Welcome Baby Collin!!!

Collin Edward Allen

5/19/14

7 lbs 1 oz

20 inches long

We are so happy to welcome Collin Edward Allen to this world! He made his very, very swift appearance Monday evening at 6:08pm after only 3.5 hours of labor. All natural, there wasn't even any time for the drugs. I will post his birth story in a couple of days after I get some time to gather my words correctly.

As far as the castor oil being the instigator to his birth, who knows. I did not take the "induction" amount of 4-6 ounces. I took 2 oz purely to unclog my plumbing which had been backed up for nearly 3 days. It might have cleared up the blockage enough to allow my body to go naturally though but I guess we will never officially know for sure. Stay tuned for the birth stories!

Those Old Wives' LIED!

Seriously old women, what's up with that! Why have you lied to me when you are supposed to be so old and WISE! I have tried the following to help encourage to this kid out:

Spicy Food
Sex
Walking
Running
Lemon Drop Cupcake
Stairs
Pineapple
Evening Primrose Oil
Relaxing Baths
Tea
Acupressure massage
Bumpy Car Ride, thanks to Matt and him slamming on the breaks a couple times.

Yet here I sit, typing away, still pregnant. LIARS! I'm calling it out on the old women! LIARS!

**UPDATE** 
I did take castor oil this morning to help "unclog" the plumbing. So I took it, a small amount but I have taken it. It is awful! I wanna puke!

May Week 2 Workout Recap

I am thinking that this is my last week in writing these as exercise is nonexistent at this point. And that I will be busy with baby and recovery. If not then it will be a pre-written post, like at least Thursday before as I am scheduled to be induced on Friday, May 23. But One can hope that I go before then, right?!?

Pregnancy changes: My belly is just bigger and I am less coordinated. My brain isn't working too well either. This kid has been sucking all smart brain cells from my head for his development. I often don't speak as clearly as I intend to or I have major "pregnancy brain." I put a box of cereal in the fridge and the milk in the pantry. (luckily, as I placed the milk on the shelf I realized it looked wrong and my mistake clicked. but boy did I feel silly.) Per my hubs I am more annoying right now.

I am a NAG! If I want things done I apparently want them done right away and I won't stop nagging him to do it until he does it. I am chalking it up to pregnancy hormones.

I am getting more OCD with my cleaning. I vacuumed the other day and I was literally getting down to clean up little spots on my kitchen floor so that it is "perfect" in my mind. Nesting is a crazy, weird thing! Glad that I got my house clean last Monday because then I would be more insane than I already am.

I have been working in the garden too making sure that our berries are coming in. Sadly the birds are noticing the yummy strawberries that have come in and are attacking them already. Time for a bird net.

~Strawberries~

~Blueberries, I have 4 plants. Mason's fav summer fruit~

Prepping for Baby: I finally caved and bought a pack of newborn diapers. We didn't have any. We have a ton of size 1 diapers but NB not a 1. Now we have like 24. So we are good.

Babies room is all ready and set up and we have a hamper in there for the baby. I am ready. Scary to admit but I am ready.

I also gave in to the local folklore and got the Lemon Drop cupcake that is said to induce labor. Seriously ask any local in C-ville and they will say, "Trying to get that baby out? Go to Cappellino's for the lemon cupcake. They said that if I go within 48 hours to call them and let them know and I will be on the board with the other 219 women who have had the baby within 2 days after eating their cupcakes.

I also made the nurses gift for the hospital L&D staff. Just a little thank you never hurts anyone. Last time with Mace because it was a scheduled induction we brought doughnuts in the morning. I swear we got better and happier nurses because of it.

Matt and I went out on our final date prior to baby arriving. We went to our fav Afghan restaurant. It is amazing and so yummy and a little spicy. (trying to get this kid out and so far it isn't working too well.)

~Butternut squash turnover with a garlic yogurt dip! SO YUMMY~

~Ground beef kabob, rice, nan and sweet potato side~

Prepping Mason for Baby:   Mason points out that baby will be Sitting next to him in the van and always says, Baby, when we get in the van. He likes to play in the crib and play with the stuffed animal we got for Baby from Mason. Still just talking to Mason about his brother and how much fun it will be. Can't really do anything else till the baby actually comes home.

