living the freeman life

Well friends, it seems that Adam is in no hurry to make an appearance! I was called in for an ultrasound this morning and the ultrasound tech measured baby Adam as weighing 8 lbs. 12 oz. (ironically the same thing as Caleb), give or take a pound. I did not get to discuss the results of the ultrasound with my OBGYN as she had gone to lunch by the time I got out of the ultrasound. However, she is supposed to call me if she wants me to come in and discuss the ultrasound.

I'm having some mixed feelings about this whole situation....

GOOD THINGS:
> Adam is in a good position.. head down!
> He's healthy (albeit a bit big) with a great heartbeat
> I have just the right amount of amniotic fluid...not too much, not too little
> The doctors are not gonna induce as of now, and they aren't concerned with needing to do a C-section.
> I've been feeling great, although large, these past couple of days.

BAD THINGS:
> I'm a planner...so this "unsure about when labor is gonna start" is foreign to me. I was induced with Caleb, so it was yet another thing I could put on my Google calendar!
> I'm nervous that the longer I don't go into labor, the bigger Adam is gonna get. As I'm trying to give birth sans drugs, giving birth naturally to a huge baby could smart a little.
> I'm also nervous that the longer I go without giving birth, the bigger he is gonna get, and the more likely I'm going to have to have a C-section. I'm not against C-sections, but they just seem to be performed a lot these days, and I really don't want one. At all.

*sigh* It's weird being out of control of a situation. It's unnerving to not have a "say" in the matters. This is a good thing for me though. It helps me rely on God and His timing versus my timing/comfort level. If you think about it, please be praying that we will be satisfied in God...that we will not "fault" Him for not bringing Adam on our timing preference, and that we would not be anxious "...for who by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matt 6:27). Anyway, maybe Adam will be here soon!!

Confession: As much as I cannot wait to meet baby Adam, have my body back, breathe easier, etc., I will truly miss being pregnant. I love feeling little feet pummel the side of my abdomen as I clean around the house. I will miss the hiccups that keep me awake at nighttime (or wake me up in the wee hours of the morning). I will always treasure the knowledge that I’ve carried this beautiful being inside of me for nine months, nurtured it, talked to it, and loved it. Baby Adam has been a part of me, my life, my body for 9 (almost 10) months now, and it’s going to be weird to not have him inside of me. It’s hard when people ask me if I’m ready to have this baby…the answer is a double-edged sword for me…yes, I am feeling a little fatigued from carrying a 5 gallon bucket on the front of me; yes, I am ready to get into a routine with a baby; yes, I’m ready to be reminded what an infant is like vs. having a toddler, but no, I’m not looking forward to “giving up” what has been a beautiful journey (boy, that sounds a little granola) till now. I’ve loved being pregnant…even the anemia has not been that bad (having gestational diabetes last time was worse). The worst part is running out of clothes to wear as my belly is SO HUGE…and I just can’t pull off the midriff-baring shirts (especially in 20 degree weather). It was also harder to be pregnant this time as I had a two and a half year old to keep up with that didn’t understand why Mommy didn’t want to wrestle, or lay down on the floor, or didn’t have a lap anymore. I’m pretty sure this is the last time I’ll be pregnant (unless God has other plans I’m unaware of). Eric and I have always talked about having two biological children, waiting until they were both in school, then adopting two little girls. I’ve always thought I was going to be a mom of two little girls or at least a boy and a girl. Instead, God blessed me with two boys…and I think He did that to preserve the calling that has been on my heart since even before I met Eric. I’ve always felt that I was supposed to adopt these two little girls (domestic, international, I don’t care) at the same time for some reason. I remember talking to Eric about it before we even dated to find out what his thoughts were on the matter. I know that some people are not comfortable with adopting, and that’s okay—I just knew that if a future husband of mine was not “on board”, it would cause tremendous grief for me. Thankfully, Eric was all for it. We both had (and still have) no idea how we would go about it, find the finances for it, etc., but we’re trusting God to give us guidance when the time comes.

