Milestones -- 37 weeks

Making my Seryn shirt work HARD today!

Tomorrow (Thursday) marks 37 weeks of pregnancy.  Why is this number important and this week a milestone?  Well, this is argued some in the mama-to-be world, but most of my apps (yes, I have more than one) and my weekly update from The Bump all agree that this week means that Baby R has reached full term! 

But Mandy, why do you still have 3 weeks to go if you're full term?

Good question!  It's because your EDD (estimated due date) can be off by about two weeks.  So, I could be ready to have a fully developed, healthy baby, or I could actually only be at about 35 weeks of development if Baby R were to show up today.  BUT, assuming I'm right on schedule, 37 weeks indicates that Baby R has reached all of his or her crucial developmental milestones. 

One might think this would make me anxious/ready to have this baby at any time.  Well, that was the case...until yesterday. 

Remember when Carmen had surgery back in January to repair her left ACL tendon?  Well, guess who tore the right one on Memorial Day?

Who, me??

Yep.

So, my first "born" baby will be going in for another major surgery this Friday.  Her recovery last time was a nightmare due to our schedules and her tendency to be a giant pain in the ass/contortionist any time we'd leave the house.  She somehow managed to pull the staples out of her legs three different times, which extended her recovery by at least 2-3 weeks.

This news plus my pretty standard emotional level these days (due to heartburn, anxiety and lack of sleep, plus plain old pregnancy hormones) was a bit much to handle.  Allow some of my favorite sexy actors to display the range of emotions I've been through recently:

 

 

Get the idea?

However....

Thanks to the prayers and kind words of friends AND the amazing reaction to this news and planning already done by my husband, I'm....dealing with it. 

Michael is pretty much off work for the summer, and what commitments he does have will only be for a few hours at a time, when I can run home and watch Carmen and then go back to work to make up the time.  I've pretty much cancelled all of our/my commitments for the next three weeks, so that we can just kind of go into hibernation mode at home.

And honestly? I'm kind of looking forward to that. 

We'll be together as a family of three for the last small bit of time before Baby R arrives.  Granted, it will be because my dog is recovering from a major surgery and cannot be trusted/left alone, but...still.  There are so many silver linings to this happening NOW instead of later:

• The weather is warmer!  When she gets her staples out, we'll be able to take her over to Grandma's to swim and get that great exercise in, which we couldn't do in January/February.
• The baby isn't here yet.  If this had happened WITH a newborn, I....don't think I would handle it well.
• I'll be home.  So when/if that nesting instinct ever really kicks in, I can clean my house and keep working on the baby's room!
• I'll be home.  With my two best friends.  So hopefully that will keep me happy and calm and, subsequently, my blood pressure down. Which is a good thing at this stage of pregnancy.

Work may be a challenge, especially as I am preparing for the LAST BIG MEETING of the year before summer, but even that will be over one week from today.  So...God is good and He is keeping me from the brink of a complete meltdown, through the use of logic (imagine that!) and my awesome husband and some really generous and thoughtful friends. 

Are you still with me?  If so, reward yourself with some 37 week stats:

Baby R's size: What to Expect app says this baby is the size of a watermelon.  o_O

 

Baby R's developments: Baby is preparing his/her first poop for us.  Practicing blinking and grabbing and sucking.  As I said earlier, all crucial developmental milestones have been reached, but we definitely want him/her to cook til the due date (June 20th)! 

 

Currently Craving: No real cravings anymore.  It's summer, so the "cold and sweet" craving just feels normal now.  

 

How's the belly looking: Big! 

 

Sleep & Dreams: With the exception of a few nights of heartburn that led me to the edge of a psychotic breakdown, I'm really doing okay.  Still not sleeping for HOURS at a time, but I'm sleeping. Which is nice. 

 

How I am feeling: Really just fine. Tired, of course.  Feeling heavy and cumbersome, and the heartburn sucks, but overall, I'm fine.  The cough from the Black Plague is almost completely gone!

Evidence of Pregnancy Brain: Yesterday, I had jury duty. I forgot the words to the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Movement:All the time! Very active, roly-poly baby in there. 

 

Exercise: Does getting dressed count?

 

Innie or outie: Still an innie!But it's flatter.

 

Stretch marks: Still none.

 

Rings on or off: Still on!My OB even mentioned that at the last appointment! 

 

Maternity wear: The same two or three things over and over these days, as it gets warmer. I did bust out the Seryn shirt today (see pic at top) just because I like it and it's stretchy and comfortable.

 

Baby related purchases: Last weekend we bought our pack & play (and a sheet to match), the baby monitor, some boobie-care stuff for me (you're welcome), and a Baby K'Tan wrap! I can't wait to use it!

 

Days until due date: 22. Twenty. Two.  And I hope I use every last one of them til Baby gets here!

If you made it all the way through this blog, enjoy this: