37weeks 1day

BabyRoadlander is 37weeks1day grown today.

Just yesterday BabyMomma and BabyDaddy went to another ultrasound to re-evaluate BabyRoadlander's growth progress.

BabyRoadlander is growing far better than could be expected. His current weight, at 37 weeks is 7lb 15ozs. The circumference of his head measures that of a 40week term baby.

BabyMomma left the ultrasound upset, and was in tears by the time she sat down in the car. The though of having to go through an extensive labor, having BabyRoadlander get stuck and then having a C-section, really frightens BabyMomma.

BabyRoadlander is SO big, in fact, that BabyMomma's midwife is all in favor of an elective induction now. BabyMomma's due date has also been pushed back three whole days, making her eligible for induction on Thanksgiving. However, BabyMomma is somewhat selfish and would really like to wait until Friday Evening or Saturday morning to go through with the induction because she wants to enjoy her meal and not spend it in the hospital giving birth! Pumpkin pie and potatoes are the things that BabyMomma looks forward to the most.

BabyMomma had an appointment with the midwife after her ultrasound. BabyMomma had to have a pelvic exam and a Group B Strep test done. BabyMomma's cervix has dilated 2 1/2 centimeters so far, so the midwife went ahead and stripped her membranes, hoping that would kick her into gear for labor, or at least some more dilation. With any luck, BabyMomma will go into labor on her own before her induction date. Unfortunately, BabyMomma has experienced this far too many times and her babies have ALL been inductions due to their size. She never goes into labor on her own, but she is holding on to hope that her body will get a freaking clue already!!!

BabyMomma, BabyDaddy and BabyRoadlander's siblings found some GREAT deals at the Snohomish County Mom's of Multiples Sale last weekend! They picked up some more clothes, a pair of shoes, some hangy toys and nice floor gym for two whole dollars!!

BabyMomma has completed 5 out of 6 of the necessary Christmas stockings for the family so far. BabyRoadlander's stocking is hands down, one of her favorites with it's red and green sparkle yarn.



BabyRoadlander's movements have turned away from hard kids and are more of a rolling motion now. Space is limited inside his womb, as he is outgrowing it quickly! Which is fine, because in two short weeks or less, BabyRoadlander will be sleeping in a bassinet, rather than his womb.

35weeks 2days

BabyRoadlander is 35weeks2days grown today.

Since last updated, BabyMomma has had another ultrasound. Unfortunately it did not yield any good pictures. The initial tech that conducted the ultrasound was a student and not too savvy. By the time the ultrasound was actually finished, BabyMomma, BabyDaddy and BabyGrandma had been there for 90 minutes. This ultrasound was conducted to check the growth progress in BabyRoadlander, as BabyMomma’s fundal height had not changed in three weeks.

Unfortunately for BabyMomma’s poor pelvis, BabyRoadlander is NOT small for size, he is unbelievably LARGE. At the time of the ultrasound, BabyRoadlander was measuring in excess of 6 lbs. It is no stretch of the imagination that BabyRoadlander could be born weighing in excess of 10 lbs, much to the absolute horror of BabyMomma. BabyMomma’s previous babies have weighed in the 8 lb range, the largest of which was 8 lbs 14 ozs and got STUCK!!! He only came out with the assistance of forceps. It is a gross understatement to say that fear is bubbling up inside of BabyMomma in regards to the very impending delivery of BabyRoadlander.

Due to BabyRoadlander’s size, another ultrasound is being conducted on November 12th to re-evaluate his growth progress.

BabyMomma and BabyDaddy have now collected 95% of the belongings that BabyRoadlander will need when he comes home. BabyMomma found a cute little bobby swing for dirt cheap. BabyDaddy bought a nice new mini-port-a-crib with a bassinette and canopy with toys on it for BabyRoadlander.




This last weekend, BabyMomma picked up three more packages of diapers and a giant refill box of wipes, along with a scanner thermometer (just in case BabyRoadlander gets sick!) BabyMomma is going to drag BabyDaddy and BabyRoadlander’s Siblings out to yet another consignment sale this weekend. The Snohomish County Moms Of Multiples is having a giant sale in the gym at the community college. BabyMomma hopes to find an activity gym and boppy brand vibrating bouncy chair. BabyMomma HAS a bouncy chair, unfortunately, when she went to take the cover off of it last night to wash it, BabyMomma realized that two VERY important pieces were missing that renders it unusable without the pieces. Worse yet, BabyMomma distinctly recalls throwing those two pieces INTO THE TRASH during the move because she couldn’t figure out what they went to, and figured that if she didn’t know, she might as well toss them. No sense in keeping JUNK. Believe you me, BabyMomma is kicking herself now, that’s for sure! Fortunately for BabyMomma, she only paid about $5 for the current bouncy chair, and that was three kids and nine years ago, so it has paid for itself by now. No big loss.

