week 37

cravings:  spicy, limes, pineapple

aversions:  not much

symptoms:  the most swollen feet possible. Bobby's flip flops are tight on me... I'm dilated to a loose 2.5, thinned significantly, and having very regular contractions for the past three days. We are hoping the blue moon on Friday might hurry things along ;)

movement:  so so much. Head butts to the cervical region feel so weird, but mean she's getting low!

fears:  I really don't want to spend the next three plus weeks in labor. My whole body is sore from this weekends continuous contractions. 

general mood:  excited, a little impatient, and at peace with all the preparations that needed to be made (and are now!). 

sleep:  I've been so exhausted the past few nights that I've slept really solid (with several interruptions to use the loo and from contractions). My body knows I need my rest to gather strength for the big day. 

surprised by:  my lack of progress at today's exam. With three full days of 5-9 minute contractions, I expected more than a half centimeter improvement. But I understand that week to week progress is relatively uninformative without being in active labor. 

looking forward to:  being a family of three, holding our little girl in our arms. 

best / worst moments:  we finished her nursery, which feels like a huge burden removed! Worst moments have been continued and increased discomfort, but this too shall pass and is totally worth it.

bobby is:  also getting impatient. He just wants to meet her so badly and hates when I'm in pain.

nursery progress:  done. Like completely. It's been such a relief and now I've been doing my Hypnobabies in the rocker. I love it so much. Everything is ready, sans one wipe dispenser for the changing station I've set up in our room. 

week 36

cravings:  Chester's Hot Fries, salted caramel, steak, fruit and lots of it

aversions:  none, give me all the food.

symptoms:   Lots of pelvic pressure, waves of strong contractions, loss of mucus plug, waves of intense energy and extreme exhaustion, dilation of 2cm and effacement of 50%, nausea

movement:  for most of the week she has been kicking hard and working her head into my darkest depths. But today she has been full of sweet, gentle flutters.

fears:  that I won't know when labor is really here and that I'll end up like the mom who delivered her own baby on the beltway last week. I'm actually praying that my water will break in a very obvious way early in active labor just so I can know for sure.

general mood:  lots of ups and downs. There have been bouts of overwhelmed and upset years and bouts of extreme joy and bliss tears.

sleep:  I'm napping more solid than I'm sleeping. I've been having hot and cold flashes at night and I'm a whale. 

surprised by:  how beat I've been today. I painted some artwork sitting down, napped, and made a run to the store for light bulbs and I'm totally exhausted. Yesterday I was shopping all over town and on my feet for over thirteen hours and I rocked it. Like I said, ups and downs.

looking forward to:  meeting her. And not being pregnant. And having all the preparations done. 

best / worst moments:  losing my mucus plug was such an encouragement, that my contractions have actually been doing something. And then my doctor says she doesn't expect me to make it to my due date (and maybe not even to my next appointment!) which made me feel so relieved. I understand that babies need to wait to come until they are ready, but my body has been acting ready for over a week now and it is getting really difficult to function. And I guess the worst moments this week have been when I just feel beat by this pregnancy, and they are increasing.

bobby is:   happy I have my mom here to babysit me, make me rest, and help me with chores I can no longer do without potentially hurting myself. And he's so ready to be a daddy. He bought her a big purple bow this week for newborn pictures, and my heart totally swelled.

nursery progress:  We are getting there! We have a lovely chalk board to keep her monthly statistics on, we bought and are working on setting up her library and monogram wall, we hung curtains, I made a lovely flag bunting to cheer up the crib, and we are missing only a few minor things. It feels so good to start to feel ready.

week 35

cravings:  spicy anything, milk with cereal or cookies or other yummies, all of the beef in Texas

aversions:  none, give me all the food.

symptoms:  lots of pre/early labor symptoms including but not limited to waves of legit contractions that get a little scary before breaking for a few hours, and cramping in my back. She is for sure engaged which has left the downtown with a lot of pressure. Like sitting upright is a challenge. The relaxin coursing through my veins is also on the increase, causing a lot of acid reflux and terrible balance and unsteadiness. But my biggest symptom is feeling like a whale. How can my body possibly stretch any farther?!

