37 Weeks

We just got home from the doctor's office and Evy's heartbeat is back to normal! We first had a sonogram and she had a very strong heartbeat without any skips or pauses. Thank you so much for your prayers during this last week. We had faith that Evy would be fine once she was born, but we were anxious about the idea of having to induce labor. Although, Chad did tell me while we were waiting for the sonogram that he was hoping the doctor would induce labor next week because he is so anxious to see Evy. The doctor said Evy is perfect and he is going to allow us to wait to naturally go into labor. The doctor stated he was quite impressed with how Chad and I handled this heartbeat issue. We just told him we trusted him and if he says everything should be fine then we trust his confidence in that. We also told him our faith is strong and was have many praying for us and Evy that all would be fine. I am almost 50% effaced but have not dilated at this point. It is reassuring to know Evy is considered full term now just in case she decides to arrive early. I am uncomfortable and having a hard time sleeping through the night. Evy is head down and is putting a lot of pressure on my pelvis. Although there are these discomforts and I miss sleeping on my stomach, I already know I will miss being pregnant.

36 Weeks

I am now 36 weeks and have had a pretty perfect pregnancy so far. We went to the doctor for our normal checkup and he discovered a skip in Evy's heartbeat that was somewhat of a concern. It was a little scary to hear it, but I also knew it must be a fluke thing because she's been so healthy up to this point. And, she was continuing to be as active as she normally was. The doctor said this occurs at times at this point in the pregnancy and once the baby is born they are able to regulate their body. Although the doctor felt everything was fine he wanted me to get a sonogram first thing the next morning to make sure my fluid levels were normal and nothing was causing Evy any distress. So the next morning I get to the doctor's office and the sonographer has had a medical emergency and they don't have anyone to do sonograms. The doctor sends me to triage at the hospital to be hooked up to the heart monitor for at least an hour. I did this and I could still hear the skip in the beat. But she was active and the nurse in triage said her heartbeat was very strong. The doctor still wanted me to get a sonogram so I had to get one the next day at another doctor's office and go back to see my doctor. I did this today and Evy's heartbeat still skipped, but my fluids and everything else were normal. So I go to my doctor's office and meet with him and the nurse. He said because there was still some irregular beats he wants me to have 2 sonograms each week and that he might want to "take her as early as 38 weeks." I just looked at him with a feeling of shock because that's in less than 2 weeks! So in the chaos of all this we forgot to take a baby bump picture. Evy seems to be doing great despite her irregular heartbeat. We are doing good...just a little panicked about all that needs to still be done.

35 Weeks

Life has been a whirlwind lately. We are busy preparing the house for Evy, work is busy for both of us, and Chad is completing his first semester of college. We have had a couple of great showers and have three more! We are definitely getting necessary items, but also fun things for Evy. My mom is coming for a few days this week to help me work in the nursery and get it organized and decorated. Evy is doing great! She continues to be very active several times throughout the day. The books say Evy should be between 17-18 inches long by now, but according to the sonogram last week Evy has already exceeded that length. She should also weigh 5 1/2 to 6 pounds. I'm guessing she might be 6+ pounds. I woke up Monday and could breathe easier and it felt like Evy had dropped. I am having a lot of hip and lower back pain and am uncomfortable, but am doing pretty good otherwise. (I don't care for this picture, but I was off today and didn't feel like spending a long time getting ready)

Chubby Bunny

We had our check up at the doctor today and got to have a sonogram. The sonographer was so nice to do a 3D sono without charging us $300 for it. It was amazing to see Evy and we were so impressed with the quality of her features. We think Evy has my nose and chin and Chad's chubby cheeks and ears. We rushed home and pulled out baby pictures of each of us to compare. We want to know what you think...

Chad

Steph

The sonographer said Evy has a lot of hair, weighs about 5 pounds 9 ounces and is 18 1/4 inches long. She is head down and lays more on my right side, which is what I figured. And...what's crazy is that Chad made the comment that she had discovered her toes and was playing with them...and sure enough she was playing with her toes during the sonogram! She is measuring perfectly and on target for her due date. And, the best news of all is that Evy is definitely a girl...no doubt about it!

34 Weeks...Oh My!

6 weeks!?!?! 6 weeks?!?!? It is hard to see that in writing. I can't believe we only have 6 more weeks until we will meet our lil love bug. Evy seems to be favoring my right side because my belly is usually lopsided and it feels like her feet are in my right rib cage. Because of the way she is moving Chad thinks Evy has discovered her toes and is playing with them. Evy should now weigh approximately 5 pounds and should be about 17 1/2 inches long. My belly is not measuring any larger, but I think Evy has grown up into my ribs rather than growing out. I think she is head down and rests on top of my pelvis. It is getting harder to breath and sit comfortably, but I still love being pregnant. We go to the doctor tomorrow and get to have a sonogram to make sure Evy has developed well and is in position for delivery. Last Thursday we began childbirth preparation classes and learned some great relaxation and massage techniques. We have two more preparation classes and a breast feeding class to attend over the next two weeks. We are anxious to complete the nursery and plan to have everything done over the next week or so. We have been so blessed to have received many, many hand-me-down clothes for Evy. I have sorted through all the clothes and am washing them and putting them away. We think Evy probably has more clothes than we do right now! I can't wait to dress her up and she how cute she'll look in the fun outfits.

33 Weeks

At church on Sunday someone asked how long we have left before Evy's arrival and I said "just about 7 weeks". Then as we were walking away I looked at Chad and asked..."we only have 7 more weeks???!!!" Whew! That's hard to wrap my mind around. While I'm anxious to meet Evy I'm a little nervous about us running out of time. I know she'll come when she is ready, and I know when she arrives nothing else will matter. But, I also know the next +/- 7 weeks will fly by and that is overwhelming. Evy has gained another pound this week, which puts her at about 5 pounds. She is also about 16 1/2 inches long. I am feeling really good, other than being tired at the end of the day. I am trying to go to bed earlier at night to get more sleep. My belly is measuring 43 inches this week and is very tight. And, if you really care, the belly button has popped!

(Sorry about the thick, wind-blown hair...I desperately need a haircut)

I have another baby shower this weekend with my girlfriends from church and am looking forward to time with them. We hope you have enjoyed following our journey. We can't wait until the blog consists of pictures and stories of Evy!