Update on pregnancy, the baby, and life:

Four weeks left! I just started weekly doctor visits where he does non-stress tests each time (I think only because I’m considered“high risk” with my blood clotting disorder.) I went in on Monday and the baby’s recordings were fabulous, though she did have hiccups for most of it. She measured a little small (34 ½ cm instead of 35 cm, but what’s that?) And she is very active, which, uncomfortable as it can be, is also very reassuring.

As for her mother… well, I have the worst stretch marks ever! Seriously, and they just keep getting longer! And they hurt. I get them entirely on the underside of my belly - Dave's favorite place to pat - ouch. I'm still swelling. Most of the time my feet look as if they belong on a fat little hobbit (yeah, my wedding ring still won’t come off. And weight…well, the last month and half have definitely filled in whatever weight gaps I may have had. Yeah, for the next four weeks I seriously need to lay off the chocolate; it’s getting a bit ridiculous. Waking up every 1 -2 hours in the night to switch sides and give one hip a break isn’t too bad since I don’t have work the following morning! Yeah! I love that part! Braxton hicks are getting a little more painful as time progresses. Let’s see, what else… Oh, the dosage for my Heparin injections has gone up again, and since no pharmacy carries the volume I need I’m stuck with taking two full injections in the morning and another two in the evening – four needle pricks a day; my belly looks like an infestation of purple chicken pocks, but they do compliment the stretch marks nicely.

I spend a lot of my days reading up on labor and nursing and between them all and talking with other mothers I’m gradually collecting a collage of ideas of what I think I want – I’m skipping the birthing classes. I’m also trying to get some new craft projects done, and I want to catch up on scrap booking before I have new and more interesting things to log. Oh, and I am finally attempting to put together a monthly calendar meal menu (with weekly needed ingredients) to help manage and organize my time, at least for the next month. Anything else I should be doing before she comes?

And all the while Dave is trying to get in all his application requirements just in case the baby decides she is done baking early…

So there ya go. We still don’t have a name, but we’re kind of lying off that topic of conversation so we don’t beat dead into the ground the few names we do agree on. Other than that, not much going on in our lives.