No Baby Yet!!!

Sorry I haven't been able to keep you all in the loop! We do not have a baby as of Halloween night, which means Caroline will be a November Baby! I have received a few concerned emails asking if Caroline has made her big entrance yet and I didn't want to leave you all in the dark! Bless your hearts for caring!! I wanted to update since I haven't been able to respond to everyone and send out the information for the new blog! I am working on writing you all back and really appreciate your kind words! In the mean time, I am going to continue updating on this blog until Caroline arrives or I catch up on the requests. Once again, thanks for the requests and keep them coming, I know you're out there! Hopefully I will finish up sometime this weekend!

Caroline certainly has her own timetable and we are just along for the ride. We went to the Dr Wednesday afternoon and as the Dr said my cervix is still "slammed shut" and very high(ouch!!) so it looks like she is planning on sticking around for quite a while! My actual due date is Tuesday(Election Day!) but we go back to the Dr. on Monday. If I have made enough progress she will probably induce me the next morning, my due date, and if nothing has changed we will then schedule a tentative C-Section date for 41 weeks. So either way, we WILL have a baby by Veteran's Day.

For the most part, I'm feeling pretty good and am really looking forward to meeting our sweet angel! I'm sure you Mothers out there can understand this! Chris has been very sweet and has had me attached to his hip since my appointment. I've been going to work with him, we're very lucky that we can do this, but am trying to get up and do things so I don't just sit... everyone keeps encouraging me to walk, walk, walk! I need to make sure that I post a new Belly Pic- I've grown Big Time since my last picture. I really look like I'm 40 weeks, I think... and I'm feeling it a bit more too!!

New Blog!

In the very near future I will be relocating on the web! It has become necessary for me to "go private". I am an avid blog reader and really enjoy sharing with old friends, friends of friends, and family on my blog about my life. I will become a Mommy very soon and there are a few people that, for very good reasons, I no longer want reading my blog. I know that many of you that read this know me through other people, etc. and that is just fine. How you know me or found me really doesn't matter. I want YOU to come to my new blog as well!=)

All I will need to give you the new address is a brief email request if we're acquainted or a link back to your blog so that I can verify who you are. Then I can send you the information. I always hate it when the blogs that I visit have to go private and hate that this has happened since I truly have nothing to hide- it really isn't fair to me either. Unfortunately, some people love to make something out of nothing to feel important and to keep my life simple, this is necessary. I had always wanted to remain public and have always tried to include everyone in our life... but seriously, you'll understand! One bad apple spoiled it for the whole bunch! I will continue to share information about my life now and my life when Miss Caroline arrives and need to protect that information for my little girl's sake and security. Caroline comes first!!!

This will more than likely be one of the last posts on this address. We should have a new little one in the next 10 days, hopefully, and I look forward to sharing my excitement, joy, and loads of pictures when she does arrive at the new address. Since my pregnancy is coming to an end this really is a great time to transition! I plan to have a book printed out for Caroline so that she can see what we did in this period of our lives! Bless her sweet bones!

To get the new address just send an email to cyork2002 at aol.com, with the at symbol of course! If you have any trouble, leave a comment below. I can pretty much guarantee you that you'll be approved;-) Thanks for sharing in our life and for all of your support- I appreciate it more than you know!!!

38 weeks Dr. Appointment

Our Dr's Appointment didn't go so great today. Caroline is fine, but she's becoming quite the chunk... I'm just not showing it. I have gained a Grand Total of 5 pounds in this pregnancy and today when the Dr sent us to have another ultrasound, since I am still "measuring small", Caroline came in at a big for 38 weeks, 7lb 3oz.. She's gained 1lb 4oz in the past 2 weeks and she should have gained at max a half pound a week. I didn't gain a thing this week and lost a pound last week. So I'm losing weight and she's gaining it. She has a small frame with fat rolls already(I am not kidding! I have pictures to prove it!!!) and a bigger than normal head. Those 4 extra ounces apparently went straight to her noggin;-) I should be happy that she's growing leaps and bounds, but I'm really not- somehow she has to exit my body! She did have lots of hair, which was probably the best news we got all day!

