40 Weeks!

Holy cow, I'm 10 months pregnant! Just a few short weeks ago I truly didn't believe this day would come, and now I'm not sure I'll ever go into labor! I woke up yesterday morning and noticed my stomach had changed dramatically...I dropped! Finally! I was starting to think maybe I wouldn't drop until right before going into labor but low (see what I did there?) and behold, that baby dropped! My belly is protruding a lot more now and I can feel his little hands wiggling around waaaaay down in my pelvis. 

Hello dirty mirror. 

I got excited and took a picture first thing in the morning, hence the wife beater, boy shorts, and sleepy eyes. So all yesterday I felt "birthy". My back was killing me, I had menstrual-like cramps, I felt very zen and at peace with things. But then I took a super nap and woke up on the wrong side of the bed. One thing just kept leading to another. William and I have been doing a "Countdown to Liam" date night marathon where we go on a date every night until baby is here. Last night we went to an adorable hole-in-the-wall traditional Japanese restaurant and I ended up ordering a sushi roll I didn't really love. That made me a little crabby. Then I found out that my book Ina May's Guide to Childbirth somehow disappeared off the face of the earth when we were in-between cars a little while ago. It wasn't in the one place we thought for sure it had to be and I was really bummed because I've been wanting to finish reading the birth stories before I give birth. That made me really crabby. And it all just escalated from there. We saw The Imitation Game and there was a really obnoxious couple in the theatre that talked loudly through the whole movie and by the end I was annoyed and had a killer backache. 

When we got home I took a warm bath, did hip rolls on my yoga ball, and ate some pasta and instantly felt better. I slept most of the day today. I decided to turn my phone off in order to avoid the influx of calls and texts I've been getting from curious and excited friends and relatives. "Is baby coming?" "Still pregnant?" I love all of you but oh my goodness I can't handle it right now. I'm feeling very "internal" and withdrawn today. Not quite myself. Like I just want to be left alone. Not in a moody "leave me alone" way, but more so a desire for solace.

 Now that Liam has mostly dropped and is actively trying to engage into my pelvis, my belly has gotten really heavy. So I'm more than just a little uncomfortable at the moment and it'd be nice to meet my baby soon! Not to mention if I get one more text asking if I'm still pregnant my head will likely explode! 

So there's my scatter-brained 40 week update. I hope my next update is to inform you all that I've just given birth! But if not, see you at 41 weeks!

39 Weeks Update

Hey, friends!

As of today - February 20th, 2015 - I have been pregnant for 39 weeks! Dang. I'm feeling a little impatient but overall pretty good. Last week I made a little trip to Labor and Delivery because I was having hard contractions about 3 minutes apart. Long story short, they didn't last and I was sent home. False alarms are huge bummers. So here I am, still waiting. And that's okay! Because I trust my baby and my body to do their thing on their own time. Luckily I'm finally getting over my nasty cold. I was worried I'd be sick when I went into labor so that's a huge relief. 

So here's how things are going at 39 weeks:

Due Date: 7 days away - February 27th

Weight Gained: 30lbs

Feeling: A little sore, some back and pelvic pain. Irritable some days. Mostly pretty good. 

Movement: Baby Liam is extremely active still. He rolls around and pokes and jabs quite a bit. 

Position: Head down, pretty low, and anterior most of the time. He occasionally turns posterior but usually only if I'm reclining. 

Complaints: My biggest complaint is boredom! I'm so bored most of the day and it's getting hard to find things to occupy my time. Also, it's getting harder to sleep at night with this lower back pain. 

Tonight I went to dinner with William and then we walked around the outdoor mall for a little bit. It felt good to get moving but it took its toll on my hips/pelvis after a while. I came home and took a really long ice cold shower (I've been so hot all day). It felt so good and I feel like a new woman. Tomorrow I'll do a little yoga and have lunch with a friend. I'm going to make the most of these final days of my pregnancy. I'm blessed to be carrying this little life inside of me and I want to cherish every moment I have left. 

P.S. How great is that photo of me!? It was taken by my good friend and photographer, Karsen Zach who recently shot my maternity photos. Thanks Karsen!

38 Weeks - Staying busy in the TWW

And welcome to the big "two week wait"! Yes, in reality I could be waiting less or more than two weeks, but I'm officially two weeks from my estimated due date! Hooray! 

This is around the time most women find themselves getting a little antsy, and for good reason. At this point you've shared your body with another person for over 9 months, you're tired, your hips hurt, you waddle when you walk, and chances are you've spent more than a couple sleepless nights cleaning your baseboards or decluttering your junk drawer (nesting, amirite?) 

It's occurred to me that staying busy during this time can be really tough. Just about all I think about is how much longer I have to wait before I go into labor. I'm constantly straddling the fence between "Come when you're ready, baby." and "GET THE HECK OUTTA ME, KID!"  Ah yes, a very conflicting time indeed. But it really doesn't help to sit on my phone, googling "signs of labor" and "how to ripen your cervix". 

Here are some ways I'm attempting to get birth off the brain: 

1. Binge watch a TV series.

Any show will do. I chose Sex and the City because all 6 seasons are on HBO on Demand and I figure that's plenty to keep me occupied for 4 more weeks, if need be. (Plus, who doesn't love Sex and the City?) 

2. Start a book. 

Or finish that one that's been sitting on your nightstand for the past 6 months that you haven't gotten around to reading past the preface. I have been meaning to finish reading Never Let Me Go for a few months now but have been too distracted to just do it. So what better time to really dive in than now?

3. Go out. 

Okay, so I know this one is iffy. Either you're dying to get out of the house or you'd rather die than be forced to wear anything but sweats. Regardless, now is a good time to get out of the house and have a little fun. It could be a while before you're able to do it again (without a little person on your hip). 

4. Sleep

Ah, my favorite. I sleep a lot these days and it feels soooo good. If you can sneak a nap (or two) into your schedule then you really should. Yes, it's true that newborns sleep a lot and you may be able to nap when the baby does, but the quality of that sleep is questionable at best. It's probably a good idea to get in some good, long naps while you can. 

5. Do what you love. 

Cook with your significant other, dance around the house, knit, scrapbook, make love, write in your journal, take a walk, you get the point. Whatever makes you happy, do it. It's easy to fall into a funk when you're being forced to wait indefinitely for something you want so badly to happen Right. Now. Don't let yourself. Don't even give yourself the chance to get bummed out and stuck in a rut. 

Enjoy these last days of your pregnancy, because before you know it, there won't be a bump in front of you to cradle and caress. And although you'll have a baby to take its place, you just might miss it.