36 Week Update

We're in the home stretch!! Honestly, despite all the warnings from friends that the time would go really slowly, I feel like it's flying. Part of the reason is work, and the immense amount of pressure I'm under to g et things done right now, but I also think my own feelings of not being quite ready to actually have a baby are making it speed by. Nothing like feeling unprepared for an event to make it come faster!

I had my 36 week doctor appointment on Thursday, and things seem good. Apparently I may really be huge, as the midwife I saw noted that I was measuring large, and scheduled a sonogram for less than a week later to estimate size. I'm a little intimidated by this, but hey, I'd rather know than wait and then labor for hours only to end up with a C-section.

Baby is still high, at -3 station for those of you who are familiar with the whole station thing. She said my cervix is still closed, but soft. She added other information about that, but my guess is that it's way TMI for the majority of the people who actually read this blog :)

How Far Along? 36 weeks (and 2 days... I'm late again.)

Best Part of these Two Weeks: My last appointment. Usually these appointments make me so mad I'm fuming for weeks, but I saw a midwife I've seen once before, and I love her.

How Do I Feel? Depends on the day. Some days I'm relaxed, pain free, and ready to go. Other days I'm in agony. It's unpredictable. Yesterday, I was on my feet all day and felt great. On Tuesday I went to see Oklahoma! with my 8th graders. I figured it would be an easy day... sit in a chair and watch a musical, go out to lunch, go home. But instead, I sat in the world's most uncomfortable chair and was in so much pain that I held back tears for the entire show, and contemplated whether or not I might be in labor. On that particular day, it hurt THAT bad to sit still. Like I said, unpredictable.

Cravings/Aversions? Holy cow, I can't believe I've been forgetting this one... ORANGE JUICE!! I literally can't start my day without it, and not just a small, normal juice glass. I require (and I MEAN require) a full 16oz pint glass filled right up. And no sipping--I chug it like a frat boy chugs beer. Brian finds it vile, but OH it makes me so happy in the morning!!

What I Miss: Do you want a list? Lunch meat, sleeping on my back, sleeping on my stomach, having more than two pairs of pants that fit, having any shoes that fit, being anonymous at the coffee store (more about that to come), "fading" into the background, making it through the day without unsolicited advice, being able to control my emotions... I'll stop there for now.

What I'm Looking Forward To: I'm really nervous about it, but I'm looking forward to my ultrasound on Tuesday. I have to take more time off from work (Boo!!) but a look inside my belly is always fun. Interviews for my job are on Monday, and while I'm NOT looking forward to that, I am looking forward to knowing who's going to be playing my role for 6-8 weeks.

Weekly Wisdom: I am 95% sure I've decided to go with a midwife next time around rather than the doctors. I've seen this woman twice, but each experience with her makes up for all the other, crappy experiences with doctors. Much, much more personable. Also, she had a great sense of humor and treated me like a person rather than a baby-growing vessel.