Happy Labor Day

Friday 29th appointment

Everything is fine.
The baby was playing hide and seek with the heartrate monitor. My the time we got it set up, she would move away. The heart beat line was inconsistent, but we got a good enough sample. Again, I didn't have any contractions, but she was moving around a lot.
The midwife did another internal exam. She said I was open on the outside, but not on the inside. Apparently that is normal for a first baby, but I have no idea what it means. She didn't explain and I didn't ask. Either way there doesn't seem to be any progression toward labor. I am feeling a little uncomfortable after that exam, but I know it will go away quickly.
I got another ultrasound today and the midwife was measuring the fluid space, which still looks good. She kept trying to take stills of the space to measure it and the baby would move her hand or foot into the middle of it. Made things a little difficult. I got really tired of laying there.
Got another measurement of my fundal height. I was 34 this week. It is still 4-5cm behind, but still two more than last Wednesday so we know she is still growing. Next Friday during my in-depth ultrasound we'll find out exactly how much.
Anyway, that's pretty much it. I am moving into the Stork's Nest next Wednesday. My next appointment in Labor & Delivery is in the afternoon on the 5th.

Another Friday

I'm still here.
Weather still sucks. We had thunderstorms all night long.
It's finally Friday, but Danny has duty tomorrow. Poo! Well, at least Monday is a holiday.
I have an appointment later today (10am). I'll update as soon as I get home. Hoping for good news. If I'm even the slightest bit dilated I'll be happy. Some progress is better than none.

Okay, fess up!

Alright, who sent us the Washington weather?







It has rained nearly non-stop since Sunday night and it doesn't look like it's gonna let up anytime soon!

He's finally coming home!

Yes, for those of you who haven't heard Danny finally got a flight home!
Here is the itinerary info:
United 5408 San Diego(10:18 8/23) - LA(11:08)
United 891 LA (13:04) - Narita (16:30 8/24)

Hurray! I'm super excited. I won't be going to the airport to meet him. Pretty sure the midwife wouldn't be happy about me traveling that far from the hospital. I'll be going to Yokohama tomorrow night to pick him up.

NST update

Everything looks good. Babies heart rate was good, although the nurse noted how active she was. It ranged from 120-180 depending on her activity. I found watching the monitor to be very fascinating. No contractions during the 40 min they had me hooked up. (I think they forgot about me...)
The midwife came in when I was finished. Said everything looked good. She did an ultrasound measuring the fluid space. Also, she asked me what gender I was told the baby was. I said "well, they say I'm having a girl". She froze the screen and said "yup, there is her labia". Phew, I'm relieved. Now I can finally wash ALL her clothes. That will give me something to do over the next two weeks!
I am scheduled for another NST August 29th and another full ultrasound in Radiology, like I received Wednesday, on September 5th. They canceled my appointment at the Ob/GYN's office and said I don't need to do those anymore. I'll just go straight to Labor & Delivery (AKA 3AOB) from now on. I kinda miss my old midwife, but this one is great too.

Oh, and I took all my bags with me when I left the house this morning. Pretty sure Mocha thought I was leaving again 'cause she puked in my shoe shortly after I left. I was so mad!

NST scheduled

Just got off the phone with the OBGYN office and I'm scheduled for my NST at 1040 tomorrow morning in labor and delivery. I'm bringing a book 'cause I'll be there for a good 20-30 minutes.
I'll be sure to update as soon as I get home. Probably about this time (late night pacific time) tomorrow.

