Ahhh Friday, we meet again.

It’s been a good week. This week was my first week working from home and not out of the office, so that really helped to get me to slow down a little bit. I’ve been GO GO GO for months and I haven’t stopped to take a breath. And it was starting to catch up with me! I could feel myself getting weary and tired and irritable. But this week I’ve really been able to get back to some sense of feeling (almost) normal.

Yes, I am more than ready for this baby to be here, but at the same time, I’ve come to terms with the fact that this baby is going to come when he / she wants to come and God’s plan is better than my own. So, c’est la vie!

I also am doing better at handling all the “questions.” If you’ve ever been pregnant, you know what I’m talking about. The same 2-5 questions that everyone asks you over, and over, and over, and over again:

• “How are you feeling?”
• “No baby yet?”
• “When’s that baby gonna come?”
• “Geez, when are you due?”
• “You sure there aren’t twins in there?”

I have learned that people just want to help, people just want to be nice, and people care… so I’m just taking the questions in stride and politely answering them. Even though it would be awesome to make a t-shirt or something that had the answer to all those questions on it so I wouldn’t even have to… or something. 🙂

Anyway. Moving right along now.

How far along: 39 weeks, 2 days.

How big is baby: About 7.5 pounds and about 20″ long. Fruit and veggie scale still says “watermelon.”

Weight gain: My weight has fluctuated a bunch this week… I think that’s honestly due to the swelling. The swelling in my ankles and feet and legs has just gotten out of control (gross, I know). So, I’m still saying 50 pounds even though the scale has said otherwise a few days. It keeps going up and down.

But hey, I am STILL working out! And yes, people at the gym think I am nuts. Now, don’t go thinking I’m some iron woman or anything… I basically do about 30-45 minutes on the elliptical and that’s about all I can muster.

I am also walking a lot with husband and the dogs. Walking is tough because my lower back hurts so badly, but I really do enjoy the quiet time just holding hands with my husband and getting some sense of exercise.

Sleeping: I am trying to do a better job of listening to my body and napping when I need to nap. It’s not easy, but I try. Also, it was a Christmas miracle! One night this week, I slept THROUGH THE NIGHT. Like, did not get up ONCE to go to the bathroom. Now, when I did finally wake up I had to pee so bad and getting out of bed is NOT a quick task, so that ended up being hilarious. BUT, I slept through the night! I slept through the night! HALLELUJAH I slept through the night!

Food cravings: Ice cream and Fruttare Popsicles. Seriously, I am obsessed with these things. And they’re only 60 calories a bar, so they can’t be bad for you, right? Right.

Food aversions: Japanese food still.

Symptoms: All of the symptoms! The big’uns are:

• Headaches, yuck.
• Lower Back / hip pain.
• VERY swollen feet and ankles – I took my flip-flops off at work the other day and couldn’t even get them back on when I went to leave my feet had swollen so much.

Miss Anything?: Right now? Naw.

Doctor’s appointment: I have been to see my midwives twice this week. My blood pressure was really high last week and so they did some tests because they were a little worried. So, this week I tried to lay low and take things easy and we were able to get my blood pressure back down! YAY! Midwife told me I am currently about 50% effaced and maybe 1cm dilated, but baby is still preeeeeetty high up there. Because baby flipped so late, it hasn’t had a chance to really “settle” into my pelvis yet (or something… her words, not mine).

Wedding Rings: Nope. Still wearing my loaner ring.

Clothes: They really should warn you when you buy maternity clothes that even maternity clothes won’t fit in the last few weeks. I’m basically rotating out the same 2-3 outfits… It’s okay though.

Movement: Movement has steadily become more just “rolls” and “jabs” – my thinking is that baby is running out of room in there.

Best moment of the week: I have loved the quality time I’ve been getting in the evenings with John. I love that man more and more every day.

What I’m looking forward to: Going into LABOR.

What I did / Got for baby: Made our gifts for our nurses!

What I learned this week: I’ve been researching / reading all the ways to “naturally” induce labor. Did you know eating PINEAPPLE is apparently one of those things that claims to naturally induce labor?! I sure didn’t. And who knows if it works, but it sure will be the most delicious method I will try.

Prayer requests: I’m praying very fervently that I go into labor on my own, naturally, and that I don’t have to be induced. I have come to terms now with the fact that this baby will more than likely be late, am I am 100% okay with that. I just want it to come naturally… I don’t want to be induced. So I’m praying big time for that – and I’m continuing to pray that the labor go as smoothly as possible and that there won’t be any complications and that in the end, we have a happy and healthy baby Stillman!

Happy Friday!