Not quite time....

Even though I am definitely in the final "nesting" phase of the pregnancy, it seems I am not quite at the point of reaching the first phase of labor. On a scale of 0 to 10 centimeters dilated, I am at a 0. Though I am "50% effaced" (or as my doctor put it, "mushy") and the baby is in position. With each visit my blood pressure and the baby's heart beat seem to drop, so all is going well there and the doctor of course jokes about how it's going to be a boy (due to the now lower heart rate). But gender aside, what I really want to know is how much the baby is going to weigh!

But back to the nesting...it is completely insane. I get an idea in my head about something that we should do, and then either I have to do it right away that day or I make Jay do it (key words being "right away"). ;) All the new light fixtures are up, the attic has been vacuumed and cleaned out, the yard has been cleaned up, and Jay even took it upon himself to get his motorcycle ready, set up our outdoor speakers, and finish varnishing the bar cabinets for the basement. (Keep in mind this was all pretty much 1 days worth of activity)

I have been exercising as much self control as I can muster to keep from painting the upstairs hallway and bedroom, even though the thought crosses my mind at least 5 times a day. I don't think I'll be able to hold back through another weekend....but maybe I can find a different project to obsess over.

Bare Naked Belly is Back

A Series of Soprano Themed Stories

Goodmorning Rat. ~Tony Soprano
I awoke at 3:15am on Saturday to the sound of Rosco shaking his head. A lick, a walk, a flopping of ears...that is all it takes to stir me from my slumber now. I tried for 45 minutes to go back asleep, and after failing miserably at that and feeling as though I was on the brink of starvation, I decided to get out of bed eat some yogurt and finish watching Season 1 of the Sopranos. We then went out for a nice Irish breakfast to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

When I delegate, I delegate. ~Corrado "Junior" Soprano
Said another way, when I want something done, I want it done. I decided on Sunday that we had to have three new light fixtures for the house, which had to be purchased that day so that they could be installed before the baby arrives. I'm sure Jay thinks I'm crazy at times, but thankfully he accommodates these demands and has even already installed one of the new lights. (Did I mention that I also washed the walls in the upstairs stairway and hallway on Sunday? That's right....I washed walls.)

Hope comes in many forms. ~Jennifer Melfi
We went to the doctor today and it seems I'm actually starting to loose weight and am not showing any indication of the baby arriving any time soon. Could this mean I will have actually gained an "average" amt of weight during pregnancy? Is this a confirmation that the baby won't actually arrive until April? It seems as though Jay's amusement at the idea of having me weigh more than him and my fear of having the baby around my birthday are both thoughts of the past. (And I do hope that neither EVER happens)

Let me figure out how to take care of you. ~Tony Soprano
I think we're about as prepared as you can be for the arrival of a new baby....the car seat is installed, the room is ready, the clothes and blankets are washed, hospital bags are packed, the baby gadgets are put together and ready for use, we're stocked up on diapers and wipes, etc. EXCEPT.....I have no idea how to actually take care of a baby. I'm betting on that whole parental instinct to kick in for both of us, or if that fails, referring to the many books that we have at home on the subject. I've tried to read them every now and then but so far 5 pages at a time has been my limit. And even if I could read more than that I probably wouldn't remember much of it. I forgot the code for our security system two days in a row. I have other examples of recent memory loss but that one was the most horrifying....for me and the dog.

Boy or Girl?

At our doctor appointment this week the heartbeat was once again in the 140s, so the doctor jokingly guessed that the baby is going to be a girl. (I think Jay may have been in a silent panic for the next 24 hours wondering how he was going to pay for said little girl's wedding and protect her from all the crazy men in the world). The heartbeat theory has of course been proven wrong with many births. There's a betting game going on at the office and most people are putting their money on a boy due to my physical appearance. So if you follow any of the non-scientific methods of predicting a baby's sex (old wives tales), here's how it would play out:

Heartrate of baby (over 140): Girl
Size and shape of belly (cone or basketball shaped): Boy
Numbers game (adding my age & month of conception, which results in an even number): Boy
Color of maternal grandmother's hair (dyed or natural, if not grey): Girl
Food cravings (sweets including fruit is girl, salts including meat & cheese is boy): Girl? Hard to say...
Ancient Chinese Birth Gender Chart (my age and month of conception): Girl
Chinese Lunar Calendar (my age and month of conception): Boy
Morning sickness (lack of): Boy
Activity of baby (lots of movement): Boy

I haven't performed the "ring suspended over my belly" test yet, but maybe I will just for some mindless entertainment. (circular motion = girl and pendulum motion = boy) Oh but wait, LOST is on tonight. I will be sufficiently entertained. ;)

We're in the final stretch!

The doctor's appointments are now every other week, the baby's bag is packed for the hospital, and I move at a pace only slightly faster than a snail. Things are still going good...I wake up a few times a night to roll over and sometimes have to go to the bathroom around 5am...but it's all good. I got together with my friends this weekend for a tea party to celebrate the coming of the next Conway. (Sounds like a movie title doesn't it?) We think we have all the necessities now and are prepared, but I suppose we'll find out for sure soon. We have diapers and wipes and a few outfits and pajamas to get us through the first week or two and have done a few loads of laundry with the special baby detergent. The registries have been updated with a few more items, and next we'll start putting together the pac n play, diaper champ, and all that fun stuff.
The countdown continues...only 6 weeks until April 15th!