36 week progress = Nada!

I had my 36 week appointment today. I went into the appointment a little anxious. My hands and feet were sweating and it showed in my blood pressure which was higher then normal. I think I was anxious about have my first internal exam to check and see if I made any progress. While preparing to listen to Courtney's heartbeat, the nurse practitioner stops and says "You're having a contraction." WTF? I had no idea. She said I can tell if my stomach gets hard and then gets softer. I always thought that when it was hard it was because she was moving and pushing up against my stomach. Who knew? She said this is the time my body start practicing. My belly is measuring 36.5 centimeters which she said is perfect. I'd also like to add that in the past two weeks I've only gained 1 pound. I was so relieved. The last 8 weeks or so have been aweful stepping on the scale. I had my Group B Strep test today. Want to know what that is, click here. After the GBS test, she then checked my cervix which she said was soft but closed and that she could feel the babies head. Oh yeah, and she checked externally and said baby is head down. Yay!

I asked if she could guess about how big the baby is going to be by how big my belly is measuring. I was interested to know if because I am measuring 36 cms at 36 weeks if that means she is average size (compared to people measuring say 40 cms and 36 weeks). She said that she thinks she is average and may be around 7 1/2 to 8 pounds. But she did say that it will be harder to tell as the weeks go on because she will drop lower into my pelvis making accurate measurements more difficult.

This past Saturday I enjoyed a nice prenatal massage at the Renaissance in Port Angeles. They had me lie on my side for the whole thing. I do wish I could have had a bit more massage done on my legs but it was still so nice and relaxing.

Just in the last few days I've come down with a small cold so I'm being lazy and relaxing in bed after I get off work to try and fight it off.

We are down to 28 days until my estimated due date and I am in the process of finishing up training my backups for while I'm out.

Here is a little about how Courtney is doing these days:
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position (she is...she is!).

How far along? 36 weeks!
Weight gain/loss? At this point...I'm pleading the fifth. Actually typing out the number will make it true and I'm still in denial.
Maternity Clothes? Yes.
Sleep? Crap. My arms fall asleep and I wake up probably 5 times a night to try and wake them up. Oh yeah, and 2:30am trips to the bathroom.
Best Moment This Week: Getting my massage last Saturday.
Movement? She has her quiet days and then days where she feels like she is trying to bust out of my belly button.
Food cravings: Same as 32 weeks, Chocolate and Diet Coke.
Belly button? ::pouts:: It's semi out and I hate that you can see it through my shirt. Mike laughs.
What I miss: Not having to try so hard to put on shoes, get out of the car, get off the couch or out of bed. It's a production these days.
What I am looking forward to? Seeing my baby!
Milestones: Less then a month until my due date. 28 days!