Pumpkin Update: Month 8

8 months down.
35 weeks.
ALMOST THERE!

Today is exactly 1 month away from my doctor-given “due date”, which we all know is a load of hogwash {studies have shown gestation to be closer to 41 weeks and 1 day than 40 weeks, and even then there’s about 2 1/2 weeks on either side of your ‘due date’ that are considered within optimal gestation time} but it’s still fun to count down to. It’s hard to believe I’m already in the home stretch of this pregnancy! It’s gone by shockingly fast but I feel surprisingly at ease despite the fact that there is still a lot to get done around our house in preparation for baby boy! I’ve also reached the point where a number of my fellow preggos are starting to have their babies which means I’m in the “it’s almost my turn” stage… ahhhh!

Not a whole lot has changed this last month with the exception of some not-so surprising ‘end of pregnancy’ stuff… which mainly revolve around the fact that I have more weight to carry around so things don’t happen quite as quickly {or energetically} as they used to. I wouldn’t have a problem with it all if I didn’t have an uncontrollable urge to paint every room in our house! Yes, the nesting bug has morphed from a tiny bite to a spiderman-like superbug! Since I’ve been pregnant I’ve painted the nursery/guest room, the master bathroom {vanity and shower area, including the cabinets}, and front hall to our house. My ToDo list still includes the living room, kitchen, breakfast nook, and laundry room… but I highly doubt I will get it all done before he arrives. Between getting tired pretty fast and the fact that the last time I painted anything I looked over at K to find she had the same brown paint I was using down the back of her pajamas, it’s not exactly an easy task any more.
Even if the painting doesn’t get done, the rooms have been re-organized and the essentials are in place for baby boy. We were able to borrow a crib from a friend in my MOMS Club so we avoided having to buy another before we transition K to a big girl bed. YAY for saving money! I pushed myself a little too hard pulling all of K’s old baby stuff to the front of the attic {not my brightest moment} but it’s all there, ready to be loved again! Now we just need a baby!

On a non-nesting note, I’m relieved to say that my pregnant choreographer days are finally over. In case you didn’t know, I’ve choreographed the spring musical for my mother-in-law’s theater class the last 4 years. This is the first time I’ve cooked up the classroom’s dance floor while cooking a human. It was a fun run but when you can’t really DO the moves you’re trying to get high school theater kids to do, it becomes more depressing than fun. Although I’m sure I gave the students quite a show swinging my ever-expanding belly around to tunes from The Drowsy Chaperone. You’re welcome sweet mother-in-law!

From the medical side of things baby boy is doing great. I have strong BH contractions randomly throughout the day and sometimes at night when I shift positions or get up to use the bathroom – which is a night-time staple these days. I’m definitely running out of room as pumpkin’s feet keep finding their way up under my ribs and any time his head shifts I am reminded that he’s parked directly on my bladder. My midwife is always so impressed with how low I’m carrying and at my last check-up informed me that she thinks he’ll come early. We shall see.
Should we start a pool and let the guessing begin?

So now I have another month {give or take} to take it easy, soak in all my one-on-one time with K, TRY to get a date night or two in with the hubby, and gently check things off my TO DO list with the final check box sitting neatly next to “become a mother of 2″. Squeee!

Until next time…