Yo Yo Yo!!!

Okay, this post is going to take me a couple of days because of my carpal tunnel but I will get it done! I titled this post, "Yo Yo Yo!" because Charlotte is about the size and weight of a Crenshaw melon and that makes me think of ghetto rap songs for some reason!! She is about 18.5 inches long and should be almost 6lbs. I will say my OB thinks she is closer to 6 or 6.5lbs and estimates she will be at least 8lbs at birth!!! How she knows that based upon feeling my belly I have know idea! We are 36 weeks and have entered that territory of "she can come at any moment"!! I read on babycenter.com that at your OB visits you could be 3cm dilated and 50% effaced for weeks OR be closed up tight like Fort Knox in the morning and "open for business" by noon. This level of uncertainty is concerning.

At our last visit with the OB she explained to us the signs and symptoms of labor and when we should and should not go to the hospital. It's a different mindset for sure! Last night, for example, I had a couple of contractions and some spotting. I laid down did a kick count found out she was fine. Called the OB and expected to be told, "go to L&D let's check everything out". I was told, "this is what is supposed to happen at this time and you don't need to go unless you have more regular contractions"! This happened at about 26 weeks too and I was in the OB's office the next day with an US. Now, they are just like, "so you're having a baby, duh". This makes me uneasy. (BTW my fingers are completely numb at this point...damn carpal tunnel!)

Let's talk a bit more about this last OB visit, shall we??? She did her first cervical check and attempted to confirm Charlotte's positioning. My cervix is high and closed - no delivery that day apparently. Charlotte, my little crazy girl, is laying transverse - sideways. This will make delivery a little difficult the old fashioned way! As a result I have upped my activity level since then, probably resulting in the contractions last night, and am trying to do activities to help her "get in line" a bit better. I am concerned with her being as big as she is and whether or not she will be able to flip on her own. I go back Wednesday and if she is still sideways we will have an US to see what is exactly going on. My guess is, from my extensive and extremely scientific research on the internet, the OB will either do an external cephalic version (turn her herself), wait and see if she turns on her own, or wisk me away to an emergency C-section where I am put completely under only to wake up when she is 3 years old. Oddly enough I don't want the wait and see option...or the 3rd option...of course!

So let's discuss why I don't want the wait and see option...I AM TIRED OF BEING PREGNANT!!! I have entered the circus animal stage, apparently, and I am tired of it. I get so many looks, not all nice ones, and I am getting dangerously close to resorting to violence to stop them! We went to the mall yesterday and that was awful. I got so many looks like, "geez she's huge", that I just looked at the floor and held Robbie's arm - being led through the mall like a blind person so I didn't have to witness their stares. We were in a store and I couldn't even fit down the aisle to get out of the store!! I felt like one of those people that buy an airplane ticket only to get on the plane to be told they need to purchase the seat next to them because of their size! This is absolutely the worst part of pregnancy for me since I vowed never to be this big ever again!! (shhhh I'm even bigger than I was before).

At this point, I am just ready to have this baby. I am ready to meet her, to hug her, to kiss her little feet, and dress her up in the 400 million outfits we have (literally)!! We had a HUGE baby shower this past week at work and got so much stuff!! I mean so much stuff. She has so many clothes and toys and books. The sad thing is you always see more that is super cute or practical that you want to buy! The nursery is full right now so I have put myself, that's unusual I know, on a buying freeze. I gotta see this little girl before I buy her more stuff!

Speaking of the nursery, it is basically done. It could use a little more wall decor but that is so nonessential right now. We completed our CPR training on Saturday and we are installing our car seat today! I am excited!! We are going to take the car seat to someone named "office wayne" at the Tucson Police Department to check our installation and make sure it is correct. Too bad I threw away the instructions... Our labor bag is packed. Our post-partum bag is in progress. I think we are pretty much ready. There are only a few odds and ends left to get - a mobile, an extra changing pad cover, bath tub, breast pump. Nothing that we will really need right away so that is good!! It really does take 9-10 months to get ready but I think we are - materialistically and emotionally!!

Well, I managed to write all this in one sitting and my hands are killing me!! By the end of this week she will be full term and will probably have no problems if born from here on out. That is reassuring! We will keep you posted! The next 4 weeks, if it takes that long, will be the longest of our life but the end is definitely in sight!! We love you baby Charlotte and can't wait to see you!!!