Labor, delivery, and... Zoie Elizabeth!!!

We made it! Zoie Elizabeth is here!

Born at 9:49pm on Wednesday, July 17th, our little girl weighed 6lb 4oz and measured 18.25 inches. What an intense experience labor and delivery was! Definitely not the natural birth I was hoping for, but everything turned out okay.

Our little Zoie!

As I mentioned in my last post, my doctor was concerned about Zoie's dropping growth rate. I had ultrasounds every few weeks to check her measurements and weight (all estimations), and it appeared that she was in as low as the 2nd percentile! Worried that Zoie's growth was restricted by an early-aging placenta, my doctor told us we needed to get this baby out ASAP. The next evening, James and I checked into the hospital for a scheduled induction. I received Cervidil, was placed on a fetal monitor for a few hours, and then James and I were left to sleep until early morning, when I would start Pitocin.

The nurse woke us up at 5:30am, and got things ready for my IV drip of Pitocin and saline solution. She strapped me back onto the fetal monitor, added a blood pressure cuff, and I laid in bed while Pitocin started dripping. I couldn't even feel the contractions, but we watched them rise and fall on the computer screen. I remember thinking, wow, labor isn't so bad! That is, until my doctor came in at 8:30am to break my water. After the cushion of my amniotic sac was broken, every contraction pushed baby's head directly against my cervix. Ouch!

Often times, a women's body will take over labor and continue contracting after a kick-start of Pitocin and/or other labor drugs. Mine didn't. I stayed on Pitocin for 15 hours until Zoie was born! Being hooked up to an IV pole, fetal monitors, and a blood pressure cuff limited my movement to a few feet of space next to my bed. Every bathroom trip was quite an ordeal of unplugging wires and draping them around my neck. And I was so looking forward to the hot tub and soothing hot showers! Oh well...

As my nurse slowly increased the concentration of Pitocin in my IV, my contractions started to get wild. It's amazing how your primal brain takes over in active labor. I couldn't think straight, couldn't answer questions, and I could barely tell the ceiling from the floor! All I could do was focus on getting through each sharp, painful contraction so I could rest for a brief minute in between.

Proud new daddy!

James was such an amazing support during labor! He stayed with me every minute, letting me collapse onto him during rests (he literally held my entire body weight), and cheering me on during contractions. He pretty much saved my life when I had an anxiety attack when the nurse attempted a cervical exam during a contraction (James dove in and scooped me up from laying back in bed, and soothed my panic so I could breathe again).

The most painful position during labor was in bed. Luckily, I only needed to lay in bed briefly for cervical exams every 1-2 hours. I spent my entire labor on my yoga mat (which we rolled out next to the bed) either swaying in a type of Warrior pose, or sitting on the birth ball (exercise ball). During contractions on the ball, I would grab the squat bar attached to the bed and hang off the side. It felt good to hang onto something! During rests, I would collapse onto James, who was sitting behind me on a stool.

This lasted for endless hours, and it was exhausting! There was no way I could relax my body during these sharp, intense contractions (which is the best way to dilate your cervix!). Sometime around 6pm, the nurse checked my cervix again. Still only 3cm! I wasn't dilating any further. At this point, my contractions were completely overwhelming me. I had reached my breaking point, and knew that an epidural would be the only way I could possibly continue.

After the epidural was in place, James and I both settled down in our room and tried to sleep. It was definitely a relief, but I felt pretty sad about ruining my natural birth plan. However, the epidural ended up being a blessing! About 2 hours later, the nurse checked on me again. I was dilated to 9.5cm! It was almost push time!

Our baby Zoie, shortly after birth

The nurse ran to tell my doctor, but my doctor was about to begin a c-section on another patient. So, I labored for another hour, trying my best to relax through contractions. This extra hour was actually super beneficial, because Zoie started making her way lower and lower in my birth canal. When my doctor finally suited up and came in, I pushed Zoie out in two pushes! It literally took seconds.

