40 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 40 weeks. Due date. Any day now, Cole; any day now. Doctor offered to strip my membranes, but I'm not ready for that. Thursday we'll check vitals and fluids, and possibly induce at 41 wks on Friday. Hoping and praying Cole comes on his own before all that mess.

Size of Baby :  ~20" long & ~7.5 lb. Of course we'll find out exact measurements soon :)

Total Weight Gain : ~24.5-25.5 lbs, depending on the day and my fiber intake. ;)

Maternity Clothes :  Wearing the same few outfits over and over. Absolutely nothing is comfortable. I barely have anything that's bearable and covering. 

Best Moment This Week : It's a tie between Josh cleaning the house and Josh taking care of the yard. It's so nice to be caught up on stuff I couldn't do for the last month or two, between my energy and aches and carpal tunnel. 

Gender : It's a boy!

Movement : He's really running out of room in there. But I never worry about when I last felt him move b/c he squirms off and on all day! (and night :-O)

Food Craving : I've been eating fruit like it's going out of style, partly for craving, partly for fiber. Cantaloupe, watermelon, peaches, apples, berries...whatever's on sale. 

What I Miss Most : Comfort. Being comfortable really is a foreign concept these days, except in the pool on a nice day. I love the pool. <3

Sleep : One night I only peed once; probably hadn't hydrated enough that day. Another night I was up 3-4 times to pee. I've been experimenting with a variety of pillow combinations; none of them are perfect but they all have their merits. Lately my hips haven't been surviving the night, so the last few nights I've been going downstairs to the recliner to finish that last couple hours of sleep. 

What I Am Looking Forward To : I can't wait till I'm not in waiting mode. I hate not knowing when. I hate hoping every day that "today's the day". I hate ending every day thinking "maybe tomorrow". I really just can't wait to start getting settled. 

Belly Button : I'm so angry at this stupid kid. Just this week I've developed horizontal stretch marks above my belly button. 80 wks of pregnancies w/o a mark. I told him it's a sign that he should come out now. There's REALLY no more room. 

Symptoms : Same old, plus...

My hips/pelvis continue to loosen; they hurt more than ever, both when I move (esp the transition from sitting to walking) and when I sleep. 

BHicks pick up in frequency and intensity in the evenings just like they did with Ash (but are gone by morning). A sign that the end is coming. 

I've had some back pain that wasn't just the usual ache. I'm hoping it's also a sign of the beginning of the end. 

Compared to last time : Pretty much the same. This pregnancy has been a little harder - morning sickness lasted longer, reflux a little worse, carpal tunnel obviously worse, I've felt and looked bigger, etc - but overall they've been pretty parallel.

40 weeks. Ready to pop! :)