Let the countdown begin!

28 week check up today.  We had another ultrasound for growth.  Baby is about 2 lb 8 oz.  Baby has dropped to the 49th percentile.  Ok with me, I was a little scared of having a big baby!  Placenta, fluids, etc.. all look great!

Fetal heart rate was 135 bpm.  This is the lowest it has been during the entire pregnancy.  Baby #2 has had much higher heart rates than Melia did.  Todays reading was right on with where Melia was at.  There are some old wives tales about fetal heart rate being an indicator of gender.  I don't really buy into those old wives tales.  If you went through a list of them with my last pregnancy, I would have had a hermaphrodite.

I am still feeling well, but have been having a lot of trouble sleeping.  I have horrible pregnancy congestion which makes it hard to breath laying down.  I also can not find a comfortable position to sleep in.  I just keep telling myself "11 more weeks!".

Which brings me to the best news from todays appointment... We have a delivery date!  We scheduled our C-Section for October 1, 2010!!!  That day is exactly 39 weeks (they won't deliver me before hand unless there is an issue).  We scheduled with the doctor that delivered Melia. (there are 4 docs in the practice, so I had my pick) I was really happy with her.  The delivery is scheduled for 12:30PM.  Good news, I get to sleep in and take Melia to daycare like a normal day.  Bad news is, I am going to be hungry.  No food after midnight.  I will be planning a nice large dinner for 11:45PM the night before!

We are so excited to finally have a date on the calendar.  Now the official countdown begins!

Sesame Street LIVE!

Sesame Street Live is coming to Clearwater!  I am super excited and would love to take Melia.  She LOVES Elmo.  I am on their email list so today I received this:

Sesame Street Live “1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends” is coming to Clearwater!


Imagine singing and dancing with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird and all your favorite Sesame Street Live friends! It’s as easy as counting “1-2-3 Imagine!” This high-energy musical will transport audiences to far away places as Ernie captains the high seas, Elmo dances to the rhythm of the African rainforest and Bert meets an octopus who has the blues. It’s a story of adventure and fun that teaches children they can be anyone, do anything and go anywhere with the power of imagination.

Ruth Eckerd Hall, October 15-17

You are invited to get your tickets today, BEFORE they go on sale to the public. Just use the presale password SEVP to purchase your tickets by August 27, 2010.

Get the ultimate fan experience with Sunny Seats!


The Sunny Seats Package includes a VIP Seat and an pre-show Meet & Greet photo opportunity with two Sesame Street Live Friends. Sunny Seat orders will include a special admittance ticket for entry into the Meet & Greet. You will receive the special admittance ticket with the rest of your show tickets. All Meet & Greets start one hour prior to the performance. Please meet at the main concession stand in the lobby. Latecomers may miss the opportunity. Please bring your own camera. Just use the presale password SUNNY to purchase the Sunny Seat package.

Opening night: All seats $12! (excluding Gold Circle & Sunny Seats)


Other performances: $12, $16, $22, $27 (Gold Circle), & $55 (Sunny Seats)


Additional service charges and facility fees may apply.

Tickets available at the Ruth Eckerd Hall Box Office, rutheckerdhall.com, or call 727-791-7400.

Hurry for best seats, and we’ll see you soon!
 
Opening night seats are only $12.  I remember going to see Sesame Street Live when I was little.  It was so much fun, I know Melia would have a blast.  The problem is Baby Webb #2 will be appearing a week or two before the show, so I don't know if I will have the energy to take Melia. 
 
Decisions, decisions.  Presale tickets need to be purchased by August 27th, so give me your feedback. 
Choice 1 -  You are crazy!  You will be exhausted.  Skip it and go next time.
Choice 2 - Suck it up and take Melia.  She will have so much fun!

One Hour Glucose Test

This morning was my one hour glucose test for Gestational Diabetes.  A standard test performed around 28 weeks whether you have a personal/family history or not.  It's a simple test.  Drink a container of sugary orange drink, wait an hour, get your blood drawn. 

During my pregnancy with Melia they told me I didn't have to fast, just don't eat a sugary breakfast.  I had a bagel with peanut butter the morning of the test.  It was enough to put me a few points above the goal number so I had to have the 3 hour fasting glucose test.  It was not fun. 

