Camden's here!

How old? 8 days. Born September 19, 2012 at 1:54pm. alb 8oz 19in and absolutely perfect!

Total weight loss since birth (Mommy): Down 14 pounds, so far. Still have 12 left before I reach my pre-pregnancy weight.. but I'm ok if I don't reach that. He's worth it :)

Maternity clothes? Pants, yes. My weight is distributed all funky like.. but I'll be back in those jeans one day!

Stretch marks? Never got any, and so very thankful.

Sleep: Knock on wood.. but we are actually getting sleep, and good sleep at that! The first two nights were rough, though. Now, Camden is sleeping about 4 hours then waking up to nurse then sleeping about 4 more hours before we get up. It's so wonderful! And I am sleeping comfortably! 

Miss Anything? I miss the day he was born. That was, hands down, one of the best and happiest days of my life. I am so thankful God allowed us to experience that day and I'll cherish it forever. 

Movement: When he's awake, he's a little wiggle worm! He loves to hold his own paci. He also likes to kick his legs a lot!

Food cravings: Not craving any food, but I drink water ALL of the time. And nursing has given me an excuse for my hefty appetite ;) 

Anything making you queasy or sick: No! Everything is perfect.

Gender: Boy!! 

Name: Camden William gates 

Belly Button: In again!

Wedding Rings: Back on. I had to remove them for delivery and I got swollen shortly after delivery and was able to finally get them back on today!

Happy or Moody: Happy. Beyond blessed. We have experienced love at first sight and a love that grows deeper and deeper every day. I feel like I could explode when I think about the joy he has brought to our lives. Angel from God.

Looking Forward to: Nothing. If I could make time stand still, I would. I savor every little moment we spend together. 3am feedings, dirty diapers, that sweet little cry. Every bit of it is so worth it and I don't want to miss a single memory. He will be grown before I know it (tearing up now thinking about it), and I want to enjoy him being a baby as long as I can.

Next Appointment: Camden: October 3; Mommy: October 24

Our delivery story: We went into the hospital 9/19 at 5:30am to be induced. When we arrived, they realized I was already having contractions every 3-5 minutes (we had been praying for this). My doctor came in at 8:15 and broke my water and checked me (3cm). I was given a small amount of Pitocin to keep my contractions regulated. At 9:00, I received my epidural (judge me if you must, but it was my best friend [until I got too much!]). Matt and I just laid around and watched TV as our families were in and out to visit. My doctor came back in at 11:30 to check me and I had progressed to 6cm. She told me she would be back around 1 to check again and then go back to the office for awhile. Dr. R came back in at 1 o'clock and checked me. When she did, her eyes got big and she looked at us and said "it's time to have a baby!." I had progressed to 10cm. It happened so fast and caught me off guard that I didn't even have time to panic, all I knew was we were about to meet our baby boy. At 1:54pm, Camden stole our hearts.

39 weeks and counting.

These past few weeks have been a waiting game and have felt like an ETERNITY. It's crazy to believe that we are in the 'last' week of this pregnancy and could be holding our sweet little man any day now! Everything is good to go: the nursery is finished, the bags are packed, the car seat is installed.. all we need now is little Camden to make his grand appearance! But, to the ladies in our church.. don't worry. I think Camden has heeded ALL of y'alls advice and is waiting until his shower is over tomorrow! You guys win (maybe..) ;) I often have joked with people when they ask "when is he going to make his appearance" and respond with "why would he want to come out? He has a 24 hour buffet and a jacuzzi!" Sounds pretty comfy, right? Well, it's not too comfy for mama anymore! But I wouldn't trade all of the aches and pains for anything.. especially knowing he is right around the corner! So.. here's our hopefully last update!

How far along? 39 weeks

Total weight gain: 26 pounds

Maternity clothes?: mainly, yes.

Stretch marks? None so far! :) *fingers crossed*

Sleep: Getting worse this past week. But, I'm extremely thankful that I have generally had great sleep during the pregnancy. I can handle a week or two of some bad nights.

