I have got to be one of the world’s worst vitamin takers. Even when pregnant I just cannot seem to remember to take my prenatal vitamins! Of course, hearing my doctor tell me that they weren’t absolutely essential and mandatory did not help cement in my mind that I should add them to my morning routine. Now that baby is here, I know I should continue to take them while I’m breastfeeding. Hmmmm…maybe that will go better!

I just finished giving Rachel her first bath a few minutes ago. I’m so glad I waited until the other kids were gone and didn’t make a big deal out of it because it was extremely unpleasant to say the least. The bathroom was warm and so was the water, but boy did she scream. On the upside…no baby eczema in sight yet. I sure hate it when that ugly mess appears and ruins their perfect newborn skin…

Rachel Bethany Hatter

Arrived on July 7, 2010 at 9:14 p.m. weighing 7 lbs 14 oz and 21 inches long.

It was a long induction…36 hours to be exact…filled with ups and downs…but God is faithful and always provides.

My worries about things like adult acne are over…now I am consumed with baby poop, sleeping and feedings.

She’s a sweet little princess and we are loving her.

After another OB appointment today where the baby looked fine in the Non-Stress Test and my BP was still high yet not freakishly high, we decided to get through the holiday weekend and hopefully the kids will have a great time on the fourth. We are having lots of fun company on Sunday and I really didn’t want to ruin the day unless the situation was imminently dangerous – which it doesn’t seem to be at least at this point.

So…I am to have a low-key weekend…which I should be able to do. Guests are bringing food and I have nothing to do but hang out! How cool is that?!? Looking forward to it, actually!

At this point I have no worries – I refuse to contemplate anything major or minor this weekend (not even pronexin…LOL). This may be one of my last laid-back weekends and I’m going to enjoy it!

Oh, how I love one of the side-effects of pregnancy. Does your hair grow fast and thick when you are pregnant? Mine sure does. In fact, I think my hair easily grows an inch a month and feels fatter and thicker than ever when I am gestating. So no…I certainly don’t need any hair growth shampoo right at this moment. However, check back with me in about four months when I am in the process of losing all of this glorious growth. That is one of the cruelest and hardest things to endure during the postpartum period.

I’ve got a lot on my plate right now and on my mind. I’m actually surprised how fuzzy my brain feels when my blood pressure goes high. You always hear how high blood pressure is the “silent killer” but I’m not finding that true. I can always tell when mind is high because my head hurts and feels fuzzy.

I will NOT be assessing cheap insurance rates while my brain feels like this. In fact, I’m finding it hard to do much of anything that requires thought more and more because it’s hard to wrap my brain around things.

Yes…I’m getting tired…time to not be pregnant anymore!

We are fast approaching the point where this baby is going to be safer out than in, according to my OB. After approximately one week of elevated blood pressure, my doctor is running out of patience to allow it to continue much longer.

Thankfully, we won’t be needing any snow boots to get to the hospital. In fact, it’s looking more and more like this will be a planned affair with the drive being made during civilized hours.

The kids are getting impatient and its getting hard for them to wait. Not much longer, though, I don’t think!

With the impending arrival of a new baby, I am finding myself having to rearrange life to accommodate this new little person. I’ve become pretty comfortable earning a living at my laptop here in the comfort of my home. I cannot imagine any easier home based business than sitting here writing for a living. Works for me! I know I am going to have to get creative about how and when I write for awhile now, though. That is going to be tough to get used to.

I had an OB appointment this morning and was surprised to learn that my blood pressure is up significantly. The doctor was very concerned. More concerned than I thought was warranted until I came home and did some reading. It seems that preeclampsia can raise your possibility of an abruption (which I am already at risk for).

So…I am sidelined for the foreseeable future. I guess I’ll just sit here and shop for good laptop deals on my computer instead of weeding my garden or scrubbing my floors.

I need to go to the pharmacy this afternoon and tomorrow morning to see what my blood pressure is…so until I do that, we don’t really know for sure what is going on. Doctor talked about inducing next week, though! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I had a doctor’s appointment this morning and the doctor told me it could literally be any time…or…I could walk around like this for weeks. I don’t typically dilate early, so the fact that I’m already dilating makes me think it might be soon.

In the meantime…I’m having no trouble staying busy and trying not to focus on labor and delivery. The more I stay focused on other things the better, really. I still have several loose ends to tie up before I’m ready to have this baby.