It's been an interesting week for sure!

Over the weekend, my dear friend, Julia, took some pregnancy photographs of Adam and me. It was so fun because not only does she just visit with you through the entire photo shoot, but she also has such an eye for detail!

I met Julia about seven years ago when we were both on the provisional retreat for the Junior League of Dallas. She was from Arkansas, and both of us being Southern girls, we hit it off immediately. Plus, it was great bonding since neither of us enjoyed the ice breaker activities, nor the constant baby talk since everyone was pregnant. (Kind of ironic now!) We were pretty much the Debbie-downers who sat in the corner and didn't participate all weekend! But we hit it off nonetheless, and now she and her husband, David, are the proud parents of two precious little girls, Aubrey Joy and Leila.

A few years ago Julia started her own photography business simply because she loved being behind the lens taking photos of her own family. Since then, the business has grown, and it has been fun to see the beautiful memories she has produced for her friends, clients, and family. You can see some of her other work at JuliaSheltonphotography.blogspot.com. She will also be taking Anders's first baby photos.

Here are a few of our favorite shots from the weekend!

On Monday, Adam and I had our final childbirth class, and we graduated! :) Looks like we will be professional parents now! But, we didn't make it up to the hospital without a little adventure first. In Dallas, we have gone several weeks without rain, and these past few days have produced several pop-up storms. Well, what do you get when you combine instant storms, debris-clogged drains, and city streets? That's right! You get flash flooding!

We were driving through an intersection, underneath a major loop around the city in a crazy downpour, and the water looked kind of high. Traffic around us felt the same uncertainty about the water, and everyone was stopping. Then a Honda Prelude tried to cross the intersection and stalled. Next, a silver Buick tried and stalled. We watched and thought, "wow...those sure are low cars....no wonder they had trouble." We have an SUV and felt that we would probably be okay if we kept moving. I was driving, and Adam was coaching. I started to go, and the water seemed suddenly higher than I initially thought it would be, but I knew I couldn't stop. Adam kept saying, "keep going, keep going," and I think we were both a little panicky so I sped up creating a wave of water over the top of the hood. Bad idea! And then....we STALLED!!

Neither one of us could believe it! We looked back, and the line of traffic had decided against trying the high water and backed up and left. Chickens! (or maybe just smarter!) There we were with four other stalled cars with equally stupid drivers as ourselves. We had to wait for the police and fire rescue teams to assess the situation, the water to recede, and the tow trucks to come. What a mess! I just kept praying that I didn't go into labor, and that the news crews didn't come to this intersection to film the weather coverage. Well, after all of that, the tow truck dropped me off to get a rental car and Adam off with the car at the mechanic shop, and we continued on to our final birthing class...only an hour late! :) What an adventure for our unborn son!

On Tuesday, we went in for our 35 week check-up which included a tummy measurement, baby heartbeat check, cervical check, and Strep B test. Again, everything looked great! My doctor said that he is probably between 5-5.5 lbs and will hopefully only reach around 7 lbs so that delivery is easy with my size.

Anders (being the perfect child that he is!:)) has actually already dropped into position, and I have already started to efface, both of which I am told will make things go smoother for either the inducement on July 29th or regular delivery if he comes earlier. Wonderful news!! It means that we are that much closer to meeting our little precious one! All of those Braxton Hicks and ab cramping are paying off nicely.

Day to day activities are becoming a little more challenging, as I am tiring out quickly. About 4:00 pm everyday I am looking to nap, and whether I am able to get one in or not is another question altogether. Our hospital bags are basically packed, we meet with a potential pediatrician this Friday, and all of Anders's clothes are washed and ready for him. It is a nice feeling, and I am finally beginning to release the "nesting stage" and setting into a state of contentment and peace.

34 weeks

This morning we had our 34 week check up, and we met with one of the other doctors in the practice that could possibly be on-call when we go into labor. Everything still looks good. My tummy is measuring not too large and not too small, and Anders's heartbeat is just right. Next week we begin our weekly doctor's visits.

According to the books, Anders is anywhere from 19-22 inches in length....probably what he will be when he is born. He weighs around 5 lbs and should gain more as he fattens up. The books say he is about the size of a pineapple.

My Braxton Hicks contractions are everyday now and increasing in intensity, and I also feel like the baby has dropped as I am really beginning to feel uncomfortable (crampy and back pain). And no change in position, drinking a small glass of red wine (although that is a treat!), or drinking a ton of water helps them to stop.

Because of these symptoms I was sure that the doc this morning would say, "Oh yes, Mrs. Bronson, you could go into labor any day now," when, in fact he actually said, "Great! Sounds like you are getting a lot of warm up from those contractions....that's wonderful! Everything looks great!" Neither is a bad or wrong answer, but the cliche of "I am so ready to have this baby!" has totally kicked in.

