Gravity takes it's toll

As you can clearly see in the picture, my dear oliver has dropped...appearing only inches from the floor : )
Now that we are officially full term (37 weeks and some change now) we felt it was okay to take a long walk last night. Naturally I get home and felt like I walked through an automatic carwash and had the worst case of lower back ache. Oh, the pressure! At this point, I really do feel the need to make sure this pregnancy doesn't go on weeks longer. 3cm (who knows, maybe 4 already) dilated will just increase and I will absolutely panic if it just continues before I get a good steady flow of painful contractions that make me give in and head to L&D.
Lets pray our old-wives who made the "tales" about eggplant parmasean and preggo pizza were absolutely right. If so, we should have a baby before the weekend is up.

Wouldn't today be nice?

Pregnant for a few more days!

Well, hopefully.
Today we went to a regular scheduled check-up and not only did I expect for "no cervical changes" I kind of hoped to hear that. I know I dilate quickly and it would be so reassureing to know I can walk around, eat, enjoy the comforts of my home, and spend a few quiet moments of pain in PRIVATE before rushing into labor and delivery to meet my son. Now I'm back to the same fears I had when I worried over preterm labor.... Will I have my baby in the car?! HA.
Just in case, daddy has packed a nose sucker, hand sanatizer, and a really unappealing black trash bag to lay down on once we pull over the side of the road!

So, getting back to my progress: We are 3cm dilated and 100% or fully effaced. To those (ahem, michelle) who are about to google effacement: it's the thinning of the cervix. This means mine is paper thin and you can feel Olivers head just inside and very low. And just this morning I was convinced that I had a bowling ball between my legs! The dilation, of course is 3 of the full 10. This can take some first-time moms 18 hours to achieve....see why I worry about going quick?! 0-3 is early labor, then we move on to active labor from there...so it's any moment now.

I've read of women that will talk about the urge to push and it seems this is really hard to fight when you've dilated so far. I do not recall this with Kiran's delivery. In fact, I "fake-pushed" until the BF and my doctor were located and brought into the room. No way was I okay with pushing my baby out in the company of the new intern and no one else. Woman had LOST HER MIND!

So, after my doctor instructed me to put my clothes back on he also instructed me to NOT waste time if I think I'm in labor. Under a grin i was told to book an appointment for next Tuesday: "I'll see you next week....or....before then"

It's all a countdown now. In fact,....contractions seem to already be coming on 10 minutes apart. Whew.

Pregnant Forever

And That's okay.

Daddy & Kiran now predict Thursday for the big event. And while before I was feeling confident about the 10th or "sometime before Sept. 15th" I am no longer getting baby vibes. Yes, I feel like I could be pregnant forever. I hear this is medically impossible but I can't shake the notion, and science isn't exactly penetrating my lower back and uterine screams.

Home stretch!

Week 36
Your Baby's Development

Your baby is working hard to accumulate all the fat she can, in preparation for delivery. Her body is growing rounder every day, since about 15 percent of her total weight is now made up of fat. Once she is born, this fat layer will help her maintain her body temperature and give him a reliable energy source.

Baby now weighs around six pounds and is 20.7 inches long.

Major organ development is already complete, such as the kidneys and liver.
Some fine-tuning, such as the final development of the lungs, is still taking place inside the womb.
Baby's head is round, but by the time she makes it through the birth canal it may be temporarily a bit misshapen as the soft bones of the skull are compressed by powerful contractions. Her head shape will return to normal within a few days.
Your Development

With a month of pregnancy to go, you'll probably continue to gain weight, although the majority of your pregnancy weight gain has occurred.

If you've been experiencing heartburn, the baby's movement down toward your cervix may ease that discomfort. Your appetite may return because the baby is no longer putting as much pressure on your stomach and intestines.

As Baby grows larger, and amniotic fluid volume decreases, it's not as easy for her to move around. This may lead to an alteration in the sensation of fetal movements. For some women, it feels as if the baby is not moving as much as it had been, but everything is just fine. Things are just getting a bit crowded inside the uterus.

*****You'll see on daddy's blog the dates everyone has predicted. I don't have a really clear prediction today for some reason so mine is most likely a little off!****

I feel something today

I'm not certain what it is or what it means, but....things feel different. I noticed i'm apprehensive about making plans for anything right now. My boss just asked me if I'm good for a conference call next Thursday. I responded as "Yes?". My husband and I discussed a baseball game coming up.....I was like, "Yes?". Trying to schedule hair appointments and get-togethers with friends but I just can't set anything in stone.

And this burst of energy I have is REALLY making me wonder. **reaches out, packs bag**...."everything is fine". :-*

(for fun - a honeymoon pic...i had long hair and a much smaller baby bump and the same gorgeous husband i'll have for a lifetime)

My next forever, just around the corner

After jackie asked me about Olivers hair color yesterday, I realized no one knew that Evan was a toe-head like me! He'll most certainly have bleach blond hair like we both did growing up! Here's the adorable pictures or baby evan - I'm guessing age 7 or so!
(Click to enlarge these - I just love the one where he's in the "fetal position"!)

Oliver Revealed!

Certainly growing in the middle these days. While these pictures are several weeks old, I think I've only gained about 2 pounds since so there isn't much difference.

They really do mean it when they say each pregnancy is different. I find myself asking all the same questions from last time because things have been getting started in a whole new order! Contractions, cramping, nausia, the plug, more contractions.

Yesterday I was totally reminded of what it was like having my 93 honda accord....always waiting to feel something "give", listening for new sounds, trying to diagnose what was going on, not wanting to miss a thing if something was going wrong. I mean once your breaks are dead, you crash. Once you're in active labor, you're gonna have a baby in your arms - no stopping it!

I can't wait to get the doctor under the hood again because I'm not the best mechanic for what's going on with my body!