Officially Full Term

There hasn't been much to update on lately, hence the total lack of updates for almost a month. I'm still going for NSTs twice a week, and everything is still fine. The most exciting thing that's happened was me having an actual contraction while hooked up last Friday - not that I felt it, but it was on the monitor and my doc confirmed it. Whee?

I've been having a LOT of what I assume are braxton-hicks, and they get downright painful at times - enough to make me cuss a blue streak. Based on that information, I have decided (all by myself!) that labor is gonna SUCK. Ain't I a genius? :) Hopefully they'll be able to give me an epidural - still have to talk to my doc about whether he thinks they'll be able to find a spot in my messed up spine or not. He'd better tell me yes - he's already in trouble. Why? Because when I first found out I was pregnant and what my due date was, he assured me that he should be in town because it was near his anniversary. As it turns out, he is leaving the 15th and won't be back until the 24th...and I'm due the 27th, assuming I go to date. That appears to be questionable on the part of the general public - I keep getting told I'm "ready to pop" and "scary pregnant" and "there's no way you're going to go all 40 weeks, there's just no more room for him to grow". I don't know WHAT they're talking about..

That was taken last night, when we realized I have officially reached full term status - 37 weeks. Who thought I'd ever make it this far? I most certainly did not. Of course, there are a lot of things I was certain would happen if I ever got pregnant and not a one of them HAS *knock on wood* and I've experienced a lot of things I was unprepared for. Back to my doc: He's hoping I don't go into labor while he's gone because he does NOT want to miss this. He knows how hard we've worked and has been tremendously supportive and understanding this entire pregnancy - I don't think I could have a better doc! I've informed him that if he can't be there, I'd far rather have the hospitalist than either of his partners - one I dislike (she's a "purist", very "by the book", and that simply does not work with my medical crap) and the other I don't think I've ever even seen in the hall, let alone met and been treated for anything. How sad that I'd rather have a person with whom I have zero relationship than the partners at my doctor's office? Like I told him, though, at least I *know* she knows what's she's doing, since she works in L & D and does this all the time. He agrees.

Of course, working in L & D doesn't always mean they know everything. A few weeks ago one of the nurses and I were talking while she was setting me up for my NST, and I got the usual "is this your first?" question. To which I replied "Yes, and my last." She wondered at that, so I told her it took us 6 years to get pregnant with this one and I have no intention of having another at 39. She proceeded to tell me that she has some infertility problems but is very careful not to get pregnant (which? just made my head explode), so she understands - but that lots of people who have trouble getting pregnant are able to get pregnant easily after the first one, and that when you stop trying it just happens. That's right - I got the "when you just relax it happens" speech from a L & D nurse at 8 1/2 months pregnant. I managed not to say anything, but I really wanted to. I didn't point out that if we have to do a C-section I'm having my tubes tied, and if we don't that Aaron is going in and getting snipped as soon as we can afford it. It feels very strange to plan for those things after trying for so long, but...one is all we can handle, I think.

My shower was on the 20th, and all the pics are up here if you want to look at them. I'm still taking pics of the things we've received, like all the blankets and the gear we've received as hand-me-downs from friends. I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I'm having an even harder time focusing on anything or remembering what I need to do. And speaking of sleep - I've been awake again for a few hours, it's 6am, and I'm going to try and go back to sleep. Maybe the couch will hurt less today....