Wife: FULL TERM!

Today, Susan is 37 weeks and considered full term, even though there are still three more weeks until my due date.  So in my opinion, she is more then welcome to come at any time.  I don't think she will come this week, but I do think it is possible for her to come sometime next week, especially toward the end of the week.  FINGERS CROSSED.

This part is pretty yucky.  I am so uncomfortable and miserable.  And I only get more uncomfortable every day as she gets bigger.  About two and half weeks ago, she "dropped." This means her head sank lower into my pelvis.  So now my pubic bone is killing me, my hips hurt and I have that unmistakeable late-pregnancy waddle.

 And since last Sunday, I can no longer sleep..  I have to go to the bathroom at least every hour, if not sooner.  I have to sleep on my side, and my left side is the preferable side.  But when my hips start hurting, I turn to my right side.  But that is not as comfortable, so I usually just doze on my right side until I think my hips can handle the left again.  And then almost every single night, without fail, I wake up at 2:30 and cannot go back to sleep.  My mind starts racing with all kinds of thoughts and anxiety, all having to do with Susan.  Last night it happened.  I laid in bed until 3:30, got up and read my book for about an hour until I got sleepy and went back to sleep from about 4:45 to 6:45.  It was awful.  And it is every night.  I tried staying up later to see if that helped, and it didn't.  And the thing is, this is apparently very normal for the last few weeks in pregnancy.  The books joke about how it is preparing me for the sleep deprivation to come!  UM, shouldn't I be getting tons of sleep now so that I can be better rested?  That makes a lot more sense to me.  Sadly, after almost a week and a half of this, I am getting used to it.  I guess that is a good thing.

So how have I been passing the time?  As Chris explained in his last blog post, I have been nesting.  But now, I have run out of things to do!  I don't feel like watching TV, even though I have a DVR full of things to watch.  I mostly just want to stay busy, because I feel like time goes by faster if I am doing stuff.  So we finished the nursery, putting together all of her things, and we have packed our hospital bags.  I have included all the pictures of the nursery at the end of the post.  I have done laundry, cleaned, cooked and its just getting harder to find stuff to do.  These last three weeks seem like the longest ever.

It isn't just that I want her to come so I don't have to be pregnant anymore (but that is part of  it).  We are just so ready to meet her!  So far, we have waited 37 weeks.  I want to feed her and change her diaper and play with her and cuddle her and watch her sleep.  I am ready for the next part!  So not only are my fingers crossed that she comes sometime next week, but I am doing all I can to help her along.

Now, all the books and websites say that nothing has really been proven to induce labor.  I will go into labor when my body and baby are ready.  SO SICK OF HEARING THAT IT MAKES ME WANT TO GAG!  I know that!  But it doesn't mean I can't try to help things along.  I can be proactive.  Nothing I am doing is hurting her, it is all doctor approved and it could help!  So I have been taking nice, long walks almost everyday.  I bring Oscar along so we can make it a family thing.  The walking helps lower her further into the pelvis and get her into a better position.  The same is true for the yoga/exercise/birthing ball.  I typically bounce and rotate my hips on that for about an hour a day.  I added that on Sunday.  Other things that can help prepare my cervix for labor and sometimes cause contractions:  pineapple, evening primrose oil and sex.  Check, check and check.  As far as the last one goes,  I told Chris that it was a great way to bookend the pregnancy.  We did it a lot to get pregnant; now we are doing it a lot to get un-pregnant.  So while I realize Susan will come on her on time regardless of whether Chris and I are doing it six times a day while bouncing on the birthing ball, I at least feel as though I am being proactive.  And having fun too!

So I am partly doing all of these things so that I can start getting comfortable again and start feeling like me.  But I am mostly doing it so that I can meet my daughter!  I mean, I already feel like I know her really well since she has been sharing my body for the last nine months.  But I want to hold her hand and give her kisses and cuddle her. And I am doing everything so I can do all those things sooner rather than later!

Check out the nursery below - it is pretty awesome!

Entrance into the nursery.

Glider and dresser - view from the doorway.

Changing table.  Also, our second nursery project - framed children's book covers!

We are both huge readers and we wanted to pass our love for reading onto Susan.  We love how sweet this turned out!

Glider.  It is also swivels and reclines!  For rocking, feeding, reading and cuddling!

Susan's dresser - filled with all of her clothes that I have organized and folded several times.

Susan's bookshelf for all of her toys and books!

Crib and bookshelf!  So happy with how everything turned out!

Second view

Susan's closet!  Everything has been washed and ironed.  And we have stockpiled a pretty good selection of diapers!

Chris' great aunt gave us a huge box of bows that she made for Christmas.  Susan is set!

More bows!  These are a little bigger for when she is older!