The Birth Story

This is the birth story, as I remember it. The times may not be entirely accurate as the whole day quickly became a blur. But, I think I captured a lot of the feelings of the day. It is a long post, so approach with caution and maybe a glass of water and a snack! ;)

Well, it all began with our 40 week doctor's visit on Tuesday, February 28th. Our baby was due that day and my doctor wanted to have us delivered no later than 41 weeks. She checked my cervix and said I was around 2cm but that she could stretch me more but wouldn't as it wouldn't be too pleasant for me. The plan my doctor had was that if I didn't go into labor before the following Tuesday, March 6th that we would be scheduled for an induction that day. HOWEVER - we learned the previous Friday that Jeff (Finn's dad) was in need of a couple of heart procedures, one of which was a quadruple bypass and that this surgery would be taking place the following week. Given that we not only wanted Jeff to be present for the birth but that we would also be able to visit him in the hospital after his surgery we asked if there was any way to bump up the induction. We had to compromise a bit since our doctor wasn't really available the rest of the week  but we were able to schedule it for Friday with the knowledge that our doctor would only be available until about 2pm for the delivery.

So, I continued to have contractions, fairly consistently over the next several days. I ate lots of pineapple and spicy food, drank a ton of red raspberry leaf tea, walked a lot and even went to acupuncture a couple of times that week to try to help jump start my labor But, no real progress was made and I didn't go into labor on my own. On Thursday Finn took the day off of work and we spent our last day together as a kid-less couple. It was a good day filled with plenty of errands and chores and last minute nursery preparations. We both went to bed feeling very excited and anxious for what the next day would bring!

On the morning of our induction (Friday, March 2nd) we woke up really early because we were to be to the hospital by 6am. I took a shower and ate some breakfast since I didn't know when I would get to do either of those things again! Finn packed up the car and we were on our way! We only live about 10 minutes from the hospital so it didn't take us long to arrive!

We went straight to the Labor and Delivery unit and were greeted by smiling faces. We were brought to a room and Finn promptly asked that we be put in a different room - one with a tub - so that I could attempt to use the tub for pain relief as we wanted to go about this as naturally as possible. We got situated in our new room and I put on the lovely hospital gown and was quickly given an IV in my arm so that they could push fluids, meds, etc. in me as needed. My parents arrived pretty shortly after we were checked in, followed by Charlotte and then Jeff and Jill. Hanni was in a meeting and would be to the hospital around 9 or 10 that morning.

My doctor's plan was to start the Pitocin ASAP. We chose to have them break my bag of water and do some walking in hopes that we could get things moving that way and not have to use Pitocin (or as much of it). So my doctor caved but didn't sound terribly enthusiastic or optimistic about our plan. She gave us two hours from when she broke my water before they would start Pitocin if adequate progress wasn't made. So, at 8am they broke my bag of water with a crochet hook and boy did that feel weird! Luckily it was clear and odor free so that meant no meconium which was a great sign. We were free to begin walking! We started doing laps around the 5th floor of the hospital (the only floor we were allowed on) shortly after 8am and were to be checked in one hour to see if progress was being made. Unfortunately, in the final weeks of pregnancy I had become so swollen in my legs, ankles and feet that walking was not very comfortable and in fact it was downright excruciating at times due to cramping and shin splints. Thank goodness I had plenty of family support on my walks. But, by the time the first hour was up I was ready to be off my feet for a few minutes! They checked me and I hadn't made any progress - not the most uplifting news considering my legs were on fire!! Finn rubbed my feet and legs and applied cold compresses to them to help with the pain so I could get back to walking for hour #2.

Hour #2 of walking was a bit faster paced - as was noted by family members and nurses throughout the 5th floor. But I really wanted to avoid the Pitocin as long as possible and my legs weren't killing me quite so bad. Hanni arrived during this second hour of laps and it was fun chatting with her. We even stopped for an awesome family photo! However, two hours of walking and a cervical check later I had not progressed at all - Pitocin here we come.

