38 Weeks

It's incredible to me that I'm 38 weeks pregnant, the baby could come any time, and that this could very well be my last pregnancy update. I had put together a bunch of nostalgic thoughts about the past several months and I was all set to write this glowing report of how I'm feeling since I was having a really great day and wasn't really in any pain or even discomfort. I was on my way to go shopping (just window-shopping really but I just felt like looking at clothes today) and had gotten all the way to the mall when I started having such sharp pains (contractions?) that I thought I might pass out at the wheel and had to turn around and come home. So, once again, "All those who think you have it made, take one step forward. Not so fast, George Banks!" (Story of my life!)

Anyway, I shouldn't be such a Debbie Downer because I really have felt pretty good lately... just not this morning! Maybe the Lord was keeping me from the mall so I wouldn't spent money. =) But now that I'm almost done being pregnant, I have become reflective of the whole experience- the good and the bad (and the ugly- there's definitely been some ugly.) I'll probably write a post solely dedicated to things I didn't expect about being pregnant or something like that... but these days I'm just having a bit of a hard time getting my thoughts together. (Imagine that!) I will say that even though it's been hard at times, I know that I've had an extremely easy pregnancy compared to most people and the fact that I've been pregnant at all is something some women never get to experience so I don't take that for granted at all. I am very (hashtag) blessed!

So, I'll try to put together a fun pregnancy-related post (maybe more humorous than my usual rambling questionnaire that you don't necessarily care about!) but for now, here is my (hopefully) last update before Alice makes her big appearance! (And it will be big... Homegirl is already in the 75th percentile for weight!) 

Speaking of the 75th percentile for weight.. ha! Ice cream = a reward for making it through a rather (ahem) invasive exam without crying. (I did whimper a lot but there were no tears.)

How far along: 38 weeks today!

How big is baby: not entirely sure but the app said the size of a Swiss chard... that's not something I'd want to eat let alone compare my baby to but I guess it means about 21 inches? 

Weight gain: yeah, yeah... it's there (but still not as bad as I thought it would be? Maybe I'm in denial.) I'm really starting to think about how that's going to be after the baby comes and how my clothes are going to fit with my new shape. It should be interesting! =) 

Sleeping: uggghhhh. Not good. I'm lucky to get a couple of hours uninterrupted by a bathroom break or just pain in my legs or back. I guess it's just practice for when I am forced to get up to feed the baby but it seems a little cruel to be deprived of my last few weeks of "freedom" to sleep when and for however long I want. 

Food cravings: still M&Ms, all day every day.

Food aversions: nothing in particular, but not much actually sounds good these days, hence the handfuls of M&Ms. (#cleaneating ha!) 

Symptoms: back pain, lack of sleep, uncontrollable emotions... poor Jonathan! We've both been a little edgy- mostly excited but obviously a lot of anxiety is building up since this is kind of a life-changing thing we're about to experience. To quote George Banks yet again, "There were leg cramps, backaches, and cravings... and the women were worse." 

Miss Anything?: sleeeeep. Also my wardrobe is pretty small (as in quantity not size =) right now, which is fine since I so rarely put on an actual outfit but still. And this has far less to do with being pregnant and more to do wit the weather but I am really ready to wear fall clothes and it's still SO. VERY. HOT. that even a light scarf (like I wore yesterday) is a huge mistake. 

Doctor’s appointment: Everything has been fine. As of last week I wasn't dilated but I guess we'll find out Thursday if that has changed. (Say a prayer for me!) 

Clothes: like I said, I'm not able to wear a bunch of stuff right now but it's mostly because it's too hot for my fall clothes, not because stuff doesn't fit. A lot of my clothes still fit but I'm typically reaching for the same handful of dresses since they're the easiest (and putting on pants or shorts requires careful maneuvering that I rarely have the energy for. #lazy) (Being super inflexible reminds me of being a cheerleader in tenth grade- I know, I know- and how one of the girls was trying to do the splits and even thought she was still like a foot off the ground she was like, "Coach! Coach! Look how low I am!" Poor thing. I shouldn't judge though since I of course never even really attempted the splits because again #lazy.) 

Movement: mostly just pushing outward since the poor baby is so squished in there at this point. She's definitely  outgrowing her space and needs to upgrade to a larger room! =)

Best moment of the week: we finished the nursery! (Cue Hallelujah Chorus and other fanfare type music.) I absolutely love how it turned out and mostly I'm just relieved that it's done... it was fun to put together but my indecisive nature along with lack of crafty skills made it pretty stressful at times. Plus we didn't really have a particular "theme" other than what was in my head so putting it all together was a challenge, but it's done and I'm happy with it. (Pictures are on Facebook if you wanna see!) 

Just one picture of the crib =)

What I’m looking forward to: having this baby! I'm definitely not looking forward to labor or pain or recovery BUT nothing can be as bad as the worst-case-scenario dread in my mind so getting past all that and just meeting her is going to be a huge relief!

What I did / Got for baby: finished the nursery. Packed her bag for the hospital (and mine too!). Read more of Babywise. 

Prayer requests: As always, health and safety for the baby and for me... and peace for me and Jonathan. Like I said, we're both just a teensy bit anxious these days, mostly from fear of the Great Unknown that is Becoming Parents (and Experiencing Childbirth) so prayers to calm our nerves would be appreciated. It's easy to say that the Lord has everything under control (and He does!) but remembering it and taking it to heart are a little harder to do (especially when you're borderline crazy worried like I am.) I know soon it will be over and I won't feel like a nutcase anymore but for now pray for us! =) 

I'm really thinking that this will be my last update for this pregnancy... if she's born on or past her due date you might be treated to one more but I hope not! I don't want her to be really early- October 13 is just fine! But anything past that is too long... this family does not make a habit of being late! No tardiness for you, Alice! (Telling her that will make a difference, right? =)

Once again, thank you all so much for your prayers and sweet comments as you've endured my ramblings and worrying and complaints and ALL THE EMOTIONS for the past several months. It's been fun to document this journey but it wouldn't be all that great to write these posts if no one was reading about them so thanks for following along and being so nice. Now it's countdown to labor time... let the fun begin! (You know I'll be letting you know what happens right when it happens. Why come this far to miss out on the grand finale?) 

Ash