Week 37!

At week 37, my pregnancy is considered full term, meaning that Squirt is likely to thrive after birth. Yay!  I won’t be having another preemie!  Squirt will spend these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which we’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) I worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the Squirt. During the journey out of my womb, Squirt will produce more stress hormones than any other time in her life.  Can you imagine?  I guess it’s good to just get that out of the way immediately in life.

I had my weekly appointment with the OB this morning.  The update is that I’m a whopping 1cm dialated (the doctor said I shouldn’t be too greedy since I wasn’t dialated at all a week ago) and 50% effaced.  What does this mean?  Not much, I could easily walk around like this for a few more weeks.

However, after finding out at an ultrasound on Monday that the baby is measuring at 7lbs 4oz, (that’s accurate +/- 10%) I would be happy to deliver this weekend.  Since I don’t care about the Super Bowl this year, Sunday is fine with me!  The doctor said that if I go full term Squirt would likely be 8.5-9lbs.  Holy Cow!  I would prefer to have a baby that is a bit smaller please.

So right now, I’m still pregnant and more than ready to check into the maternity floor and meet Squirt.  I think Bill is ready too.  I don’t move very quickly these days and I’m terribly tired in the evenings.  I think he’d like to have my energy return soon.

Exhaustion!

These days when anyone asks me how I’m feeling my answer is always, “Tired”.  Honestly other than being more tired that I thought I could be I’m doing really well this pregnancy.  It’s been very much like the first one in that it’s been uneventful.  Just the way I like it.

What’s the difference from last time you ask?  I’m two years older and I’m chasing a one year old around when I get home from work.  That is a big change from the first pregnancy.  Last time when I was tired after work I could go home and hold down the couch until I went upstairs to bed.  What a difference two years can make.  And I wouldn’t change a thing about it.  I enjoy having Rylee to chase.

Wednesday night this week was the worst it’s been.  I got home from work, sat down to dinner (yes, that’s right folks – Bill is the chef in our house!) and thought my head was going to hit the table.  I was so tired that eating wasn’t so much a priority.  After dinner, I moved from the kitchen table to just around the corner and  into the recliner.  I stayed here, read books to Rylee & played with her baby doll and put my feet up until I fell asleep in said recliner about an hour after Rylee went to bed.  I was pretty impressed at how I was able to still play with Rylee while sitting in the recliner with my swollen feet & ankles up in the air.

I have to say that Bill has been amazing through all of this.  He has been getting Rylee ready for bed while I sit in the recliner.  Rylee and I will then watch the Wiggles together while she winds down before Bill takes her up to bed.  He has also been making dinner and cleaning up from dinner as well.  In our house the unspoken rule is pretty much if you cook the other one cleans up.  I really do appreciate all that he’s been doing.  And I must say that I’m impressed at how he’s just done it all.  Hasn’t complained about it one bit.  Not that he normally would, but I know many a husband would.

I’m now 35 1/2 weeks pregnant.  One week past when I delivered Rylee.  To me it’s almost like being pregnant for the first time because I really don’t know what to expect from here on out.  Then there’s the wondering I do daily, “Will Squirt arrive today or will I actually go full term?”  Things that I never would have thought last time.  But after having one preemie you never know what might happen this time.

So as much as I do not like to use this blog to complain…. I’ve managed to do it today.  I’m wiped out.  I’m tired.  I’m exhausted.  I’m ready to have this baby.  I know, I know – be careful what you wish for.