As I am nearing the end of what I fully intend to be my last pregnancy, I just want to reflect on the whole thing. In my experience of carrying both a boy and a girl to term, pregnancy is 90% awful and 10% the most amazing experience I have ever had. Let's look at the awful for a moment: First there is morning sickness, which for me was never restricted to the morning, never went away after the first trimester, and required medication. Then there is heartburn and acid reflux. There are headaches, fatigue, insomnia, hormonal changes that make you act crazy, food aversions and cravings, getting FAT, stretch marks, hair color and texture changes, skin changes, MAJOR boob changes, swelling, clumsiness, forgetfulness, lifestyle restrictions, getting poked by needles and prodded by doctors on a very regular basis, constantly worrying that there will be something wrong with the baby, the glucose screening test, having your doctor painfully jam his fingers up your hoo-ha in the last few weeks to see if you will go into labor soon, and of course, labor, delivery, and recovery, which are all pretty terrible for many reasons too personal and graphic and time-consuming to illustrate here. Now for the amazing: OK, growing a person is pretty freaking cool. The ultrasounds are amazing and the kicks, no matter how painful, are always welcome. The overwhelming amount of love that you have for this person for the rest of your life is the most powerful thing in all of this, and so obviously outweighs all the bad things. I am so absolutely in love with my son that I cannot imagine accessing that same intense level of emotion for anyone else, but I know it will happen with my daughter. I can't imagine it quite yet, but I have heard that it happens. It is hard to completely bond with the little person before you officially meet on the outside. I protect her against everything every day, but still feel like we need to look into each other's eyes for the first time, and I cannot wait for that moment.
I had an appointment yesterday and my blood pressure is back in the safe zone. I was dilated to 2 cm and my doctor swept my membranes. If you don't know what that is, google it. It is pretty uncomfortable, but it is supposed to help labor start soon. I am hoping very much to have this baby this week! That would be lovely. :) My mom came earlier than planned and has been extremely helpful around the house and with Ashton, so I am feeling very ready!
Baby size: Wintermelon
My weight: Up 44 lbs since pre-pregnancy
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