BOY- you can tell I don’t get to have much adult conversation!! Look how much I’ve written! Ha ha—well, I went to the doctor today and when she checked me, she said I was 1 cm dilated (much better than hearing her say “oh, you have a dimple” like she did last week). She said that she doesn’t expect me to have a 10 lb. baby (thank goodness). She’s also not going to be concerned with inducing me until I’m more than a week overdue. She advised that I go walking…so as soon as Caleb wakes up from his nap, we’re going to head out to the local mall (a tiny one, thank goodness, as I’m not much one for crowds) and get some exercise. Maybe that’ll encourage Adam to “come on”. At least we got through the Superbowl with no labor!! :) Thanks for “listening”- whoever you are!

I can’t believe that we’re almost there! I thought Adam might be here by now, but apparently, he’s decided that being warm and snuggled is better than being out in this cold, wet weather! And, I don’t blame him! Eric and I, since the beginning, have joked that this baby, although due on the 13th, could possibly come tomorrow, Feb. 7th…also known as SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!! Who knows what he might decide to do, but I can just see us in the fourth quarter, 1 minute to go, both teams tied….and I go into labor. “NOOOOO!!!” cries Eric. :) Actually, I told him that if we were in labor at the hospital at the time of the Superbowl, that I would allow him to watch it on the 42” plasma that we’ll have in our LDR room. At least, until I tell him to turn the TV off. We are cheering for the Colts this year (GO PEYTON!) and plan on having a small get-together at our house (again, providing that Adam decides not to make an appearance) with grilled hotdogs, chips, and bakes beans. :) We’re looking forward to it! Here are some more pregnancy pictures for you!

That is ONE BIG BABY! :)

So, while Caleb hung out and Grandma and Papa’s house today, Eric and I went out and “played” in the snow. Well, he played and I took pictures. :) Here’s my wonderful mountain man of a husband shoveling a clear path to the car. We failed to do this last time, and wound up paying for it, as the snow melted, then froze, then melted, and refroze…and we practically “skated” out to the car every time we need to go somewhere!

And, this would be me (or as much of me as I could get a pic of while holding the camera away from myself) at 38 weeks! This would be Adam’s 2nd official snow!

Icicles!! So pretty!!

And here’s Eric, munching on his first icicle…seriously! The man’s never eaten an icicle before…he thought it was pretty good! (In the picture though, it looks like he’s using it as a giant toothpick!)

Josie…whose face tells it all. We brought both cats outside with us (they had been sleeping inside all morning, and it was now noon). She hooted and hollered, and Josie kept giving me these glares.

We decided to give my car a “haircut”. This is the before picture….

…and the after photo…it is supposed to be a mohawk with spikes..we called it a “Corollahawk”

We called this a “bad flat top hair cut”

Look familiar?

Well, as much as I’ve wanted to meet this baby, I implored him NOT to come this weekend as 10” of snow has been dropped on us! Just in case some funny business starts happening (a.k.a I go into labor), Eric has parked his Ford Explorer Sport Trac at the bottom of our driveway. Grandma Cathy came and got Caleb yesterday afternoon to stay with them for the weekend, just in case I went into labor. Caleb seems to be having lots of fun over there! (See her recent blog post at Mom's blog.) For those of you who may not know, I’ll be having Adam at Park Ridge Hospital (Baby Center) which has a brand spankin’ new Baby Center. There is a Jacuzzi tub, a 42” plasma TV in each room with internet hook up, a 5 star chef in the kitchen, and lots of caring personnel. Eric and I looked at their menu of the stuff that you can order from the hospital menu (check out the Cafe Menu), and found some scrumptious items listed, stuff like: Lemon Herb Crusted Cod with Florentine Ravioli, Stuffed Baby Zucchini, Baked Chicken with Corn Macque Choux & Adobo BBQ Sauce, and Wild Mushroom Risotto. I crack myself up when I get more excited about eating at the hospital than giving birth there! (not really…but you know what I mean). Anyway, we’re very excited to have such a great hospital so close to our home. I always thought I’d have our baby at Mission St. Joseph’s in Asheville, NC, but once I realized how long the drive could be, I started looking for hospitals closer to Hendersonville. God has truly answered our prayers!

