36 Weeks

Less than a month to go before my estimated due date! I started my weekly appointments on Friday and had my first internal. I am 0 cm dilated and 70% effaced. Not that dilation or effacement numbers mean anything. I've heard of people being completely closed and delivering that night and then others who have been 3 cm dilated and not going into labor for another two weeks. But the Dr. said that everything is softening, the baby has dropped, and things are progressing. So, yay! I really hope I don't have to be induced. I want him to come whenever he feels ready. (So, if that decision is 38 weeks, I sure welcome it!) :)

The hot weather has caused major puffiness. I've been blessed in that I haven't experienced too much swelling...until this weekend. It seems like whenever I walk or do any sort of activity, I just get puffy. Goes with the territory I guess! I've also been having TONS and TONS of Braxton Hicks contractions. Basically, I will get one whenever I flex my stomach muscles. Yesterday morning, I sat at work and recorded over 30 from 6 AM until 1 PM. They were running about 8 minutes apart from about 8 until 9 and then tapered off. I know that you're *supposed* to call the doctor if you have four or Braxton Hicks in an hour, but honestly, they weren't painful, I was drinking tons of water, they were irregular, and they stopped. My doctor even told me that if this happens, to not call and just drink lots of water and put my feet up. What is the point of going in to Labor & Delivery for them to send me right back home telling me I was in false labor? My big worry is that I won't know when I'm actually in labor. Everyone reassures me that I will definitely know. I always wake up with big Braxton Hicks (from a full bladder) in the middle of the night and they can be a bit painful and always think OMG THIS IS IT. But I pee, and it's gone. :)

I've started nesting a little bit, but not to the extreme that everyone talks about. I kind of wish it would start because there is SO much deep cleaning that needs to be done and whenever I start to do it, I run out of energy after just a little bit. Plus, I'm just getting too darn big to maneuver around like I used to. I'm hoping these bursts of nesting energy all the books speak of are around the corner here soon, because I need some serious cleaning action going on in my house before the babe gets here!