movement:  she pushes her butt out a lot, wiggles her left foot when she hears noises, and is constantly trying to get even lower (but Violet, there just isn't anymore room down there!). She been getting hiccups almost daily, and they tickle quite a bit.

fears:  that she's going to stay in there forever. I feel like Sookie at the end of her first pregnancy bouncing about and worrying she's carrying an elephant child that will want to gestate for two years. I'm to the point where I just want her out and here in my arms. And then I feel guilty for not basking in every sweet moment of this longed-for pregnancy and then I cry.

general mood:  whiney. And I get sad/angry way too easily. I really want to be happy and relish in these last few weeks, but I'm always always tired and uncomfortable and it's got me a little down. I need a wave of endurance!

sleep:  back to crappy sleep with lots of interruptions.

surprised by:  how done I am with being pregnant. I'm very pro the natural route, but I think if my doctor offered me an induction today I would cry tears of joy because I'm that weak.

looking forward to:  my mom gets here tonight! It is such a relief to know that someone will be here with me if I go into labor, to help me finish her nursery and prepare the house for guests and V, and to encourage me to power through.

best / worst moments:  one of the best moments is right now, realizing that it's a month for her guess date! Whooohoooo! Another good moment was taking our Baby 101 class where we learned what to do with her once we get home and even got a baby instruction manual. Though I have a good bit of experience with babies, Bobby has very little (like he changed his very first diaper last Saturday). So we are feeling much more prepared after that. Less than ideal moments were spending Friday timing contractions and feeling unprepared for her seemingly impending arrival. I ironed baby clothes and bedding for six hours solid and cleaned the whole house, just in case.

bobby is:   So supportive through all of the emotions I've been experiencing and in all of our birth preparations. He's really helping me get as ready as I can so that I can feel peace over not knowing "when."

nursery progress:  it isn't pretty yet, but all of her stuff is ready and organized. Her clothes are washed, ironed, and organized by size and type. Her bathroom is organized. Her changing station is set up in our room for now along with her cradle. Her bags are packed and loaded, our bag is packed sans toiletries (which are Expo markered on the bathroom mirror for easy packing). If I went into labor this second, I could be ready and at the hospital in an hour.

week 34

cravings:  fruit, ice cream, chinese food. I've been dreaming of good, spicy, greasy chinese.

aversions:  raw meat

symptoms:  some morning sickness, less heartburn, more waddling, tiny bladder, raging hormones (I sympathy cried for a cartoon character this week..)

movement:  Different. Instead of poking her head out I feel little toes in my ribs. And when she sleeps, she's a rock and there's no waking her up. Let's hope she keeps sleeping so well once she's out ;)

fears:  None. I feel less anxiety now than at any other point in my pregnancy and I cannot wait to get the show on the road.

general mood:  I cry a lot. But I'm really happy.

sleep:  crazy dreams, but I''m sleeping solid most of the night!

surprised by:  How low she is! At our last ultrasound yesterday we could hardly see her head because she's already so low into my pelvis. And that head really does feel like a bowling ball I'm holding in by the end of my morning walks.

looking forward to:  my mom getting here to help me finish up her room, our baby class next weekend where we get to learn to swaddle and bathe and be capable parents (Bobby's never changed a diaper, so I'm really glad this class is on the agenda), and getting to see her IRL within the next few weeks!

best / worst moments:  Hearing my doctor tell us how wonderful everything looks for the natural birth we are hoping for was so encouraging and uplifting. We went into the appointment very concerned about her still being breech and unresponsive to spinning methods, and came out with such excitement to have seen her pretty little head so low and her body so developed. Worst moments have been losing more and more independence, which hasn't been the end of the world. Naps are sometimes necessary, I can't get out of the bath on my own, I got stuck sitting on the floor at the grocery store and had to call out for help getting up (super embarrassing and lame).

bobby is:   maybe as thrilled about the news we got yesterday as I am. He was so proud of his girl for finally turning, and it was adorable. He's also super protective of me (mostly from myself), and doesn't want me to do anything of the slightest risk without his help. I love him.

nursery progress:  I have a few little projects going: making her drapes, recovering her rocking chair cushions, lining her changing table, and planning a little library for all her books (she has quite the collection after my shower in Houston last weekend!). We are registered at the hospital and her birth plan is an edited draft, I just need to pack our bags!