So the disappointing thing is that while several of the other things that happen as you start to get ready to have a baby have happened, I am yet to dilate at all. Shocking, seeing as how I'm really getting tired of these dumb, pointless contractions and the kid just keeps getting bigger and bigger- which is of course much better than her not growing at all. Caroline's head is down, pushing out in my right hipbone area. Yesterday was 38 weeks and my Dr had previously told me that if I was dilated to 2 by the time my 39th week came around, I could have her then. Of course, this isn't happening now and I'm not happy about it! If I don't dilate at all and she continues to "float" then I could go up to a week past my due date before they take her... and yes, I am the girl that went into labor at 33 weeks!!! HA! My, my how things can change! This concerns me because our little girl is having no problem putting on the pounds and waiting another 2-3 weeks isn't working in my favor since she can gain another pound and a half or more in the mean time, especially since she's got a bigger head... ouch! I guess you could say I am becoming a bit concerned about logistics and how this is all going to work... we normally have small babies in my family, but Caroline's Dad obviously had something to do with this;-)

I think my patience may be starting to wear a bit thin, but I don't think that's too abnormal. The counter above reads 13 days to go... Come on Caroline!!! "Wait, wait, wait"... that's the name of the game. I know I haven't been my normally perky self today, but I'm just not feeling like it. Maybe tomorrow will be better!=)

So, to focus on a few happy things that are going on in our life... Guess what??? We are going to be parents soon!! yay!;-) I really do feel very lucky! Also, work is going GREAT for Chris, in spite of this crazy market we're living in! Honestly, the longer Caroline waits to grace us with her presence the better for Chris and TJC since he's so busy right now... so that's a good thing!

I know I didn't put up nursery pictures as I planned, but that is because it's not finished... pictures and drapes still have not been hung and mother didn't have a chance to get down last weekend to help me. At 38 weeks, I'm not hanging them by myself and my husband just will not do it! Maybe I will have better luck this weekend!

Once again, I'll update if anything changes, but don't hold your breath;-) haha! More later...

Baby Carter at 38 Weeks!!!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

37 Weeks Dr. Appointment

We went to our 37 weeks appointment on Wednesday and I was so right!!! Miss Caroline decided to make her way "back down" late Tuesday night. When she started wiggling again I had to laugh because she is such a mess already! This little one already has a mind of her own and she isn't even here yet... Goodness Gracious!! The teenage years are going to be rough;-) In all seriousness I am very glad that she decided to scoot around again(my ribs appreciate it too!) and am completely resigned to her making her arrival in her own time. I am just so excited to meet my little one that I can barely stand it;-)

The Dr's appointment was completely uneventful, thank goodness. The Dr. just checked me and asked us if we had any questions. Chris and I spoke to the Dr about a few minor concerns and what we should expect in the next few weeks. At the end of my appointment they checked my thyroid again and since I haven't heard otherwise, I'm assuming that it came back normal. We go back again next Wednesday if we don't have her before then.

We were so worried that little bit would try to make an early appearance that I would not be surprised if she decided to show up late;-) That would be fitting, seeing as how she likes to show us who's boss. Personally, I wouldn't mind if she came a bit early... as I said previously, I CANNOT wait to meet this little one! I think Chris is really ready too. He is so sweet talking about her and what his plans are with our little girl. Precious, I tell you!

For the most part, I have been feeling really good lately. A good nights rest is either a hit or miss thing, but when I sleep well I feel great the next day! I still go to the office every day and intend to until Caroline arrives. Chris and I enjoy our lunch together and I would go crazy if I stayed home all day!!!

I'll update if anything changes... AND I am planning on posting pictures of the finished nursery this weekend, so check back if you're interested! Have a Happy Friday!!!

Baby Carter at 37 Weeks!!!

How your baby's growing: Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

www.babycenter.com

Our little One likes to keep us guessing...

Apparently Caroline doesn't like to play by the rules! When we went to our ultrasound/Dr. Appointment on Wednesday Chris specifically asked what the chances were of her becoming breech again. We were told "very, very slim". She's already 36 weeks and there isn't much room for her to be doing very much moving around anyway!
On Saturday, Chris and I were watching football upstairs and I noticed that Caroline was moving around a lot. Then I started feeling her kick off of my side and slowly, but surely, work her way from head down to head up by my ribs by the end of the afternoon! Seriously!!! As of right now she's breech again, but since she seems to like to keep us guessing I wouldn't bet that she will stay that way! I'm thinking she will probably turn head down again tomorrow night, just in time for my appointment on Wednesday. I have no idea how she managed to find the room to change positions in the first place!
I'm 37 weeks tomorrow and hopefully in the final stretch. I want Caroline to come on her own time, but her "big" head under my ribs for the past few days has NOT been fun!;-) I will update after my appointment on Wednesday and we will just sit back and see what happens!

