Due Date

Today is my due date.  Nothing is really happening other some back pain and pressure.  I didn't expect to go early since I was late with my first, but every pregnancy is different.  My doctor prefers if patients start on their own so he does wait until 41 weeks before inducing.  At my last appointment, we went ahead and scheduled the induction for December 6th should I not start on my own.  It is a little weird knowing I only have a week (at the most) left before this baby is born.  I am definitely ready to not be pregnant any more even if it means labor.  I am dreading labor because the first time around it was long and horrible.  I hope the second time is a bit faster.

The one thing I have noticed this time is how many people are shocked that I haven't been induced yet.  I am just now at 40 weeks.  It seems like so many women hit 37 weeks and they start inducing just because they are uncomfortable.  I am uncomfortable, but if baby isn't ready then she isn't ready.  I agreed to wait until 41 weeks.  I would even wait a few days after, but the doctor thinks it is safer for everyone if baby comes out around 41.  When I tell people I am waiting an extra week, they start saying bad things about my doctor.  Once I tell them it is my choice to wait, they are surprised.  It may only be a few weeks, but there is a difference between a 37 week baby and a 40 week baby.  Hannah was so alert when she was born.  My cousin's baby was born at 37 weeks, and she said he wasn't very alert and he had trouble eating.  It is amazing what those extra few weeks can do for a baby.  Your due date is at 40 weeks for a reason.  Now that I am 40 weeks, I am willing to try all the old wives' tales about starting labor.  My doctor told me to try sex and nipple stimulation.  I am doing a ton of squats, and I will start walking around the neighborhood tonight.  I may even try the pineapple again.  I tried pineapple with Hannah.  I have no clue if any of it actually works, but fruit and walking are good for me so I figured they can't hurt anything.  Hopefully, I will have a new post in a few days about a baby.

Holiday Baking

I have seen a few people listing their favorite holiday treats to make, and I decided I wanted to join in on the fun.  I have a huge list of treats I want to make, but time and money will stop me from making all of them.  I have narrowed the list down to these treats.  Hopefully I won't be too sleep deprived so I can make these in the next few weeks.  I have a tradition every year of giving treats to friends and family as a Christmas gift.  My mother did it, and I want to continue it with my children.

Covered pretzles
Covered oreos
Chocolate crinkle cookies (from here)
Scotcheroos (from here)
Peppermint Patties (from here)
Grasshopper Mint Chocolate Bark (from here)
Gingerbread (from here)

If I can actually make all these, I will do another post showing off my baked goods.  Are there any special treats you have to make for the holidays?

Thankful

With this being the week of Thanksgiving, I thought I would share what I am thankful for at this moment.  I am so very grateful for the people I have met here in Texas.  Without them, this place would be pure hell.  On Sunday a  baby "sprinkle" was thrown in my honor.  There were more people than I imagined, and people were so generous with their gifts.  We don't need a ton since we saved all our stuff from Hannah, but this was a chance for people to give a few new things for the baby.  We received so many diapers I almost cried.  Diapers are so expensive.  It is nice to have a stockpile now for hopefully a few months.  The woman that hosted it is also my neighbor.  Our daughters are the same age and play together a lot.  Not only did she host, but she bought a pack and play for me.  Pepper destroyed the one we had for Hannah.  My mother-in-law said she would ship the one she had to us, but we haven't seen it yet.  Now we don't have to worry about it.  I didn't expect anybody to buy that for me.  I was actually saving to buy it in case the one from my mother-in-law fell through.  I picked a very basic one so it was fairly inexpensive, but it was still a very generous purchase on her part.  Then yesterday, even with her in-laws here, she offered to take Hannah for a bit so I could rest since the husband was at the gym.  Did I mention that she has two kids of her own?  I really have no clue how to properly thank her for all the help she has been other than saying thank you over and over.  So many people have offered to help with Hannah when it is time to deliver.  It is nice to know that we have people to depend on should we need them. I was so worried about having a baby with no family around, but I have realized I have my military family to lean on.  I wasn't sure I would ever get to that point.  Some days I feel like I don't fit in here at all, but I have realized that although I may not have that close friend connection yet with someone, I do have people I can rely on.  That is enough for now.

Awkward social gathering

Today was the squadron's Thanksgiving luncheon hosted by the OSC.  I made some food, and we joined everyone for lunch.  It was bittersweet to be there.  Although my husband is still officially in the squadron, he isn't really a part of it anymore.  He has submitted his letter for redesignation, and the waiting game has started.  I know it isn't easy for him to listen to every talk about the flight they just had or what platform they want to fly after winging.  It will be summer before he wings.  His original winging date was February.  I know it can't be fun to watch all your friends move on while you wait to see what your fate is.  Plus, I now feel awkward about volunteering for squadron events since I don't know when his transfer will take place.  It is such a weird place to be.  I wish all this stuff will be sorted quickly, but I know it won't with the holidays around the corner.  Despite that awkward feeling, it was a pretty good time.  Luckily, the people he does hang out with are good people and like to have fun no matter what.  Thank goodness Hannah was on her best behavior and charmed everyone at our table.  Considering she was a terror before we left, I did not have high hopes for the luncheon.  The food was good, and the conversation was great.  I am pretty sure I gained 5 pounds just from all the food I ate today.

