I know it has been FOREVER since your daddy and I have updated this blog! We're bad parents already! The truth is, though, that we have been so busy lately, between traveling to New Mexico for your cousins' weddings, to having people visit, to getting your nursery ready, to finishing up our childbirth classes, to getting things done at work so that when we're home on maternity leave we won't have people constantly calling and emailing us for work stuff... it's been crazy around here! Not to mention that your mama here is seemingly trying to set a world record for number of naps taken in a day because I am JUST. THAT. TIRED.
There is alot to report since the last time we wrote a post here, but first, PICTURES!
Here is what I look like at the 38 week mark:
I would just like to note that up until a couple of weeks ago, I was all kinds of excited that I hadn't had any stretch marks, and was even teasing some of the other expectant mamas in my pregnant mama's group that neener neener, I didn't have any stretch marks ha ha ha ha! And then last week, WHAMMO. Serves me right. Look how many I have now! *sigh*
Here are a couple of pictures of your nursery under development:
Your daddy has been doing alot more work on it in the last week, though, so it will look more finished very soon! It's been so fun watching your daddy put together the nursery- he did all the painting, he put together your crib, he hung the drapes, hung up the light fixure, put together the bookshelf, painted the rocking chair, painted the letters above your crib, picked out the rug/lamp/hamper/nightlight combo, and hung up the pictures. My job has been to wash and fold all of your clothes and bedding, organize the little decorative items, and generally tell your daddy- "Yeah, that looks great! Right there! No, a little to the left! Perfect!".
Your daddy has also been busy putting together your stroller, carseat, and pack n' play:
So as you can see, we are getting ready for your arrival!
ABOUT YOU:
You are now 38 weeks old, which is something your daddy and I almost cannot believe! Your due date is in only two weeks and you are now considered full-term! Wow! We have a feeling, though, that you will probably arrive before then, because at my doctor's appointment last week, I found out that I'm already 3 centimeters dilated and 50% effaced (effaced refers to the thinness of my cervix)! Plus, I've been having mild contractions now for almost a week, but they aren't regular yet, and they don't hurt too much. Of course, that will change when I go into active labor, but for right now we're just playing the "watch and wait" game.
At this point, you weigh about 7 pounds, and you are about 21 inches long. I can definitely tell that you're getting bigger, because not only is my tummy a LOT bigger, but I also can see you move around in my tummy a LOT! We've been trying to catch your movements on video, but every time we get the camera turned on and ready to go, you stop moving. Apparently you're camera shy just like your mama!
For the last couple of weeks, your biggest job has been to gain weight and put on lots of body fat which will keep you warm after you're born. All the rest of your organs have been fully formed and ready to go for a while now, and you have just been hanging out, practicing breathing, blinking your eyes, and probably sucking your thumb or maybe even your toes since you're all squished up in there!
According to my doctor, your heartbeat is nice and strong, you're already in the perfect head-down position for birth, and you're measuring at exactly the right size for this week. So everything looks great! Now all that's left is for you to decide when you're ready to come out and meet us!
ABOUT YOUR MAMA:
In additionto being super tired (both from not sleeping well at night and also lugging around about 28 extra pounds), the last month or so has been pretty tough on your mama here. It's getting almost impossible to get in and out of a car or stand up from a chair, I am going to the bathroom every 15 minutes (or so it seems), I have swollen feet and ankles constantly, and I get literally out-of-breath exhausted by walking just 50 feet! Plus, all kinds of things are leaking out of all kinds of places, which is REALLY weird. I'm also pretty sure that we'll have to buy a wheelbarrow sometime soon, because I think that's the only thing that will carry around my HUMUNGOUS boobs. And I haven't even started lactating yet! Aggghhh!
Emotionally, I'm all over the map. There are some days when I am so excited about seeing you that I can't STAND it! And then there are some times when I get worried about what might happen during labor, about whether you'll be healthy, and about how much our lives are going to change after you're born (and whether I'm *truly* prepared for that). It's a good thing I married your daddy, because he has so much confidence in me getting through labor and being a good mama. His calm nature and faith that everything will turn out great has been a huge help to me. I know I've said it a million times before, but I am SO glad that he is going to be your daddy, and I cannot wait for you to meet him.
I think your daddy and I are prepared as much as we can be for labor. We have our hospital bag packed and ready to go, our birth plan written out, we have hired our doula, and we've practiced different ways to cope with pain during labor. We're going to try and have a natural childbirth with no interventions (we have lots of reasons for this), so it's important for us to have lots of strategies for dealing with pain. Of course, I have always been kind of a wimp when it comes to pain, so if it really gets bad, I'll probably choose to have an epidural. Of course, I could end up with a C-section too, because there are so many unpredictable things that happen during birth! So, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens!
When we head off to the hospital, your daddy and I will send out an email to all of our friends and family, and we'll call our parents and siblings. We'll also be sure to update this blog as much as we can (yes, we're bringing our laptops with us to the hospital), because we know everyone will be excited to hear about what's going on and see pictures of you after you're born!
Very soon, baby girl, your daddy and I will have you home with us, and we'll be able to hold you and tell you in person how much we love you. How special is that?
Love,
Mama
