Pregnancy Update

Today I am 35 weeks along, and there are 35 days until my due date!

I went to the Doctor (well midwife) yesterday and I have gained about 25 pounds, and my belly is about 35 centimeters which is right on for 35 weeks. Right on for her, but I feel huge! I have grown so much in the last few weeks it is crazy. The only good thing is that, (and I admit this at the risk of jinxing myself) I have not had the water retention problem of the past...at least not yet. I wish I wish I knew how to use a scanner because I just ran into a picture of of my feet at the end of Shayden's pregnancy. Oh my goodness, just imagine two big burritos side by side and no sign of ankles anywhere! It was bad, with both pregnancies, my face seriously resembled the size and shape of a pumpkin. Hey, maybe since it happens to be pumpkin season this time around, nature just thought that would too cruel of a joke. :) Either way I am happy to have my relatively normal shaped face (which is already round) this late in the game.
I did find this picture of me toward the end of Jasmine's pregnancy. I think my hairdo only compounded the problem:

I shouldn't say that is the only good thing. This pregnancy has not been hard compared to so many others around me, you know who you are...so I can't complain too much...but I will a little. What is with this back pain? It is like my constant companion, whether dull and just kind of sitting there, or sudden sharp spasms that cause me to make embarrassing jerking motions in front of people. My friend actually pointed out the other day that I was waddling! And you know what? It feels good to waddle sometimes! I think I have been trying to do too much lately since I am TOTALLY nesting, and that only aggravates the problem.

Other than that let's see...I had a really great talk with my midwife and she seems right on board with what I want/need in labor, and I was truly impressed with the hospital tour that we took. It is the brand new hospital here (well about 5 years old?) and I have only heard bad things about it. That it is the epitome of a hospital. The last thing I need is a production line birth, where they are moving me along a conveyor belt, while I go through childbirth, one of the most important and sacred events of my life. My midwife said she didn't even think they had a jacuzzi which would have been tragic for me but not the case, almost all of the labor and delivery "suites" have a jacuzzi or at least a tub. That was a relief! One room even has a birthing bar, not that I will use it but I thought that was cool. I talked to the main nurse lady and she was so reassuring that they work with women who want labor in a million different ways and told me I could fax my birth plan and they will put it in my file and I can just ask that it be pulled out when I get there. It was a huge relief because obviously I don't want to progress in labor at home only to get the hospital with a bunch of fears and concerns and have to take a bunch of steps back.


Anyway, this is much longer than anticipated, most of these long and boring reflection posts go in my pregnancy blog, so sorry.

But one last thing, I mentioned that I needed a pillow early on in my pregnancy and I found the perfect one, it has been awesome. It's huge and I love it, it has helped tons. It wraps around my whole body. Jonas, on the other hand, has a different take on it. Here are some of his comments on it (and I edited them a bit):
Note from Jonas: That pillow has robbed me of my wife. She loves cuddling with it more than me. Whaaaaa!!!! I hate that stupid pillow. Sure it's more comfortable than me.....So what I'm a tiny bit wider than the pillow. BUT I'M CHOCOLATE!!!! It's just not fair!!!!!! From this day forward, I will protest ALL PILLOWS that rob men of their wives. It's Sick and Wrong!!! That's how I feel about that!!!!
**Sorry Jonas, I promise that I won't sleep with it forever! But I have talked to a lot of women who still sleep with one after pregnancy, so beware...:)