Ok...I'm ready. (38 weeks)

I think I'm about ready for this little bugger to come.  We still have 11 days, but I'm giving him a new due date of this weekend.  "They" say that about 50% of women go past their due date with their first baby, so I'm not holding my breath, but it sure would be nice.  I've been doing my own research and of the 9 women I've surveyed, only 1 went past their due date.  Hardly a scientific study, but it gives me hope. :)  My mom was part of my survey - she claims that I was born right on my due date and my brother was 3 weeks early.

If I can't go early, I'd at least like to go on time, PLEASE!!  I've been scouring the interwebs for advice on how to naturally induce labor and here's what I found:

• Drink 3 cups/day of Raspberry leaf tea - CHECK
• Go for a daily walk or run - CHECK
• Take 2000 mg of Evening Primrose Oil daily - CHECK (just got back from CVS with this stuff)
• Castor oil - not happening
• Eat pineapple, mango, or papaya - CHECK (we've gone through 3 pineapples in 2 weeks)
• Eggplant Parmesean from Scalini's Restaurant in Smyrna - date night scheduled for Saturday
• Dance - also not happening.  I don't have much rhythm and I think I'd feel like a fool dancing in my living room by myself.
• Go for a bumpy car ride - Really?!? Where does one find these bumps you speak of?

Here's to hoping these old wives tales are true!

I had my 38 week doctor's appointment last Friday.  I actually saw MY doctor for the first time since I've been pregnant.  Weird, huh?  He's definitely my favorite one in the entire practice and if I was guaranteed that he would deliver, I would have made all of my appointments with him.  Since we're being delivered by a mid-wife, I wanted to make sure we met all of them.  To be honest, I don't really care who delivers the baby, as long as they get him out safely. 

Anyway, back to the doctor's appointment.  Owen's heart rate was 130 bpm, which is normal and he's still head down.  He said I'm starting to dilate, but he can't officially call it 1cm yet  He also said that my body is doing what it needs to be doing - whatever that means.  I think he was just trying to make me feel better.  I asked him if he could estimate the weight of the baby and after feeling around my belly he confidently said "I'm feeling about 6 lbs and a few ounces.  You'll probably have a 7 pounder."  That measurement technique seems about as accurate as the technique they use to determine how dilated you are. 

In other news, a friend of mine came out to do maternity pictures for me two weeks ago.  I really love how the photos turned out and we had so much fun.  We went to the Chanel counter at the mall to have my makeup done that morning, did some shooting at the house that afternoon and the rest of the shots at the Roswell Mill when Brian got home.  Brian was a little cranky when he first got home from work, but he warmed up after a few photos.  Here are a couple pics that I didn't already put on facebook.  I promised Brian I wouldn't publish the bare belly pic on facebook, but I think it's hilarious, so I had to put it on here.  So, you picture grabbers (you know who you are)...no copying and pasting that one anywhere. :)

Not much left on the baby to-do list this week - I started packing the hospital bag, so I just need to finish that up.  And I may make a couple meals to freeze so we have them the first week or so when we're home from the hospital and probably won't feel like cooking.  I was in super nesting mode last week.  I cleaned the entire house, did all of the laundry, and cleaned out the fridge, freezer, and pantry.  The only thing left to do is clean the base boards.

That's it for this week.  I'll be back next week with another update!

xoxo, Jennelle and B