T -6 days and counting!

We had our 39 week appointment today and it went pretty well! My blood pressure looks great, his heartbeat was at 130, and my belly measured right on track at 39cm. There has been a bit more progress and the nurse seems to think I won't make my next appointment. The doctor however says that he will see us next Friday for our 40 week, 1 day appointment. I sure hope he is wrong and the nurse is right!

If this little guy is stubborn and we do make our next appointment... we can then choose to be induced on the 9th. I guess it is nice to at least have a date in mind and something to focus on. Hopefully he decides to make an appearance before then though!

Right now I am at at a really good 2cm (basically between 2 and 3cm), still 80% effaced, and he is at -2 station still. We will just have to keep going on those walks and hope that this guy comes when he is ready... and that he will be ready very soon! (Especially as the walk last night was darn right cold at 32 degrees with a wind that gave a windchill of 25 degrees!).

It is looking more and more like he will be a November baby. It is also looking like Mitch and I will get our wish and not have a Halloween baby!

38 Weeks... And Counting.

We had our 38 week doctor appointment today and he looks to be doing just fine still. His heartrate was at 138 beats per minute and my belly measured 38cm (same as last week). Also the same as last week is my dilation and effacement which was a little frustrating for me to hear today. He has dropped a bit lower though, so there was at least some progress since last week.

The doctor explained to us that he predicts he will be seeing us next week... for our 39 week appointment. So what did Mitch and I do this evening? We went for a long walk to maybe convince this little guy that we would love to meet him sooner than later.

I just keep reminding myself that 13 days is really not a lot of time and we actually do have a lot to do before our son arrives. This is also the very last week or two that it is going to just be Mitch and I... and I want to enjoy that to the fullest. Our marriage is very important to us and while we are very excited for our little man to arrive, we are also a bit anxious about all of the changes that come with that.

Ready or not... only 13 days to go until that due date of November 4th.

Oh, Baby! 37 Week Update.

My doctor informed us today that we are officially out of the preemie stage and our little guy would be just fine if he made an appearance. The appointment went very well today... my belly measured 38cm today and he had a heartrate of 148 beats per minute (he was moving around and being active today!). My blood pressure is still nice and low (100/60) and let's not talk too much about the weight gain. Let's just say that I'm still within the recommended weight gain of 25-35 lbs, but I'm going to go be going over that 35 number any day now. If only my love for Reeses Peanut Butter Cups wasn't being encouraged by all of this darn Halloween candy that is out!

The past day or so I've been experiencing some low back pain and it looks like it was for a reason! I'm still only at 1cm dilated, but I went from 25% effaced to 80% effaced. I'd say that is a pretty significant change! The doctor says that I will probably make it at least 1 more week, which really put the deer-in-the-headlight looks on our faces. We really have a lot to do and we are starting to feel the stress of getting everything ready for the baby... and also packing and cleaning for the move.

I also really need to get a hospital bag packed.

It's just really difficult to try and get all of this stuff done when I am so exhausted every day. I have also been in a lot of pain for the last few days and it has really been trying to keep up the positive attitude. I'm not quite ready for him to be here yet, but I also have been struggling with the pregnancy lately. It's complicated, I guess. I'm just going to take it 1 day at a time from here on out.

Besides, the countdown is dwindling down. We have 20 days to go until we reach that due date.

36 Week Dr. Appt

Today was the first of my weekly doctor appointments and it went well. He is definitely head down and in a good position for these final weeks until he arrives. His heartbeat is staying pretty consistent with our past visits at 130 beats per minute and my belly is still measuring right on track (so I am assuming 36cm). I had my Group B Strep test today and we will get the results next week at our appointment.

They also did the first internal exam today and I am showing a little bit of progress, not that it actually means anything. You can stay at the same level for weeks... or you could change dramatically within that same day! (They really don't make it easy on us!). Currently, I am at 1cm dilated and 25% effaced. It will be interesting to see what we will be at next week at our next appointment.

I can tell that he has dropped a little bit as when he gets the hiccups, I definitely feel them quite a bit lower than where I used to. Wow... it really is getting close to his birth day. I think Mitch and I have a busy weekend coming up with all of the shopping, cleaning, and getting ready we have to do!

34 week Dr. Appt, Baby Shower, and More.

