Pregnancy Diaries // Entry 5

The last few weeks of pregnancy haven't been what I thought they would be. For months I've been warned, "Oh the last 5 or 6 weeks are so hard and long"...or, "The last 3 weeks are REALLY rough…every day feels like a week." I should probably thank anyone who has told me those things, because they set my expectations and I braced myself for some degree of misery that would cause me to lose my senses and think that my baby would never actually be born.

But actually, at least at this point halfway between 38 and 39 weeks, I can't believe how fast it's going. I'm not miserable…time isn't dragging by…the days often feel more like three-quarter days…and I'll be ok if he stays put a little longer. Maybe my lack of preparedness has actually kept the days from dragging on. If my to-do list was all completed and everything was "just so" like I pictured it being by this point, maybe I would be bored and going crazy.

I'm sure it also helps that besides some standard discomforts like sore feet and an inconveniently-sized belly, I'm really feeling fine. I've had more energy, gotten better sleep, and had a better appetite in the 3rd trimester than most of the rest of the pregnancy. I thought the 2nd trimester was supposed to be the best, but for me it's been the 3rd! Don't get me wrong, I'm VERY ready to not be pregnant anymore. I want to be able to roll over in bed without it being a strategic operation. I want to move around in general without it being a strategic operation. And God knows…I want SO badly to wear blue jeans that zip and button. But overall, it really hasn't been as bad as I expected. Maybe I'll get to say the same about labor…?

Mentally and emotionally, I'm ready. My home…not so much ready. But I'd rather it be that way than the other way around. Having so many "false starts" in the past week…so many doctor and hospital visits to keep up with the tests and blood pressure checks…it's actually helped prepare me personally, even though it didn't feel like it when it all started. I wasn't ready when the craziness started, but now I feel ready, and that helps me feel ok about the possibility of him coming before everything is "just so."

The good news is that my maternity leave started a little early so I could stay on light bed rest, which means as much resting and to-do-list-finishing as I want! Then maybe it will work out, just to satisfy my curiosity, that I will have a little bit of time at the end where I might start going crazy because I'm bored and miserable. But right now…I kind of doubt it. Either way, even if he comes late, he will be here SO soon it hardly feels real. But then sometimes it does, and we couldn't be more excited.