Pregnancy Update 37 weeks

Now that we’re here, sometimes it’s hard to believe that it was so unlikely.  As our pastor’s wife told me last Sunday, “I don’t think a lot of people truly realize that it is this big of a miracle!”  Though others may or may not be able to fully appreciate and understand what it feels like to be given such a gift, many of you HAVE been praying diligently, faithfully, even daily, and you have been very caught up in this journey with us!  THANK YOU!!!  Though we did our part in doing all we could in our power to lessen the risk of pre-term labor, we give all glory to God.  We made it!  Me, baby, Ben and all of you who were praying… we made it!  Prayers work!  My story can encourage others.  I remember how I read forums and clung to the comments from moms who, against the odds, made it full-term as well.  Now that story is mine, and I can give others HOPE.

I am enjoying my last few days or weeks of being pregnant immensely!  I can finally take care of my house and husband again and resume my activity level to what is more typically me. 🙂  As much as one can with a 20-pound watermelon strapped to their middle 24/7, that is!

Things I have been enjoying:

• Weeding and hoeing in the garden
• Berry-picking
• Cooking, and being on my feet in the kitchen for longer periods of time.
• Laundry
• Grocery shopping (and carrying groceries!)
• Going up and down the stairs freely without having to analyze how I can live my day with the fewest trips possible… though it’s such a habit I subconsciously do it anyway!
• Dishes (not exactly enjoying those, but now I have no one else to blame except myself when they get backed up and aren’t done!)

Food Cravings and Vitamins

I like sweets again!  Even a little chocolate sometimes.  And I ate a dill pickle.  And a bread and butter pickle.  What is wrong with me??!  (I thought I only liked sweet pickles.)  Food wise, and other wise, I’m just more opinionated – if I didn’t like it before, now I really don’t like it!  Like this pregnancy tea I’m supposed to be drinking.  Never have been a tea drinker.  Yuck!  And vitamins… I hated vitamins before; now I loathe them!  The perfect picture of this pregnancy could be summed up in my nightly sit on the edge of the bed as I procrastinate to take all my pills.  First, I am very talkative – sitting backwards and facing the pillows, I think of absolutely everything I could possibly tell Ben or discuss with him.  It’s amazing, the ideas my brain can come up with at this time of night!  For of course, if my mouth is moving, well I can’t swallow my vitamins while I’m talking…!  And then Ben asks – for the fourth time – if I’ve taken my vitamins yet, and I sigh and say, “Nooooo…” and resignedly scowl at the pile of pills on my nightstand (I really try not to look that direction).  And eventually I want to lay down bad enough and get this bedtime routine over with that I get them down, despite my gag reflux that works a little too well and hates vitamins more than I do.

And being a little more extreme, when I am frustrated with myself, I’m really down on myself.  Like when we went overbudget on groceries this month so we had to take $ from the eating out envelope.  Talk about bummed! 😛  Yes, I am mad at myself.

Belly Size – tell me about it!

As for my other pregnancy-hormone rant, it’s about the irony of our culture which is so reserved about telling people about their size… until you’re pregnant!  How is it ok to suddenly comment to someone’s face about their size when they are pregnant?  And really, since when were they an expert anyway??!  I take it ok and I’m really not bothered (I’m saying this for the sake of all pregnant women – I’m standing up for you!!!), but I am a little tired of complete strangers judging me on if I am “too big” or “too small” in their eyes.  They might seem to know so well… until I walk up to the next person and they say the complete opposite!  I have had one person be shocked at how far along I am because, “Oh my, but you’re so small!” and not 30 seconds later a friend say, “Yay, you’re really looking big!”  Am I big or small?  And what ARE you supposed to say in response to comments on size??!  (If small) “Who are you comparing me to – yourself?”  or “At least I’m proportioned to the size of my body – I’d hate to be as small as me and have a monstrous belly!”  (If big) “Amazing isn’t how God made it so that we look bigger when we actually are carrying a whole other person and enough stuff to sustain life in there…” or “At least I have a reason to look big!” or “Yes, but I bet I can lose weight faster than you.”  So tell me, what is the right response to comments on size?  And next time you see a pregnant lady, just say, “You look great!”

And that ‘pregnancy glow’?  Strange thing with that is people said it a lot before I was showing… but no one ever said it unless they already knew I was pregnant!  I doubt I looked any different (after all, people who didn’t know couldn’t tell), it’s just that the people who know, they see you differently.  Something with their eyes, not my “glowing” face.  There, that dispels that idea…

I haven’t been measuring my belly as it’s grown; I decided to wait and measure it at it’s largest, and then as I lose weight instead – it will be more encouraging that way!

I am still drinking lots of water (12+ glasses per day) and have quite perfected the art of ‘rolling’ out of bed.  And I’ve never used a pregnancy pillow.  Tried an extra pillow in bed once and I got so claustrophobic and cluttered feeling and thrashed around all night!  I don’t sleep super well anymore, due to being uncomfortable and waking up a lot (baby moving and hurting me, contractions, to use the bathroom).  I cannot scoot my chair in to the table very far, and can’t lean over at all to eat… at least I have a shelf that catches everything!

Baby is growing big!  My midwife estimates him to be 6lbs or more!  (Happy day when we returned the last preemie outfit for an exchange!)  He likes to bulge and can push quite hard!  I guess he is in a position like a frog; that feels about right… now if he could just push himself out…!  Oh my goodness, I am SO EXCITED to see his little face!!!

My father-in-law thinks I’m going to go to 42 weeks.  (I will be jumping on a trampoline on my due date if he hasn’t come yet!)  My family thinks it would be hilarious if “he” turns out to be a girl.  (I don’t.)  My dear husband teases me about waddling, but honestly, I don’t know.  I can’t see myself, so I can’t exactly prove him wrong… but I can still sport fancy high heels, so ha!

I am so privileged to have been given these happy weeks at the end to be the Naomi I know while pregnant!  I live my life, and I love my life and I can’t wait for baby to come join us in our happy little family!