39 Weeks

39 weeks? Hey-oh! Only one week to go. It all seems surreal to think our lives will change so dramatically in the next couple of weeks. Am I excited to meet the little one I've been incubating for 9.5 months? Ecstatic. Am I scared out of my mind, not just about labor and delivery, but all that follows? Petrified. But, I finally feel ready, which sounds trite, but up until this past week I was very not ready. Seriously, who is 37 weeks pregnant and thinks, "the baby can just stay put for a while?" I was obsessed with finishing stuff around the house and at work. Then I realized how that stuff wasn't very important; the baby was coming regardless of time lines and deadlines. Nature runs her course, and at this stage in my pregnancy, that is a pretty comforting thought.

Also, I really, really can't wait to see Dr. R. as a father.

And now let's take the quiz!

How far along: 39 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Seriously, people loose weight during pregnancy?

Maternity clothes: Hate them!

Stretch Marks: Nope.

Sleep: Following the advice I get from just about everyone and savoring every minute of it.

Best moment this week: Finally feeling ready to have the baby.

Movement: As Dr. R. says, the baby is still doing the alien belly dance.

Food cravings: Watermelon.

Gender: Boy. No girl, no its a boy, definitely boy. I think. Seriously, there's a 50:50 chance of guessing correctly, so I might just flip a coin. Then again, that Chinese predictor quiz said boy...

Labor signs: Nothing too obvious, but here are my stats from the last doctor's visit: 1 cm dilated, 80% effaced. Things are happening!

Belly button in or out: 100% pure outie.

What I miss: Seeing bone structure in my feet.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting Baby A, duh!

Weekly wisdom: Me: "How can I stop the swelling in my feet and ankles?" Nurse: "By having a baby,"

You just can't fight 200,000 years of human evolution.

I admit, it was a little ambitious of me to start this blog with the intention of updating it regularly. In the beginning it wasn't so bad, but then the house-hunting got serious. Then there was the move. Followed by the home renovation projects.

For the record, pregnancy hormones + home renovation projects =

It wasn't until the past month or so that we were finally able to get settled into the new place and its been a sprint ever since. And damn if those tales of nesting aren't true, because that whole thing hit me hard. All of a sudden there were never-ending lists of things that needed to purchased, cleaned or organized prior to Baby A's arrival. Rationally, I know that 85% of the things on said list are not necessary, but they were still keeping me up at night . Dr. R. has been a champ putting up with the insanity. As he told my OB/Gyn when she asked him how he is dealing with my random nesting urges, "You just can't fight 200,000 years of human evolution." Damn straight.

(Also, have I mentioned that Austin has had 23 days and counting over 100 degrees F? That is double the normal number for an entire year. When do I get my pregnancy merit badge for surviving this?)

All that being said, my apologies for not posting regularly. At this point, I'm two weeks away from the due date. Baby A is still riding high, but at least s/he is head down. My cervix is still closed so I probably have a while. I've made my last planned trip to Babies 'R Us. We now own a couch. I've promised Dr. R. to stop making lists. Oh, and the baby's room is complete. Have a look!

Welcome to Baby A's nursery. We chose an owl/forest theme for the room. Funny story about the glider. I came home to a quiet house and searched around for Richard. After checking all the other rooms, I found him snoozing in the chair. He approves.
Another view of the room. Note the newly painted walls and carpet:
The area where the stinky stuff happens:
The gorgeous quilt made by my mom. It was the inspiration for the entire nursery:
Nature-inspired number cards found on Zulily:

The bookshelf showing some owl-themed books from Auntie J and fuzzy penguin booties knitted by a long-time friend:

The only thing missing is Baby A!