How far along? 40 weeks
Updates on baby: So today I got a little bit upset when I went to check out Baby Center and The Bump. Rather than having a 40 week update on baby they had things like "Newborn" and "Your baby's birthday is today!". I guess I understand, but don't they know that plenty of women do not have their baby on or before their due date? It made me a bit impatient. But at the same time, I guess I get it because at this point just picture a newborn... that is what is in my belly :)
Labor signs: I have felt some definite contractions but they are never that painful and they never last for long or become regular. She continues to drop lower and lower (when she kicks now her feet are right around my belly button!), but other than that no other signs that labor is imminent.
Symptoms/Body Changes: So at 38 weeks I did not have one stretch mark on my belly, and now every morning there are new ones sprouting out from my belly button. This has been pretty frustrating because I was so close! But I know that I have young skin, that they won't be as obvious as they are now and that in a way they are a "badge of honor". I was just really hoping I would go my whole pregnancy without them. The stretch marks are a visible sign of what I have been feeling; that my belly is just being stretched so thin! It is really tender at this point, and it hurts to the touch right out in front. There is one consistent sore spot to the right of my belly button that is really sore and in general my belly is just giving me a lot more pain. Another symptom which really just popped up last night and today is that I guess as Lydia drops she is starting to hit some specific nerve and sometimes when she movies it sends really intense shooting pains down my legs. It is really painful and last night after a full day of walking and shopping it brought me to tears at one point. Today I have tried to lay down more and the pains go away, but there have been multiple times when I am standing up doing laundry or putting on makeup and then all of the sudden there is a big jolt. Ouch! Maybe this is some kind of sign... like that she wants out??
Movement: She continues to move a lot. I feel like she must be running out of room but then every evening and morning, and sometimes in the middle of the night, she just starts her kicks and rolls. I love feeling her so close and real, but it also makes me a bit impatient, and as I just talked about it is starting to get legitimately painful.
Exercise: Ever since my topology exam has been over I have been walking a bunch! I took two 30-40 minute walks on Monday and Tuesday, and walked yesterday with a friend for an hour and ten minutes (about 3.5 miles)! Because of the shooting pains I decided to give it a little break today. I have also been good about stretching each night before I go to bed.
Cravings/Aversions: I was craving some good mexican food last night so David and I celebrated the end of the semester with a nice dinner at Abuelos. It was SO yummy! No real cravings or aversions have set in though... I can't wait to have room in my stomach to be able to put food because my appetite has somewhat returned and I finally look forward to eating most days.
Getting ready for baby: We are pretty much all ready at this point. Dishes are clean, laundry is done, the floors are mopped and vacuumed, the dog is clean, the bathroom is clorox-ed, the living room and bedrooms are all dusted and windex-ed. Seriously, it is clean in this apartment. It is very strange not knowing when baby will come because it makes it a little hard to prepare, especially with going grocery shopping and cooking. But I feel really comfortable that we have everything in our house that we could possibly need if she came now, and I know that once she is here if we run out of milk or face wash there are plenty of people who would go and get some for us if we needed it.
Also, David and I are finished with our semesters!!!! So we are really, really ready for baby now.
What I miss: A normally proportioned and functioning body...I am looking forward to not carrying around a full newborn in my belly.
What I am looking forward to: Meeting Lydia Grace!! Also, tomorrow we have a doctor appointment and I am looking forward to knowing if I have made any more progress since last Friday.
In a way I am also kind of dreading this appointment since I know my doctor will bring up inducing labor. David and I have decided that we want to stand firm until 41 weeks; that not a day before December 22nd do we want to induce labor. However, at that point we feel comfortable following the doctor's advice to go ahead and try to get things going if they haven't started up already. Waiting until 41 weeks poses no risks to baby whatsoever and we really want to be patient since we know that this random "due date" is just an estimate. But after 41 weeks the chance of a still birth rises slightly and there are other risks, like her skull could start to harden and she could get kind of big. I really hope that my body just kicks it in gear in the next few days and we don't have to make any of these decisions in the end, but if it does come down to it we just want our daughter to be healthy.
Anyway, just pray with us that she will come soon! We are waiting patiently and we know that she will have the birthday she was always meant to have.
And now for comparisons: week 20, 30 and 40.
Thank you so much for following me along this journey!! I will try to keep the blog updated as much as possible when things start to happen. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers and soon you will see some way cuter pictures of a way cuter girl up here.
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