39 Week Checkup

Not a lot has changed since my last post. We went to the new OB for our 38 1/2 week checkup last Thursday. At that appointment, they hooked me up to the fetal monitor to track Caiden's movements with his heart rate. Everything looked good as usual. That was about it for that appointment. I guess since he is high-risk they just want to be extra careful that there are no complications.

Yesterday we went in for our 39 week appointment. Luckily for me, we got to see if I had dilated more (sarcasm). My old OB, Dr. Robert, was a female and was probably about 5'3". My new OB, Dr. Farley, is a male and is definitely a lot bigger than 5'3". Here is a pic of me and Dr. Farley. Please ignore my unbelievable swelling.

In addition to the regular check for dilation, Dr. Farley stripped my membranes. He warned me that it would be uncomfortable, and he was right. I guess the grimace on my face was pretty obvious because Mike got out of his chair and came and put his hand on my shoulder. Not fun!

Since Dr. Farley did that, I have been having contractions every 20 minutes (having one as I type right now...). They are stronger than the ones I have been having in previous weeks, but are not getting more frequent or intense. I am hoping that is a good sign that means that the induction will go well because my body is naturally getting ready to have this baby boy!

Last week, our surgeon's office got us in touch with a family that recently had a similar surgery to what we are expecting Caiden to have. They have been SO helpful. I have been emailing the wife and Mike has been emailing the husband. They have given us tons of great information about what to expect with a heart baby. One of the questions I asked Laura (the wife) was how long was it before she got to hold the baby. The NICU doctor told us it would be after surgery, but never gave much else for a time frame. Laura told me that she got to hold him when he was born, then right before surgery, then it was 10 days after surgery before she could hold him again. Although that stinks, I'm glad to know what to realistically expect. I can imagine that the hardest part of all of this is going to be sitting by his bedside and not being able to comfort him like a normal baby when he is crying. Mike and I have talked about that and we know that the only other choice for him would be death, so even though this is going to be difficult, it is the only choice we have.

On a lighter note, we are still scheduled to go into the hospital Wednesday at 5pm. I am not going to be able to leave or move after we get there (besides to use the restroom), so Mike will be picking up my last pregnant meal for me. I have been thinking about what I want, and I better make it good! I haven't been able to exercise much over the past two weeks because my bones in my feet are very sore, so I am looking forward to being able to exercise like normal again soon. My parents bought me new Rollerblades for Christmas, so I plan on taking Caiden in his jogging stroller with me once it warms up again.

Thanks to everyone for all of your prayers. This sounds weird, but I can really feel it! I know what we are about to face is going to be difficult, but I have complete peace about it....it's actually a little bit weird. I feel pretty stress-free, so I know that it has to be a God thing. No normal person could possibly be feeling this good on their own in this situation! Like I said, it's very weird, but I know it's because God is giving us peace about everything. Pretty cool actually..

Last thing- I wanted to let everyone know that Mike started a CaringBridge website for Caiden as well. He has been putting my blog posts on there and doing some posts himself. I think you can sign up to receive an email or text when the journal is updated, but I'm not positive. Here is the link:

www.caringbridge.org/visit/caidenkolb

I will probably not post again until sometime after Caiden is born. Mike has been updating the CaringBridge site pretty regularly, so check back soon!