Oh yeah...

For whatever it's worth, my doctor said she would expect BabyW to be somewhere around 7 1/2 to 8 lbs. I wasn't sure if she meant right now, or when he's born... and of course it's just a guess based on her 20+ years of experience... so we'll see. Anything under 9 lbs sounds good to me!

38 Week Update

38 Week Baby Update: Apparently my crampiness on Friday was not in vain... it was definitely accomplishing something! I'm a little more dilated. Still technically 1 cm, but my doctor said it was definitely good progress from last week! She said a few more crampy days like that and I should be in real good shape. (Too bad I haven't felt anything since Friday!) BabyW has a strong heartbeat and continues to be really active. So we just keep waiting and watching.... and walking! :)

If I hear another person tell me I look like I'm about to "pop" or "explode," I just might! LOL. It's funny how people don't think much about how they word things. I don't mind at all when someone tells me it looks like I could have this baby any day, or that I must be glad to be at the end, or something else that compassionately recognizes that I must be 9 months pregnant. But popping, exploding, bursting... followed by looks of amazement or snickers...somehow those aren't so encouraging! But it's okay... I am definitely thankful to be at the end. I'll just be glad when people go back to looking me in the eye when they talk to me rather than in the belly.

Yum Yum Yum

So I haven't had ANY real cravings during this whole pregnancy... until now. You know, now that the weight gain is supposed to level off and I start thinking about how long it'll take to get my figure back. Ha! :)
For the last 3 days, I can't seem to get enough:

• Ben & Jerry's "Imagine World Peace" Ice Cream,
• Minute Maid Berry Punch,
• & I have even had dreams about an endless selection of Cinnamon Rolls & Donuts!

I don't even like donuts & ice cream all that much! The only thing saving me is that this baby is taking up so much room in my belly, I can't eat much at all before I'm stuffed!

Monday Morning Musings

We had our first weekend in probably 9 months that we didn't really have any plans and there was nothing major we had to do! It was definitely refreshing. We watched several movies and went to Trader Joes with our moms to stock up on some quick meals to have on hand for the first few weeks home with BabyW.

Of course an empty to-do list doesn't last long. We discovered last night that our garbage disposal has a hole in it and had been leaking and spraying nasty old food all underneath our kitchen sink for who knows how long! Talk about disgusting! Mike cleaned it all out but there's definitely some water damage we'll have to treat and we'll now be buying a new disposal. That's not the fun kind of home improvements we like to invest in, but it's just one of the joys of home ownership.

No real news on the baby front. My cramping stopped after Friday night and I felt pretty normal all weekend. We're just waiting... :)

Our movie reviews from the weekend:












New In Town - a random RedBox pick that we were very pleasantly surprised by! It's rated PG and it's just a fun clean movie we both really enjoyed.
The Client - an old suspense I thought I'd seen but never had... pretty good.
Confessions of a Shopaholic - clearly a Chick Flick that was exactly what we expected... mindless entertainment, cute but predictable.... definitely not Mike's favorite.

Could it be?

I've decided that everything about pregnancy is really just a mystery. For every symptom that could be one thing, it could just as easily be something else! :)

• Swelling in one leg: it could be a blood clot, or it could be completely normal.
• Pain in your lower abdomen before 37 weeks: it could be preterm labor, or the baby might just be positioned akwardly.
• Dilated 1 cm: you could go into labor tonight, or it could be 4 more weeks.
• And my latest... what feels like menstrual cramps nearly all day: definitely the onset of early labor, but still... it could take hours, it could take days, it could take weeks.

So while it's definitely hard not to wonder and try to figure out what's going on, I am definitely learning to just make mental notes, and keep on waiting. :) It's not like I really have another option anyway. But.. talk about making a girl crazy! What gets me through: No matter what, BabyW will DEFINITELY be here within the next 4 weeks. Guaranteed. I'd rather it be more like 4 days, but the end is definitely in sight! :)

2009: The Year that..... ?

We started filling out BabyW's baby book a few nights ago, which was pretty fun. There is a page to list stuff about what the world is like right now: current events, headlines, world leaders, pop culture. It's kinda interesting to try to write down what sets 2009 apart. So now I wonder if I should go back and add that this was the year Michael Jackson died? I don't really think so. As much as he was an incredible musician and definitely a defining icon of the 80's, I just don't know that I find his life worthy enough to document. He certainly wasn't any kind of role model for young boys. I've never been one to be star-struck though and I value integrity, humility, and honor much more than fame, riches and even talent. I believe that our talents are gifts from God and more of a responsibility than a privilege. So while I feel for the Jackson family at this difficult time, I think I'll save the space in the baby book for something else... What would you consider some significant events of 2009?

Random thoughts...

1. Progress! With the glider, that is... we recovered the ottoman last night and it turned out great. Of course I didn't think to take a picture, but eventually I'll post some of the whole nursery. The chair itself actually doesn't look bad in the old fabric, so we'll just see how motivated I get in the next couple of weeks, but if it doesn't get recovered, I actually don't mind.
   
   
2. Next time... I won't work up until the day I go into labor. I definitely wouldn't recommend it. I've survived... and for a while it was definitely no problem. But this last month has definitely taken it's toll on me and I find myself wishing I'd planned to stop working a little earlier. Fortunately, my job, which used to be extremely stressful and busy, has been fairly slow recently, so it's more just the physical toll of being stuck in an office and not resting. The end is near and I'll make it, but for anyone considering it, I'd strongly recommend finding another way...
   
   
3. Not in my Control: I've known since about 18 weeks that I tested positive for GBS (Group B Strep bacteria). It's fairly common in pregnant women... we're just "colonized" not infected, and the risk is that it will be transferred to the baby during delivery. Since they now routinely test for it, they are able to give IV antibiotics to the mom during labor and so long as I have that IV for at least 4 hours before giving birth, the risk to baby is significantly reduced. If I should deliver faster, they will treat the baby himself with antibiotics. So while it can be a serious issue if the baby were infected, the odds are so rare now that I've been reassured it's nothing to lose sleep over. We will probably be kept at the hospital for an extra day so the baby can be closely monitored.
   
   Well, then I get a call this morning from my doctor's office letting me know that there is a fairly high-level of GBS in my urine and that now they want me to take an antibiotic for the next 7 days... in addition to getting the IV at the hospital. I talked to the doctor and he still reassured me that I don't have reason to worry. There is no greater risk for the baby. If anything, it just means I have a slightly higher chance of getting an infection after birth, but it's much easier to treat me than the baby anyway. So now I'm just trying to put it out of my mind and not worry about it. I can't worry about the fact that apparently women in my family have fast labors (will I be able to get the IV for the full 4 hours?) I'm not going to request an elective C-Section just to avoid the risk of passing it to the baby (although the thought has certainly crossed my mind!) I just have to wait and trust that everything will be fine. Easier said than done.