She's here!

Lucia Jane (aka Lucy) made her entrance into the world at 8:10 am on Monday, June 24. She weighs 6 lbs. 9 oz. and is 20 inches long with lots of dark hair. I was very anxious about having a c-section due to her being breech, but recovery is going well and she is nursing like a champ. John and I are absolutely smitten with our beautiful daughter!

39 weeks

how far along? 39 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a watermelon

weight gain/loss? +35-ish lbs

stretch marks? my hips are covered in them...ugh

maternity clothes? yes

sleep? definitely uncomfortable, but manageable

food cravings? anything frozen and fruity

symptoms? swollen feet and ankles, sciatic nerve pain, achy hips

signs of labor? cervix is still getting shorter, but no dilation or effacement

sex of baby? girl

movement? very consistent rolls and pushes

belly button? it's out!

what I'm worrying about: baby is still breech, so I'll be having a c-section bright and early on Monday morning. I've definitely had a lot of anxiety this week and it's wearing on me. However, John has been awesomely supportive, and my doctor is very reassuring (she's going to be doing the surgery herself), so I just need to trust that everything will work out for the best and we'll end up with a healthy baby and healthy mom in the end

what I'm loving: counting down the hours until we meet our sweet baby girl

best moment this week? knowing this is my last week of pregnancy and work

38 weeks

how far along? 38 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a pumpkin

weight gain/loss? +30-ish lbs

stretch marks? all over my hips, but none on my bump (strange)

maternity clothes? yes, and I'm so sick of wearing the same 6 shirts over and over and over and over again...

sleep? still sleeping in the guest room; John installed a new ceiling fan in there and it's so cool and comfortable, plus I love having a big bed to myself

food cravings? popsicles, ice cream, and anything frozen

symptoms? swollen feet and ankles, sciatic nerve pain, heavy breathing, a slight waddle

signs of labor? cervix is still getting shorter, but no dilation or effacement

sex of baby? girl

movement? rolling, pushing, and one big flip (see below)

belly button? it's out!

what I'm worrying about: well, we received some interesting news at our most recent appointment - after several weeks of being confirmed in the head-down position, baby is now breech. My OB gave us two options: try an external version (manipulating from the outside to try and get the baby to turn) or schedule a c-section. Given that it's late in the pregnancy and baby will only be getting bigger by the week, it's going to be harder to get her to turn, plus the risks of doing an external version are pretty scary and the success rate isn't awesome (only around 58%). Plus, there's always a chance she could flip back after the procedure and I'd end up having to have a c-section anyways. Although it's definitely not my first choice of how to give birth, I decided to schedule a c-section for Monday, June 24 when I'll be 39 weeks. There is still a small possibility that she could turn in the next week (we'll know for sure at our appointment next Friday), but my OB isn't optimistic. So, on top of feeling anxious about having a baby in general, now I'm feeling anxious about going through major surgery and dealing with a more complicated recovery. I keep reminding myself that I'm doing what's best to ensure a healthy baby, but the truth is that I'm really scared.

what I'm loving: the nursery is done and it's adorable!

best moment this week? nesting is in full force and we tackled some major house projects - washing windows and blinds, re-painting the front door, hanging a new house number plaque, and buying a new rug for the living room

37 weeks

how far along? 37 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a winter melon

weight gain/loss? +30-ish lbs

stretch marks? still a few on each hip

maternity clothes? absolutely

sleep? now I'm the one who's camping out in the guest room; it's much easier to shove a pillow between my knees and flop over like a beached whale when I'm not sharing a bed (we'll see if this lasts throughout the rest of the pregnancy)

food cravings? popsicles and ice cream

symptoms? swollen feet and ankles, sciatic nerve and tailbone pain, heavy breathing

signs of labor? I had my first internal exam last week and my doctor commented that my cervix is shortening, but not at all dilated or effaced

sex of baby? girl

movement? plenty of rolls and pushes

belly button? starting to pop out!

what I'm worrying about: how much longer I'm going to be pregnant; I have an ominous feeling that I'm going to go waaaaaaaay overdue...

what I'm loving: finishing our birth classes, buying the few remaining items off our registries, and knocking out a few baby-related projects (starting a baby book, hanging IKEA spice racks as forward-facing bookshelves in the nursery)

best moment this week? putting the dock in at our cabin = a sure sign of summer!