And the Wait Continues...

I am now 37 weeks and 4 days and if I could give you hours I would...and still no baby (sigh). The suspense is killing me. Every day I wake up and ask myself... is today the day?...and then I go to bed each night and ask myself...is tonight the night? I can't stop thinking about how the whole scenario will play out. Will I be shopping at Target and have my water break? Or will I wake up to pee in the middle of the night and realize I am having contractions. My mind just won't stop wandering and it is really giving me a headache. Plus, to top it off my doc really short changed me two weeks back when she thought I was going to give birth that week. Everyone got so excited but now all it really did was get my panties in a bunch. I mean crap...can't they give you a better idea than that. It has been two LONG weeks and nothing has changed. I am really getting antsy and so is everyone else. I almost don't want to pick up the phone and call anyone anymore because the first thing they ask is if I am in labor. Sometimes I don't even get a hello...it is just straight to the point...Are you in labor? I reply no and you can hear the let down in their voice like they are thinking...well shoot, why did you call then.

Paul is even guilty of putting the pressure on. Last night he told me he is cramming all this stuff into each day because he never knows when he will be called away for the week. He reasssured me though that the computer will be coming home with him and he has a spare box of files to work through that are already loaded in the car so he has plenty to take care of while on paternity leave. I laughed on the inside and thought...buddy, you have no idea what you are in for. I didn't have the heart to tell him that between catering to me and London he will have plenty to do and in his "spare" time I can guarantee he will want to sleep...and that is about it.

So the days go by and the waiting continues. I am really enjoying this final stage of relaxation, naps, lunches out with friends and trips to the store sans baby. I know it will all be a distant memory in no time. I have a doctors appointment Thursday and am crossing my fingers that she will take a look at me and check my cervix and send me straight to the hospital. You hear about that happening and maybe...just maybe...it will happen to me.

How Are You Feeling?

This seems to be the most frequently asked question these days. For good reason of course but gosh am I sure sick of telling 20 people a day that I am feeling about as crappy as I was feeling the day before and the day before and the day before...you catch my drift. My girlfriend made a good point yesterday though when she said...you might as well enjoy everyone asking how YOU are doing for the next little bit because as soon as London arrives no one will ask how you are doing...only how she is doing. Good point I thought.

Anyway, my answer for today is...as you would expect...I am feeling about the same as yesterday. To paint a perfect picture and be a real complainer I have decided to start at the top of my head and run through every ailment on my body. Headaches...these are a new development. I get them daily now. Typically mid day and they last a few hours. Shoulder aches...as a result of the growing mammaries on my chest no doubt. Acid reflux...thanks to London rearranging my stomach and small intestine. Boob leakage...well that speaks for itself. Lower backache...as a result of London sitting ever so far down in my belly. The sensation that I could pee at any moment...again thanks to London resting her pretty little head on my bladder. Muscle strains in my lower abdomen...due in part to my ever expanding belly. Abdominal cramps...these are the early signs of labor according to my doc. Swollen legs, calves, ankles and feet...as if you can even differentiate my calf from my ankle from my foot. So there it is...the true joys of pregnancy this last month.

London is certainly getting crowded because her movements make my entire belly jump around like a firework just went off inside. It is a fun sensation and hilarious to watch and wonder what she might be doing in there. I know she is just baking away but I am ready for her to make an appearance any time now. I am ready to have my body back. I look forward to the simple things like eating without thinking I just regurgitated a ball of fire. I look forward to having my feet fit into shoes instead of the three pair of flip flops I have been forced to wear these past two months. I look forward to not being winded after making the bed and being able to fit comfortably in my car without the steering wheel resting a quarter inch from my belly. Just the little things...

So as the time rolls by and I approach 37 weeks on Friday I plan to begin the process of coaxing her out. Lots of stretching, yoga poses, walking, squats, spicy food and pressure point massage. We will see how it goes. And, in the event that she still is not ready to join us then my doctor has advised me that I can be induced at 39 weeks. I will keep my options open and just pray that she comes before then. So, keeping my fingers crossed and hoping she arrives real soon...please!

The Countdown is On!

Today I am 36 weeks pregnant. I can hardly believe the time has passed so quickly and our baby will be here in 28 days or less. There has been lots of physical changes this past week though so I know she is getting ready to make an appearance any time now.

