Week 33: June 29-July 5

Lots happened this week!
First of all, I had a routine doctor's appointment on Monday. Things are looking good. I'm 2 cm bigger than I should be as usual. The Pea's heartrate sounded great and my blood pressure is normal. When I was getting measured the doc asked me if I was having a contraction. Nope, that's just the baby... I think you said this was his butt last time? He felt around then just shook his head. He's really "prominent" (yeah, tell me about it). According to doc it's a testament to the fact that I haven't gained much weight. Apparently he means like, unnecessary non-baby weight because I HAVE gained plenty. Trust me. I finally chatted with him about my feeling that I might be farther along than we think. I have hit every milestone at the very earliest end of the normal range, and he just seems enormous to me. I felt him kick at 16 weeks, when most of the other first time moms around me didn't feel anything until 19-20 weeks, one girl 25 weeks! By 17 weeks BRIAN could feel him from the outside, and by the time my parents were here around 20 weeks he was kicking hard enough to be seen across the room. Obviously I'm measuring big, and my Braxton Hicks contractions hit as soon as they could. He explained that the best indicator of gestational age is when the ultrasound and your last menstrual cycle agree or nearly agree. Mine were just a few days apart. Also, most healthy babies are approximately the same size until week 20, so if you get the ultrasound before that it's extremely accurate (ours was at 18 weeks I think). Basically, the early movement feelings and his current prominence are a combination of not much being between him and the outside world, and now he's just big. Really big. The doc says he's guessing he'll be around 8 pounds - no 5 or 6 pound baby for me! We talked a little about the fact that that sort of concerns me, and he said once I hit 38 weeks, as soon as I start dialating they can induce me. Of course, it might all just happen at that point anyhow, but the last lady in our squadron who just had her baby was at 2 cm for like 10 days before she actually went into labor. So, that's cool I guess.

The other thing he told us was that at 34 weeks they no longer stop pre-term labor. So if I go into labor anytime after then they just let it run its course. This is sort of good because the meds they use are seriously unpleasant and it rarely works anyhow. As we left he grinned and said that he's the one on call this week so if anything happened he'd be around. So... nah you aren't farther along than you think, but if you go into labor this weekend let me know. Yikes? :)

Brian took Monday-Wednesday off and he worked on painting the nursery the whole time. He's so great! It's all primed and the walls (yellow on top, sage on bottom) are done. He's going to paint the trim and doors white this weekend. If only the people we bought this house from hadn't painted the room 5 shades of atrocious minty blue-green INCLUDING THE TRIM AND DOORS, it would be done by now. It's getting close. We're supposed to have our nursery furniture no later than next Friday, so we'll see how that goes. We want to do a white chair rail but I think we're going to hire a handyman to actually do the cutting and installing because few corners are actually square and apparently it's a big pain in the butt. Too bad we don't have a handyman in the family!

My sister arrives on July 6th for a week or so visit. I'm so excited! Other than when I first found out I was pregnant I haven't seen her, and I'm sure she's going to totally freak out. I don't think it's quite real to her yet, but it's sure going to be! I think we're planning a pretty easy going week, though my mom sent some money so we can get our baby swing so we'll be doing that. Hooray. It's so cute! I'll take pictures.

As for me, I am SO in my third trimester! Whenever anyone asks me how I am I want to reply "eight and a half months pregnant". Technically I'm great! The baby's healthy, I'm healthy, he's moving and growing and things are fine. I don't have hemorrhoids or varicose veins, my hands and feet are only a tiny bit swollen, it's all good. At the same time, I'm having a hard time breathing, I feel huge, my abdomen is like, as stretched as it can be and I feel like something's gotta give. I have to pee every 10 minutes, and it's not just a need to go, it's like this crazy uncomfortable pressure... like there's a 5 pound creature ramming his head into it. Yeah, something like that. I can't get up or down or around anymore without a lot of effort. My digestion is all wacky. My back hurts much of the time, and I'm hardly sleeping now. I can't remember ANYTHING and my brain is swiss cheese. Blech. Of course, all of this is totally normal and honestly nothing I can't handle. It's just... getting a little more unpleasant as we go. I'm still hoping for August 1st-ish as a delivery date. We'll see how accomodating this little Pea is!