STILL pregnant.

No baby yet. It's still comfortably inside, getting bigger and bigger and lower and lower. But no labor yet. Last night I had a couple strong contractions that woke me up and made me say "Ow" -- but they tapered off some time during the night. And I woke up... still pregnant.

Going this late has been very humbling. I made the mistake of looking at the scale at my last appointment.

Ouch.

Walking is getting... interesting. I can feel my pelvic bones bouncing.

I've had 2 dreams in the last week about giving birth to the baby... in two different bathrooms. I dreamed that I didn't feel any strong contractions, just a sudden strong urge to push, and pop! there was baby!

I'm wondering if my dreams are trying to tell me something and I should get a tarp just in case....


So here I am, just waiting, taking walks and drinking my raspberry leaf tea. I'm trying to keep busy with the usual household stuff -- keeping up on laundry, especially -- trying not to worry about how big this baby will be, or whether I'll have to be induced. I hope to be able to give this baby the gift of a natural birth as well, but I tell it that it has to cooperate with me!

Maybe I should use this time to finish the maternity/nursing dress I started when I was pregnant with Joseph. You know, over two years ago.

Belly Update

My belly is no longer rounded. It is square. It has angles.

Yep, this about sums it up. (sorry so small -- click on the comic to read it)

This baby is officially the latest of all our children. However, I just found out (thanks, Rie!) that the baby's due date, June 11, is also the feast of St. Tochmura, the patron saint of women in labor. Coincidence? Or Providence? Cross your fingers, everyone!

This Too Shall Pass

I just checked an early For Better or For Worse collection out of the library. It's been very healing for me. She Knows! She Understands! She's been There! I have to admit I'm enjoying going back in time with the strip -- I'm finding it extremely relevant.

For example, this has been our life the last couple weeks. The good news is that it's not strep, pneumonia, or an ear infection. The bad news is that it's just taking a long time to go away. And meanwhile no one is getting much sleep. Snarl indeed.

Fat flushing can be hanged right now for all I care -- I'm living off of caffeine and Valentine's Day chocolate, until I get a decent night's sleep again. thistooshallpassthistooshallpassthistooshallpassthistoo...

Secret to New Parenthood Survival: keep your sense of humor well-developed

We love Baby Blues. As one can imagine I'm especially appreciating the strips from a couple years ago when their third child was born.

Mr. Pickles and I have a system worked out -- he wakes up more quickly than I do, and can fall asleep faster after having gotten out of bed, so he gets up to change the baby. Joseph sleeps next to us, so after I'm done feeding him I tuck him back in bed, without having to physically get out of bed. Sometimes I can fall asleep while he's nursing, which is great. The bottom line for our sleeping arrangements is: whatever gets everyone the most sleep.

I change Joseph's clothes (and sometimes my own) about 3x a day too.


(Note: in case anyone is having trouble viewing the strips, the originals are here here and here, respectively. Sometimes just hitting "refresh" works for me.)