Thoughts at 40 Weeks (minus a day)

Well, tomorrow's the official due date, and I think I can safely say that it will come and go without a baby making an appearance.  It's weird to be here--since Seth came so early, I was SURE she would follow suit.  But consistency and pregnancy rarely go together.  And so, I sit here, wondering if these cramps are anything more than a result of the greasy sandwich I had for lunch, and I think...

*At my appointment today I was dilated to almost a 3 and effacing.  I want to think this is a good sign, since I went into the hospital with Seth at a 3 (and then was forced to walk for an hour to prove I was really in labor.  I was).  But this pregnancy is COMPLETELY different from Seth's, so I'm not betting on anything.

*At least I'm not getting more stretch marks.  I got more than my fair share with Seth, so this is a blessing.  Baby, please don't stay in another two weeks just to make sure you leave your own indelible marks on my body...

*Is the fact that Seth is getting up earlier and earlier every day a sign of impending labor?  How about an increased appetite?  Extreme exhaustion?  Yep--pretty much everything is analyzed and over-analyzed as a sign of imminent labor.

*Did you know that babies can drop, and then un-drop?  Neither did I.  She dropped at 35 weeks, gave me three weeks of false labor, then un-dropped herself in a fantastic tumbling performance one night.  All the pregnancy guides say that second babies won't drop until labor is 'imminent'.  Apparently 'imminent' means 'anytime in the next week, or three', since she dropped AGAIN last week, and...nothing.

*I ran out of heartburn medicine on Monday.  I bought more on Tuesday as a signal that I'm willing to wait as long as necessary for this baby to show up.  But I'm really hoping to not have to open it...

*Everyone asks me how I'm feeling using that tone of voice that implies that I'm in constant pain.  Well, ladies and gentlemen, I feel great!  I'm sleeping great, I have no back pain, I'm having no false labor.  Yes, I'm tired. Yes, after a two-hour shopping trip I feel like I have a bowling ball in my pelvis.  But I really can't complain (which makes me frustrated sometimes--if I felt terrible would that mean she's closer to coming?).

*My doctor asked me today if I wanted to be induced.  "It would be really easy to set that up for you."  But Jon & I talked last night and decided that if she needs the extra time, then she can have it.  We'll go as long as they'll let me (probably 42 weeks) before inducing.

*Why wait?  Probably the biggest reason is the ultrasound.  At 20 weeks she was only measuring 18.  Granted, that's a fairly standard deviation for an ultrasound, but other things were off, too.  My pregnancy test wouldn't show a positive until a week after it should have (and then it was faint).  Morning sickness started later than with Seth.  So what if she really is only 38 weeks right now?  Better to give her a chance to come on her own than to force her out early.

*Baby, if I'm willing to wait until you're ready, you'd better not be 10 pounds.  That would just be cruel.

40+ weeks, here I come!