What a beautiful moment when James cut the cord and the nurses placed my beautiful slimy blue baby on my chest! She felt sooo warm. I couldn't believe that she had been inside me just seconds before. It was the best moment of my life.

Zoie Elizabeth, we love you so much! We're so happy to have such a healthy, darling little girl.

Welcome to the world, Zoie!

39 weeks - It's GO TIME!

This is my last pregnancy post!

39 weeks!

We're checking into the hospital tonight! We're going to have a baby tomorrow! It's crazy how fast things are happening, and we're trying our best to keep up with all the changes.

Our ultrasound yesterday evening showed that Zoie's growth rate is still dropping off. She's now in the 10th and 2nd percentiles for her measurements, and her weight is estimated to be 5lb 12oz. Fortunately, she's still healthy, kicking a ton, and has a great heartbeat! There's plenty of amniotic fluid, good blood flow through the umbilical cord, but the placenta is degrading. We could see signs of the placenta aging and calcification on the ultrasound! At this point, we can care for Zoie better outside my womb than inside. Time to kick start labor and meet our daughter!

Since Zoie's growth has been dropping so quickly, we need to induce labor very soon. Tonight we're checking into the hospital around 8pm, I'll get Cervidil to help with dilation, and we'll hopefully sleep through the night (at least they have nice double beds!). By early morning, my body should be responding to the drug with stronger contractions, and I'll likely get some Pitocin to keep labor progressing.

We'll see how long I can hold out without getting an epidural (who knows what these contractions will feel like?), but if it's a long, painful, exhausting labor, I'm guessing I'll probably need one.

This is definitely not the way I imagined labor and birth going, but I'm so thankful that Zoie is still healthy and we're doing everything we can to keep her that way! Time to put aside our own desires and focus on what's best for Zoie.

At this point I've gotten over my shock, and I'm moving on to being excited (and nervous) about meeting our little girl! We're gonna have a BABY!!!

Wish us luck, maybe a little prayer, and stay tuned for NEWBORN PHOTOS soon!

Cheers,

Martha

38 weeks - Only 2 weeks away!

Hey everyone!

38 weeks!

We're at the two-week countdown until our due date! Since due dates are really just an estimate, I didn't think due dates were that significant. However, due dates matter when your doctor wants to induce you at 40 weeks because your baby looks small!

At our 26 week ultrasound, Zoie's estimated measurements put her in the 33rd percentile. At our 36 week ultrasound, Zoie's estimated measurements dropped her to the 12th percentile. Has her growth rate really dropped that much? Not necessarily. My doctor explained that the two different ultrasound technicians might have measured her slightly differently, and in general, accurate ultrasound measurements are more difficult to obtain as the baby gets bigger. BUT, if Zoie's 39 week ultrasound measurements put her as low as the 5th percentile, my doctor said that's a good indication that Zoie will thrive better outside my womb than inside.

It's sad to think that my body might not be providing Zoie what she needs to grow normally. I've been eating nutritious food, getting plenty of calories, taking my prenatal vitamins and DHA, exercising every day, getting enough sleep and staying stress-free. What more can I do?

On the other hand, there's a good chance that Zoie is growing exactly the way she is supposed to be growing. The great news is that her growth is symmetrically proportioned: she's just petite! Some babies are just smaller than others, just like some people are smaller than other people. And maybe the estimated measurements from the ultrasounds are completely off - it happens pretty regularly (just ask my sister-in-law - her "10lb" baby turned out to be a 7lb baby!).

We're anxious for Monday the 15th - our 39th week ultrasound that will determine Zoie's latest growth percentile. Above the 5th percentile? We can let labor start naturally up to 42 weeks. Below the 5th percentile? My doctor will want to induce labor on my due date. Come on Zoie, grow!!!

