Thirty-Five Weeks

I can't believe that we're getting down to the wire.  I'm officially due one month from today.  It seems absolutely surreal and I don't really believe that this will EVER happen, but at least the end is finally in sight.  I had a bit of a rough weekend.  I started having false contractions on Thursday night.  Jeff started timing them, and they were four to seven minutes apart for a solid hour, and just as I thought we should go to the hospital or call the doctor, they stopped.  And that happened several times over the weekend, so maybe the end is closer than I think...or, I'll just have to put up with it for another month or more! 

Otherwise, we had another great weekend.  The chair my parents gave us is now installed in the nursery, so Jeff and I went to pick that up on Friday night.  I forgot to take a picture after I got everything set up and arranged, so I'll try and remember to do that this week.  I happen to think it looks amazing.  We still haven't gotten the bedding from Pottery Barn Kids, but once we get that in, we are all set to go!  I suppose we still need to pick up a car seat and stroller too...but details, details!  We've also started making a list for what we need to pack to take to the hospital with us when the time comes.  

On Saturday, I spent the morning running errands and picking up a few necessities, and then I met my girlfriend, Kelley, for coffee.  Actually, "coffee" isn't exactly correct, since I turned it into grilled cheese and a beverage.  On Saturday night, I went over to another girlfriend's house for dinner.  On Sunday, I had another shower with my girlfriends from high school and we had so much fun.  My friends, Shan and Sarah, hosted the "nautical-themed" shower and they did a great job.  We decorated onesies and bibs for Baby Jack with puff-paint and that really brought me back to my days as a Girl Scout.  We also played a game where Jeff responded to a number of questions about the baby before the shower, and I had to guess his answers.  Back in the day, if I got the answer wrong, I would have been required to take a shot/drink or something like that.  My, how times change!  In any case,  Jeff was asked what the baby's measurements would be, and he guessed that the baby would be 22 inches long and would weigh seven pounds, five ounces.  I wish.  That'd be like giving birth to a string bean.  He was also asked how far I would dilate before "go time," and he responded with six inches.  Again, I wish! 

Still, Baby Jack and I received so many amazing gifts and we really felt "showered" with love.  In addition to some adorable outfits, we also received a mirror for the car from Auntie Christy, a diaper wipe warmer from Auntie Angela, and a baby monitor from Auntie Shan and Auntie Anita.  And, of course, all articles of clothing and feeding utensils have been washed, dried, and are ready for use!  I figure this little man could make his appearance any time now, so I want everything to be as ready  so that all we need to do is "insert baby" and not have to fuss with setting up the swing or bouncy chair.  So far, so good.  

So, we've reached thirty-five weeks.  Like I said, I've been having some false labor and my energy level is questionable at times.  A little snooze has become pretty much a requirement every day.  I think that the belly is also becoming more prominent, and I think it's dropped a bit since last week, which means we're definitely gearing up for some big things:



I've developed a bit of a waddle now, but I still feel like I can move and shake with the best of them!  I've also started noticing that I can't sit for as long as I was once able to, mostly because my back starts to hurt.  This is especially true with driving, and it's difficult to sit in the car for any length of time, really, because I've been getting uncomfortable with driving to and from the office.  

The baby continues to grow and will probably gain about a half-pound every week until he's born.  I happen to think he'll be over eight pounds when he finally gets here, but who knows?  I'm hoping for less (naturally) but preparing for a bigger baby.  Both Jeff and I weighed over eight pounds when we were born, so it's not entirely out of the realm of possibilities.  Next week, we start our weekly check-ups with Duckie and we finally have our Labor & Delivery class.  We're also going on a little baby-moon the night before, and really "live it up" before our lives change forever.  Ha!