A real live miracle

Our tiny IVF miracle arrived one week early on July 24 after a quick labor, weighing 6 pounds, 9 ounces. It's a boy and he has a head full of dark hair. I can't tell you ecstatically happy and grateful we are. When I start thinking about everything we've been through to get here I start crying. So many years, so many procedures, so many tears and he's finally here. 

From one of these tiny clusters....

 To this beautiful boy

We're finally parents

38wks

We're getting so close! My weekly appointment was Tuesday and there was no change but she said the head was still very low. I've had some light cramping off and on but nothing awful. I also feel more pressure down below when the baby rolls around. 

Last weekend we got a lot of odds and ends done. Doug installed both carseat bases and put together the stroller caddy and the giant swing (which I'm sure we'll be thankful for later). I made another couple of freezer meals and a few batches of frozen cookie balls that just have to be stuck in the oven and baked. This week we had a cleaning service come and clean the house and I'm so glad we spent the money. 

Speaking of money, we got our first dose of how expensive childcare is. We went on several daycare waiting lists in March. We got in our number two pick shortly after. It's a great program, it's just no. 2 because it's further away from our house so we'll have to drive a little bit out of the way to take the baby there. Anyway, I called our no. 1 pick to see where we stood on the waiting list and we're third on the list, but there's only one spot so it looks like we'll be using the place we have a spot at. So the place we'll be sending the baby has a dayschool so it runs like a school, starting in August, running through May, etc. We found out that we have to start paying the full tuition for the months of August, September, and October, even though our baby can't start going until twelve weeks, which will be around the first of November. I was pretty upset by this, Doug isn't as upset about it as me. On one hand I'm so glad to have a spot at such a great place, but on the other hand I feel like we're essentially having to throw away a substantial amount of money for no services. I guess this is normal protocol but we really didn't realize it. Plus it stings to have to shell out more money when we're still trying to recover from all the IVF expenses. Sigh, I think it's always something though. 

We're still very excited and I'm hoping for an uncomplicated delivery that gives us a healthy, happy baby. 

36wks & 37 wks

So this is really happening. I think we're really having a baby in a few weeks. Un-freaking-believable. 

Our maternity pictures turned out really well, super sweet couple and super nice to work with. I kind of hate my hair but that's because it's still in the weird growing out phase and the humidity/natural curl doesn't help. Meh. I'll be posting some of them on my other blog later this week. 

My appointment last week was uneventful (I did not get bitten again). I've stopped asking about my weight gain, I know it's hovering around 30 pounds so I'm just going to leave it at that. I did get to drop trou for the first time since the transvag ultrasounds stopped. I got swabbed for Group B Strep but since I hadn't had any cramping she put off doing a cervical check, which was fine with me. 

We have our carseat and bases (thanks to some very generous family members and a friend) we just need to install them, sooner rather than later. I started washing the swaddle wraps, bibs, burp cloths, and blankets this week and I need to sort the clothes and wash a few outfits. Our diaper bag came in, it's not really a diaper bag, it's really the Clipper Tote from Timbuk2 but we didn't want something super baby-ish. I've made my hospital bag list, now I just need to pack it. I also called our insurance company to make sure I had the correct information on how to add the baby to our health insurance. It still seems weird to be making all these major preparations.

I've continued to feel pretty good. Minor aches and pains, heartburn/indigestion, and frequent potty breaks are about it. It's been crazy hot here but I've stayed indoors as much as possible and I drink a lot of water to stay hydrated. The baby has continued to move around a lot, my doctor said since my amniotic fluid has peaked movement will probably be less pronounced now. I still feel a lot of shudders and pokes, again it sometimes feel like this baby want to exit through my stomach.

Today I had my 37 week appointment and my doctor said I tested negative for Group B, so no antibiotics needed. I had heard cervical checks were painful but I thought it couldn't be that bad, I mean I've had giant needles poking into my ovaries how bad could the doctor's fingers be? Well, it was pretty toe-curling and not in a good way. But I know that actual labor and delivery will be far more painful so I'll suck it up. I expected her to tell me that everything was long and closed (cervix-wise) but she said I was 1 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced. Basically it means nothing though, based on what I've read you can be at 1 for weeks. This baby can keep baking for a couple of more weeks though. I have a ton of work stuff at do before my maternity leave starts and I feel like I need every minute I have. Although really I know that in the end if baby comes early work will figure out how to manage without me. 

T-minus 3 weeks....(or 4 if he/she is stubborn)