36 & 37 Week Updates

I'm still here and still pregnant, just in case you were wondering. I don't have a picture off hand. Sorry! I am seriously side-tracked lately! I owe you one, or two...

How far along?
I am 37 weeks and 6 days. Olive is full term and I have 15 days until my due date. Or do I?


You see, I have had two doctor's appointments since you have heard from me last. At my last one we officially set an induction date of September 7th! Yay! So, if I make it that far, I only have 9 more days! I go in on the evening of the 6th to start with a treatment (the name escapes me; it starts with a 'C') to thin my cervix. Then, we start Pitocin on the morning of the 7th. So, I feel kind of like I only have 8 days before we get this show on the road! :) I wouldn't be opposed to going into labor naturally though, even sooner...


Baby is the size of...
Dr. B mentioned again at the last appointment that she was "big." Every time she says that it scares me a bit. I sure hope she isn't too big and I can have her naturally, without really hurting myself! :{ I had a dream earlier this week that I had her naturally and she was 9 lbs 9 oz! We will see...I swear with all of this emphasis on size, she is going to be like 7 lbs or something completely average! haha.

Well, according to BabyCenter.com, she is the size of a "stalk of swiss chard" - whatever the heck that is! She is supposed to be still gaining an ounce a day and approximately half a pound each week. An average 37 week baby is 19 inches long and between 6 lbs and 7 lbs 10 oz.

Symptoms:
I have been feeling odd lately. The last two days I've just felt different. I wish that it meant labor was near; but, when you are this pregnant "near" has different meanings. You can have a sign that labor may begin soon, go into labor right away, or still have two weeks. The "signs" are never really that telling. So, I continue to wait. In fact, I'm kind of obsessing at this point. Although I kind of complained about Heath having classes and running around all the time, at least it kept my mind busy! Now, I just sit and wait and anticipate, and am SO READY already...

Things that I've been experiencing that could possibly be signs that labor is near (but could also mean nothing....ugh):

-  Several, several Braxton-Hicks contractions - they are getting pretty painful at times too.
-  Nausea
-  Frequent, loose bowel movements
-  Dizziness/Light headed-ness
-  Exhaustion
-  Lightening (my doctor said she had dropped; she feels like a bowling ball between my legs!)

All of those have other explanations and I haven't had any totally obvious signs yet. I am still waiting.

Anything new?
I've kind of gone over all the new stuff already. But, I wanted to add that at my last two checks I had no progress. I am not dilated at all and I am not effaced. So, in layman's terms that means that my cervix hasn't stretched, thinned, or widened...boo. My doctor did say, in an encouraging tone, "You are soft though and the head is definitely down!" I guess I can celebrate the little victories then.

My next doctor's appointment is this Thursday; so, I will let you know if there is any more progress. Almost 38 weeks!

New with Heath?
He has been playing super dad the last few weeks. He has really allowed me the rest that I need. I am so appreciative. He and Lucy, who are usually pretty inseparable, have been even more so lately. I seriously anticipate some jealousy issues when Olive arrives, particularly with daddy. Everyone else? Meh...

The other night, Lucy ended up in our bed again to sleep. Heath laid on his pillow, facing the outside of the bed. I told Lucy to roll over and close her eyes. She rolled over on Heath's pillow, sharing it with him, facing the same direction, and swung her arm around him. It was adorable. But, there I was, with Olive...left to do my own thing. Foreshadowing? I think so.

New with Lucy?
She goes into Olive's room a lot. In fact, we sometimes shut the door, or block it off with a baby gate. She plays with her stuff, or she will take Olive's stuff out of her room and put it in her own. I feel like I am constantly picking up after her; so, it's easier to just block it off for now.

She also won't stop playing with Olive's swing. I imagine that we will have to tell her not to assist the swing by pushing. She gets a little too excited and carried away. But, overall, I'm excited that she is so interested in babies and the baby items.

Also, she told DayCare the other day that her tummy hurt. Then, she proceeded to pull up her shirt, point at her belly, and say, "Olive kickin'." :) She also tells us the same thing, "Sister kickin'." :)

Anything else?
Well, as some of you have seen on Facebook, two ladies that were due around the same time as me had their babies already. I am jealous. One of them, who said she was also having a "big" baby had a 7 lb, 6 oz baby. I thought that was funny. I tell you Olive is probably going to be little after all! haha. The other woman, who is a reader of this very blog, :) had a 10 lb 13 oz baby. Now, that, I would consider big! :)

Last thing - my sister-in-law had a dream that I had the baby too. She said that Heath emailed everyone to let them know. Haha. It made me laugh. She told Heath, "Don't do that, okay?" Haha. Well, if this is like my last pregnancy, you can watch Facebook for updates. Heath posted statuses the whole time! Keep an eye on his account for breaking news! :)

Talk to you soon. Happy hump day!