The Rowe Family Blog

Well, I had my 37 week appointment this morning at the doctor’s office. All is going well. The baby’s heart rate is around the 140′s and my blood pressure and pulse were very good. I did lose 2-3 pounds since my last appointment but they aren’t concerned since I don’t have as much room to eat anymore.

The good news is that the dilation has begun! I’m between 1 and 2 cm dilated. Now, I could be at this measurement for quite a long time or the birth of the Little One could happen any day. There is no way of knowing how long it will be at this point. It’s nice to see some progress though.

This has been quite an interesting week! On Tuesday, I got my first ambulance ride and first visit to the hospital. I passed out while at the doctor’s appointment. I went to the hospital (about .5 miles from the doctor’s office) in an ambulance. The guys at Monroe Ambulance were very entertaining throughout the entire ordeal. I was observed in the Triage of the Childbirth center for about 3 hours. Everything was great. My blood pressure, the baby, etc…all fine. I was sent home and went to work the next day.

Thursday morning at about 2 am my heart was racing and then pounded very hard. I called the doctor while I was at work on Thursday to report my blood pressure readings. Based on the heart palpitations and my “episode” on Tuesday, she pulled me out of work immediately. I left work at 2pm without saying goodbye to the kids. I was kind of torn as to whether it was a good thing, or a bad thing that I was being sent home.

So, maternity leave began on May 3rd at 2pm. The doctor told me that I am on “rest”, not bedrest, so I can still do little jobs around the house and am not bound to a bed all day. I’ve felt pretty good since then. I haven’t had any backaches since Thursday, which is VERY nice. The downside is I’ve been told NOT to exercise. That is killing me! I feel totally capable of going for a walk or working a muscle group at the gym, but she said no. So here I am…home. Oh! Did I mention that they don’t want me to drive either? I have a chauffeur where ever I may roam. Greg’s Mom has been great with getting me out and about and Greg takes me out when he can.

I feel pretty useless though. There are so many things to do at home and I so many of them I can’t do. Greg has been assigned to lawn duty, which I know he hates. He’s so busy trying to get things done and I can’t help him with those things. He’s taking things pretty well considering his to-do list is growing by the minute. As my Gram would say, “He’s a gem!”

The Little One has been doing GREAT! He or she moves a lot and makes sure to push on my bladder as necessary for creating more room inside. We used our at home heart listener this morning and heard the Little One’s heart beat. It was so cute!

It’s actually not so bad. I’m hoping to work on my scrapbook this week and watch a couple of movies. I’ll still do some work around the house, but I must rest. Feel free to email during the day. I’m sure I’ll start to get a little bored at some point.

Well, I’ve been feeling GREAT! Up until last Sunday. I have been exhausted since last Sunday and have been unable to recover no matter how much sleep I get. The Little One will be worth it, but wow! I don’t remember being this tired since I was 3 months pregnant and before then I had never been this tired. I never realized how much pregnancy can take out of a woman! And to add a little more complaint…my back aches all day every day, heartburn stinks, my legs ache in the middle of the night (yes I’ve tried pillows…no luck), and I think my feet are getting larger (maybe swollen or just larger).

I have to say though that we are really looking forward to the arrival of the Little One. It will all be worth it. The nursery has been set up for a couple of weeks now (minus a curtain and a couple of other minor items) and it is absolutely adorable! Tomorrow we are going to pack the hospital bag, diaper bag, and get the car seat bases in the cars. I am also hoping to get out to buy a boy outfit and a girl outfit for coming home as well as some more maternity clothes since very few things are fitting me. The belly continues to enlarge, which, of course, is a good sign.

We went out today and bought a new digital camera! It is an Olympus 7 megapixel camera with 5x zoom. We should be able to print 8×10 photos from that if all goes well. That was our last major purchase for the Little One. We still have some major purchases to make for the home theater, but that is so we are entertained while we’re home with the Little One. In the future the Little One will appreciate it, but for now, we will appreciate it!

Well, we have a few things left to do around the house. Our to do lists are constantly growing with more things that we want to get done. A lot of the items are seasonal but, with me having far less energy, it’s not going to be easy, but we’ll get things done eventually. Nothing is really pressing, but we want to be able to spend time with the Little One once he/she arrives.

We’ve hit 30 weeks! Time is flying by!

Last Friday, March 16th, we went for another ultrasound. The baby was just under 3 lbs which is average for this stage of the pregnancy. The heartbeat was approximately 129. We had no idea it was going to happen, but they did 3D imaging with the ultrasound. The technician was able to find the baby’s face and show us the face in 3D. It was unreal! We really think that the baby has Greg’s lips and we’re not sure but we think the Little One has my nose. Keep in mind that the nose is squished in the ultrasound. It won’t be that big!

So, everything is looking good so far! I’ve been feeling very good lately and have had a fair amount of energy. I’ve gained approximately 26 lbs so far…5 of which were in the past 3 weeks. It’s so strange that gaining weight is a good thing! My belly is protruding enough now that it is difficult to tie my shoes, put on socks, and carry laundry. I can still do all of these things, but it is much more challenging.

I’m 26 weeks along today. The baby is kicking a lot these days. It’s often tough to sleep in because the Little One is kicking so much! I’ve been feeling pretty good.

Recently, I’ve been a little lightheaded and the doctor has asked me to step up my consumption of iron-rich foods. Specifically, today I was asked to eat more hamburgers and steaks! So on my way home from the doctor’s today, I met Greg’s Mom for a burger and a Frosty at Wendy’s. I don’t usually eat like that, but it is doctor’s orders!

Other than that, I’ve been feeling great and continue to exercise 3-5 days a week. I’ve been doing step aerobics classes 2 nights a week and have been doing weights and/or walking on the treadmill the other days. Thursday nights are currently Lost party nights so I don’t usually make it to the gym then.

Greg and I don’t want to know if we are having a boy or a girl. We’ve been working on names for the baby and have some that we really love. It’s going to be tough to whittle down the list. Sorry, but we’re not sharing names until the baby is born. We will take suggestions though!

Baby Rowe, aka Buddies, is due on May 28th! The second and third months of the pregnancy were rough. I was nauseaus and very tired. Getting food down at dinner each night was quite a chore. However, since the end of November I have felt very good. Buddies is 19 weeks along right now. Greg and I went for the ultrasound this morning. The baby looks healthy from what the technician could tell this morning. We’ll meet with the OB-GYN later this month to discuss the results after the doctor has a chance to look them over more carefully. On December 31st (also Greg’s 28th birthday) I felt the baby move for the first time. I’ve felt Buddies move several times since then. Greg and I are very excited for the baby to arrive.