39 Weeks... Here we go!

We had our 39 week appointment this morning and I am 1 cm dilated and 40% effaced. We have decided to go ahead with the induction this Monday, May 2nd!


We will check into the hospital on Sunday night at 6:00. We can bring dinner there, and after we get settled they will give me a drug called Cervadil overnight. Then on Monday morning they will start the Petocin around 7:00. Then it is just waiting to see how the labor progresses.


I was concerned about induction having a higher percentage of C-section as the outcome, but the doctor explained to me it is just 11% versus 9% when not induced. Most of the time the discrepancy comes from babies of induced patients being typically larger babies (because induction is most often performed on women who are past their due date). Because I am not past my date, and Cate is measuring in the mid-sevens, I am hoping a C-section will be avoided.


So- we will keep everyone updated. Please pray for us that 1) That we are not overly anxious this weekend or during the delivery 2) we have a safe and healthy delivery, 3) our doctors and nurses do everything well, and 4) Cate is healthy- the most important of course :)


I want to say "thank you" again to all of you who are such an important part of our lives. We appreciate the love, support, and excitement from all of our friends and family. We love you!!

Our Other Babies

While we are so excited about Cate, I felt I just had to add these two adorable faces to our blog, too. We have had Larry since February of 2004. Scott took me to look at engagement rings, and we came home with the Beag. He is so darn funny. He has many quirks, and resembles Scott's personality. He cracks me up, sleeps all the time, and doesn't like PDA. He only wants to give affection on his terms. Like I said, just like Scott :)



Aspen on the other hand, is a lot like me. She is very protective of her family, loves bouncing around our house, and wants attention 24/7. She was a stray that we adopted in 2005, and because she was alone for so long, I think that is why she always wants to be with us. She is our beloved Aspen Face.



We are trying to figure out how they will react to Cate. We think that Larry will be disinterested and sulk, while Aspen will be all up in her business and protecticve. We will see.

37/38 Week Appointment

I went to my 37 week appointment on Wednesday, 4/14. We have found out that I do not actually have a kidney stone, but that it is Cate lying on my kidney. Dr. Pitcher mentioned the possibility of inducing on April 25th, depending on how severe my pain has been. The only way to fix my pain is to deliver Miss Cate. Scott and I talked about it, prayed a lot over it, and made the decision that if it was no greater risk to Cate, we would go ahead with induction. When talking to Dr. Pitcher at my appointment today (37/38 week), she mentioned that there is a SLIGHT, TINY correlation with induction before 39 weeks and learning disabilities. While she made it clear how minute this is, we had both agreed that anything negative would take induction off the table. So- as of now we are planning to let Cate lounge on my kidney a little longer. It is totally worth the pain to know that I will have a healthy baby girl in a few short weeks. We have talked about inducing on May 2nd if she is still not here. She will then be 39.5 weeks. Because I am so uncomfortable, Dr. Pitcher has written me a note to stop work on April 25th. So, this lucky girl only has 4 more days of work until August! I have gone back and forth about it, but I am just to the point that being on my feet all day AND the back pain caused by my kidney is too much. I am going to take the time to hopefully do a few little things around the house, stock the pantry, etc. Other than that, she is head down and there is no effacement or dilation. She is comfy in there, so that is where she will stay right now. Thank you all for your support, and we would appreciate all of your prayers as we get ready to cross this huge finish line and start our next journey and as a family of 3 (well- 5 really if you count our 4-legged babies).

SPHS Shower

The math department at my school threw me a shower on Thursday, March 31st. The timing was perfect because I got all of my showers done before Spring Break. My good friend, Kimmia came back from Marietta Middle to throw the party. It was so wonderful. Everyone who attended made me feel so special and loved. I got SSSOOOOO many gifts, it was almost overwhelming. I appreciate my co-workers so very much and truly ENJOY coming here. Thank you all so so much! I will miss you come May, but won't pretend to miss working. It is going to be nice to have an extended summer :) These are only a few of the gifts. This picture was taken before a lot of people arrived. We could barely get it all in my SUV! A picture of me with the sweet cake Kimmia had made. Probably should have taken my name tag and keys off for pictures....

So much good food! Buffalo chicken dip, chicken cheese ball, cake, brownies, chips, and salsa. I am glad that I didn't have a bug lunch that day!

One of the adorable diaper cakes I got. And the diapers are size 3! YEA :)

Shower #4

I have been very bad about adding my posts that have pictures, so I am sorry for the delay! On March 26, I was blessed with another shower, thrown by 2 close highschool friends, Nicole and Andi. The other hostess was Nicole's stepmom, Linda who has always been so incredible to me. I love them all dearly. They went out of their way to make it so special. I got so many gifts, and at this shower in particular I got several hand made items. Each gift I received was so thoughtful and filled with love. We had such a great time! The invitation for my 4th shower. The hostesses and me (Linda, Andi, and Nicole aka "Be Fri").

Old friends are the best friends :)

I love the banner Andi made for us :)

Yummy food. Linda's pimento cheese, Andi's famous stuffed mushrooms, and Nicole's chocolate covered pretzels represented some of my favorite foods! They know me so well!

Baby Cate even made an appearance. Nicole was so sweet to have one of her sonogram pictures framed and displayed.

36 Week Appointment

My 36 week appointment was scheduled for Friday, 4/8 but I had to go to the doctor early with what I perceived as a "scare". I was having back pain while having lunch with a friend, and I just thought it was pregnancy related. When I got home, I went to the restroom and there was blood in my urine. I called the doctor, packed my hospital bag (just in case) and headed to Marietta. My doctor was not there, so I saw the on-call doctor. She was great and quickly explained that she was 95% sure it was a kidney stone. I was worried about Cate, my cervix, and my placenta, so a kidney stone was welcomed news. While they are NOT fun (this is my 3rd) they are manageable. Just to be certain it was a stone, she had us go to a renal ultrasound and an OB ultrasound on Friday. The U/S tech confirmed a probable stone and we also got to see Cate again :) My placenta is in a fundal position (at the top of my uterus). Cate is measuring exactly on-date at 6 lbs and 1 ounce. All of her anatomy is perfect, and to quote the tech, "she appears to still be a girl". Thank goodness :) I haven't had much pain since Friday, so I am thinking I have passed the stone. As for the rest of our pregnancy, things are progressing perfectly. I am really tired and getting frustrated that I can't do as much as I would like. Some days I can barely get off of the couch. I am going to the bathroom ALL THE TIME and still love feeling and watching her move. I am definitely ready for her to be here! She will be considered full term after this Thursday (4/14), so anytime after that is welcome by us! We are 99% finished with the nursery, and I should have those pictures up soon. I want to thank Cate's grandmothers, the Phillips and Kellams for all of their help. I was not kidding when I said I can hardly do anything. They have done it all. I especially want to thank Scott as well. He has been my mover, unpacker, and cleaner through all of this. Anything that I cannot do, he has done. He has been such a wonderful husband to me. He is patient with my craziness and thoughtful of my needs. He is understanding and helpful, sweet and kind. It makes my eyes well up with tears when I think about what a good dad he is going to be. If he loves this little girl half as much as he loves me, she is going to be the luckiest "Daddy's Girl" around. I am excited to meet her, but I think I am more excited to see him with her :) SO- more posts to come of my last showers and the nursery. It will just be when I have the energy to physically plug my camera into the computer and download the pics. After all, my computer tower is on the floor, and that involves bending over- a big feat for me these days!