38 Weeks! The end is nigh.

Babycenter:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

How your life's changing:

For many women, the next couple of weeks are a waiting game. Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of necessary tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps, catch up on your reading, and spend uninterrupted time with your partner while you can.

Some swelling in your feet and ankles is normal during these last weeks, but call your practitioner without delay if you notice excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, any swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, or have a sudden weight gain. Also let her know immediately if have severe or persistent headaches; visual changes (such as double or blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, light sensitivity, or a temporary loss of vision), intense upper abdominal pain or tenderness, or nausea and vomiting. These are symptoms of a serious condition called preeclampsia.

Week 38

by Amalah of Alphamom

Your Baby:

• Is officially a little chunkin, at well over six pounds and 19 1/2 inches long.
• Is also officially considered “full term.” In other words, he or she is STRAIGHT UP FREELOADING from here on out.
• Is practicing making fists and fetal breathing in anticipation of life outside the womb.

You:

• Have probably had enough of this magical special time, thank you very much.
• Backaches, joint aches, heartburn, indigestion, constipation, Braxton-Hicks contractions, painful kicks, bladder pressure, stretch marks, itchy skin, swollen ankles, fatigue, dry mouth, mood swings, did I miss anything else in this cavalcade of late-pregnancy hilarity?
• Are alternating between crazy excitement about finally meeting your baby and crazy panic about oh my God, you’re finally going to meet your baby and they’re going to expect that you take it home and like, keep it alive and stuff.

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Me: Baby Boy Saltine Cracker Tater Tot Cucumber Pumpkin has been spending (ahem...freeloading) his past few weeks finding every last bone structure of mine within his reach and.... using it as a springboard. Resting his head on my bladder. Testing out possible exits. (HERE! HERE! HERE! AND HERE! but really here) Headbanging/Scratching his nose with my pubic bone. Using my pelvis to practice his cannonballs. Weeeeee.......

The car seat and base has finally been installed in my car. We can bring him home! and we won't even have to strap him to the roof! Spoiled already, sheesh. ;)

Besides the many irritating smug personal comments from current parents I've received, I've also received many compliments about how good I look, how I haven't gained much weight, it's all in my belly, not swelling.....which is so nice to hear (to balance out the contrite 'Just you wait!!' comments).

At my last.weekly.appointment yesterday, Dr.Smiley checked me and I am still at 1.5 cm dilated, 70% effaced, cervix soft, baby low, etc. Which is where I have been for the past 3 weeks. Unless something happens between now and this weekend, we have the Induction scheduled for next Tuesday. NEXT TUESDAY, OMG. I think I would prefer it that way; make it through the holiday weekend, have lunch with my parents on Monday, and then stroll into the hospital at 7am on Tuesday.

Dr. Smiley says the Induction process is as follows: no eating or drinking after midnight, check into L & D, get hooked up to Pitocin, break the bag of water and then wait for contractions and progress. I can have the epidural anytime I want it. Nothing is set in stone, but he expects baby boy to be born by mid-afternoon. Sounds so much nicer than my water breaking in the middle of the night.... or in traffic... or in at work.... and then having to get myself to the hospital.

Oh yeah, and this is me: