39 Week Update

We are down to single digits and we have progress! At my appointment on Wednesday I was finally showing some signs of an approaching labor. Baby has moved down to almost a full hands width below my rib cage and seems to be facing the right direction. I am 1-2 cm dilated and 50% effaced which is a dramatic change from last week! Doctor's gut feeling was that little Ringo would make his/her debut early next week if not right on the actual due date. For those of you that have chosen dates this weekend in the baby pool, don't lose hope yet as it still could happen at any time or I could be stuck at 2cm for the next week. Maybe if the Notre Dame game gets really intense and exciting, it will happen right on the field like several of my coworkers are predicting. Either way, we are very excited and hope to be able to announce a new member of the family by this time next week! We will continue to update the blog and facebook as much as we can so stay tuned.

38 Week Update

Well... baby is still happy and healthy in its little home so not much to report at all. I have now entered the "you might explode at any moment" stage but based on yesterday's appointment Ringo is still sitting quite high. I do feel different so I think things might be moving a tiny bit but not enough to be considered any sort of progress. I went from feeling fine to quite uncomfortable almost over night and it now seems like no sleeping position works and I would be happier standing all day instead of sitting at my desk. Although I am not nearly as large as the majority of the ladies I saw at the doctors office yesterday I honestly feel like I'm the size of a house! I do know that something is going to happen sometime between now and October 7 which is the 41 week mark and as far as they will let anyone go. I am hoping baby will drop on its own before then so keep your fingers crossed.

Baby or no baby, we have a busy weekend ahead with soccer, volleyball and football. I will be working all of the events and Karl will be tailgating and enjoying them from the stands. The weather is supposed to be beautiful all weekend and the Benders are coming to visit so that is exciting. Looking forward to a Boilermaker football victory after we decided to let Oregon take last weeks game!

Code Words

As we approach "D-Day" we have been talking more about some of the basics of getting to the hospital. It's a pretty common joke these days around the office and home that I am going into labor while at work on either the football field or the volleyball court but regardless of if that happens or not, we still need to have some plans. Obviously if its during work hours on a week day, Karl is already at the hospital so its a matter of getting me where I need to be depending on how quickly I need to be there. As I mentioned, the facilities guys at work gave me a code word to use if something happens at an event and I need their help so we started talking about it at home. Karl has a couple of important meetings at work and various projects he will be leading over the next few weeks so he said he hoped nothing happened on those dates while he's at work. Of course, my next question was-what if it does? I asked how I should notify him that its important and something is happening if he is in a meeting or place where he can't take calls. His response: boom goes the dynamite. If I text or message him on his phone with those words he will know to excuse himself and call me back immediately. I said sounds good but if things are really moving fast and I feel like its too long to type all that, I'm just going to say TNT BOOM and he better get out of there. We know the odds of all of this happening during the work day are pretty small but its still good to be prepared!

Flag Football

Karl is back to coaching in the West Lafayette Flag Football league with his friend (and soon to be our pediatrician) Chester Ho. This is their third year together in the league and he is back to having kindergarten through 2nd graders. They have always coached the age group that Dr. Ho's son was in so the first year they did k-2, then last year 3rd-5th but now that Charlie is big enough to play tackle they decided that the little ones were much more fun. The team has had two practices and last night was their second game. It's so entertaining to watch! As someone that started coaching and teaching little kids when I was 13, its really fun to watch from the sides and see how little boys deal with grown up men as coaches. It's a very different dynamic and more like watching a circus than a football game but the kids are just so funny that you cant help but laugh when you watch. There are some that are really good and you can tell they have older siblings or parents that are very involved with their athletic development, some that have never touched a ball or seen football in their life but are interested in running around, and some that have no interest and are just there to pull grass and do handstands on the field. I know a few of the kids on the team since I work with their dads but most of them are new. A few good quotes from yesterday:
Dad to son Henry while Karl was explaining what to do in the huddle: "Henry, pay attention!" Henry, who is no where near the huddle: " Dad, I don't have to. He's not talking to me!"
Quinn, from the sideline to another kid on the team that wasn't paying attention while on offense: "Quit messing around, this isn't a dance floor!"

Karl is still very competitive and draws up all kinds of plays for the kids but he's pretty patient and enjoys teaching them the basics too. Every once in a while he forgets they are only 5 and guns a ball at them or forgets to tell a kid he had a nice run even when it was 40 yards in the wrong direction, but its a learning experience for him too! I love watching from the sidelines and cant wait until I'm not just the supportive coaches wife but a parent too. Here are a few pictures I took with my phone yesterday: Karl giving the play to the offense in the huddle and Karl putting the kids in place ready to surprise the defense.

Its Football Season

Friday was the annual Gold & Black dinner on the football field, which always means the season is just a few hours away. I'm tired of posting pictures of just me and my big belly so here is the family shot from the press box. I have gotten many (unsolicited) comments from donors I work with , co-workers, random game day staff people, drunk fans, etc... and I think quite a few of them were afraid the baby was going to come out right on the field. I assured everyone over and over that I was fine but I am c0nvinced that if something were to happen, being on the field surrounded by doctors, trainers, EMTs and an ambulance might not be the worst thing. This week did all my usual responsibilities and didn't really have any issues other than a very sore back and some swelling from the heat. Hopefully by the next game I will need to have a more limited role on game days because that will mean this baby will be on the move! The weather was perfect on Saturday and we won so all in all, a great start to the Boilermaker football season!