All Ready for SJ4!

I had my last OBGYN appt of this pregnancy on Wednesday ... I know it's the last one because I won't be pregnant anymore by the time next Wednesday gets here!  Everything went just peachy perfect there ... almost too perfect.  Why too perfect?  Because I had kind of hoped Dr. Pitcher would send me on over to the hospital and get this torture over with party started! 

Here's the appointment news breakdown: 

• Baby SJ4's kick counts have been really good since I stopped working last week, and his heartbeat was steady and strong.  So, he appears good to go ... and of course, appears to still be growing at a break-neck pace!  
• I had only gained 2 pounds in 2 weeks, and everyone was really pleased with that. (I've only gained 7 pounds since my June 15 appt - woohoo!!!  Now, if I could go back and fix the almost 30 pounds I gained in the first trimester ... but hindsight is 20-20, right?  Hey, when you go from Diet Coke followed with a coffee chaser as your menu to actually eating like a normal person, I guess that's what you get.) 
• My blood pressure has gone way back down since I stopped working as well.  I'm back down to 110/80, which is much improved over the high blood pressure over the past 2 weeks.
• I've dialated to 3 cm and been having some contractions - although I don't really feel them - but that doesn't really matter because...

I'm having a c-section because Baby SJ4 is such a monster!  He's already a man, a myth, and a legend.  Seriously, he may not weigh that much - he might, but he might not - but his weight is not the biggest concern.  The biggest problem is his shoulders.  He'll be a big linebacker like his daddy with the shoulders he's got!  Katie Anne had shoulder dystocia when I was induced with her at 38 weeks, and his shoulders were bigger at 37 weeks than hers were at delivery.  Luckily, Katie Anne's shoulder dystocia was easily resolved, but we don't want to take another risk.  Baby SJ4 got too big too early for me to be induced ... his lungs wouldn't be ready before his shoulders grew too wide, so we were kind of in a bad situation with that.  Additionally, my last ultrasound revealed that his head, shoulders, and femurs were all off the charts - 108% for a 40 week baby at only 37 weeks!  The only thing that wasn't off the charts was his abdomen - he's only 66% there.  So, I guess he'll be tall and thin with a big old head, which is good for him because that seems to be really hot right now in terms of movie star guys.

So, a c-section it is!  I was kind of nervous to begin with, but after watching lots of c-sections on You Tube (yes, I'm a wierdo and like to actually know what will be happening to me), I feel better.  I've never had major surgery, but I think I'll do well with it - I'm kind of a tough person when it comes to handling pain.  I take a lot of pride in my high pain tolerance.  However, I also took a lot of pride in my ability to chug milk, and that was misplaced confidence after my dad and Jillian kicked my butt in a milk chugging contest on vacation a few years ago.  I mean I was completely and utterly destroyed by both of them.  I did redeem myself in the broccolini eating challenge - I packed that broccolini down like Kobayashi - so I've regained some of my pride.  Let's hope this is a broccolini experience - not a milk chugging experience.

I'm officially scheduled for my c-section on Tuesday, August 17 at the bright-and-early time of 7:30 am.  (That means we've got to get to the hospital at 5:30 ... which means leaving our house around 4:30 ... this will probably be the worst part of the whole experience.)  That means I only have 4 more days of being pregnant, and
I . am . ready.
In fact, we're all ready for Baby SJ4!

Our bags are packed...

Katie Anne's stuff is ready, complete with a total anal-retentive inventory of what is and (more importantly) what is not in the bag (because I am just slightly crazy) ...

Baby SJ4's car seat is installed next to his super-cute big sister...

All the bottles are washed and ready for formula... yes, formula.  

*Do not even start with me ... it is formula and only formula this time.  If you have a comment about that, go leave it on the La Leche League website because I'm hot, sweaty, swollen, and tired.  I can go ape on somebody up at any moment, and I'm trying to help you not be the one to feel the brunt of my wrath.  There ... that's it.  Thanks.  ;-)

My obsessively-compulsively packed car changing/emergency kit is packed... Oh, I love that this is packed and in the car already.  I feel like MacGyver.  I've got all kinds of useful stuff in there.  And, when Abby pooped in the Element on the way to the groomer's last weekend, we ... were ... prepared.  So, it works for kid poop or dog poop!

The artwork in the nursery is all framed and hung on the walls, and the cute little UGA mobile is installed...

The new swing and bouncy seat are put together and ready to entertain the baby boy ... 

Katie Anne and I have picked out lots of cute, monogrammed stuff for Baby SJ4 like hats, onesies, and more.  Katie Anne loves all this stuff as much as I do.  She thought his diaper cover was just too cute...

Now, it's just time to wait until Tuesday (or if my water breaks before that date, we'll do the c-section then).  We are doing our best to wait patiently...

 even though waiting patiently is hard.

We are all very excited - but no one's more excited than big sister Katie Anne!  

The countdown is on until Baby SJ4 will arrive!