36 weeks Dr. Appointment

Yesterday afternoon we went to our 36 weeks appointment. We really are entering "crunch time" and it is all so exciting! At the beginning of our appointment we had an ultrasound scheduled to check on Caroline's position and estimate her weight. The ultrasound tech was so nice and Chris stood behind her the whole time she was doing measurements. The smile on his face as he was watching her check Caroline just made my heart melt!=)
BIG NEWS... our little angel is HEAD DOWN!! That's right, her small size worked for our side and sometime in the past few days she flipped head down. No scheduled C-Section for the baby love and that is fine with me. Now my little one will pick her own Birthday and she can come out whenever she feels like it!
Caroline was measuring 36w1d, which is right on target, but she did weigh in at 5lb 15oz. The tech commented that this is a little smaller than normal, but still in the "healthy range". I didn't think much about this, since honestly she is doing better on weight gain than I had expected! She said she should gain about a half a pound a week from here on out, so we will see how long she makes it. If I make it to 40 weeks, which is highly unlikely, she would weigh in just under 8 pounds. Since the average baby weighs in at 7 lbs, some odd ounces, I think she's doing pretty good!
We did spend some time watching our daughter on the monitor... and yes, we did make sure that she is still a girl! haha! For our little one to be "so small", she sure does have some chunky cheeks already!!! Chris and I are still trying to figure out where on earth her big lips came from! Chris jokes about our bird lips and Caroline's lips look like she is making a constant "kissy face"! Sweet little thing!
After our ultrasound we had our visit with Dr. G. She was running a bit late because she had to run over to L&D to deliver a baby. Once she arrived our appointment flew by. We discussed some of the progress that I have been making and she commented on how the baby's head has dropped down quite a bit. She checked her heart rate with the doppler and said it was a bit irregular, but that can come from babies being really active when they're being checked. One moment it was 180 and then a few seconds later it was 115. She listened for a bit longer than normal, but then smiled and started asking me about my contractions. Then she asked if we had any questions, which we didn't, and we packed up to leave. Just as we were heading out the door she came back and said she looked back over the ultrasound information again and wanted to send me to get a Non Stress Test since the baby is a bit small and had a bit of an irregular heartbeat. She wanted to make sure that Caroline wasn't on her cord and the contractions weren't causing her any distress. So off we went to a room to be monitored. I'm getting to be a pro at hooking up to the monitors!!;-) We spent about 30-45 minutes being monitored and all went well! The Dr. said she looked like one happy baby! Yay!
We will go back to the Dr. every week from now until she is born. I am just trying to finish up final details and take lots of naps! I'm sure I will miss sleep greatly in the coming weeks!;-) For now, we wait! The contractions are pretty consistent and with her being in the "exit" position it may not be much longer! I'll be sure to post if anything changes!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful journey with us! We know that we are so fortunate to have this sweet little miracle joining our lives!=)

Baby Carter at 36 weeks!!!

Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where she'll try to turn your baby by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

www.babycenter.com

Friday Night Fun...

For some reason Friday nights appear to be when the excitement begins for the Carters! We made another trip to Labor & Delivery on Friday night, no worries- everything is fine! Just as I was going to sleep on Friday night I started having lower back pain. The baby had been flipping around all day and I had noticed that she had flipped downward earlier in the night. She has since flipped upward again, but hey, at least she is still moving around!

Since the pain was extremely strong, stronger than any contraction I've had, and accompanied by a steady stream of contractions, I thought maybe I was experiencing "back labor". So I decided to get my timer out and see how often they were coming. At the same time I was in such pain that I was desperately moving around trying to find a position that would ease some of the pain. After about 30 minutes of the "back pains" I finally twisted around and found a position that alleviated some of the pain. Then the contractions eased up some and I decided to try to get some sleep. It was probably 1 or 2 in the morning, so it was about time!

