Elizabeth Hosanna

She's here!

We are in love...




Born 6/8
Weighing 7 lb 13 oz
Measuring 20.5"
Completely adorable and perfect in every way.

40 weeks, 5 days, and counting

It's been raining over Atlanta yesterday and today, and I'm watching Lady dance around in the muddy back yard. She chased a squirrel or chipmunk into a stack of firewood and she is desperately trying to coax it out to play with her. She doesn't really understand that they don't want to play chase with her. But she is eternally hopeful. Lady will stay outside for a long time because I only want to clean her up once this morning.

Jessa wants to go outside, but she was just out an hour ago, and can't possibly need to go out again. She will go to my parents' house whenever we make our run to the hospital. We will probably take her tonight or tomorrow anyways, just because we know we will need to take her soon enough, and it will be so much simpler if she's already dropped off, than to make a stop "on the way".

As the official update, at my appointment yesterday I was 1.5 cm dilated (which is an improvement), still only about half-way effaced, but her head had moved down yet another cm to be at -1 station. So in 4 days I had made some progress, thank the Lord! While they were in there, they stripped my membranes, which did get me going with some more frequent, but still not painful, contractions and a little bit of minor spotting. I've taken to commanding my cervix to soften in Jesus' name, because if anybody can do anything about it, He can.

Barring a trip to the hospital this weekend, Monday at 5 AM, I have instructions to call Labor & Delivery and come in for an induction at 6 (or whenever they say they'll have room for me). Our bags are packed and they are actually already in the truck, with the installed car seat. Along with the case of Gatorade that I got at Costco a couple of days ago and never bothered to get out of the truck.

Supposedly the same thing that the moon does to the oceans when it's full, it also does to a woman's bag of waters when they're ready to go into labor, so perhaps this Sunday, which happens to be a full moon, we'll see some action. Either way, we will be holding our little girl by the end of Monday. I can't think of a better way to start the summer!

Just for fun, here are a couple pictures of Sam and I as babies, which I just received and/or scanned:

This is the day, this is the day...

... that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!

So I'm off to see the doctor again and see if anything's happening, and see if this is 'the day' that our little one decides to make her appearance!

40 weeks, 4 days

6.4.09

Lazy Leo

Old Jessa

In bloom today:
Easter Lily-


Who knew Hostas were so lovely?

Still waiting

6.3.09

And in bloom today:

Keeping myself busy

6.2.09

In bloom today:














Homemade
Egg McMuffins for breakfast:
I made up 6 of these in advance for breakfasts to send with Sam on his way to work.
They turned out surprisingly well, and I still have 4 in the freezer. I will have to make a habit of preparing these this summer, because it is so much more economical, and it's not hard at all!

Lady, Jessa, and the tramp (Max):

40 weeks and counting

So here I am at 40 weeks, 1 day, and no signs of labor. At my appointment this afternoon I was 1 cm dilated, about half-way effaced, and Elizabeth's head is at -2 station; this means she's lodged pretty solidly in the pelvis and is well on her way to heading out. When she gets to a positive number station, I'll probably be at the hospital. Her head is farther forward than the cervix, which is still not facing the birth canal, but with contractions (which I only rarely have or at least rarely notice) it will turn and open and soften and be where it needs to be. I have another appointment on Thursday, assuming I don't have a baby at that point yet, and if necessary, we'll schedule an induction for sometime next week then.

Surprisingly, I'm actually mostly fine with still being pregnant. Part of it may be that I'm more able to be prepared, because we have had all of these 'extra' days. We have a fairly clean house. The bag is (finally) packed. Sarah has instructions for dog/cat/house-sitting whenever we take off for the hospital. I have all the parts to assemble breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches to make ahead and freeze for Sam to take to work in the mornings. Besides making breakfasts for the next few weeks, one of my goals for tomorrow is to do my nails and redo my toenails. It's fun to have the opportunity to do somewhat unnecessary things.

That reminds me that I will still have to make Sam's lunch for tomorrow. I don't mind doing it, but at the end of the day when my feet are already swollen (seriously they're about as wide at my ankles as my calves are in the middle), taking the time to do it is just not something I enjoy. And the poor guy is so tired of sandwiches already.

Anyways, here is a picture of myself and 2 other prego friends yesterday afternoon at the church-wide picnic/graduation party (I'm in the middle):