Peter has now been redirected toward the exit!

The ECV procedure worked! Thank you to all of you who were praying for us on Wednesday. We got to the hospital about thirty minutes early on Wednesday and I was checked into labor and delivery. It was kind of neat that we got to be in one of the rooms and see everything so we will (hopefully) be nice and prepared for the big day since we hadn't had a hospital tour yet or anything like that. They got me hooked up to iv and fetal monitors and we waited. Waiting is apparently the theme on the childbirth floor. Dr. Golden came by and reminded me of what we'd be doing then I got a shot to relax my uterus and we waited. It's funny, the medicine they give you is like adrenaline so it makes your whole body shaky and your heart beat fast but it stops your contractions and relaxes your belly. Then after some more waiting Ultrasound came and confirmed where the baby was (and that he's still a boy!). Then the doctor came back and boom bang... baby is facing down. Well, it wasn't quite as easy as that, but I was prepared for it to be much worse. Honestly getting the iv put in was probably worse then all the tummy squeezing. Paul got to hold my hand during the procedure and then the doctor just sort of presses on your tummy until he gets the baby squeezed between his hands and then cranks him around. Ultrasound checks every few inches to make sure the head is moving correctly. It only took about five minutes to get him turned and then the doctor held him down for a few more minutes. It's amazing to me that with all the technology we have, this relatively simple procedure was the best option. Dr. Golden was amazing and I guess that made it much more bearable. After they were done they give you pitocin to restart your contractions and boy did that work?! After some more waiting and being monitored I got to go home with baby firmly planted downward. All together we were at the hospital for about four hours and I'm really glad we decided to do it. Now I have a much better chance of a vaginal birth (though still not guaranteed). Please continue to pray that the baby does not flip back (that can happen, though rarely) and now that he is facing the exit, he needs to make his way downward and actually fit! Now we continue to wait until I go into labor on my own. I've had all the right signs to be progressing that way, it's just a matter of hours, days, or weeks now! I'm feeling much better mentally and emotionally (which helps physically) knowing he's not breech anymore and I've got a little bit of a second wind knowing that he can come soon!!

"I'm Hosed!"

That was the thought that ran through my mind around 3AM a few days ago.

You see what had happened was this. I was sleeping, sleeping hard. And then I heard the faintest hint of a baby crying. "Whehnhhh..."
I popped awake, and "My baby is crying!" went through my mind.
"Whehnhhh..."
"I must help my baby!" I may even have sat up in bed.
...
"Wait a second, I don't have a baby that can cry yet!?!"
"Whehnhhh..."
"Is that the cat? ... No, it doesn't sound like him."
"Whehnhhh..."
"Is it something outside?"
"Whehnhhh..."
"No, it's definitely coming from inside. ...in fact.
"Whehnhhh..."
"You've got to be kidding me! It's Jessica's nose whistling. I can't believe I just woke up because of a nose whistle."
"Whehnhhh..."
"I'm hosed."

That stereotypical scene where the baby cries, Mommy tells Daddy it's his turn, Daddy grunts and keeps sleeping, and Mommy has no choice but to get up and take care of her wailing infant, that will not be happening in our house. Mommy's nose whistle woke Daddy up and sent him into a paternally charged adrenaline rush, ready to satisfy the needs of his yet-to-be-born son.
I felt, selfishly, a bit robbed of the ability to sleep through the needs of my child which American entertainment and culture had promised me.

All hope of fulfilling the role of uncaring brute is not lost, though. Because a couple of nights ago, I totally responded unsympathetically (because I wasn't really awake) when informed I was snoring, slept through Jessica grumpily banging around the kitchen and chasing down a roach in the living room, then eventually let her take her pillows and go to the mother-in-law bed (a twin) in the nursery--I was awake enough for that last part so that I remember it happened.

I just hope that when "my turn" actually comes that it comes with enough Holy Ghost fire to have me respond more like the first scenario and less like the second.

More Showerings of Presents!

Thanks to all of our sweet friends who threw an amazing shower for us last weekend. It was so much fun.... games, presents, decorations, and all! The nursery is well-stocked now and beautiful!

Decisions to make

As I finish my bowl of frosted mini wheats (yum!) this morning, I'm researching and thinking about a major parenting decision we have encountered.

