33 Weeks of Calm Seas

Today's 33-week check-up was a total flood of good, happy stuff. It started off with my nurse telling me, "Woman-Doc and I were looking over this afternoon's patient list, and we were so happy to see your name. We always look forward to you coming in." Honestly, how can something that sweet not make your entire day?

All my stats are good, and Snippet's heartbeat was a solid 146 beats per minute. It's so comforting now the way that pounding beat fairly leaps up into the doppler. Gone are those awful days of probing and searching for the sound. Now, as soon as the microphone hits my belly, that reassuring beat surfaces and I smile like a total idiot every time.

My total weight gain is now 39 pounds. I cringed with the realization that the upcoming weeks will likely land my weight over the 200 pound mark---a place I have never been before. My closeness to it a year ago was the motivation for my 40-pound weight loss, so you can imagine how that nearing number is completely fucking with my head and my self-esteem. But, I realize there is little that I am doing that I would actually change, or probably should change. I just have to sail this thing out, and then brainstorm plans for losing it after Snippet shows up.

I discussed with my doctor my total lack of braxton-hicks contractions, and asked her if it was normal to be this far along and not yet experiencing them. She said there is no need for me to worry about a correlation between the absence of the BH contractions and the likelihood of unsuccessful vaginal delivery. The two aren't related at all, thank goodness. She gave me a great, detailed description of what they will feel like, and that made me certain that I haven't experienced any. But, now I also know for sure what to watch for.

Snippet is head-down, which is great, but Woman-Doc cautioned that it's too early to assume he'll stay that way. He still has plenty of room in there to host his own olympics, which he is ferociously engaged in at this very moment. As I type, I see my belly bubbling in all directions, like it does on days when he gets particularly worked up. Too bad his only audience is the doggies, who will only occasionally give my belly a lick and then be on their way. They don't seem to know that their lives will soon change, except perhaps for Red-Dog. She has been a little more clingy with me over the past few weeks, but I can't say for certain if this means anything. She's normally the independent one, but she seems to want to always be at my side. Maybe she smells something different, or senses something? Or, maybe she's just tired of the other two dogs hogging all my attention...

My appointment ended with more words of flattery in which my doc said, "We'll see you in two weeks, and then we'll be doing the every-week appointments. I just can't believe how quickly your pregnancy has moved along. You make this look all too easy!" And, it's true---I have so much to be grateful for. The minor aches, the annoying discomforts---they all add up to so little ultimately. I am so thankful for this baby, and for the lack of worrisome days during this pregnancy. I honestly couldn't have asked for a more positive experience, and fervently hope my birth story will be as equally untroubled.

PS---I'll definitely post more shower pics soon. My friend, and ex-boss, who hosted the shower isn't really a woman of the digital era, so she's actually getting hard-copy prints developed. Once she mails them to me, I'll do some scanning and uploading so you can see how wonderful it all really was.