Still Hanging In

We are at 39 weeks and 3 days!  This is the week where I’ve realized that it can actually be really fun to respond to pregnancy comments/questions.  I love watching peoples’ eyes go wide when they ask when I’m due and I smile and say, “Saturday.”  Some people appear to almost panic while looking me over for signs that I’m in labor.  It’s been an endless source of entertainment over the last few days.

At my OB appointment today I learned that my body made no additional progress this week and our girl still hasn't dropped.  That was mildly frustrating news, but the nurse did firmly tell her that she is being evicted this week :-)  My doctor is unconcerned for now, so I'm not worried either.  We're just taking it easy and waiting for the timing to be right.  My doctor did say she was impressed with how well I'm getting around for being 39 weeks though, and that makes me proud.  I am actually feeling quite well considering, which makes this whole waiting thing much easier.

Lee has been very busy at school with multiple papers in progress, and he says the timing will be right on Saturday (our due date) though he could work us in on Friday too.  Ha!  I just smile, bat my eyelashes, and say, “Sure thing, Honey.”  In truth, he’s as excited and impatient to meet our girl as I am, if not more.  However, we’ll both be ready and delighted whenever she makes her debut, especially since Nana arrived to help today :-)

Continuing Progress

Today I had my 38 week OB check up.  Our girl is continuing to do well with plenty of movement and a healthy heart rate.  The nurse and I get a laugh out of her always kicking the doppler while the nurse tries to check her heart rate.  I'm guessing she's either being sassy or curious :-)  I do wish she'd drop and give me a little more room to breathe and enjoy my meals, but she seems content to just hang out for now.

I'm also doing well.  My body is progressing in its preparations for labor.  As of today I am 2 centimeters dilated and about 50 percent effaced.  I've been woken up in the middle of the night a few times now with contractions, but nothing consistent.  Still it's nice to know those contractions are accomplishing something!  My doctor thinks it's possible that I'll go into labor before my appointment next week, but I'm hoping to hold out until my mom gets here the same day as next week's check-up.  The stats I've seen tell me I have a 25 percent chance of going into labor this week, and a 46 percent chance next week!  I feel a little like a ticking time bomb!

TERM!

We hit 37 weeks or term (technically early term) on Saturday!  That means our girl is basically ready to breathe outside the womb.  How crazy is that?!  I celebrated by jumping on a big trampoline. Totally not safe, but I was careful and everything was fine.  It actually felt amazing!

My doctor appointments are now weekly.  At my 36 week appointment my doctor told me that I was 1.5 cm dilated and that the baby was head down and starting to drop.  She doesn't think I'll deliver in week 37 or 38, but she also doesn't think I'll go past my due date.  However, at my 37 week appointment there was no real change, despite my trampoline time, so I guess we'll see.

I am definitely feeling like my body is too small for this big baby, so I hope my doctor is right and that I won't go past my due date.  I have some seriously tender ribs right now!  Lee and I have been working hard finishing up various tasks around house.  We're feeling ready and a little impatient.  We even have our hospital bags packed and ready to go.

We received our maternity photos from our wonderful photographer last week.  She'll be doing the newborn photos of our girl too!  Here's a few of our favorites: