Thirty Seven Weeks

Full term. Sweeter words, I don't think that I've ever heard! If Jax were to decide to come on out and play today, there is a great chance that his little lungs would be just fine on their own and need no help from the medical professionals. Full term also means getting the "green light" from the doctor on taking short walks in the evening to try and "encourage" labor. Of course, that's if the swelling in my feet isn't too painful to prevent that, and that all depends on how much bed rest I got that day. It's all relative, I suppose.

But I made it. Our fears of not making it to this day a few weeks ago are now over and a distant memory. Now the 10 million dollar question is "When is this show going to get on the road?"

Here are some belly pictures for you. He's dropping lower each week, but the doctor is quick to assure me that he's not "that low" yet either. Meaning that he hasn't started the descent into the birth canal at this point. There are days that I will agree with her assessment and other days that I think she's nuts. Some times he seems content using my bladder as a speed bag for his exercise routine and other days my pelvic bones are a great substitute for a heavy bag. (Sorry for the boxing references, but I'm married to a Marine - we have all of that stuff in our garage!)

He's also doing a great job now of staying on track with me - as evidenced by the doctor re-changing our due date back to the end of the month. He's measuring right on track, even if she thinks that he's about a pound heavier than my weekly updates say that he is.

I'm not going to post the weekly update this week, if that's ok with you (or even if it's not!) since they don't really seem to be saying much anymore except that he's continuing to grow and put on weight. Which is all well and good, but gets somewhat tedious week after week, you know? But I do have some updates for you:

Weight? 1 lb gain – marking a total of 17 pounds
Stretch marks? They still seem to be staying far away from me thus far
Belly Button – innie/outie? It's WAY out now
Movement? He scared me pretty good one day this week, with what must have been a "sleepy day" for him - but other than that one day, he's been moving and shaking all over the place.
Swelling? I'm still having trouble with my right foot. The good news is that this week the doctor seemed a little more concerned about it - taking the time to measure one foot against the other one, and wouldn't you know it, my right foot was 1.5 inches bigger around than the left one! The better news is that the swelling doesn't go up too far, but the time she got to my calves, my two feet were even again.
Contractions/Signs of Labor? I don't suppose I'm having anything other than Braxton Hicks contractions. I know that they're false because they come and go, and they're not making alot of progress towards other signs of labor. My cervix is softening, but no dilation or effacement as of yet.
Other Issues? I've got a new strategy as far as sleep goes. I'm thirsty (like drinking water by the gallon!) these days, but especially at night. I'm either getting up to pee or I'm getting up to drink ANOTHER glass of water. So far, most nights I can stay in bed until sometime between 12a-1a and then if I move to the couch and get into a reclining position, then I can sleep the rest of the night. You know, in between trips to the bathroom!

Otherwise I'm feeling ok most days. Besides being tired and ready to meet my baby boy, and getting overheated and winded on short walks up the stairs or to my car in this Texas heat, I'm really ok. I'm starting to feel anxious about being able to recognize real labor, but I think that most moms-to-be go through that!