At currently 37 weeks, I had a doctor's appointment yesterday.... much was learned. Baby Peter and I are still doing very well physically. No blood pressure or any other issues. His heart rate was 167 and he's super active so all the signs are that he is very healthy. (I have to say though that whenever we get in the car, Peter goes nuts! I'm apparently going to have the only baby that doesn't fall asleep in the car). I've gained too much weight but I haven't actually gained any in the last week so that's good because I almost fell off the scale last weekend when I saw the number! My swelling is pretty bad but since my blood pressure is still great there's no worries there. Aside from the basic stuff the new things we learned were....

I am currently not dilated at all (boo!) but 70% effaced (yay!). I was really hoping to hear that I was farther along than that since I've been having some sort of regular contractions for weeks but no...

Also, I learned that I have a happy baby.... so happy in fact that he has decided he's not leaving.... and it's not that he's just staying around, he is staying as far away from the exit as he can get. Peter is still breech with his head right under my rib cage. He's also not engaged at all. Dr. Golden did an internal exam, ultrasound, and felt my stomach with his hands, so I feel really confident about the baby's current state.

Which brings us to the decision....

The chances of the baby turning now are not very good since I'm so far along so if I go into labor anytime in the next three weeks (or have to be scheduled after three weeks), odds are... c-section. I've read that you can try and have a vaginal birth with a breech baby but it's complicated and I am unwilling to put either one of us through that. A c-section is not the end of the world and since I, myself, made my grand entrance via this method, I don't have any harsh feelings toward it. However I've asked around a lot and all things being equal I'd like to do this the traditional way. So the only way that can happen is if the baby turns. The doctor has suggested that we try ECV (external cephalic version). I didn't really know a lot about it but I asked him a bunch of questions and have researched the mess out of it on the internet. My biggest hang-up now is that I don't actually know anyone that's had it done (anybody?). The procedure will be scheduled for tomorrow so Paul and I have until noon today to decide if we want to try it (though I bet I can change my mind between now and then too). The doctor says we are a good candidate (and I trust his judgment very much), baby is in plenty of fluid and not engaged, but the success rate is only 60%. There are not a lot of great risks (much less than the risks of a c-section and the biggest risk is you deliver early which is FINE with me), and if it works, I'll probably (though not definitely) be able to deliver vaginally. So about every five minutes I change my mind about what I want to do... first I think I don't want the procedure, I'll just wait and have a c-section if I need it.... then I think, no no, I don't really lose anything by at least trying and I gain a lot if it works... then I think, it's not worth trying... then I think it is... then I think it's not... then I think it is.... I don't know! And I've tried to get other people to just decide for me, but to no avail. I asked Dr Golden which I should do but he says they are both good options, it just depends on what I want. Then I asked my mom who refused to say which I should do. Then Paul says it's my stomach they are pressing around on so it's really up to me. Then I call my mother-in-law (I thought the point of having a mother-in-law was so she could run your life, push her opinions on you. and make your decisions for you), but NO, she listened but didn't have an opinion for us. (side note: my mother-in-law is amazing!!) So we've prayed for wisdom and are just continuing to think. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately depending on how you look at it) there is no wrong answer here, I could do either and feel good about it. Or I could do either and wish I had done the other... oh no...

But now my mini wheats are gone and I need to get up from the computer cause my feet are puffy again.... still don't know what to do...

The Nursery is Finished... well, finished-ish

10 Steps to the Perfect Nursery:

1. Buy a house with more than one bedroom- check!

2. Move out of the nursery all of the random boxes that you put in there when you were moving- check!

3. Having married a wonderful guy who will paint it, pick out a fun color/pattern and have him do so now- check!



4. Pray that you are blessed to have wonderful friends and family who will give you stuff both old and new- check!



5. Build any necessary furniture- check!
(see also Daddy and Poppy putting together the crib)



6. Play with some of the toys- check!



7. Wash the cat...wait, I guess you don't have to do that, but it could be good baby washing prep- check!



8. Arrange all that great stuff you got- check!



9. Admire- check!



10. Have a baby- hm... not checked yet...

It's showering baby presents!

Today I had an amazingly fabulous shower! Well, I guess technically Peter had a shower, but I got the open the presents! We got a ton of stuff and I am just overwhelmed at how blessed Paul and I are. Samantha has a bunch more pictures that I need to get to post on here including a picture of the gift table and my lovely hostesses (Samantha, Grandmother, Aunt Linda, and Aunt Charlene). Now Mommy and I just need to find somewhere in the nursery to put all this stuff!