Around 3 I woke up and was experiencing the same pain but this time it had shifted up a bit to the bottom of my ribcage and back and in the front as well. I stumbled into the bathroom and tried to "get comfortable" again. This time the pain was so strong that not only could I not be still or find a position that helped, but I started blacking out. My heart was racing, I was starting to sweat and I was in pain- not to mention about 45 minutes away from my hospital!

Now, Chris had slept through all of my pains of the evening. I didn't want to wake him if I didn't need to and he was planning on going to the Alabama game later on Saturday Morning. Once I started blacking out, I knew I didn't need to be alone. I know of a friend of a friend that had a stroke late in pregnancy, under a similar situation, and her husband didn't find her until several hours later. By then, their baby had already suffered severe brain damage and this information alone was enough to scare me into making another visit to the hospital! I woke Chris up and told him he had to get ready and fast. He was none too happy about this.;-) I called the Dr and he said to come in and get checked out. I got dressed as quickly as I could in my condition and then it dawned on me... I was suddenly nauseous. GREAT!!! Just what I needed.

After being sick I decided maybe the pressure/pain I was feeling was severe gas! I.KID.YOU.NOT!!! Pregnancy is no joke, it changes everything! After being sick I just wanted to lay down, but by then Chris was already up and showered and insisted that we go to the hospital right then. I was still having lots of contractions and was extremely sore in my back/lower chest from the previously mentioned pressure, so I agreed we should make sure everything was ok.

We made it to the hospital at around 4 and were greeted by our L&D nurse from our previous visit! We walked up and she said, "We've been waiting to see you two again! You made it longer than we thought you would!" Then I explained what was really going on and they took me back to a room to be monitored. They hooked me up, took my vitals and gave me some medicine within the first few minutes. The first 15 minutes on the monitor it wasn't placed right and I could feel contractions but they weren't showing on the monitor. I told the nurse when she came back in and we readjusted. Boy did that make a difference! Chris promptly fell asleep, but I was staring at the monitor watching all of the contractions again.

The gas pain was practically gone and I was feeling like a real idiot for not knowing the difference between gas pain and a major heath issue! In my defense, I have never experienced pain like that before so I guess you live and you learn!!;-) Better safe than sorry! Now we were dealing with the contractions and since I was at the hospital I needed to have less than 6 in an hour to go home. I was having contractions every 4-5 minutes so I was seriously exceeding the limit! Once again these contractions, while they aren't comfortable, I don't consider them to be too bad. They come, but they also go, so it's not the end of the world... If it was real labor, I'm sure I would know it!!! Given the strength and frequency of my contractions they kept offering me pain medicine which I refused.

Around 8 the Dr came in to check me to make sure I wasn't making any progress. I wasn't, so we just discussed the contractions and I assured him I was fine and would be much more comfortable at home. We had already discussed at my last appointment that we wouldn't do anything to stop the contractions from now on and if she is born today, so be it! He said I will never make it to my November due date, but that really comes as no surprise to me! I cannot imagine having these contractions for another 4 weeks... yuck!

We were discharged from the hospital around 9 and I went straight home to sleep. I was still having tons of contractions so I couldn't wait to lay down and relax in my cozy bed! Chris went on to the game and I called my friend Katrina, since we had planned to get together that morning to watch football together, and she was instead "on call" in case I needed anything or got lonely!;-) I ended up sleeping most of the day Saturday and Chris made it home before too late on Saturday night.

I'm still having contractions and am now showing signs of "progress", without going into too many details. We go to the Dr. tomorrow and are having an ultrasound to determine Caroline's position before our appointment. As I mentioned earlier, she is still flipping around... one moment head up, a few hours later she's transverse, and I might find that she's head down when I go to sleep. Her hiccups are a dead give away for where her little head is! She's still shifting around, so even if she isn't head down tomorrow(or if she is) I'm not putting much stock in that being how she will end up! I will update tomorrow sometime after my appointment... I hope everyone is having a good week!=)

Don't you just love the Fall?

At the Carter House we are enjoying the cooler weather and the feeling of change in the air. I love the fall... it is one of my favorite times of the year, being a close second only to Christmas. There are college football, lots of family time, sweater weather, Mums, Halloween, fall food(pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole, caramel apples, stews, etc...), crisp morning air and most of all the gorgous fall colors you see outside as the leaves change. I LOVE it!

