Bud: Weeks 35 & 36

I did something I’ve never done this late in a pregnancy before. Fly. I almost had to get a note from the midwife because one of the airlines we were considering required it if you flew less than 30 days before your due date. Our return flight was just under that mark. Thankfully, that hassle was avoided when we found a better deal with American Airlines. They only have a 7-day restriction. How anyone could begin laboring on a plane and have the baby so quickly is amazing to me. I’ve heard of 3-hour labors before, but they can’t be that common! And as for everyone else, who would really get on the plane when they were having contractions? Is your $400 plane ticket really worth such a risky delivery?

The only two parts about flying pregnant that I didn’t like so much were the security check and the fluids pooling in my ankles during our 2.5 hour flight. I REALLY, REALLY didn’t want to go through one of those new body scanner machines and was going to decline if they asked me to. I didn’t want a pat-down either, but I’d take that over a new scary machine that hasn’t been around for very long. I started to get all teary waiting in line with the possibility of having to talk to a security person about not going through that machine. Stupid hormones! Thankfully, though, the woman in front of me when through the scanner and the TSA person just waived me through to the regular metal-detector. Same thing happened on the return flight too. It was silly how worked up I let myself get over a possible confrontation. Those motherly “protect your baby at all costs” hormones are some pretty powerful stuff, I tell ya!

The Chief and I had a delightful time in Dallas over my birthday weekend. It was good to get away before Bud arrives and be able to check out an area of the country neither of us have been to before. Bruiser handled the “vacation” at Squirt’s house quite well. It was his brother who really struggled the first two days with missing mommy. I wasn’t expecting that at all! Monkey made me cry when I talked to him on the phone and he sounded so pitiful in his sad squeaky voice when he said “I just miss you, mommy!”

I cried this week at swim lessons when Monkey was struggling in his class and was crying to his teacher because he was scared. I just wanted to run over and help the kid out, but I couldn’t, so I just sympathetically cried along with him. Have you noticed a theme with me yet?

Please don’t say anything sad or nostalgic to me. I will probably start crying within a minute or two.

My sister is coming to visit next weekend. I haven’t seen her since Christmas. I’ll probably cry when she comes or leaves too. (Jen, be warned!)

No, it’s not a beach ball under my shirt, it’s a baby…honest!

A beach ball would be a whole lot easier to carry around though!

I’m feeling pretty well, considering. The veins in my legs haven’t gotten any worse like I was expecting them too. The swollen ankles & feet are here to stay, I’m afraid. I’m down to three pair of sandals that still fit.

I can NOT make it through a day without a nap or else I’m crankier than a napless two-year old. Sleeping has been better than my other two pregnancies. With Monkey I was up peeing every 2 hours. With Bruiser I had so much trouble getting comfortable. This time I sleep in a nest of pillows and usually wake up only once or twice to go to the bathroom. I’ve gotta wake up to turn over because it’s so much work, but I hardly notice that anymore.

The Chief surprised the boys and I by showing up to this week’s midwife appointment. All is well and the midwife confirmed that the baby is in “perfect position.” I don’t know what exactly she meant by this when she was feeling my belly, but she said “this feels like a really nice baby.” Size? Position? Has 2 legs and 2 arms? I don’t know…I didn’t think about it enough at the time to ask her what she meant by “a nice baby”, but it made me feel good. Maybe that’s why she said it. Nine -month pregnant women need to be told things that make them feel good.

The thing I am looking forward to most right now is getting back into my own bedroom and setting up a little “nursery nook.” The electrical inspector is coming on Monday so after he comes, I can begin placing things against the walls and start moving in. I am ready to get my nesting groove on! Yes, I just said “nesting groove.” Leave me alone. =)

After we are all moved in, I’ll write up a “basement bedroom progress” post showing the transformation from grubby basement to awesome master suite.

One last bit of baby stuff…I went shopping with my birthday money today and bought myself a pretty nightgown to wear at the hospital and got baby a dress to go home in. I’ve thought all along this baby was a boy, but now I’m second-guessing myself. I figure I can “waste” $5 on a dress even if we have a boy. If it’s a girl I want her to have something girly to go home in, not just neutral yellow ducks or green frogs. If Bud is a girl, I want people to know she’s a GIRL!