39 weeks, 2 days and counting....

I am so excited for this baby to come that I am thinking thoughts like, "I wonder if I just dumped a bucket of warm water on my legs if it would fool my uterus into thinking my water broke and would get things started already!" Okay, maybe not that extreme. Trying so hard not to think about something only results in one thing, thinking about it all the time. Last night I finally came to the peaceful revelation that this baby IS going to come sometime within the next 3 weeks. I mean, by then I would be two weeks overdue and that is the longest my OB is willing to let me go, so, there it is....an end in site.
Then I ask myself, what is my big rush for this pregnancy to be over? Most likely, this will be my last, so I should be savoring every last minute! I may never experience the kicking and rolling, the baby hiccups, and the overwhelming pregnancy emotions again. It really is a precious thing, and I do cherish it. Then again, I will be thrilled when my legs quit spontaneously jerking when I am trying to go to sleep, when I don't have to safeguard my belly from the charging heads of my toddlers as they try to hug me, when I can pick up my children safely without risking back or belly injury, when I can sit on the toilet without feeling like my cervix might explode from pressure, and when the constant dull, aching rib pain stops. I am also LONGING to hold this precious baby in my arms! And last but not least, I am really curious to know what the sex of this little life is!
Tomorrow is my weekly OB appointment, and I am excited to find out if I have made any progress in the last week with all the "fake" labor I have experienced. We shall see! I will keep you posted.
Angela

Plague of Anticipation

Is waiting for labor to begin sort of like waiting to meet the perfect guy when you are single?

I remember the single days. People always said, "you'll find your husband when just aren't looking!" I felt like I wanted to scream everytime someone said that to me. It sounded so cliche. I was convinced that meant I would NEVER find my soulmate because obviously I was ALWAYS looking!
It is funny because I did meet my husband when I really wasn't looking. I had started to date this other guy for just a few weeks, and he was simply sending me mixed messages. I was pretty consumed with overanalyzing that situation when I was introduced to Tom. I remember thinking, "why do I meet someone this nice when I already am interested in someone else?" Well, one date later and the other guy was history. I saw immediately what a gem I had found and was not about to let Tom go!
Anyway, the point is, I feel like when I am sitting around wondering WHEN labor is going to start means it probably never will! I am sure it will hit when I least expect it. Yesterday, I had so many strange pains accompanied by braxton hicks all day long that I felt pretty miserable and pretty convinced labor was going to start at any moment. The more I let myself think about it, the more I tried not to, the more emotional I felt. It was an endless exhausting process, and I was wishing it would just either start or not so I could get over it! Counting every single little contraction would drive me crazy, so I was attempting to ignore them. My mind was very aware of every little thing though and by the end of the day I passed out in exhaustion at 8 pm.
Today, I took a new approach. The distraction approach. It worked pretty well! I took a trip to Savannah with a girlfriend and went shopping. Found some really good deals too! Yes, I actually drove an hour away with my two small children and had fun just to distract myself. It probably was a crazy decision, considering the day I had yesterday! I just figured it was better than sitting around at home all day wondering WHEN this is all going to start.
I am not in a rush at this point for labor to begin. I am only 38 weeks and wouldn't mind being 40 weeks for the sake of the baby! It is just the point that it COULD start at anytime that leaves me in a constant state of anticipation and excitement. I mean, seriously, any little twinge and I think "oh! it's got to be my cervix dilating already!" That could drive a person bonkers!
So, the name of the game is distraction at this point before I get admitted to a loony bin. I'll take any great suggestions, but I don't think I will be traveling an hour away again "just in case!"
Angela