39 weeks

Well, I am officially more pregnant than I have ever been!  Elsa was born on the exact day I hit 39 weeks during my first pregnancy... and today I am 39 weeks + 1 day.  :)  (Although granted, I think we did a bit to "nudge along" the labor process that first time around... we were very anxious to meet our first little one.)  Wonder when Ava will make her appearance?  We are certainly anxious to meet her too, don't get me wrong... we're just more aware of what will change once that day comes and trying to soak up the sleep while we can.

Can you tell whether she has "dropped"?  I can't.

Weeks:  39+

Baby:  Ava could be anywhere between 6-9 lbs.  Her weight (and mine) are supposedly going to level off a bit from here on.  But me and my pals Ben & Jerry might have something to say about that. ;)

Weight:  161.8 lbs.  (+26.5 lbs)  

Maternity clothes?  YES.  And I've had to box up most of those too... because most of them no longer fit me.  Elsa has become very helpful in pulling down my shirts when my belly starts to peek out.

Stretch marks?  Nooo???  (I'll let you know officially after she's born.)

Favorite moment of the week: Lots!  For one thing, our home is clean inside and out, thanks to some help from a professional house-cleaner and our landscaping buddy, Jay Skinner.  This satisfies a deep urge within me to have my surroundings ordered and free of dust before Ava arrives.  Other highlights of this week include the arrival of my 2015 recipe calendar (It looks awesome this year! And I finished it early... yay for nesting!) and spending some time with my brother and sister-in-law in Searcy over the weekend.

Miss anything?  Lying comfortably on my back.  It will be sooo nice to resume that.  And getting through a day without needing to take 6+ shots of baking soda water to calm my raging heartburn.

Movement:  Yes. :)  At this point in the game, she's so big that the movements can look pretty hilarious at times.

Cravings?  Not really.  I'm just eating pretty normally.

Anything make you queasy or sick?  Nope!

Gender:   GIRL.

Labor signs:  There have been lots of contractions over the last two weeks, pretty frequent but all very mild.  I was surprised when the doctor told me last Thursday that I was dilated to about a 2.  (I had certainly felt no indication of things progressing.)  Although since the weekend, I've definitely felt an increased sense of pressure in my pelvis.  I've been taking it reeeeally easy, in hopes of making it to October because we hoped for Ava to be an October baby!  Now that it's October, I'm going to resume my regular level of activity and see what happens.

Symptoms:  Heartburn, achy joints, and the feeling that my insides are going to fall out when I sit down on the toilet because everything is so "open" down there.  (Pardon the over-share.)  And of course, the contractions.

Belly button in or out?  Out!

Wedding rings on or off?  On!

Looking forward to:  If we make it to tomorrow night, we have a date night planned.!  Elsa is going to spend the night at her grandparents and Chris and I are going to one of our favorite restaurants.  I'd really like to go on our date, so I'd like to decline to have my cervix checked at my doctor appointment tomorrow morning (just to keep from inducing any contractions)... but I get the sense he's going to want to know where we stand as far as my progress.  On the downside, if we are able to get through tomorrow and go on our date, then Ava might be born over the weekend and I'm betting my doctor would not be the one to deliver her in that case.  I'd really like for him to be there, but we'll see.

Freak-out moment of the week: We were all pretty nervous that Ava would be born last weekend, when my in-laws were out of town.  I had even noticed an increased feeling of pressure in my pelvis, like I mentioned before.  So I started taking it reeeeally easy in hopes that we could hold her off til they got back in town (since they're planning to watch Elsa for us while we're at the hospital.)

Thankful for: The continued safety and health of our new little one!  We're in the final stretch and just SO thankful she's done well the entire time.  It is a blessing we don't take lightly.