Thunder...

A thunderstorm is on the horizon. I can hear it coming. As a child, I always thought it was cool to watch the lightning safely from my bedroom window with my dad. But I've never enjoyed those thunderstorms that wake you in the middle of the night. They still frighten me.

I read recently that big changes in barometric pressure can bring on labor. I guess we shall see.

38 weeks 0 days. Some crampy contractions, but nothing to write home about. It felt like Sprout had dropped a little yesterday, but I'm not feeling that pressure today. Though I have heard that it's possible for a 2nd baby to not drop until labor itself.

Of course, we still have no names picked out. NONE. Not even a list to pick from. So maybe I shouldn't be in a hurry to get this kiddo out.

Attention!

I think Sprout has dropped some! I have a lot more pressure/pain in my pubic/bladder region (and it's not pain of having to pee). My lower back is also achy. I think Sprout is sitting lower, and s/he was already head down as of my last appointment.

No signs of labor, but this is a development.

So Much For Lazy Days...

I meant to take it easy yesterday. Honestly. Then the front porch started calling to me...

You see, we live in a small apartment (700sq ft) at a house with no yard to play in (the other tenants park on the back lawn). There's a little bit of side and front lawn, but it slopes drastically and quickly. Though we do have a lovely Japanese Maple on the side of our house. So we used to have seats on our front porch to enjoy the outdoors... something that has been neglected since the year Maggie was born. Last year the owner was supposed to paint the house and we had to remove everything from the porch... the house never was painted. So now I'm moving it all back.

It started with the heavy potting bench. It used to be part of our kitchen (very little counter space) before Maggie was born. Now, that space is occupied by our desk and computer so the potting bench has sat on the front porch until we could find a permanent place for it or we move. I decided to move it from one end of the porch to the other. It should have fit where I wanted it... except our air conditioner was in the way and I couldn't make the swing. So I had to push it all the way back to where I started.

Then there's the metal frame bench. It's old... really old. Something we got for free that I repainted a few years ago. But it's also something that requires cushions to utilize it, and the cushions never seem to last more than one season. Last year, it sat on the lawn, empty and unused while we waited for the house to be painted. I moved it back on the porch.

Then the plans started... hanging planters with flowers, flowers to put on the potting bench, cushions or a new bench for seating, and a gate to keep Maggie contained while we're out there.

So we started at the greenhouses. UGH. Pregnant women do not belong in greenhouses in 85 degree weather. Maggie rather enjoyed it, but I was wilting fast. I was also not willing to pay $20+ for each hanging basket since I will admit to having a sort of brown thumb. We ended up at WalMart (as much as I HATE that store!!!!) where I found 2 hanging baskets of peach Gerber Daisies for $10 each, plus some gorgeous begonias to put on the potting bench. I also found a plastic bench there but I didn't buy it because there wasn't enough room in the Blazer to bring it home, now that there are 2 carseats in there.

Got home, hung the plants... realized I forgot about looking for the gate.

Went back out last night (instead of going to bellydancing) to KMart and found $25-$35 cushions for the bench (I need 2 and I won't pay that much), no bench alternatives that are affordable, and no gate. I think the kind of gate I'm envisioning is something that's probably no longer in production (accordian style... needs to cover about 79" opening but easily be removed for the mailman to get on the porch).

In any case, I'm losing interest fast in my plans for the porch given the limited budget I have. I would so love a wicker loveseat style bench out there but I definitely can't afford that. And all of this is reliant upon a gate... can't hang out with Sprout on the bench and have Maggie loose in the front yard - our street is way too busy for me to have to worry about her running out into the road.

SIGH.

In any case, I'm going to take it a little easier today. My sister was actually appalled that I was moving furniture yesterday, claiming Sprout's going to just pop right out. If only it were that easy, I'd rearrange the entire apartment.

Lazy Summer Days

Woke up feeling crampy at 1:30AM (pee break). And again when I got up this morning. Reluctantly got up, that is. I'm very tired and feeling very lazy. The sun is shining and it's supposed to be 84 degrees today, but all I feel like doing is crawling back into bed and being left alone. Did I mention I'm cranky, too?

It's a little strange to feel this way. I've been feeling pretty good during the last couple of weeks, something unexpected at this stage of pregnancy considering how I felt last time around. So this laziness is making me a little crazy, too. Like the dishes piled up in the pantry... I don't want them piled up, but I don't feel like standing there washing them either. Or the mess of toys all over the house. You know, the stuff that gets picked up every night, only to end up thrown about the house in record time again the next morning. I'm feeling pretty defeated about picking it all up these days.

In any case, I really should get my butt in gear. I hurt more when I sit for too long... So off I go!

It Works!

Just did a test to be sure I can email a post from my cell phone. It's a little tedious, but this way I can share the news faster when Sprout is born! :)

Midwife appointment today. Pretty unexciting. Belly measures right where it should be, heart was beating. We discussed natural things I can do now to help labor along (which, of course, only work if the body is ready... they won't bring labor on but they should help keep me from going over the 42 week mark, which is my deadline). It was a little weird having a woman I barely know tell me that I should have intercourse or stimulate my nipples, but it's not like I wasn't already aware of these methods of natural induction. She did advise me to increase my evening primrose oil intake from 1000mg to 1500mg, inserting 1 or 2 of the gelcaps vaginally to really help things along. And walk. Just what every huge pregnant woman who is already chasing a toddler all day feels like doing, right? Oh yeah, and drink Red Raspberry Leaf tea. I have the stuff. In fact, I have a great pregnancy tea blend, too. But I don't like the way it tastes so I never drink it. Guess I should get on that.

In any case, my next appointment is next Friday at the 39 weeks mark. That will be new territory for me since I gave birth to Margaret at 38 weeks 6 days (induction was started at 38 weeks 4 days).

test

testing.

Moving In The Right Direction

Last night, I started having some crampy-feeling contractions. Things are moving along! I'm not in labor yet, not by far... at least, I don't think so. I never really got this far with Maggie. I don't think I had any crampy contractions before her birth, just some of the usual pain-free Braxton Hicks variety (and those only in the days leading up to her induction). But there's no regularity, and they go away when I lie down on my side, so this must just be practice. Exciting! But still not time yet...