It's time for you close up Evan

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Evan Theodore Spencer

Evan's Birth Part 1

FroYo

FroYo

This is probably the last pregnancy pictures. I'm officially 39 weeks today!

Next step induction!

So we had our last doctor's appointment today. We had to see a different doctor because our regular doc is on vacation. Anyway he said that I'm still about 2 cm but that Evan is now between -1 and 0 station. He said that's not a lot of progress but that I'm favorable for induction. He asked if we had everything set up. We told him we weren't sure. We had set a date but that we don't have anything solidified. So he went and checked and said that we hadn't been scheduled. So he went ahead and put us on the list. Apparently they list you and then the hospital calls you on the day you're scheduled and lets you know when they have a bed ready. He said we are number four on the list and they open at 5:30 am. So hopefully we should get in by 9 or 10 am. So we'll be starting the process in the morning on the 23rd hopefully!
I can't wait till next monday. It's like waiting for christmas. Ray keeps asking Evan when he's coming out. I said "can't you wait a week for him?" He said "no". He want to see his little face. It's also a hard wait because I'm getting really uncomfortable. I have a lot of pressure low in my stomach and walking hurts, my hips wake me up at night and I have to switch sides and sometimes my left hand wakes me up because it hurts so bad. It feels like my blood vessels in the top of my hand is going to bust open. I guess it's related to my carpal tunnel nerve but nothing seems to make it feel better. I try to massage the spot and my wrist but I just have to sit and wait for it to stop hurting. Luckily it doesn't happen a lot though and I only have a week left. It'll will all be worth it then.

Week 38 Developments

See the big picture
How your baby's growing:
Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's
over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which
you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time!
His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to
tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay
brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay
gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months
old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may
gain more pigment in the months after he's born, but they usually
won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have
more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Baby News!

I think almost everybody knows already but, we saw the doctor today. She said that I'm almost 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Which means I've gone 1 cm in a week and thinned out my cervix a lot. Oh and Evan has moved into a -1 station. I think he has to go to +3 before he's actually born. She said that's really good. So Evan might be here soon but if not then we have set a date to be induced. It's March 23rd which is only a few days before our due date but it's better than having to wait till 41 weeks if he's late. So I'm happy. We have a definite date that Evan will be here. Although she said with my quick progress, I might deliver sooner. So we're still playing the waiting game.

Week 37 Developments

How your baby's growing:
Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby
arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to
life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks
away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head
to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of
hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But
don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours.
Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their
children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have
been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies
sport only peach fuzz.

Doctor's appointment

So we saw the doctor this afternoon. She said that the ultrasound looked good. Evan still has lots of amniotic fluid and is head down, which he has been for about a month now. They're also estimating that he is currently 8 lb 2 oz. The doctor said that she isn't going to induce until 39wks at the earliest . She says Evan's lungs should be adequately developed by then. So unless he comes out on his own, we shouldn't expect him until the 17th at the earliest. She also did an exam and I'm still 1cm dilated and slightly more effaced. Evan hasn't dropped yet but she said that won't necessarily happen. I've also been having some braxton hicks over the last week and lots of cramping. So apparently they're doing something just not very fast. We have another appointment next week to see if we're making anymore progress. So we'll see. Cross your fingers that Evan comes soon.

Week 36 Developments

See the big picture
How your baby's growing:
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position. But if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying he'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating him from the outside of your belly.