37 weeks

Waiting for signs that you are going to enter our world soon...went to the doctor today and I am 1.5 cm dilated and 30% effaced. Over the last few days I have started to feel not so great - nauseous in the mornings and evenings - sort of like the first trimester, when no food seems appealing and even minimal activity seems overwhelming. So maybe my body is starting to prepare for your arrival. Your heart rate is still in the 140s, and my iron level is well-above the danger zone - at 32 weeks it was sort of low (had to be 10.5 and was 10.4), so they gave me a prescription for an iron supplement, but when I filled it and received the pills, I noticed that they contained all these other ingredients, including the ubiquitous #4 red and #3 yellow...nasty fillers and GMO-ladden additives. So I opted instead to just try to eat more red meat. And, alas, today they re-tested my iron levels and it was 11.7. Just proves that a genuine diet is the solution to health, more so than supplements and pills. The furniture for your room comes tomorrow so it will be nice to create your space and feel your presence in our home. Still unpacking and waiting for deliveries of other furniture pieces so the house has a ways to go, but making progress.

36 weeks

Just went to the Dr. and had a vaginal exam to check my cervix - it is already 1 cm. dilated, which means that it is starting to widen and prepare for delivery. There is no effacement, or thinning, yet, and the cervix is still in posterior position, so it is very unlikely that I will go into labor within the next week...but my Dr. did say that I was "ahead of the game," meaning that the baby will probably come before the August 19th due date or that I won't go beyond the 40 weeks. All very exciting news. We are still waiting for the nursery furniture, which makes me a little anxious, and we are still doing work on the house, which means workmen in and out, which also contributes to a feeling of unsettledness. But things are coming along and our house feels more like our home now.

33 weeks and got our final ultrasound. Good news - baby's head is down which means no breech delivery. Baby weighs 4 lbs. 8 ozs. and is in the 55% percentile for weight...so it is just a matter of when you decide to emerge as to how big you will be! If you come earlier than Aug. 19th, you should be just under 8 lbs. but later than that and you will be bigger. We are working hard on preparing the new home - getting it painted, new closets and finalizing our furniture purchases. We purchased your crib, changing table and stroller this weekend. We also had a lovely shower for you hosted by your auntie Evelyn and friend Hilary. Many people came out to celebrate with us and gave us nice gifts for you!