39 weeks update

Another week, another doctor's appointment. Must be time for a weekly update! But first, here's a funny photo of me getting photobombed while trying to snap a 38 weeks belly shot. :)

How big is baby? I guess close to 7.5 lbs, if my doctor is accurate! Crazy, that sounds so big to me.

Weight gain/loss: I've gained 2 lbs in the last week, so that puts me up to 24 lbs gain. Fingers crossed that it comes off quickly! It did last time, but I think that was because Ford was SUCH a hearty eater. Hoping for a voracious appetite with this little one too.

Sleep: Oh goodness, it's been rough! I think because we're in that in-between phase of not really needing AC but not needing heat either, I just feel so HOT at night! I finally caved and turned on the AC, which made for a more comfortable night.

Movement: Moving! She's head down and I think she's facing my left hip, based on where I feel rolls, punches, etc. She is still CRAZY high, according to my doctor, and not even close to being "engaged," which he says she should be at this point. I'm discouraged but not without hope. I still have a week until my due date, and I'm plenty happy to go three more weeks (to 42 weeks) before any interventions (induction, etc.). I had thought I would wait until the due date before starting any natural induction methods, like acupuncture or chiropractic, but I was more progressed at this point with Ford, and you may remember that even that was not much. So I went ahead and scheduled an acupuncture appointment for later this week, just to see if we can get baby girl moving in the right direction. It worked last time! I went into labor a little over 24 hours after my first of two acupuncture appointments with Ford. I definitely don't want to jump start anything before Baby Girl is ready, but I would also love to know that SOMETHING is happening.   

Symptoms: Occasionally a sore lower back, which makes me fear she is OP like Ford was, but it could just be normal pregnancy aches, too. All in all, feeling better than I probably should! Ha! 

Belly button: Out!

Food cravings: Nothing in particular! I'm eating fewer carbs, which is good, since I had been overdoing it for a while there. Tonight is date night while Brad's aunt and uncle hang out with Ford for a couple of hours. We're going to get spicy Indian food to see if that spurs Baby Girl to move into position. I think that's just an old wives' tale, but we do enjoy our Indian food!

Gender: Sweet Baby Girl! 

What I miss? Not much! Asking God for peace during the waiting and peace whatever the outcome. I would love to have a smooth, uncomplicated delivery, no C-section, and a healthy baby girl, but ultimately I just want Christ's peace to reign in my heart and mind.

What I'm looking forward to? Same as last week: Knowing how this is all going to go down. :) Waiting is hard. It was easier and sweeter last time when I was blissfully unaware of how difficult Ford's birth would be. Now, especially after my appointment, I just have this sense of nervousness. I know that's not from God, so I'm asking him to give me a peace that passes understanding and can only come from the Spirit of Christ ruling in my heart!

Big Brother:What a funny boy. In SUCH a "mama" phase right now. He has been a total angel for me the last few days, and we had a lot of fun over the weekend while Brad was out of town... Lots of sweet, special "Mommy and Ford" time. But he can turn on a dime (I guess that's part of being a toddler??), usually at the most unexpected moments. He was playing at our neighbors' house over the weekend so I could get a couple of things done. I should mention, he ADORES our neighbors and asks for them daily. We can't even go play in the backyard without him pleading, "Don Don? Don Don?" as if he's saying, "Can we go to Don's house?" But something set him off during the time he was there, and he couldn't be consoled. That has happened with Brad watching him recently too, and then when we picked him up from Brad's aunt and uncle's house last week after a short date, he totally came unglued for no apparent reason. It's just hard to know what's going on in his mind! He has such a sensitive heart. We were watching Peter Pan a couple of weeks ago, and the part where Captain Hook and the crocodile are playing cat and mouse COMPLETELY freaked him out. Running from the room, sobbing, hysterics. He has started asking for his friends by name, which warms my heart because it makes me feel like he's developing the beginnings of real friendships. He also loves to exclaim, "FUN!" when we're doing something he enjoys. He's putting together strings of words, like "Mama's shoes" or "head hurts" or "red ball," and he answers questions that have to do with more than just, "What color is the ball?" "Yeddow (yellow)"; like if I ask him how he slept last night, he'll say "Good." We were playing in the driveway over the weekend, and he pointed at my car and said "Mama's car," then he pointed at Brad's car and said "Dada's truck," then he stopped and I could see the wheels in his head turning before he exclaimed joyfully, pointing at both cars at the same time, "TWO CARS!" Of course it sounded more like "two tawhs," but I can't even explain how exhilarating and fascinating it is to watch him learn and discover. Life with Ford at this age is never, ever boring! My sweet friend Kimie took some pictures of us at a park recently, and I want to do a full post soon with those pictures and some other goodness. Stay tuned!