34 Week Appointment: Why I Waddle

Dear LittleDude,

We had a doctor appointment today, and it went pretty well. I'm holding steady in the weight department since I'm still only about 10 pounds heavier than I was before you started growing in there. On one hand, I think that's great because it means I'll be back to my pre-pregnancy weight practically as soon as you're born. On the other hand, it sort of means I was a chubby in the first place. So, really, maybe I should stop advertising my minimal weight gain and let people look at me and assume I've gained 30 pounds instead of 10!

My blood sugar numbers are great, and the doctor is impressed we've been able to keep things under control without insulin. We are now allowed to treat ourselves occasionally, and I only have to prick my finger every other day. I'll probably still do it every day, though. It's not that bad, and I'd rather keep a close eye on things to make sure you're okay.

On the flip side, the doctor is a little concerned about my blood pressure. Don't ask me to explain what each number means because I can never remember, but while the top number is holding pretty steady (though borderline high), the bottom number is creeping up and is just too high. Because of that, I expected the doctor to confine us to bed for awhile, but she didn't. She didn't prescribe any medication either. I'm just under strict orders to "take it easy," keep my stress level low, and pee in a cup for 24 hours sometime next week so they can make sure pre-eclampsia hasn't set in.

In other news, it seems that you're growing a little bit faster in there. For the first time, my belly measured a little bigger than expected. Don't worry. We're only measuring at 35 weeks, and it's the first time we've been ahead of the curve. Nothing to worry about. Except that I've been hearing horror stories of giganto-babies resulting from gestational diabetes. So, I told the doctor I was anxious, and she decided to check you out.

The doctor didn't want to risk an internal exam, but she did feel around my belly to see what position you're in and such. She could tell that your back is currently toward my right side (which is so weird because I would have sworn you were hanging out on the left again), but she couldn't feel your head. So she got out the ultrasound machine to give me an extra peek at you. She looked...and looked...and found your knees, feet, hands, and everything...everything but a head, that is. At that point, in answer to my questions about how I'll know when you drop (and I should pack my hospital bag) and get into position to make your entrance into this world, she exclaimed, "If he drops, he'll drop right out!" As it turns out, the reason I feel like I have bowling ball in between my legs is because that's where your head is. In fact, your head is so low that the doctor couldn't get a good picture of it, and she's surprised I'm still able to walk. In other words, you're already in position to come out any time you like, but all the other signs indicate that you'll probably just hang out right there -- making it difficult for Mommy to walk or do anything but visit the bathroom more times than I ever thought possible in a day -- until your due date or beyond.

So the verdict is in. Almost everything looks good. I'm not showing any signs of pre-eclampsia aside from the slightly elevated blood pressure, and while you're hanging in there and getting ready to meet us, there's no indication of pre-term labor, so there's no reason we can't go to Illinois this weekend for our baby shower. Your only orders are to hang out for another six weeks. My only orders are to relax, keep my stress levels low, have fun at the shower, give myself a 2-day reprieve from monitoring my blood-sugar (the doctor says she does NOT want to see numbers for the weekend because she wants us to enjoy ourselves, and 2 days off won't hurt us), do the urine test next week, and come right in to get checked if there's any signs of you trying to make an appearance before our 36-week appointment.

I love you.
Love, Mommy

Time for Finishing Touches

Dear LittleDude,

Your room is almost complete. I just have one more project to finish now that Daddy and I have decided on your name. (Believe me, that was the hard part. Your daddy has generally horrible taste in names. Don't ask him to name any future pets.) In fact, I think I'll send Daddy to the grocery store, so I can get started on it. Painting sounds like a lot more fun than grocery shopping.

I love you.
Love, Mommy