Holy Moly!!!

Today, we went to my 36 week checkup. I knew I was having a sonogram to check size, position and amniotic fluid, just to be sure everything looks good for the upcoming delivery. We went into the sonogram and the fluid looked good, he was head down, facing my back, all ready to go...except he's measuring at 37 weeks and 3 days, and I'm only 36 weeks, 1 day. Hmmm...so as I'm getting my stuff together, the sono tech was figuring the weight and everything, then she tells me he weighs 7lbs, 4 oz and is already 20 inches long!!!! OH, MY! And I still have FOUR more weeks to go at this point in the game, where babies grow about half a pound a week (well, about an ounce a day). If you do the math, that means nearly 2 more pounds by the due date...which means I'm looking at a 9.5 pounder!!!! YIKES!

I've been so swollen lately, I've had to even take off my wedding band (which used to always be big on me, so much so that I never wore it without my engagement ring to sort of keep it in place, bc otherwise it'd fall off!). My hands and feet/ankles are so swollen, it hurts. I went to put on my tennis shoes the other day and they hurt just to put them on. Gordon suggested I wear flip flops. I asked if he had seen the white stuff on the floor lately (um, snow?!). lol But I may just have to. I'm just going to take my shoes off at work and it just is going to have to work.

What's really ridiculous is the amount of water I've been retaining. As of last week, at my 35 week appt, I had gained 13 pounds over the whole pregnancy....in the last week, I have put on 6lbs....THAT'S about half the amount I had gained in 35 weeks...and I gained it in SEVEN DAYS!!!! This water/swelling is just driving me nuts. My hands are so tight, it hurts to close my hands at all. I had the day off today...slept till about 8 or so, we didnt leave the house until about 10. Then, after I dropped Madison at school and Katelyn at my mom's I went home to work on some stuff, namely to make Katelyn's birthday invitation. I worked on that and only that...whih means I SAT IN THE CHAIR for an hour or two while doing that and then it was time for my appointment. I got up and my legs hurt, my hands hurt...swollen from doing NOTHING! This is in addition to the constant backache! How in the heck am I going to handle another FOUR WEEKS of working...standing up all day? Gordon and the doc say to stay off my feet as much as I can. Not really feasible when teaching all day! I'm so done.

My doc says he's looking at inducing a week early. I'm due March 14, so a week early would be the 7th. He said he's on call the 28th, but that'd be a little early, since it'd be two weeks early. Besides, that is the day I planned for Katelyn's first birthday party!!! Looks like we're cutting it close!!!! So as of now, we're looking at planning to induce the week before my due date, so I'm guessing either March 8 or 9th we'll be meeting our little man! I have another appointment next Monday, the 22nd, where we'll decide for sure and pick a date to be induced. I used to be very apprehensive about induction...in fact BOTH girls were scheduled for an induction due to lack of progression at my checkups, the day before their due dates (including Katelyn, who ended up being born the very next day!!! lol) and I left the office HOPING they'd come before the induction did! With a possible 9.5lb baby and being as uncomfortable as I am, I have suddenly become a fan of induction!!! As we left the exam room, the doc jokingly said, "Well, pray for labor!" so that way we wouldn't have to do an induction at all!

I really want him to have his OWN birthday, so I am hoping he is at the very least NOT born on someone else's. Katelyn's is the 3rd of March, my dad's is the 6th and Gordon's dad's is the 7th. I don't really care what day he's born on, I just hope he isn't born on one of THOSE days, so he has his very own birthday! :)