Food, food, and more food

I had my 37 week appointment today.  Somehow I gained 6 pounds in one week!  I have no clue how that happened.  I think the doctor was a bit off with their scale.  I blame most of it on a full bladder and water retention.  I am so stinking swollen lately I feel like a marshmallow.  (Or it could be the large quantities of crappy food I keep eating.)

This past week has spent preparing all our freezer meals for when the baby is born.  For $150, we made 11 meals, 10 frozen pizzas, and a crap load of pancakes for breakfast.  That is not including leftovers that the casseroles will yield.  I think we did a pretty good job.  It sucks to pay that much up front, but at least we have food ready to go so I won't have to venture to a store very often with two kids, and I don't have to worry about making a menu.  We did this with Hannah and it was so nice.  The only really big thing I have left to do it pack the hospital bag.  I keep putting it off, but I am not sure why.  I think packing a hospital bag makes it real, and I am not ready for reality.  I know I should do it since the doctor said the baby is low and it could be any day.  I am ready to not be pregnant, but I don't think I am ready to handle two kids.  Hannah is really testing boundaries lately, and it is driving me crazy!  I don't even want to think about it getting worse after the baby is here.

Highs and Lows

I was all set to do a Halloween recap yesterday, and then the crap hit the fan.  My husband has been struggling a bit flying the jets in training.  He thought he had it all figured out until an instructor said he needed just a bit more practice.  That meant a few training flights, which went great, and then a final flight with the CO.  That final flight was yesterday.  It went well except the CO thinks that the husband just can't stay ahead of the jet like he needs to, and so he is recommending my husband be re-designated to another aviation community.  He thinks the husband has great flying skills, but tailhook just ins't his pipeline.  So now we wait.  We wait to see if it is approved.  We wait to see what they give him.  It is a bit scary. Luckily he didn't say you suck and you are out.  He can stay in and fly which is all he wants to do.  He has told me that some days he wishes he had been given his second choice out of primary because he wasn't having fun with the jet.  He knew he was having problems keeping up with the jet.  He didn't want to fly the jets anyway, but the plane he wanted to fly requires the carrier landing training first, and then on to the specific training for the plane.  He is disappointed in himself.  He has never failed before and this has been hard for him to digest.  He isn't sure how to respond to it.  I don't know what to do or say.  He isn't the first to be moved to a different pipeline out of here.  I know of two others in the last few months.  These planes are hard to fly.  I am very grateful he was given the chance out of primary to fly them.  You never know what your skills will be with a plane until you try.  It turns out this just isn't his plane.  Thank goodness the Navy has other types out there.  He is a great pilot.  I know he will be a great pilot for the Navy.  I think in the end he ended up with a confidence issue and that is never good when you are trying to fly the jets.  It sucks, but at least he is still in.  We have no Plan B.

Also yesterday I realized how bad Hannah's separation anxiety has become.  I dropped her off at the CDC for hourly care while at my doctor's appointment.  They said she was upset the entire two hours she was there.  She wouldn't eat lunch, and she fell asleep out of exhaustion.  She cried when I picked her up.  She said she is scared when she is there.  She gets so excited to play with other kids, but she wants me to stay there while she plays.  She went to my neighbor's house for about 30 minutes on Wednesday while I ran an errand, and she had no problems.  I think it was because she was with someone she knows, and Hannah loves playing with their daughter.  She was even upset this morning when I took the dogs for a walk and she had to stay home with her dad.  I am hoping with a lot of time and patience this phase passes.

Thursday did have a bright spot.   I had my 36 week appointment.  When he measured my uterus, he said he could feel the baby's head way down low (which I already knew because I could feel it.)  He decided to do a cervical check since I have been having contractions.  It turns out that I am already dilating.  Not much, just a finger tip.  It took 2 days of mild painful contractions to dilate to 1 with Hannah.  I was a bit surprised.  He told me to start monitoring my contractions.  He is hoping I do make it to 38 weeks which is when he is comfortable continuing labor.  I know that just because I start dilating now doesn't mean I will go into labor tomorrow, but it does make me a bit anxious.  When he checked me, he had no problems feeling the head.  She is right there, and I can definitely feel her.  So I guess I am playing the waiting game now.  I still haven't made my freezer meals nor have I packed my hospital bag.  The people here are throwing a baby shower for me on the 18th.  Hopefully I make it to the 18th otherwise I will be taking the baby to the baby shower.