Our baby has really plumped up. She is still gaining about a 1/2 pound a week and she is just over 19 1/2 inches long (about the size of a leek). She has a firm grasp, which we'll soon be able to test when we hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.
Wondering what color her eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue (green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes).
I didn't get much sleep, as usual, I am up to 2 (sometimes 3) bathroom breaks per night. I do not like getting up, as the worst part is falling back asleep after I get back in bed. I think my brain has just enough time from the bed to the bathroom back the bed to wake up, and then my mind begins to wonder...all over the place! I think of what her nursery will look like once we move into a house, I think about the family that Michael and I are starting, I think about putting batteries into her swing, driving with her in the car, what clothes I will manage to fit into in the morning, what Brooke will think of Michael's snoring, how much longer she will stay in the womb...and the list goes on!
The nesting stage has died down, but perhaps that is because I have realized what I am and am NOT capable of at this point. I still manage to get on all fours and wipe the tile floors and do the laundry, but that is because of my obsessive-compulsive ways. My momma just raised me to appreciate a clean home!
After getting to work early this morning for a meeting, I began feeling very warm, some nausea and bad pain in my back. I continued to drink plenty of water and get as much work done at my desk as possible. It was about noon when I decided I just could not deal with the pain any longer and I was going home. I honestly was not sure if this was back labor and so I tried to leave my office as if I might not return for 6 weeks. I let Michael know I was heading home and to keep his phone close by, in case of any changes. I finally got my mom on the phone too and told her the situation. Shortly after my arrival home, I was in bed laying on my side, waiting for the nurse to call me back. My mom and Jen came over, bringing me a chicken sandwich for lunch, in case I ended up going into labor, I would have had my "last meal". On a scale of 1-10, it was a 7. I was having excruciating pains in my lower back. The nurse called and said I could come in to the office for them to check my urine, as it could be a bladder infection causing the pain. However, I had an appointment scheduled the next morning at 8 am, so I passed. By this point, I had been lying down for a couple hours and the pain seemed to be subsiding. Michael was surprised when I said I still wanted to go to my parents' house for dinner, but I guess laying on my side did the trick.
Once home from work, Michael whipped up a cookies & cream ice cream pie for dessert and we headed over to my parents'. Father Lockey was supposed to be joining us to bless me before the baby's birthday. He blessed me and the baby, as well as anointed me. It was such a beautiful experience, and our family is very appreciative of the friendship we have with him. I now feel even more ready to bring this baby into the world knowing that we have had this extra blessing for my delivery. Mom made spinach artichoke (or as pregnant Jaime apparently says "spin-ichoke") chicken casserole, asparagus, rice and greek salad for dinner. We enjoyed the conversation over dinner, discussing everything from beach weddings to big hair bows. Father Lockey is just delightful; he had us all laughing so hard, I thought it may induce my labor! Time managed to fly by, and we didn't leave there until 9 pm. We headed home and straight to bed.
It was a long day, especially considering at about 9 am I thought it could be my last day pregnant. Michael and I were excited and anxious. With each passing day, the reality sinks in a little bit more. I almost can't stand it anymore. My tummy feels so hard sometimes, I can't imagine her quarters being very comfortable. If only she would listen to her mommy and make her debut, she would see how good life is going to be for her out here!
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