36 Weeks

As of yesterday morning, I am 36 weeks pregnant.  I still feel really good.  By the end of the day, I'm usually pretty wiped out.  However, I'm still running (!) and able to do most of the things I want.

In a possible bout of "nesting" today, I re-organized the linen closet, made our bed, sorted and started some laundry, and am updating the blog.  I really need to pack for the hospital (just in case).

My weekly doctor visits (with ultrasounds) start this week, so I'll be getting professional updates every Tuesday.  As of my last visit, Trixie was head-down.  Hooray!

This Friday is my last day of school (until I go back for less than two weeks in June) which I cannot believe.  I've been teaching my heart out the past few weeks.  I am looking forward to having some time to rest and relax before the baby arrives (hopefully!).

Last weekend my mommy friends threw me a little party wherein I got this super-cute diaper cake.  Love it!  It's currently living in the dining room, and every time I pass by it, I get more excited for the arrival of James's sibling!

Before I sign off, let me just give you a quick lesson, lest you should run into a pregnant woman anytime soon.  (The following are real quotes I've encountered recently.)

What to say to a clearly pregnant woman (or her young companion):

• "I'm sorry, but this does not look like the face o someone who is 36 weeks pregnant. It must be a pillow under there."
• "You look great!"
• "You look so cute!"
• "Congratulations!"
• "Are you going to be a big brother soon?"

What NOT to say:

• "You're bursting out of that coat!" (Um, no, I'm not.  Not yet, anyway.  And when I do, please don't tell me then, either.)
• "Oh, you're starting to really slow down."  (Well, I'm carting around quite a few extra pounds, but I'm still making it up and down the stairs to and from my classroom just fine, thank you.)
• "Did you eat a watermelon?  You're getting bigger and bigger." (I don't even like watermelon.  And I'm supposed to be getting bigger.  Duh.)
• "It looks like a boy."  (Maybe it is.)
• "It looks like a girl." (Maybe it is.)
• "Are you sure it's not twins?  Sometimes doctors miss one."  (I think I've been ultrasound-ed and doppler-ed enough to determine that it's just one baby.  But thankyouverymuch for telling me that you think I'm huge.)

Trixie Update

34 (and a half) weeks, and all is well.

I went for a check-up yesterday, and had only gained a pound in the last two weeks which they said was "perfect."  (And impressive given that I ate lots of holiday goodies!)

I don't know what my belly measurement was, but whatever it was, they were happy with that as well.  Blood pressure and such also was great.  And, as I suspected, Trixie is now head-down.  (On Friday I had this really weird sensation whilst we were grocery shopping, and felt kind of nauseated all afternoon.  That night I felt a foot over in the area where James's had been four years ago and thought I felt the head down low.)

Other than the nausea on Friday, I feel great!  I'm pretty sure I feel better now than I did at this point with James.  I'm not having any of the sciatica problems I did then, and I'm still running.  Hooray!  Lately I've been running five minutes then walking one minute for a total of about 20-30 minutes.  I feel like I'm plodding along, but Dan was outside when I was running this weekend and said I looked like I was moving along at a pretty respectable pace.

This weekend we're going to an all-day Lamaze refresher after which I'll go ahead and pack the bags.  Just to be prepared.  My last day is Jan. 20th-- no need to be in labor at school this time around-- which gives me three weeks off before my due date.

James is still excited.  He's asked a few times lately, "Is the baby coming soon?"  He likes to hug and kiss my belly which is super sweet and heartwarming.