Week 40: Last chance for a November baby

Will it happen today? I'm guessing.... no. In fact, I'm starting to think we won't meet this little one until a couple of days past my December 3rd due date.

I'm not sleeping very well these nights. Every little ache or pain has me waking up and taking notice. And I worry about false labour and getting everyone at the house for nothing. Ugh. So I keep reminding myself that when I'm really in labour I'll know it.

Any day now.

Week 40: Still here. Again.

Had my OB appointment and nothing really to report. Just a blood pressure and weight check. My next appointment isn't until Dec 8th, which is five days after my due date, so if I haven't gone by then I imagine there will be talk of induction... but I really don't think I'll be attending that appointment.

I'm feeling a bit blah lately, bending is really a lot of work, well, really anything that is normally effortless is pretty exhausting. Just getting in and out of the car! It's ridiculous. I'm really looking forward to having the baby, getting past the recovery period, and moving on with our new 'normal' around here.

Anyway, couldn't sleep, but I've been up for an hour or so now so I should think about getting back to bed.

Week 40: OB appointment tomorrow

And here I was hoping I'd go into labour first, but it doesn't appear that's going to happen. Well, the possibility is there, but I'm not counting on it.

I wonder if he'll do another internal or not. I'm hoping he will so that I have some idea what's going on.

He misses Mama doing bedtime.

Aw Ben. He's just so sweet. Since I'm pregnant and huge Nic's taken over doing most of Ben's bedtime stuff, mainly bath, jammies, and toothbrushing. We take turns each night reading Ben his stories and tucking him in. Tonight was my night to read stories, and after I tucked him in he commented on my 'big belly'. I told him it wouldn't be big too much longer, and he noted that that meant I would be able to bend again and I'd be able to give him his bath and get him into his jammies and brush his teeth again. Poor little guy is missing me (despite having a blast in the tub with Daddy every night).

Some new Ben tricks

Tonight I sneezed and Ben said 'bless you!'. I guess he just picked up the habit since I always say it as a courtesy/habit when anyone else sneezes. It's cute!

And he's recently learned to put on his own underwear and pants. Pants are still a bit tricky, but underwear (particularly the ones with a character on the front, making the front easier to distinguish) are no problem.

Week 39: Rebooked last night's OB appointment

I walked in for my 7pm appointment on the dot... to a packed waiting room. I was in no mood, especially knowing nothing was really going to happen at the appointment: I'd wait, the nurse would check my blood pressure and weight, the doctor would ask me if the baby was moving well, and that'd be about it. So yeah, I had no interest in sticking around. My OB said it was fine, asked if the baby was moving well, had the nurse check my blood pressure, then sent me on my way - this is how they should do business all the time. He does want to see me by the end of this week though, so I have an appointment on Friday morning now.

So that's about as much of an update as there is.

Oh, and I did have Nic come home from work this morning. I've been feeling a little crampy and blah and as we get closer to my due date I'm getting more nervous. So he worked from home, and may do so tomorrow too.

Week 39: Ready when you are, kid!

Floors swept and mopped - check!
Kitchen cleaned - check!
Up and down stairs furniture dusted - check!
All bathrooms (toilets, sinks, counters, tubs, mirrors, etc.) cleaned - check!
All laundry washed, dried, folded, and put away - check!
Grocery shopping done - check!
Lists made for the ILs so they know what to do, re: preschool - check!
My emergency contact list on the fridge - check!
Bag packed (my stuff and babe's) - check!

(I have this overwhelming urge to send Nic and Ben to a hotel until I go in to labour. I'm convinced it's the only way the house will stay this way!)

Now if the baby would just decide to come a little early while all my ducks are in a row that'd be awesome.

Instead she'll likely decide next weekend, once the house is sufficiently disasterous again, will be better.

Now I get the whole nesting thing. I'm convinced the only reason it occurs is because women hate coming home to a messy house. And knowing they're not going to feel like cleaning it after having a baby.

Week 39: Still here.

Well, I swept and mopped the entire main floor today. Dusted. Cleaned the kitchen. And numerous little chores. So far all for naught. Bah. My floors look nice though. I've been admiring them all day, and about a day is all you can admire clean floors for when you have an almost three year old. After that they end up with bits of play doh, paint, stickers, food, etc. stuck to them. And sweeping only goes so far.

Okay, I need sleep.

Week 39: It's Thursday and so far she's still hanging in!

So far nothing indicative of labour starting, so we're still playing the waiting game. No idea if we'll see our girl early, but it would be nice. Early means I might be feeling good by the time Christmas and Ben's birthday rolls around.

Ben went for his first cleaning at the dentist today!

I was so excited too! What a nerd.

He was fantastic! He didn't even wait for me when the hygenist came out to get him ... off he went, sat in the chair, went for a ride, checked out all her tools, let her into his mouth with the mirror and scaling tool to count his teeth, then had his teeth polished, and finished off with a brushing with flouride foam. He was also a champion 'swish and spitter'. The hygenist was very impressed. Then the dentist came in and had a quick look too.

Afterwards he got to pick out a toy from the 'treasure chest'... he was really hyped up about that, and naturally chose a car (well, two cars). He's a kid who knows what he wants... the hygenist said most kids sort through the box for ages. Not Ben, he grabbed the first car he saw.

So there's another big milestone under our belt. What a big boy I have!

Week 38: My OB thinks I'll go early!

I had an appointment last night which included an internal exam. He tells me I'm 2-3 cms and all things considered (particularly how many Braxton Hicks contractions I've been having) he doesn't think I'll make it to my next appointment. I asked if it was possible to go to 40 weeks, and he said yes, but that in my case he'd be really surprised.

So, we've put Granny and Granddad Bloomfield on high alert. I've put my 'emergency plan' in place in the event that I go into labour while Nic's at work. I have everyone's numbers entered into speed dial (just have to get them all into my cell phone). My bag is pretty much packed, aside from a few items that I use regularly. And I just spoke with Nic (who is obviously anxious about this whole thing because today is the first day during this entire pregnancy that he's called just to see how I was feeling - haha!); he's sorted out all the paperwork on his end with work, etc. so even if I don't go early at least we'll be ready!

Week 38: Christmas shopping

Since there isn't much a new baby needs for Christmas I decided that I'd splurge a little and buy our new wee one an outfit for Christmas. So far most of her clothes are hand-me-downs, all lovely, but few brand new, never worn, items.

I picked up this little dress at Old Navy:

And these wee little ballet slippers:

Shopping for little girls is SO much fun!

Thomas, Gordon, and the Caboose

If you're at all familiar with Thomas and Friends you'll know what I'm talking about.


Ben's been a bit obsessed lately with being a caboose. Daddy is Thomas, and yep, Mama is Gordon. And the game begins: Thomas leads the way, Gordon attaches to Thomas, and the Caboose attaches to Gordon... and away we go, around the house... in a chugging conga line. Anyone looking in our windows would think we were all nuts!

Frankly, I'm not sure how I feel about being Gordon. Gordon's one of the big engines. Presumably I'm Gordon because I'm pregnant, and really, it's fitting. Hopefully I'll become Percy in a couple of months' time! ;)

Fortunately for me though, Ben doesn't refer to me as Gordon outside of the game. Daddy on the other hand is slowly becoming Thomas. In fact, Ben came downstairs from his nap yesterday asking where Thomas (Daddy) was. And he'll correct himself sometimes when he says 'Daddy' and change it to 'Thomas'.

They are *always* listening.

So I'm under the weather again, and as a result, sleeping poorly and a little short on patience. Yesterday during lunch Ben was like a broken record, saying the *same* thing over and over again... like he was caught in a loop or something. No matter what I said, did, etc. he just kept going... the same phrase, over and over. Gahh. I finally put my head in my hand and muttered to myself 'I am going to lose my mind.'

This morning, after yet another crappy night's sleep, I was finding myself easily annoyed again. This time I mutter to myself (because muttering to myself kinda helps keep me from flying off about nothing) 'OMG, I'm gonna lose it.' Of course, Ben catches me, and quickly replies 'You gonna looooooose your mind, Mama!'

A little preschool update.

Drop-offs are a complete 180 these days. You might remember Ben went through a really clingy, crying phase when I was dropping him off, but now he hardly gives me a second thought as soon as we arrive. He immediately becomes immersed in an activity (usually car related). SO much better for both of us. I don't know if his whiny/clingy phase was due to being a bit under the weather (he'd had a cold for a while) or if it was just an adjustment period (once he realised school was becoming a regular thing), but either way, we're over that hump and I'm so proud of my little guy.

