The big news in Belly-Baby-Land is that today marks 37 weeks of pregnancy. So, I’m officially full-term. If the baby came today, we would say, “Come on out!”
p{color:gray}. Photo: Lucy and I — and _Big_ Belly Baby — sit on the couch to watch a “widideo.”
It is a relief to get to this point in the pregnancy. I remember feeling this 37-week relief with Lucy, and I feel it again now. I’m grateful that the baby has “baked” as long as she has without any early attempts to escape!
Lucy and I went to see our midwife Gaye today. Lucy totally loves her and talks about her all the time. Gaye is great with Lucy, instructing her to stand on a chair and “help” while she measures my fundal height and listens for the baby’s heartbeat. Everything is looking good on those fronts. I also learned that I’m 1 centimeter dilated, baby’s head is down and between -1 and -2 station, nicely “engaged” in my pelvis. It’s starting to feel pretty real!
Yesterday, the three (well, four) of us went for a sibling tour at “Evanston Hospital”:http://enh.org/clinicalservices/maternityservices/contact/default.aspx?id=1769, where we are planning to deliver. I had looked into this a few months ago. They generally have tours only for siblings who are three or older, but I ended up talking to the director of Sibling Services and she offered to give our family a private tour!
It was great. Lucy was quiet much of the time, soaking it all in, but I’m glad we were able to help her see the hospital rooms and check out the surroundings so that it won’t be all entirely new to her when she comes to visit. Lucy enjoyed looking at a couple of fountains at the hospital, peering through the window at sleeping, swaddled babies in the nursery, and feeding and diapering a baby doll with Papa. (See photo.)
I’m still tackling items on my “list of projects”:/news/2008/progress-report/, but I’ve narrowed down the two things that *must* happen before the baby is born. This was a good reality-check, especially since I think I could complete them in early labor if it really came to it:
# finish packing hospital bag
# make a phone list of whom to call in the middle of the night if I’m in labor (although, who knows? maybe I’ll go into labor during the day and we won’t need this)
Of course, there are many things I’d like to get done in addition to this: setting up the “co-sleeper”:/news/2006/scalloped-ears/, bringing up the box of newborn clothes and putting them in drawers, and finishing making those “chocolate truffles”:http://annagram.org/extras/truffles.html!
I am glad that I finished knitting baby’s blanket this past weekend, so at least she’ll have something cozy to snuggle up in. (I knitted a “similar one”:/news/2006/first-outing/ for Lucy that she “still uses”:/news/2008/lucy-watch-march-1-2008/, but her sister’s is a different shade of pink.)
I’m still not focusing too much on our theoretical due date (March 27) since Lucy was late and that drove us nuts, but even so — April 10 is the end of our “birthing window” five weeks from now, and that’s not _too_ far away!
Ann, you look so cute! And you sound great, too. I pray the next few weeks are relaxing and peaceful.
My sister-in-law, who is having a first baby, went into labor today. It made me think about you all. Praying for the best.
Brad
I’m so excited for you all! Very neat for Lucy to tour the hospital. Kaia wasn’t afraid when she came to meet Mo, but the day before when she came to visit me in labor, and I was hooked up to pitocin and a fetal monitor was frightening for her. She was sure something was wrong.
I’ll be putting something in the mail for you Monday. Hopefully your mail doesn’t disappear like mine did!
Are you actually crossing your legs in this picture? Congrats! I don’t think I could do that in the third trimester. Too much weird hip pressure. You look lovely and motherly!
Sounds like it’s time for that Indoor Baby to become an Outdoor Baby! I’m very excited for you and Jon and Lucy to welcome your new baby girl to the family. And yes, I’m still an avid Boyd’s Nest News visitor, even up here in Canada. I’m counting down with you! Sending you much love at this exciting time.
Melanie
The sibling tour is a great idea. I love that Lucy got to practice feeding and diapering. I hope these last few weeks pass quickly! I’m excited to meet baby girl. :)
Hi Boyds! I have been popping in occasionally and keeping up with the news… so exciting – and you all look and sound so wonderfully… alive! We’ve been pretty crazy around here, so your family is often quite inspirational and instructional! I continue to, despite my intentions, get pregnant and am expecting a new arrival in July. Just had my ultrasound yesterday that indicates yet another boy… so please, one more Boyd girl and we’ll have them all matched up? : ) Just kiddin Papa Bear! No need to sharpen the claws. hahaha Hoping for another home birth – but will probably have relocated to Indiana by then… I think, argh! Remember, just keep breathing, right? Those ice cube exercises are nothing compared to the hectic pace of life for practicing coping. Anyway, thinking of you all and wishing you the very best!
Hi, Allison! Maybe you saw how many “commenters recently appreciated”:/news/2008/brain/ that “B.R.A.I.N.” acronym you taught us — so your influence is alive and well. Congrats on the new boy!