Pregnancy: 38w

38 weeks! THIRTY-EIGHT MOTHAFUCKIN' WEEKS. Oh my god.

I passed by GBS test, so yay! No IV/hep lock for me. ;)

What I love: That this is almost over. No... seriously. I'm trying to enjoy every day, but I'm ready to get this show on the road!

Oh yeah! I do like that I don't look that pregnant. A coworker asked today when I was due, and I said the 25th. She asked, "Of May?" and about DIED when I told her this month! LOL

What I hate: Hip pain and BH contractions! Whew. (I also hate that my MIL and NIL are coming into town this weekend. Ughhhh.)

What I miss: Gin and tonic. I had a glass of wine with dinner the other night, and it was GLORIOUS. :D

What I’m looking forward to the most: Giving birth and meeting Kit! Seriously, now that we’re in April… it’s like, “OOH, it could be ANY TIME this month!” Freaky when you think about it, really. [Same]

Worries: Cesarean delivery. I’m still freaking out a bit about that. [Same]

Symptoms: A bigger belly, pregnancy rhinitis (and associated snoring), soooooo tiiiiiiired, RLP, some crazy-ass BH contractions, pelvic pain like whoah… so basically, I’m-still-pregnant symptoms. ;) [Same]

Mood: A little cranky, but otherwise good. I’m trying to keep a positive attitude. :) Otherwise, I'm kind of like this:

Sleep: Good when I get it, save for the crazy-ass dreams because the urge to pee or a BH contraction wakes me up in the middle of my REM cycles. LOL [Same]

Movement: Lots of it! Mostly rolls and nudges rather than hard kicks, it’s coming down to, but he still moves a LOT. [Same] I have to say he's been moving a lot more this week, too, compared to before. I wonder if that's significant of anything...?

The belly (and the button!): Bigger belly, much more shallow belly button. STILL not flat, even if it is much more shallow than before. It’s starting to pucker. LOL [Same] (STILL NOT OUT! GEEZUS)

Wedding rings on or off: On!

Weight gain: I didn't weigh myself today, but I was 150 at my appointment on Monday. 24lbs up! I'm probably more than that right now, haha.

Milestones: My ankles swelled for the first time a couple days ago. So... um, yeah, THAT was fun. ;)

How your baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

How your life's changing:

For many women, the next couple of weeks are a waiting game. Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of necessary tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps, catch up on your reading, and spend uninterrupted time with your partner while you can.

Some swelling in your feet and ankles is normal during these last weeks, but call your practitioner without delay if you notice excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, any swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, or have a sudden weight gain. Also let her know immediately if have severe or persistent headaches; visual changes (such as double or blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, light sensitivity, or a temporary loss of vision), intense upper abdominal pain or tenderness, or nausea and vomiting. These are symptoms of a serious condition called preeclampsia.

This Week's Activity:

Start reading up on baby care. If you haven't already, now is the perfect time to switch reading gears from pregnancy to baby. You won't have as much time to read after your baby's born, so learn all you can about the first few weeks now. A good place to start is BabyCenter's Preparing for a Newborn area.