Having read a few books and talked to some other girlfriends, it sounds as though there are different levels of "miserable." My pregnancy has been so unbelievably without complications or major scares that I was beginning to think that I must be carrying an immaculate baby, but I suppose any good run of luck must end at some point. (And really, I know I have nothing to complain about because this blessing is worth any amount of discomfort or pain that may come.)

BUT....let me describe this phase of what most people would call "miserable" because my beast has many forms. Sometimes it is the unbelievable balloon that my tummy becomes by the end of the day when you feel like you just need to deflate somehow and no position brings relief. Sometimes the beast tightens my stomach into a tight, tight ball (a basketball size with more of a bowling ball feel) and doesn't release for a good 60-90 seconds. This usually draws out some of that lamaze/birthing breathing that we have been practicing in case I can't have an epidural. Other times it is that "cannot possibly get enough sleep" because of the errands, cleaning, and work that need to be done during the day in addition to the at least five bathroom breaks in the night accompanied by the "why is it always so damn hot?!" awakening that usually happens around 1:00 a.m.

All I ever want to do now is lie in bed very propped up with the air turned way down or sit in my inflatable pool in the backyard in my old bikini (yes...the one where my tummy hangs out because it is cooler than my more conservative tankini that I wear in public). Everything is quickly becoming a real effort, and this 100 degree Texas heat is totally my enemy. In any case, I hear that I don't even know "miserable" yet, and the best (or worst!) is yet to come.

But it is ALL WORTH IT! It is hard to live in the now when the future seems so incredible!

Braxton Hicks Makes His Third Appearance

Braxton Hicks...who is that?

This was a term having to do with contractions that was completely new to Adam and myself prior to pregnancy. Braxton Hicks contractions, also called "false labor contractions," are irregular "practice" contractions that can be first felt around mid-pregnancy and increase in frequency and strength as your pregnancy progresses. Some people experience these, and some don't. They are nothing to be worried about, but they can certainly scare you if you aren't sure whether they are false labor contractions or the real thing....especially when you are only 32 weeks along in your pregnancy like us.

I have only experienced them twice before - once when we were in the mountains and it could definitely be attributed to dehydration and maybe altitude, and another time when we went out on the boat, and the water was really choppy. But both times, I knew that they were nothing to be worried about and they subsided after a few hours.

Anyway, yesterday we met Adam's parents at the airport to return Tucker, their Havanese and Hayley's best buddy, after dog-sitting for the week. When we were driving home, I began to have contractions. That was around 8:45 pm. They didn't hurt, but there was a definite, significant tightening of my abdomen, and they were happening about every five minutes. According to What to Expect When You Are Expecting, here is how you are supposed to deal with them:

To help with the discomfort of Braxton Hicks contractions, change positions (lie down if you're walking around, get up if you're in bed) or take a warm bath. If the contractions do not go away with a change in activity, and become progressively stronger and more regular, you may be in real labor, so be sure to put in a call to your practitioner.

You also read that you should drink water in case dehydration is the potential cause of the contractions. Well, we went ahead and picked up fast food for supper, ate, drank two large glasses of water, and then I went to lie down on my left side (also something you read in the book). Around 10:15 pm, the contractions still hadn't stopped so we decided to read some more for fear that maybe this was not Braxton Hicks but possibly pre-term labor signs. Babycenter.com (a reliable source) said the following:

When should I call my doctor or midwife?

Call your caregiver right away if you haven't reached 37 weeks and your contractions are becoming more frequent, rhythmic, or painful, or if you have any of these possible signs of preterm labor:

• Abdominal pain, menstrual-like cramping, or more than four contractions in an hour (even if they don't hurt)
• Any vaginal bleeding or spotting
• An increase in vaginal discharge or a change in the type of discharge — if it becomes watery, mucusy, or bloody (even if it's only pink or blood-tinged)
• Increased pelvic pressure (a feeling that your baby's pushing down)
• Low back pain, especially if it's a new problem for you

If you're past 37 weeks, there's no need to call your doctor or midwife just for contractions until they last about 60 seconds each and are five minutes apart — unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise.

The only symptom I had was "more than four contractions in an hour," but it was enough to make us nervous, and we decided to be safe instead of sorry. (Hopefully others have done this, and we weren't the only ones to cry wolf!) It was one of those moments where it was the blind leading the blind. Adam was looking at me with bugged eyes saying, "I don't know...what do you think we should do?" And I was returning the same freaked-out look saying, "I don't know...what should we do?" Sorry, Anders, Mama and Daddy are definitely amateurs on this crazy ride. :)

Anyway, we decided to call the doctor on-call instead of going to the hospital. At 10:30 pm, the doc seemed to be a little annoyed at our call and said that based on the symptoms it was just Braxton Hicks contractions, and I should go to sleep and see if they were better in the morning. If I was to wake up to them increasing in intensity overnight, then by all means I should go to the hospital.

