News from Aunt Kim

Warren Van Garton was born today, March 31, 2009 at 1:48 PM. He weighed

7 pounds and is 19 1/2 inches long. Debbie says he has a lot of dark brown hair. Warren, Debbie and Roy all are doing well and will be home soon.

More information and pictures will be posted then.

39 weeks

Well, I am officially 39 weeks tomorrow! I guess this will be my final belly pic, so I decided to bare all. I never did get stretch marks. I have some white ones from when I was a kid and grew too fast, but no new ones - so excited about that!

Today mom and I got pedicures! This was my first time to get a French, and I just love it! Now at least my toes are ready for labor!

My birthday is April 11 and Mom's is April 27th. We got a little Baskin Robbins ice cream cake to celebrate early. Yum!

The Final Appt

I can't believe it, but I had my final OB appt. today! I had gained four pounds, which I think puts me exactly at 35lbs for this pregnancy. I am dilated 2cm and still 80% effaced. The scary part is the doctor said he estimates Warren weighs 8 1/4 to 8 1/2lbs!!! Yikes!!!! I wasn't expecting that at all, though I had told Roy this week that I swear Warren's gained a pound. I suppose I shouldn't have eaten the Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, cinnamon bears, maple cookies, and so on. LOL I asked the doctor if he thought I would be able to push Warren out since he's that big, and he said he is feeling really good about that and thinks I can w/o any problem. He said to be at 2cm/80% for a first pregnancy is great progress, and that Warren is low and in position. So if I don't go into labor before then, I will go to the hopsital on the 31st at 6am and get my IV and start the pictocin, and the doc will come break my water around 8 or 8:30am. Then I suppose it's just hurry-up-and-wait time.

Our Last Night as Two

Tonight Roy and I went to Olive Garden to "celebrate" our final night of being just the two of us. My mom is flying into town tomorrow, and Warren will be here no later than Tues., so tonight was our last night to be "alone" for many years to come. Roy has been so sweet during my pregnancy. He's really been extra caring and kind. Even tonight when I told him I brought my camera, so I can blog our last night alone, he got up and took the above pic w/o even complaining! That's a true miracle!!! LOL So, to a life of just the two of us, we say goodbye. To a new life of the three of us, we say welcome.

37 Weeks Dr. Appt

We are holding steady! I am 1.5cm dilated and 80% effaced. I gained 1lb, which is mostly from the water in my swollen ankles, and my belly measured the same due to Warren having dropped. The doctor said Warren's head is way down; he actually said he felt it!!! We set an induction for March 31 at 6am. I have another appt. next Thursday.

Getting Ready for Warren

I have been giving Roy plenty of honey-do's lately. One of which I am so excited, and it is really for me and not the baby - a jewelry organizer! I had all my earrings and necklaces in a pile, and they were always getting tangled, and I was always getting mad about it, so Roy made this organizer for me. It is in my closet, so it's right by my clothes, which makes so much sense.

I was nesting like crazy last weekend after my OB told me I was 75% efface. I cleaned out the two big storage closets we have in our laundry room just off of our kitchen. I actually wiped down the shelves with disinfectant cleaner! My nesting once again made work for Roy, because he had to carry out to the shed all the paint and stuff that I didn't want in the closet. He didn't seem to mind. In fact, I offered to help, but he told me to go sit down and cross my legs, so Warren doesn't come early! LOL

Warren's room is pretty much ready. I got the diaper stacker that matching his bedding and filled it with diapers, and I also used the ribbon and clothespins from my friend shower diaper cake and made a little "mommy, daddy, and Cleo" picture area in Warren's room. Looks a little cheezy, but my decorating abilities are extremely limited!

I also got all of our bags packed and ready to go, and I have made arrangements for Cleo, too.

In all my nesting, I still managed to buy something just for myself - Bath and Body smell-me-goods! They had a buy 3 get 3 free sale, and so I stocked up.
I have been feeling pretty good this week, considering that it's my first week back to teaching since spring break, and also considering that I am nearly to D-day. I have felt ginormous most of this week, and Warren is obviously bigger. I actually felt his head at my hairline this week! I guess he must have reared it back or something, but it was amazing. He is moving all over the place, and I think he is moving farther down. It's so hard to tell because I have carried low the whole time. I have had more pressure, for sure. I have also had quite a few contractions today, but nothing painful at all, and they don't stay consistent very long. I don't want to make an unnecessary trip to the hospital, so I won't go until I am pretty sure it's the real deal. Tomorrow is my next OB appointment, so we will see what he says!

My final two showers are this week - tomorrow night and Friday! I have really been blessed!

36 Weeks Checkup

Well.... I am dilated 1cm but I'm 75% effaced! He said it was good that I was effaced because some women dilate but don't efface -- guess that makes delivery harder or more painful or something. The exam was a little uncomfortable, but not too bad. I do have quite a bit of bleeding/clotting, but he said that might happen.

Dr. said baby is head down. His heartbeat is about 140bpm. He is about 6.5lbs. I had only gained one pound, and I measured at 35cm. My group B test from last time was negative, so that's one less thing I have to think about.

