Monday morning I checked my cervix and it felt very different from a week ago! Last week it felt same as usual, soft and posterior. But this time it felt quite different and I thought quite dilated. That startled me quite a bit and I realized that this really could happen at any time now. I’m starting to get some pelvic twinges during the day (those are new), but no real contractions other than the random braxton-hicks I get throughout the day. So just out of curiosity I had the midwife check me at my 39 week appointment… 1.5cm on the outside, funneled. That might be disappointing for some people, but for I let out a sigh of relief that at least that gives me more time when I do go into labor!

I’m so glad to have made it to 39 weeks! I feel like I have officially reached the end stage, full term, emotionally ready to go. After Devin it has been such a goal of mine to with both subsequent pregnancies to get right up to my due date. This has not been the easiest pregnancy, but it’s likely my last and now I find myself taking a lot of pictures and video and trying to just remember how this feels. I’m in no rush for labor. I’m looking forward to it and a little anxious about Kate being away. I’m definitely feeling big and getting slow to get up and move around – I forget I have no stomach muscles and struggle to get up off the couch sometimes (rolling off can be easier!). Getting up takes effort and tends to squash Ember into my bladder. This makes playing with a toddler annoying for both of us! I never realized how many times she made requests that require me to get up: snack, milk, water, different TV show, toy is stuck, diaper, not to mention her just wanting me to follow her and play with her! Even standing for too long makes my feet ache. I can definitely feel all those extra pounds I’m carrying (around 35lbs). What else… A bit of heartburn sometimes. An achy hip when I wake up after sleeping too many hours on one side. But I’m still good. Just slower. I’m not a fan of putting out effort right now. The whole nesting/cleaning thing? Over it. I’ll do the basics.

My appointment was fine and normal as always, blood pressure is low, baby’s moving around and her heartrate is good, fundal height is good. The midwife today said she does feel like her head is pretty low, which is what I’ve been feeling too – not super low, but lower than it was, I’m starting to get little cervical twinges at times. Her estimate for this baby is around 7lbs like Kate. So I’m sticking with my original guess that this one will weight a little bit more than Kate at birth. I have friends guessing that I’ll have her Saturday or Sunday, the same gestation I had Kate at. The weekend would be really ideal for me because every route we have to the hospital is under some sort of construction, I do NOT want to be stuck in the weekly rush hour traffic.

Mood-wise I’m feeling much more mellow right now. I went through an angry phase, but I think that was in part due to stress of getting things (school) done before I went into labor. Now everything is wrapped up for me and I have nothing on the calendar – which is also a bad thing because it’s boring. It’s also been raining a lot lately, which definitely never helps my moods. I’m still a little touchy (just ask Den!) and can and will snap for very minor reasons, but I’ve been trying to just settle in and find my happy place. Music has been a good way to do that…. music and the sunshine we had today.