Home stretch

*35 weeks, 4 days - only 31 days to go!*

It's been awhile since I've posted, so I'll apologize in advance for the long post!

I cannot believe this is actually almost over! These past few weeks have dragged, and I know the next few will as well, but I know the end is in sight, and that both excites the hell out of me and terrifies the hell out of me.

I've started getting "nervous" recently. I'm a little nervous about labor and the pain and everything that goes along with that (though I'm getting an epidural as soon as humanly possible), but I'm more nervous about taking care of the babe and of how my body's going to react, post-pregnancy. My arthritis has generally been in remission thoughout my pregnancy, which has been amazing. The pain I have from time to time is annoying, but tolerable. My fear is that I'll become so debilitated that I'll struggle to move and to take care of the baby. I'm also afraid of whether I'll be able to breastfeed, knowing that I'll have to go back on some form of medication within a few weeks after he arrives. I have an appointment to see my rheumatologist at the end of October, and at that time, he said he'll probably put me on a low dose of steroids (I'm assuming Prednisone, which I've taken once before). He said a low dose will help me feel better and will also be safe for the baby to continue breastfeeding. However, I recently read that steroids can reduce the amount of milk that's produced, which I know can be a frustrating experience as well, from my friend Kari who experienced a reduction in her milk after having to take Vicodin (or something like that) for kidney stones. I know I shouldn't worry about it and just play things by ear, but I can't push it out of my mind...

In general, I'm still feeling pretty good. My hips have been hurts a lot again lately. When I wake up in the morning and again at the end of the day, I just feel like they're going to pop right out of socket. I know that's normal, but I wonder if it's worse for me because of the arthritis. All I know is that it's making it really hard to get comfortable and fall asleep at night. My nights are hit or miss these days. Some nights I sleep really well and some, not at all. Of course, I have to get up 2, 3, 4 times a night to pee...

I'm also starting to hit a phase of heartburn and gas, which SUCKS! I'm taking rolaids, which helps a little, and trying to watch what kinds of foods I eat, but it isn't really helping. I know it all just comes with the territory...

Baby K's latest thing is HICCUPS!!! For the past two weeks or so, he gets hiccups everyday. Sometimes just once a day. Last Saturday, it was FOUR times! It's the weirdest feeling that can really only be described as a very rhythmic "flick" from the inside. Last Sunday morning, I lost count at 110 - they go on for minutes and are very consistent. I always feel them low and on the right side.

Baby's still moving up as much as he can in his cramped quarters. He's getting LONG. I can tell by the foot that lives in my right ribcage. I can sometimes push on it, and he'll move it, but other times, he's stubborn and refuses. The doctor says he is head down, and I can sometimes feel what I'm guessing are arms or elbows poking me on both sides.

My belly's still measuring on target. I've officially gained 20 pounds, and I can definitely appreciate that it's all boobs and belly! Hopefully that'll make it easier to lose the weight after baby comes. The last few appointments we've had have been non-eventful. My blood pressure is consistently perfect and the baby's heartrate is consistently in the 140s! I'm still having pretty regular swelling in my left foot and ankle, but the doctor's not worried about it, since that's really the only swelling I have. I think my left knee was a little swollen last night, but I wonder if that's from being pregnant or from the weather.

We are moving right along on our "to-do" list. We've officially signed up with Viacord to store the baby's cord blood, and I received the collection kit a few days ago. We've also applied for life insurance. We have to have bloodwork, urine, and a medical history done now before the underwriter will approve our app. We still need to pick a pediatrician. I have a short list of people to contact, but work has been insanely busy for me the past two weeks, so I'm *hoping* to call some docs this week. We also still need to meet with the lawyer to write a will. I need to pack a bag for the hospital, and yes, we STILL need to pick a name for this kiddo! I promise, he will have a name by the time he's born!

I definitely wanted to post my reaction to the whole Sarah Palin thing... blech... but I'm not going to go into that now. I definitely have a few things to say about her and the games that John McCain is playing. Let's just say that, as a woman, a mother, and someone who works with the special needs population, I am sickened by what the republican candidates are trying to do and by how ignorant and naive they think female voters are. More on that later...