38 Weeks with baby Walker...

No comparison this week because I had already delivered my twins by this point! Today I am 38+5 and we are getting SO excited!!! I have been having Braxton Hicks pretty regularly and today I had some contractions with a little crampy feeling, not painful but not painless and I had three in a row 9 minutes apart, but then nothing for the rest of the day. So no labor yet, but I think I am slowly progressing. I am on the birthing ball a lot, and walking lots, and drinking my tea and taking my evening primrose oil. I don't think I am going to into labor on my own before this friday (my 39 week appointment) but anything is possible but I am thinking and hoping (and PRAYING) that I will have at least progressed as far as my cervix goes and I'm thinking he might be a little lower too! I will keep you posted on Friday with my appointment and at this point we are at 9 days or less! I don't think my MD is going to let me go much past my due date. 
As far as the pregnancy, its going great! I feel very pregnant but still feeling good! I am up 38 lbs, which is 2 lbs over my goal in my brain but I am TOTALLY cool with this because I know I am almost finished with the pregnancy :) Plus I know with my high fluid levels, a lot of this is water weight. I am sleeping pretty well and overall pretty comfortable. I ran a bunch of errands yesterday and my belly felt really tight and uncomfortable and my legs feel kind of weak and just overall weary. Exited to see how this will all unfold! God is just so good and just loving each moment of these last days and getting SO excited to meet this little bear. 

Texas Bluebonnett Pictures 2015

I can't believe this is our third spring in Texas! To look at the twins bluebonnett pictures from 2013 click here and to see 2014 click here. Last year we found the BEST field of bluebonnetts, so we returned there about 2 weeks ago and when I started to take pictures I realized my SD card was not in the camera :( BUMMER. We had so much rain the past 2 weeks, we hadn't had a good time to go back and take pics and with baby Walker's arrival quickly approaching I decided we had to go today. I was so sad to get to the field and find that they were pretty much gone :( so faded and barley there but we took a few anyway. The twins weren't really cooperating and I am so super pregnant so we just got what we got :) I love Texas and love taking these pics each year! 

38 Week Doctors Appointment...

WARNING: This post is kind of boring. Its just a lot of medical info mostly for my family and for my own record :)

Today I had my doctor's appointment with my first cervical check. I have been a bit anxious about this. All week we have just spent time in prayer, asking for Walker to drop, and I have been praying for encouragement from my doctor and for peace no matter the outcome. My doc is great, he hasn't seemed "C-section happy" but he also hasn't been like super encouraging and "lets do whatever it takes" to make this happen, like my MD back in Cincinnati. I am totally fine and okay with a C-section as a LAST result but I want someone to fight for my VBAC. I told him today he would be my hero if he could VBAC me! He smiled and I think he gets that I really want this. I also told him I don't think I am done having babies and that is what concerns me having repeated sections. He told me he has done 5 on a woman before and it really depends on how you scar. I thought today if Walker had not dropped, he would ask to go ahead and schedule a C section, but it was not that way at all, and thats all I hoped for and prayed for.  He said lets just give this time. Today I asked if he could strip my membranes (I had that done with the twins, even though it didn't start labor, I felt like it couldn't hurt to ask) but since I am Beta strep positive, he advised not to do it so he wouldn't introduce that to the baby ( 30% of pregnant women have this and it just means you have to be given antibiotics in the early stages of labor to protect baby coming out during birth) but he said if I progress more and we wanted to induce, he could strip and give me antibiotics to get things going. He really wanted to see SOME sort of progress with my cervix if a VBAC was wanted so he did a quick check and we found out I am...
1 cm dilated
50% effaced 
and baby has not "dropped"
He was really encouraged by this. He says he thinks I will be an excellent VBAC candidate, the only determining factor will be if baby will come down and engage in my pelvis, being that he is a big boy.
I also found out I have borderline "polyhydramnios" I had this with both twins too... its high levels of amniotic fluid in the baby's sac so we are going to continue to watch this to make sure it doesn't get too high.
He said, already having a C-section, he can't give any prostaglandins (which ripen the cervix) so the fact I am 50% thinned out on my own, is good news. But that he can give pitocin in small doses if needed. He can also break my water.
So a lot is still up in the air. Will I go into labor on my own? (IDEAL, and the sooner the better since he will only get bigger) will I need some help to get things going? Or will I go ahead and get a C-section? Only God knows, and I feel totally at peace knowing that He is in control. At the end of the day healthy momma, healthy baby is what we are striving for. I will continue to pray for the Lord's intervention in this whole situation and cling to his goodness and his presence throughout the whole process. 

