Fanning's Foibles: 37 weeks

Wow. How did I get to 37 weeks already? Technically I still have three weeks until my due date, but I found out yesterday that if baby girl doesn't come by January 28th (which is two weeks from tomorrow for those of you counting), I'm being induced at 39 weeks. Why am I being induced early? So the doctors can control my labor since I'm on blood thinner. The goal is to take me off the blood thinner for 24 hours and then bring me in the next day for the induction. It's not a good thing to have blood thinner in your system during delivery because of the risk of heavy bleeding or worse. But what REALLY scares me about the potential of being on blood thinner when I go into labor? The fact that when you have blood thinner in your system, you CAN'T get an epidural. Yep. I would have no choice but to go au natural. And folks, I love me some epidural. I am no super woman. In fact, I am a total, utter wienie. With Will I lasted all of about one hour without an epidural before crying for one and professing my love to the anesthesiologist as he was poking a huge needle in my spine which offered immediate relief. I was able to enjoy the birth process after that. So yes, I have huge respect for women who do it without meds, but I do not want to be one of them. Thus, I hope I make it to the planned induction date so I can get off the blood thinner and get me some drugs.

There has been so much going on last few weeks, hell, months. This pregnancy has been so different in so many ways. First, I didn't go into pre-term labor with baby girl like I did with Will, so that's good. But I have had the DVT (blood clot) issue, which has been new. And a royal pain in my arse. I have four different doctors I have to see each week plus weekly sonograms to check on baby girl (since I'm on meds) and every-other-day blood draws to make sure my blood isn't too thin or thick. This week alone I had 11--ELEVEN!!!--doctors appointments. So basically I spend my time at work, frantically trying to wrap things up before I go on maternity leave or else at some doctors office. I'm sad that I'm not getting to spend as much time as I'd like with Will before it's no longer just the two of us on my days off. He's been pawned off on babysitters and daycare as I run around from appointment to appointment and I really want to just be home with him and relish his last few weeks as an only. Alas, it's not to be.

Also, when I was pregnant with Will, I wasn't working at the end and obviously, I didn't have another child to run after. So the end of my pregnancy last time was a lot more restful. This time I feel frazzled and tired. And besides work and doctors, I still have a mile-long to do list that needs (okay, that I want) to get done before the baby comes. That means I have two weeks to do all this, people. I'm torn between my nesting urges and wanting to get it all done and just wanting to, well, lie down and sleep. And spend time with Will. And my husband. Because once the baby comes a whole new set of craziness will descend upon our sweet little family of three, making it an even sweeter family of four, but a different family, nonetheless (and a sleep-deprived one at that). So I want to enjoy what we have right now for these last two weeks. And to get off this crazy merry-go-round I feel like I've been on the last few months.

PS: Did I mention baby girl will be here in two weeks? TWO WEEKS! (or at least, please don't come for two more weeks, baby girl, okay? Mommy would appreciate it very much.)

And for your viewing pleasure, here's a montage of pics showing my ever-expanding waistline throughout this pregnancy (looking forward to seeing my toes again in a few weeks):

24 weeks, 5 days