When I had a routine ultrasound at 28 weeks, my doctor told me my baby was breech, but not to worry because there was plenty of time and room for him to flip before it became a concern.  I did the exercises she showed me and I even laid head down at a slant on an ironing board that I propped up on the couch (she told me I could do this!) a few times.  No flippage.  So at my 35 week ultrasound, she told me we needed to get a bit more serious.  So I kid you not – she asked me to go do flips in a pool for 20 minutes a few times within the next 5 days.  This would hopefully make him float to the top in there and coax him to flip on his own.  If he didn’t flip by the 5th day, I would need to have a procedure done in the hospital where my doc would try to flip him by pressing her hands on different places on my belly – OUCH – I heard this procedure would hurt a ton, but that it was over 90% successful in flipping babies…so I was prepared to do it.  I tried not to be nervous, but I was crazy nervous.  I did not want to have a C-section because of this!  That was not my birth plan!!  I was not going to throw in the towel, so I went to an indoor pool near our house and flipped around for 20 minutes as directed.  Roy stood on the sidelines and cheered me on.  SO many people were staring at me like “What is that pregnant woman doing??”  I just kept on flippin’.  At one point, my belly hurt and I thought I pulled a muscle from bending back too far while doing some crazy handstands.  I had to take a 5 minute break and then it miraculously felt better so I flipped some more.  The next day after work, I asked permission to flip in the pool during an Ai Chi water class (since I wasn’t allowed to swim in there by myself where I work for liability reasons).  Once again, I looked like a crazy pregnant lady as I unintentionally disrupted the class with my splashes!  One more important detail – we prayed a TON.  And I had everyone I knew praying a ton, too.  I told pretty much everyone I saw that the baby was breech and to please pray.  The next day, I went to my Dr’s appt for the ultrasound.  I broke the sad news to my doc that I didn’t feel him flip (supposed to be really painful and I was told “you will know”) and that he was probably still breech and so she started explaining the hospital procedure details as she started the ultrasound.  Then she said “You did good, mama!”  My mind was racing…. “What?” “He’s head down!”  Oh sweet relief.

PRAISE GOD.

Doc said he must of flipped when I thought I pulled that muscle.  Wow!

Getting ready for Christmas, 29 weeks

After my boy listened to his mama, quit being stubborn, and flipped – it was pretty smooth sailing, other than a few aches and pains and some tough days.  I had three amazing baby showers during that time, when I was on the home stretch.  When I was 35 weeks, there was the tea party baby shower, hosted by my dear friend Heather.  Did you know that the first baby showers were tea parties?  This was her inspiration and it helped that she collected beautiful china, tea sets, candlesticks, and antiques!  The amazing tea party pics below were taken by the lovely and talented Melissa McMasters, who also helped out with the party! (We all were asked to dress in old-fashioned, “feminine and frilly” attire, which explains the fascinators!) Here is me with the “hostess with the mostess” by the dessert table. (Sorry it’s s blinking shot of you, Heather…had to use it anyway because it’s the only one with just the two of us!) Love love LOVE these petit fours from La Baguette! Here is the whole gang after we shared a wonderful afternoon together!

The next shower was on the following Wednesday evening, when I was one day away from being 36 weeks.  It was hosted by my sweet Sunday school class for two of us that were pregnant at the same time.  Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures from that shower!  I’m not really sure why I dropped the ball on that one…probably because I rushed to the shower after a long day at work. It was a wonderful evening of fellowship and fun games though.

The last shower was hosted by my sweet mother in law at her home.  It was amazing as well.  Roy’s Aunt Laura and Uncle Larry helped tremendously with the shower as well!  Aunt Laura outdid herself by making these amazing centerpieces made of diapers.

It was SO hard to take them apart after our boy was born because they looked so darn cute in the baby room!  But when we did, we were in for a wonderful surprise – over 80 diapers inside!

Here is a pic of two of them in the nursery, that we had recently finished.

My friend Shelby also made a surprise visit at this shower, which was double surprising considering the fact that she and her hubby made a long trip with their two twin babies that were only 4 months old at the time! (My mom has some great pics from this shower, but for sake of time, I am going to need to just post this one without them.)

Here is me at 37 weeks.  The funny thing is – I didn’t feel like my preggo belly was THIS big at the time.  Looking at it now, I do!  Now I understand why random people kept staring and making comments about how big I was everywhere I went…

In the 3nd Trimester….

I felt…

  • Anxious about the baby needing to flip
  • Anxious about not having the house ready/clean enough (I cleaned and organized incessantly!)
  • Intensified aches and pains
  • Hungry all the time
  • Overjoyed to have a miracle baby inside me!
  • Excited about meeting our little man and finally knowing what his personality would be like/who he looks like
  • Just plain happy

I craved…

  • Pepperoni pizza from the Trolley Stop
  • Fudge brownies, peanut butter cookies, and blueberry donuts from Cafe Eclectic
  • Grapefruit
  • Granny smith apples
  • Just food in general – everything good and rich!