34 Weeks

I am currently 34 weeks 2 days pregnant (I took this picture on Sunday, when I was exactly 34 weeks). It's official- I'm no longer "enjoying" pregnancy. I knew the day would come- I just didn't expect for the reason to be my back. It is KILLING me! It is not an exaggeration when I say the ONLY time I am comfortable is when I'm lying in bed. I have the pregnancy waddle totally mastered. It's actually quite embarrassing. I even got desperate enough to go see a chiropractor. I've been twice and I'm still in tons of pain. I have another appointment tomorrow. I'm hoping it gets better. Otherwise- this will be  LONG six weeks. The chiropractor thinks I have two issues going on. On my left side, I have SI joint/hip pain, and on my right side, my bulging and herniated discs are all flared up. So, they are trying to compensate for each other and making my entire lower back a big huge disaster. It has not been easy trying to finish up the school year. This week (yesterday, today, and tomorrow), I have meetings that have been TORTUROUS to sit through... I can barely get to my car at the end of them. Hopefully I can survive tomorrow. Then next week, I have to teach a class for the district. I'm not exactly sure how that's going to go. I'm seriously praying and hoping that my back feels well enough to get through those three days. The following week, I have three more days of meetings, but those aren't as urgent as this week's and next week's. So- if I can just get through the next two weeks, life will be good. Otherwise- I have no other pregnancy complaints! Seriously... even my severe nightly congestion seems to have cleared up! 

On Saturday (May 25), I was concerned about my back hurting so badly- plus I wasn't sure if I was having contractions or not. I finally called and spoke to Dr. Young who was on call that weekend. I asked him if I'd know for sure if I was having contractions. He told me that because of the back pain, I'd better go in to the hospital- just to make sure. So, Matt took me to the hospital. They hooked me up to a monitor and discovered I was having pretty major contractions. So, they checked to make sure I wasn't dilating. I wasn't, but the doctor still wanted them to give me a shot to stop the contractions. We didn't want to have a 33 week baby. So, after the shot and some other tests to make sure I wasn't about to deliver a baby, they let me go home. I was in the hospital for just a few hours. Then, the next day the contractions started again. I called Dr. Young again on Monday (Memorial Day) to see if I should be concerned. He called me in a prescription to help relax my uterus. I took one pill and felt ROTTEN. My heart was racing, I got a massive headache, and the contractions continued. I knew I had another doctor's appointment just a few days later- so as long as my contractions weren't painful, I figured I'd just wait it out. I made it to my 34 week appointment and I was still pregnant- so, my doctor said that as long as my contractions aren't painful, I'm okay. 

One thing that is a bit concerning is that at my 34 week appointment last Friday, I was only measuring 31 weeks. The only reason it's a little concerning is that up til that point, I have always measured exactly where they expected me to. Two weeks previous at my 32 week appointment, I was measuring exactly 32 weeks. So, according to my doctor's measurements- I shrunk! What the what?! He even had the nurse double check his measurements. We're hoping that the baby was just situated funny. Hopefully he's working on getting his head down- I'd really rather not have to have the doctor try to turn him or end up with a C-section. The doctor said that at my next appointment (36 weeks), if I am still too small, they will do another ultrasound. He told me that it is very important for me to do my kick counts, and make sure the baby is still active. So far, the baby seems to be moving fine- so, I don't know. I also hadn't gained any weight since my previous appointment- but no worries there... I still weigh plenty! (Thank you Dr. Parker for your honesty.) I think I've made up for it since my appointment. Not being able to exercise or be active (because of my back) is not going to be good for my overall weight gain! At my meetings/trainings I have been at the past two days, everyone was very concerned that I was 34 weeks pregnant and not showing enough. One of the presenters is due three days before me and looks like she is about to pop. Even I could tell that my baby bump was much smaller than hers (I will say, all her other body parts were MUCH smaller than mine!). It was also a little irritating watching her just walking around like she wasn't uncomfortable at all. Show off. She didn't even waddle a little bit. It made me feel like a big baby. 

I guess I should also document how great of a man I married. Matt has been so helpful. Not only does he work ten hour days, doing hard, manual labor... he also comes home and does all the housework- without complaint. I haven't been able to stand long enough to cook dinner, so we've either been eating food from the freezer, or going and getting something to eat. Matt doesn't get home from work til 6:30 or so, and by that time we're both too hungry to wait for him to cook anything. But no matter what we've eaten- he always helps me back to bed, situates my ice pack for me, fills up my water bottle, brings me my computer and the remote control, asks me if I need anything else, then goes out and cleans up our dinner mess. He also spent ALL morning Saturday doing all the housework I normally do on Saturdays, then went out and did all the yard work for most of the afternoon. He also is always willing to rub my back or go sleep on the couch downstairs with me in the middle of the night if I need to change sleeping arrangements so that I don't have to be alone down there. He's a good man and will make such a good daddy. He already tells the baby how much he loves him and talks about how he can't wait until the baby's old enough for him to take him fishing and camping, or to coach his Little League team. He's nervous about the little things- like knowing how to change a diaper or giving the baby a bath. But, I keep reassuring him that it will either just come naturally, or I will teach him. He's also nervous that he might pass out during the labor and delivery. That, I can't help him with. When he was helping me with my bloody nose a couple of weeks ago, I was a little worried about him... so, we might be in trouble! :)

Matt's family had a family party/baby shower for us on Sunday night. His sister, Cinda, and her family are in town from Tennessee so we all got together for dinner and some baby shower games. It was fun for the whole family to be able to participate. (Except for Scott & Roxanne, who live in Vegas.)  All the kids (and adults) had a great time. Matt's parents, Steve & Angie, and Kevin & Cinda gave us a great little swing/bouncy seat combo and some newborn diapers. Spence & Holly gave us some outfits, a blanket, and a book. It's so much fun getting new baby things. Everything is so clean, cute, and tiny (at least for now)!  

I'm hoping that by the next time I post something I can report that I am back pain-free. I won't hold my breath...

34 down, 6 to go... (can we say 5?? That sounds better)