Today was our 34 week appointment and it went well! I received my flu shot today and Mitch is set to get his within the next 2 weeks at work. Little man's heart rate was at 130 today and I measured 34cm... right where everything should be! Next appointment will be for our 36 week check-up and then it will be weekly after that. Wow, we are definitely getting there!

This past weekend I had my last baby shower hosted by my friends Ann and Becky. It was absolutely wonderful and we were blessed with our family and friends showing up and the gifts they gave us to prepare for the arrival of our son. In the next couple of weeks we will start finishing up the registry and getting everything else that we might need/want. We also need to get the carseat installed here one of these weekends into the Escape. It's really starting to come together!

On Wednesday morning, Mitch and I were both heading out to go to work in the morning and as I was backing out of the garage... I definitely crashed the side mirror of the car into the side of the garage. Awesome. Nothing like an 8 months pregnant woman taking out the side mirror of her car... and with all of these emotions I have right now? Let's say that it wasn't a pleasant experience. All in all, a very minor thing that is getting fixed right now as we speak at the Ford dealership. It just didn't seem that minor to my emotional pregnant self at that time.

Speaking of being 8 months pregnant... I feel like he is running out of room! He pushes so hard against my belly that he actually completely distorts my whole belly. He still moves quite a lot, it is just a little different from before. Instead of kicks, he rolls and moves around. Last night he had some really strong hiccups that Mitch was even able to feel. At all times, I can push on my belly and feel him now... which means that when he is awake? Wow, do I know it. This can make sleeping a bit more difficult than I would probably prefer, but at least I know he is doing alright.

We also had our 4th birth and parenting class Wednesday night and it went really well. They actually had a baby doll there that Mitch and I had to hold for the whole 2.5 hour long class. I told Mitch that I was holding our baby, so he could hold the baby doll! It was a great class with a lot of really good information. We even got to meet a pediatrician and ask him a ton of questions after he talked with us for a good while.

Countdown? 5 weeks, 6 days (or a total of 41 days total) until the due date.

Nursery progress... and our 32 week appointment.

Tuesday night (September 7th) we got a call from Babies-R-Us saying that our crib was finally in. So off we went to get the crib and crib mattress... and of course we put it all together that same night. And by we, I mean Mitch put it together while I sat in the glider drinking sweet tea and taking pictures. I like to think I provided the much needed moral support?

Either way, the crib looks amazing and Mitch really did a great job. Now we just need to try and figure out how we are going to configure so much furniture in such a tiny room. It sure is cramped in there! Once we figure out the configuration, we will get started on the wall decorations and getting everything finished.

Our 32 week appointment was this morning and it went well. I found out that I passed my gestational diabetes test with flying colors (I was at 87) and that all of my blood work came back with no issues. I have been very blessed to not have any issues with my health throughout this pregnancy! His heart rate was 136 beats per minute and he is still head down (which is how he was at 27 weeks). We also were able to set up the remaining doctor appointments (there are 6 left). Every two weeks from now until 36 weeks, then we switch to weekly appointments with the last one scheduled for November 5th (40 weeks, 1 day). It's amazing to think how quickly November is getting here!

In addition- here are some pictures from Labor Day weekend at my dad's house. We purchased a brand new camera (a Nikon) that we really like. We wanted to get a really nice camera before the birth of our baby boy (imagine this... we plan to take tons of pictures of the little man!). So, we decided to go ahead and get it now so that we have time to learn all that we can about the camera ahead of time. We have been really pleased with the camera so far and look forward to it being used quite extensively! The first picture is of Mitch and I and then the second picture is of my dad and I "comparing" bellies. I'm pretty sure I win the biggest belly award... hands down. I really have no idea how my belly is supposed to grow any bigger!

Countdown? 7 weeks, 6 days (or a total of 55 days until the due date).

28 week Dr. appointment, a wedding, and a baby bump picture.

Today's baby bump picture was actually taken in the nursery! The walls are painted and the carpet has been cleaned and we are ready to start putting things in his room. Right now we only have a dresser, but in just under 2 weeks, I have a feeling we will have a few more items to put in there. It's hard to believe there is less than 2 weeks until my first baby shower! It is nice to be able to take the baby bump picture in his nursery though... it is quickly becoming one of my favorite rooms in the house. There is just something about going in there and imagining him being there in the near future that is so relaxing and peaceful.

