Pregnancy update!

Less than a month left!! I'm getting excited, but I still have a lot to do yet. I'd like to get my maternity pics done, and I'd really like the kitchen and bathroom done before she comes. Other than that, there's a lot of little things, but those are my wants. Not that she's going to pay attention to that! I'm feeling pretty good today. I have my good days and my bad days. Some days it's extremely hard to walk or get up from sitting or laying down. The pain can really be excruciating. Some days, like today, it's not so bad. I can function without gasping and grunting and feeling like a complete woos. 

Yesterday morning I had some contractions. They were 10 minutes apart for about 4 hours, but then they went away. I guess I'm preparing for the real thing. With Ava it was 5 weeks of that. I kept thinking I was going into labor. It was so frustrating. Now, with these, I know they aren't the real thing. They don't hurt anywhere near what the real things do. I really think there are 3 types of contractions. Braxton Hicks are the ones where there is no pain, they just tighten my belly up near the top and they last for about 10-20 seconds. Then there are the ones that I was experiencing yesterday. They are low, slightly painful, they last for about 20-30 seconds and they feel like menstrual cramps. Then there are the real ones. Those hurt like hell, they feel like menstrual cramps x100, and they last for about 30 seconds or more. They are consistent and they get worse with time and they get closer together. They say those ones actually produce results, meaning dilation, but it's not exactly like I can check my own cervix for that. (Sorry...I come from a family with a few medical professionals. We talk about fallopian tubes at the dinner table.) 

So, with about three and a half weeks left, it's getting close. They say the second baby comes faster than the first. Ava came 4 hours after her due date. I honestly don't mind if this one waits until then too. With Ava I wanted her out so badly. Eviction day couldn't come fast enough. With this one, I want to meet her, but I'm also not anxious for the change that I know will come. I'm not excited about the late nights, about the crying, about the baby blues. I'm nervous about how Ava will react to this little thing who is taking all the attention and time away from her. So, she can take her time. I really don't mind. I can even say I'll take the pain for a little while longer.

I look my 36 week picture yesterday and when I compared it to my 32 week, I have definitely dropped! I feel like I've gained 100lbs, but I've only gained 16! With Ava, it was 15. And then I lost 25. But, then I gained it all back. I'm determined to lose the weight and keep it off after this one. I've been eating a lot healthier, less processed food and more of the good stuff. I don't really eat very much, so hopefully I can keep that up. But, as for now, looking at that picture, I really think I've dropped. Her head is directly behind my pubic bone and some days I wonder if she's trying to break my bag. It's fun to watch my belly move around with her little workouts. I hope to get it on video, but she's camera shy. As soon as I turn it on, she stops. She does that if anyone touches my belly too. Here's the comparison shot for you:

This waiting, end game thing is a little nerve racking though. An induction date sounds wonderful, but I don't really want to do that. I'd rather wait until she decides to come out. The induction date would just be for my own sanity. I just hate waiting and wondering and speculating. I just want to know. My ideal would be breaking my water (in the bathroom of course) and knowing "Ok! It's time!" But that happens to about 10% of women in pregnancy. With Ava, they had to break my water, and give me pitocin. Essentially inducing me, but I was already 3cm and I was having contractions. We'll see what happens this time around. 

So, overall, I'm pretty calm about it all. I'm getting a little nervous and nesting and wondering when. But, not like I was with Ava. I still feel bad with how I was with Ava. I was a monster...I just couldn't stand the pain or the false labor or the waiting and wondering. But with this one, I don't know. I feel like it's not in my hands anyway, so why freak out? It's (probably) the last time I'll be pregnant, so I'd like to just enjoy it for the last month. She'll come.