By now most of you know baby girl has arrived, but I did start this post before she arrived so I’m sharing it now.  Her birth story is coming soon.

Baby Girl,

You definitely have mama wondering when you will arrive.  I have been having quite a few contractions off and on over the past two weeks.  On two occasions I had contractions that were quite regular in timing and more painful than Braxton Hicks for over an hour or two and I thought, THIS IS IT!  Except it wasn’t.  I no longer think of contractions as meaning anything…until they do.  If I start having contractions, I just continue on with my regular day and don’t let myself get too excited. I know you will arrive when it is the right time for you.  Good things come to those who wait.  

These extra days of anticipation have you daddy going crazy, too.  He may be worse than me.  He is constantly asking how I am, if I feel anything, if anything is going on.  I actually had to ask him to stop asking.  I couldn’t handle the anticipation myself and his asking all the time.  He did defend himself by saying that he has to ask so much because he knows I wouldn’t tell him anything until I’m sure it is the real deal as not to get him too excited for a false alarm.  He’s right, but still.

We’ve been spending the extra time finishing up anything we can and trying to shower your brother with attention as we know soon we will have two children to love and give our attention to.  

When you’re ready baby girl, we are too.

Love,

Mom

Feeling:  Very uncomfortable and caught up in the magical excitement of seriously…ANY DAY NOW could be it!

There is something so magical and nerve-wracking about going past your due date. You know meeting your baby is just days (or maybe hours) away, but you are so anxious for their arrival it is hard to concentrate on anything else.  There is also something so annoying about going past your due date with people constantly checking in on you because they care, feeling uncomfortable and starting to feel like you might actually be pregnant FOREVER.  I know I won’t, but still.

I’m a firm believer in letting baby come when they are ready and not taking measures to rush their arrival unless truly medically necessary.  I deny opportunities to be checked at appointments as it really means nothing, and I do not want to be induced unless medically necessary.  Talks of induction in early November if nothing happens though feels like 8 million years from now.  I can’t imagine being pregnant for 42 weeks.

Cravings: Some days nothing.  Other days sweet stuff.  Pumpkin spice lattes.

Weight Gain: At my 40 week appointment I had gained 25 pounds.

Symptoms:  Baby girl is sitting so low.  Our midwife even commented how very low you are.  Uncomfortably, have-to-pee-all-the-time, it-hurts-when-I-walk low.  I feel like it can’t be long until your arrival as some other signs of your arrival have started to happen, but I will spare the details.

Workouts/Running:  Just walking feels like an effort.  I’m still trying to get out for a few walks a week, but you are making things quite uncomfortable lately.  

Week 38-Walking, prenatal sculpt DVD and yoga DVD.  I shared the details of these DVD’s in my previous bumpdate post.

Week 39-I managed a couple short walks this week.  We also went for a hike at a nearby state park.

Week 40-Running errands feels like a workout.  Walked two miles on the afternoon before baby girl would be born.

Looking Forward To:  Holding you in my arms.  Soon baby girl.  Soon.

Sarah