My 37 week appointment

Had my 37 week appointment at 1020 this morning. I didn't want to believe Danny, but he has some crazy instinct; the midwife was running behind. I don't think I actually saw her until 10 to 11. Well first, my heart rate was a little high so they checked it again manually. It and my blood pressure came back normal. So much for technology!
Baby's heart rate was in the 150's. The problem was that my fundal height was only 32. She did the internal and they baby has dropped a little, but not enough to count for the low fundal height. Cervix was about as closed as it could get, so no progress in that department.
So the midwife was a little concerned. She left to make some phone calls and got me into radiology at 3 for an ultrasound. The concern was about her size and possibly the amount of amniotic fluid. If she was in the 10th percentile or less they would have to decide if I even got to come home today, and if I did they may start two appointments a week. Obviously I was a little freaked out. I hadn't brought my hospital bag with me and Danny is still in the states...
(I was a little upset this morning because Danny told me he is not able to change his flight plans and only the XO can do that if he decides it necessary. Otherwise, he has to stay in Seattle until Sept 2nd. I'll keep you updated as I hear more.)
I had a breastfeeding class at 2 I had to leave early. They did all the measurements in the ultrasound and compared to the "average 37 week fetus" she is in the 13th percentile. They said she was more like a 35 week fetus with a due date of Sept 20th. Her weight is currently at 5lbs 14oz. I assume the amount of amniotic fluid was okay. The midwife told me that everything looked okay for now and I was allowed to go home. Tomorrow morning someone will call me and schedule an NST (non-stress test) for Friday or Monday. For those who don't know, during an NST they hook me up to machines that monitor the baby's heartbeat, movement, and any contractions I may have. That should take 20-30 minutes.
I am not ready for this baby to be born - not like this. Like I said, I was terrified today and the thought of being induced, and without Danny here, scares me even more. Now I feel like I need to keep an extra eye out for any changes. I am nervous and want to hold out until Danny is home. Guess I'll never feel ready, even if I have my bags with me!
Over time, I am relaxing a bit more though. Since there doesn't seem to be any major issues, I think it is possible that she is just meant to be a small baby. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion. There was a sale in the exchange today, so I bought some preemie outfits in case she doesn't fit into newborn or 0-3 month cloths at birth. Plus, I was trying to plan in case I got admitted today. From now on, my hospital bag will be in the car. (Oh, and speaking of car: I ran into a metal construction barrier and dented/scratched the car. Let's make the day better!)
My next "regular" appointment will be on Friday the 29th with yet another different doctor.
Well, here is pics from the ultrasound. They aren't so great. I can explain/decipher later.

I'm still here

I realized this morning that I probably shouldn't be quiet too long 'cause everyone will wonder where I am and whats going on. If you don't hear from me, you'll really have to assume no news is good news though. There is nothing new going on here. No more contractions or any other sign she'll be coming anytime soon. My next appointment is on Wednesday morning and I'll be staying in Yokosuka until later because I have my breastfeeding class at two. Of course I'll try to update as soon as I get home. Sure there won't be much to say. They'll be checking for dilation and other fun pregnancy things. My appointment is with a midwife I've never met before. The one thing I hope to get out of her is a realistic answer of what my due date really is. I know they can't say for sure, but if I'm measuring 2 weeks behind I'd like to know if I can expect her that much later than they keep telling me. I am kinda tired of dealing with them "not worrying about it". Sometimes you just want a straight answer....
Well, that is all there really is to say. Not much besides pregnancy happening. Our neighbors just officially left this morning, but Amy told me last night that if I need anything I shouldn't hesitate to call her. She'd find someone to watch the kids if she needed to. Hopefully Danny will be home and that won't be an issue, even if he'll be going to work during the day.
Oh, and we went to the Bon Odori festival last night. Everything was pretty much the same as last year, but I'll see if I have any good and different pictures. I can guarantee they aren't as good as last year.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I reached 37 weeks today so whenever she is born she will not be considered preemie, but full term. Guess thats quite a milestone.

Stork's Nest

I finally have a tentative date for my check-in to the Stork's Nest (the "hotel" for expecting moms). The coordinator called me and said they're flexible on the date. Right now I'm scheduled for the third. I told her that although everyone says they try to get people in two weeks early that they didn't need to get me in that early. Really, we don't live that far away and I am sure she won't be born that early anyway. If anything changes I'm sure I can adjust the date. They keep the room available for up to two weeks after my due date so I'm not concerned about that at all.
Anyway, thats the latest update. Glad I don't have to pack that bag for a few weeks. At least I know Danny will be here by the time I'm ready to stay in Yokosuka. I think he'll be starting leave at the beginning of that week.

36 week appointment

Okay, didn't write yesterday when I go t home, but I am now.
Nothing to eventful at the appointment which I suppose is good. My blood pressure is still good and I haven't really gained any weight since my last appointment. My fundal height was 34cm, which is still two behind my due date, but the midwife still isn't concerned. I also had the GBS test. They are checking for certain bacteria that could be passed to the baby during birth. If it comes back positive, they'll give me antibiotics in labor. She is still head down and my midwife wasn't surprised to hear about my contractions.
The "fun" part was that there was a male Japanese medical student shadowing my midwife. He was the one who measured me and checked the baby's heartbeat, but was also watching during my GBS test. Awkward...
I managed to schedule for next Wednesday so I won't have to drive down twice next week. I am going to he breastfeeding class that same day at 2. Luckily I'll only have a few hours to kill.

