End is Imminent!

So George and I are pretty convinced that I'm going to go into labor early. We're pretty convinced this baby is coming at the end of March (maybe within a week and a half?). Although, I've never done this before, and it's difficult to consider others' experiences, because every woman is so truly different in their pregnancy/labor experience. And my mom, unfortunately, can't remember a lot of her labors (which would really be my only clue as to how mine will go!). She does have a LITTLE bit of an excuse with me, as she had kidney stones, so that probably kindof overshadowed the labor experience (it was EASY compared to the kidney stones!). Anyway, some recent symptoms I've had, I'd say in the last 3 weeks, are pressure 'down there' - sometimes kindof sharp twinges of pain; I've been feeling the effects of the relaxin - a hormone your body releases the last few months of pregnancy that relaxes all of your muscles and 'loosens things up' (it's been causing my digestive tract to be either 'tight' or really 'loose', if you know what I mean!); I think I've 'dropped' - the baby does this either days or weeks before labor - he descends downward low into your pelvis in preparation to make his grand entrance! (freeing up your ribcage so I've been breathing better and had FAR less acid reflux - really NONE in the last week); I've been having definite braxton hicks (which I didn't recognize for awhile, but now I know what they are - I used to describe them to George as "It feels like he's 'pushing outwards on my belly button'" or "It feels like he's 'bearing down' with all his might and making himself feel heavy inside my belly" - well, those were braxton hicks, and they've gotten stronger and stronger - not really painful, just truly a 'tightening' feeling and my belly gets hard) - they come and go - some days I have more than others, depending on my activity level too it seems. Those are the newer symptoms I can think of right now. Something I just noticed the other day, when I got a zit, was that my face has been really clear this whole pregnancy! Minus this new one, which brought this fact to my attention, I can't remember the last time I had any acne! So that's a perk!

I'v really kindof been TRYING to take it easy, (though that's hard for me, and it seems there is just unlimited things 'to do' to everything thing 'just so' before he comes!), as far as moving a lot, as Janae has been out of town performing with The Tonettes in Florida, saying "Don't you DARE have that baby while I'm gone - I demand that you are sedentary for those 5 days!" (very unlike Janae, btw, to tell someone to BE SEDENTARY!!!!). Luckily, she's coming home today at noonish - yay! So NOW it's okay to go into labor!

I've gained 21 lbs as of Thursday - I hadn't gained any weight from the week before. That was a little concerning to me, but my midwife said it was fine. It's difficult because I get full SO fast, because my stomach is small because it's all baby! So I'm going to try to eat more, as you're supposed to gain between 25 and 35 lbs. during pregnancy (that's the healthy weight gain recommendation). I bet I'll reach that 25 lb. mark before labor. It's funny, because my body is hanging on right at 149 the last couple weeks - it's as though it KNOWS that it's about to hit that 150 lb milestone!

George and I talk about how crazy it is that our son already exists, fully formed and functioning - he's just inside of my stomach, feeding off of my body (so no need for breast feeding yet!), swallowing amniotic fluid and then peeing it out, without making bowel movements yet (so no need for changing diapers!), he can't cry because he's not breathing oxygen get (so no need for holding and 'calming' him), and he's not distracted by anything in the outside world (so no need to 'get him to fall asleep'!). It's funny how much easier it is to have him in there for right now, and all our work begins once he makes his debut!

We had a little bit of a scare the other night. I was on the phone talking to the Tonettes (thank you Carrie, for your hilarious stories!) and working on the computer. After about 45 minutes, I got up and walked into the family room, as George walked in from working in the nursery, and I found that my crotch was 'moist'. I was so nervous that either my water had broken or I was at least leaking amniotic fluid. Once that happens, if your labor doesn't start naturally within 24 hours, you really need to go get induced, as the baby is at an increased risk of infection. Also, it's particularly important for me, because if my water breaking initiates my labor (which is actually relatively uncommon - most women's water breaks DURING labor), then I have to go get on an IV immediately because I tested positive for Group B Strep (20 % of women do - it's fine - but in a very rare case the baby can contract it when going through the birth canal). SO, needless to say, I was shaken up a little (because I WASN'T READY to have this baby that night!!!). So I told George, took my pants off and looked at them and sure enough, there was a ring of moisture, which we smelled (sorry - TMI) and determined wasn't urine (we didn't think, anyway). And it wasn't like soaking wet or anything - just barely moist. And I really didn't think it was pee because I know what it feels like to pee a little (has happened SEVERAL times during this pregnancy, with the weight of the baby pressing on my bladder), and I did NOT feel myself pee! So we finally decided that I should call my midwife, which I HATED doing and haven't done once during this whole pregnancy because for some reason I just feel SO guilty inconveniencing them and making them worry (there's always one of the 3 midwives at Mesa Midwives on call at all hours, and they encourage you to call if you're worried about anything). It was about 10:15 pm and Ruth Ann happened to be on call (who I had just seen earlier that day). I apologized immediately for calling and alarming her (and of course she said that it was totally fine!), explained to her the situation, and she didn't sound worried at all. She said to put a pad on, and if the moisture CONTINUED to trickle out, then to call her. But it didn't - it stopped. So, I guess all was fine, and we're still not sure what caused the moisture (G and I think that MAYBE it was sweat?). So yesterday I was on edge all day, nervous that my water had broken and I should be on an IV, and I thought maybe he had been moving less (which I'm pretty sure was all in my mind). That coupled with the fact that it was more difficult than usual for her to find his heartbeat in that appointment on Thursday, some caffeine, and anxiety that he was going to come at any moment, and I was SPAZZING OUT yesterday! But last night I felt him moving a ton again (and am right now as well), so I think all is okay. I actually tried calling them to come in and get monitored for like 30 minutes (Ruth Ann said I can do that at any time if I'm worried) - they can hook me up to a fetal heart rate monitor, but they were closed for lunch, then I felt him have the hiccups, so I just decided to trust that everything was okay (and based off of previous experiences such as not knowing I was pregnant and thinking I was having a girl, I don't really trust my intuition too much!!!!). Anyway, I think everything is fine now.

