~38 Weeks~

Here it is, not "the Big One" I'd hoped for but just another week of pregnant belly. I'm feeling pretty good still, really quite tired all the time but other then that good. I am feeling like she is getting herself in the best position to be born because it seems like my belly gets lower every day! I've been walking A LOT to get the most out of gravity & I feel like that has definitely been a good thing. This morning at the gym one of the staff trainers said something to the effect that she thought I was going to give birth right then & there. I'm sure that is only because of how big I am, nothing else. When she asked how much longer I had she was impressed that I am still working out (so was everyone in the lobby at the time!). I guess I am pretty impressed with myself!
We had a little "scare" last week that kind of (totally!) freaked me out. When I woke up from napping on Thursday afternoon I realized that I hadn't felt baby move much all day. She is usually VERY active in the morning & settles down mid-afternoon until around 7 or 8 p.m. when she gets active again until I go to bed. She also moves some during the night. Anyway, I hadn't felt much from her all morning & when I woke up at 2 p.m. & still hadn't felt much I got worried enough to first call mom & then my midwife. She instructed me to head DIRECTLY to the OB triage at the hospital. I made arrangements for the kids (THANK YOU SARAH!!!!) & called dad since Mark had taken our car to work that day. I also e-mailed Mark at work to let him know what was up & gave him some advice I was struggling to follow myself: "DON'T FREAK OUT!". Well, Mark got to the hospital BEFORE dad & me so dad just dropped me off. We went in, filled out a little paperwork & then was quickly seen in the outer part of triage. My mind was almost instantly put at ease by hearing her heartbeat, nice & strong. PHEW!!! She still wasn't being active so they took me back to the curtained area, had me change into a gown & hooked me up to the heart monitor & the contraction monitor. Again, SOOO relieved to hear a strong, loud, steady heartbeat but not much movement. After monitoring us for a little bit I drank some ice cold orange juice (that seems to get her to move pretty consistently). She wasn't moving as much as the triage nurse thought was appropriate after that so she brought in something called an acoustic agitator. It looked a little like a microphone and when she put it by my belly & pushed the button it made a noise similar to an alarm clock set to buzzer setting. She put it in 3 different places and, wouldn't you know it!, baby began moving like CRAZY!!! It was like she had been sleeping all day & just needed to wake up. We left a short time later & called everyone who we had let share in our freak out to let them know everything was fine. She has been back on her "regular" moving schedule since then & that is a major relief!
I was told by both the new midwife & the triage nurse that it looks like she is shaping up to be as big as her sister & while I don't exactly like that I know that I will be able to handle it much better this time around!
So she is big & healthy & a good sleeper apparently! I can't wait to meet her & get to know her personality. Not too much longer (thank the stars!) & she'll be here!!!