Well, baby Adam has officially made it to “full term”. I had originally thought that 36 weeks was full term, but actually it is 37 weeks. His lungs are fully developed and if he were to come early, most likely, he wouldn’t have to go into the NICU. The doctor yesterday said that she estimates that he is right now around 7 pounds (about a pound more than the average baby at 37 weeks), and she expects him to be around 8 pounds at time of delivery. Given that Caleb was 8 lbs. 12 oz, I’m just fine delivering an 8 pounder. :) I’m having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, but as of yesterday, was not dilated at all. Adam is still in head down position, with his fanny on the right side of my belly (if you are looking at me), and his feet on the right side of my belly. He still loves to kick and stretch a lot, but thankfully it does not hurt as he is not under my ribs. I have about 2 pairs of pants and 3 shirts that I can wear (in public, that is)…at home, you’ll usually find me sporting a midriff-baring shirt that will not fit over my huge belly. Caleb is really excited about having a baby brother…he loves to pull up my shirt and kiss and hug my bare belly (another thing I’m trying to teach him NOT to do in public). Baby Adam’s room is ready to go. I used the same motif as Caleb (Classic Winnie-the-Pooh), and still love it just as much. Here are some pictures below!The first two pictures are of Adam’s crib (obviously) with a sheet set that I got for FREE at a consignment shop. The “header/pillow” thing with Pooh on it had a tiny tear in the back, which Mom quickly repaired, but as it was with a whole set consisting of a crib sheet and crib “skirt”, the lady at the shop wound up giving everything to me for free. What a blessing! The painting of Pooh bear was done by Mom for Caleb’s room. There is also a coordinating one of Tigger, and she is painting one of Piglet for baby Adam, so now we will have a collection of three to hang on the wall! Another angle of the crib and laundry hamper. Notice that the laundry hamper only has one button on it. That is because the other wooden button has yet to be sewn back on…I posted this to keep myself accountable for fixing it! I found some great under the crib storgae bins where I’m keeping extra sets of sheets and blankets.I did not really know what to do with this dormer area to begin with, and although it looks a little crammed, at least we’ve been able to get some extra storage (and find a place for the WONDERFUL glider). Eric installed the three shelves on the wall to provide extra storage for knick knacks, pictures, and toys. We moved the hope chest to under the three shelves, which was actually a great idea because Caleb immediately climbed up there and started “reading” his books while I sat in the chair. I’m sure this will be wonderful in the future when I’m feeding Adam and Caleb still wants to be around Mommy!The changing table is below..again, the same one we used for Caleb. Both the crib and the changing table were probably the most expensive thing we “invested” in for Caleb’s nursery, which has definitely paid off as we are going to still be able to use it for Adam’s nursery too!I had a pair of foam couches that I was given by my grandmother and I thought this would be a great place to use them. This way, I don’t have to run up and down the stairs every time Adam cries in case we have a bad night. I found the sage green microsuede Roman shades at Tuesday Morning for only $13 a piece! :) Anyway, we sure are looking forward to meeting this little guy. He’s been fun to carry around for 9 months, but we are both now to the point that we can’t wait to meet him and hold him. It’s so surreal to think that (hopefully) in the next few weeks, we are going to have a total change in our routine as another baby boy gets welcomed into our home! Thank you to EVERYONE who has showered us with encouragement, gifts, and prayers! We’ll be sure to let you know when he gets here! Oh, and here are a couple of pictures of me at 37 weeks along…please pardon the hair, lack of makeup, and outfit as all three things have slipped by the wayside these past few weeks!