We began the Pitocin shortly after 10am and the real labor began. The contractions picked up pretty quickly after I started getting the Pitocin and I quickly realized that I was one of the lucky women who would experience back labor. As the contractions intensified the back pain got stronger and stronger. It was pretty interesting because I really didn't experience a lot of pain anywhere else besides my lower back. I spent a lot of time swaying and sitting on the birthing ball and doing hip circles and just about anything else that helped to relieve some of the pain I was experiencing. I was doing well breathing through the contractions and trying to just experience each one as they came rather than anticipating them and tensing up. I felt pretty good about things and even was pretty chatty and smiley with everyone. Charlotte really enjoyed sitting by the computer so she could watch the contractions and let me know how strong they were - as if I didn't know! :)

looking just lovely laboring away 

Sometime around 2pm (or so I think that's when it was) I asked about pain relief options. The nurse explained all of my options and said to just let her know (and she up'd the Pitocin dose as she left the room). Approximately 10 minutes later I was asking for some sort of pain relief as the contractions were getting closer together and were getting more and more intense. She gave me some fentanyl and we hoped that it would take the edge off and help me get through the contractions. At this point she checked me again and I was only at 4cm. We still had a long way to go!!

Around 4pm as the contractions intensified and were so close together that I couldn't catch my breath in between and the back pain was just too much for me to handle I told Finn I just couldn't take it any more and was going to get an epidural. He reminded me that I had told him to remind me that this usually meant that were were close to the transition stage of labor and that if I was able to tolerate the pain up to this point that I could make it the rest of the way. I thanked him for the reminder but said I just couldn't hang anymore - and as of the last check we still had a LONG way to go and they said to anticipate 1 cm of dilation an hour - that meant we still had many hours ahead of us. We let the nurse know and she started to get the process underway and told me to slow down my breathing a bit as I had become less effective at breathing slow, long breaths through the contractions. 

When they came to the epidural I couldn't really even sit up on my own because the pain in my back was so intense and the contractions were on top of one another so there was little to no relief at any given moment. They decided to check me again and we found out I had progressed rather quickly and I was at 7cm. I said I still wanted to get the epidural since I was afraid I wouldn't have anything left in me to push. I got to use Finn as my support throughout the epidural process - leaning into him and ringing his shirt in my hands through the contractions. The anesthesiologists's assistant was a wonderful lady but at the time I didn't find her to be too helpful, especially when she would tell me to stop breathing the way I was or something like that while I was having a contraction. Every time she annoyed me I just wound Finn's shirt up in my hands tighter and tighter. Once they had the epidural in place they had me remove my necklace and earrings which I found weird and annoying - come to find out, they just wanted me to focus on something other than the pain and contractions - those sneaky little buggers. By the time they had the epidural in place I was at 9 cm and the nurse thought we would be pushing really soon. 

Finn knew I was feeling better when the assistant lady asked me what my pain level was on a scale of 1 to 10 with a 1 being her poking my arm. I joked that since she was such a strong poker I would have to say I was at least a 2. Around this time we were also asked if a medical student could be present for the birth. At first I thought this was a bit weird but quickly realized that we didn't know anybody in the room so what difference did one more person make? I did ask to meet him so we could change our mind if we didn't like him (again with the joking). At 6:15 everyone left the room to give us a few minutes to ourselves before we would begin pushing at 6:30. Finn and I interviewed each other on the camcorder and braced ourselves for the excitement that was before us.

Final photo before we were no longer pregnant!

At 6:30 we began to push. After two pushes the nurse told me to stop and said that the baby was "sunny side up." This not only explained all of the back labor (the back of the baby's head was pressing against my spine) but also meant that the baby had no where to go. It was stuck. It needed more room in order to be able to come through my pelvis. So, for the next hour I laid in strange positions with my legs in an effort to give the baby a few more centimeters to move down farther into my pelvis. Luckily, it worked and just before 7:30 we began pushing!