BabyMomma has also completed yet another baby blanket and hat set. She has grown bored with baby items and has now moved on to Christmas Stockings. She’s going to make a set for the entire family, including BabyRoadlander. He will certainly need one too. Although, she has no idea what Santa will ever find to stash inside of HIS stocking. Maybe one of those cute little vibrating star teethers BabyMomma has always wanted but never stopped to buy….or one of those little balls or blankies with the ribbon tags on them that babies love to chew on….

BabyMomma has also gotten a large amount of clothing together for BabyRoadlander to wear post-birth. She’s accumulated things between birth and 6-9months with a couple of items in the 12 month range. BabyDaddy even picked out BabyRoadlander’s home coming outfit this weekend.

BabyRoadlander still does not have a name. All BabyMomma and BabyDaddy know is that his name with be *something* Lee Roadlander. BabyMomma finds the indecision slightly distressing.

Travel plans and work notifications are being made by the parties that will be either attending the birth of BabyRoadlander or waiting patiently nearby outside the delivery room. Excitement is brewing within everyone.


BabyMomma has been experiencing an insane amount of pelvic pressure in the last few weeks. BabyRoadlander’s ginormous head is pressing into her bladder consistently and attempting to grind her pelvic bones into magic exit dust. BabyMomma has also experienced far more contractions these last few weeks than she has at any time during her other pregnancies. Rolling over in bed, sitting up in bed, getting out of bed, getting up off the couch, getting off the floor, out of the car, into the car, walking up stairs, walking, sitting, standing, moving in general….everything seems to bring a contraction.

BabyRoadlander also gets the hiccups at least twice a day.

In the late evenings, BabyMomma plays with BabyRoadlander. Sometimes BabyDaddy plays too. BabyMomma will feel a nice hard kick somewhere in the upper part of her belly and she will poke BabyRoadlander back, or pat on her tummy. Seconds later, BabyRoadlander will kick or poke back in response. Back and forth the three of them will go, until BabyRoadlander has worn himself out and he finally drifts off to sleep.

The other night, after yet another poke and pat session, BabyMomma and BabyDaddy were laying in bed discussing BabyRoadlander….BabyMomma is dying to see him. To see what color his eyes will be. To see what color his hair will be. Who’s nose and ears he will have. To feel the softness of his new baby skin. To feel his little heart beating inside his chest, right next to her own….she also wonders if he will like his back patted or rubbed when he is burped.

The end is so close, yet so far….

30 Weeks

Today marks BabyRoadlander’s 30th week in the womb.

BabyMomma, BabyDaddy and the RoadieSiblings have undergone many changes in their lives in the last six weeks. The transition has been made into their new 3-bedroom, 2-bath residence. Boxes are still being unpacked, slowly but surely. BabyRoadlander’s siblings have all started school now, and each of them are enjoying their new school, friends and teachers. Their biggest change is riding the bus to school, which they seem to enjoy immensely.

Within that new residence, BabyRoadlander has his own little space. He now has a bassinet with a teddy bear in it. There are two blankets, three hats and three pairs of little booties that BabyMomma has crocheted just for BabyRoadlander. There is a new boppy pillow, a bouncy chair, two packages of diapers, some wipes, various baby care supplies and a some baby clothes that are freshly washed, dried, folded and organized in the obsessive compulsive manner that BabyMomma has come to possess.

BabyMomma and BabyDaddy have met with their new midwife now. BabyMomma likes him. He has delivered two of her nieces and one of her nephews now. BabyDaddy was not really in a mental state to make a decision either way. He was heavily medicated due to a medical issue, unfortunately. He did mention that the guy ‘seemed a little too happy’ to be doing his job. If things continue for BabyRoadlander and BabyMomma as everyone suspects they will, this midwife will be doing BabyMomma’s induction and delivery. If not, there are several other midwives within the care team who could possibly deliver BabyRoadlander.

On a special note, BabyMomma and BabyDaddy have gone back to the drawing board on baby names. As much as they LOOOOOOOOOVE the name Jackson….somehow it doesn’t seem like it’s ‘the one’ now, after contemplating it for several weeks.

