39 Weeks: The beginning of the end

39 weeks tomorrow, and only 10 days of the pregnancy remaining! I was all anxious and hoping I would deliver early, but being in the midst of today, and realizing that I only have 10 days left (unless I go later), and realizing those 10 days will fly has made me let go of those anxieties and try to enjoy these last precious days of feeling my little peanut inside my belly, and sleeping in. I think I’ll miss the sensations of him moving- a constant reassurance of his wellbeing. But I cannot wait to meet him!! I know I’m naïve to the changes that will happen in my life, but I intend to take it day-by-day and learn as much as I can.

Wednesday, I had a bloody show. If this is TMI for you, stop reading here, but it is basically lots of blood-tinged mucous that indicates that your cervix is dilating and effacing. It can signal that labor is days/weeks away. Again, like every other “sign”, it is hardly definitive. If nothing else, it’s a sign that we’re progressing in the right direction, and at this point, that’s all I can hope for! I actually had to go to the hospital yesterday. I had a bit of spotting, and the day before I heard that mysterious ‘pop’ once again. Afraid the two could be related I called the doctor, who told me to get it checked out. I was on the monitor for a while and the baby was not showing signs of stress. They were also monitoring my contractions; yes, I was having them. I’ve been having them all this time, and simply mistook the feeling for the baby stretching. In all actuality, that sensation comes from the uterus contracting around the baby, thus hugging him and making it feel like he was stretching. I saw Dr. Hamilton while I was in the hospital and she said that if I wanted her to, she could check me internally to see about progress. When I told her that I’d rather not endure the discomfort, if she doesn’t think it’s necessary, she said that was a good choice on my part, as her checking could encourage more bleeding. She said the bleeding could very well be a sign of my cervix dilating, and “who knows- labor could be this weekend!”. She said the situation is favorable, and the baby is the lowest she’s ever seen, so it’s definitely a possibility! I would like for her to be the one to deliver, and she is on call this weekend.On a different note, today is the last day of work! YAAAAAAY! I cannot WAIT—I’m pretty uncomfortable today, with pressure from the baby being low. I’m sitting here practically spread eagle so my belly has somewhere to go! Oh this is all so exciting! J

A sweet man just came into the office and left me with an encouraging blessing, “May God bless you and give you such an incredible birth that you will remember that God did it”.

38 weeks

This picture brings us to about 38 weeks. We went to a wedding for some good friends of ours. Keith was in the Bridal party. It was fun...except for the 'trying to find a dress' part. That was quite a process. I had actually borrowed a dress from a friend at work and when I actually went to try it on, I very closely resembled a sausage. It was more the pattern than the way it fit- black and grey with leaf-like print. *cringe*It looked much better on the hanger than it did on me. So I tried on like 3 others that I had, but none fit! I didn't realize that I had gotten so big almost overnight...or at least that's how it feels. So I resorted to the only thing that looked remotely slimming, even though it was made for summer, and it was freezing outside. I also wore heels. I have no idea what I was thinking- I didn't wear them for most of the night. All in all, it was fun.

I went to my appointment last week and they did not do an internal exam. They usually start those at 38 weeks (which would be this week) to monitor progress. The only reason they did an exam at the last one was because they were already "there" to give me a group b strep test. Being 1 cm dilated and 70% effaced the first time was definitely encouraging, so I'm hoping that the progress from last week as well as this week will come as a nice surprise! I've been trying to focus upon the little changes I notice, in my body, wondering if everything that I feel, which is remotely different, is a sign that the baby is coming. I've been having a lot more indigestion, unfortunately, waves of nausea here and there, and continuous swelling in my legs, feet, and ankles. I've been sleeping less...or peeing and changing positions more...can't decide which. And most importantly, I've been trying to enjoy sleeping in on the weekends, knowing it will end soon! This week is my last at THP, so that very thought is giving me renewed energy on this dreary Monday morning. I hope it holds me over all week!

Keith's 28th birthday is today! He thinks that the baby coming on his birthday would be the absolute best gift ever! I wouldn't mind going into labor tonight but hope that he doesn't actually come until tomorrow (if that's the case), because I have plans to take Keith out to dinner with 4 of our friends. It should be fun! Not crazy and over the top, but a budget-friendly way to celebrate. After all, who could resist the Cheesecake factory? Mmmmm-delicious! I also went on a cleaning frenzy last night. He mentioned how having the house clean makes him feel less stressed and more comfortable, so I thought that would be a nice birthday gift. He looked at me suspiciously after finding out that I cleaned out the fridge and wiped down the shelves and asked me if I was 'nesting' or if I was doing this for him. I told him it was definitely for him. I had a 2 hour nap that afternoon, and figured if I have the energy, I might as well take advantage of it!! One less thing to do next week when I'm off!

A good question came up this weekend, in talking with some friends about the holidays. They asked what we would do if the baby hadn't yet shown up by Christmas...and the answer is that I really don't know! My aunt is hosting Christmas at her house in Southampton (about 45 away from our house- 1 hour from the hospital). I don't know if it's wise to go there, and risk going into labor and having to rush to the hospital, or if we should stick close to home. Hopefully the baby will have come by then, and it won't even be an issue. But If he hasn't, i'm not sure what to do! If I just go into labor, it's no biggie and we would have plenty of time to get to the hospital. But if my water breaks, that's a different story. There's not as much time to get there. Maybe this will be another decision that is made for me.

My 38 week appointment is tomorrow. If I hear anything interesting, I will definitely let everyone know!