"It's like... really green!"

Has anybody else seen that home depot or lowe's commercial with the couple that buys the house and all the things are going wrong? And they cut to them painting a room this way bright green color? Well, our nursery isn't quite that green but it's pretty green. And we love it!! Check it out....

Paul taping the lines off





This grasshopper is the same color as the walls!


Finishing up!

Appointments, Appointments, Appointments!

Appointments seem to be the theme of these last few days. Tuesday morning we were at the Elmore County Health Department bright and early for my first WIC appointment. It was definitely a humbling experience to ask for help, but we are very grateful for the groceries that this will provide. Next we had to swing by the courthouse to file for the homestead tax expemtion. We were FINALLY able to do that with our recorded deed that we JUST got in the mail. Yay for being homeowners! I can't believe we've been here two and a half months already! After running errands all morning in Wetumpka my feet were back on the rise but I was able to rest a lot that afternoon. On Wednesday morning we drove the opposite direction into Auburn for my doctor's appointment. I'm 34 weeks and have so far gained 37 pounds.... yikes! It's not an issue of vanity I promise, but all this weight is getting hard to carry. I'm not sure how I managed to gain so much in just two weeks, but I guess that explains why my body is just so pained and exhausted. I'm definitely going to have to be dedicated to losing this weight after this baby is born because it is so miserable!! Because of the weight my blood pressure was a little high but nothing to worry about. The baby's heart rate is till strong but he is pointed away from the exit!! There is only one way out of here baby and let me just tell you it's not up. Dr. Golden did an ultrasound to check and sure enough this little stinker is breech. At this point the majority of babies should be turned so the doctor says they'll just continue to monitor it and next time we will discuss some possible options. Though I would rather not have a scheduled c-section, if that's the worst thing that happens during this pregnancy that's fine with me. Some of us just make our appearance into this world in a slightly different way... I mean... I'm a c-section baby! But I am praying that he will go ahead and turn between now and due date. After the OB I had an appointment at the LifeSouth office right outside the hospital because I wanted to go ahead and fill out all my paperwork to donate the baby's cordblood. Donating cordblood is a wonderful opportunity to give the gift of life to someone else! LifeSouth collects the cordblood right after baby is born. They take no blood or anything from the baby and what they are collecting is something that would get thrown away anyway. They freeze and store the cordblood for ten years to see if a match needs it and after then it is used for research. If someone needs it to help treat their disease it is given away and if my family needs it and it hasn't been given away yet, we can get it back! Of course my prayer is that my family will stay healthy and never need such a treatment, but it's nice to know that it's there and hopefully more will be willing to give. NOTE TO ANY EXPECTANT MOTHERS: you should definitely look into cordblood donation. Obviously, you must decide what is right for you and your family, but especially as Christians who are commanded by the Lord to love others, this is a great chance to show tangible love. Also as we speak out against what we believe are unethical practices in medical research, cord blood donation is a chance to say "hey, this works just as well... if not better!" Just a thought for you to consider. End note to expectant mothers. In naming news we are still pretty sold on Peter, but are reluctant to claim anything for sure. I'm trying to do better about using his name to try and get used to it, but I think what we ultimately call him will depend on his appearance and personality once he gets here!

We don't sleep good at night but we sure can nap with the best of them!

Paul and I haven't been sleeping well the last few nights, I guess our bodies are just getting us ready for when baby comes! Last night for the first time in two years of marriage I was burning up during the night and Paul was wrapped up and chilly... I'm not sure what has gotten into us except maybe the hormones! We both toss and turn, me because my back aches and Paul because some big whale keeps rolling over on him during the night. However we have gotten some wonderfully refreshing naptimes during the day. When I woke up from my mid day nap today (in my defense I got up at 5:30 am for an appointment) this is what I saw in the living room (see above picture). I'm thinking Malachi enjoys the naptimes too.... I hope he doesn't have too rude an awakening when his naps are disturbed by a baby cry!

Student life rocks!!