BabyMomma and BabyDaddy have discussed both ‘Matthew’ and ‘Justin’. BabyMomma also likes ‘Aiden’, although, she suspects…that as time goes on, they will continue to struggle with BabyRoadlander’s name and there probably will not be a final decision made until they reach the delivery room and BabyRoadlander had burst into the world.

Overall, BabyMomma’s health is doing about as well as can be expected at this time. There have been no additional infections or the likes since the last. She is suffering from so much heartburn that she has specifically told BabyRoadlander that he BETTER come out with a head FULL of BEAUTIFUL hair for all the misery she is going through. BabyMomma is also struggling with some old knee injury issues and some back pain issues, that she assumes were aggravated by the accident that she was in a few weeks ago.

BabyMomma and BabyGrandma were moving some boxes and furniture from BabyMomma’s old apartment. They stopped at a stoplight…..and when BabyMomma went to take her ‘free right turn’ a car going in the opposite direction, made a u-turn RIGHT into her. BabyMomma had to slam on her breaks really hard to keep from getting hit. Unfortunately, BabyGrandma had started to follow BabyMomma into the ‘free right turn’ motion and rear-ended BabyMomma. BabyMomma is fine, other than the lower back pain, which is also aggravated by pregnancy in general.

BabyMomma is also continuing to ride the 'crazy craving train'. Pickles and Poptarts. Or right now, chineese sounds really good.

24weeks2days

BabyRoadlander is 24 weeks and 2 days grown now.

BabyMomma picked up a super cute bassinet that will go in the living room of the new apartment home this last weekend. It's really the only visual symbol they have that a baby is coming at this point.

BabyMomma and BabyDaddy have been 'living together' since April, however, they have each still had their separate residences. Starting tomorrow, BabyMomma, BabyDaddy and BabyRoadie's siblings will begin moving boxes into their shared residence, where they will begin REALLY 'living together'. California is still on the horizon....but at least we will be comfortable between now and then, in a nice new three bedroom apartment. It's new and scary and exciting all at the same time.

This past week, BabyMomma has suffered from a bladder infection. Her BabyDoctor gave her an antibiotic to take, but three days into it, she was feeling WORSE. BabyMomma then passed a KIDNEY STONE!! Apparently, the on-again off-again pain that BabyMomma has been experiencing, for the last FOUR MONTHS, that BabyDoctor dismissed as a 'floating rib' was really kidney stones. BabyMomma and BabyDaddy have, overall, felt that BabyDoctor was incompetent at his job as a doctor, and seeing as he could not DOCTOR right, felt that a better choice could be made on who's hands BabyRoadlander would be delivered into.

This morning, BabyMomma called The Midwifery Care group and set up her intake appointment. Tomorrow morning she gets to see a new nurse and in a few weeks, after the big move, she will get to meet one of the new midwives. BabyMomma is hoping that BabyMidwife will be IRA, as that's who delivered both her sister and her sister-in-law's babies. BabyMomma promptly canceled all her appointments with BabyDoctor and thought to herself that he and his 'practice' could *shove it*.

So yes, post 24 weeks, BabyMomma has made the ultimate change. She has changed doctors. It's new, and scary and exciting all at the same time. LOL

21weeks5days

BabyRoadlander is going to be 22 weeks this Sunday.

Just as his creation was a surprise, so is everything else that is happening in the lives outside his womb.

BabyMomma knew from the very start of things that BabyDaddy was from California. She also knew, that if things held out between them, that she quite possibly would be moving with BabyDaddy, BabyRoadlander and the siblings to California in the distant future.

Distant.

BabyMomma never thought that in a year’s time, she’d be moving to California.

That’s right. As it stands, it seems that within the next nine months or so, BabyMomma and BabyDaddy will be moving a big move. And rather than moving a little move now, signing a lease, breaking a lease, and paying out the ever pregnant vajayjay for it, things are going to stand as they are.

BabyMomma, BabyDaddy and the siblings, and in about four more months, BabyRoadlander…..are all going to be residing in BabyDaddy’s mini apartment until that big move.

This means that virtually everything in BabyMomma’s apartment, where she hasn’t really been living for the last four months anyway, is going to be sold, donated, or stuffed into storage until that big move.

This also means that there will be no cute little nursery. There will be no fancy cribs or crib beddings. There will be no high-chairs, no exersaucers, no swings to get in the way.

