39 Weeks

Tick Tock Tick Tock....

Has time slowed to a halt for anyone else? I feel like I have been waiting on this little boy for-ever! It seems he's on his own schedule and no amount of bee-bopping my large self around at work or house cleaning will get him to budge! Oh well, I figure as soon as I quit worrying about it he will come, just like when you feel like you can't wait for your food at a restaraunt any longer you go to the bathroom and ta-da, your meal appears! Unfortunately that trick does not work for inducing labor, trust me, I go to the bathroom about once every 30 minutes.

I am guilty of a lifelong habit of "observing" those around me (aka "staring" as my mom puts it). Now I am the object of way too much gawking. Can't a pregnant lady wobble around Best Buy in peace! You know it's bad when I say to Jake "I feel like everyone is staring at me" and he says "Yeah, I've noticed!" I've obviously reached that point where I am about to pop and everyone around me is just anxiously awaiting that moment. Each day I make it to work everyone is surprised to see me back for another day. Yes, I'm still here friends!

Until Jake Jr decides to make his debut I'll keep on smiling and be thankful for each day that I was able to keep my little guy safe and carry him to full term. I have to keep some perspective here, everyday I see plenty of parents who would do anything to carry their child to 40 weeks. So, I will continue to enjoy my last days of freedom, because I doubt there will be much more sleeping in til 10, watching Ellen all day long and I should have plenty of time to squeeze in a mani and a pedi!

37 & 38 weeks!

Although I feel as though time is getting slower I have apparently been too busy to blog! Between a roadtrip to Cincinatti, finishing up the nursery, a weekend at the cabin and working a little bit of OT to kickstart labor I've gotten a little behind. Developmentally the baby is essentially ready for the world but I'm convinced he won't be making his debut until 40 weeks which is just fine (I guess) since I still feel pretty good. Contractions when I am up and moving around are expected and I try to look at it as welcome sign of hopefully getting just a little bit closer to real labor. Sleep doesn't come so easy unless it is in the form of a nap between bathroom breaks and the once simple act of rolling over! After ditching my rings last week (which I don't wear to work anyway) I haven't put them back on since they seemed to be getting harder and harder to pry off my chubby little hands. Swollen ankles are essentially a given now too although the left is always more swollen than the right. I never thought I'd see the day when even my maternity clothes seemed to be getting a little tight, but they just aren't as comfortable as they once were. I don't know if it's just because the baby has gotten bigger or if he is starting to drop because my bladder is in overdrive once again and rarely feel relieved for long. I have received a few comments about looking like he's dropped a little so I am just going to go on ahead and believe that. I haven't packed my "go" bag as Jake called it because I don't want to be too prepared for fear that he will never come. And although I am anxious to meet him he isn't allowed to come until after this weekend since my dad and Will will be in South Dakota pheasant hunting. Until next week friends!

36 Weeks

Weighing about 6 pounds and measuring somewhere around 20 inches long, our little baby is almost ready to be in the real world! Right now, most of his systems are just about fully equipped for life outside of the womb. Though his digestive system is ready to roll to, it hasn't really gotten a work out yet since he still receives all of his nutrition from the umbilical cord.
At the doctor this week we learned that the baby is still head down and will unlikely change his position at this point in the game so that is very good news. Unfortunately I am not dilated even the teensiest bit, although I am 50% effaced. Dr. Weber said he pretty much expects to see me weekly for the next month :( This is all fine and dandy I guess if it all means a happy, healthy full term baby, as long as he doesn't wait too long to make his big debut. I am feeling rather large and in charge and refuse to think about how much bigger I might be getting if the little guy really does want to wait another 4 weeks before moving out of his little condo. I am sure it will continue to go by fast, but I have little faith in my ability to go into labor naturally since it seems tricky for the women in my family, but I'm holding out hope.
I've been feeling great and all in all I have been enjoying the great fall weather although I am finding that all my summer maternity clothes need to be accesorized with a cardigan or sweater. I noticed my left ankle was swollen last night and appears to be again today, why just the one? Who knows. I can tell that the baby is getting a little cramped because his movements are occasionally painful to me so if you see me suddenly squirming like I've been shocked it's usually because someone has decided to punch my hip or kick a rib.
As I round the corner toward the end of my pregnancy I can't help but look forward to lifting some of those pregnancy induced restrictions. First off, I will go back to being a mostly normal person! No more being treated like an invalid (although at times I can't complain, it is a little hard for this independent woman!) and I will be able to bend and snap and hop out of bed with ease. I look forward to a glass of wine with dinner and eating sushi until I am sick of it. But most importantly I can't wait to meet our sweet son face to face.