While the doctor didn't say it, I think he thinks I am going to go early rather than late, but I suppose these things are never an exact science. I talked to him again about inducing me on the 2nd, but he reminded me that his office is moving to the new hospital on the 1-3rd, so he won't be inducing those days. So, I just told him that I will be walking from 7a - 7p trying to get this baby out on the 2nd!!! He laughed, and said "If you go that long, I can induce you on the 31st." He has never said "if" before, so that was another clue that maybe he thinks I will be earlier. Anyway, the 31st would be convenient for me and Roy, but my mom's flight doesn't arrive until the 1st. We'll see what happens. My next appt. is in one week.

It's soooo close now!!!

Friend Shower

Saturday I had a wonderful time with my friends at my friend shower. It was great to be with a group of ladies that know me well and I know them well, so we could all be ourselves and not have any awkward "shower moments," if you know what I mean. Here are some pics of the day:

My wonderful friends and hostesses, Staci and Melissa

Staci made the most delicious white cake I have ever had - I mean it! She also made a cookie bouquet that was adorable, and the punch was ice cream, sherbet, and ginger ale - all sooo yummy! The crazy thing? She left ALL of that with me after the shower!!!! Warren will be enjoying lots of sugar this week! LOL

Staci also filled these little bottles with candy pacifiers and made little tags to welcome baby Warren. The guests each took one home. Such a cute touch!

Melissa was my college roommate. She has a secret talent for decorating! Every item she used to decorate was something for the baby! Isn't this the cutest diaper cake ever?!!!
See the daisies below? Melissa put them together in that vase with marshmallows! Who would think of something so cute?

I received so many nice things for Warren: a wipes warmer, some super cute outfits, some very nice tennis shoes, some bowls and spoons, a spinning bottle dryer, foot rattles, and so much more.

I had just told my mom the other day that I needed to get Warren a little hat - and he got a puppy one at the shower! It has little ears that stick up on the top! My friend Kita made the cutest letters for Warren's name. I am using the puppies from the shower decor to accent the letters. I plan to hang them around the letters. Right now I just set them on top, but it still looks really cute, I think.
After the shower, Melissa, Kita, and I went and ate and then did a little shopping. It was so much fun to just hang out and laugh with each other. Melissa stayed the night with me because Roy was in Dallas presenting a paper at a conference. She and I rarely see each other, so it was so much fun to hang out together.

Thanks to everyone who made this such a special and fun day for me! I can't wait for Warren to meet my great friends.

Holy Crapoly! I'm almost there!

Did you notice the ticker above? I am on the final baby block!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAh!!!!! I am not sure whether to cry or cuss!!!! :)

I can't say I am nervous about labor and delivery, really, and I am not nervous about knowing how to take care of Warren, but Roy and I are both nervous about prioritizing a baby in our busy lives. My heart tells me that it won't be too difficult at first because I will want to spend all my time with him (I'm a naive new mom, I know!), but once the school year starts, I will have to be sure and not bring much work home, which most years seems nearly impossible. I must say that I am really excited to see my husband as a daddy, and to be able to help Warren pick out a Father's Day gift. We are definitely both ready for this time in our lives; I am so glad we waited nearly twelve years to have a baby!

A friend gave me a $100 gift card to Barnes and Noble and told me it was for books for Warren. I got online and was able to get 13 books, two of which were box sets! So even though Warren can't even see a book right now, that totals to about 25 books he already owns - anything to keep him from liking sports!!!! Ugh.

34.5 Weeks Dr. Appt.

This picture shows how I feel these days - stressed, exhausted, and swollen! I am thankful this pregnancy has been so easy, but I am now in the last 5.5 weeks and having some of the normal aches and pains/symptoms that come along with it: swollen feet, tiny blood spots on my belly (though no stretch marks - yet!), waddling, sagging/wider breasts, restless nights, stress, more noticeable veins, and so on. When Roy took this pic, he had to get "just the right angle," of course, because he wanted to get my belly button in the pic. It's still an innie, but it is stretched out so much that it is very noticeable. But hey, look at those milk machines! LOL I bought some nursing bras and they are 38B. I normally wear a 34A, so that's a big jump for me. I am still practicing how to get the nursing flap undone in less than 5mins!

The appointment... I gained 4lbs (in two weeks!), but the doctor said some of that is the baby and some is the water weight/swelling. I measured at 34 centimeters, which is right where I should be. My BP was 130/70, and Warren's heartbeat sounded strong as always. The doctor did the group B strep swabbing, and I guess I will find out results in two weeks at my next appointment. He will also start checking me then. We talked again about induction, but he said he his moving his office on April 1-3, so inducing on the 2nd is not his preference. We may just wait until April 7th to induce, if Warren doesn't come before then. My due date is April 5, so we'll see. He said we will get a better indicator of time when he starts checking me, but one never really knows when labor will begin. You know I love that unpredictability!

I finally have a substitute for my maternity leave. I met her this week, and I think she will work hard with the kids. I have been working hard to get my lesson plans finished. So far I have through April 3 - only 8 weeks left to write. Ugh.

My next baby shower is Sat. the 7th, and then school is throwing one for me and the other mommy-to-be on the 20th, I think. I love checking my registries to take a sneak peek at what people have bought! I'm bad; I know. :)