Okay....hmmmmm....should have felt better from that news, but our other sources (the web and the books) said we should be concerned. Oh well, we decided to go to sleep. I woke up a couple of times in the night and could still feel my abdomen tightening, but it was no worse than when we went to bed (and I was more tired at 2 am and 5 am than concerned so I went back to sleep).

I woke up this morning and was still having them and have continued to have them all day (but at least they have been more sporadic). Again, you go through this, "okay...are these things supposed to last this long and not be real contractions?" This time we decided to look at Adam's The Expectant Father book that I had given him when we first found out we were pregnant. Ya know...sometimes guys just simplify things perfectly. There was a section and checklist for "you might be having false labor contractions if," and we were dead on for every symptom.

Whew! Crisis averted! Thank goodness. They say you should "just know" when you are in true labor, and maybe that day is coming soon. And maybe I WILL "just know," but until then some of these things surely do seem strange and scary.

31 week sonogram and 32 week check-up

We scheduled a 31 week sonogram on Tuesday, June 1 and invited both sets of our parents (Anders's future grandparents) to the big show. All was well! The images and video were in 3D which was pretty incredible, but the fact that our little one actually looked like a baby boy and not an alien anymore was a true delight! He showed us his cute face, his hands, his boy parts, and he even stuck out his tongue a couple of times and smiled! You can tell that he is just as anxious to meet his new family as we are to have him arrive. (He has been in the "head down" position for over a month now so he is definitely ready to go!)

This past Tuesday, June 8 was our 32 week check-up. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just like most of the previous visits, they checked and measured my stomach and listened to Anders's heartbeat. All sounded and looked great. The doc says that we are still a "by the book" pregnancy so we couldn't be happier that this has been as smooth as it has.

We only ran into one kink in the visit when we asked the question of "what happens if I go into labor on a night or weekend where you are not the on-call doctor?" And maybe the answer was already mentioned to us in a previous visit, but I cannot recall ever hearing about it.

Basically, my doctor is part of an ObGyn practice made up of several doctors. Of those doctors, mine is the only one that delivers at Baylor Frisco, so if I go into labor when he is unavailable then not only will someone else deliver Anders, but I will also be at Medical Center of Plano, a completely different hospital. The hospital is certainly nice, as well. I have had two minor procedures done at their surgery center, but needless to say, that was slightly shocking news. I love my doctor, and I would never leave him, but come on, dude! Knowing that information sooner might have been helpful for my mental state....and consequently Adam's mental state from dealing with my emotional roller coaster.

Oh, well....that is out of our control soooooooo the next question became "okay...what are our options if we want to definitely deliver with you at Baylor Frisco?" We were told that if Anders doesn't come early, that beginning after the 39th week, we can schedule an elective induction. My doctor is typically very conservative so to hear him suggest an induction was pretty much shock #2 of the morning for both Adam and me.

We left the appointment with many, many thoughts swirling around in our heads:

• What if Anders isn't ready to come, and we push him too soon?
• What if my body isn't ready to labor, and the process goes too long and we end up in a c-section?
• Would our insurance even cover this since it is called "elective?"

The flip side of everything is that my very, very conservative doctor totally believes that your baby is baked at 38 weeks and so after 39 weeks there should be no problems. Also, I have had a few friends do this very thing, and it has been smooth sailing and worked out very well.

Anyway, we went ahead and scheduled an inducement for July 29th just to keep the option open (only 5 days before my due date of Aug. 3) because they told me we could cancel if we decided it wasn't for us. We have our last two-week spaced appointment coming up, and then we go every week so we will have five appointments before the induction to ask tons of questions and decide if we are 100% comfortable with the process.

To be perfectly honest, if I had to commit to it today, I would probably opt out. We scheduled the induction to have the option of a guaranteed doctor/hospital/delivery date, but I am not feeling like we will go through with it at this point. That may change over the next month if things are progressing very smoothly and it is looking like Anders is ready. In the meantime, we are going to pray about it a lot, ask many, many questions, read as much as we can, and see how the pregnancy is progressing over the next few visits. We will know a lot more around 35 weeks and will hopefully be able to make a more informed decision then.

Other than that, all we can do for now is tour the other hospital, meet and visit with the other potential doctors, get my doctor's vacation and on-call schedule, and hope that Anders decides to come when we need for him to. He has been quite a performer up to this point so I find comfort in that he may just be my little angel and come exactly when he is supposed to (which will just by coincidence line up with Dr. E and the hospital's schedules). :)

Until that day, I will constantly be repeating the Serenity Prayer....or as I like to call it, My Sanity Prayer.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.