It means that BabyMomma is going to be a minimalist.

It means there will be a porta-crib, a porta-swing and a rolling cart with see-thru drawers full of 0-6 month clothes, some recievers, burp rags, baby soaps and toiletries and a few little toys. BabyMomma has her sling, her carseat and her stroller….That’s all one really needs for a new baby anyway. Thanks to the super-boobs, there is no need for bottles and the likes either. Everything will just be simple for a while.

If you ask BabyMomma, she’d tell you, simple is better anyway. Besides, it’s all just a dozen more wishes that BabyMomma made a long time ago that are all being fulfilled at once.

BabyMomma, despite how much she loves her friends and family and this place she has called ‘home’ for her entire life…..has really just wanted to run away and leave it all behind. Start fresh somewhere new. Where the Seattle Rain is far away. Besides, why should you have to seek sunshine behind the clouds, when you can move to California and see it all the time? ;)

The news was broken to BabyMomma’s female parental unit yesterday. And surprisingly enough, she didn’t have much to say about it all. Clearly, she must know that BabyMomma must love BabyDaddy something wonderful. BabyMomma knows that while BabyRoadlander’s Grandma will miss her four grandbabies very much, she’ll be fine. She’ll have Baby’s Auntie and her kids and new baby to spoil. Baby’s Auntie is codependent and always needing BabyRoadlander’s Grandma anyway, so she will survive just fine. At any rate….if she ever wants to go on vacation, California isn’t that far away and you don’t have to plan things around the weather like you do in Seattle.

As far as things for BabyMomma and the pregnancy are going….well, things have been rough. After her episode with the flu, BabyMomma had a nice little fall, where she sprained her foot and ankle. With the temperature outside rising to an all time record breaking 104 and 107 this week, BabyMomma has been unable to wear the walking boot they’d given her in the ER because the excess heat has made her feet and legs swell up something terrible.

Also BabyMomma has had a nasty yeast infection and now she has strep throat. Clearly she has not paid enough dues to the pregnancy gods at the base of the royal throne. (But you can’t tell her 6lb weight gain that) BabyMomma really just hopes that all this suffering is done strictly to ensure BabyRoadlander will be super duper healthy when he arrives.

20 weeks and the first hospital stay

BabyRoadlander is 20 weeks grown now. He is officially half baked.

To ring in the half-way mark, BabyMomma spent her day and evening in the hospital.

She woke up around 7:30, not feeling 100%, which she attributed to the fact that she had some serious packing to do that morning. BabyMomma had been planning to pack up her entire kitchen at her apartment, and she'd been attempting to GET there to do it for the last two weeks, to no avail. On top of it, she knew she was tired, so she wasn't really motivated to get out of bed.

BabyMomma sat up in bed, felt a little nauseated and brushed it off as generic morning sickness. She ate a very small bowl of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios and hopped in the shower. BabyMomma barely got dressed when the puking began. It was nearly an hour before she could catch her breath. She took her morning sickness meds and decided she'd sleep it off until the BBQ with BabyDaddy and her family later that afternoon.

BabyMomma climbed back in bed and tried to go back to sleep, but BabyDaddy would toss and turn and then she'd have to run back to the bathroom again. After a good three trips back and forth, with things coming out both ends, she knew it was VERY serious. In a desperate move to rouse the deeply sleeping BabyDaddy from his comatose slumber, she ripped the bedding off of him and screamed at him that he needed to take her to the hospital. LOL

When they arrived at the hospital, BabyDaddy dropped BabyMomma off at the ER, and went to park. The ER desk lady didn't know what to do with BabyMomma, since she was 20 weeks pregnant THAT DAY, so she spent about 10 minutes on the phone trying to figure out if she should stay in the ER or be sent to the maternity floor. Eventually, a nice triage nurse came out with a wheelchair and hauled BabyMomma, puking the entire way, up and over to the maternity ward.

Unfortunately, the maternity ward's triage area did not allow small children PERIOD, so BabyDaddy was sent to the waiting area and eventually sent home with BabyRoadlander's siblings.

What a blessing it was to discover that the on-call doctor that Sunday morning was her own BabyDoctor!! After two bags of fluid and a round of Reglan, and the notification that now 2 of BabyRoadlander's siblings had fallen ill, it was decided that BabyMomma needed to stay the night. Or at the very least, stay until 9 or 10 at night when BabyDoctor could come and check on her again. She was still puking at this time. BabyMomma went through five bags of IV Fluids, three rounds of Reglan, two rounds of Zofran and three doses of Imodium before she started to come out of it.

