Week 34: tick tock

Size estimate:  22 inches, 5.5 pounds size of a "large cantaloupe."   Next time I'm in the produce section I"m going to try and find a 5.5 pound cantaloupe.  A bag of flour is 5 pounds - so maybe I'll tape a half pound bag of cantaloupe flavored Jelly Belly's to a bag of white flour and haul it around the store for a while.  (yum.  Jelly Belly's are a food I love and don't allow myself to buy very often.  I have little self control and will eat an entire bag during a work day.  But, I only eat them 3-4 at a time so it doesn't seem like I'm eating the whole bag...but I am.)

We finished the baby classes last night, but were wowed into signing up for a seminar called "Happiest baby on the block."  We were floored by the calming techniques and hope to implement them in our own little home.

Saturday we'll head to the hospital and learn the Swaddle, Swing, Shh, Something and Something tricks to calming a little one.  In the video the doctor wrapped the screaming kid, tipped him on his side and loudly "shhhhhed" him and like a reflex the kid calmed down into a happy bundle of goo.

If it works it will be the best $60 we'll ever spend.

For your enjoyment, here's a picture of the bump today.  As you can see, Lucy is clearly poking out beyond my lady friends.  I'm not even in a sports bra today.  I'm in a push up and out bra...

The estimates put Lucy at 5.5 pounds.  (Bigger than our friend Jordan was a birth.)  I'm thinking that a lot of the cutie clothes that Jordan is letting us borrow will not even get to go into rotation.

Per the nurse at the OB check yesterday, I am still very "closed" up, so any bets in the pool for a January birth are probably not winners.  (Jason has a list of who has selected what dates.)  My guess is February 18th, but I don't really have a guess.  I think I was "late" in arriving and thus maybe we'll be hanging out with Lucy inside for a few days after the 23rd. The fact that the nurse took the time to check the status of my cervix tells me that my days of fully clothed dr appointments are over.  Now is the time when everyone and their neighbor get to check my progress.  I knew it was coming, but I didn't realize how much I liked not being probed until they did it again.  I need to prepare myself because at the hospital even the parking attendants get to participate in the checking of your dilation, effacement and quickening of the cervix.

The dizziness issue is not gone and last night I had a episode while on the loo.  I think maybe my movement from the bed to the potty was too fast.  I had to ask for help to get back to bed.  I hate giving Jason cause to worry.  The nurse and the baby books say that this symptom is normal and they don't really have any advice other than "don't fall".  I'm pretty good about getting to the floor or the bed when the need strikes.  Of course, when you're on the loo there is the desire to finish and clean up before hitting the floor. 

Today I am right as rain.  I don't seem to have a dizzy pattern, but am focused on consuming good protein and lots of water today.  I wasn't hungry last night, so I think it was a blood flow issue.  No matter, I'll work on being clear headed when I move towards or around the stairs in my house.  I'd hate to have a tumble (like in a soap opera.)