The pushing was difficult. It felt really un-natural and I was pushing with my face a lot and felt my eyes hurting pretty early on. I asked the nurse and doctor about it but they said it was pretty normal and to try to open my mouth when I pushed. Finn held my left leg and helped hold my head up and push my shoulders when I pushed and the medical student held my right leg. Finn was so incredible, counting pretty much the entire time and cheering me on constantly. Towards the (unbeknownst to us) end of the pushing I really felt like I couldn't go any longer. I had been watching the clock for sometime and I had this feeling that if we hadn't had the baby by 9pm that I was going to have to ask for a break (do they even give those!?). Finn said he could feel it in me that I was losing strength and not pushing as hard and asked the doctor to take over the counting so he could focus on the cheering. He kept telling me to keep it up, to push just a little harder, etc. and reassured me that I was doing a great job and that we were getting so close. 

This must have been all I needed because it wasn't too much longer that I felt the most insane amount of pressure and desire to get that baby out of me, and fast!! Finally, after an hour and a half of pushing Finn announced that we had a SON! He was laughing, screaming, crying all at the same time! His emotions were so filled with joy and tears that he made everyone in the room cry (including the med student). They laid the baby on my chest and I immediately began rubbing him and saying "come on buddy" and other things because he wasn't crying (babies are supposed to cry when they are born, I swear!). I was so worried something was wrong because he wasn't crying even though Finn and the medical staff told me he was perfectly fine. He was quickly taken over to be cleaned up and checked out. The nurse handed him to Finn and he was so cute admiring him, etc. while they were getting me to deliver the placenta. Finn said that I should tell everyone his name and immediately fear and anxiety hit me - what if I thought we agreed on a name that we hadn't!? What would Finn say if I said the wrong name!? So I told  Finn that he should tell everyone - but he insisted I did. So, I hesitantly told all the medical staff that his name was Dempsey Mason Ruehrdanz. Finn cried a bit more (phew!! we did agree on that name!) and then told me how beautiful he was and I joked that I couldn't wait to see him since Finn had been hogging him the whole time! :) The doctor announced that Finn had received the most excited dad EVER award!! Finn handed him (with the help of the nurse) to me and walked to the other side of my bed. I winced (because the doctor was busy sewing me up and the epidural was NOT working) and Finn quickly asked if I wanted him to hold Dempsey - I guess the look I gave him said it all as he said "good answer" and let me keep holding him. 

He was born at 8:58 pm, weighed 7lbs, 10oz and was 20 1/4" long. 

After I was cleaned up Finn headed out to the waiting room to tell the whole family that we had a beautiful baby boy named Dempsey Mason and that they could come see him - grandmas first, then grandpas and then aunts. Everyone was overjoyed when they came in to see us and Jeff let me know that I looked terrible (boy, was he right. I looked like I had been in a boxing match). It was awesome!! :)

7 lbs, 10 oz and 20 1/4" long and a conehead

little guy!

first full frontal for the ladies ;)

so alert!

looking not-so-amazing

who are you? no, who are you? :)

the happy and tired family

Our 40th Week

Well our 40th week of pregnancy brought with it our little bundle of joy! Please welcome Mr. Dempsey Mason Ruehrdanz! He was born on Friday, March 2nd at 8:58pm. He weighed 7lbs, 10 oz and was 20.1" long (and had a 13" head). He is absolutely perfect!!

His name: Clint Dempsey is one of Finn and my's favorite soccer players (he plays for the USMNT as well as Fulham in England). And Mason is my maiden name. So we gave the kid three last names - how awesome is that!? :)

All of the pregnancy symptoms, etc. were totally worth it. He is the most incredible gift we could have ever asked for.

