9 Months, Full Term and Delivery Plans

I'd like to think I was a really good pregnant lady for about 8.5 months. Then 9 months happened and things started to change. Back aching. Feet swelling. Trouble sleeping. Knees hurting. Short of breath. Carpel Tunnel in my hands. Face puffy. Feeling as big as a whale. I am writing this not to complain but rather to document the realities, lest I get that "pregnancy amnesia" I've heard about - where you forget all the bad things about pregnancy so you have unbridled enthusiasm about doing it again. Truly, I am really more focused on how incredibly blessed we have been for a healthy, uneventful pregnancy up through this point. I have felt great, moved well, and been healthy throughout a majority of this pregnancy, and considering the incredible miracle of life growing inside me, that has been a truly awesome blessing.

36 weeks marks the start of weekly doctor visits now. We went last Monday and again today. Today is 37 weeks, which I recently learned is actually considered full term. Wow - to think the baby could come anytime now and be considered "fully cooked" is very cool. I had started feeling some cramping periodically in the last week or so, so I was hopefully that some change had taken place. I was 20% effaced last week and 40% effaced this week, so that's progress. Both last week and this week, the doctor said of course it's possible for the baby to come anytime now, but he thinks I will still be pregnant "for a few weeks". Those words echo in my head. On one hand, I'd like to get un-pregnant and meet this little guy. But mostly, I realize that every day in there hopefully means more health and growth for the baby - up to a certain point.

Which brings me to another topic - induction. If the baby hasn't decided to greet the outside world by his due date of 12/28, we will have an induction scheduled for the following day, Tuesday, 12/29/09. Jeff and I both think it will come down to induction. But, maybe this babe will give us the first of many surprises and come before then. Either way, our precious son should be here within 3 weeks of tomorrow. WE ARE SO EXCITED!