Last Thursday we had our 28 week appointment... which included the infamous glucose test for gestational diabetes. Honestly, the drink wasn't bad at all. It tasted like orange syrup and was very easy to drink. I got a little jittery afterwards and then started to feel a bit nauseous, but nothing too bad. It was the crash that followed that was so hard for me. It took all I had to make it through the rest of the day (I worked until 9pm because of the appointment being in the morning). I haven't heard anything about the glucose test, so I'm assuming no news is good news and that I do not have gestational diabetes. Therefore, I've been continuing to feed that uncontrollable sweet tooth that appeared out of nowhere... and crossing my fingers that it doesn't come around to haunt me in the way of stretch marks and out-of-control weight gain.

Which, speaking of stretch marks, I cried the other day. At 27 weeks, I found my first stretch marks... and they are on the back of my right thigh. Yes, I know that they are a "badge of honor" and all of that, but I really had hoped to skate through pregnancy without any. So, now I am hoping that the worst is over and that I'm done with getting stretch marks.

Back to the 28 week doctor appointment. He is measuring on track and his heartbeat was at 133 beats per minute (he was resting at the time) and it sounded really good. I also got my RhoGAM shot on Thursday due to me being RH negative as well as an ID card I got to put in my wallet. Our next appointment will be on September 10 at 32 weeks and then I will be seen every other week.

In other news, my youngest brother, Andrew, got married this past weekend (Aug. 14) to Aimee. We have another Bridge in the family now... and I wish them only the very best. It was a beautiful wedding ceremony and they both looked so happy. It is so weird for me to think that my baby brother has a wife and a daughter, as well as three stepsons. I wish I had some pictures, but of course I forgot to bring my camera so I am going to have to rely on my mom and dad for pictures. I will say that while in the 7th month of pregnancy... dancing the night away is not the best idea. While it was a blast being out there dancing with Mitch, my dad, my cousin Katie, etc., I sure felt it by the end of the night... and the next day.

I don't know if I have mentioned this as of yet, but Mitch and I are pretty settled on a name at this point for our little man. We call him by his name at home or when it is just us and it really makes me feel closer to our son. The only downfall is that we sometimes catch ourselves about to say his name when talking about him to others! I will say that the parents really have been understanding in our want to keep the name to ourselves which is wonderful. I have also noticed that since reaching the 3rd trimester, my fatigue has skyrocketed. It seems that all I want to do now is sleep!

Countdown? We're down to 10 weeks, 3 days.

24 Week Dr. Appointment.

Our 24 week appointment was today and it went very well! My fundal height is right on track at 24cm for 24 weeks. So this means that he looks to be growing as he should. My weight gain is also looking good at 18 lbs. It's always reassuring to be told that you are on track with what the doctors are looking for. His heartbeat was at 130 at rest and then sped up whenever he moved... which was often! It did sound nice and strong and, as always, was a wonderful sound. Another piece of good news is that my blood pressure is still nice and normal at 90/60. I was a bit worried as the last appointment my blood pressure was 120/80 which is normal for everyone... but a bit on the high side for me. Thankfully, it is back to normal which makes for a very happy Lindsay.

We also set up our 28 week appointment today that included the glucose screening test and my RhoGAM shot. Basically, we will have to show up about 30 minutes before our appointment and go down to the lab to drink the glucose sugar drink. After drinking that, we will head up to see Dr. Cheng for our 28 week appointment and then it is back down to the lab we go. 1 hour after I finish drinking the glucose sugar drink they will draw my blood... and then it is back up to the Ob/Gyn desk so I can see a nurse to get my RhoGAM shot. Again, the RhoGAM shot is because I'm RH-Negative and need that to make sure my baby boy doesn't have any issues from this. So, all-in-all, we will be there for over an hour next month.

We were also told that we only have 2 more monthly appointments until we go on a new appointment schedule. So that will be the 28 week and 32 week appointments. After that, we will be going to appointments every 2 weeks until the last month as then it will be every week. Our appointments (should) go as follows: 28 week, 32 week, 34 week, 36 week, 37 week, 38 week, 39 week, and 40 week.

On the home front, our office is about ready to be an empty room (probably by next week) which is good news as it means we can start getting the nursery ready. Paint the walls, shampoo the carpets, and all of that good stuff.

Level II Ultrasound.

Today was the day of the level II ultrasound to take that closer look on the heart regarding the echogenic intracardiac focus. Good news is that, although the bright spot is still there, there are no other indicators of any other issues. Therefore, the high risk perinatal doctor stated that we will not be high risk and that we have nothing to worry about. Overall, we are breathing a bit easier and feel a lot better about everything.