BabyMomma was extremely agitated over the fact that her IV was 'positional' and that every single time she got up to use the bathroom (at least every hour) she'd have to call the nurse because the IV pump machine would start screaming at her. The nurse didn't want to move the IV, because she wasn't sure if BabyMomma would be going home or not that evening. Now, BabyMomma had every intention of staying....but after a visit from BabyDaddy and the siblings, and the chaos with the IV.....she really just wanted to go home and be with her BabyDaddy. She hadn't been away from him in nearly four months and she certainly didn't want to start now. All she could do was cry.

So BabyMomma called the doctor and the doctor said...You aren't going to die. BabyRoadlander looks fine. People get the 'flu' all the time and survive. You can go home. *and that blasted IV can come out!!!!* BabyDaddy came and picked her up. She took some more Phenargan, a Zantac, and they stopped at the store to pick up some more Imodium on the way home. She showered and laid down on the bed to 'rest' for a minute after checking her messages, and passed right out. Where she remained....until about 11:30ish this morning.

The first thing she put in her mouth when she was feeling better?

A Twinkie. Then some yogurt. Some more broth. And some crackers. Things are still going out, but at least they are staying DOWN. :) And the entire time, little BabyJackJackRoadlander just bounced around.

18weeks5days

Things with BabyRoadlander have been progressing as they should be. Wednesday afternoon everyone was finally able to hear BabyRoadlander's heartbeat. It was a steady 160 with a little whooshing of fetal movement here and there. BabySiblings were excited and amazed at hearing the heartbeat of their soon-to-be sibling.

BabyMomma has had some issues with a strange pain in her left side the last several months. She asked BabyDoctor about it and he basically dismissed it as insignificant. BabyMomma turned around and went to her regular doctor and asked her about it. After several irregular UA's where protein and blood have come up in her urine, she was far more deeply concerned than BabyDoctor was. BabyMomma's primary doctor ran some tests on her kidneys, liver and pancreas. While some of the 29 tests that were run came back a little off here or there, there did not appear to be anything of 'clinical significance' that would cause the doctor to worry too much. The pain is periodic, and the primary doctor told BabyMomma that if the pain starts and does NOT STOP, she needs to come back in right away. The cause of the pain is still unknown. It's not a 'floating rib' as idiot doctor #1 mentioned and BabyMomma is pretty certain it's not the 'round ligament pain' that so often occurs in pregnancies.

BabyMomma, BabyDaddy and all the BabySiblings attended the big ultrasound yesterday.

This was the day that BabyRoadlander made it's big debut.




Yes indeed, as the picture below proves, he is a BOY!




This is our son, BabyRoadlander, BabyJacksonLeeRoadlander.


It seems, now that BabyRoadlander has made his debut, that things are going to move rapidly forward for BabyMomma, BabyDaddy and BabyRoadlander's siblings.

There are precisely 149 days, minus seven, before BabyRoadlander is forced out of his watery little abode. Less than that, if he decides to come on his own terms.

BabyMomma has, at last, located her sling. The one item that she requires for a new arrival. Not a swing, not a crib, not a stupid little wipes warmer or that dumb mini-tub that never gets used anyhow. Just the sling. She was near tears of joy when she'd located while packing up her apartment a few days ago.

As far as the whole housing thing is going, BabyMomma is packing her place up, ever so slowly, for the big move. BabyDaddy's lease is up at the end of August, and at that time, if everything goes smoothly and as planned, BabyMomma, BabyDaddy and Siblings will all be moving into THEIR new home. Not his, not hers, but THEIRS. Together.

The last 3 1/2 months have been spent living solely at BabyDaddy's mini-apartment. Couch sleeping, floor sleeping, minimal amount of necessities and belongings.....because BabyMomma and BabyDaddy just cannot stand to be separated from each other overnight at this point.

As unexpected and unplanned as this all was for BabyMomma and BabyDaddy....things are working out. They have co-habitated together well, and doing so has certainly put BabyMomma's mind at ease that she is not making a drastic decision with respect to herself and where her other children are concerned. There have been some mild behavioral issues in regards to each of BabySiblings, but such was to be expected. Change is difficult. Especially for BabyMomma, so she 'gets' it.

The days are numbered, there is moving to do, things to buy and a shower to plan.

It will only get better from here.