left of pregnancy.

I'm ready to be done.

Really, really ready.

But, I'm willing to wait a bit longer to ensure a healthy and safe baby.

So....bump picture?

(More like big huge belly picture...but whatev....)

As of my Dr. appointment yesterday,

we're pretty sure (like 98% sure) that the baby is head-down.

No more breech baby!

She's laying lower than either of the boys ever did,

and her heart rate remains strong in the low to mid 140's.

A. took this pic of me yesterday as I was talking to C just outside the door.

He wanted me to include it on the blog.

I think I just look tired.

Which, of course, I am.

Thanks to a dip in my friend, Karen's, pool, my swelling has really come down a LOT from last week,

but it didn't stop a momentous weight gain yesterday.

I stood there...on the scale....and cried.

Dude...I cried!

So, I step on, and it showed I gained ELEVEN pounds.

ELEVEN.

So, I look at Sue (my favorite nurse of all time)

and say, "Heck no...I need to reweigh."

So, I step off, and back on.

In that 30 seconds, I apparently gained ANOTHER .2 pounds.

So, now I was up ELEVEN POINT TWO pounds.

Thereby, exactly doubling my total weight gain thus far.

I was NOT OK.

This is where Sue tells me that they "fixed" the scale 10 days ago-

since ALL the OB patients were refusing all other scales,

they investigated, and realized that it was SEVEN pounds off.

SEVEN.

Seriously?  They have to FIX a scale in my third TRIMESTER?!?!?

So, if you subtract that 7, I actually gained 4.

(point stupid 2)

Which is pretty much in the range of weight I've been gaining and loosing this whole pregnancy.

Since I lost it last time, I expected a little gain....

So, I don't know if I just started the pregnancy 7 pounds higher than I was,

or if it gradually got off, and I've been gaining more than they were telling me.

Regardless, I saw a number I wasn't happy to see.

A number I never wanted to see again.

Tears started to form.

But, in the long run...I need to remember that I am healthier this pregnancy,

and I'm not overdoing my calories. 

I'm being smarter and making better choices.

That will affect me after the baby is born as well.

And Sue (best nurse ever) reminded me that I'm STILL

significantly lower than my last yearly appt

almost 2 years ago.

So, while I think about how much I worked my arse off to get down 54 pounds pre-pregnancy,

I need to remember that I've weighed much more than this

without being pregnant.

And that I'll have plenty of time to get back down after baby girl comes.

In the meantime, I need to remind myself that I'm focused on a healthy pregnancy.

Making healthy choices.

Turning those healthy choices into healthy habits.

Anyway....

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I need to jump on a soap box for second.

I promise it's not political.

My Dr. had a really stern talk with me yesterday about Whooping Cough, and the vaccine.

Whooping Cough in older children and adults presents as a persistent cough.

Bothersome, but not life threatening.

However, it can be FATAL to infants.

FATAL.

As in "cause of death"

So, an epidemic that started on the Western side of our country

has now spread throughout it.

And right into Michigan.

And, as a matter of fact, there was a 3 month old baby in the obituaries not long ago

who died of Pertussis (Whooping Cough).

It's in my back yard.

So, all area OB's are having very strongly worded talks with their patients about getting vaccinated.

If you haven't had a Tetanus shot within the PAST 3 YEARS, you are not covered.

ANY adult that comes into contact with an infant can pass whooping cough on to them.

They are STRONGLY recommending parents and grandparents get updated vaccines,

but really, any adult who comes into contact with any baby should now be updated.

Guys...this is serious.

Even my husband (who does NOT do Dr's) went and got updated yesterday afternoon.

He's protecting his baby girl.

I'm going to get updated at my next visit.

I do not want to be the one responsible for ANY parent standing over a NICU isolette

watching their baby fight for life.

Let alone mine.

After I'm updated, I know our family of 4 is completely up-to-date on our Tdap (or DTap for the boys)shots...

...are you?