Update and reflecting on this pregnancy

Here's a quick update on what has happened during this last week:

I'm still dilated 2 cm and now effaced 80%. I can feel things are changing with my body but mostly my pelvis. It use to be just my hips that bothered me while sleeping or laying down but during the last few weeks it's also been my pelvis. It's not a comfortable feeling but hey, what is these days?

I'm having contractions or what feels like cramps on and off. I have more when I'm up and about too much.

I lost 2 pounds over the last week so am now at a total weight gain of 1 pound from my starting weight.

While the doctor was examining me this week, he could feel her skull and soft spot. Talk about a huge reality check. She's pretty low and everyone is noticing how much I've "dropped" during the last few weeks, including me. The doctor also checked on the aminotic fluid and it all looks good. Even though she is running out of room, she still has a safe amount of fluid in there with her which was great to hear.

We had a non-stress test today and she once again was a very active baby and passed within the first 5 minutes. It's always reassuring to go to the child birth center and have everything go well.

We have a ultrasound scheduled for Monday morning to determine her weight and size. We have an appointment with the doctor next Wednesday to discuss c-section or induction on Saturday the 11th. We've also heard from the doctor and the nurses this week they think she'll decide to come earlier than the 11th. We're ready but are also happy to wait until the 11th. The question is.. can she?

Here's a picture from today after we left the non-stress test.

37 weeks and 5 days. My belly is still measuring 41 cm.

This week we were in the "old wing" of the delivery center. The rooms have a couch instead of a chair for the spouse/partner to sleep on which is better than the chair that are in the other rooms but the wing that we were in today does not have tubs in the rooms. I've been told that they have c-section patients stay in the old wing since they can't use a tub.

During the last week I've been working on a 2010 photo book and looking through all of our pictures from the year. It's brought back all of the memories from this pregnancy, the good and the bad so here's a little reflection on my last 9 months of my first pregnancy and what I've learned or discovered:

• Morning sickness doesn't always go away after the 1st trimester. Mine lasted well into the 6th month.
• My feet started to swell around week 20 and I had to buy new shoes for my feet to fit into.
• The rumors were true about the 2nd trimester being the best. I couldn't get enough sleep in my 1st and 3rd trimester and was either sick to my stomach or uncomfortable.
• Comfortable sleeping or sleeping well goes away after about the 30th week.
• Acne and having a stuffy nose all of the time are normal for a pregnancy. Actually, I have learned that everything I've experienced with this pregnancy all fall under the 'normal' catagory.
• Pregnancy brain REALLY does exsist!! I never thought it was true until now. My mind is not the same right now including adding numbers, remembering names or simple things I need from the store to repeating myself or asking the same question about 4 times before I felt like I had already asked it.
• I was lucky to only have a few breakdowns during the pregnancy and one of them was in a grocery store looking for water chestnuts. Who would have thought they would be in the 'Asian' foods asile.
• As hard as Gestational Diabetes may have been for me to accept at first, I am now looking at it as a blessing in disguise. Not only have I been able to help keep my baby growing at a healthy rate with a well balanced diet, I've been able to keep my weight gain down to a total of 1 pound as of right now (37w5d). It hasn't been easy but well worth it and I've learned so much about maintaining a healthy diet that I will continue to use the information learned after I have the baby.
• I didn't think I would be able to handle bed rest well and never thought I would be placed on it. Again, it's something that has not been easy but well worth it. Lots of small projects, watching the Sopranos and the love and support from friends and family have made a huge difference.
• Favorite foods during this pregnancy: Fresh fruit including strawberries, apples and grapes. Veggies including zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, sweet potatoes and especially baby tomatoes. During the 1st trimester my staple was Mac & Cheese. Since then it's been: eggos with peanut better, eggs, Skinny Cow ice cream, string cheese, taco salad or cobb salad. Oh.. and how could I forget the cupcakes!! (I have not had a single cupcake since I was 29 weeks along. My favorite is/was a triple coconut cupcake from Trophy Cupcakes).
  
• Books I have read during this pregnancy: The Mayo Clinc Guide To A Healthy Pregnancy and Your Pregnancy Week By Week.
• Books I am now reading: The Baby Book by William and Martha Sears and Your Baby's First Year Week By Week.
• I scored on a lot of my maternity clothing from Vallue Village. They were all in great condition.
• Things I wore all of the time: belly band up until around 32 weeks. Maternity tank tops that are form fitting and I wore them under everything! Nursing bras around week 30 because my normal bras would no longer fit or were no longer comfortable.

That's all that I can think of right now. Hope you all have enjoyed this. If we make it to next Wednesday, I'll have an update then on our delivery and how we're going to approach it.. c-section or induction. But another thing I have learned with this pregnancy is you CAN'T plan everything!! We tried to plan around the month of December.. and that didn't work out so well. Birth plan? Not really! We'll just wait and see what happens.