40 weeks

Photos taken first thing this morning, complete with bedhead and an unwashed face.

I really can not believe I'm posting a 40 week update. And I can't believe that I'm out and about and each day I'm having people casually say "Oh, when are you due?" and then looked shocked when I say "Four days ago!"

I was feeling great last week. Now I'm downgrading myself to just good and by the end of the day you might get a much different response then that. Last night I was exhausted and was lying in the bathtub with only half of my big ole body barely covered with water. Patrick was chatting with me and as I tried to heave my body up to a sitting position I had to hold on to the safety bar and puuuuullll myself up. I sat there for a minute just sorta taking deep breaths and when he asked me how I felt I sighed and said "Tired, really tired. And I think I'm getting closer to the end." Obviously this is sorta a "duh" comment since I'm overdue, but that was the first time I felt just done with the pregnancy and ready for it to be over.

I'm not having any signs that labor is coming, at least not that I notice. No real contractions, the mucous plug is still in place as far as I know (sorry Mark if you just had to read that), no upset stomach, no baby dreams. At my appointment this week I lost a pound which brings me to 146, from my pre-pregnancy weight of 118. I am very pleased about this since I have been eating like a friggin horse. Hamburgers and fries, eggs benedict, a gigantic Costco chicken salad that I usually can't finish and after eating the whole thing I started in on Patrick's piece of pizza, manicotti, bowls of chili, Halloween candy. I can't believe how much I've been stuffing my face with, I'm just so hungry. Pretty much the most glaring, obvious sign that a baby is imminent is my emotional state which is all over the place. I started crying at my midwife appointment yesterday when I was telling her about how our shower curtain fell down and then 30 minutes later I'm exploding with happiness at how beautiful the day was and then later I'm crying while I look at Piper's sweet little face while she naps and baby brother/sister kicks me from inside. I am just a tangle of extreme hormones.

I feel absolutely neurotic about keeping the house clean. It is the only thing I can really control right now (so says my midwife) and I keep trying to imagine myself going through contractions while there is a pile of unfolded laundry on the couch and it makes me twitch. I want the sink to be totally empty and our bed to be perfectly made and the floors to be swept and Samford to get the hell OUT of the house because he keeps tracking in dirt and dropping dog hair. It is killing me that the backyard hasn't been mowed and I'm obsessively trying to keep the kitchen counter tops free of clutter.

Our bags are backed, the car seat is installed with freshly washed blankets sitting on top waiting to swaddle the baby on the ride home. I am taking warm baths at night, going to bed early, drinking lots of water, taking walks, seeing the acupuncturist, saying my prayers, and trying to stay relaxed. There's nothing else I can do and when/how this baby arrives now is up to him/her, who is also still nameless and we both don't feel too stressed about it (surprisingly). We decided we'll just name them when we see them because we can NOT for the life of us come up with a name that we like. And we are still taking suggestions!