In other news, my group B strep test results were negative, yay! No IV of antibiotics during labor for me. Also at Wednesday's appointment, I had my first NST (a "non-stress test" - 10-30 minutes of laying down with a belly monitor measuring baby's movement and corresponding increasing/decreasing heart rate). My doctor was very pleased with Zoie's strong movements and healthy heartbeat patterns.

I'm optimistic and happy that we have a healthy baby, but we just need a little reassurance that her small size is not indicative of a problem. Now... I wonder if any of those methods of inducing labor naturally actually work? Might be time to try :-) Except castor oil, gross!

Here's what an average baby at 38 weeks of development looks like:




How far along are you? 38 weeks today - only 2 weeks until our due date!
 
How big is Baby? At 38 weeks, babies average about 6.8lb and measure 19.5 inches in length. I'm sure Zoie is a bit smaller than that, but who really knows... Maybe she'll surprise us all and be 10lb at birth!

Weight Gain? This morning's weight was 155.5lb, total weight gain = 24 pounds.

Gender? Little baby GIRL!

Maternity Clothes? Yes indeed. Only a few more weeks! I wonder how quickly I'll be able to wear my normal clothes (and look good in them!)?

Sleep? Sleep hasn't been too bad. Except for going to the bathroom 3-6 times each night, and some pretty wild dreams (my latest one involved getting stranded in a big city with George Bush!).

Movement? Zoie continues to wiggle all the time! She's getting so big and strong- it's funny to watch my belly jerk around. She still tickles me down by my hips (maybe she's practicing grasping with her hands?), and pokes out her tush above my belly button.

Food Cravings? Chocolate, citrus, and dairy.

Labor Signs? I think I might have started feeling some Braxton-Hicks contractions this week. No sensations of muscle cramping, but sometimes I can feel with my hands that my whole belly hardens for like a minute. Then my belly softens to where I could massage it with my hands.

Belly Button in or out? Hasn't poked out any further lately, yay!

What I miss? Well, I continue to miss my old body. My balance is off, I'm heavy, and because of my diastasis recti, I have literally no strength in my abdominal muscles!

Best moment(s) of the week? What a wonderful long weekend! It felt great to have so much free time to do whatever we wanted. On the 4th, we enjoyed a BBQ and a local fireworks show. James and I also saw Despicable Me 2 (great movie!), brought a picnic to park, took our puppy on some long walks, and enjoyed lots of sleeping in. Gotta get in all the relaxing we can before baby comes!

What I am looking forward to? This is James' last week of work before taking some vacation time. We're so anxious for Zoie to arrive!

Cheers,

Martha

37 weeks - FULL TERM!

Hello y'all!

37 weeks!

Today we're officially full term at 37 weeks (and I think we've gone through a belly growth spurt). Zoie could potentially arrive any day! My little bun should stay in the oven for another 3 weeks, but things would be okay if she came now. Hopefully she's packing on some baby fat since she measured a little small during the ultrasounds - she needs a little extra weight since breastfed newborns lose 7-10% of their body weight during the first 5-7 days.

We've been putting together our hospital duffel bag- just in case! Here's what's on our packing list:

Toiletries:
-toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss
-shampoo, conditioner, soap, razor, deodorant, moisturizer
-makeup and face wipes
-toilet paper (I don't want cheap crumbly paper the hospital might have!)
-nursing pads and maxi pads

Clothing:
-yoga pants and athletic shorts
-tee shirt and tank top
-short lightweight robe
-regular nursing bra and sports nursing bra, and several pairs of underwear
-2 pairs of swim trunks (in case James wants to join me in the hot tub!)
-flip flops

Electronics:
-Bose SoundLink (My playlist involves a lot of Florence + the Machine) and charger
-iPad and charger
-camera, memory card, and charger
-cell phones and chargers

Comfort items:
-snacks (granola bars, dried fruit, squeezable packets of honey peanut butter)
-gum, mints, and hard candy
-CamelBak/Nalgene bottles
-yoga mat (so I can stretch and kneel on the floor if I'd like to during labor)
-my own pillow with a waterproof cover
-some type of aromatherapy

