Well, that was fun. And painful.

Had my 39-wk appointment this morning! I'm 39w3d technically. Went in, got weighed, ignored the scale after I saw the 20_.__, told them about the two times I had cramping at around 4am, that was about it.

**warning - possible grossness ahead.**

Dr man came in to check me, I was anticipating the uncomfortableness this time so I was prepared with my breathing, lol. He also said he was going to "agitate" the membranes (after this I started referring to him in my head as the Maytag Man), and I was like sure, ok, and the nurse laughed. He checked for dilation and effacement first - 2cm, 70% - and then started doing something that was quite uncomfortable, but not exactly painful. The breathing did help, although I only had to take two deep, long breaths and it was done. Immediately afterward, it felt like menstrual cramps. I sat up and the nurse handed me a pad - which is where I remembered what I forgot to buy at the store!

I had a little spotting while at the dr's, but the cramping has gotten a little more uncomfortable. Went to the br a little while ago, whee more spotting (I know, totally gross, but didn't you read that warning?), which looked a little mucus-y so I'm hopeful that my plug has started to vacate the premises.

And oh yeah, OUCH! Back pain! I just started to notice it becoming more painful than uncomfortable. I've got my timery thing all ready online, but I can't really tell when it starts and when it ends. I'm sure it's just a prelude to actual pain, though. I'm thinking that because I can't tell when it starts or ends that it's not a contraction and just more of the same. We'll see.

ooh! cramp! there was a cramp!

this morning at 4am. It was painful. I used that chance to practice my breathing for contractions.

I can't be too sure, but something tells me I'm going to SUCK at labor. In a major way. Ah well. Someone get me a giant pacifier.

So, have a half day today - I have to get dog food, find some lunch, and meet the furnace guy. I'll probably spend the rest of the day organizing my freezer food and throwing the rest of the stuff in my hospital bags. Maybe I can even get around to taking pics! Ooh, blog with pics, how exciting. I know, you're holding your breath.

BPF!

ok, so it's late. shoot me, I'm a little preoccupied.

38w3d

and, for comparison: 38w6d

last night was fun............NOT

It was a lovely night, until I tried to go to bed and realized...that feels like cramps. Ouch. Hey, that really feels like cramps. how long do these last? will they ever stop? oh, that's better.

~@4am~

Oh hey, I have to go to the bath-WTF? cramps again? they still hurt! and my back does too! and it's not going away! oh wait, that's better. but here comes a BH. and he's still kicking me. how does he have room?
um...this could be a sign of early labor, according to WTE (I was doing some light reading on the toilet). that means...

I NEED TO PACK MY BAG! I NEED TO FINISH MY STUFF AROUND THE HOUSE! IT LOOKS ATROCIOUS! WHO'S GOING TO WATCH MY DOG?
to be done list going through my head: iron my dish towels, open box of diapers, wash my CD's, get a basket for baby bath stuff, put sunchips in my hospital bag, buy yogurt...man. there's still a lot left to do! it's not like packing for vacation, apparently.

So, tonight, it's off to bru to get the last of my "vital" stuff on the registry, and maybe a dresser, as I've been told he'll have more things at christmas than can fit in his little shelving unit. man. I keep checking the tp, looking in the toilet, no "mucus" yet. The BH are getting a little more painful, but so far it just feels like cramps. I have to remind myself to keep drinking water also, I don't want to get dehydrated and then go into labor! Oh and on a more TMI note? I went to the bathroom 4 times yesterday. Of the non-peeing kind. Which I recalled at 4am when I was thinking of Liz, who went into labor & had her lovely baby the other day. AHHHHHH!

so, nursing wear.

thou art my conundrum. How much to buy? and When? it's almost like the baby clothes dilemma - will he come out and be in newborn, or in 0-3? how much of each do I need? when do I start stocking up on 3-6? the clothes that I have will be answered in another post - time to pick out things for me now.

So far, I have bought:

Gilligan & O'Malley nursing tank from Tar-jay
I picked up a navy number with lace trim the other day when I was out, just to try it. I'm usually a M in items like this (it's loverly being two different sizes - M on top, L on bottom), but I figured since my bazoombas are gigantic now and will be milkified for a while, L would do it. It fit fine, obviously not around the stomach area because I'm still with melon, but I have to say, it did make me feel a bit like I needed to strap on some leather chaps, get my cat o' nine tails out and work on my dominatrix name. Modern-day torture instrument? No, nursing tank. But it'll serve its purpose, I'm sure. And it looks pretty.

