Bowman West

Change is Near

Last night was our last childbirth class so we're 100% prepared to have this baby. Ummm...ok. I keep thinking, "What did they say about monitoring contractions? When do we go to the hospital?", etc. One of Andy's fears is that we'll go on a false alarm and he'll get embarrassed. I'm not that worried because this pregnancy has been so steady and normal that I think I'll know when things feel really different. Anyway, after class Andy needed to see a patient so I hung out in the conference room with another doctor and a med student while he did his thing. It was fun and it made me think that I would enjoy being a doctor. The only thing is that I'm way too lazy to go through all the training and keep the required hours. I'll just live vicariously through Andy. He absolutely loves it and I'm so happy that he's blessed to love his job.

When Andy was done it was already 10:00 pm, but we decided to have a pancake splurge at IHOP anyway. It was great! It kind of made me feel like we were back in college hanging out late a night (late for us!). I think Andy's feeling the pressure to savor this time we have left with just the two of us. I know it's going to be different, but I don't buy the line that we'll never be the same. As we cuddled on the couch and watched Scrubs, Andy said, "Soon there'll be no more snuggling like this." That's not true. You know why? Because it's important to us. We'll put Charlie in his bouncer and he can just watch us snuggle or he can sleep. Ok, so I know it won't always work, but I plan to make Charlie a part of our life, not make our life a part of his. I think one of the best gifts we can give Charlie is to show him everyday how much his parents love each other.

Ok...enough of that. Today I had my 37 week appointment. I'll tell you how it went:
1. No weight change. So far I've gained 10-15 lbs with this pregnancy. Before you ladies hate me, you must realize that I started out about 25-30 lbs over my ideal weight so don't get jealous.
2. Blood pressure is perfect (as always!). Let's listen for the heartbeat. He won't stay still and keeps kicking the wand. He's very active. I know. His heartbeat is great (as always!).
3. Measure my belly. Yes, you're measuring at 37 weeks.
3. Any problems? Nope. How's your sugar? Great. How are the shots? Fine.
4. Let's feel for the baby. He's right where he should be. Feels about 6.25 lbs. Yes! Doc said he doesn't think he'll be a big baby. Uh oh...does that mean he won't look like a Bowman? Can you tell if he has a fluffy nose and a line in his chin? I want him to look exactly like Andy, but I'd gladly take a 7 lb baby instead of a 8-9 lb!
5. Ok--see you next week. Maybe you won't. I bet I will (laughing)! Darn!
6. For those who know what I'm talking about, I kept my clothes on for the entire appointment. At 37 weeks I thought they would check for dilation and effacement. I guess there's really no point to check, but I just wanted more info so I left the appointment a little discouraged.

So, what to do to help with discouragement? Go get a burger and some fried pickles and hash it out on the blog. I really do feel better now.

My tip for moms-to-be: Two pieces of maternity gear that have saved me from misery: (1) The Snoogle body pillow (regular body pillow does not compare!); (2) A maternity belt (never go shopping without it!)

My question for you: What piece of baby gear/gadget/item do you feel has been a lifesaver?