31 and 2/7ths

I went to see the doctor today; the official word is that I'm at "31 and 2/7ths" weeks. I found out I have gained 20 pounds since I first went to the doctor in July, and my blood pressure is holding steady, between 100/60 and 110/70 each visit. This visit, my "measurement," from the top of the pubic bone to the uterine fundus, was right on target (between 30 and 31 cm -- I guess that's close enough to 31 and 2/7ths for them). BabyJ's heartbeat was strong and regular, in the 150 bpm ballpark.

So far, my appointments have been four weeks apart, but now they switch to two weeks apart, for two appointments, and then they'll be weekly for the rest of the way. Today's appointment was the third time in all these months that the doctor had to run out, coincidentally, just before she was to see me, to deliver a baby. Today's laboring mom was having her first baby, and I elected to see another person on staff rather than wait for Dr. F to return. Who knows how long she would have been, as they tell me the delivery speed of first babies are a little unpredictable. I wonder what BabyJ and my body have in store for me in February....

I have no earth-shattering news to share with respect to my own health or that of BabyJ (which is fine with us -- no news is good news in this situation), just minor updates. BabyJ moves around a lot, and her movements are more deliberate and forceful than even just two weeks ago when we were in Cleveland for Thanksgiving. I am no longer comfortable sleeping on my right side, so I am relegated to sleep on my back, inclined on several pillows, or on my left side. Truthfully, I am thankful that I am still sleeping at all! After a couple of fairly busy days this week as the fall quarter ended, I found myself truly exhausted, instead of just mildly tired. I am somewhat disappointed by this, but it is not unexpected -- plugging along at my usual pace won't last all nine months of this journey, and now is as good a time as any to slow down. Yoga class this morning included a way cool chant to accompany the idea of letting go of something old and making space for something new (which is perfectly appropriate for me to think about these days), but I found that chanting while holding poses is no longer "routine" but "work," as I panted my way through several of the verses.

Minor complaints about waning energy and decreasing lung capacity aside, it's hard to believe how "normal" I feel despite the fact there is another human growing inside of me. As cerebral as I tend to be about most things, there are moments when I am simply in awe of what is happening. I have to remind myself that my body was designed for this very task, even though I have not called upon it to do this ever before, and that I have to trust it enough to listen to it and to learn from it. What an amazing blessing, to be one small part of the big circle of life. Just under two months to go until the due date. Anyone interested in wagering when she will actually arrive?