Week 39

Had a check up on Thursday.  CNM Jan did the exam.  Said I was one centimeter on the outside and fingertip inside.  Who knew you could be both?!  Also said I'm 50% effaced.  At least we have progress!

So do these look like professional photographs or what!  My husband has a new favorite hobby!  We did two maternity photo sessions this week.  We'll be adding them to our website very soon.  Start booking your session.  We'll fill up very quickly!  haha  :)

Saturday I started having a few contractions.  Didn't really know they were contractions.  But apparently menstrual type cramping (even when mild) is considered a contraction.  So that was exciting to learn!  I also lost (brace yourself) some of my "plug" Saturday evening.  Didn't know what it was, but definitely hadn't seen anything like it before.  Sunday when I woke up I felt like I might be leaking.  I'd had contractions intermittently all night, so I thought maybe my water was leaking.  I called the nurse who paged the doctor, who eventually called me.  The doctor said he didn't think it was my water leaking, but the only way to tell would be to come in to the maternity center to have him exam me.  I knew I wouldn't be comfortable just waiting and not knowing.  So, John and I packed the car (anticipating that we'd get to stay) and headed to the hospital.  We called our parents just to put them on alert.
Mom tells me that these are actually the same steps she took when she was going into labor with me.  And I was born on a Sunday!  So I thought for sure this was the real deal!
At the hospital they hooked me up to the fetal monitor and contractions monitor.  Turns out I was having contractions pretty regularly, but I couldn't feel them.  Interesting...I thought this whole labor thing is going to be a breeze!  It was great to here Taylor's heartbeat!  It was our background music for about an hour!  So the doctor did the test to see if there was any amniotic fluid, and.....there wasn't.  So he sent us home.  He said "You could be back tonight, or it could be a week."
Thanks Doc!  That helps!
So here we sit and wait....I did eat spicy food that night and we plan to go on a nice LONG walk tonight.  We're going to get this little girl out!

Week 38

Things continue to go well as we anxiously await the arrival of our little princess.  :)  Taylor is still very active, and she feels so big!  I'm a little concerned....the last doctor estimated that she'd be around 8 pounds 1 ounce.  This honestly sounds like a good size to me.  Collins babies tend to be VERY big!  Luckily we have the Warren's to balance us out!  I'm just hoping she can fit into her newborn outfits for a week or so.  They're so little and so cute!
This past Friday I had a little scare.  Not really a scare, but a sense that this could be the day!  For a few days I'd been experiencing some...let's just say "I was uncomfortable and sore."  It hurt to lift my legs, get up from sitting, move...  So I called the doctor and they said all was normal.  I  had an appointment that afternoon, and I just knew they were going to say I had dilated, maybe even enough to be admitted to the hospital.  First time mom...what else can I say!  So the doctor did the exam and......NOTHING!  I am effacing (but they told me that two weeks ago!).  He said I'd probably go a "couple" more weeks, which would actually take me up to my due date.  So, now we just sit and wait.
I guess little Taylor is happy and comfy in her little home.  But we are so excited to see her!!!!  So hopefully little girl Warren will decide to make her way out in the next two weeks.  I can't believe I'm due next Friday!  One and a half weeks to go!
My third grade team at GHES threw a wonderful shower for me today!  I am so blessed to work with such kind, caring people.  We had a wonderful time!

Week 37

Such a cute little story...
John called me today and said, "You know what I'm looking forward to?"  He said, "I'm looking forward to taking Taylor to get her first Happy Meal from McDonald's!"
I thought this was so precious!  He said he was just sitting at work with nothing to do but think about things.  He's so excited to be able to take Taylor to McDonald's and get her Happy Meals.  He remembers doing it as a child.
Precious moments...can't wait!!

Week 31-36

Four weeks to go!!!!  Wow...a lot has happened since I last published a post.  Where to begin....

Week 31: John and I planned our last trip out of town.  We went to the beach to get our last little vacation in for the summer.  Taylor has really started to move and make my belly jump!  John and I love just watching her!  John and I did have a slight scare this week.  We have a friend that delivered a healthy little girl SIX weeks early.   Immediately, John and I panic thinking "when is six weeks for us?!"  No way we'd be ready!

Week 32: This week we celebrated my 29th birthday!  Being pregnant on my birthday was so sweet.  I can't imagine how God will bless us this year with baby Taylor's arrival.  Year 28 included my nephew's birth, engagement, marriage, honeymoon, pregnancy...  John and I have been so blessed in only one year of marriage! God is so good!

This week we attended infant CPR and safety class.  We also attended Childbirth Preparation on Saturday and Sunday.

Week 33: This week Taylor continues to impress us with her acrobatics.  She's obviously growing bigger and stronger every day.  Heartburn and indigestion are getting worse!  I can hardly eat a meal without taking a Pepcid or Tums.  She also has begun pushing up in my rib cage.  I can feel her little feet (I guess it's her feet) pushing up.  I LOVE feeling her movements every day.  I think I'm going to be really sad when I don't have that connection with her.  I feel the prepartum blues coming on.  :(  Not really, but I will miss the movements!  BUT, I know seeing her adorable little face will be so much more precious and special!

Week 34:  First shower this weekend!  I had a shower in Columbia for family and friends.  We had a great time and Taylor got some great gifts!




Week 35:  Second shower this weekend!  My bestest friend Amanda and her mom threw a shower for John and I in Rock Hill.  This was a great day spent with good friends and family.


This week I also started one week appointments.  I met with Jan, the CNM.  She did an exam and determined that I'm not dilated.  She said she could definitely tell my cervix is getting ready and that I'm a "little" effaced.  So, it sounds like there's progress.  Very exciting!  Jan also said something like, "I wonder if you'll make it to your due date?"  Well I wonder too!  She asked if I was an early baby, but I was a week late and my brother was born on his due date.  It made me wonder if she was implying baby Taylor may come a little early.  We'll see!  Now John and I need to pack our bags!

Week 36: So here we are at week 36.  John and I decided that the best way to celebrate week 36 would be to buy a new car!  :)  The last few weeks we've been looking into trading in John's truck because of the mileage.  We were looking at the Chevy Equinox and Hyundai Santa Fe.  It came down to Hyundai giving us the best trade in value AND being able to get our payments where we wanted them.  So, this summer we've purchased two new vehicles (one new and one used).  This wasn't necessarily the plan for our vehicles.  We knew we needed to trade in my Altima, but it worked out where we should also go ahead and trade in the truck.  Poor John, he's not sure how he'll survive without his "baby" (the truck)!