My Pregnancy: Week 38

Baby's now the size of a leek!

Your baby has really plumped up.  She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek).  She has a firm grasp, which you'll seen be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time!  Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.  Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be?  You may not be able to tell right away.  If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown.  If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old.  That's because a child's irises may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue.

Thankfully, this week was a lot better for me than last.  It's amazing what a difference it makes when my emotions decide to level out a little.  Plus, I gave in more to the exhaustion this week and took advantage of more afternoon naps than ever before.  Figured it was best to get all the sleep I possibly could while I still can!

I also had a lot of headaches early in the week.  It would come and go each afternoon and eventually led to a migraine Tuesday afternoon.  I don't get migraines, so it was weird to be sitting at work when suddenly I started getting blindspots in my vision.  Made it rather difficult to continue working since my job involves looking for details on a computer screen.  Thankfully that only lasted about 1/2 an hour but then the headache hit hard.  My shift was over, so I went home and slept.  I felt pretty loopy the rest of the night, but the headache didn't come back the next day.  I talked to the doctor about it when I went in and he said it was most likely a combination of tiredness and maybe some dehydration since my blood pressure is still normal.

Speaking of my doctor's appointment, it was another bit of a crazy one.  I dragged your dad with me out of paranoia from last week and we sat in the waiting room for over half and hour--even after everyone else had been called back.  That is extremely unusual to be in the main waiting room for so long.  Plus, it was after 5 so a lot of the staff was leaving.  

I was worried I had been forgotten and was going to have to come back another day.  I finally managed to catch the attention of the receptionist who went to make sure that the nurses knew I was waiting.  They did, but my doctor was busy dealing with a complication with another patient and was therefore suddenly very delayed.  One of the other doctors was just finishing up with his last patient, so they asked if it would be okay if I saw him instead.  That way I wouldn't have to continue waiting, especially since they didn't know how long it would be.

This was my first time seeing one of the other doctors, but it was probably a good thing since whichever of the 3 who is on call when I go into labor will most likely deliver you.  Might as well meet them ahead of time.  Once we got in with the doctor, everything went smoothly.  

Your heartbeat still sounds healthy (and is still the most magical sound to me).  My tummy measurement was closer to average this week.  I am just shy of 3cm dilated and was once again given the signs of labor, just in case.  This is the second opinion that I will not make it to my due date.  This doctor guessed that it would happen within the 10 days, but could happen at anytime.  Basically, I am to the point now where I am sitting on a ticking time bomb.

I think I had one set of Braxton Hicks contractions wake me up in the middle of the night a few nights back, but it didn't last long and didn't repeat once I got up to go to the bathroom.  Also, my pelvis is feeling somewhat sore as your head is hitting it more and more frequently.  Other than that, I feel pretty much the same.  Once you started dropping and the temperatures cooled off a bit, my feet have all but stopped swelling.

How Tall...or How Big?

Baby Mine Baby Shower

My attitude has definitely improved since my last post and a big part of that is because of the AMAZING baby shower my co-workers threw us on Saturday.  Vikki and Sally worked together to create the perfect Baby Mine (from Dumbo) themed baby shower.  

Vikki did an wonderful job setting the mood with a mobile with baby pictures of me and Jason, a fun sign-in table where guests would create a baby footprint using their hands, balloons, flags, paper flowers on the tables and chairs, popcorn & peanut party favors, and even a hired pianist to play Disney songs in the background!

She also put together a delicious food spread that featured waffles from The Waffle Shoppe (with the most delicious homemade syrup I've ever eaten), fruit, and quiche.

Sally was the entertainment ringleader and lead us through a baby word scramble, guess how big mommy's tummy is using streamers, and baby shower gift bingo.  We were also all given a small pink clothespin and weren't allowed to say the word "baby" or whoever caught us could take away our pin (as well as whatever ones we'd collected from others).  Everyone who had to leave early gave me their pins and everyone else was too nice to take them away, so I won the prize (a jar of the delicious syrup).

I had a wonderful time and hope everyone else did too.  It meant a lot to me to see all of those who support me on a regular basis.  There were even those who couldn't join in the festivities who sent their regards (and goodies) our way.  Yes, we are well-stocked and well-loved.  Now we just need to get you here so they can all meet you!

My Pregnancy: Week 37

Baby's now the size of a stalk of Swiss chard!

Congratulations--your baby is full term!  This means that if your baby arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.  Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard).  Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long.  But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours.  Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blondes or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes.  And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

This was one of the longest weeks of my pregnancy to date!  Of course, I think it was just a long week in general, not necessarily because I'm pregnant.  Complete exhaustion has settled back on me which makes waking up at 5am EXTREMELY difficult.  The fact that there has been little to do at work lately isn't helping my motivation.

But it hasn't all been bad, here's a run down.  Good news: you have dropped somewhat making it loads easier to breathe.  Not-so-good news: the change in position is causing a whole lot more back pain.  Good news: I got a surprise ultrasound today and got to see you again!  You were being shy and covering your face with your hands the entire time.  Not-so-good news: I had to have the ultrasound because my tummy is measuring a bit small.  Good news: You are still healthy, just a smaller baby currently weighing in at approximately 6 pounds (about 1 week behind).  Granny D says this isn't a surprise since all of her babies were small (I was the biggest at 7 pounds 3 oz--and I was 3 weeks late!).  Good news:  I am still progressing and am still not looking like I will make it all the way to October 13th.

I did get a little down after my doctor's visit today.  The appointment itself was stressful enough as I was waiting for the ultrasound to make sure that everything is okay with you.  For the rest of my appointments, I will be bringing your dad just in case something like that happens again--or they don't let me go home but sent me straight to the hospital!

I also felt like the doctor made me think your birthdate was a whole lot more imminent last week.  He was so surprised at how much I was already progressing that it made me feel like I'd be rushing to the hospital any day.  That made for one loooooooong week of anticipation/anxiety.  This week he was all professional again and put me "at ease" that while I continue to progress, I probably wouldn't be running to the hospital right away.  The only trouble was that I had already accepted an early delivery in my mind, making the next 3 weeks seem like an eternity.

But when push comes to shove, you'll come whenever you are ready.  I am just grateful that you are still healthy and growing.  You're also officially considered full term now, so if you do decide to come soon, you'll most likely thrive.