Nearing the end...hopefully

For a long time I have heard people talk about how they are so over being pregnant and ready to be done as they near the end. I have been making it through each week never feeling that way, feeling it was going at a good pace, feeling happy to still be pregnant and be healthy, really enjoying it and taking it all in. Well that ended this week. Not that I am not enjoying it anymore but the feeling of wanting to end this stage and move into the life with her stage has arrived. It came out of no where but came on strong. Just within the past few days, I have felt this sense that it's time. Possible reasons include...
-I have most things finally crossed off our to-do list
-Her room is done and ready for her
-I hate that it now takes me 10 min to struggle with my ted hose before work every night and I contemplate shredding them to pieces so they can't fight me any longer
-When I do my yoga now I feel like a uncoordinated cow and not a graceful momma
-I dread having a PO/bottle feeding kid at work because I can't hold them in my lap without being all hunched over and uncomfortable. She kicks at them to stop crowding her space and I plead with them to take their milk faster than the full 30 min allowed.
-I went to the pool, sat and tanned my front side then tried to turn over to tan my back...totally forgetting that is not possible anymore and having to awkwardly pretend that was not my intent and that I was just adjusting...thank you Beth for calling me out and making fun of my lack of foresight, you weren't going to let that one slide without being called out.
-I run her into everything now, thinking I can squeeze behind someone at the grocery store and instead belly bumping them and awkwardly apologizing, cutting corners too fast and smacking her into walls, turning over in bed and underestimating how much space I need so she bumps into Matt...I just can't grasp how much I am actually sticking out.
-I can't go on walks with my husband without feeling like a ran a marathon and need a nap asap.

All these semi-new reasons may be contributing to that feeling or maybe all women just reach that point, at some point and they know. If things didn't get harder or more awkward at the end, maybe people would be sad when pregnancy was over. Instead they are always happy...I guess the meeting your baby is part of that happiness too :)

Our appt Monday went well, my fundal height is now measuring on track with her gestational age and I gained more weight. GBS test was negative so no need for antibiotics or to have to rush to the hospital when/if my water breaks. Next appt will be on Wednesday because Mondays are really busy for Matt and he doesn't stand a chance of getting away from work to come. This leaves him the option to come if it works out and we are getting checked again to see if we are anymore dilated/effaced. Fingers crossed!

One of the weirdest experiences I am not having at this point in pregnancy is contractions. I am getting to the point where it is hard to tell if I am feeling something or if I am making it up. I am wanting to feel something and anticipating it so much that if I have pressure or she shifts funny I start thinking maybe this is one. It is similar to early kicks you may or may not pass off as gas bubbles or her moving. I have no clue what a contraction will feel like to me and they have been described so many different ways. I do know nothing has been painful, nothing has lasted a minute or so then died down, nothing has radiated around my sides to my back, and my stomach has never been as hard as I have felt my friends' in labor. Rachel says I am having them, whether I feel them or not, because my body is preparing itself. She is not worried saying it could be a good thing they aren't painful or even noticeable because maybe identifying labor won't be as hard then. It is just strange to me how some people can feel Braxton Hicks even in their second trimester and I have yet to only a few weeks out. I guess I am just curious.

In other news, we picked middle name options finally! We have a couple options for each of the top two names. There is one combination that really sticks out to me so it will be interesting to see if that is the name that sticks in the end.

Here is a snap shot of last weekend...

18th Street Fashion Show Downtown with Leanne...an annual tradition. We bought tickets this year so I could sit my 37 week butt down and watch. Good call that was since it was muggy as all get out and I would have probably passed out standing.

We also threw a little shower for Becca's baby. It was at Megan's house and was kind of carnival themed. I borrowed my parent's popcorn maker and we made ice cream sundaes. It was fun to sit around and talk/anticipate the coming of both our little ones.

Lastly Matt installed phase one of a three phase sprinkler system this weekend and I was impressed. It works so well and is really simple. It took a lot of planning, digging and re-digging but in the end I was proud of him and his creativity. So for $120 we should hopefully have our front lawn and side yard on a system with no hoses to mess with lugging around...YAY!