Mocha's appointment

Mocha was still acting odd with her eyes, so I decided to finally make an appointment for her. So today at noon she saw the vet. He looked at her eyes and said that her eyes were dilating properly and her cornea wasn't scratched. He inner eyelid was a little swollen so he gave me an antibiotic ointment to put in her eyes. It may be difficult to do it myself, but I'll try at least once. If she tries to rip all my skin off then I'll get my neighbor's help. :) I'm already formulated how I'll hold her down.
They told me when I checked in that she would be due for her rabies and another shot in September. They gave me the option to do it later, but as I will have a baby then and they don't allow anyone under 10 inside the office I knew it was best to do it now. She acted amazingly well through the whole thing. I was impressed. Now if only I can hope for that much from the baby!
She was very happy to get home and out of the carrier. I can see her beautiful eyes now and she isn't mad at me! Its comforting to know things are better.
I go in for my appointment tomorrow. Another trip to Yokosuka. Yippee. I was having some minor contractions last night, but they finally stopped. A bath has never been so great. Don't worry, I'm taking care of myself. It will be much nicer when Danny is here. I am counting down the days until I hope he can come home.

Budgeting Class

I took the Budget for Baby class offered by the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society tonight. It was alright. I got some good resources, but the class itself wasn't so beneficial. I actually feel guilty about the bag of free stuff I got, most of which I already have.
When I went to the post office before I left, I had about 6 boxes waiting for me. Some of it is Danny's, but I got some things I have ordered. I got the two baby wraps/carriers I wanted and the diaper bag I got on sale. Tracy also sent me a box that had some baby clothes in it from the shower. That means I have more laundry to do. :)
I took the day off to get things done, but I didn't get anything done. Big shocker. It was a hard day, just feeling a little down. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Honestly I am just tired of being pregnant. It's a little too early yet for her to be born, but I can say there is nothing fun about being pregnant anymore. I am becoming aware again of how much it's messing with my hormones. This last month is gonna be tough. It doesn't help that Danny is gone and I am SO over that too. I told him this morning that sometimes I really hate the Navy. It is time for him to come home 'cause I am tired of dealing with it. I think I handle it pretty well most the time, but when I'm done I'm done. Hopefully it is just two more weeks. I hope Sato can get a clue and give Danny a decent flight back instead of making him wait until September. I may have to kick someone's bum.

Placing my bet

Welcome to a new week!
So far this one has been quite exhausting for me. I haven't been super busy, but do get tired quite easily. Naps are my best friend. Mocha likes them too 'cause she really likes to cuddle with me. Last night I didn't sleep so well (hot & uncomfortable) so I was dragging all morning.
Yesterday afternoon I went down to Yokosuka for the "Labor & You" class. We got a lot of information on basically what to expect during labor. I knew a lot of things in the class already, but did learn some new and useful things. I don't think any amount of classes could prepare me for the big day.
Besides the class, I've just been trying to straighten the house out. I cleaned out the living room closet yesterday and moved a bunch of stuff to our storage shed. I am also trying to clear out general crap. We collect a lot of useless stuff. (Especially Danny!) Right now the guest bedroom is collecting all the extra stuff. Dan and Tracy, I promise it'll be cleaned out before you get here! I have a lot of stuff I just don't know what to do with, like my old computer. I think it'll have to be donated. Not sure that anyone will want to buy it, but I should try one last time. Just gotta post fliers.
Weather here has been a little crazy today. It was overcast and hot this morning. Just after 11 it started to rain and it has on and off nearly the whole day. We had a thundercloud move right over the house. Had to plug my ears a few times. Every now and then I still hear rumbling off in the distance. Don't think I'll be taking my walk tonight.
Oh, I promise to take a belly picture soon. Not exactly wearing my fine clothing today. Got too sweaty earlier.
Thursday night is my Budget 4 Baby class. I get to come home with $100 worth of free stuff. Woohoo.

Oh, and I ALMOST forgot the main reason I started to post. I have been looking back at my first ultrasound and other information and decided to make my own guess on when she'll be born. I am placing my bets on September 12th. In just a few weeks we'll know for sure.

Vet advice

So, I have to make a shameless plug for a website.
No actually I am really happy and am making a recommendation. Mocha has been favoring her eye all week and I kept putting off calling the vet. Yes, an answer would have been free from them but I decided I didn't want to wait any longer and it is already after hours on Friday. So Lori waited too long, thats me. :)
I was trying to find online advice and I came across a website called just answers. I was able to ask a real person (veterinarian) a question and I got an answer in less than 5 minutes. She was really sweet and helpful too. I know sometimes people don't have the time or money to take their animal to the vet, so I just want to put this out there for anyone who has never heard about it. If you're interested you can follow this link (Ask Your Cat Question Now.) or go to the link I will keep in the right side bar.

BTW, she told me to apply a tea bag to the eye for 30 seconds 4 times a day and try to use saline eye drops like people who have contacts use. I'll be trying it out and I'll let you know how it works.