Week 39...Will We Make it to Week 40?

Well, week 39 was a week for preparation I tell ya! I spent much of the week having more intense braxton hicks contractions that seem to be happening more frequently, feeling Muppet do the mambo (I swear it's more active then normal lately) and crazy nesting.

One night I had such intense contractions, I almost woke Chris up as I thought I was going into labour. It took me a long time to get to bed that night, as Muppet was very active, and then for the next 3 hours, it was a routine of having a contraction, followed by Muppet protesting with lots of movement, and so on. I also started to feel nauseated so I moved from bed to sitting on my birthing ball to try to make the contraction leave. Apparently, braxton hicks contractions generally go away when you change positions unlike real contractions. Sadly, this was not the case that night. I tried walking around the room, sitting in a chair, laying in different positions in bed, but nothing worked. Eventually they died down though, and I was able to sleep. I don't know what it is, but since that night Muppet has been crazy active, flipping around completely, kicking hard and nudging my bladder with it's head. It must be practicing it's exit routine. It mostly does it at night, and always responds quite intensely after each contraction.

Since that wild, sleepless night, I've gone into crazy nesting mode. The other day I decided to clean things that truly had nothing to do with the baby. I started cleaning closets, cupboards, breaking down boxes, looking for clothes to donate, organizing my hallowe'en costumes and folding my fabric I use to make my stuffies. The sudden burst of random energy had me a little nervous, as I was sure this was a sign the baby was coming. But no, at the end of the day, I dropped in bed, totally exhausted. I did get a lot done that day though... :) Next time, I'll clean things that are more important...like the bathroom, or the fridge. ;)

I did do more cooking as well during my frantic cleaning phase. I made a belly warming beef stew that was so full of flavour. It reminded me of a yummy roast dinner with veggies and yorkshire pudding...mmmm.... Again, a delicious soup for the winter months. Luckily we have some left over, so we have a meal or two ready for when Muppet is here. :)

Finally, after 9 months, we were able to do something I had been just dying to do. We parked in the 'Expectant Mother's' parking spot!! I was so excited that I made Chris take a picture of the sign. I know it's dorky, but hey, you can only do it so many times in life, you might as well enjoy it! ;)

We had our prenatal the other day as well, and I was supposed to get an internal pelvic exam, but after doing some research, I decided to ask the doctor to wait until I was at least 40 weeks along. Since it wasn't really necessary as I haven't had any spotting, the baby is still (very) active and I am not really wondering if I'm dilated or not, I didn't see the need to risk jump starting labour or introducing infection or bacteria into my body. The doctor was great and had no problem with my request, so all my practicing my reasons for not wanting the examination in the mirror was a waste of time. :) Oh well!

At 39 weeks, Muppet is truly ready to go. It is still continuing to plump up so it can regulate temperature when it is out in the world. It is starting to lose old layers of skin, so newer skin can form. At my last prenatal, I had lost weight, which is seen as a sign that the baby is done growing in there and will be coming into the world pretty soon. Muppet's heart rate was 147, is still head down and has it's back turned on my left side with it's feet on my right side, which we had kind of guessed as we had been playing "grab the foot" the night before in bed. :)

Well, it looks like I'm making it to 40 weeks! Muppet is not an early bird after all! It is like it's parents... ;) I suspect it will be soon though, as those crazy Toni Braxton Hicks contractions (as Chris calls them) are increasing everyday, and the baby seems to be heading south for the winter. ;) It is really doing a number on my bladder, I tell ya! It still seems unreal that very soon we will actually be holding a real baby in our arms. This has been the most amazing adventure we've ever been on, and even when I was sick and sore, I enjoyed every minute of it. I know I will never be able to do anything more important or special in my life, and I am so glad I was able to share it with all my loved ones.

*Note: My sister and brother are now home for the holidays, and we are just waiting for Chris' brother and our soon to be sister-in-law to arrive. Hopefully Muppet holds out until everyone is home safe and sound!

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