40 Weeks - Due Date

Any day now. Yesterday was my due date. Such an arbitrary date, but it carries so much weight. It's kind of like A.D. vs B.C. You're either early or late based on that date. Copper was 5 days late. As of today, Ollie is 1 day late. At my appointment yesterday I was dilated to 1cm and my cervix was still thick. I woke up around 5am with mild cramping and that basically remained for most the morning. Ollie hasn't dropped yet but she said that's normal for a second pregnancy. Sometimes they don't drop or "engage" until you start having contractions. I had the midwife sweep my membranes (a fun little procedure) which immediately dilated me to 3cm. She said that if it is going to work, it usually works within 24 hours. It's been 24 and a half hours. I asked Copper on Monday when she thinks he'll be born and she promptly replied, "Thursday." My mom is going for Friday, which is my Aunt Teri's Birthday. Any day now.

39 Weeks and 5 Days

Any day now. We've been saying that a lot lately. Copper was 5 days late, but who knows with this one. I still haven't packed my "hospital bag," but the car seat did get installed today and all of Ollie's clothes and gear are washed and ready to go. We've totally waited to the last minute to get everything ready, but gearing up for a baby over the holidays while also remodeling/redecorating a bedroom and closets has slowed us down. Last week in an attempt to get Ollie's room ready, I had to go through 3 big boxes and 4 drawers of stuff of Aubrey's and mine that have been hiding in his closet for over 4 years. We also had to gather up all of our baby gear from the garage attic and last night I rounded up the last of my stuff that Derek and Lisa still had at their house. Today I did some house cleaning and a shit-ton of laundry. I feel like I need to have a baby so I can take a little break. My mom called me today and said that I can't have Ollie tonight because she has the flu. Aubrey had one hell of a cold last week that even kept him home from work (that NEVER happens) and Copper has a nasty cough (that made her throw up on her freshly laundered bedding last night) and stuffy nose. I've managed to stay healthy, but the odds are stacked against me. At my 39 week appointment last Tuesday everything checked out just fine. My blood pressure is still low, I still don't have any swelling (although I have noticed some bullshit varicose veins on the back of my right calf, so not cool), and Ollie is still head down with a strong heartbeat. I've talked to a few people that had super fast 2nd labors and I'm hoping that I'll be part of that crowd. 5 hours of labor and few pushes...sign me up! We really are ready for Ollie to be here. Copper is super excited too. Losing our two babies last year has given us a very fresh perspective on this pregnancy. We're not scared or apprehensive, we're just ready to have our #2 kiddo. Lack of sleep, inability to go out with my girlfriends for dinner, lugging a 4yr old and baby to the stores...bring it on. I'm ready.

4 Year Check Up

Copper had her 4 year annual check up today. She is now 41" tall and weighs 37lbs. She had her first eye exam. It was so cute watching her cover an eye and say the different shapes. Her vision is 20/40 which means she may be a bit near sighted, but it's nothing to worry about at this time. Everything else checked out just fine. She had to pee in a cup which went better than I was expecting. I thought for sure it would end up all over my hand, but every drop ended up in the cup. On our way to work I asked Copper what her favorite part of her doctor's visit was and she replied, "Peeing in a cup."