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.