Counting the Days Now

Well, we're still here in Louisiana, hangin' with the heat, humidity, and swelling . . . only now we are a few days away from being a family of three. To celebrate the imminent arrival of our son (and to take advantage of one of the last opportunities to eat out as a childless couple), we had dinner at our old fave ~ Dante's Kitchen. Blue crab & cantaloupe salad, red snapper with watermelon, and blueberry pie for dessert!

the NEWS . . . last Tuesday, at our OB appt, we learned that our little one was, well, very little. Dr. Grace says he is IUGR, which stands for Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction, and signifies that he is much smaller than where he should be for almost 38 weeks. The ultrasound measured him at 5 lb, 3 oz, or around 33-34 weeks gestation (less than the 3rd percentile). This is, of course, concerning, and could be caused by a great many different factors. Top on the list is the fact that neither Matt or I are big people (genetics). However, the concern is that the baby is not getting what he needs from my placenta. So we are scheduled to go in next week for an induction. We are also doing NST's (non stress tests) twice a week, which measure the baby's heart rate and activity level. We actually had one today, and he passed with flying colors (lots of heart rate variability and very active)! We have another NST scheduled for Tuesday morning. Then, Wednesday night (7/8) we pack our bags and head into the hospital for the induction at 8pm. If everything goes as planned, we should meet our little one on Thursday, July 9th!

Prego pic's from a few days ago . . . I am 37 1/2 weeks in these . . .

(looks like a big belly to me!) Anyway, as time slips by so quickly, my head is whirling with the implications of having a little one to take care of! What kind of mother will I be? Will he sleep? Will he be a good eater? Will he be a snuggler? I know it is all in God's hands, and He will take care of me and the baby. I have been praying everyday that our little one is healthy and happy, and that the Lord's protection be upon him, during and after the delivery. And, of course, I am a bit apprehensive about the delivery. I know it's going to hurt . . . just how much and for how long is what I want to know (and the suspense will be short lived, as I'll find out soon enough)!

So, please keep us all in your prayers as we embark on this adventure.