Glamourmom nursing tank
This one was on sale at one of the sites, zulily I think? I took a chance. It looks pretty, again, I'm sure this is my main motivating factor in life - but is it pretty?
I was interested in trying one of the online brands, and this is the first I came to.






Next up: I'll have to go back to tar-jay of course. What I'm aiming for will be 2 sleep nursing bras and 2 regular nursing bras. Will this be enough? Help me, interwebz.

BPF!

a little late, but ya know how it is. had a half day today, got a sub and fries for lunch, subsequently am laid up on the couch because the H said "hey, are your feet ok? that one looks swollen."
aaaand with that, I was on the couch with water for the rest of the day. so here I am. : )

36w6d:

36-ish weeks update

So, I didn't get to take a pic for BPF last week, I'm not sure why...did I have something to do? Was work hellish? It might have been. It's not like I can remember yesterday, much less last week!

NO BRAIN: My brain cells are being used currently so I have none left to, for example, help me with remembering to take keys with me when I walk out of the house. The way my front door works (with my lovely "vintage" handle and lock) is that you can set it to lock with a button on the mechanism, so that when you walk out it locks behind you and you don't have to use the key. Well. That's all well and good until you try to get in the car and realize that your keys are inside the locked house. Twice last week. Twice. This kid better be a genius from all the brainpower he's sucking from his ma.

LISTS: I'm on to making lists now, so that takes up most of my time, lol. I have a list of stuff I need to do around the house, when it needs to be done, a list of baby stuff I have yet to buy from the registry, a list of recipes I need to get together for the pre-baby cookfest, and more to come, probably.

BABYYOGA: The next prenatal yoga session doesn't start up again until mid-Sept, so I'm thinking of doing a private lesson or two until then, because I could use some serious stretching, and the doing-it-at-home stuff just isn't cutting it.

THINGS I CAN'T DO: I can't really reach my feet anymore, which is wonderful right now because I either have some form of poison, or was exceptionally juicy to mosquitoes this weekend. I was able to take the nail polish off of my half-pink toes this morning, but it took a while. And I got kicked in the process. He doesn't like it when I bend any which way that cramps his space I'm thinking.
Bending over to reach the passenger-side window in my car? forget it.
Putting on socks? Equally as painful, and gets me elbowed as well.
Taking laundry up and down stairs? I have to make sure the basket is not full so as to accommodate the belly when I'm holding the basket in front of me.
Bending down to pick up the dog's food bowls? Ugh. I'm thinking of just opening his cabinet and letting him eat it right out of the 40-gal plastic container. You want water? hose in backyard.

HELLOOOOO 200: Yes, I've hit 200 lbs. It's scary, but only because now I am over what I wanted to gain in the first place - I was doing so well, and now it seems like the weight I gain is going to other places than the baby - my thighs are looking a little bigger (well hello there, only new stretch marks on my body, welcome to my thighs), and my back is flabbier. I'm hungry all the time now though, and it doesn't hurt to eat a full meal anymore. I'm trying to watch what I eat but it is DAMN TOUGH. I don't feel like preparing anything by the time I get home from work. My motivation has gone out the window, only to come back on Saturday mornings.

SATURDAY MORNINGS: this is when I get my burst of energy and want to clean the whole house right now and I CAN'T WAIT IT ALL NEEDS TO BE DONENOWRIGHTNOW. And then I get crampy, and hot, and need to sit down and drink water. A nap on the couch sounds nice. What was I doing again? Oh well, at least I got the dishes done.

OH THE KICKING: His kicking is becoming a little more painful. I had heard that movement might decrease, and some days it does, but others (I'd like to apologize in advance for the cherry coke that I can't seem to stay away from) it's like he's trying to locate an exit at any point. Or seeing just how much room he has left. My left side is the constant kickboard for small fry's testing of the limbs. I still have no idea which part is which though, other than thinking to myself "oh, that is a limb poking into my side. that is probably a hand hitting where my pant waistband is hitting my belly. that is a baby butt sticking out of my right ute side." And maybe I'm right, maybe I'm not. but...

We'll find out today! This is the fun appointment where I get the GBS test (yuck, swabbed) and an ultrasound to see how everything is progressing. I'm excited to see him again. I'm probably most curious about what he'll look like when he comes out. That's what I think about the most. Screw labor, how much hair is this kid gonna have? lol. So I will update when I get home tonight, hopefully! And I will be cleaning off the ottoman, and making tomato sauce and pickled peppers. Maybe I will go to the grocery store. I'm living on the edge.