39 weeks & Dr. Appt!

So, obviously, there was no labor during our Labor Day Weekend-- but that's ok, because we had a relaxing few days complete with a "last supper" out together, two movies, and more baking to add to the freezer stash.

We went to my parents' house last night for a delicious dinner and had a great time-- my dad made the comment that he didn't think I'd make it to my due date, saying that if I walked into a sporting goods store, I'd probably be accused of stealing a basketball! While I never did get really HUGE, I really do look like I'm about to pop. Both of my parents got to feel Liam move last night (for the first time!!) as he got his daily round of hiccups after dinner. Awesome.

On to the updates!

First, here are the stats from Baby Watch 2010:
Week 39:

Weight: +2 lbs from last week. (This is 2 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight!)

BP: Normal

Cervix: Still 1 cm dialated & 50% effaced. Cervix is soft (ripened).

Baby's Position: Still unsure since I didn't dialate more, but she said again today that she thought she could feel his head.

Overall Progress: Still looking fine. The doctor said that she can tell that my cervix has been contracting by the way it feels (much softer than the past few weeks), it's just not changing by the numbers. I won't lie-- it's disappointing that I've been stuck at 1cm for three weeks. I'm totally fine that I haven't gone into labor yet-- I just want to see some freakin' progress. I'm nervous that we still haven't confirmed his position and I'm terrified that when I do go into active labor, I'll be in pain for a long time, dialating extremely slowly. (My good friend "Epi" will help with this, but I am really hoping not to call on him for his assistance until I'm 4-5cm.) Really, there's no way to know, and worrying is a waste of time... but hey, it's what I do.

On the topic of induction, the doc asked me to still be thinking about it, although she did mention again that she prefers not to induce until the cervix hits 2 cm... This makes me wonder why we've even been discussing it? Umm, hello? Still hanging out at 1 cm... I guess we're just getting the ball rolling in case there's no action by next Tuesday-- Then, no matter how many cm I am, we'll have to make a plan to deliver by the following Tuesday. (She doesn't want me to go a more than a week past my due date.)

If I make it that long, Rob and I have talked inducing on Monday, Sept 20th. (It's me & my mom's birthday-- Oh, and TIO's, too!) However, as we discussed it today, she let me know that Tues & Thurs are her typical induction days because she's at the hospital all day. Of course, we're welcome to pick any day we want, but another doctor would most likely deliver if that's the case. (She's there half days on Mon & Fri-- not there at all on Wed.) My hope is that he'll come on his own, whatever day that is, but if not, I guess we need to decide if the 20th is that important to us, or if we want him to be born on the 16th or the 21st. How does one decide these things?

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This week, baby is the size of a large rabbit-- I'm so glad we only have another week or so of these silly comparisons:

And looks like this:

Baking Baby Blakely

"One uncomfortable complaint of late pregnancy is frequent hiccups. No, not you, your baby. Because there is no air around your baby, when she practices breathing, it can cause amniotic fluid to get into her windpipe, resulting in those regularly spaced thumps that make you think you're carrying a jumping bean in your belly.

Other news this week:

The lanugo (an exotic word for soft, downy hair) that used to cover your baby's body has mostly disappeared, but you may find a bit leftover on the shoulders, forehead and neck. Don't freak and think you've given birth to a monkey: It'll fall out soon.

The color of baby's skin is changing from a red-pink hue to a white or blue-pink color (even in babes with dark skin). These changes are due to the amount of fat your little pudger is putting on. The circumference of your baby's head and abdomen are about the same size now (though you may not be able to tell if your baby's born with the common cone-shaped head!).

The placenta is lending your Mini antibodies that'll keep him strong and healthy after birth. That said, it's still a good idea to invest in that mega-size bottle of hand sanitizer.

At this point your little critter is about 19 to 20 inches long and weights about 7 pounds. That's just around the size of a large rabbit. What's up Doc?"

Week 39 Belly Pic

Liam, honey, why don't you pick your own birthday? Mommy and Daddy don't want to have to pick it for you. Any day can be your special day-- you choose!