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Two pictures from today:

Dr. K was in rare form today. The whole office was, really – apparently someone sent Dr. K a recording of a song that he HAD to play for the nurses – repeatedly, as I think the time we heard it was not the first. Anyway, he comes bounding out and we could hear him in the hall talking about the song “with lyrics about vaginal PH levels.” Josh and I cracked up. Then, Dr. K played the song, which was staticky, but it indeed talked about vaginal PH levels. My nurse then comes in giggling and says, “No protein in your urine!”

“Yay! That’s good news!” I said excitedly (I was worried last time). She laughed.

“I knew you’d say that!” she giggled.

Anyway, the visit went well. We talked a little about my blood sugar (fine, keep with the Metformin, and get that A1C done – I forgot to do it repeatedly this week because I suck) and my blood pressure, which was slightly high (148/72). He was unconcerned about the baby’s current size and position. He said that 37 weeks is full term, but if labor starts anytime after 34 weeks we wouldn’t stop it.

Um.

That’s only two fucking weeks from now.

I have a LOT to do before maternity leave kicks in at work.

We talked about induction if I make it to 40 weeks without sprogging, and also the possibility of induction given the diabetes, any upward movement on the blood pressure, etc. I told him that my back was starting to hurt, notably the pelvic joints. He pointed to a place on my back and asked if it was there, and when I confirmed, he said it was … a bone/muscle group I can’t remember now, but it was my body getting ready for delivery.

I go back in two weeks, at 34 weeks, and have an internal exam so he can see if he can feel the baby’s head. I will also get tested for Group B herpes (?).

We’re headed down the pike and holy crap is the time speeding along. I feel like I’ve been pregnant forever and also I just got knocked up yesterday. Holy holy shit.

***

Baby is feeling huge in my belly now. If I slouch, he definitely lets me know to sit up straighter. I love feeling his head bop against me and when I lay my hand on my belly, I can feel him make larger sweeping movements and that is surreal and exciting at the same time.

Back is achy from time to time (Dr. K ordered Josh to massage my back), I get fatigued pretty easily (Josh is now cooking all meals, bless his heart). I haven’t started nesting yet, unless you count making lists of last minute things to buy “nesting”.

I got back from my ultrasound today – baby is weighing approximately 4.5 lbs., normal for current gestational age (phew), and currently in a frank breech position. The tech wasn’t concerned, said that within the next month or so he should turn around, but man, I have got to stay away from Dr. Internet because everything I am reading is horrifying me!

His current position makes so much sense – he prefers my left ribcage because that’s where his noggin is wedged. When I lie on my right side, I feel him tiptoeing on my right side, and it delights me to no end.

The plus – I sang “Head, shoulders knees and toes” to Josh while pointing at my abdomen in a v-formation.

Breech. Sheesh. We’re only 31 weeks along and he’s already causing trouble!

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I am thirty one weeks and two days pregnant today. Even from last week I feel rounder and thicker and more “pregnant”, for lack of a better word.

I am not sleeping too well these days, in part because our days are growing longer and the early morning sunshine wakes me far before the alarm actually does, and in part because my back has been getting more and more painful (yay for sciatic nerve pressing!), so when I turn over in the middle of the night, the pain in my back wakes me up.

My eating is a bit erratic, and it’s grumpy-making enough that I don’t want to document it. Blah. My blood sugar is rising a little, and honestly, I can control it better if I ate better at lunchtime.

Otherwise, fanfuckingtastic. I love feeling the baby move inside me. Someone asked me recently what it was like, and it’s like a ten foot tall person in a six inch space. If I sit for awhile at my computer at work, or if I lie down on my side in bed, he flips and turns and jams a leg or arm up into my left ribcage (always my left side), and I push him down to sit comfortably. Once, he kicked me so hard in my ribcage that my left boob bobbled. Crazy kid.

***

I was chatting with some of my girlfriends about what it means to be a hippie, and that, combined with a comment Carrie left in my last entry (about how to clean a penis. Hee. Carrie, are you now psyched to know that in my mind you’re connected with penis cleaning??!), leads me to the following. I thought I’d note how we’re planning on approaching some basics of early parenthood. I reserve the right to change my mind, because I am nothing if but a last-minute planner, but this is what we’ve got in mind heading into this journey. Feel free to comment on it, but also know that for every decision we’ve made, we’ve read both sides of the argument and are aware of the pros and cons. Feel free to ask any questions too, because sometimes I don’t make much sense. My brain has flown out of the window lately.

Circumcision: No. All of the reasons against it are pretty much where I am (Josh is less adamant about it, but is willing to go along with me in this area) – ow, ow, ow. We’ll teach our son how to clean himself appropriately and keep himself safe, and if he wants to get circumsized in the future, we’ll support it.

Breastfeeding: Yes. Josh is very, very much in favor of this. He grew up in a breastfeeding environment. I didn’t, so getting me 100% on board has been a challenge – I’ve never been completely against it, but I’m a lot more apprehensive and anxious about my body’s ability to do so successfully than Josh is. I love that he’s so supportive. And I have two breast pumps. Come on, boobs!

Cloth Diapering: Yes. We’re hiring a service, and again, this is an area where Josh is very much in favor. In analyzing it for us, even with hiring a service to clean the diapers, it’s coming out a good deal cheaper in the long run for us. The environmental issues are a wash (ha!) mostly; we’re keeping things out of landfills, but whether you can compare the gas used to get the diapers to us to the landfill-filling is beyond my small brain right now.

Co-Sleeping: No. We’re sharing a room together, and for us, that will suffice.

Hm. I think that’s it. I think in my mind it was a lot more comprehensive than it looks on paper, but maybe that’s because I think far too much for my own good.

***

Nesting. I have not done any of this; rather, Josh has kicked his own ass getting this place together. He is now doing all of the cooking and cleaning (God, I love this man) and if you know anything about his cooking, you’ll know just right then and there how very lucky I am. He vacuumed the entire apartment the other day, cleaned out the cupboards and the refrigerator, and last night at 2AM when I got up to go to the bathroom, I saw him on his hands and knees, washing the baseboard in the bathroom.

I am so damned lucky. And spoiled. (Very spoiled; we had the most delicious squid and orange & onion salsa burritos tonight for dinner!)

***

So, 31 weeks. 6 til full term. Maternity leave is making me weep. That’s a post for another day when just thinking about it doesn’t send my blood pressure through the roof. Tomorrow, we have the second part of the Caring for Newborns class we’re taking, and Friday is when we go in for another ultrasound to see how large the alien is evolving into.

…not the California Presidential Primary.

I just marathoned through (in two sittings) season 3 of 24, which we’ve been renting through Netflix, and at midway point through season 2, Josh lost interest in, so from here on out, it’s me and Jack Bauer, baby.

Last week, when Josh went to California to visit his family, he scheduled it in the queue to time it with the first three discs of season 3, so I’d have something to watch that weekend. The last three came in on Wednesday after he returned, so yesterday I was at the computer watching 24 until my last nerve frayed from the anxiety. Tons of plot holes, implausible circumstances, and questionable character motivations and abilities, but hell, I fucking love Kiefer Sutherland.

Also, Tom Cruise. Yes, I know he’s batshit crazy, but I adore him and his blue eyed smile. I saw Mission Impossible III last weekend and that was a blast as well – I enjoyed that a great deal as well.