Get Ready Earth, I'm Coming! Weeks 37-38

Last week I started having much stronger Braxton Hicks contractions. (side note: for those who don't know what these are they are considered "practice contractions" or "false contractions") It dawned on me, he could come at any minute now! It was a really overwhelming feeling that this was actually happening! Then...nothing happened. The contractions stopped and I realized I had to get myself really mentally prepared for this!
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, dummy, you've had 9 months to do that! I thought that I was mentally ready until the actual symptoms of labor began to happen. Skip forward to a week later at present time. The contractions haven't stopped, the morning sickness hasn't stopped, the limbs numbing haven't stopped, my hips hurt, It takes me several minutes to do simple tasks like get out of bed or get up from the couch. I AM READY!! I am mentally ready, physically ready and now, thanks to a week of final preparation, I am baby ready!

I have my birthing bag packed with receiving blankets and tiny hats, I have the nursery ready and almost complete (with the exceptions of just a few more alphabet letters) *Pictures posted below*, I have cleaned the house top to bottom, I hand-washed the car and vacuumed it out so our little man wouldn't be insulted by all that Nico hair, I made a birthing music mix and I stocked the house with labor foods like Gatorade and frozen peaches (my favorite).

Last week the day after I started having contractions the midwife checked my baby making bits to see my progress. I was pretty nervous because of the last examination. She was even a little rougher which made me even more nervous but all went well. She told me that I was still 1cm dilated and that I had gone from 30% effacement to 80% effacement (side note: for those of you who don't know what that is it means my cervix or "baby exit" is getting softer and easier for him to come out). I decided not to get checked at this weeks visit. I wasn't as comfortable with this midwife and Mike wasn't with me which is always a sign that something bad will inevitably happen. It's interesting on that note. I'm discovering that if Mike is not at the appointment with me my blood pressure is higher than when he is there. I'm not sure if it's coincidence or if he really does calm me. I am going with the fact that he calms me. Which is perfect for someone who is going to be my labor coach.

Also on the big news front, we have FINALLY decided on a name!
Liam Kilpatrick
It's a name we've liked from the beginning but have avoided because it's fairly popular right now. Mike and I were driving one day and I was thinking about the name Liam and he said out loud "you know, I still like the name Liam" I took it as a sign, that and it has been the only name so far that just feels right. Now all we have to do is come up with a middle name! Zeus? Thunder? Man Hammer?

I am hoping beyond all hopes that this is my last pregnancy picture to post and that the next blog will be me actually holding my son. If not though, you can bet it will be a really sour face picture.

On a fun note, I am posting a picture of my Mom the day she went into labor with me. She looks like how I did 3 months ago! Needless to say, our pregnancies have not been the same. She is so cute!

The Nursery!

 The infamous Alphabet Wall! 

*Beka and Rooney, you may notice that your cookie shaped "C" is not on the wall. I am sad to say that shortly after we received it, the dogs ate it, well attempted to eat it, it was pretty hard. They are such jerks sometimes!

It's the Final Countdown! Weeks 34-36

This little guy is packing on the pounds!
At least I would like to think that it is him gaining all this weight and not me.
There are lots of changes happening to my body that it has now become an alien force that I am unfamiliar with.
I now have fingers and toes that no longer look spidery but sausagey. It takes all the strength in the world to move from my right side to my left side once I've laid down in bed. I'm like a reverse turtle.
I also find several of my limbs falling asleep from just sitting or laying down. Like I said, alien body.
It is also 100% impossible to find any outfit that covers my belly. That sucker cannot be tamed.

I am now officially full-term; meaning that if I go into labor I will be able to deliver him at the birthing center and have him be healthy.

There was a slight scare the other day when I had my midwife appointment for my 36 week check up. She did an exam to check my cervix to see how it was doing. She said I was 1 centimeter dilated and my cervix was softening nicely. After the exam was done I began bleeding a lot. Enough to scare me and the midwife. We ended up doing an ultrasound to make sure my placenta was in a good location and not compromising anything.
The ultra sound found that everything was normal and our little guy was doing just fine. He is head down and facing the correct direction and everything.
Eventually the bleeding stopped and I was able to calm down. Apparently it is fairly common for bleeding to happen on those types of exams, it was just very worrisome. I wasn't prepared for that kind of a scare.

After my midwife appointment, I was really able to feel my Braxton Hicks contractions. Before they had been painless but now I could really feel the pressure. I can't help but feel like this is a sign that he is going to be slightly early. That and he is monstrously huge.

Today is also my last day of work at Evolution Graphics. It is bitter sweet because I hate to leave the job but I am also excited to be able to relax a bit before this little guys comes.

Now for the freak show...My belly: