Intrepid Murmurings

Still here.....very pregnant!
So...yeah, its been awhile! It is very sad to look at the calender thing on the right and see ONLY ONE POST IN APRIL when its already the 21st. Yipes! It is so easy to get into the non-writing & posting rut, at least for me. Posting inspires posting, and non-posting leads to more of the same lame silence. I do enjoy the blogging when I am keeping up with it, so here I am, still. News on the baby front: Still pregnant! Its hard to fathom, but we are getting very close to the main event. At 37 weeks I am now officially full term, which means we are in Come-On-Baby-Any-Time-Now! mode. You know, as long as you are ready. We, ourselves, are feeling pretty damn ready, though we are very aware it could be another 5 weeks, as well. Really hoping not for that. Lately it seems I am hearing of quite a few folks going earlier rather than later, which is not helpful for my patience factor. We are now on the weekly doctors appointment schedule, and this week (Tues) she offered a cervix check along with the standard pee-in the cup, step on the scale, measure the belly and listen to the heartbeat routine. And while I KNOW you can refuse them and that they are not necessary, etc etc etc......well shucks, I am a sucker for a quick little internal exam! I mean, really, its so simple and painless compared to all the other tests I've had having to do with that area. And even if it doesn't really tell you much....there is info to be had! So we learned that my cervix is soft and "slightly effaced". Hmmmm....progress....? So far, however, we have not packed the famous "hospital bag(s)", perhaps because it feels like it will jinx us into 5 more weeks of waiting. That and the fact that the only clothes I want to pack are ones I am wearing in rotation every three days, so they are either in the laundry or on me right now. In terms of baby stuff, holy cow, I think we are pretty set. "The Room" has really come together and I will post some pics very soon. In the past week I have been slowly (thats how I do everything these days) collecting a few last things I kinda felt we needed, like an array of cloth diapering products (another post in the works for this topic), a diaper bag from REI (its supposed to be a laptop bag and I think the saleslady thought I was a bit crazy when I mentioned my intentions, but it seems great because it has can be carried like a messenger bag, a backpack, or by the top handle) and some breastfeeding supplies. Ah yes, and you ask about my friend, Sciatica. Still hanging around! I've been going to physical therapy, acupuncture, yoga, and none of it really does much (though I think maybe yoga does more than the others, despite the physical therapist telling me to stop--ha!). Some days are better than others, nights are the worst, for sure. Yesterday evening we actually took the dog on a little walk down near the beach, which was nice, and longer than anything I'd done lately (still not very far, but more than a block, which is the high end of normal for me these days). So, thats good, I guess! I am pretty sure that it is all because the baby is low and putting pressure on a nerve, and that it will go away (hopefully immediately!) after birth. We shall see. For now, I hobble. And wait... And here's a few pics for you all. The first one is from last week, outside in the yard. The second sports my new haircut (not very styled, however, though how much can you do with short hair, anyway?) and highlights the hugeness of the current belly.