38 Weeks

I woke up this morning and couldn’t believe today was the day — 38 weeks along! That is the official start of the -2 in the +/-2 weeks range they tell you that your baby may come in and still be considered full term. To me, it feels like this is the time period where I am a walking time bomb.

But, I can’t complain, though I am a little scared to say this in public and jinx myself. I have had an overall very easy pregnancy. I have gained very little weight, total, and so I am not too uncomfortable in my skin. I am still wearing my wedding rings, and haven’t had a problem with swelling in my hands or feet at all (she says, as she *furiously knocks wood*). I didn’t land in the hospital at 2o-something weeks or any other time, as I did when I was pregnant with Alex (she says, as she *furiously knocks wood*). I sleep pretty well, all things considered, and am not too badly inconvenienced by my bladder most of the time. People are generally shocked when they realize how close I am, because I don’t act miserable enough to be that close!

The emotional part has been a bit harder for me — struggling with finding a care provider I can trust for most of the pregnancy has been very trying, and a real source of stress for both me and Mike over the past 8 and a half months. I have leaned heavily on several wonderful communities of online friends and support lists to get me through that part. But given how well I have done physically, I will take that tradeoff.

Now, all of that doesn’t mean I am ready for this child to arrive. Oh no. The baby’s room is only about 85% done and really needs to be whipped into shape, the cradle is in our room but full of junk, all clothes and diapers are still in boxes from Alex rather than neatly in drawers as they should be. My Christmas cards aren’t done, I am not really wrapped up enough at work, and in general I have a “finish before baby” to do list a mile long. But the most important things will get done, and if they aren’t done before, they will be done after and the baby won’t remember that his or her room wasn’t perfect when he or she came home from the hospital (which reminds me, better pack that hospital bag….). But I am doing the best I can, and that is all I can do. It’s not up to me at this point, it’s up to this little one and God above.