We've been staying really busy with feedings every 2-3 hours, diaper changes, and everything else that comes with a newborn! I will try to do some more posts soon, including: Birth Story (complete with TMI), Hospital Reflections, Dempsey's 1st Week, and more!! :)

In the meantime, please enjoy a few Dempsey pics!

39 Weeks (Oops!)

How Far Along (in pic): 39 weeks.

What We've Been Up To: Not enough to justify missing the 39 week posting date, but better late than never!

On Monday Finn and I got to spend all day together since it was Presidents' Day! We went to the Colorado Mills since it was chilly and windy out and Finn thought getting some good walking in indoors would be good - you know, to get the baby moving! We walked and shopped and had some contractions and had a great time. Afterwards Finn took me to see The Vow! Yep, you read that right!! It was a totally sappy movie that got me choked up a few times (so shocking for a super pregnant lady, I know). It was nice to go to a sappy love movie with my hunny. Always a good reminder of what you have and how it's so much better than the movies! :)

On Monday we also took my car to Car Toys to get my keyless entry from Freddy installed and get it detailed in preparation for the baby. We had a groupon, which of course wasn't all it was cracked up to be since it didn't cover pet hair removal - the main reason we were taking my car in. But, regardless of the price, it ended up being totally worth it and it looks like I have a brand new car! And the baby won't be covered in dirt or have hair balls flying in its face!

On Wednesday I had lunch with Ellen. It was great to spend time catching up with her and hear about her wedding plans (September will be here so fast!!) and chat about life and baby and such. The only bad thing about lunch - my first bite went all over my belly and of course it was a nice saucy Asian dish which meant for a nice stain on my shirt, oh well!

We had our weekly OB appointment on Thursday. Our OB ended up having to go to surgery right before our appointment so we met with our nurse practitioner. We found out that we had made no progress internally which was a little bit annoying. We were hoping for at least some progress, but no such luck. We also found out that our due date which was told to us by Conceptions as March 1st was not the same due date that our OB's office had on file - they said our due date was February 28th! I suppose on any other year it's just a matter of 24 hours, but this year it felt like two days difference was an eternity!

On Friday we went to my Grandma Marge's 80th birthday party in Broomfield. It was a fun time and I can't remember the last time I saw my Grandma so happy. I'm glad my family (no credit to me) was able to pull it off!

Cravings: Drinking lemonade like it is going out of style

Sleep: Sleeping has been pretty good this week. Waking up for lots of potty breaks (like I'm a puppy or something) and sometimes for contractions.

Gender: The girls have made a comeback! On the baby pool (www.expectnet.com/games/ComeOutAndDanz) we have 13 guesses for boys and 14 guesses for girls! It's such a close race, I suppose we'll find out soon!

Names: No updates here. Let's hope the kid looks like "someone" and/or has a name tag on!

Symptoms: Lots of cramping, contractions, plenty of pelvic and hip pain, lower back pain/pressure, a ton of swelling, shin splints when I walk (oh so fun).

Favorite moments since last post: Telling people we are due next week and seeing their reaction.

What I'm looking forward to this week: 40 weeks is just nutty! Just waiting for this little one to make an entrance!

38 Weeks

How Far Along (in pic): 38 weeks. I can't believe that 38 weeks have already flown by!!

What We've Been Up To: On Monday I was showered by my wonderful colleagues at work! It was such a nice way to get to see everyone since we all work from our home offices now. They spoiled us rotten! We got an amazing HD camcorder and tripod, more adorable clothes and some Baby Bees products! I can't wait to try everything out!!! My boss spent plenty of painstaking hours making an INCREDIBLE cake! She took a picture of the chicken coop off of my blog and made a cake that looked just like it, complete with three adorable chickens! :) I had never seen a chicken coop cake before and highly doubt I ever will again! It was just to die for - and it was delicious to boot!!

On Wednesday night we took a breastfeeding class. It was super informative! The instructor was great and provided us with a lot of valuable information and tools.