I often feel so bad that he's so squished. It's a good thing none of us remember what it was like to be in the womb, because I bet it's pretty uncomfortable. It amazes me how bendy and pliable little babies are. Every time I lean over I get nervous that he's going to break a bone, or I'm going to squish his brain or something! But I don't think that ever happens (I'VE never heard of it anyway!). He amazes me already. I'm so in love.

It's this funny dichotomy thinking about how I have this extreme, awesome, miracle that is about to unfold, yet to get it I must endure this 'hard work' coming up (labor) first. I think of how Christ died for our sins (the 'hard work'), sacrificing himself and his comfort, but look at the reward we all have for that sacrifice he made. I'm not comparing myself or any women who labors to Christ (OBVIOUSLY), but it's a similar situation where the payment is great, but the reward is so much greater.

Anyway, I must get ready for the day. I'm going to my mom's to get a bookshelf for the nursery and look through and take some of the books that my grandma gave her for her kindergarten classroom, as well as some of MY baby stuff (MAY be able to use some of it). It should be fun! I am going to share my 'to do' list for today, just so I and George IV can look back and read this and remember all the little things I was trying to get done in preparation for our little miracle! Here is a snapshot (copied from my Iphone to-do list!):

- Cast of belly (I'm going to do this only if I have time - you plaster your belly so you have a memory of what your belly looked like when you were pregnant. Some women even paint theirs really fancy, and you can hang them in the nursery (or whatever)).
- Do household file box (I'm transferring our household notebook into a file box instead, which should be easier to use and maintain, and my mom and Janae and Angela can use it when helping me with baby, to see how I run our household)
- Email Chantalle (confirm the size and color of the decal I'm ordering from her for the nursery wall that says 'George IV')
- Figure out outfits for pregnancy pics (hopefully doing these Tuesday night - I want to have CUTE outfits picked out!)
- Go look at baby books (we need one of these by the time I go into labor, as I want his footprints put in there, at the hospital)
- Baby shower thank yous (I'm REALLY trying to get these done before he arrives, so it's not hanging over my head!)
- Color ink cartridge (avoiding one more errand once he comes!)
- Bank (same as above!)
- Bibs to Cribs for mobile, bumper, and crib skirt (I really want these things, but I want them in a solid color, and they don't have them at Target (the kind I want anyway), where I could use my credit. Bibs to Cribs is a second-hand baby gear store)
- Curtains (long story short, I registered for the wrong size, so the curtains Victoria and her family made for me are too short, so I need to get some longer ones to stick underneath them!)
- Hobby Lobby (to look for a few things for nursery)
- Order beach ball when Paypal credit goes through (for decor)
- Text Klover - making crib skirt (she made her own - I might ask her how difficult it was and have her show me how)
- Vacuum (this, and clean the house in general, as I want it to be all picked up and organized when we come home!)
- Laundry (same as above)

We also need to install and have checked the car seat (G is going to hopefully do that this afternoon), finish hanging stuff on the walls in the nursery (including a bike!), and just finish decorating (in general) the nursery. Another HUGE ongoing thing on my to-do list is to continue to practice the hypnobirthing scripts so that I can get into deep relaxation quickly and easily one labor starts (basically I need to mentally prepare myself for labor).

Okay, must go! I'll try to keep blogging more (it seems doing it first thing in the morning is working well for me!). One more week of teaching and them I'm DONE!!! Sooooo excited!