9...

Monday: 9 days 'til D-day!

No news to speak of. Ian gave her another little pep talk last night about arriving tomorrow, May 1st. We'll see in the next few hours just how well she minds her father. She does seem to have dropped a bit more and is moving a bit less. Resting up, perhaps?

I did look at the weather report and it's supposed to rain all week which does give me hope! Not because more babies are born in the rain, but because once I go into labor my mom is coming and her timing with bad weather is impeccable. Easter weekend in Houston- 50 degrees; enough said.

The Countdown Begins...10...

Sunday: 10 days 'til D-day...or at least estimated D-day!

Well, we figured it is about time to really start counting down! My goal is to write a quick synopsis of how we are feeling in the last few days leading up to Blayne's due date and keep everyone updated on what we do and our progress in general. I will get some pictures to include in the days to come too.

I am feeling pretty well- considering...honestly I am more worried that Blayne might never come out because I don't feel all that different than I did a few weeks ago.

As far as preparation is concerned, I think we have accomplished most tasks. The nursery is as ready as it's going to be, the pack n' play is beside the bed- clean sheets and all, Ian installed the car seat and we are all packed and ready to go.

As far as induction is concerned, we haven't really gotten to the point of desperation, but if a situation presents itself, who are we to argue? We joined a group of friends (one in particular who apparently has already sent two women into labor) for none other than Mexican food. The only thing this accomplished was keeping me up all night with a stomach ache! Oh well.

** A special thanks to Mia & Bucca for the great rocking chair! We love it!

38 weeks!

All right, the home stretch! It's frightening and exciting; a few short days and an eternity all at the same time!

Blayne and I went for our weekly check-up this morning and believe it or not, despite the looks of my high belly, she is down in the pelvis and has dropped to some extent. No news of dilation or contractions to speak of yet, but we still have a little time to warm up for the big day!

A big thanks to all the wagering enthusiasts! Monte and Mulligan are packing their bags and are ready to go home with the winners- preferably someone who won't have a screaming infant to soak up all the attention. If you haven't placed your bet on Blayne's arrival date and weight class be sure to do so by commenting on the post below!

All bets are on!

Well, as many of you know, the vast majority of babies are born in the two weeks prior to or two weeks after their due dates. Come tomorrow we officially enter that window, so we are open for bets (we do try to make this as interactive as possible...)!

So when will little Blayne arrive? To be fair, her due date is May 9th and Dr. Johnson will only allow us to go 1 week past due before inducing (thank goodness!) which makes May 16th the last possible date for induction, but technically May 17th the last date for actual delivery.

Please add your guess via the comment link below! Ian (although news to him) is in charge of the prize for the winner- so be sure to read the comments and/or a future post to find out what you can potentially gain by appeasing us!

No Buffett Baby :-(

Our plans for a Buffett Baby failed.

Ian's plan: For Blayne to be the youngest Parrothead ever.

Ashly's plan: To spend $ on tickets to ensure we would have to leave the concert in labor.

Blayne's plan: To dance to the music in mom's belly and stay a safe distance from all the drunk people!







Failed plans or not, we did have a wonderful time kicking off the Bama Breeze tour. And (although I speak only for Blayne and I) we also had a great time the morning after...which is a first for me at a Buffett concert. Who knew there was so much fun to be had without alcohol and hang overs?

Weekly Check-Up

We are, of course, going for weekly check-ups now. We had our 37 week check-up today and are doing famously! We had measured 33 inches consistently the past three weeks in fundal height (apparently at about 34-36 weeks this usually tops off), but today we broke the charts at a whopping 35 inches! We also got the results back from a non-stress test we did last week and despite our small appearance, we passed with flying colors!

The baby is active and hiccuping constantly (right now as a matter of fact); all good signs. No reason just yet for any grandparents-to-be to jump on planes to the south land (other than the weather, perhaps)- but Dr. Johnson was kind enough to explain what to do if I went into labor this weekend while he was not on call. Of course that was followed by the traditional "but, you know, first babies often come late." Oh well, I appreciated the gesture.

All in all we're doing great and anxiously awaiting our little one!

Bath Time!

What little girl's room would be complete without her very own bathroom? Thanks to all the help from Dad-to-be for hanging the shower curtain rod, the mirror and all the towel hardware- we should be ready to keep her clean once she gets here! These hooded towels are about the cutest things I've ever seen too: thanks so much to Aunt Quinn & Uncle Dave, Aunt Hilary & Uncle Tom and Butch and Angie!

To the right hanging with the pink towel is Blayne's very own waterproof duck bookbag: perfect for boating and summer travel! Thanks Aunt Steph! I can't wait to get her a cute little swimsuit to put in there!

And, incredibly, at not even a day old, her closet is filling up fast! Thanks again to all those who have sent the most adorable little outfits! How am I going to get away with my sweat pants and tank tops when our baby is dressed to the hilt? I may be in for a rude awakening...

Ready when you are!

Ian says "optimistic"; I say "prepared".

I went ahead and packed a bag for the hospital with at least the major items we will need. This is hard to do, though, knowing that these things might sit there for 3 -even 4 (hopefully not)- weeks. But, none the less, the voices of those kind people who say "it could be any day now" are ringing in the back of my head (primarily because I want to believe them- not the folks who echo "oh- you've still got a while"...) and I don't want to be in a position where I have to explain what I want to Ian. That sounds like a bad way to start off the whole labor experience.

37 weeks...

We have -according to some- finally reached "full term". This is a very comforting moment for us and from here forward, it's anyone's game. We grow more anxious every day to meet Blayne but realize we still have a few weeks ahead of us. At our last check up, all was well and progressing as is to be expected. No obvious signs of baby yet, but these things can happen over night!

Welcoming Kylah Rae!

Kylah Rae was born on Sunday, 4/15/07 @ 5:10pm. She weighed in at 8lbs and 3oz! Congratulations Hilary and Tom! We are so excited for you!

Sleeping arrangements

Below the windows is where the crib will go. As many of you are aware, we are fortunate enough to be inheriting a beautiful crib from a friend of ours. However, the crib is still currently in use by her 18 month old, so we are not expecting its arrival until after the arrival of young Blayne. No problem though, because as it turns out, and as you can see by scrolling down, our little girl will have plenty of very comfortable places to snooze in the mean time.

All of these great sleeping arrangements were provided by those who already love her! Thank you all! Aunt Barbie (who should be getting her own grandchild any day now)- the bouncy chair is about the cutest thing we have ever seen! The beautifully crafted cradle from Mia and Bucca will be a perfect little napping nest, and the pack and play graciously sent by Grammy will be her sleeping quarters in our bedroom for the first few weeks.

Furniture, at last!

Well, the furniture has come a long way! Even from our original plan to refinish it. We planned on sticking to a neutral theme, the drawers were all going to be green so -just in case- or perhaps next time- a boy arrives, it would be workable. Well, I suppose we have caught "little girl fever" because all of a sudden everything is turning pink! Ian assures me, though, it will be very possible and relatively easy to convert this into a more manly version if and when the situation presents itself.

And...a super huge THANKS! to Mavis who came down to visit us over Easter and helped with the painting! Thanks so much!

36 weeks...

Back to back...here we are at 36 weeks and counting. I always feel that we have made more progress than it appears on these photos we take...maybe we're doing it wrong...then again, maybe allowing Ian to blow in my nose to puff me up last time put a damper on our progress this time. Either way, bystanders do seems to think we getting bigger, so hopefully it looks that way to you too.