Week 36

What a slacker I have been about keeping everyone updated!

Well- as the title dictates- this is week 36 and Hudson will be considered term as of Sunday. We start our weekly checkups with Dr. Fuller this week. We go tomorrow and they will be checking for group B Strep (a virus that sometimes women are carriers of). There is no real danger in being a carrier- it just tells the doctor that you will need (the mother) intravenous (IV) antibiotics before the baby is delivered so that it is not transmitted to the baby through the birth canal. I am not suspicious for it- they just have to get a firm "Yay" or "Nay".

They will also start checking to see if I am dialating yet. It is normal to start dialating a few weeks before the due date but it is ok if you don't too. Last week when we saw Dr. Fuller I asked approximately how big he thought Hudson was now and he indicated that he was about 7 lbs already! He estimated that he would be about 8 lbs 5 oz at birth, provided we make it to May 6th as a delivery date. Sounds like he is a healthy fella! That, and he is long. He measures from my breastbone/ribcage down to my pelvis. His head goes down into my pelvis already, though I don't think he is "dropped" yet.

I would like to throw out a few shout-outs before I go any farther- To my Mom, to my Aunt Doris and to my other family members (Jules, Patrick, Paul, Chenelle, Loralie) who follow my blog from Canada. I want ya'll to know that it is hard being away from all of you through all this. I've had a great pregnancy overall- but ya'll didn't get to see me in person at all or rub the baby bump. I hope you all know that I think of you all everyday and still consider you a big part and help in my life even though we are far apart! I love you all very much and can't wait to see you all again- though it will be at different times!

Ok- next- since I last wrote we had a couple showers for Hudson. The first I want to mention was our church group shower. It was on March 29, 2009. It was hosted at Heather Hardenberger's house- thanks girl! Hudson got a lot of neat stuff and we got to play some cool games. The cake was a baby pooh and tigger and was super cute- and delicious! I don't know if I had a favorite gift- it all was wonderful- but I have to say that the musical pooh that Rachel got Hudson was pretty special, that and I got to hold Beau! What more could you ask for?(Beau is Rachel and Dennis Blackwell's baby boy. He was born on March 25, 2009. Jay & I predict he and Hudson will be big buddies throughout their growing up. Rachel & Dennis live in our same subdivision, we go to church with them and they took several of the baby classes together with us- they are good friends!)

The second (chronologically third) shower was this last Sunday, April 5, 2009. It was hosted by Jay's sister- Claudine Baker. We went down to Jay's Dad's (Jim) on Saturday and spent the weekend there. Thank you Claudine for hosting a shower for Hudson! We got so many great outfits and books- it was wondeful! We LOVE books- I hope Hudson will too. Thank you to everyone again! He will soon be here!

In other news- Jay & I worked on Hudson's room weekend before last and we ordered some furniture for his room. A dresser, and another dresser with a hutch combo. We purchased them in the box and now understand why things cost so much more if you purchase them assembled. After 3 hours of labor, several scratches and a few smashed toes we had the first piece put together. The best part (please sense sarcasm) is that the instructions had NO WORDS- only pictures- so we had a super fun time matching the screws we were holding to ones in the picture! Big fun! Anything for our precious baby son though :)

We picked up the other two pieces (other dresser and the hutch) last night and we will assemble those sometime- I guess later this week. Thank you by the way to John Bryant- a great friend of ours who helped unload these pieces in the house so the pregnant lady didn't have to do it!

I've washed all his clothes and blankets so it is just a matter of getting those big pieces of furniture in the room and then I'll get it organized. I bought some baskets the other day so we should have it looking pretty cute by Sunday. Stay tuned for pictures...

I've noticed that it is now taking a lot more out of me to work full days. This has just been in the last couple weeks. I feel well overall- just drained by the end of the day and feel like I could sleep all day when the alarm clock goes off. I haven't had any problems sleeping and I haven't swelled any to date. I had several ladies this weekend tell me that there was still time for me to swell- so I guess we'll see. I drink plenty of water (at least 80 oz a day) so I think that has really helped.

We've selected a pediatrician and are going to meet her next Monday. Her name is Dr. September Westbrook and she is in the same complex with our primary care doctor. If I sit and think about everything I get overwhelmed- so I try just to deal with whatever is right in-front of me and make lots of lists. I have been pretty laid-back about things because I figure if several million people have done it before we have then surely we can too. God has been very good to both Jay and I through this and we appreciate all of you for your support and prayers too!

As a short aside- Jay will be 40 next month! I've been working on a small/medium get-together, I started on it today because it will be here before we know it and somehow I just feel like it needs to be in order before Hudson gets here!

Ya'll have a great week and I'll try to write again sooner than later...it's getting closer and closer to when we get to meet our precious angel- Hudson Jack Gillespie!