So this time, I fasted and am hoping for a good number when the results come in.  I have an OB appointment next week and should get the results then.  I just hope the yummy (and HUGE!) brownie I had for dessert last night doesn't throw off the results! Wish me luck! :)

18 Month Check Up!

Today was Melia's 18 month check up with the pediatrician.  She FINALLY weighs over 20 pounds!  20lbs 15.4 oz to be exact!  This puts her in the 8th percentile for weight.  She is 30 1/2" tall (20th percentile).  Yes, she is a skinny little girl!  The doctor wasn't overly concerned about her weight because she continues to gain steadily.  She eats well, has regular bowel movements and is healthy.  I think she is just VERY active.

We continue to feed her (and she loves to eat) healthy foods.  Fresh fruit, veggies, whole grains, etc...  The doctor did recommend keeping her on whole milk once she turns two.  They usually recommend kids go down to 2% or 1% because of obesity problems in this country.  Luckily, that doesn't seem to be an issue for Melia.

Melia is developing well in all other areas.  She sleeps and naps well.  She is always learning new things and her vocabulary grows almost daily.  She is definitely developing her own personality and independence! 

Melia loves to brush her own teeth.  Really, she just chews on the toothbrush, but it is a start.  She fights me when I want to brush her teeth.  That continues to be a challenge.  Maybe if she sees Elmo go to the dentist she will cooperate! :) It's worth a shot!  The pediatrician recommended a few pediatric dentists in the area so she can go when she turns two.  Our dentist sees children, so they might be an option.  They did recommend we bring her in during our next cleaning appointment so she can see what it is like, practice sitting in the dental chair, etc...  I will keep you posted on how that turns out!

Two shots at this visit - Hepatitis A and a DTAP booster.  She was not happy.  I can see this is going to get harder as she gets older.  When she was a baby she didn't realize they were coming and didn't freak out when the nurse walked in the room.

Our next check up is not until 24 months.  Hopefully by then she will forget the shots and be over her little stranger anxiety stage.  Until then, we will keep visiting the doctor with Elmo!

Disney's Hollywood Studios

We took Melia to visit Disney's Hollywood Studios this weekend.  We have had a lot of rain the past few days, so we were debating going or skipping the planned trip.  Luckily for us, the weather cooperated and we had a great day at the park.  One little shower around lunch time gave us a perfect excuse to stop and eat lunch.  (I was really excited that all of the meals offer healthy sides like apple slices and carrot sticks.  Melia LOVES apples!)

We learned early on that visiting theme parks post baby is a different experience.  Melia was a trooper!  She napped in the car on the way over to Disney and then took a short nap during one of the shows.  The rest of the day she really enjoyed herself. 

She loved the Playhouse Disney show and was mesmerized during Beauty and the Beast.  To my surprise, she loved the American Idol Experience.  Of course her favorite part of the show was the light up voting buttons!  We saw quite a few shows while we were there.  The timing never seemed to work out to get on any rides, but there weren't a lot we were planning to do with her anyway. 

We sat on the parade route to catch the Block Party Bash.  Being the adorable little girl that she is, Melia caught the eye of one of the Disney Cast Members.  The Cast Member moved us to a roped off area where we could sit on some stairs right where the parade stopped for the actual performances.  We were up close and personal with some of the monsters from Monsters, Inc Monsters, Inc. (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
I thought it was great, but Melia freaked out a little bit when one of the monsters reached out to touch her.

After the park closed we checked into a hotel for the night.  We were all exhausted and ready for bed EARLY!  Seeing the park with Melia was an entirely new experience.  I can't wait for future Disney trips!

Our Little Mermaid

Melia LOVES the water.  We have taken her to the pool and some splash parks in the area and she has a blast.  She has NO fear of the water either.  Since Mommy is a little paranoid, we decided to enroll her in parent/child swim lessons.  The city pool offers an 8 week program that meets twice a week.  Finally, we found a program that is offered after work hours!

This week we had our first two "lessons".  Really, all we have done so far is play around a little in the pool to get her comfortable with the water.  (not that she wasn't comfortable before!).  We have worked on blowing bubbles, getting into the pool safely, kicking, etc...  I am not sure she has really learned anything we couldn't teach her on our own, but I assume every little bit she learns helps.

The "Guppy" class for 3 and  4 year olds is held at the same time as our lesson.  Those children take their lessons without Mommy and Daddy.  There was a ton of crying and screaming coming from that end of the pool.  My biggest goal with these swim lessons is to make sure Melia is comfortable in the water and doesn't develop a huge phobia. 

After all, I really want to be able to take her on some snorkeling, swim with the dolphins, etc... excursions on future cruises! :)