39 Weeks!

This week is supposed to mark my last week of pregnancy, but a lot of my online research has showed that first-time moms tend to go past their due date.  I haven't had signs of impending labor except a few Braxton-Hicks contractions that were more uncomfortable than usual and a feeling that baby's head is WAAAAAAY down in my pelvis (it feels funny when I bend down & stand back up).

39 Weeks Pregnant

I've been nesting a little more than usual (Craig is even noticing).  I hung a few picture frames up at the bottom of the stairs - one big frame for our family picture, a frame for baby's first hand- & footprints (Thanks Barbara!), and a frame for baby's monthly pictures over the first year (Thanks Jill!).  I also hung a little cross (direct from Jerusalem made from olive wood from the Mount of Olives & blessed by our parish priest) over baby's crib (and put on some crib guards to prevent baby from using the crib rails as a chew toy - a recommendation from my brother).

The "Wall of Baby" at the bottom of the stairs

Baby's crib complete with crib rail wraps and cross on the wall

I overdid it a little on Monday.  Craig & I were both off for the Columbus Day holiday, so we trekked to WalMart to get new pillows, to the auto store to pick up new headlight bulbs (feels like we're doing this a little too frequently for the Saab...), and to the grocery store to stock up on fresh food for the week.  We took a 2-hour break for lunch & a rest, but I still felt exhausted by the end of the day.  I was worried this all would bring on labor, but a little R&R helped and I felt better by late evening.

I am eagerly anticipating our doctor appointment this week.  We'll get to find out if I'm dilated at all, not that that means anything definite because women can be dilated for WEEKS before labor.  But, I'm curious!  (As is everyone else who has been calling & texting to check in!  Part of me really wants to say something cheeky in response like, "Oh, we had the baby a few days ago and returned home last night, so you can come over now if you want to meet the little one."  Craig would prefer to respond with a fake call to come visit the newborn at the hospital, with a follow-up call about 30 minutes later when everyone is driving on their way to say "False alarm!"  Because really, like we would hold back on announcing the news to our close friends & family, haha!  We all just have to be patient and let the baby come on his/her own time.  I just personally hope it will be after my last few days at work this week.)

We're on a mission to get the baby monitor (Thanks May & Hannah!) installed this week, but this has not been without its mishaps, like having to restart our entire router system back to factory default settings.  I'm sure you can imagine how frustrating that was, and it was not the first attempt we made to figure this out!  Hopefully we will have better luck trying again today with the "alternative" steps in the user manual and possibly the help of our tech-saavy nephew.  At least we know how to get things back to reset mode if we have to do it again, haha!  (And I am always willing to use the can & string communication methods of childhood, if we have to resort to that!)

On a whim, I made a 30-some second video of the progression of my weekly pregnancy pictures.  It came out kind of cool!  Can't wait to add either the 40 week picture or me holding the baby!