For Zoie:
-2 outfits (for photos?) and 2 onesies
-lightweight hat and mittens
-diapers and wipes (although the hospital usually provides these)
-swaddle blankets
-burp cloths and bibs
-Boppy nursing pillow (with water-resistant cover)
-Maya Wrap baby carrier
-Mamascarf nursing cover
-car seat

Other:
-box of chocolates for the nurses
-printed copies of our birth plan

We're starting to feel more prepared for labor. Funny how it's such a waiting game - it could happen now, or 5 weeks from now! I've been working on a brief birth plan to bring to the hospital - mostly just asking the medical team to help us achieve a natural birth. I'm worried about making the hospital staff upset if I get too defensive about non-emergency interventions they might potentially pressure on me. I don't want to turn anyone against me, but I'm very particular about what is going to happen to my body and my baby.

Did you know that fear and adrenaline can actually pause the progression of labor? I'll need to find ways to stay relaxed, feel safe, and keep my mind focused during labor. James is going to be a huge help talking to the staff for me, and being my support through everything. I'm pretty excited for everything to start happening, I can't wait to meet our daughter!

Here's our girl at 37 weeks of development:



How far along are you? 37 weeks today - we're having a baby this month! (I hope!)
 
How big is Baby? This week, Zoie's average weight should be about 6 and 1/3 pounds and should measure about 19 inches long, but I'm guessing she's still smaller than average based on her ultrasounds.

Weight Gain? Morning weight was 154.8 - WHEW! Gained almost 2 pounds this week. I think Zoie is going through a growth spurt! My belly is feeling huge and heavy. Total weight gain = 23.3lb

Gender? We're having a girl!

Maternity Clothes? Yep! I have to do laundry more frequently to make sure my limited maternity wardrobe is clean. I resorted to stealing one of James' t-shirts the other day...

Sleep? Actually pretty decent! Except... Leg cramps are still an issue. Even though we've discovered that pointing my toes triggers the muscle cramps, it's hard to control flexing/pointing/stretching when I'm half-asleep dreaming. A moment before my latest cramp occurred, I was coming out of a dream and stretched my legs, and then snapped awake when I realized I was pointing my left toes. I knew I was doomed. A split second later, a searing cramp burned its way into my left calf! GAH! Dumb sleepy brain, don't let me do that!

Movement? As usual, Zoie is moving all the time. It's borderline-painful sometimes when she's shifting around and stretching out my abdomen. It feels like she's trying to knock down walls and expand her house!

Food Cravings? Citrus and dairy have continued to be favorites.

Labor Signs? Still no Braxton-Hicks contractions that I've noticed, but Zoie is dropping lower in my abdomen. Her legs still reach up and kick my ribs, but her head is super low in my pelvis.

Belly Button in or out? Still looks about the same as previous weeks.

What I miss? Starting to miss my old body more and more - it's no fun being so heavy! I can't wait to shed weight and become more limber, agile, and regain strength in my core.

Best moment(s) of the week? Going out for dinner and drinks with friends during a hurricane-like lightening storm (thanks Nate for the shot of lemonade, haha!), buying fresh produce at the farmers market, going to World War Z (intense!), watching our little 12lb puppy outrun every other dog at the dog park, shopping and lunch with my mother-in-law in the cute historic town of Abilene, and fishing on the lake (and catching a little white bass!).

What I am looking forward to? Of course, the 4th of July weekend! James has Thursday and Friday off, so we're looking forward to a long weekend of fireworks, BBQs, and family.

Cheers,

Martha

36 weeks - Less than a month! And new ultrasound picture!

Hey everyone!

36 weeks!

Less than a month until Zoie's due date! It's really starting to hit me how soon she'll be here. James and I have been talking about what to bring to the hospital, and making sure we have all the last baby items we need.

Today I brought our Britax car seat to the local fire station for their weekly car seat check. The fireman (who was trained in a 5-day car seat course, that's intense!) made sure that we were using our Subaru's LATCH system properly, and that the car seat's incline was correct for a newborn. He also instructed to push firmly down on the seat while tightening the LATCH straps to get the snuggest attachment. Looks like we're good to go!

Also today, James and I went to see our baby's 36 week ultrasound! Zoie's anatomy is still looking perfect, and she has a head full of hair already. She is still measuring small by the ultrasound's estimations, but so far it's nothing to worry about. It was so fun to see her little chubby cheeks, and we think she yawned! She had her hands up by her face, and kept moving around gently. Her head is super low in my pelvis, with her face towards my back (so unfortunately we didn't get to see much of her face!). It's reassuring to know that she is in the correct position for delivery, and this explains the increased pressure I feel in my pelvis.

Here's the only photo we got of Zoie's face (forehead is on the right). Cute chubby cheeks!

Here's Zoie's estimated development at 36 weeks:

How far along are you? 36 weeks today - less than a month until her due date! Although I'm predicting she's going to arrive a little bit late.
 
How big is Baby? On average, she should be about 18.5 inches long, and her weight should be almost 6 pounds! However, the ultrasound today predicted Zoie to be 5lb 2oz, so she's still measuring a little small. Oh well, I can't complain about delivering a slightly smaller baby!

Weight Gain? Morning weight was 153 - steadily gaining! Total weight gain = 21.5 pounds.

Gender? Baby GIRL!

Maternity Clothes? All the time. It's been so long since I've purchased regular clothes, I'm ready to go shopping after Zoie is born! And I'd like to find a few cute non-maternity nursing tops. I finally found a comfortable nursing bra that I love! I ordered it online from Target.

Sleep? It's been going okay this week. Still waking up a lot, still kind of uncomfortable, but it's not too bad.

Movement? She's SO wiggly! Big shifting movements, and constantly poking out limbs all over my belly.

Food Cravings? Citrus has still been awesome. And I'm still craving a really good maple bar - might have to make them myself, I can't find anything good enough to satisfy!

Labor Signs? Several people have asked me about Braxton-Hicks contractions - I think I've only felt one or two (a while ago) this whole pregnancy. Perhaps I'm experiencing some now, but it's hard to tell if it's just Zoie shifting and putting pressure on my belly or if my muscles are actually contracting.

Belly Button in or out? Belly button hasn't changed in a few weeks - I think we're safe from it becoming too reckless!

What I miss? Lately I've been trying to imagine what I will miss once baby is here - we only have about 4 weeks of time alone! I'm soaking up my free time - reading, exercising, shopping, cooking, cleaning... and enjoying all the time with James that I can!

Best moment(s) of the week? These past few days and weekend have been great! Delicious Mongolian grill dinner to celebrate James' dad's birthday, Saturday exploring Kansas City with James and dinner with my friend Jenn, and a very relaxing Sunday (anyone else see the Super Moon?). And of course, today James and I got to see our little girl on the ultrasound!

What I am looking forward to? This Saturday, two of my amazing friends from college are getting married back in Seattle! I'm really missing them, and wish my due date was a little farther away so we could make the trip! Looking forward to all the pictures of the beautiful event.
 
Cheers,

Martha

35 weeks - Only 35 days until Zoie is due!

Hey guys!

35 weeks!

One more week closer to meeting Zoie, we're getting so excited! We have all the baby gear we need, we've practiced installing our Britax car seat, and we've completed all the newborn education classes at the hospital. But really... are we ready for the responsibility of another human being? AHHHH!!!

I've been reading some good books about newborn development, childbirth, and parenting styles. One of my favorites has been "Natural Hospital Birth" by Cynthia Gabriel - she gives great advice about how to work with your medical team to achieve a natural birth experience. I'm feeling pretty good about heading into labor - what an exciting thing my body was designed to do! I'm prepared for it to be more painful than anything I could imagine, but I want that amazing drug-free feeling of our baby leaving my body and entering the world. The best advice on how to make this happen? Labor at home for as long as you can - go to the hospital at the last minute!

