Carolina Belle: Bumpdate: Week 40

Drumroll Please.........................Happy Due Date!

and there's no sign of baby :-(

Size of baby: a small pumpkin, she is anywhere from 6-9 pounds

Total weight gain: 31#, I believe some of it is fluid weight. I can't wear my wedding band and I've had some slight swelling in my legs and feet.

Maternity clothes: Lets talk about this, I know I'll be stuck in maternity clothes for a bit after I give birth but I'm hoping I can get a few new non-maternity maxi dresses and make them last for the first few weeks. I'm having a bit of a crisis because I truly have very little to wear at this point, and most of my maternity wear is appropriate for late Fall or Winter. Now that temperatures are warming up I'm going to have to get creative during the transition period.

Gender: We have a daughter!

Nursery: Done and it feels so good! This is her temporary sleeping location though, a bassinet in her playard by our bed. We also have a swing and a rock n play if she needs other accommodations. We have two playards and we were so torn whether or not to return this one because my sister in law gave us a very cute pink, apple print one. We decided to put this one up though only because it is lighter and a bit more narrow so I can move it between the bedroom and living room a little easier. We plan to keep the other one though, its a little more sturdy and may be a better choice for corralling a toddler.

Sleep: I'm sleeping okay I suppose, going to bed earlier and waking earlier. I get up about every 2-3 hours to use the bathroom and I'm having some acid reflux at night. My dreams are pretty vivid and I'm still having some hip, lower back pain in the mornings when I get up.

What I miss: I miss being limber, without aches and pains. I'm trying not to complain too much because I know in a few weeks I'll miss being pregnant.

Cravings: Nothing really this week. I'm still loving chocolate milk and cinnamon gum. There is a special pasta dish that my husband makes that I love and I requested it with extra artichokes - but no die hard cravings.

Other symptoms: Some minor swelling and hip pains. I'm trying so hard to stay active because I've heard that it will help with labor progression but walking and moving around gives my feet such a beating.

Best Moments: My husband and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary on Monday. He surprised me with flowers at work and made a very special dinner that night. I requested Hayes Barton Cafe for lunch this weekend (mostly for the dessert) and he obliged.

Preparing for maternity leave. My last day was Friday but I called our leave office and pushed it to Tuesday so I can finish out the month. I'm going to make efforts to see as many patients as possible the next two days and get them charted. Plus I think it does me good to get up and go to work in the mornings, even if I'm slow, even if I'm dressed in yoga pants, and even if my brain is mush.

Preparing for baby. We had our 39 week appointment on Tuesday and I really having had much progression from my 38 week appointment. It wasn't a regular OB appointment, it was a follow up from our L&D triage visit from the previous Friday so they scheduled me for an ultrasound. They did a few tests to make sure everything was okay, she had enough fluid, she moved 4x in 20 minutes, good growth, head down, etc. I'm not sure what all was "tested" but they told me she scored 8 out of 8. We have our next appointment on Wednesday and if there is still no progress we will schedule an induction. Both R and I are hoping she will make an appearance on her own before Easter.

Odds n Ends. I decided to get another pedicure on Friday, my tootsies were swollen and I wanted to relax and get a fresh coat of polish. It was heavenly and a treat that I may not get again for a long time. Normally pedicures do not relax me because my feet are pretty ticklish but anything that makes a preggo feel pretty is worth it's weight in gold. This week my husband and I also "stocked our pantry and freezer", we bought meat to freeze, he went ahead and cooked a bath of hamburger for tacos or burritos and he made three freezer meals that are ready for the slow cooker. I made a big batch of breakfast muffins to freeze and stocked our pantry full of snacks and "easy" foods. All this plus the meals my best friend brought to us a couple of weekends ago mean we have several meals prepped and ready for the next month. We have also been ~~cleaning~~ nesting, mostly trying to keep up with laundry, dishes, and the abundance of pet hair that floats around this house. We have also finished organizing the house (except the basement but that is a chore on it's own) and are trying to keep it looking nice so we don't come home from the hospital to a disaster.

Oh and I also re-packed our hospital bags because, why not?

Come on baby!