I can celebrate anything! Fall is no exception! Every year we welcome in the season by decorating the house with a few fall goodies(tip: TJ Maxx has great seasonal items for a great price!) and I go choose a new seasonal Yankee Candle to burn for that extra cozy touch! This year I picked "Candied Apple" and it smells delicious! I highly recommend it, so I wanted to share! It makes me want to cuddle up with Chris on the couch and watch a good football game... which is what we do on most nights;-) We should enjoy it while we can, right?!


As the days and nights get cooler, I hope everyone is enjoying the change of seasons as much as we are! Happy Fall!!!

"Surprise" Shower!

This past Saturday my sweet best friends, Katrina and Megan, along with my husband conspired against me to give me a "surprise shower". I had been adamant that I did not think a shower was necessary since my family and friends are so spread out and deciding on a location was going to be difficult for me. As you know I was so sick for so long and I just could not imagine celebrating in those early days when we were discussing shower options.

Well secretly they decided that they would not take my repeated "no thank yous" for an answer and planned one behind my back! haha! Now I am so glad that they did and appreciate all of the hard work that went into the shower and the attendance of those who are looking forward to my baby girl's birth! We were gifted so many wonderful, useful baby things... Caroline is such a lucky little girl!!!

I did, however, find out about the shower before the actual shower date! I had a feeling that something was going on because people very close to me had made random, strange comments and given each other looks that seemed out of the ordinary. I am very observant! Lets just say that I was suspicious that something was going on!!;-) Then a week before the shower a family member called my phone and left me a voicemail saying she was very sorry that she had missed my shower on Saturday and that she wanted to get together sometime soon to give me her gift. She continued to say that she had misplaced her invitation and was looking forward to meeting our Baby. Bless her heart!!! I couldn't help but laugh out loud because I knew that as soon she realized that she just ruined the surprise she would be so upset! This is one of the sweetest people I know and I knew she would just die when she found out. My husband and I were sitting on the couch together when I checked her voicemail and of course he had to know what was so funny! So I told him and told him not to get upset! He was so disappointed that he immediately started telling me all of the details as to when, where, who etc...

So maybe it wasn't the surprise that my friends and family had originally hoped for but honestly, this was probably the best for me and after I told my friends that I knew what they had up their sleeve they all admitted they were probably going to tell me the night before anyway! I have never been a big fan of surprises(Hello, my name is Christina and I'm a planner!=)) and at least I didn't show up at the shower in my sweatpants and no makeup, which I am not ashamed to say is my current pregnancy uniform!

Thank you for coming everyone! We appreciate everything!!! Here are some pictures from the shower... ENJOY!!!

Her Cake said "Sweet as Sugar, Cute as Pie, Thank Heaven for Little Caroline"

Posing with one of Caroline's Gifts

Chris came down to the Clubhouse at the end of the Shower to transport gifts and say hello... apparently shoes were optional! ;-)

With "Aunt Katrina" and "Aunt Megan"

We let Balloons go for Miss Caroline! I love this picture!

My Dinner Date!!!

I have a confession to make! Tonight I went on a date.... and it wasn't with my husband!!! Now, before you get too upset with me, you should know that my date has been a very important person in my life since I was born and even gave me away when I got married. That's right, my date was my sweet Granddaddy!!!

My Grandparents have been in town for a few days because one of our loved ones had surgery downtown at UAB. My Grandmother is spending the night at the hospital, so we decided to go to dinner at Logan's together tonight. We joked that we rarely get the opportunity to do anything together just the two of us and I am so glad that we were able to! We decided to make a special night of it, so this was our "date night", just Granddaddy and Granddaughter.=)

My Grandfather has always played such an important role in my life and no matter how old I get I will always be his little girl. I could go into details, but I could never do his sacrifice justice. Lets just say that his love, patience and guidance has shaped my life in a way that I could never say enough thank yous for.

At dinner we had a wonderful time just chatting about what is going on with our family and our lives. We don't get to see each other nearly enough, but we have always had a special relationship that I am so grateful for! If there were only more Men in the world like my Granddaddy the world would be a much happier place... my Grandmother would be the first to tell you this!;-)

I love you Granddaddy! Thanks again for our "date night"!=)

Watch our Baby Grow, 35 weeks!!!