Pregnancy marches on. I'm starting to really look forward to Zoie being out of my belly! Sleeping is growing more uncomfortable, and I'm starting to feel more tired during the day. Nothing compared to the sleepless nights we'll face after Zoie is born, but still - it's annoying when your own body won't give you a break!

No one told me that getting out of bed gets very awkward towards the end of pregnancy. I actually fell on the floor trying to roll out of bed - the book on my nightstand slipped off when I tried to support my weight in standing up, and I crashed down on my butt! Pretty alarming for James in the middle of the night...

Unquenchable thirst is also something relatively new. I always have my water bottle with me, and drain 20oz throughout each night as I'm waking up every hour. I don't even like drinking water! But feeling parched isn't any better.

At 35 weeks, our Zoie is getting so big! Here's what she might look like:




How far along are you? 35 weeks - only 2 more weeks until she's considered full term (at 37 weeks, she wouldn't technically be considered premature if she was born - her lungs and organs are strong enough to survive the outside world!) and 5 more weeks until her due date!
 
How big is Baby? Zoie is gaining about half a pound per week, so right now she should be about 5.25lb. She should measure just over 18 inches long - about the size of a honeydew melon.

Weight Gain? My mid-morning weight was 152. I'm feeling quite heavy... total weight gain = 20.5 pounds!

Gender? Girl!

Maternity Clothes? Oh yes. And all those big unisex T-shirts from college and events that I keep for working out? They actually fit me properly now. Belly is getting huge.

Sleep? Sleeping is definitely getting more uncomfortable... hips get sore (even with a pillow between my knees), belly hangs heavily on whatever side I'm sleeping on, congestion makes breathing awkward, frequent heartburn (I keep Tums on my nightstand), thirst, and several bathroom trips. I sound like a mess! However, no calf cramps this week! My dad recently mentioned that pointing your toes when stretching out your legs can trigger a cramp - and so far he's right! I've stuck to only flexing my feet to get a good stretch, and no cramps yet. Yay!

Movement? Still lots and lots of movement. Especially right when I wake up in the morning, after dinner, and when I lay down for the evening.

Food Cravings? Nothing new this week. We had a BBQ get-together yesterday, and indulged in many delicious foods! Chili dogs with onions and cheese, mmmmm...

Labor Signs? No Braxton-Hicks contractions that I'm aware of. I do suspect Zoie is starting to descend lower in my abdomen though - I can feel her wiggling really low in my belly sometimes and she's putting more pressure on my bladder. We'll get to see how she's positioned next week at our 36 week ultrasound.

Belly Button in or out? It might be about as poked out as it will go, which isn't terribly far. It's noticeable when wearing t-shirts, but it's not as bad as I predicted!

What I miss? Beer, and feeling more energetic. I can't wait to shed this weight!

Best moment(s) of the week? We didn't end up going to Omaha (James had to work on Sunday), but this weekend we went to our local Sunset Zoo! I loved it - they had a 4 month old baby chimpanzee! And otters. And a... bald eagle? I mean, I see them everywhere in Washington, but hey that's cool. James and I also saw Man of Steel on Friday - definitely worth seeing!

What I am looking forward to? This Saturday, James and I are visiting one of my best college buds in Kansas City! It's gonna be a great weekend.
 
Cheers,

Martha

34 weeks - The 6 week countdown!

Hi everyone,

34 weeks!

Things are HOT here in Kansas. Only six more weeks of being hot and pregnant (fingers crossed)! The time has come where I'm starting to feel uncomfortable pretty frequently. Zoie moves all the time... morning afternoon and night! It's wonderful for her development, but it still feels pretty bizarre (not to mention distracting and ticklish). I'm sure I'll miss it once she's born, so I'm trying to enjoy pregnancy as much as I can. It's an incredible experience, but I can't say that I love being pregnant.

