Preggers III: 38 Weeks

I've been pretty delayed in these posts each week mostly because I haven't been taking my pregnancy picture until later in the week, but I'm trying to get better and here is a 38 week post that I wrote when I was actually 38 weeks to the day:

How far along?  38 weeks

Comparisons:

 38 Weeks with Tracey

35 Weeks with the Twins... because they were born at 36 weeks 1 day, and I never took a 36 week picture.

38 Weeks with Baby Number 4

How I am feeling?  Well... I am always wondering if I'll have the baby today.  I try not to, but the truth is, the baby is really low, I have lots of signs that I am nearing the end of my pregnancy (which I am) and I spend a lot of time thinking, "Okay, if I went into labor right now, who would watch the kids?"

 

How big is the baby?  The size of a winter melon -- 19.6 inches long, 6.61 pounds

 

Sleep:  Sleep is wonderful.  I enjoy it whenever possible and hope that the new baby will too.

Boy/Girl Predictions:  Well... we know our baby's gender so no need to predict here.

Baby Nicknames:  I call the baby, "Baby," but Tracey still insists the name should be "'Punzel"

  Best moment this week: We had a wonderful weekend.  The kids (and we) walked in a parade with their school, then we went up to Vail to see my parents on Sunday.  They arrived in Vail Friday night and we just had a beautiful autumn day up there.  Seeing family for 'the day' is something we almost never experience because family either comes to stay with us, or we go to stay with them.  The idea that we woke up and went to sleep at our house, but had a wonderful few hours with family around lunchtime was such a treat.

 

Food cravings:  Nothing in particular... food that doesn't take a lot of effort.

 

Missing:  Not wondering when I'm going to go into labor.  Ever since I hit 37 weeks, I'm pretty much expecting to go into labor at any moment... every night before bed I wonder... almost every time I pick up a child, I wonder if my water is going to break.  I'm trying to relax and wait for the baby, but we have a lot of logistics to manage when I do go into labor, so I think about them a lot.  I wish I would just relax and wait.  This is why women schedule inductions and c-sections... even though this is our third time heading into childbirth, the waiting does not get any easier.  I would argue, the waiting gets harder because we have more children to manage when labor ensues.

 

Movements:  Yes, although they're slowing down a little... I think the baby is running out of space.  This baby gets the hiccups every day, which is so funny because I don't think Tracey had the hiccups once throughout pregnancy, and with the twins, it was hard to tell, but I don't remember ever realizing that one had hiccups.  This baby gets the hiccups every day.

Labor Signs:  Some... just the process of getting closer to the birth day.

General Attitude:  I'm really glad my parents are in the state now.  We still know this could be a really fast labor, just because its my third childbirth, so we might not wait for my parents to drive from Vail before we leave for the hospital... but backup is here, just a few hours away, and that is a comfort.

 
 What I am looking forward to this week:  We get to see my parents a few times this week and Tuesday is my dad's birthday, so it will be a fun week -- I just wish I knew when the baby was going to arrive so I could plan better.

 

Milestones: There is a special pair of earrings I have worn in the days before, and during every childbirth.  They are my mom's earrings so they have been with her in Michigan up until yesterday.  Yesterday, she officially handed them off so that I will have them to wear from now until labor and delivery.  Had I gone into labor before getting those, things would have been fine... but it does feel like another milestone to now have those earrings ready for whenever labor begins.  Also, I have now entered the week that I had  Tracey -- she was born 38 weeks 6 days... so we'll see what happens this week.