The Davolts

...where the watermelon grows! That's right, I have reached the end of the fruit line up, and at 37 weeks, can be considered full term. With Baby's impending arrival, I have been reflecting on the last nine months. All in all, I have really enjoyed this pregnancy, more than I expected. Aside from the little hiccup that has assigned me to bed rest, I was lucky to not have many of the ailments associated with pregnancy. I guess I was most surprised at how much I have felt like myself, something I just couldn't imagine before. While I look forward to having my own shape back, as well as my old wardrobe, I will miss feeling Baby Davolt squirm and wiggle inside. Another week with two NSTs and not much else. Both appointments were uneventful. Dr. Williams is evidently involved in a case study that has her spending extra time researching placental abruption, the condition with which she's diagnosed me. She continues to acknowledge that there are more questions than answers abo...

I am finally 36 weeks and getting more excited about baby's arrival each day! I had my two appointments this week, which were thankfully uneventful. As some of you have heard, my doctor told me on Monday that she would prefer me not to go into labor on my own for fear of another bleeding episode. Dr. Williams said that we would soon have a conversation about making plans for delivery, likely around 38 weeks. Naturally, I couldn't help but think how soon that would be! While we have not yet had this conversation and she wasn't entirely specific, she did remind me that I am at a higher risk of a C-section. So, I guess either this week or next, we'll start to figure out more information! Yesterday I was very blessed to be surrounded with love and support at a shower in honor of Baby Davolt! Our friend Vicki hosted and the fabulous women of our church group contributed goodies for us to enjoy. Given that I spend so much time each wee k at home alone, it was more than thrill...

For the past several months, I've been following a few of the discussion groups on TheBump.com . Reading these posts has helped me learn a lot about pregnancy, particularly from other women due around the same time as me. One of the milestones that is often celebrated within these discussion groups is the 35/35, or 35 weeks down, 35 days until due date. So, today is my 35/35! Wohoo! I had my two NST appointments again this week. Both showed Baby is healthy and my contractions remain fairly calm. I've gained 25 pounds through this pregnancy, which puts me right on track for healthy weight gain. My blood pressure was low as always (98/60 on Thursday). As the nurse was strapping me into the fetal monitors, feeling my belly, she commented that it seemed baby had dropped a bit. I know it could still be several weeks until baby's debut, but this is another sign of progress towards delivery. Thursday morning I also had a growth ultrasound. The tech tried to get another picture of ...

All week long, I've really been looking forward to today and reaching 34 weeks. I know it would still be an early debut for Baby Davolt, but there's comfort in knowing how much closer we are to his due date and what a difference the past few weeks have made for him. Fortunately, after Monday's visit to the doctor (see previous post), the rest of the week was fairly quiet. We were fortunate to have friends bring dinner on three different nights this week, requiring little extra effort for Jeff. Thursday night, we went to our Childbirth Prep class, as we have done since March. This was our second and last week dedicated to Baby care. Evidently, we should know everything there is about swaddling, bathing and soothing (note sarcasm). Then, Friday, I went back to the doctor for another NST which showed nothing of concern. Like my appointments used to be, this one was boringly good! Coming Up: NST on Monday and Thursday. Prior to my NST on Thursday, I will have a growth ultrasoun...

As a woman on bed rest, my outings are nearly limited to my twice weekly visits to the doctor and our Thursday night parenting class. This morning, I headed off to my "routine" Monday non-stress test (NST) for fetal monitoring. Soon enough, I was strapped down with monitors, enjoying the sound of Baby Davolt's heartbeat. I did notice a couple contractions, but like before, no pain associated. While I wasn't watching the clock, I could tell that the 20-30 minutes had passed with no sign from the doctor (another colleague of my OB, as mine was off today). Another 15 minutes later, Dr. Dillon came in and started to review the data. She said baby's heart rate looked good but there were more than the few contractions that I had noticed. Dr. Dillon described herself as conservative and wanted more information. Thus, I was sent to Labor and Delivery. Once there, I was again strapped into the NST for two more hours, so I was thankful that I had brought a book with me. I w...