It was 36 Weeks ... a Few Days Ago

Yes, I missed posting on the real 36 weeks mark, which was Saturday.  All I have to offer are lame excuses.  The last week of my life has mostly been divided among three activities:  1) Frantically nesting while sweat pours down my face and my feet ache and I feel like passing out, but I MUST CLEAN AND ORGANIZE BECAUSE WORLD WILL END IF I DO NOT; 2) Taking a break at the end of a nesting period (which usually lasts about 6 hours) with my feet up on a pillow and crying uncontrollably; and 3) Sleeping (but still not at night -- this also ties in nicely to the crying times).


On Saturday I hosted a girls night at my house, and a few high school friends came over.  So Friday and Saturday were all about the cleaning and shopping and no time for the resting, crying, or sleeping, but it was well worth it, because it was a really fun night.  Like, no one left until 4:00 AM fun.  It's great to get to talk to them and eat for huge stretches like that.


ANYWAY, I was supposed to have the 36 week post already written and then have Jeremy take a picture of me on Saturday before the girls arrived, but I was running behind schedule and sweating profusely and did not want a picture of me sweating and without make-up, so I skipped it.  I thought I could get one on Sunday, but after my full day, my feet were once again looked like hams on toothpicks, so when I finally woke up on Sunday, I ignored all the other things that REALLY needed to be done and sat on the couch with my feet propped up all day (and as of right now, the right one is still pretty puffy.  gross.).  So when Jeremy got home, I shrieked "NO PICTURE!" and scared him out of the room.  And here we are on Monday.  I am feeling miserable and have NO intention of getting dressed or putting on make-up, and I have 30 papers to grade before tomorrow night at 4 PM, and here I am complaining about life, with no belly picture.


SO ... if you made it through all of that, here is what is going on this week with my little baybay: Once again, I will not give you an estimates for length or weight, because she shot right past the book. We will still just assume "large."  The baby still has a soft skull, bones, and cartilidge so she can get out easier, but almost all of the rest of her systems are good to go.  The only system that is not fully developed is her digestive system, but that won't begin to mature until she is outside and breastfeeding, since she has only been practicing by swallowing amniotic fluid.


37 weeks is considered the "for-sure-full-term" week according to the books, but my doctors say this little biscuit is being considered full-term at 36 weeks (as of a few days ago), so if I were to go into labor now, they would not try to stop it until 37 weeks rolls around next Saturday.  This is exciting but also not ... I was hoping that would be the magic words baby needed to hear and she would make her debut, but she seems to like it in there -- even though she is really throwing her weight around in there a lot, as if to say "What happened to my spacious accomodations, woman?!?!"  Of course, she is on her own timeline, so we will just have to wait and see.


I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions all week, and while that could be a good sign, I also know that some people have them for months.  I sure hope that's not the case -- I am NOT enjoying them.  I am much more uncomfortable and in a lot more pain this week, but I know it will just continue to get worse and worse, AND it is almost over.  But all her clothes are washed and Jeremy and I went on big trips to Target and Babies R Us to get a bunch of stuff we still needed, so can't she come NOW??? :)

Presents

I am falling a little behind in presents, here.


Way back on my birthday, my wonderful mother-in-law gave me this sweet statue:

A few days after that, a co-worker of mine made me this little baby cap for a birthday gift:

She said I could switch the ribbon out every day with a different color to match the baby's outfits!

Then, when I saw my sister Tracy last weekend, she gave me this sweet little outfit:

I also registered for baby stuff the other night at Target and Babies R Us.  It was exhausting and a little scary.  I was very concerned about picking the right things.  Oh well, I know one way or another we will have everything we need by the time she arrives (or shortly thereafter!).

It still seems so far away ... August 28th ... it might as well be a year from now!  Jeremy, on the other hand, just told me at dinner that it seems really immediate to him, like he thought when I got pregnant that we had all the time in the world and now she will be coming very soon.  I wish she were coming soon!  The anticipation is killing me!