Update - Been WAY too Long!

Okay, okay, I know. I'm feeling SO guilty about how long it's been since I've written on here! I wish I could take all the posts and pics I have on facebook, related to this pregnancy, and put them here! I will TRY to put all the pics on here sometime if I find the time! The last 6 weeks have truly been a whirlwind of preparation for baby and finishing up 'work' stuff. I can't believe how fast the last few months of pregnancy go, when it's officially not too early to do anything. I'm glad that he hasn't come yet (early), or I would not have been ready! There are still a few things I need/would like to do, but overall if he came today I'd feel pretty prepared. There have been so many times I wanted to blog about something, but just couldn't find the time. So I'll TRY to remember what I can!

I had that mid-back pain that eventually vanished and then moved into a compact place right inside my right-hand shoulder blade. That happened a couple days before my physical therapy appt, so I felt a little guilty going (though even though the pain had changed, it had arguably gotten worse, but just in a more compact area - almost a throbbing-type feeling). I didn't feel as though the physical therapist helped much, other than pointing out that I also had a sciotic (sp?) nerve out of place, and showing me the correct posture to have being pregnant (I was actually wondering about that, and she said my lower back was swaying outwards and that I needed to tuck my pelvis in). So that was the one thing I took away, and have really been trying to keep that pelvis tucked. (The rest of the posture stuff I know from my training and teaching correct singing posture). Even though she told me to keep my shoulders back and down, I still felt for awhile that slouching was some of the only relief from my new back pain. So, I kept slouching (I figured I could do that for the next 4 weeks and it wouldn't kill me!). I also figured out that I'm pretty sure it was showing up in that spot because of how I turn to the left when I'm playing for my students at the piano. So I have found as long as I don't lift a lot (esp. with that right arm), and if I try to face forward or play with my left hand only (so I'm basically not using my right arm very much), then it doesn't flare up. And that's what it does - it will just all of a sudden FLARE up pretty bad, and pretty suddenly. But it has been almost completely gone for the last couple weeks, so I'm really grateful for that! Now I have been suffering from some very minor lower back pain, when I walk around a lot, and that is probably just the typical pregnant woman's lower back pain that sets in late in pregnancy (a result of carrying a 6 1/2 lb. baby at this point!).

Other than the back pain, which is now pretty much gone, my other MAIN symptom is insomnia, and then all the repercussions of that. Thankfully, it's not my anxiety insomnia (had that for a few nights, but it went away), but more just insomnia due to not being able to get comfortable, feeling the 'basketball' on my belly, leg cramps and soreness from laying on my sides most of the time, shoulder/back soreness from the same, acid reflux and heartburn, and probably just stress from anticipating the baby's arrival and knowing that the sleep issue will not be relieved for quite awhile! But, I truck along, and God pulls me through it! It will all be SO worth it, and my hope is that when I DO sleep once he arrives, it will be at least higher quality sleep. A couple days ago I was actually so tired that I fell asleep during the day (well, dozed), which is nearly impossible for me to do! I'm so hoping to learn to take days naps once baby comes. The lack of sleep causes lots of fogginess, extreme sensitivity, and causes my immune system to weaken. But I'm getting through it. I know I can't complain, as I've had a very good pregnancy overall.

Baby G gets the hiccups quite a bit! In fact, he has them right now! It's the cutest thing, and I've caught it on video. I'm actually excited right now because the hiccups I'm feeling (thus, his head), are more at the center of my pelvic area (almost a little to the right!), not to the left, which is where his head has been ever since I could feel him moving! I was getting worried that he was 'stuck', because his head and legs had not ever switched positions for as long as I can remember! I only EVER feeling him kicking on my right side, and he will frequently push upwards into my ribcage on the right. And my belly is permanently misshapen - it's so funny to see! It protrudes out more on the right side (unfortunately, it's hard to get that in a picture!)! So anyway, this is exciting that his head is more 'central' - all lined up to come out correctly - hallelujah! He's definitely not breach, and I don't think he will move before labor. I'm SO grateful for that. Now there's just the other concerns like the cord being wrapped around his neck, but I just try not to think about that, and hope for the best (staying positive that everything is normal and he is healthy). I haven't felt the real uncomfortable kicking where it feels like he's going to break out of my belly, for a couple weeks. And from what I've read that's because he's getting bigger, and there's just no room for him to kick that far! We're 37 1/2 weeks today, and he should be weighing in around 6 1/2 lbs. already! CRAZY! I am beyond excited to meet him!

It's funny because I haven't been feeling very much anxiety about the labor. I feel very knowledgeable about what to expect, and I feel I am being really open-minded and going in with no solid expectations. That's the biggest mistake I hear women make - they didn't know they're options, and they had a very specific view of how things would go (and so were disappointed). It's all in God's hands, and I completely trust him to give the me labor experience that I should have. I actually already even packed our hospital bag (the stuff that I could anyway). Our birth plan is pretty much done and I've talked fairly extensively to Kim (my doula) about it, and feel she knows what we want. And I've talked some to Ruth-Ann (our midwife), and will finish talking to her about it today at my appointment. I had Janae, mom, and George watch the great documentary "The Business of Being Born", and we discussed our birth plan. They know their roles in the labor, and know how we want things to go. I took a breastfeeding class last Tuesday, and my mom went. I'm so glad she did, as she commented 'Wow! Things have really come a long way since I had you girls!' And that's what I wanted her to learn - that things HAVE changed a lot, and the choices I've made regarding my labor are carefully thought out and researched. The main thing that I'm feeling unprepared with is practicing our hypnobirthing scripts. I'll discuss hypnobirthing more later, but I really need to be practicing the deep relaxation scripts that I have on my Iphone, as well as having George read me the other relaxations scripts (we have several).

Okay, G and I are going to go get breakfast now, so I'm going to write more later!