Home stretch

I'm officially 36 1/2 weeks... which means that in just a few short days I'll be considered full term. We did the non-stress test on Friday, and the baby passed with flying colors. I think she knows when it's a "big day" because she does a lot of moving on the morning of my appointments. At the non-stress test they wrapped my belly with 2 elastic straps with sensors on them, and I just lay there while they monitor the baby's heartbeat and ensure that her heartrate goes up when she moves. She passed with flying colors (and was moving a lot, so we knew she passed way before the test was over). When Dr. Harrison came in, he looked at the printout and said "So you're having contractions." I have been having Braxton-Hicks for quite a while, but he  noticed that these contractions were coming at very regular intervals (every 3 minutes). After a quick internal exam he determined that I'm not dialated at all, so these are just "practice" for the real thing. For a split second when he noted that I was having contractions 3 minutes apart, I had a bit of a panic that the baby was coming.... but fortunately she'll be staying put for a few more days. (This is particularly good because my parents are in Nashville this weekend with Eden, and it being 4th of July weekend means that there are no hotel rooms in Boston at all.... so basically it would be the least convenient weekend for the baby to arrive.)

After the non-stress test we verified that my amniotic fluid is still high, but Dr. Harrison reassured me that the most common cause of excess amniotic fluid is "nothing." So that makes me feel better.

Our big addition yesterday (and perhaps spurred by my call to Shaun that I was having "practice" contractions) was our new car! We planned on getting a car to replace my 2000 Chevy Cavalier Coupe pretty much from the moment we found out about the baby's arrival. After a lot of research on Shaun's part, and the decision that an SUV is not really that practical for city living, we settled on a new 2011 Honda Fit. It's orange, which I love. See below:

(Try not to judge the crooked parking job. It was my first time parking the thing and I'm still getting used to it.)



 We are excited that this car is safe and has enough room for the baby's carseat and other necessities. It's the first new car I've had in 12 years, and the first time I've bought a non-General Motors car. I would like to put forward the disclaimer that if GM was still making the Pontiac Vibe, that would have been my new car. Alas, the only thing in our price range was the Chevy Cruze and I didn't like it.

Anyway, having a baby-friendly vehicle makes me feel more reassured that we'll be ready when she decides to make her appearance!

We started childbirth classes at Boston Medical Center. They are a bit too earthy-crunchy for my taste (I am not interested in knowing that my body will just FEEL what it needs - I would like to know at what point to ask for drugs) but I've come out of each class with at least a little more knowledge, so I suppose it's worth it in general.

The baby continues to grow and move all the time. I went to the movies with my friend Kristy and the baby decided that would be a good time to venture up into my rib cage, making it nearly impossible to find a position in the movie theatre that allowed me to breathe comfortably. I can definitely tell that she's running out of room. But I still love feeling her moving around, and continue to try to predict why she is moving at that point in time. For instance, she did not stop moving while we were speaking to the salesmen at the car dealership... I like to think that she was reassuring me, during a very anxiety-inducing event, that we were making this new financial sacrifice for her and it would be worth it.

We continue to get our home ready for the baby... I'm off to donate some of Daddy's clothes to Goodwill (yes, he willingly gave these up) and pick up some more last minute essentials. I'm sure the drive will be fun!