38 Weeks

Wow, I'm 38 weeks now!  And it's July . . . so crazy how fast time is going by.  I have been saying for months that I'm due in July and now it is here!  Ahhhhh!  So exciting!  According to babycenter.com, baby is getting chubby.  He/She weighs about 6.8 pounds and is over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek).  Baby's organs have all matured and are ready for life outside the womb.  So now we play the waiting game.  I saw Dr. Bale yesterday and not much has changed since last time.  My cervix continues to soften and thin, but still no sign of dilation yet.  For the most part I'm okay with this, but as the due date gets closer, I'm getting a bit nervous.  I'd MUCH rather go into labor on my own than get induced.  Dr. Bale said he won't let me go past July 23rd, so if things don't get rolling on their own by then, we will get it rolling with some pitocin.  Regardless of anything, I WILL have a July baby!

I have still been feeling pretty well for the most part, but I HAVE started to have a couple difficult days lately.  I'm a little frustrated because there is so much I want to do to get ready for the baby's arrival, but my belly is getting so big that it's really become a challenge to do a lot.  Plus I have just been exhausted (from doing nothing at all) and I'm sure the heat is not helping things.  Luckily I have a wonderful husband and a supportive family that has been helping with everything.  Matt has started a new project in the dining room.  That should be finished by this weekend.  Then he has to put up the curtains in the baby's room and put together the stroller.  I'll feel so much better when all that is done!  I have been keeping busy by cleaning as much as I can and reading baby books.  I'm currently reading The Happiest Baby on the Block.  Most days I feel pretty well still, so I really can't complain too much!  People are still shocked when I tell them how soon I am due, so that makes me feel pretty good.  Everything I'm dealing with is a VERY small price to pay for a healthy baby.

Matt and I had our Infant Care Class over the weekend.  Matt still has never changed a diaper so I think the class was helpful if for no other reason than that . . . HAHA!  Really though, it was very informative and although we already knew a lot of the stuff covered in the class, it was a nice reassurance.  I know things are going to be VERY different when it is a real baby and not a doll so to just have the peace of mind the class gave us made it worth it.  When we walked into the class, we just sat down at one of the little sections with a doll.  When we started "taking care" of "our baby" Matt wasn't so sure about it.  I think he was wondering what I had been up to . . .

I got a lot of funny comments on Facebook when I posted this picture out there! 

Here are the 38 week belly pictures (you can see evidence of Matt's dining room project in the background):

There is no doubt that my belly is dropping.  My bathroom runs have been ridiculously frequent!  Here is a comparison from 34 to 38 weeks - I am not only quite a bit larger, but you can definitely see the downward slope of my belly now! 

Ready or not, here comes baby!  3 weeks or less!

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