We had our weekly OB appointment on Thursday. Much to our surprise I had only dilated about .5 cm more. We thought for sure we'd have been farther along, but our doc assured us we were in a good place. I think we are just getting so anxious and excited for the big day that it is getting harder and harder to stay in the moment! Gertie is going to come whenever the time is right - we just wish that time was right now! ;) We have even gotten all of the remaining baby essentials marked off the list including a laundry basket and trash can for the nursery - we are ready for diaper changes people!!

On Friday night we had Julie and her guy friend, James, over for dinner. Finn made delicious Pad Thai for everyone and we all thoroughly enjoyed the food and company! It was nice to get to meet James and catch up with Julie. We have our 10 year high school reunion coming up, which Julie is helping to plan, so it was fun to reminisce about the "good ol' days". After dinner, Finn went and had a guys night with Watson and Peters and to nobody's surprise they had a great time and even came up with some new baby names such as Waters (Get it? Watson + Peters = Waters...).

We bought a new couch on Valentine's Day! We picked up one piece of it on Saturday with help from Hanni and Freddy (thank goodness they are so nice to us). It is such a huge upgrade from our last couch! It is extremely comfortable, should last us a long time, and it gives us more space in the living room - without feeling like we lost seating space! And I am sure all of our family and friends will enjoy it more since they will actually be able to get off of it without needing assistance. ;)

On Sunday night we went to our neighbor's surprise birthday party. It was a lot of fun and there was another prego there who was expecting her second. It was nice to get to talk to someone else and ask questions about labor, etc. from someone who had been through it  pretty recently (her other child is 18 months). I asked how she "knew" it was time to go to the hospital and she actually ended up going to the hospital for false labor but had to stay for nearly three days after they discovered that her baby was squeezing the umbilical cord during every contraction which would cut off her circulation, causing the baby to pass out. The advice she gave us was to wait it out at home as long as possible and that even if your contractions are really consistent, if they aren't painful, keep waiting (if you can). It was interesting to get her perspective because I figured you would always "know" when it was time, but clearly that isn't always the case!

Cravings: Lemonade sounds delicious

Sleep: The halfway decent sleep has continued this week. I have been waking up around the same time in the middle of the night each night - almost always accompanied by contractions. But, I have been able to get back to sleep without much trouble, so that's definitely nice!

Gender: We remain at 12 people thinking it is a boy and 8 people who think it is going to be a girl on the baby pool! For those of you who haven't played yet, please do!!! Here's the link: http://www.expectnet.com/games/ComeOutAndDanz

Names: No updates here. Middle names need to be thought about a bit more. We are really at a point of being OK of making our decision once we meet the little one - we are certain it will give us some sort of clue as to who they are.

Symptoms: All the usual stuff. Lots of cramping, contractions, plenty of pelvic and hip pain, lower back pain/pressure.

Favorite moments since last post: The baby shower was awesome in so many ways. Getting a new couch. Spending another v-day with Finn (our last as a human family of two)! Catching up with old friends and meeting new people.

What I'm looking forward to this week: Well it is week 39. It's been fun to tell people when they ask when we are due "next week!" Their expressions are generally pretty funny. This week Finn and I got to spend Presidents' Day together (will blog about that in the 39 week post), and generally we are both just excited for the big day - whenever that is going to be!

Maternity Photo Shoot

On Sunday, February 5th (yes, the same day "Bradying" replaced "Tebowing"), Finn and I headed into Broomfield for a maternity photo shoot with Coreen from Kandid Kanet Photography. This was an awesome Christmas gift we received from my parents.

Since it had snowed more than a foot over the previous several days, it made for a snowy and VERY bright outdoor shoot. We also took a number of shots in her studio with much less squinting! :) Needless to say, we had a great time and got some super shots that we will be able to look at and remember this incredible time forever! 

Here are some of our favorites.

