One month to go!

Two days ago was April 27th. My due date is May 27th. With just a little bit of calculation, one can see that my due date is now less than a month from now. In just a week I will be at 37 weeks which is no longer pre-term and my midwife can see to us here if I go into labor. Another week later I'll be at 38 weeks which is considered full term (no, I do not understand what that in between week is supposed to be called but nothing about pregnancy calculations really make sense). But most first-time moms deliver close to or after their due date so I'm pretty sure I've got a while yet.

Some of me is happy about that, some isn't. Practically speaking, we are ready. We finished our Bradley class, got our child/infant CPR certification last weekend, made our birth plan and poster, received the birth kit and gotten the rest of our supplies ready. Clothes and diapers are washed, the freezer is getting full (although I have a few more meals to make) and I'm almost out of craft projects. We still need to re-install the car seat (we already installed it to make sure it worked in our car but took it out since it was so big), make a rice sock and get the ingredients for labor-aid ready but considering I could do all that in about 30 minutes, I'm not worried.

Emotionally, I'm getting there. Until last week, I wavered between "I'm so excited, the baby is almost here!" to "Ack, everything is going to change. I don't like change! I'm not ready for this!" But I'm pretty quickly getting over that.

Why the big switch? Mostly because I'm way more physically uncomfortable now. It seemed like one second I was fine, now I'm not. Nigel has apparently grown big enough that the last remaining space my stomach has is used up now and I feel nauseous most of the time. It's also gotten to the point where I can't stay in the same position for very long but it is difficult to shift without pulling something. Once I stand up for any reason, I go ahead and go to the bathroom because chances are I'll need to some time in the next 30 minutes and once I've sat down on floor (if I'm being good) or the couch (if I'm being bad), it takes way too much energy to get up again. I can't breathe very well (don't tell, but I had to fake breathe into my dummy during the CPR class when the instructor wasn't watching, it's hard enough breathing for two let alone three) and while I used to think baby hiccups were cute, they are now getting to be kinda irritating. It's nice to know Nigel's diaphragm is getting lots of practice but enough is enough already. I'm ready to meet and hold Nigel and more importantly, let Craig do some carrying and holding for a change.

So basically, everything is just how it should be and I am thankful for that. I figure it's all part of nature's plan. I'm still a bit nervous about labor but right about 40 weeks I''m sure I'll be reaching the point where I don't care if wild horses have to drag this kid out of me, I do not want to be pregnant any longer. Until then, I'll be here. Waiting.