Now we continue to pray for Walker to descend, for labor to start on it's own, for safety and progress with my cervix. 

37 Weeks...

I can officially say I have never been pregnant this long before! I am 37 weeks and 5 days today, and delivered my twins at 37 weeks and 4 days so considering neither of my babies needed extra care and I am considered "full term" we are welcoming Walker's arrival now! He can come any time now! (And with how big he is and the fact I want a VBAC, the sooner, the better :))
I was reading my 37 week post with the twins that you can read HERE and it makes me realize how EASY the end of this pregnancy has been compared to the end of the carrying the twins. I think I blocked the last 11 days or so carrying the twins because it was SO VERY physically challenging but every once and a while, I can remember! This has been such a sweet time and while it has it's uncomfortable moments, the end of this pregnancy is so smooth and lovely and NOTHING compared to the end of the twins. 

No visible swelling yet, my thighs are a little puffy but it honestly might just be some chunk I have put on :) and same with my face... can't tell if its water or a little weight. 

I am eagerly awaiting Friday's cervical check where I will know lots of more of how labor is going to go down. 

Still praying that he comes on his own and a VBAC can be achieved here. So the next update (assuming there is one) I won't have a picture to compare it to, because I would have already delivered the twins by then.

Here we are at 37 weeks... 

Texas baby shower

Last Saturday at 37 weeks, my baby shower was thrown for sweet baby Walker. My precious friends Michelle, Lindsay, Emily and Katie threw me a Texas themed shower which was just beautiful. They put so much thought into every detail. I had so many sweet friends there celebrating baby Walker and I just feel SO blessed. Here are some pictures from the beautiful shower...

37 Week Dr. Appointment...

So yesterday I had my 37 week appointment which is a bit crazy to me because I delivered the twins at 37 weeks and 4 days. This makes me realize how close I am. If you aren't familiar with my birth story with the twins, you can read about it in three parts, here, here and here but the short of it is, I was swelling so much at the end that it was making my blood pressure go up, so I was induced at 37+4 (they wont let you go past 38 with twins) and I labored painlessly (with pitocin and epidural) until it was push time and the babies wouldn't come out, due to their position together in the womb. So I ended up having a C-section. Since the reason was mainly twin related, my Dr. back in Cincinnati and my new Dr. down here both agreed I would be a good candidate for a VBAC (Vaginal birth after cesarean.) 
Well, the problem right now, baby Walker has big noggin, just like my twins and my doc is starting to be a bit hesitant about the reality of a VBAC. He said we wouldn't make any decisions until he checks my cervix next week. It will be my first cervical check and I know that we will know WAY more about everything on Friday. 
Yesterday his head which was measuring 40 weeks, the week before (at 36 weeks) is now measuring "out of range" which he said meant more than 41 weeks. Also, by looking on the ultrasound he said he wasn't below my pubic bone yet. SOOOOO what I need all you sweet readers to do for me is PRAY for the following....
My cervix to show good progress next week. Some sort of dilation and effacement.
Baby Walker to drop.
For his head to fit in my pelvis.
They can do some small induction type things, like break my water and give me light pitocin but no cervical ripening drugs. So ideally, going into labor on my own would be best. If I stay pregnant, with no progress and baby keeps getting bigger, my chances of a VBAC go down dramatically.
Why I don't want a C-section....
It wasn't that bad with the twins but now I will have a new baby to take care of plus two toddlers which will obviously be harder.
The more c-sections you have the more complicated things get with your uterus and future placenta issues.
Although you never know, we plan on having more children and this gets trickier with more repeated sections. 
I know that if that is what I have to do, thats what I have to do. I will know SO much more next Friday and I know that the Lord's hand will be all over this and He already knows my delivery. Walker is healthy and we are so thankful for that and our prayer is that he arrives safely no matter how that has to be, we don't want to loose sight of the big picture here but the desire of my heart is a VBAC so I am praying with full belief that my body CAN do this. I know He is so faithful no matter what the outcome and this is a JOYFUL time for us. I don't want that joy to be taken with worries of another surgery. It is in his hands and we are just excited and SO happy to meet him soon!