Miss anything?: Being able to do anything without this 26 pound bowling ball hanging in front of me ;)

Movement: OUCH! He is so crammed inside of me that, I hate to say this, but I cringe sometimes when he moves. It can be so painful at times. I know he can't wait to be able to stretch those arms and legs out!

Food cravings: Anything and everything. Now that he has 'dropped', I have more room around my stomach and constantly eat.

Anything making you queasy or sick?: Lying flat on my back, going too long without eating, getting too hot.

Gender: Boy!

Name: Camden William Gates

Labor Signs: At our last appointment (this past Wednesday), my doctor checked me and said I was in between 2 and 3 cm dilated, so maybe that will help once I go into full labor. I also let her sweep my membranes.. that just left me feeling crampy and miserable for the remainder of the day. These past few days, however, my braxton hicks seem to have quadrupled and I've been a lot more cramp. Maybe these BH contractions will turn into real ones soon ;)

Belly Button: outie. :(

Wedding Rings: On

Symptoms: Back and hip pain. Tired. Crampy. Frequent bathroom trips. Difficulty getting/staying comfortable.

Happy or Moody most of the time?: I've been extremely moody and irritable this past week, which I know is because I'm just so ready for him to be here.

Looking forward to: Meeting our baby boy!

Nursery Theme & Colors: Classic/calm.. light blue, white, and gray

A Look at Camden: 37 weeks :)

So, a lot has happened since I last updated. First of all, my doctor sent me home from work. Because I had already dilated some when she checked me, she said she was afraid that working 13 hour shifts may have sent me into labor a little earlier than she thought was good for me and Camden. So, I ended up going out on medical leave two weeks earlier than the original plan.. but I'm not complaining too much :) It's been nice to have time to finish up some things around the house and make sure we have everything ready. It's also been nice to wake up when I want and sleep when I want (whenever I'm able). However, sitting around doing not much of anything is just helping me be even more anxious about meeting our baby boy! Hopefully, he will be here sooner than later! After all, I'm "term" now and good to go!

How far along? 37 weeks

Total weight gain: 23 pounds

Maternity clothes?: yes.. unless I'm in pajamas (which is quite often)

Stretch marks? None so far! :)

Sleep: Hit and miss. Some nights I wake up once, other nights I wake up 2 or 3 times. But I'm still able to sleep 'good' while I'm asleep.

Miss anything?: Being able to paint my toenails and shave my legs (and do a decent job). Walking without waddling. Not feeling like my stomach is going to read open. Breathing easily.

Movement: His movements have felt different this past week. Not really sure how to explain it, he's still moving a lot, just differently. 

Food cravings: Lemonade, lemonade, lemonade.. and this past week, I spilled all of my last pitcher on the kitchen floor.. :(

Anything making you queasy or sick?: Lying flat on my back. Everything shifts upward and I feel like I'm going to die. 

Gender: Boy!

Name: Camden William Gates

Labor Signs: As of my appointment last Monday, I was dilated 1cm and "a little effaced", as my doctor put it. I also woke up Friday morning with some funny menstrual like cramps (TMI, sorry) that didn't let up. So we went to L&D (after talking with my nurse) and sure enough, the monitor was showing contractions. They just weren't strong enough or close enough together to do much right now. Maybe that means I'm making SOME sort of progress?! The on call doctor said he believed it could be any day now, so we will see. I go back to the doctor Tuesday so hopefully she will have some good news! If not, we will just keep playing the waiting game ;)

Belly Button: outie. :(

Wedding Rings: On

Symptoms: Back pain, shortness of breath, pelvic pain/pressure, frequent bathroom trips, a billion braxton hicks (which I HATE!), and a few mild contractions.

Happy or Moody most of the time?: Happy and anxious

Looking forward to: Our next appointment and meeting our baby boy whenever he comes!

Next Appointment: Tuesday, September 4

Nursery Theme & Colors: Classic/calm.. light blue, white, and gray