37 Weeks

How Far Along: 37 weeks have already come and gone - so crazy!

What We've Been Up To: On Monday we went to a baby safety class where we learned about infant CPR, choking, first aid, baby-proofing your home and other safety-related things! It was a very informative class for sure. Finn, to no surprise, was a pro at infant CPR and the method used to stop a baby from choking!

I had a prenatal massage with a doula on Wednesday. It was a really great massage and she had TONS of helpful and valuable information regarding childbirth, signs I may be about to go into labor (more-so than the docs share), as well as some things that I may find beneficial - including a great book I got for my Kindle and some Red Raspberry Leaf Tea.


We had our 37 week check-up at the OB on Thursday. Everything looks good! I was 1cm dilated and 50% effaced which means all the cramping and contractions have actually been productive! My OB has given us the go-ahead to have the baby any time!



This was pretty exciting news and made us want to do a little more decorating in the baby's room - in case s/he does arrive at any moment!! :) We got the tree from our good friend, Gillian and it is absolutely adorable and adds a special somethin' somethin' to the baby's room! The Dr. Suess quote was one that Finn and I found super fitting - we put this above the changing table.


We joined some friends in Boulder on Friday for a game night. While we didn't actually end up playing any games, we all had a great time catching up and cracking jokes.

Finn went to a Daddy Boot Camp on Saturday morning. He said it was an awesome class and very worthwhile. He said he wasn't in the room more than 2 minutes when a dad came up to him with a baby and a bottle and said "here you go!" Finn got to experience holding  babies (there were three), changing a diaper, sharing fears and expectations with other dads and I'm sure many more things that I'm not remembering and/or cannot describe as well as him. It sounds like it was a very good experience for him and I know it left him even more excited to get to see and hold our baby one day (soon)!

Cravings:  I did get a hankering for Ben and Jerry's ice cream this week!? The strawberry cheesecake and cookie dough flavors were delicious! :)

Sleep: I have continued to have pretty decent sleep this past week! I haven't had any (knock on wood) long stretches of sleeplessness in the middle of the night. I have had some difficulty falling asleep, but nothing terrible.

Gender: We remain at 12 people thinking it is a boy and 8 people who think it is going to be a girl on the baby pool! For those of you who haven't played yet, please do!!! Here's the link: http://www.expectnet.com/games/ComeOutAndDanz

Names: No updates here. Still in the thinking stages of middle names I suppose.

Symptoms: All the usual stuff. Lots of cramping, some contractions, plenty of pelvic and hip pain, lower back pain/pressure.

Favorite moments since last post: Just knowing that we made it to "full term" and that even if the little one decides to make an appearance today or tomorrow that it has had adequate time to incubate and will most likely have no issues with breathing, etc.

What I'm looking forward to this week: I'm not looking forward to school - I have one assignment due and a test early this Monday and Tuesday. So I'm not-so-secretly hoping that this baby hangs on until at least Wednesday so that I don't have to deal with the consequences of missing any of that stuff. I am trying to live in each moment and embrace what is happening. While it is very exciting to know that the baby will be here any day, it is also nice to try to soak up the final moments of being pregnant - after all, this is the easy part! ;)

I'm also slowly plugging away at Thank You's from my baby shower - such a slacker!

36 Weeks (A Day Late!)

How Far Along: 36 Weeks!

Baby Face

What We've Been Up To: We got to spend some quality time with Finn's grandma, which is always a special time. It was so great that she was able to travel out here before the baby was born and we are so excited to see her again soon after the baby makes their big debut! She's such a wonderful woman and it's just too bad we can't see her (and the rest of the Illinois crew) more often!

We had our 36 week check-up at the OB this week as well as an ultrasound. Although I was measuring (belly wise) 3 weeks ahead at our 35 week appointment the baby is actually measuring about one week behind (or the 30th percentile for its current age). Either way, all looks good. My cervix has softened which is a good sign! My Strep B test came back negative which was good because I won't need to be on antibiotics during the delivery.

