37+ weeks and counting....

As I sit here and write today, I am 37 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I'm officially on maternity leave, and starting to get anxious to get this show on the road! I'm still feeling well for the most part, but thanks to the giant boulder I am carrying around, I have been wracked with sometimes severe pain in my left rib area (the doc assures me this is caused by inflamed cartilage and is totally normal) and major insomnia. I have really enjoyed being pregnant, but this past weekend was kind of rough as far as getting comfortable. I think I am finally ready to get her out of my belly and in to my arms!

Last Thursday I had my first weekly doctor's appointment. My weight, BP and urine were all fabulous. We talked about impending labor, my wishes (bring on the epi!), and several birth scenarios (induction, C-section, normal labor). Dr. Lai said that based on my last ultrasound, Averie is definitely looking to be on the bigger side. As much as I hoped for a tiny 6 pounder (like I was), I should have known, considering big babies are in my genes (my siblings were all between 8-10 pounds). Given Averie's estimated size and my small frame, Dr. Lai doesn't want the baby to get too much bigger. She said that we should probably start sweeping my membranes at my next appointment, to get things moving. She did an internal exam and although my cervix is thinning, I am not dilated. No surprise there. My genes also include notoriously late babies, so I wasn't expecting to hear any news that labor was near. Dr. Lai was concerned about Averie's position, however. She is head down, but unfortunately her head is near my right leg, and doesn't seem to be making it's way towards my pelvis. My girl is a little bit lost! Although there is still time for her to move over, Dr. Lai said that if she doesn't move, we could take the chance that my water will break and she will slide into position, but the better option might be to schedule a c-section. Although a c-section is not ideal, I'm obviously open to whatever the doctor thinks is the best for Averie and I. She is going to personally do an ultrasound on me at my next appointment, to get a better idea of her size and position, and then we'll go from there. In the meantime, she wants me to bounce on a yoga ball as much as I can. I guess this sometimes helps babies get into birthing position. Jerome has officially traded his previous title of pregnancy food cop to yoga ball nazi, and now I spend my evenings bouncing in front of the tv. Let's hope this works!

Please keep us in your prayers and I will update again after our appointment on Thursday!