Right now I am just enjoying my time with him as my single child. Lots of snuggle time and play time and lots of pix!

Workout Recap:
No workouts for me. I spent 2 days prepping for GAM to arrive and finish up making freezer meals. Then it rained a couple of days. and I am just so tired. I am trying to rest before the big D day! We did go on a family walk on Saturday. The weather was just so amazing.

40 Weeks 3 Days

What does it feel like being over 40 weeks pregnant for those of you lucky ones that hatch prior to 40 weeks? (ahem, Katie, Jen, and Lisa!) It kind of feels like being 37, 38, 39 weeks pregnant just more tired and a bigger belly. Here are some things I am learning about how tricky it can be.

~Everyday I wake up wondering if today is the day I will have the baby. It doesn't really feel different than previous weeks but just the anticipation of, WHEN, is what is killing me now!

~I keep opening the doors and hitting my belly in the process. OUCH!

~I forget that I can't really bend over without killing my back or over stretching my round ligaments in the front of my belly. So Mason or Matt are picking up the things on the floor for me most days.

~Oh, and I feel like I am starving all the time the sad thing is, I can't eat very much because the size of the uterus is cramping up the room of my stomach. So small meals for me or I feel like I am gonna puke!

~Getting up from a sitting or laying position is also pretty tricky now a days. It takes a lot of concentration and effort to get up.

~I hate stairs. Truly hate the stairs in my house.

~I feel like I am going to burst at any point. Doc said when my water breaks I will know for sure as there is space between the babies head and the cervix. Doc said I will have a huge gush and then the head will slip down and stop up the hole but it will be a big mess when it happens. Oh joy! Loading the car with trash bags and towels now, just in case.

I had my doc appointment this past Thursday and doc again was surprised by my progress in a week. We scheduled my induction date, just in case, for Friday the 23rd. (With the weekend and the holiday if we wait till after holiday I will be 42 weeks and my doc does not like letting women go to 42 weeks. He prefers 41.5 as the max before induction. We we will be just shy of 41.5 weeks.) But he thinks that I will "BLOW" before that point. I am guessing today or tomorrow.

I am super spoiled though. I had an AMAZING deep pressure massage on Thursday and I was in some much of a state of bliss that I called Matt for no reason while he was at work just to tell him that I was so Haaaaappppyy! I was majorly hopped up on endorphins from that massage! I have a massage scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday of this coming week incase I don't go. I am so spoiled, and thanks to my insurance I am so thankful for them covering the massages. One cool thing my massage therapist lets me listen to my HypnoBirthing CD during the massage and I get to practice and just utterly relax. It is AMAZING!

Well, lets see how much longer I take to have this baby. I am really praying and hoping that I go naturally before the induction!

40 Weeks Today!

YEA! I have made it. I am 40 weeks as of today! Granted it is an "estimated" 40 weeks pregnant but I have definitely made it to a full term baby! He is ready to go. If I had a turkey timer (belly button pop out) it would have totally popped by now, but my innie is still very much an innie!

I have a few things going for me that might help me go into labor:

~Mom arrived last night. YEA! So that means we won't have to find extra help with Mason if/when I go. And she wanted to be here when baby arrives so she is here, time to come out baby!

~Tonight is a full moon. Yes, it is an old wives tale. No, I will not be going out naked under the moon doing a belly dance to get this baby out. But I might go sit on my front porch for a little bit under the moon.

~Had actual timeable contractions Sunday afternoon for a few hours. They were about 8 min apart and it lasted for about 2.5 hours. But they were not Braxton Hicks. They were wrapping from the back to the front and kind of had to make me think about them for a little bit.

~Having urges to squat or open up my hips more. I can tell the baby has dropped even more and is lower in my pelvis. (pelvic pressure and having to pee a ton more). So that is a good sign.

If I make it to my Thursday checkup I am going to ask the doctor to strip my membranes and hopefully get the show on the road to go this weekend! I might not be posting as much soon but I will let you know when I do hatch this baby and there will as always be tons of pictures for you to adore!

~Baby's Going home outfit! LOVE IT!~