Week 38 - 2 weeks to go!

Countdown: 11 days till baby Michael arrives! (1 week, 4 days, 3 hours, 20 minutes, 3 seconds) - but who's counting?


How far along: 38 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain: Well I gained another 2 lbs - which, according to my midwife, went pretty much straight to Michael. I feel better knowing that he's definitely growing. Now my total weight gain is at 21 pounds..not too bad. I'd really like to cap the weight gain at 25 lbs, nothing more!  

Maternity clothes?: Yea...barely.

Stretch marks?: Nothing!
Belly button, in or out?: Out. I can't wait to have an innie again.
Sleep: While sleep is definitely more comfortable, I never feel totally rested as I still wake up every 2 hours to pee. Definitely my body training me for when Michael gets here and is feeding all night. So that's a good thing and a bad thing. I just take naps to make up for the lack of sleep at night.
Cravings: Peaches! My mom gets these amazing Georgia peaches from the local town market and they are AMAZING. I could eat those things ALL day. Yum!
Showing yet?: Some lady at the market said - "Any day now, any day!" ...Lady, I sure hope so. So yes, I'm definitely showing.
Happy or Moody?: Happy, yet tired, impatient and sore. Come on Michael!!! 

Movement: He moves allllll dayyy longgg. Recently he's been really big on kicking me right under the ribs which is actually quite painful and kind of knocks the wind out of me. Ouch!
Best moment this week: Being told by my midwife that I was progressing really well and DDay should be real soon, and that little Michael gained some weight and is around 6 or 6.5 lbs!
Things I miss: Never thought I'd say this, but I really miss working out and running. All I want to do is get back into shape and I can't until this little guy pops out. Hopefully I still have this desperate motivation after he's born. 
Gender: BOY!
Looking forward to: Meeting Michael David!
Due Date: August 11^th

Now I can officially start updating about my labor progression: As of last Tuesday, I am 1.5ish cm dilated and 40% effaced. I apparently have a very soft cervix (a good thing) and Michael's head is all the way down and pretty much has me completely corked which just means that it might be a little harder for my water to break and the doctor may end up having to do it. What does all of this mean? Michael seems to be ready to come out and my body is well on its way to helping him get out. Unfortunately, it could end up being a really slow and drawn out process. All week I've been crampy, had pretty bad lower back cramping/pain and strong BH contractions. But it's all a big tease as nothing has been severe enough to warrant going to the doctor or hospital. 

In order to perhaps help the process along, I go for a walk around the block every night (about 1/2 mile), have eaten spicy-ish and curry foods, bounce on my yoga ball for what seems like hours, jump up and down, drink tons of water, jog in place, do squats...all to no avail. I even looked up the castor oil trick - yuck! I would never try that...induces vomiting and diarrhea with no guarantee of putting you into labor. Definitely not worth it to me. 

I feel so ready to give birth. I'm a little tired of being pregnant. Every time I walk it feels like someone is kicking me in the crotch bone, so sore! I'm constantly having BH contractions, constantly peeing, and feel like I have period cramps. I also must admit that I've been a little more moody recently which I'm just going to blame on my being annoyed and frustrated with the fact that I'm still pregnant.I feel like all of this is pretty typical of a woman who is pregnant in July. As much as I complain about all the symptoms, I really shouldn't. I've been blessed with a really healthy and easy pregnancy and apparently Michael just needs a little more cooking time!

My next appointment is on Thurs. I'm hoping that I'll never make it to that appointment, full moon on Aug 2! :) And if I do, the doctor better tell me that birth is imminent! 

How your baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)