38 Weeks, 1 Day

Had my doctor's appointment yesterday morning. Still not dilated at all. However, I DID get an ultrasound, since my midwife could not determine manually if the baby was still head down (he is). So I got to see his poor, squished, little face on the ultrasound monitor. It's looks uncomfortable in there! If I get the chance, I will scan the U/S pic later, though I doubt you could figure out what you were looking at unless I pointed it out with my finger :-) At any rate, while I still want this baby OUT OF ME, it was a nice reminder that, Hey, there is an actual human being in there, not just some alien thing trying to torture me-it becomes quite easy to lose sight of this fact when you reach this stage of the third trimester and are this uncomfortable.....

The midwife also did say she does not think the baby will be a "small" one-We both seem to be guessing in the 8-9 lb range (though I am guessing closer to 9).....So only time will tell....I was 6 lbs, 8 oz at birth, and Jon was 8 lbs, 8 oz at birth.

I checked the calendar, and the next full moon is July 29 (A week from tomorrow). My grandmother, who was a labor and delivery room nurse for nearly 40 years, has always said that the full moon seemed to make a lot of women go into labor-My birth class instructor said the same thing-something to do with barometric pressure or something? At any rate, that is the date I am aiming for (still a few days before my "due" date of August 3rd)-If the full moon is supposed to help trigger labor, I plan to do everything in my power to help it along (see previous post for natural induction suggestions, or click HERE). GAME ON, people.

We also received a package of 24 of the cloth diapers we have been planning on using (Thanks to Jon's parents!). They are supposed to fit kids from birth to potty training (8 lbs to 35 lbs). I am excited about the cloth diapers, because it's one of those things I really wanted to do when I had kids-I think it's better for the kids, and DEFINITELY better for the environment. Plus, kids who wear cloth diapers are supposed to potty train faster than those that wear disposables-SCORE! I am not a saint, though-Jon and I will still use disposable diapers when we are OUT with the baby. But using cloth diapers a MAJORITY of the time is still better than nothing. This particular brand of diaper is called the Motherease OneSize Diaper System. Check it out of you are interested in cloth diapering at all.

On the list of To-Do's this weekend-Pack the hospital bag. I still need to run out and get a few little things (toiletries), then that will be done. Friday, July 20th, was Jon's end date to start new projects around the house. So, the hallway was finished being painted yesterday, and now his sole job is to try and relax until I go into labor (well relax, and do REGULAR house stuff, like cut the lawn...and, ya know, rub my feet, which are the size of Texas, and spoon feed me ice cream).

And finally, a word to the wise......DO NOT CALL ASKING IF I HAVE HAD THE BABY YET. I will let you all know-I PROMISE, either via email or phone call. The question is annoying because A) I want this baby out-don't remind me that he is not here yet B) You are for some reason assuming I would be keeping you in the dark if I HAD had the baby...Chances are, if you read my blog, you know me pretty well. Which means, chances are, you will be informed when the miraculous event of me pushing a watermelon out of my olive hole occurs.

And that is all the news fit to print at the moment.

37 Weeks, 6 Days

I apologize for the lack of posting this week, but really, what is there to say? I am still pregnant and MIGHTILY uncomfortable...and I have said it so often I sound like a broken record, so I figured I would spare you all the agony of my incessant whining.......

Props need to be given to my husband Jon, who has put up with my wild hormones swings, gigantic feet, and generally shitty moods, all while trying to keep me happy, which is pretty much an impossible task at this point. So if you don't like me (but for some weird reason continue to read this blog anyway) and couldn't care less whether I go into labor and am put out of my misery, consider poor Jon, who has to live with me.....

Last weeks doctors appointment was uneventful-I am closed up tight as a clam, blood pressure was a little higher than normal, my feet were huge, and I put on nearly 5 lbs. in ONE WEEK......They made go for extra bloodwork to rule out Pregnancy Induced Hypertension-and all the bloodwork came back normal. Sad to admit, but I was kinda bummed-If it were elevated, maybe they would have induced me.

Tomorrow, I am 38 weeks. I have a doctors appointment in the morning, where I expect them to tell me nothing of note-Yes, I am huge, blood pressure still okay, lay off the ice cream, no, I am not dilated, and yes, the fact that my feet have swollen to the size of Texas is all within the realm of normal. I will then come home and cry because this kid has no interest in coming out and I really WANT him out. I will then consider the various natural options open to me to try and kickstart labor:

• Sex (tried it)
• Nipple Stimulation (tried it)
• Spicy Food (haven't really tried it because I get heartburn 24/7 anyway, and I suspect the only result I will get from this is MORE heartburn)
• Walking (trying it, but if you saw the size of my ankles right now, you'd understand that this is very difficult)
• Evening Primrose Oil (Using it since last week-supposed to help soften your cervix)
• Castor Oil (this is the only one I am NOT willing to try-but talk to me in 2 weeks-I hear it is awful and makes labor really awful)

So yeah-that is pretty much where I am at.

