Baby #7

I feel like we have been so busy since I found out I was pregnant with baby #7 that I really haven't had much time to wrap my mind around it. Delighted, of course.
I am 20 weeks this week and am feeling fine. I wish I had more time to focus on myself, but that truly does not seem possible right now.
I haven't really been able to visualize what I would like to see happen with this birth. It has always taken a bit of time to do that, so I will just continue to be patient. The midwife that has worked with me during my last 3 births will not be available for this birth. Rich and I have decided that we will still choose a home birth and my doula and sweet friend, Amber will attend. Other than that, this will be the first home birth in our new home. So many rooms to choose to birth in. A bit overwhelming, I must admit.

Big Baby Belly

39 weeks tomorrow. WOW...time has just flown by. I am feeling fine. I am super run down by about dinner time, but am still accomplishing quite a bit during the day. I have had contractions on and off over the past few days. I am not sleeping through the night, but getting a few hours at a time. Rich took a picture of baby belly #6 this afternoon and I just wanted to share. I will be relieved to hold this precious one in my arms for the first time and be done with the waiting.

Can anyone say NESTING???

Okay, so this is really bad. I am supposed to be taking it easy, getting ready to bring new life into the world and I wake up this morning with the uncontrollable urge to install a new bathroom floor. Off to Lowes and home again with flooring. What am I thinking? Who knows. I think involving myself in major projects right now helps me not to focus on all of the things that could go wrong with this birth...UGH! Why do I do that? I was to the point this afternoon where I was going into a panic attack thinking that the baby might be breech. My midwife had made a brief comment 2 weeks ago that she thought for a second that she felt a bum way down low, but then was settled when she heard his heart beat in a good spot. I am just having trouble feeling where parts are when I lay down and feel around. I can normally feel the baby's head when it is down in my pelvis the last couple of weeks and am not able to feel it right now. My doula said that she thinks the baby's head is actually under my pubic bone. All this to say, I installed a bathroom floor at 38 weeks of pregnancy just to avoid having to think about anything serious. Oh yeah, and to make it even more not serious, Cheyanne helped me every step of the way. Crocheting would have been much too easy. :O)

38 weeks

Dante snapped a few pictures of me early this morning out at the garden and I thought it would be fun to share a belly picture of me at almost 38 weeks pregnant with pixie #6. I am feeling fabulous and am working, working to get as much as I can accomplished before the birth.

Down low

My doula stopped by today to drop off the inflatable tub. The other 2 fiberglass tubs are being used at the moment, so I figured it was a good idea to have a back up. I have started feeling very pregnant over the past 3 days so she was curious to see if she could tell any difference in baby size/position. Yup...lots more room up top and a itty bitty head way down low. She said she would estimate that the baby weights around 6 pounds, so a little longer in mama's oven would serve us some good. It is just so hard to take it easy right now. There is so much to be done. The baby is in a good position with his head down on the right side of my uterus and his back is facing out. The only must is a hose to fill up the tub and I will have that within the next few days. I am very relaxed and comfortable about welcoming little #6.

Closer and closer

I had my home visit Saturday and things seem to be moving right along. My bp was fine, I have gained a bit more weight. Rich and I decided not to test for GBS, but to just handle things as they come our way. MF will drop off the tub this week. My sweet girl, Amber will plan on being here for the birth, to take pictures and to be a stand in mama for my babies if any of them wind up awake during the labor or delivery.
Most of the time I don't feel super pregnant, but there are moments when I am sure labor will start within the next couple of weeks. My feet are swelling more. There is much more discomfort when I bend over the wrong way or just push myself too hard. I am thankful that there is not a ton to be done. I am going to try and focus my energies into moving forward with schoolwork with the other children and getting some food stashed into the freezer. I wish I had a more organized plan as far as menus for the month after baby, but it just seems that it is not within me to do that right now. We are also still toying with the garden trying to figure out the simpliest method for a productive and cheap garden. There is no time for HUGE nesting projects. Although... :O) I would like to fill in some holes in Justus and Izzie's room and put a fresh coat of paint in there. As time allows.

Nasal spray dilema

I started a few nights ago using Afrin nasal spray right before I go to bed. I have hesitated using this because of quite a few documented cases of addiction and destruction to your mucous membranes. Well, I decided last night after 2 very sweet sleeps that I was willing to risk being addicted to nose spray and at the moment, could care less about my mucous membranes. I am only using it once each evening and it has allowed me to sleep through the night so peacefully. I have not had peaceful sleep in over 3months. Once this sinus stuff is over after delivery, I may need someone to remind me that I did voluntarily addict myself to Afrin. I may also need help with a recover program. :O)