40 Weeks...Eviction Notice

I can't believe Baby L's due date has arrived! January 28, 2016 sounded so far away when we found out we were expecting Baby L right before Memorial Day weekend.  Where have these 40 weeks gone?!  We knew all along we didn't want to know whether Baby L was a boy or girl.  Now that his/her arrival is so close, I am so excited to find out!  What a sweet reward it will be after (what I am assuming will be) a long labor.  I told Joe he better make sure he knows for sure before he announces whether it is a boy or girl.  I would rather wait 10 more seconds for him to take it all in than have him tell me the wrong thing! Right now I still feel great and stand by my statements that I truly have enjoyed being pregnant.  There are so many parts of this pregnancy I will miss.  It's hard to believe it is all coming to an end and we will be meeting Baby L any day now.  I have become so accustomed to my baby bump it's a little hard to imagine not having it anymore.  Baby L must be feeling just as comfortable since he/she has officially decided on a late arrival.

I had my last prenatal appointment on Wednesday.  I feel like such a regular it is going to be strange not seeing all the staff every week.  Everything still looks great and I am so thankful for a completely healthy pregnancy.  My OB laughs every time at how active Baby L is (I think he/she starts kicking every time she listens to the heart beat).  The good news is we finally have some progress.  I am dilated 1 cm, my cervix has continued to soften, and the baby has also finally started to drop (current position -3).  So we have a ways to go, but at least we are heading in the right direction.  All that is left to do at this point is sit and wait.  If I don't go into labor on my own over the weekend I will be induced Tuesday evening.  To be honest I am a little nervous about having to be induced.  I would much rather go into labor naturally and labor at home for awhile.  But I am trying to not get too anxious and just take it day by day.  It is all up to you Baby L, Mommy and Daddy are ready to meet you whenever you are ready! But this is your official eviction notice! :)

Joe had to fix the invisible dog fence this week.  Of course it would stop working when we are expecting Baby L anytime.  Fortunately the problem ended up being an easier than expected fix (the problem was caused by a bad fix from a cable guy that broke it). After that adventure he was also able to finish the guest room this week, it looks great!  We still need to hang a few pictures but we are so happy with how everything turned out.  Looking forward to more visitors once Baby L arrives.

This week has been spent taking advantage of our last few days of it being just Joe and I.  We have been eating out, and went to see the movie The Revenant.  The weather has been a little nicer so the dogs have been getting some extra walks and are being enticed with treats as a reward if they help get my labor kick started, hehe.

January 28th (my due date!) is also now my official last day of work.  Boss man (Jim) asked me to come in (so long as I wasn't in labor of course) since they were having an inservice on the new pumps.  When I wasn't training I tried to walk a lot, including the stairs.  I think it helped because I can feel a big difference and it seems to me that Baby L has continued to drop.  I am definitely feeling ready to be done working at this point.  Looking forward to a little time to myself before Baby L arrives.

We have been receiving many sweet messages, phone calls, and texts about Baby L.  We are so thankful to have so many supportive family and friends, both near and far.  Fingers crossed we will have more exciting news to share soon.  The next blog will be our labor story, and officially introducing Baby L :)

Baby is the Size of a Jackfruit

 

Eviction notice...Baby L you have run out of room!

New for baby this week? Gearing up for labor...could be any day now!

Total weight gain/loss? 37 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Absolute necessity.
Stretch marks? None!! :) I think we made it!
Sleep? Loving sleep.  More wake ups to shift positions because I get sore but I fall right back to sleep.  Wednesday evening was somewhat restless because I was having random contractions.
Best moment this week? Extra time with Joe.
Miss Anything? Not really...just enjoying the moment.
Movement? All the time.  As baby has shifted downward I am feeling a lot of movements around my belly button.  It's like we are touching hands almost (or so I like to imagine), it is kinda cool.
Food cravings? Chocolate milk.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope, all of this was very minimal through the entire pregnancy. A couple fish smells and chicken tacos come to mind as things that ever made me feel nauseous a very long time ago.
Gender? We will know very soon :)
Labor Signs? Starting to dilate.  Increased contractions although still very irregular and not very painful.
Belly Button in or out? Big ol' button!
Wedding rings on or off? Off
How is mama feeling? Rested, energetic, excited, happy, anxious, and a little nervous.  Increasing pelvic pressure (and increased pregnancy waddle) as baby is dropping.  
Looking forward to? Holding and kissing Baby L for the first time.