Oh, this little one...

I had my 37 week appointment today. The doctor went over my protein results from last Friday's 24 hour collection and they were...not good. My protein was even higher this time than last. However, because my blood pressure is still normal (yea!) and I'm not swollen, there is not a way she can diagnose me with preeclampsia. I have to have something else in conjunction with the high protein. So now I am being watched carefully. Instead of just the once a week check-ups, I now have those AND twice weekly non-stress tests for fetal monitoring, once a week ultrasounds to check the amniotic fluid level and I have to do bloodwork and the 24 hour protein urine collections once a week. I was also dilated to just over a centimeter, which is more than I was with Noah at this point although I don't put much stock in how far you are dilated having an effect on when you actually go into labor. I wasn't dilated at all before I went into labor with Noah and I know people who have walked around for weeks being a few centimeters dilated. That's why my doctor in Grand Rapids never even checked her patients until the 39 week appointment. She said too many first time moms are broken hearted. I just figure the more I can dilate now, the less I have to do later, right?
Noah woke up from his nap with a slight fever. He was having a good morning and then right before lunch he curled up in my lap and wanted to snuggle...that's when I started suspecting something might be going on. He practically fell asleep in his lunch, hardly ate, and then asked to take a nap (at that point I was thinking something was definitely wrong.) I was surprised that he didn't nap as long as usual and when he came and woke me up from my nap, his cheeks were extremely flushed and warm and when I felt his forehead he felt warmer than usual. After taking his temperature I put in a quick call to his pediatrician's office to speak to the nurse. She said it was probably a small bug or cold since he has no other symptoms - no cough, no runny nose...just tired and a slight fever - so she had me give him some children's Motrin. I think that actually gave him a small burst of energy, but the rest of the afternoon and evening he was just not himself. He again curled up in my lap on the couch tonight and snuggled. Tim said he was asleep before they were even done with their usual bedtime routine. I hope it doesn't turn into anything more serious.
That's about all new here. I am excited to see my little girl on an ultrasound next Friday (I would like more to see her in person by that time, but we'll see...) My sister told me that ultrasounds are not as exciting late in the pregnancy because by that time the baby is so big you just see a head or part of the body instead of the entire little being. I wish I could see whether or not she has hair.....