Plus, it was quite reassuring (and fun!) to see the little man moving all over the place. It was also a neat experience to both see and feel him kick and move around. He kicked so hard near the beginning at the ultrasound wand that the technician actually felt him! The technician and the doctor both also stated that yes, it is most definitely a boy that we have in there.

He currently is weighing in at 1 lb, 1 oz and his heart rate was a strong 148 beats per minute. They said that he is right on schedule with our due date and that everything looks good! He likes to have his hand on his nose a lot (which was also true at the 2nd trimester ultrasound 3 weeks ago).

...Alright, so baby was just kicking a lot so Mitch came over to the couch just now and put his hand on my belly and, sure enough, he felt the baby kick! Not bad at 22 weeks. He's definitely a strong boy... and it's so much fun to get to know him a little bit more everyday.

What a perfect way to end such a wonderful day for the Hofer's.

Echogenic Intracardiac Focus

Mitch and I headed to the doctor today for the 20 week appointment and the follow up to the ultrasound that we had just this past Friday. Baby boy's heartbeat sounded good and strong at 153 beats per minute. He also talked to us about the ultrasound results. He said that everything looks fine, except there is a bright spot on a ventricle of our baby boy's heart. This is called an echogenic intracardiac focus and the doctor is going to send us to a perinatal specialist for a level II ultrasound to take a closer look. Echogenic intracardiac focus is a marker for potential birth defects and chromosomal abnormalities such as trisomy 18 or trisomy 21 (down's syndrome).

While this isn't a normal abnormality to find on a 2nd trimester ultrasound, it has very good odds of not meaning anything and having no effect on our baby. The doctor said that around 95% of the time, it doesn't mean anything and the baby is born healthy. It is just something that the ultrasound technician saw and made note of and they just want to take a closer look at.

So, the hospital that they are sending me to will be calling within the next 2-3 days to set up an appointment for the level II ultrasound. And while I know the odds are most definitely in our favor for having a healthy baby... I can't help but feel all out of sorts. I'm very anxious for the level II ultrasound and to know more information. I know that it is all out of my hands and that there is nothing that I can do, but I feel like I should be able to do something. As much as people tell me not to worry and that there is most likely nothing wrong with our son... how can I not worry? There is still a possibility and that is what hurts right now.

Baby Boy Hofer!

Okay. So Mitch and I should just hang up our hats and never go into the psychic reading business. Because we failed at guessing the gender of our precious baby BOY!

We are beyond excited... we really would have loved a baby boy or girl and now that we know our baby is a little boy, we are beyond ecstatic. So now we can go ahead and start planning and putting together our son's nursery, start the registry process, and stop referring to him as an "it" or "the little one", etc.

The ultrasound showed a very active, healthy baby boy. We were able to see the brain, heart, diaphragm, kidneys, stomach, bladder, spine, face, etc. The ultrasound technician said that he looked very healthy... and that we are going to have our hands full as he is loves to move around. I haven't felt any movement since that one time (over a week ago) and the technician said that was probably a good thing as our baby boy was kicking away at my bladder. (Hopefully he grows tired of that particular phase before I can really feel him...) He weighed in at approximately 11 ounces (so a big boy at that!) and his heartbeat was at 145 beats per minute.

We were given 8 photos in total and I absolutely love every single one of them. It's amazing to see him and all of the details were just beyond imagination. At one point it even looked as if he was waving to Mitch and I! It was just very reassuring to see him and hear that everything looks good and that he is growing in leaps and bounds and moving along right on schedule. All of the grandparents are thrilled to hear that everything looks good and while I know that they can't wait to meet our little boy... I'm sure it is nowhere near what Mitch and I are feeling right now.

I am one proud mama... and I know Mitch is one proud papa.

3rd Dr. Appt... and future appointments!

Okay, so check up #3 was today for our 16 week appointment and it went really well... and really quickly! I think we were seen for about 4-5 minutes tops before we were sent on our way. Which I guess is a good thing as it means that everything is progressing on schedule! I've gained a total of 9 lbs so far which is right on track with where I should be in regards to weight gain. She also measured my belly and said that I'm right on schedule and then she busted out that doppler and we were able to hear the heartbeat again. (Which makes for a very happy Lindsay).

