final pregnancy update...40 weeks!

ok, so everything, and i mean everything we had "planned" about jacob's arrival took a complete 180 at about noon today. we are both still fine...let me start out by saying that. tim and i went to my regularly scheduled 40 week appointment at 10:30 this morning. after waiting quite a bit longer than normal, we got to see dr. williams about 11:15. she did my exam, said i was 3cm dilated but still not completely effaced and that jacob was still really high. we started discussing inductions for next week. so far, so good. then, tim asked, how big do you think he is? dr. williams pushed around on my belly for a few minutes and told us she thought he was probably 8 1/2 pounds or so. and since she knew sarah was 8lbs 11oz. she thought that was probably fine for a delivery. but, she said she wanted to get a fetal weight on ultrasound just to check on his size. she said it would make sense that he wasn't coming down into the birth canal if he was large.

so, tim and i wait a little longer, and go into the ultrasound room to check out jacob's size. sidenote: at NO point in this pregnancy has ANYONE mentioned worry over jacob's size. at 36 weeks, they thought he was over 7lbs already, but didn't act worried about it IN THE LEAST. so, this alone kinda threw us for a loop. anyways...so, the ultrasonographer does her thing and starts getting estimated weights ranging from 9lbs 13oz to well over 10lbs. yikes! now, she repeatedly says that weights at this point are skewed because he's not "free floating" in there anymore. she said weights can be off by as much as 1lb at this point. fine if he's a pound smaller, SCARY if he's a pound larger!!!

we had to wait a little AGAIN for dr. williams to finish a patient so we could talk with her. basically, dr. williams said we needed to do what was safest for me and baby. of course, this is our top concern as well! so, she said if she induces me there is a large chance that i wouldn't be able to deliver him anyway because of his size. so, long story even longer...

now we are having a c-section at 5:30 IN THE AFTERNOON tomorrow. we have to be at the hospital at 3:30pm. thankfully, my sweet friend alison who has had 2 sections called tonight and talked me through some of my questions. its been over 4 years since i went to a childbirth class where c-section procedures were taught!!! and i SO know better than looking up stuff on the internet! always worst case scariest scenario!

after a very tearful day, i am trying to wrap my brain around all of this. again, we OF COURSE want whatever is safest and best for baby. but, its still a MUCH different outcome than we were anticipating. and, all together now, we KNOW how much i LOVE to plan everything out... so, i am trying to make peace with all of this. i KNOW that as soon as baby jacob gets here, all of this worry and planning and stressing will seem like a silly little distant memory. but, i do covet your prayers over the next 20 hours or so. for peace, and patience, and calmness, and stress-less-ness...and for a healthy baby!!!

an afternoon on the square...10.25

sarah was FASCINATED with watching the "princess bride" in the gazebo...so sweet!!!

after our fun filled time at uncle fudd's farm, we decided it was too late to try to put the kids down for naps. so, we went to the collierville square to run off the last little bit of steam left in the kiddos. we walked around "exploring" for a while and headed over to our favorite ice cream shop, mensi's dairy bar for a little treat. of course, it was still the same beautiful fall day...so we thoroughly enjoyed capturing some of the kids' moments on camera!!!

a day at uncle fudd's farm...10.25

on saturday morning, the higginbotham's went on an adventure with our family to uncle fudd's farm in galloway, tennessee. it was SO MUCH FUN!!! there were TONS of activities for the kids. we went on a hayride, went through a corn maze, went to a pumpkin patch, rode on a train pulled by a tractor, rode on a little train, played on a playground, fed the animals, roasted marshmallows, jumped in a bounce house, etc etc etc!!! the kids all played hard...we were ALL exhausted as we headed home. it was a BEAUTIFUL fall day! the weather has been amazing lately!!! we are trying to squeeze in as many fall activities as we can before we have a newborn in tow!

pregnancy update...

i talked to the nurse at my OB's office again today. she officially cancelled my induction scheduled for october 31st. i am going in for a regular check up on thursday, october 30th at 10:30 (you know, if i don't go into labor before then...) at which point we will schedule an induction for the next week. on thursday, i will be 40 weeks exactly. that would push jacob's birth into november. that sounds FAR away!!! the nurse said dr. williams DID stress that she would not let me go past 41 weeks...hello? i'm not crazy! its not like i'm trying to stay pregnant forever! i just wanna give the little guy a chance to make his debut in his own time!

i think i'm beginning to feel a little crazy about this whole thing regardless! i keep thinking and rethinking and rethinking everything again and again! my mind is racing all the time with all of the details of the "big" kids arrangements for our hospital stay. especially trying to get their halloween costumes ready in case someone else is dressing them and taking them to the pumpkin party. and with the crazy temperatures we have been having lately, its hard to try to pack for them when it might be 75 degrees or 40 degrees any given day. oh, well...i know it will all work out!

but, i'm not the only one stressing over baby jacob...my mom told me she's not sleeping because she's dreaming she's hearing the phone ringing (with us calling to tell her to come over so we can go to the hospital in the middle of the night) and sleeping through it! and DAILY my poor friends are calling to check on me because they can't believe i'm still hanging on...i think i have a few gals worried that i really am losing it since i've cancelled my induction for this week :)

oh, well...like i said, i know it will all eventually work itself out. don't they say patience is a virtue?!?

10 gazillion pictures from aunt becky's birthday celebration...10.24

once again, we all got together to celebrate a fall birthday...this time it was for aunt becky!!! we met over at nana and pop pop's to roast hot dogs and marshmallows, play, and have dinner to honor aunt becky. as you can tell from the 9 million pictures i took, we all had lots and lots of fun. blogger is being a booger, so some of these pics are out of order (which if you know me well, is REALLY REALLY driving me crazy!). nana made chili to go along with our hot dogs, marshmallows, cake, AND ice cream...so we were all stuffed stuffed stuffed!!! it was way past bedtime when we got our little zombie children home and slightly washed down from all the sugary goodness covering them from head to toe! sarah is obsessed with roasting marshmallows now after this and now this party too! good thing fall is FULL of marshmallow roasting :)