Pregnancy Update- 39 weeks {last days as a family of 4}

Yes.  Hello there!  Coming at yah (still) 39 weeks 4 days pregnant.  Sunday the 14th will be 40 weeks.

39 weeks

one day I will be glad I posted this picture …

I will be honest, I didn’t think I would be pregnant this long, y’all.  I was sure baby would be here by now …  and I am trying VERY hard to be patient.  It is difficult, but the last few days I have felt better.  The baby has dropped so my ribs don’t feel like they are about to break in a million pieces anymore.  After 18 weeks of excruciating rib pain, that makes being pregnant a little more bearable.  I am also trying to savor the last days with my two oldest.

I’ve been having lots of contractions for the last week- and I don’t think they’re braxton hicks.  They tend to be painful & some nights I wake up thinking “oh, this is it!” … and it’s not.  They continue 5-10 minutes a part for hours and then just stop.  With baby dropping and evidence that I maybe have dilated a bit, I am encouraged that baby will be here before 41 weeks, but OH I hope it is sooner!  haha

I’ve been doing different exercises from Spinning Babies website to help get everything in balanced and in position; if there is no baby by tomorrow morning, I am probably going to run to my chiro and get adjusted.  Maybe that will get things going.

My doctor appointments have been fine- baby’s heart rate is good (140s), fundus height is measuring perfectly, my blood pressure is good, yadda yadda.  I had one pelvic exam at 37 weeks, but I won’t have anymore until labor.  Oddly, I saw a different doctor this week (my dr just didn’t have appointments I guess) and he said they don’t usually do an exam every week unless mom requests it.  In my experience all pelvic exams do is burst my baby-birthing bubble, because I never dilate or thin/soften much before labor anyway, they’re painful, and having a “stretch and sweep” has never resulted in me going into labor.  Baby will get here when baby gets here.

Thankfully, it seems they don’t push a lot of medical intervention here unless necessary, so I am hopeful the doctor will let me get to at least 41 weeks before he talks about induction.  The head of labor and delivery said they really encourage mom to walk around and move to labor, vs laying in bed (that’s a welcome change to what I had in AR!), you can have a nurse with you most of the time if you want (which I don’t…), and they will massage your back, hips, etc during labor!  (sweet!). So, I am looking forward to that part I think.  There are perks to delivering in a small town with more nurses than patients.  =)

I have been “nesting” I guess.  J.Tom cleaned out and organized the garage a few weeks ago, on Labor Day he helped me get all the light fixtures and fans down & cleaned, he dusted all the door frames and doors, and vacuumed the stairs.  He helped me get the curtains hung and the glider put in the nursery from downstairs.  I have all the baby clothes (boy and girl) clean and put away, and bought some newborn diapers for the weeks before we start cloth diapering.  The kids did the footprint paintings for the nursery- I’m not crazy about them, but it will do for now.  After baby comes and we finally settle on a name, I may make a wooden name for the nursery wall, but I am not sure yet.  We are all trying to keep the house semi-picked up and clean so there isn’t much to do once baby is here (aka, I can let it all go!).  The freezer is pretty full and the pantry is stocked.  Hopefully we are ready!

Then, the dog has gone into heat … so that is fun!  I am hoping that ends quickly!  She is wearing Lexie’s left over pull ups.  But, she is driving me nuts!  She is so … anxious.  And worrisome.  Poor girl, but we have done a lot of reading and just don’t feel comfortable spaying her this young.  JTom explained to Lexie that Charlie needed the diaper because she was ready to have pupppies, but mommy and daddy don’t want her to have puppies.  She didn’t ask about anything else, so we left it at that.. *whew* I expected a million questions like everything else …  Glad that didn’t happen!

There it is, our 39 week update.  Hopefully there won’t be a need for a 40 week update!  =)  We shall see …

Here are a few pictures from our last days (week) as a family of four!

last days as a family of 4

adventures!

last days as a family of 4

bubbles with Charlie!

last days as a family of 4

My little (tom-boy) lady

last days as a family of 4

wrong way!

last days as a family of 4

riding while daddy washes cars

last days as a family of 4

*aaah*

last days as a family of 4

York Children’s Museum

last days as a family of 4

driving on a “long trip” @ York Children’s Museum

last days as a family of 4

Cowboys!

 

Next time there will be three babies in our pictures!  =)