The sound of our baby's heartbeat just brings a huge smile to my face. It is absolutely amazing to hear that heartbeat and to also hear whenever the baby moves. And we heard it move quite a bit... I just can't feel movement quite yet. That should be soon... typically around the 19 week point (though some feel it earlier) although Mitch won't be able to feel any movement until about 24 weeks or so.

Back to the appointment though, the heartbeat was at 152 beats per minute and sounded nice and healthy. So after the appointment we got to schedule our anatomy ultrasound and it is scheduled for 3 weeks from today on June 11th... 2 days before our 1 year wedding anniversary! So that is the ultrasound in which we will be finding out if we are having a baby girl or baby boy- as long as the baby cooperates with the ultrasound. We will get to make sure that there are 10 fingers and 10 toes and see how much our little one has grown. Can you tell that I can hardly wait? We'll then meet with the doctor 5 days later on the 16th to go over the results.

Time is just starting to fly.

2nd Doctor Appointment

Today was our second doctor appointment and we heard a beautiful sound today. Our little one's heartbeat! It was beating at 160 beats per minute and sounded strong and healthy. Every now and then we could hear the baby move... which was another good sign and made both of us smile.

It was a very quick appointment as I am pretty sure we were only in there for about 15 minutes... if that. I've gained a total of 6 lbs (which he said was very good and right where I should be) and that all of my lab results came back as normal. The only thing that could potentially cause problems is that I am Rh- which just means I need to call them right away if I have any bleeding as they will need to give me a shot. I join about 20-25% of the population with being Rh-, so it is just something I have to be aware of right now.

I did ask about my low back/pelvic area pain that I have been having and we were told that it is my sciatic nerve and that hopefully as the uterus moves up and out of the pelvic area the pain should lessen, if not go away. He then went on to add that later on in the pregnancy the pain will most likely return and could be worse than what it is now. Oh joy.

The doctor also officially moved our due date from Oct. 27th to Nov. 4th. So that means we will be going through week 13 again starting on Thursday, April 29th. Upcoming appointments will be the 16 week appointment with the nurse practitioner that will be just like today's appointment. Then we will have our 19 week anatomy ultrasound (and hopefully find out the gender!) and then on to our 20 week appointment with the doctor again. So we have 3 appointments coming up in the next 2 months! Busy, busy, busy!

First (of many) doctor appointments!

So today was our first doctor appointment and it was full of family history and social environment questions. It sounds like we shouldn't (knock on wood) have much to worry about! We were informed that today we would have an ultrasound and that we will only have one more ultrasound throughout the pregnancy which will be between 18-20 weeks.

In our ultrasound we were able to see our baby. It kind of looks like a blob shape, but Mitch swears that if you look closely you can see the head and the arm and leg buds. We were also able to see the heart beating... just fluttering away. It was very exciting to see and it really made everything seem a bit more real.

We had a small scare during the ultrasound in which our nurse practitioner thought that she saw two heartbeats in the same sac. This is not a good thing as yes, it does mean twins, but it means that they are having to share nutrients and that typically one of them will not make it. So, she had Mitch take over the ultrasound while she went to go get an ultrasound technician to take a closer look. Thankfully, it was found that it is not another heartbeat, but the umblical cord pulsating with my heartbeat. We were very much relieved! (And now Mitch has a new skill to add to his resume-- ultrasound technician.)

When our nurse practitioner was doing the ultrasound she also measured the size of everything to give us a better idea of what age our baby is and it looks like it might be about a week behind what we were going off of. Instead of being 8 weeks, 2 days our baby is measuring at 7 weeks, 1 day. This would push our estimated delivery date to Nov. 4 instead of Oct. 27. However, it will not be changed officially until the 18-20 week ultrasound by actual radiology technicians that specialize in reading ultrasounds. Because we are measuring a week later, we changed our next appointment. Instead of going in on Apr. 16, we will be meeting with Dr. Cheng on Apr. 30 (where I will be 13-14 weeks along). At that appointment we will be able to actually hear the heartbeat (but not see our little one). Needless to say... we are quite excited!

So we have begun the process of informing extended family. Due to the technology era that we find ourselves in, we will probably be telling our friends sooner than we had previously planned. We are worried that a well-intentioned family member will post something on facebook and the news will be out before we have let our friends know. Obviously we would prefer to be the ones to tell them in our own way and we want to avoid any hurt feelings. When? We haven't quite gotten that one figured out, but probably within the next week.