Well hello! Today I am 40 weeks and I have to say, I’m not entirely surprised that I am STILL writing a bumpdate today. Most first babies come late, so while this was expected, it is still a bit disappointing because Caleb is due TODAY! For months and months now, we have waited with anticipation for January 20th to arrive, and here it is! Even though we knew the likelihood of him being born on this day was low, we are still very anxious and very excited. Tomorrow is my next appointment, so please cross your fingers that this baby is making some progress! I was all about getting induced ASAP (even though the doctor said they don’t do it until 41 or 42 weeks), but now I’m not so sure. Maybe it’s better to wait for the baby to come naturally… but what if he’s getting huge in there? I have a lot of questions to ask my doctor tomorrow.
So the only real news I suppose is that there’s still no news, just a whole lot of waiting and watching. Waiting for our baby, watching for the signs that he’s on his way. My birthday was Saturday and I was pretty uncomfortable and crampy the entire day. Jerry and I thought that labor was imminent at that point, but by Sunday, I was feeling better. Now, I generally don’t enjoy discomfort and pain, but my doctor told me last week that pain, at this point, is a good thing and a good sign, so it got us a bit excited and, apparently, ahead of ourselves. I’ve had a few more moments of pain where I’ve wondered whether or not I was having contractions, but they have all promptly disappeared… bummer! We are still on the lookout for any indication though, and Jerry made me walk up and down the stairs the other night. I’m pretty sure none of these old wives tales will actually do the trick, but it was worth a shot! In fact, I might go walking at the mall again tonight. My mom and I did that a few times last week, and it was clearly to no avail but it certainly didn’t do any harm!
My last day of work was last Tuesday and I am officially enjoying maternity leave. I actually have been able to relax some, which I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do. I’ve watched more TV than I care to admit, and have been rocking the sweatpants on a near daily basis. It’s been so nice to not have to put on uncomfortable dress clothes for work and worry about what the heck I could possibly cram this belly into while still looking presentable. People kept asking me when I’d go out on leave and I resisted for quite awhile. I’m glad I finally decided to take the plunge; I can tell my body really appreciates the break and I’ve had a lot less back pain. I’ve also been able to nap almost every day and get some real rest before the big arrival.
We did end up having some small “excitement” last week when I ended up back in hospital triage on Wednesday evening for a bit. Caleb’s movements had become increasingly smaller and less frequent so I ended up calling the nurses at my doctor’s office who decided to send me in for another NST. I know that towards the end, babies tend to run out of room and you can’t feel them as well, but I’ve also read that any change in baby’s movements should warrant a call to the doctor. We all decided to play it safe, and after 20 minutes or so of monitoring, the baby was declared to be “looking awesome” by the doctor and I was sent home. Phew! While we were there, all the staff had on face masks and there were signs stating that only two visitors were allowed because of the flu. We don’t know whether this means at a time or for the whole day, but we did find out that Jerry actually counts as one of the visitors, even though he’s the baby daddy! So, this means that many people will not get to meet Caleb in the hospital which is disappointing, but what can you do?
Jerry and I loaded a few of the hospital things into the car this weekend. He also put together the stroller yesterday. Now we have a stroller and rock and play in our living room, and even though this would usually set my OCD tendencies off, I am okay with it. Now we just look at all this stuff and imagine Caleb with his arms crossed inside my belly saying “nope. I don’t care. I’m STILL not coming.” In all honesty, I like looking at his stuff and just imagining him lying in them… any day now!
My dad asked me last week why I haven’t complained much during this pregnancy, which I guess is true. While I do talk about my symptoms here (or mention them when people ask), it’s for my own reference, because I want to remember everything, and it’s not meant in a complaining manner. Well, my answer was basically because I know this is all only temporary, and for good reason. I also realize that Jerry and I are very fortunate and lucky to be bringing a child into the world because there are many people who can’t. That said, I am feeling pretty good at the moment. My legs are bloated and sore and Jerry was kind enough to rub them for me yesterday. I also have one heck of a time moving and turning in bed, which honestly feels like an Olympic event, but at this point, nothing else much matters except finally getting to see our son. The bad things really aren’t all that bad when I think about the outcome… finally holding this baby we have been waiting for, thinking about, dreaming about, and loving on for months.
So happy due date to you, Caleb! I don’t know when you’ll have your birthday, but I do know we are more excited than we have ever been and that we love you more than words can say… and may this be the last bumpdate!
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