Ben also has a couple of friends in class: Conner and Sean. The three of them are very into Hot Wheels and dump trucks, so they tend to group together immediately and start playing games. It's so cute watching them interact with one another. And it's really cool seeing Ben make his own friends for the first time ever (until now his regular friends have been children of my friends, which is great of course, but seeing him forge his own relationships is really neat!).

Every two weeks the class has a new theme (the past two weeks has been 'healthy habits'), so their songs, activities, and crafts revolve around that. It's so cute seeing the things he makes at school. I love that our fridge is filling up with all kinds artwork. I've also noticed a marked improvement in Ben's language development, partly pronunciation, but mostly his ability to string words and sentences together. So cool.

Anyway, I could probably go on and on, so I better stop myself there!

Week 37: OB appointment update

So I got my "walkin' papers" yesterday. Y'know, the ones you carry on your body and under no circumstances are you to seperate from them? Those ones.

Yay! That means I'm getting close. (I'll be full term tomorrow.)

Got the results of my GBS (group b streptococcus) swab - it was negative. Phew! Really didn't want to do IV antibiotics because abx always do a number on my gut.

Everything else was just fine. Babe's heartbeat nice and strong as usual... always nice to hear. I'm down a pound, but OB says it's a non-issue at this stage in the game. (And according to my friend Judy losing weight at the end of her pregnancy was an early sign of labour.)

Next Monday is my internal so we'll get an idea where exactly the babe's head is and what my cervix is doing. So please, send me 'head engaged/dialated cervix vibes' until then.

Oops! A couple of belated Halloween pics.

Totally forgot to post some photos from Halloween (perhaps because I didn't take many).

Ben was a dinosaur this year and his friend Cooper was a dragon (Cooper, with Andi, Vinny, and Molly came over since they live in a pretty rural area). I went out to a few houses with the guys while Andi and Molly stayed back at the house and handed out candy. Ben and Nic were back shortly after I left, which wasn't a surprise since Ben was asking to go home after about five houses. I guess he knew he had candy in his bag and wanted to eat it, unlike last year when he had no idea what he was collecting so we managed to cover almost an entire crescent.

Unfortunately almost half of the candy he collected had to be tossed due to possible peanut cross-contamination, but at this age he doesn't really realise that he's losing candy. When he's older I'll buy extra peanut-free candy for him to swap for.

Anyway, here are a couple of pics...

Week 37: I hate to complain, but...

I'm really sick and tired of being enormous. I'm uncomfortable, grouchy, none of my clothes fit. I'm constantly pulling up my pants to keep keep them from falling off, and pulling my shirts down to keep them from riding up. I feel frumpy, bulky, out of 'space for rent', and ready to have this freakin' baby. Gahhh.

Everything that requires me to bend is annoying, from putting on my own socks to picking something up off the floor. God help anyone who adds to my daily list of chores (which is basically a neverending cycle of tidying).

Part of me knows being pregnant is technically the 'easy' part because the baby isn't really creating extra work yet, but I'm at the point where I'll take a crying baby that *Daddy* is holding while I comfortably bend and put my socks on.

36 weeks today! And a little wishful thinking or mother's intuition?

I'm 36 weeks today. One more week and I'm full term! Woot!

And I have this funny feeling I'm going to go early this time. I've been kind of crampy and blah feeling which was an early sign with Ben, but who knows, it could just be a case of wishful thinking on my part. And with Ben I went pretty close to my due date (which calculated by me was Dec 28th, he was born on Dec 27th; the anatomical u/s estimated my due date at Dec 25th, so I used that because it seemed like a fun due date, and my OB had my EDD recorded as Dec 30th or something like that).

Week 36: Down to one week appointments!

I had an appointment with my OB tonight. Everything's looking good. He thinks baby's head down (where exactly, who knows, but down) - I won't get an internal until my 38 week appt, so in two weeks time.

Baby's heartbeat is nice, steady, and strong. Blood pressure's good, urine's good, weight's good (I'm up about 26 lbs total so far; I gained 30 with Ben and I ate far fewer cherry turnovers!) I had my GBS swab, so I should get the results at my appointment next Monday (yes, next Monday, because now I have weekly appointments - always a sign that the end of pregnancy is near!).

So that's where I'm at. I can hardly believe I'm going to be full-term (37 weeks pregnant) next week and I'm due in four!