I had my 34 week checkup yesterday, and things are still looking great. My nurse practitioner was checking Zoie's heart rate, a steady 144 BPM, when suddenly Zoie kicked the Doppler and her heart rate jumped to 175 BPM! My nurse said that was a great sign that Zoie is healthy. She explained that a distressed baby's heart rate won't increase when she kicks or is stimulated. Way to go Zoie!

My next appointment is in two weeks, where I'll be tested for group B streptococcus (a quick little vaginal swab). I really hope I test negative - my nurse said that about 30% of women test positive for group B strep. It's not a disease and there aren't any symptoms for the mother, but testing positive means that the mother can pass group B strep onto her baby during labor, which can make the baby ill. To reduce the risk of this, hospitals give women who test positive an IV of antibiotics during labor. The IV takes about 30 minutes to administer, which is 30 minutes longer than I want to spend tied to the bed with a needle in my arm! I'm pretty sure I'm going to be easing through contractions in the whirlpool for 90% of the time.

Also at our 36 week appointment, we will get to see Zoie on the ultrasound! I'm SO excited to see our sweet baby, she's going to be so big and developed! However, I also feel a little weird about having a third ultrasound... there hasn't been any long-term research to guarantee how safe they are for babies. Besides, the measurements and weight that ultrasounds estimate can be pretty unreliable. I'm curious how Zoie will measure up this time around, but I'm not too worried if she looks "small".

Here's our little lady at 34 weeks of development:



How far along are you? 34 weeks - only 42 days left until her due date!
 
How big is Baby? Zoie should weigh about 4.75 pounds, and measure almost 18 inches long. She's the size of a cantaloupe!

Weight Gain? My morning weight was 150 (150!!). Total weight gain = 18.5lb.

Gender? Baby girl!

Maternity Clothes? Yes indeed. I really like my maternity clothes, so luckily I'm not sick of them yet! To all the ladies out there, buy maternity items early before you need them! Then you can spend time selecting really cute clothes on sale.

Sleep? Some nights are better than others. I wake up a lot to use the bathroom (nothing new), but can usually fall asleep again pretty easily. If I stretch and flex my legs in the morning (or middle of the night), sometimes it triggers an intense calf cramp! A few mornings ago, I cried out in pain and woke up James because it hurt so badly! Luckily cramps only last 15-20 seconds, and then I spend a few minutes soothing the muscle with gentle stretching.

Movement? She never stops! I think her naps are becoming less frequent. She gets the hiccups several times each day.

Food Cravings? Mango has been the most consistent craving. I even bought a can of mango nectar and enjoyed it over ice. So good!

Labor Signs? Nothing yet (I don't think). My nurse practitioner said that it would be normal to feel my belly tightening for about 1 minute at a time on random occasions (Braxton-Hicks contractions). Sometimes I feel a tightening in my belly, but I realize it's just Zoie shifting around trying to high-five me.

Belly Button in or out? Poking out a tiny bit more. A little odd, but the skin on my poked-out bit is baby soft!

What I miss? Being generally comfortable sitting/lying down/standing. My belly feels large and in charge, and shifting positions is getting awkward. I can hardly bend forward, Zoie is blocking all my space! I miss being able to put on shoes (and socks, underwear, pants...) with ease.

Best moment(s) of the week? Yesterday, I enjoyed an hour-long prenatal massage... it was amazing! I got to lay on my side, snuggled with a soft body pillow that contoured my body. Soft music, dim lights, sweet smelling oils and lotion... and Zoie was party-rocking! The more relaxed I felt, the more active she became! I think we both bad a good time :)

What I am looking forward to? This weekend is a 4-day weekend for James! First of all, I'm really looking forward to getting my Subaru's AC fixed on Friday. Hundred degree heat is the perfect time for it to break, eh? We're thinking of driving over to Omaha, Nebraska for a night this weekend - they have an amazing zoo!

Cheers,

Martha