So here is my plan until Friday when I get my first cervical check...
Red Raspberry leaf tea and evening primrose oil. These both help with uterine tone and softening of the cervix. Its the cruchy side of me kicking in here. I will be best friends with a birthing ball all week too! I will also try all the old wives tales... SPICY, pineapple and lots of walking.  Here is to getting this baby on its way! 

36 Weeks with baby Walker...

I can't believe the time is almost here! I will be "full term" tomorrow at 37 weeks and I have my 37 week appointment tomorrow as well, which I will do an update with that tomorrow :) Everything is still going great! 36 weeks with the twins is when it got EXTREMELY difficult physically, you can read about that here. It has been MUCH easier. with just moments of discomfort here and there. I'm pretty much taking heart burn meds every other day and if I don't, I have very bad acid reflux. Im pretty comfortable physically, and am still sleeping well. Carrying twins first really puts things into perspective! My belly is still HUGE and I feel it is bigger than most momma's carrying one, again, I think its post twins. I am pretty much only wearing dresses now, all my maternity pants cut into me and my maternity tops and getting snug. I have felt some movement down low and at times a bit of pressure so I am PRAYING that he is descending down into my pelvis. I have braxton-hicks here and there but definitely not in labor yet. I will have another growth scan tomorrow and a cervical check next Friday. I am loving each moment of this pregnancy and am almost all finished with Walker's nursery. I will be blogging on that soon :) Today I had a massage which was wonderful, as my back is tight each morning when I wake up and tomorrow is my bi-weekly chiropractor appointment which has totally been a life saver this pregnancy (my sciatica has been gone for weeks now) and it certainly was a life saver with the twins. We are 21 days away today and so thankful to the giver of ALL good things! 

35 Weeks (36 week doctor update) with baby Walker...

I am 36 weeks today! This week was spent with our precious family in town. Our sister in law and her three babies were in town for their spring break and we had SO much fun hanging out with them, doing fun things and making memories! I will post some pictures from our week on a separate post soon. Being so busy this week I was a day late on posting my chalkboard pic, which technically make me 36 weeks in the pic, but we are just pretending its still 35! I had my 36 week check up and had Walker's first growth scan. Here were the results...

Femur (measured WAY ahead a few weeks ago) is measuring right on track at 36 weeks.
Abdomen is measuring 38 weeks (2 weeks ahead)
Head... drum roll please..... 40 weeks. Womp, Womp. I REALLY want a vaginal birth this time around but this sweet boy looks to have another big Davidson head.

So putting all of those measurements together, the doctor says 7lbs 6 oz right now but he is probably smaller than that since his head is throwing off the formula. There is no bad news here, he is perfectly healthy and wonderful but this might make it hard for me to have a VBAC if his head continues to grow. 

He said as long as his head is dropping into my pelvis, then we are okay but if his head keeps growing as we get closer to the the due date, then we might have to have C-section. But right now I am continuing to pray for my body to allow a VBAC and if I have to have another C-section, well, what can I do right?

Cant believe we have 4 weeks or less! So thankful and excited!!