Wow, the last four weeks really got away from me, sorry for no updates. I'm still pregnant and we're still marching along trying to get ready for the baby and finishing up classes and projects. Our camera broke while we were on vacation (got sand in the retractable lens) so we had to get a new one and I was without a camera for a few days so I could update then. I didn't even bother trying to get the camera fixed since we could get a new and better one for about $200. The other one was over 5 years old so I guess it was time but I did have that slight panic that one gets after spending a ton of money (on vacation and then the camera and lots of eating out and getting our big trees cut in our yard). But I think I'm over that now.
My 35-week appointment went well. Baby's heartbeat was in the 140s, head was still down, and I got the paper with the phone numbers to call if I go into labor.
If there is such a thing as "dropping" I think the baby did it. I felt like I was starting to carry lower while we were on vacation a week and a half ago. I think I heard that that means I have about two weeks go from that day which would be be this weekend. Still hoping to make it to July at least though. Tomorrow will be how far along I made it with Joshua - 37 weeks, 1 day.
My 37-week appointment was this morning. All went well - baby's heartbeat was 154, I didn't gain any weight over the two weeks (okay that's good in my eyes), and the big kids were well behaved. She said I was 2 cm dilated but with this being my fourth that's pretty much my normal state. She said the baby's head was still fairly high (pointed down but not moving down the birth canal so maybe he didn't drop). So no signs of eminent birth but that's what we heard at my 38 week appointment with Lydia and she came 2 days later. Not saying I'm expecting to go into labor soon, just saying that I don't see anything in the tea leaves that would indicate a baby this week. We'll see!
I've passed a lot of dates I needed to "get through" without having the baby so much so that I should consider any more days (like my birthday and my hair appointment on Tuesday) as just icing on the cake. First there was Dylan's last day of school and then we left on vacation to Berkley Springs, WV the next day for 3 nights. We had a great relaxing time and got to see some sites. We stopped at Dinosaurland in Winchester on the way and then spent some time at Cacapon State Park, Berkley Springs State Park, and the Paw Paw tunnel on the C&O tow path which I hadn't been to since my bike trip in 1992. There was some hiking/walking involved but I made it. There was a little lake at Cacapon which is where the sand beach was that spelled the end of our camera. Cacapon also has a great nature center and program for the kids. It would be a nice weekend get away that we could do even with a baby so we'll consider going back.
The next big "get through" day was Lydia's dance recital on Saturday. She did such a great job and Grandma and Grandpap were here to see her - my shy one has no stage fright. Then we headed to my sister's for a combined birthday party for my nephews. Lastly, yesterday we went downtown to the WWII memorial to greet my 91 and a half year old great uncle who came to DC on an honor flight from MI. It was great to see him and we totally surprised him. We were also surprised as his grandson (my 2nd cousin) also showed up and we got to see him.
Monday was clean the nursery day and van day. My parents did all the work and I just directed (well I guess I folded some cloth diapers...) and I feel so much better that we can now bring a baby home in a clean car to a clean nursery. I still have some things to do to get ready (rearrange our bedroom to fit the pack and play in, pack my bag for the hospital, install the car seat, wash the seat on the swing and bouncy seat) but I feel like we are well on our way to being go-ready.
As far as my class and business goes, I feel like I'm caught up for now but I'm going to get behind next week. I think I'm going to try do as much as I can for the class and take an incomplete and try to finish it later in July assuming NOVA accepts my excuse as a good one. If the last two chapters I have to read weren't 90 and 79 pages I could probably do it but that's just too much reading to do at this point. For a while I was feeling fearful of not getting things done and I realized the root of those feelings were 1) fear that I wasn't going to enjoy the baby because I had things hanging over my head (but when do I ever not have things hanging over my head - I just need to learn to enjoy and be in the moment more) and 2) worry over what people think of me which is something I need to get over too. Thanks in part to the prayers of my bible study ladies, I'm feeling a lot more peaceful about God's timing. God wants to give me the best even if I don't realize it is the best at the time. And he will give me grace for the moment.
