The Acupuncture worked...Dylan has arrived!

Dylan made his appearance late Monday night...9:47pm to be exact. I am writing my "birthing" story for my doula and when I get it done I will post it on here. It may be long and a little graphic, so some of you may not want to read my next post...I am just forewarning you guys now :)
I will post a few pics of Dylan so you guys can see how cute he is :) He was 8 lbs 1oz and 21 inches long. We are all doing really well. I have been blessed to have my mom and Jenny (Trey's sister) here for the first week. They have been a huge help and I am going to be so sad when they leave.
Okay, I will leave you with a few pics of Dylan. Hopefully I will be posting my next blog entry soon.

Officially OVER due

Well, my due date came and went and still NO BABY! I was hoping to be writing this post about delivering Dylan, but he has other plans. We had a good baby appointment today and we got to see him on the ultrasound, which was cool. We could see his profile really well and I honestly do not know who he looked like. It's funny because I had an idea in my head and his profile pic looked nothing like what I thought. I can't wait to see him when he gets here.

The ultrasound tech was amazed at how much Dylan moved around. She kept commenting on how hard it was to get a clear picture because he wouldn't be still...we might have our hands full once he gets here :)

I dilated another cm and I am now 50% effaced-woohoo! As we were finishing up our appointment my doctor said she would be very surprised if I did not go into labor this week. She tried to "help" the process along by stripping my membranes, so hopefully something will get started soon.

I cant' remember if I've mentioned this yet on this blog, but we are going to have a doula present during the delivery. Our doula's name is Jeannie Casey - she is amazing! Trey and I took her Bradley birthing classes for two months and we both really like her. At the end of our class we asked her to be our doula for the delivery. Basically, a doula is a labor assistant who specializes in natural techniques during labor...basically a support for me and Trey. She is also a lactation consultant, so she'll be coming over the first week we are home and helping me in that area too.

Well, I have 10 days to get him out on my own before they medically induce. The hospital protocol is waiting a week after the due date before they induce. Dr. Rupe knows how much I DO NOT want to be induced, so she is giving me 10 days. I really feel like I will go into labor on my own, so I am not worried about induction. My doula also has some "remedies" that she is going to start me on in a few days if Dylan has not made his appearance.

In other exciting news, Trey got a new game on the Wii, Mario Kart. We have had fun playing with family and friends online. He has also been asked to do some work on an album that a friend of his is producing. He's excited about working on a new project for a few days. I think that about covers it for the latest in the Keller house right now. Cross your fingers/say a little prayer that Dylan comes this week.

Oh yeah, based on the ultrasound measurements, Dr. Rupe is guessing Dylan is around 8lb. 8oz. right now, give or take a pound...yikes!

Star-Struck

Funny story:
I woke up this morning and decided that I was going to go to the mall and walk until I went into labor. After 3 hours of walking I decided Dylan won and he is staying in a little longer. I stopped by Whole Foods to get some water and a snack. I was standing in line, looking at the magazines and I heard a person in front of me ask, "when are you due?" I looked up and it was TOBY KEITH.

The few times I have been in close proximity to a famous person I am totally star-struck. So today I automatically get tongue-tied and my answer is "ummmm, today", which is totally not true. My due date isn't until Monday, but I completely forgot everything and the easiest response was "today". He was really nice and let me get in front of him in line. He told me that my life was about to change for the better and, again, I couldn't say anything but shake my head and look like an idiot. As I was checking out, he was talking to me and I couldn't even remember my pin number...oh how I wish I could have acted somewhat intelligent!

Anyways, that was my excitement for the day. Too bad Dylan didn't come on the day that I tried to converse with Toby :)

Ray, my father-in-law, sent out a mass text to the family today asking for everyone to submit the day they think Dylan will be born. The winner gets a prize...woohoo! The results range anywhere from the 16th to the 22nd. I was optimistic and said the night of the 16th. Trey said he thought it would be the morning of the 19th and Dylan thinks it's going to be the 18th :) It's something fun to do while we are waiting for his arrival...crossing my fingers I am the winner!

Thanks for reading this blog. I hope I keep it updated once Dylan comes, but so far I really enjoy updating and keeping our family and friends in the loop. Maybe tomorrow will be "the" day.

Still Waiting!

I had my 39 week appointment today and everything was great. Dylan is quite cozy where he is and it doesn't look like he is wanting to come out anytime soon. From last week to this week everything was exactly the same: blood pressure, weight, dilation, effacement. My doctor "stripped" my membranes. I actually do not know what "stripping" entails, besides being quite painful, but it is supposed to help the labor process...we shall see!

I have another appointment scheduled for next Tuesday for an ultrasound. Dr. Rupe wants to make sure that I have enough fluid to carry Dylan a little longer if needed. Trey and I are both hoping that I go into labor before that appointment, but it would also be fun to get another ultrasound...my last one was when I was 20 weeks, so he has changed quite a bit!

Not much has happened at the Keller residence since the last time I posted. I think our "biggest" news is we beat Super Mario Brothers on the Wii :) I am actually quite proud of our accomplishment. We were wanting to finish the game before Dylan got here and we did. I am sure our neighbors are excited we beat the game too. We would play after dinner and I have a very competitive nature, so I would get a little loud at times :) If playing Wii didn't throw me into labor I honestly do not know what will.

I have also been reading this book that I highly recommend to anyone who is pregnant or just had a baby. It is called Baby Whisperer and I can't remember the author off the top of my head, but I love the philosophy behind it and I can't wait to try it on Dylan. Basically, it says that all babies have their own language and as parents you need to be able to "communicate" with your child. Some of her ideas are a little far-fetched, but for the most part I love it.

I am so hoping this is my last blog that I write while pregnant. Hopefully the next one that is posted will have a picture of Dylan :) If I don't have him, I will update after my next appointment on Tuesday.

The Waiting Game

As of today, I am 38 weeks and 4 days. Everyday I wake up wondering if today is "the day". I really do not want to be induced and my doctor will only let me go 10 days over my due date before they medically induce, so I have started some natural induction remedies. I started drinking Red Raspberry leaf tea, which is suppose to soften the cervix. I have eaten Eggplant Parmesan everyday for the last 4 days. There are three ingredients (eggplant, basil and oregano) in the dish that are supposed to help with dilation. I have been eating so many spicy foods that I have constant heartburn...I have quickly gone through some Texas Pete. I wish it wasn't so cold (average temperature is 20) so I could walk outside, but I have been walking in our downstairs for about an hour a day. We shall see if any of these methods will work. My doctor told me to try any induction methods I want, but Dylan will only make his debut when he is ready:)

Funny story: I was at the grocery store the other morning and I kept passing this little boy in the aisles. He was probably around 4 or 5 and when I was checking out he came up and patted me on my arm. Our conversation went something like this...

Boy: "Hey, you got a baby in that belly?"
Me: "I sure do"
Boy: " Oh thank goodness"...as he put his hand over his heart to emphasize his relief.

Once I stopped laughing, I started to wonder what he would have said if I had said I wasn't pregnant :) The ironic thing was this little boy was a CHUNK himself.

We have a doctors appointment tomorrow and I am praying I have made more progress. The last two weeks I have stayed the same, but I am hoping that some of the remedies have helped. I will leave you with a pic of my humongous belly that was taken today. I will update if I have made any progress at my appt tomorrow.