Finn and I went to Red Rocks to see Common and Atmosphere at the first ever winter Red Rocks show (Icelantic's Winter on the Rocks). It was an amazing concert and we had a great time. It did snow for some of the show, but nothing crazy! It was about 15 degrees, but with the wind chill the real feel was about 2 degrees. As long as we kept moving we felt great, and as long as Finn kept drinking his cocktails didn't freeze! :)  We also think that the baby must love Atmosphere as about as much as us since I had started having contractions once he came out and they continued (sporadically) throughout the entire set! They had a giant fireball space heater at the top of Red Rocks which was pretty neat, the pictures of us aren't too great, but here they are anyway.





I got SHOWERED!! Charlotte, Hanni and our moms hosted the most awesome baby shower!! It was a beautiful day and I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of people that came and the love, kindness and generosity that filled the day! There were no traditional baby shower games but instead there was a tie-dye station for baby onesies and other baby clothes as well as a tile painting station (the tiles will become the border/frame around a mirror). I think everyone enjoyed themselves with the arts and crafts! There was also plenty of lemonade (and I'm sure other drinks...) and a lot of delicious food! My mom and sister made a pretty incredible Rice Krispie treat cake/castle with a giant duck on top that was a huge hit!! I will plan on doing a post more dedicated to this party at a later date, but wanted to share a few pictures from the day with you all.

Our good friend Josh came into town and got snowed in with us! It was a fun-filled weekend with him (as well as my sister). It was nice to get to spend some time with him since he lives in Tampa these days and we don't get to see him all that much. And he even shoveled one day!!! :)

We went to our friends Ryan and Danielle's wedding this Saturday. It was a beautiful Greek Orthodox ceremony filled with tradition at a church in Boulder, followed by a super fun reception at an art gallery in the Santa Fe Art District in Denver. I got lots of compliments on my dress/shoes/generally attitude which was nice and funny - but boy did my feet hurt by the end of the night! Hanni was a bridesmaid and looked as beautiful as ever and Freddy looked pretty darn dapper in his attire as well.

We had maternity photos taken this past Sunday (yes, Superbowl Sunday). We both had a great time and cannot wait to see how the pictures turned out! Here is a little sneak peek...

No, I'm not topless :)

Cravings:  The lemonade was delicious!! Otherwise nothing really.

Sleep: I don't want to jinx myself but have been getting a bit more sleep the past few days. I think some of that may be due to the fact that my head cold is finally subsiding, and we've had a lot of activities over the past week.

Gender: Currently on the baby pool we have 12 people thinking it is a boy and 8 people who think it is going to be a girl! The boys are getting one vote at a time and continue to take the lead in this pool. Here's the link for anyone who is interested in playing: http://www.expectnet.com/games/ComeOutAndDanz

Names: We haven't done anything with names this past week, but we've still got a decent list of "top names" that is short so that is helpful.

Symptoms: Still experiencing all the usual symptoms (check it). Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy (PUPPS) has cleared up, actually! I found a miracle "cure" of sorts - Aveeno Oatmeal Baths helped but didn't do much once I wasn't soaking. However, Grandpa's Wonder Pine Tar Soap (yeah, you read that right) has done wonders for my skin!! It smells like it sounds like it might - and Finn doesn't find it too appealing, but I'd rather smell like I rolled in a pile of manure (not what the soap smells like, I assure you) than have to itch the way I was. I used this at least two times a day for the past week and then used Aveeno hydrocortisone cream afterwards and now I have hardly any signs of the rash and very little itching!!! I would seriously recommend the soap to ANYONE who has ever had to deal with PUPPS!!

Favorite moments since last post: Pretty much everything I wrote about! :)

What I'm looking forward to this week: We have a baby safety class tonight which should be very eye-opening and helpful. I am (as of today) considered a full-term baby carrier now!