We painted the front hallway this week (Desert Shadow by BEHR) and as soon as the 2nd coat goes on on the wall going up the stairs and all our stuff is back in place, I will post pics. And as soon as I put on makeup at some point (hold your breath for that one), I will post pics of my new hair color-a very deep red.

I will post an update after the doctor appointment tomorrow, though I suspect there will nothign to say...Except, perhaps, that I will be pregnant forever.

35 Weeks, 1 Day

I am on a BIG TIME fruit kick right now......Strawberries, Blueberries, Grapes, Apples......In the heat of ssummer, it all sounds pretty damn good to me...I have been eating PINTS of blueberries in one sitting and strawberries for breakfast has been a craving of mine since the beginning 0f my second trimester...Mmmmmm...Making myself hungry!

I actually finished the last of the baby laundry!!! Now I just have to put it away......But that means that Baby Room photos will soon be forthcoming!

Over the next few weeks, when you read this blog, you may find me endlessly analyzing any odd pregnancy quirks and wondering if that means I will go into labor soon.......So bear with me...It just means I a tired of being pregnant and I am ready to meet this baby. At any rate, I am off-to try and work on the baby's room and try and get this kid's foot out of my ribcage.....Happy weekend!

34 Weeks, 4 Days

So, 34 Weeks ands 4 Days...But really...Who's counting?? Passed my third glucose test, so I had pie for breakfast to celebrate...Just kidding-I had Special K with Red Berries, but pie sounds good.

We are currently having a mini-heatwave here in Western Mass, with temps in the low 90's, when they are usually at like, 79 degrees this time of year.....Bless my Father-in-law's heart, he gave Jon money for us to buy another air conditioner, since one of our 2 old ones crapped out ("I don't want my daughter-in-law to be uncomfortable"), which we bought last night and put into my tiny office........Ah, cool air.....

Aside from my constant backache, lack of sleep, sore and swollen feet and ankles and 2 ton stomach, things are good. I am convinced this baby is trying to make an exit THRU my belly button the way he is pushing lately, but unless I unwittingly became part of the cast of Aliens or Spaceballs, he has only one option regarding exit strategy here. That being said, I am STRONGLY considering offering my doctors bribes of money to induce me because I am SO ready to be done. For all the pregnant mamas out there who feel fabulous-Good for you! But if you tell me how great you feel, I will give you a great big fistful of "Why-I-Oughta"......My mood is such these days that any perky types I run into will be going down, and with very little fanfare.

Just so I can put you mind at ease (because I know you are all thinking that given my slacker tendencies, this kid would be sleeping in the drawer of a dresser in an otherwise empty room), the baby's room is slowly coming along-Most of the clothes are washed and I am slowly but surely putting them away. This weekend, I even unpacked some of the baby gear-The Pack N' Play, the Baby Papasan, and the Baby Swing all got put together. No matter that my living room now resembles a day care center-Least the boxes are put away.....It's a step in the right direction.

Also, let me just put this out there for anyone reading-If you have a pool, I will SO be your new best friend-I will happily let you poke fun at me in my awful maternity bathing suit, thunder thighs and all, if you'll let Old Shamu here float around for an hour or two in your pool. Sounds enticing, doesn't it?? You know you wanna a piece of this......

Also-Anyone want to cook for me?? (kind of sort of just kidding) Cooking is SO not happening right now.......Lucky for me, Jon's efforts in the garden are paying off, so we have plenty of fresh organic lettuce, and will soon have red peppers, cucumbers, cauliflower and tomatoes. So we won't starve...we'll just eat like rabbits for a while.

Well, that is pretty much it for now...tonight is another fun filled Labor and Delivery class at the hospital, where we get to see icky videos with crowning baby crotch shots and shown repeatedly EXACTLY what 10 cm dialated looks like (I totally THOUGHT I wanted to go drug free for birth before seeing that, but now realize I was completely insane). Fun, fun, fun.

Week 33 (and 5 days)

Had the craziest dream last night, where the baby was born at 36 weeks, weighing 10 lbs, 4 oz (OUCH FOR ME), and was okay, except for that he had Rotovirus (not even sure what that is!) and had to stay at the hospital. I actually woke up thinking: "I have to call the hopital and see how he's doing." Weird, right?

At any rate, not much to report except that I am constantly tired, achey, and look like Humpty Dumpty with tree trunks for legs at this point-It all makes for a very inviting package when Jon comes home from work every day :-)