Week 36: Nerves!

So it's been a few weeks, and rather than try to write a blog post for each week I'll try to summarize real quick and then revisit those weeks later. But it's been a busy four weeks during which the baby has grown considerably, I've had three more showers thrown for me, and amazingly I've only gained 28 pounds. (27 as of this morning, actually, because I seem to be now at the final dropping-weight stage.)

Yesterday we had an ultrasound because my fundal measurements had been kinda on the crazy large side, and here we are at 36 weeks with a baby larger than many newborns already. (And yes, I know ultrasound measurements of weight are approximations, but basically what it boils down to is that he's big.) He's also dropped a bit, because the rib pain that I've been experiencing (what with that tall fundus) finally subsided last week, to be replaced by the bladder pressure that comes from Baby using said bladder as a pillow. Some crazy Braxton-Hicks contractions over the weekend have me convinced I'm already effacing just a tad, and fully expect to start dilating within the next two weeks. Part of me hopes that the baby comes just early enough to be an October baby like me.

But I'm also nervous. Ordinarily right now I'd be heading up to Winchester to see my midwife, and the office just called to say that she's in baby-catching mode so they needed to reschedule me. But they also said that they wanted to see me later today specifically because they wanted to get a plan in place simply because the baby is.. already... about....

Eight pounds.

So I call my husband, and he answers with, "Is this the call?" It's as if I were already full term--still a week away--or my due date, which is still four weeks away. Now, Elder Son arrived at 9 1/2 pounds, and given the math that babies at this point in pregnancy gain about a half-pound per week, he's aiming to be a 10-pounder if he shows up when he's due; that doesn't surprise me in the least given that both Dean and I were bigger than 9 lbs. too.

But we'll see what Karen has to say about it before we'll start sounding panic bells. I don't feel ready yet, but then, is anyone?

Funny aside related to being ready: Yesterday after briefing everyone at work about job responsibilities that are being covered while I'm on leave, one of my coworkers asked me why I was starting my leave 10 days before my due date. This was within an hour or two of my husband telling me he wasn't comfortable with my making the hour-long, 50 mile drive to my office alone anymore. I'm glad I work from home half the week, but it will be nice to have a week or so to get ready. but all this chatter today makes me think I'm not going to get that week at all!