It's The Final Countdown

For all you Arrested Development fans, I hope you are singing along with me. I wake up singing this song every morning recently as we are counting down the days until Jackson's arrival. We are so excited to meet him and are enjoying our last few days of quiet time (and no poopy diapers, as Aunt Karen reminded me). 

I had my 39 week appointment on Tuesday which started out with an ultrasound. We aren't sure why they wanted one this late and neither was the US tech but we went through with it anyways. Who doesn't want to see their little baby one last time before he is born? It was nearly impossible to get any good pictures of Jackson, whose head is shoved down in position and whose body is too big to be captured well with the ultrasound head.  According to the tech, he was measuring 39 weeks and 1 day (I was 39 w and 3 days that morning) and her best guess is 8lb 3oz! This was quite the shock after my MD predicted 6lb the week before! Yikes! However, the up side of things is that there is a 1lb measurement error for ultrasound ...so we could have a 7lb3oz baby (let's not talk about having the +1lb measurement error!).  Everything looked great during this appointment and the doctor said that it could be any day now. However, if little Jackson decided he is too comfortable to budge, they will induce me next Saturday the 29th.  So for all of you who guessed Halloween or even November 7th as the due date (mom, do you want me to birth an 11lb baby?!), I am sorry to say that you will not win the baby pool.  

I just finished up my last week of work on Thursday which feels amazing! As much as I love my job, I am way more excited about what's to come.  This week was emotionally difficult to be at work. Each day, I was greeted by my coworkers and patients who would say, 

"Oh, you're still here?"

"I thought you would have had your baby already"

"So, no baby yet" (to that I want to reply...yes, I had my baby yesterday and came back to work today)

"Wow, are you having twins?"

"You look ready to pop"

"My wife's labor was the most awful thing ever. She was in so much pain for 36 hours!"

"Having a baby is terrible"

"Things are so gross....I never want to have a baby or watch it happen ever again...please just sedate me".

And then some compliments about how I looked 

"glowing"

"ready to be a mom"

"so excited"

One of my patients was even bribed to say, "Oh my goodness, you look so skinny!" when I came out to get her. I turned around and looked for someone else behind me!  

I have treasured those comments. Thank you for all of your positivity!

I have made a great new friend who is due 2 weeks after me and she and I have been walking all over Norfolk with our baby bellies!  If walking doesn't make Jackson come, at least I will get to enjoy great company and the amazing fall weather we are having here.  Following the walk, I downed a serving of buffalo chicken pasta (with approximately 1/2 the large bottle of texas pete) and proceeded to clean my house.  Some things are very important for when a new baby comes home....no spider webs on the porch, clean remotes, clean baseboards (yes, I did them AGAIN), no dirty laundry and organized gift bags in the closet. Plus, I am eagerly anticipating my pre-pregnancy body and have started to wash and fold maternity clothes to return to everyone (thanks Val, Aunt Karen, Blair, Bonnie).  

Jonathan is super excited to meet Jackson, or Yackson/Yack as he is calling him. Jonathan is going to make an amazing father and I have loved watching him grow during the past 9 months of pregnancy. He has been so supportive of me when I have been tired, grumpy, in need of a foot rub, grumpy, lazy, grumpy :)  I am excited that He will finally get to be closer to Jackson when he is born instead of waiting for him to kickbox in my belly.  

And I guess I'll end this long post with something that doesn't seem to end recently...going to the bathroom! Oh my goodness, I had no idea it would be like this!!! Throughout the pregnancy I woke up mostly 1 time per night and was like a normal person during daytime hours, but recently I have had to use the restroom every 30 minutes.  Not kidding.  This makes working with patients very awkward. Thank goodness they are all very understanding. Dear Jackson, please come soon so I may have my normal bladder function back. Love, your adoring mother.

Here are some pictures from the rest of the photo shoot with Dave. Enjoy!