34 weeks, 5 days

Joshua's croop hung on all of last week and we had him back to the doctor on Monday for antibiotics for bronchitis. After loosing 3 pounds and spending more than a week in bed (not typical of a normally high-energy 6-year-old!), it is such a joy and relief to see him with some color back in his face and to hear the words "I'm hungry" from his lips again! I'm praying this is our last big bout of "bugs" before the baby comes, and for that matter for a good several months after he gets here too!

While I really thought we might be heading to L&D last Monday night (actually the past two Mondays in a row), things have slowed down measurably and I have had a couple of amazingly restful night's sleep in a row. Thank you for your faithful prayers and loving support.

I'll be 35 weeks on Saturday (and this time the doctor came out with the same date even though we have been off by nearly a week of each other for a while). Baby is still head-down, but with his head moved a little to my left side and up higher so he is not currently putting as much direct pressure on the cervix. My cervix is "very soft" but at the moment nice and thick (according to visual inspection and feel, but we did not do ultrasound measurement). They can now get a finger totally in, so there has been slight dilation in the last couple weeks, but I wasn't given a specific number. The nurse practioner said, "I could get my finger in, but I wasn't about to go pushing through to see anything more!"

Baby's measurements are right on track or even a bit ahead now - currently estimated weight of 5 pounds, 10 ounces according to indepth ultrasound growth check!!! Joshua's 38 week birth-weight was 4 pounds 13 ounces, and Ruth's 39 week birth-weight was 6 pounds 5 ounces, so if he does go to term, this little (err, make that big) guy is going to seem HUGE! And of course this is the first pregnancy when I've actually stocked up on preemie diapers ahead of birth. Wonder if I'll even need them now?

I haven't gained any weight the last two weeks, so I'm still at a 5 pound net gain for the entire pregnancy. I've been taking Tagamet, but my nausea is growing increasingly difficult again. Today I was given instructions to double my doses up to 4 pills a day rather than just 2...If that doesn't help I'm to call back Monday and get a prescription.

I'm feeling very ready to meet this little guy but my doctor is out of town until Monday so I really hope nothing too exciting happens over the weekend so I don't have to argue with on-call docs about Trebutaline. My doctor has reaffirmed that I can go any time now! Rick has a very, very hectic next 3 weeks at work with all kinds of out of town people in for training, corporate visitors, etc. I think he is really praying I make it to term just from the stress at work standpoint!

I'll get the results of my final ffn tomorrow morning. It is so exciting to be officially done with preterm labor monitoring. I have another regular OB appointment in 2 weeks, then hit the weekly schedule from there on until baby comes.