The Nursery!

Rudy has decided to meet and exceed all expectations. That's right, at 37 weeks she is still not here, but her furniture is!

This is the view from the door.

 

This is the view of the crib wall. We still need something to put over the crib... thinking maybe a decal, or hanging the quilt that goes with the bedding.

This is the other window in the room. Just to the right of the window is the changing table.

 I'm thrilled with how it is turning out. We need a few more things for the walls, but it feels good to have all Rudy's things put away where they belong. Now we just need our little girl.

Yesterday's ultrasound showed a 6 pound, 10 ounce little girl, with a (thankfully) totally average size head circumference. I'm about 2+ centimeters dialated and 50% effaced. The doctor is still saying that it could be any day. Buddy's new bet is that she arrives during the Browns/Steelers game on Sunday. Something is telling me though, that this baby is going to have a 2013 birthday.

Just for the record...

Rudy is now almost 6 pounds and still growing like a champ. We had a regular doctor's appointment on Monday (December 17). Overall the doctor was happy with how she was looking, but not with her movement. Especially over the weekend, I had noticed a decrease in the amount she was moving. So, he sent us on a little trip to labor and delivery for a non-stress test. They monitored her heartbeat and my contractions for about 45 minutes. She was sluggish at first but after they gave me a lime popsicle, she performed beautifully!

The doctor came in and declared her heartbeat and movement to be "gorgeous!" We didn't expect anything less, but it's still a nice relief to hear that she is doing so well.

We are trying to be prepared for her to come any time now but it's difficult since I decided that this would be the perfect time to re-do the kitchen floor and paint the kitchen. As a result, our house looks like this:

That is not the ideal situation for a nesting pregnant woman (can you say understatement of the year?). Thankfully, Buddy is being the trooper he always is and helping me do as much cleaning and organization as possible under the circumstances. I would also like to heartily recommend our contractor if anyone in the Cleveland area is looking for one. He has promised to come on Christmas Eve to hook up my appliances so I can cook Christmas dinner. Now that's service!

Next up, we have another regular appointment on December 26 and an ultrasound on December 28, as long as she is still cooking.

Prediction?

This was the fortune I received today at lunch. 

Dear Rudy, I sincerely hope this isn't a message from you. You need to cook at least 3 more weeks and I need at least 3 more weeks to get ready. Do you hear me?

32 Weeks!

I had a normal check up with my doctor yesterday and everything is still right on track. In fact, he says we are even measuring slightly ahead of 32 weeks! Unicornuate Uterus Victory! 

As long as I make it to December 14, they won't stop my labor (for those playing along at home, that is only 17 days away!) We did schedule one more ultrasound on December 28 as a "just in case" but... I might have a baby by then.

My next regular appointment is December 10.

Here is a gratuitous photo of Bacon. You are welcome.

30 weeks 5 days

We had an ultrasound yesterday to follow up and make sure Rudy is growing properly. Buddy couldn't make it, but Mindy was kind enough to come along and I'm so glad she was there. We got out first glimpse at what Rudy is going to look like...

At least we know she is definitely Buddy's child, am I right? That cute face should be arriving somewhere around Christmas, according to my doctors. Other than a slightly early delivery, she is perfect. Her growth is exactly on track and all her organs and body systems look great. We got a lot of compliments on her heart. It's so hard for me to believe that the little flicker we saw back in June is now this amazing four-chambered organ. Awesome.

And in case you were wondering what Buddy looks like when he is a little irritated and trying to make a point, this is a picture of Rudy after they tried to make her move so they could see her spine.

Ha. Well, it's either that, or Rudy making her best duckface for the ultrasound tech. My next appointment is on November 26.

Third Trimester

By any measure I am now in the third trimester. How crazy is that? We didn't know if we could get pregnant. We held our breath through the first trimester. We prayed for 24 weeks in the second trimester and now here I am - 27 weeks and 4 days.

This weekend's preparations included ordering a baby book so I can put these thoughts somewhere besides online, cleaning out the bookshelf in the living room, and spending lots of time with Carolyn. Carolyn was mainly here to poke baby Amina,  but spent plenty of timing rubbing my enormous belly, which seems to get bigger by the minute. The next time I see her, God-willing, she will be here to poke at our new baby!

And on Saturday we lost my Aunt Anne, or Annie Annie, as I called her most of my life. A small part of me held out hope that she would live long enough to meet Rudy but I am grateful that she is not in pain any more. Anne always made me feel confident, gorgeous and smart. She showed me how to break the rules that didn't matter, how to dance, how to flirt, how to French braid hair, how to follow your heart and be who you are no matter what people think. She also made the best snacks in the universe. I can only hope that Rudy will have someone like Annie Annie in her life. She meant the world to me and I don't know who I would be if she hadn't been part of my life, but I definitely know that the last 32 years would have been a lot less fun. The last thing she said to me was that she would see me again. I hope she is right. I miss her so much already.

Rudy's new glamour shots - 26 weeks

Yesterday we had an ultrasound at 26 weeks. Rudy weighs two pounds now. She is growing very well and the doctor seemed happy with how everything looks. We got to see her move all around and open and close her mouth. She looks chubbier than our last ultrasound, but I'll let you judge for yourself:

Our next appointment is with my regular doctor on November 5 and then we'll schedule another ultrasound to check and make sure she is still looking beautiful.

Bacon Puppy

Not to be outdone by the member of our little family arriving this winter, Bacon asked that I remind you all how cute he is. Here is Bacon on his first night at home in February:

And here he is with one of his favorite first toys, a tupperware container.

Practicing waiting for his dinner.

       Time for a Haircut!

A boy and his dog, just last weekend.

First post! This is where Buddy and I plan to share the life and times of Rudy Meyer (aka Baby Girl) and Bacon. It is our sincere hope to avoid oversharing on Facebook. But, we know we won't be able to resist posting copious photos and we also know that certain out-of-state grandparents and aunts will want more frequent updates.

To get things kicked off, these two photos were from our 18 week ultrasound where we found out that Rudy is a GIRL and also confirmed that she has her Aunt Jen's muscle tone. Looks at those guns!

In sum, watch this space. We have another ultrasound Friday and are only 11 short weeks until Rudy makes her appearance. In the meantime, I'll try to keep you entertained with Bacon photos.

12 Week NT Scan

Back dating a few posts to get everyone caught up. Looking back at these photos from Rudy's 12 week ultrasound, I can't believe how much bigger she is now!

6 weeks

In the beginning...