We are home so I am reposting this picture along with a little bit about our week. We left Monday morning with 8 youth and 3 adults (don't worry... we did come back with all of them!). We had conference meetings each morning and night...worship led by Charlie Hall and preaching by David Platt (both awesome!). Then we also had two church group meeting times during the day (well one was actually family group time but our youth group is small and all stayed together). We had some free time in the afternoons and got to enjoy the pool and beach when it wasn't storming. I had a blast and I think everyone else did too. It was tiring because we went from 7 in the morning until 12 (or later!) every night but it was so great to worship with youth from all over the US and I think it was encouraging for our teenagers to see the passion of others. The Lord is moving among the youth of this nation and we long for our church to be a part of that. Like I said, we made it back with everyone we took, no one got hurt or sick or lost or broke anything in the rooms, and we even came back with some extra food! We stayed in some really nice condos on the beach and had easy access to the beach, an indoor and an outdoor pool. It was a great time of fun, fellowship, and learning. I'm so glad we got to go and really appreciative to those who gave money to help us!

Daddy and Poppy set up the crib

Here's Paul and my dad setting up the crib from about three weeks ago. I finally got the video camera to connect to the computer so I can post this now. The nursery is really coming together for us. Hopefully Paul will get it painted this coming week and the room itself will be just about ready for baby! I am having three showers in the next month which is great because I still have a lot of holes in what I need. I am registered at Buy Buy Baby (yay...I wish there was one in Montgomery), Babies R Us (nice stuff but overpriced and the staff is pushy), and Walmart (I love Walmart but I don't know how many people actually buy stuff off Walmart registries). I am so thankful for those that are willing to throw us parties and "shower" us with baby stuff... it is such a blessing! Now that we are home from camp I am looking forward to resting for a few days and letting both of our bodies recover... though I think the baby didn't suffer nearly as much from the go go go of camp as I did. Paul and I got home last night around 6, we slept until about one in the morning then ate a little and slept until about 9 this morning. It was fabulous and I have slept some more since. I saw my ankles again for the first time in days and Paul is trying desperately to keep me resting so they will go all the way down. He's being successful for now because I had a bunch of stuff to do on the computer (pay bills, download pictures, update blog, etc) which I can do with my feet propped up on the couch but he is not going to be happy in a little bit when I go to unpacking and walking around. I've been praying that the baby would not come before we got back from camp so now that we are back I guess he could come at anytime. I'm still having some Braxton Hicks but no concrete signs of preterm labor which is very good!! I'm almost 34 weeks (officially, though I think I'm actually a little farther along) so we just need to get everything finalized for baby's arrival! Speaking of his arrival.... he may have a name when he comes.... we are pretty settled on.....




Peter Fitzgerald Caspers! We will probably wait until we see him and get to know him before we decide what we will call him, but we both really like this name.

Our family on the beach...

Goodbye oil spills, tar balls, dea sea creatures, double red flags,
bright orange boons, soapy oil cleaning stations, big metal clean up
rigs.... Ah... I love the beach!

Foot status- day 4

I didn't know my feet could get this big! Now I'm more worried about
stretch marks on the top of my feet and my ankles than on my tummy

Wow... I mean... Wow!

I can definitely (and amazingly) tell that the little life inside of
me is so different than it was just a few weeks ago. His movements are
very different now and I am continuously entertained by them. I used
to feel more kicks and jabs and it was a little hard for me to
pinpoint for someone trying to feel from the outside. Now though he
has definitely run out of room because I feel more rolls and twists. A
lot of the time I can feel his foot/knee/elbow/hand drag from one side
of my stomach to the other, top and bottom. You can see it from the
outside too!

Unfortunately I'm also having some Braxton hicks contractions too...
Not so entertaining! They mostly pass without discomfort, I only
notice them because my belly gets really hard. A couple have been a
little intense but I am hoping this means the process is getting
started and he won't be hanging around any EXTRA time. We are still
desperately praying he doesn't make an appearence before this Friday
when youth camp ends, and I don't think that's going to happen. Ooooh
there he goes again rolling himself around. I have to be careful
because when he really gets going it makes me want to laugh, not
because it tickles but because I am just so delighted with him and his
acrobatics. That might seem like a silly reaction but sometime I
really bust out lauging just to feel him twisting around. Maybe some
other moms remember feeling that way too and I'm not that crazy but it
is just amazing to me how the whole deal works. What a smart God to
plan it so that you fall in love with the creature who will put you
through so much once it arrives! I think I may be wrapped around that
itty bitty pinky already!

Ugh... Heartburn...

My baby better have a bunch of hair!