The week started with a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. The usual procedures took place- urine test, weight, blood pressure and fetal heart beat check. Everything was good. Then the doc took my measurement and discovered I was only measuring at around 32 weeks. Next step, a cervical check. Sure thing, the baby had dropped even more and my cervix had thinned out some and was dialated 1cm. She advised me that she was really low in the birth canal and she would highly doubt that I could make it past July and she wouldn't even be surprised if I had her this week. Of course I was in a state of shock and I had a slight panic attack wondering if I was ready...like NOW. It was exciting and nerve racking and scary all at the same time. My Godmother who was with me was giddy and immediately commented that she better go home and take a nap then. Nap? I wish I could nap. I would be lucky to get any sleep going forward with all this excitement. It reminded me of that darling Disney commercial that aired a few years back when two kids who are leaving for Disneyland the next day get in trouble for being up too late and giggling in bed. When the parents come in to scold them they reply (in the cutest voice ever), "But we are too excited to sleep." Paul and I have stolen that line in the commercial and used it countless times. This would be one of those times. Instantly, I started processing everything that still needed to be done. Car seat needs installing, registry purchases need to be finished, laundry needs to be done, etc, etc.
I called Paul right away and he didn't have much to offer. I think he was caught off guard too and it took a few hours for him to process it before he called back to make sure we had really just had a conversation about possibly having a baby this week. Yes honey, that was the conversation I told him. And then he followed up by saying (and this is why I love him so much)...well are we still going to be able to go to Morton's on Friday to celebrate our 5th anniversary? My reply was...well as long as we aren't at the hospital or home with our newborn child then yes honey we will still be going.
By Tuesday night I noticed a drastic difference in my belly. It had dropped. The "girls" no longer rested so comfortably on my belly anymore. There was actually space between them now. Great progress! Especially now that it is ridiculously hot outside and the sweat that was developing from the friction of the two was getting a bit out of control. So my belly has dropped quite a bit and with that comes new challenges such as the fact that London is now resting her head on my bladder. Not a big deal most of the time but when she gets the hiccups (and she does 3-4 times a day) her little head repeatedly bumps my bladder and makes me feel like I could pee my pants at any time. I also am getting lower back pain now that she is so low and I get these wierd pulling sensations in my belly when I sit forward too fast. All sorts of fun things...and according to the doctor...all totally normal!
I think I still have a little ways to go before this munchkin is born though. I anticipate the end of next week. I am shooting for Thursday or Friday but I know she will come when she is ready. In the meantime, we are still going to Morton's to celebrate our 5 year anniversary tonight. My girlfriend put it best this morning. She said, 5 years ago you were getting married on this day and now 5 years later you are knocked up and having a baby. Amazing how times change!
This is almost the end of the journey- It is hard to believe. Since Tuesday I have managed to get all the details wrapped up. Car seat is installed, registry purchases are done and put away. Hospital bag is packed. All we need now is our beautiful new baby. I can hardly wait.

MOO-ve Over Milkman

I felt the title of this blog was so fitting for two reasons. First, I feel like I am the size of a hefty dairy cow as of late and second, I am producing liquid from my "utters" at a speed that would make the milkman proud.

Although I have always been shall we say "blessed in the chest" I had no idea what I was in for when I got pregnant. Big boobs run in the family on both sides so I really had no chance from the time I was concieved. In fact, one of my most favorite final memories with my mom happened at the hospital about 2 months ago. I was there visiting as I did everyday and so was my Godmother. My mom was in an especially spunky mood that day and she started harassing me about how big my belly had gotten and in addition, how large my boobs looked too. She then proceded to lift up her shirt and lament about her bare pancakes and how old and saggy they were. She wanted to compare hers to mine so she begged me to show her the girls in all their glory. I of course consented and lifted my top and bra to showcase my boobs...all the while the three of us are laughing hysterically. My mom flipped out over my boobs...oh my gosh...they are HUGE...aren't they heavy?...can I hold one? Sure I said, to which she replied by reaching out and palming by boob and giving it a few shakes. Then she said...wow those are really heavy you poor thing...and your milk hasn't even come in yet. Then my mom turned to my Godmother and said...okay, we showed you ours now you show us yours. She didn't go for it but it was still absolutely hilarious and we laughed about it for quite a while.

So as I said before, my boobs have grown quite a bit since I got pregnant. In fact, they have now grown so much that they actually rest on my belly and boy is it a sight to behold. In fact, the other day Paul actually expressed concern for them being too big and smothering our childs face at feedings. Gee, thanks honey. As if I have any control over their size. They also have started producing this fabulous pre-milk liquid called colostrum. Generally it is produced right after giving birth and it feeds the baby for a few days until the real milk comes in but some people such as myself get to experience the joy of producing it early and in turn we get an early lesson in boob leakage. The first time this happened was about a month and a half ago. I came home from a day out and about running errands and I started to prepare dinner. I ran my hands over my belly and hit a wet spot. Wierd I thought...what did I spill? I looked down and pulled my shirt away from my body and there was a large wet spot along with several dry spots in the boob region. By golly my boobs sprung a leak. And, they did so while I was out running errands. How embarassing. No wonder the kid at Nuggett had this funky look on his face at the checkout counter earlier. I probably scarred him for life. Immediately I dialed one of my best girlfriends/lactation consultant who informed me it was totally normal and some people just start producing early...and that meant I needed to get nursing pads and start using them. Oh joy!

So the next day, I bought the first of many boxes of nursing pads and tried them out. Not too bad actually. I also went out and bought a couple nursing bras a few days later because I quickly learned that the girls also need sufficient coverage at night in bed as well. All this after I woke up to dried spots on my sheets. The best part though is when I get out of the shower and have not yet dressed and it starts running down my belly because as I said, my boobs rest comfortably on my belly these days. I mean honestly...you really can't help but laugh about it. And I am sure when my milk finally does come in it will be an even greater sight to behold. But, these girls will be London's breakfast, lunch and dinner so I better get used to it. In fact, our Lamaze coach informed us that the baby will eat anywhere from 8-12 times a day in the beginning. So, they will be getting more action than ever before. And between feeding London and pumping on the side we should have a full fledged Ueckert Dairy being run right out of our home in no time. Mooooooo!