Happy Full Term, Baby.

So, it's been forever since I've blogged. But, in reality, I haven't felt I had that much to write about anyways. Life is moving forward at a pace that feels like a snail's slow, steady movement. And at the same time, I am shocked that it's already October and Baby P. is now considered full term. 37 weeks. It blows my mind.

Life changes? My belly is bigger. The nursery is ready and waiting. Braxton Hicks contractions now require I stop walking and wait it out. (Yes, they're still Braxton hicks, but they also happen to cause my right thigh to cramp up.) Josh now understands that every stop at every store requires a stroll through baby section to see if there are any other last minute items I need (want). Random strangers ask me when I'm due (and I love this... I've been waiting for this for quite some time!). They also feel compelled to tell me the worst labor stories they have heard (this I don't enjoy quite as much.) I grunt when I try to lean down, sit on the floor, get up, roll over, etc etc etc. I've finally gained the 25 pound minimum my midwives set for me. I have pitting edema when my shifts at work are over- which is actually quite entertaining on slow nights- how many fingerprints can I make in my leg before the first ones start disappearing???

I'm feeling quiet about life right now. Which is most likely God's faithful intervention to keep me from exploding with all the emotional ups and downs that come with the ending of pregnancy. See, Baby P. has been breech the entire pregnancy. Which is fine- common even. At 34 weeks, the midwives reported he was likely head down. Finally! He's in position and we're getting ready. But at our 36 week appointment, we discovered he is once again breech. At this point, it's getting kind of crowded in there and the odds of him flipping into position are starting to decrease. We started seeing the chiropractor every day and doing all the tricks- laying upside down, music and flashlight down on the lower part of my abdomen, a piece of ice near his feet- all the fun stuff. Apparently, he rather enjoys not hanging around upside down, as he's having none of it. So the next step is an external version- this basically involves being monitored at the hospital as they try to manually push the baby into place by pushing on my belly. They say it feels like a truck running over you. Which really made me feel confident as I signed the consent form. :) This is the last effort- if the version doesn't work, it appears we'll be having a c-section.

I think the hard part for me is the not knowing. At first I was incredibly disappointed by the thought of a c-section. Josh and I had wanted to have as natural a birth as possible- he opposite side of the spectrum from a major abdominal surgery. Obviously, our first priority is having a safe delivery and healthy baby, but this pregnancy has been absolutely perfect thus far- we didn't expect a wrench in the works at this point in time. Josh is fantastic- supportive and encouraging and accepting of whatever comes. I struggle with this a little more. The emotional ups and downs of "he's head down, he's breech, he might be head down, oh wait, he's still breech," over even a week have exhausted me. Which has brought me to a point of peace. The Lord knows this baby- He holds this baby in His magnificent, almighty hand- He knows when and how this baby will enter the world and every tiny detail about the coming weeks. And I can leave it at that. At this point, all I feel is joy at the coming of my baby, peace at however he makes his appearance, and tired. Also, I feel sudden, incredibly strong urges to go to the bathroom as this little man kicks and stretches his legs straight down into my bladder. Thanks, bud. I love you.