A $2 Bet

At the start of our pregnant journey I said something about my belly button eventually turning into an "outie." Andy said it wouldn't happen to me. "Yeah right!" So the $2 bet was on. The bet stands until delivery day, but at nearly 39 weeks of pregnancy it's still hard to say what happened... I think Andy will technically win because it's not a full outie. Which is incredible to me given how big and far my belly has stuck out this entire time. He seems to know or guess really well on the 50/50 stuff, like gender. So we'll see how his guess holds in one week (the 7th) which is when he thinks bebe will decide to come....a little earlier than her due date.

Other bets I would have lost if we gambled more? Stretch marks. So far I don't have a one, which again, amazes me given that my belly has tracked bigger than average at all appointments. I'll give kudos and thanks to Burt's Bees Mama Bee's Belly Balm and Palmer stretch lotion. Also, I've never been "sick" with morning sickness, never had weird cravings, and according to Andy no mood swings. Overall it's been a lovely pregnancy.

I never expected to have such intense heartburn though. One day I drank heartburn soothing tea, chomped on some Tums AND took a max. strength Zantac (recommended by Doc.), only to have heartburn STILL afflict me that day! I get carpal tunnel pains on my right wrist/hand, and a wrist stabilizer worn while sleeping has really helped. Edema of my feet is ridiculous no matter how much water I suck down. The wedding rings were replaced in Sept. by my Claddagh ring from Ireland, but now my hands wear no jewelry. I can't wait to deflate to a smaller size and hopefully get back to some old shoes at some point!

Of course I'll miss the parts of pregnancy most women do....the baby movements, connecting to new life, letting your belly hang out, indulging in foods you wouldn't normally allow, and I'll really miss Andy's regular contact to my stomach, the kisses and little talks to the belly (of course I can't wait to see him with little girl in person). But at some point we can cuddle on the couch together again!

Andy says he'll miss rubbing belly but he won't miss restless nights of sleep (oh yeah, those have been no picnic). He'll miss watching me grow and says it's been interesting. He agrees that the pregnancy has been good overall. We both won't miss cardboard boxes. What kind of side effect is that? Well, when we've ordered or received packages for all we need to supply for bebe, it generates a lot of boxes from the mail. Thank goodness for the recycling center!

The baby/guest room is a disaster. Or, an organized mess which I understand. We've been waiting on a changing table and crib for awhile and they finally came on the barge this week! We don't need a crib right now as that will be downstairs in her room, but for awhile we'll have her upstairs with us in a co-sleeper. But it's hard to put together a room when major pieces of furniture are missing. So that will be a big task for us this weekend, our last without child probably. As you can see, I just have stuff hanging out and waiting to be dealt with, like bedding and a mattress!

One thing I'd recommend to all mamas-to-be is to check with insurance coverage for prenatal massages and chiropractic adjustments. What an amazing difference it makes for comfort! But almost more importantly, these weekly appointments give me something to look forward, some anticipation for relief from general aches and pains. The mental benefits for looking forward to and then enjoying those appointments added so much to this journey and I rarely thought, "when will this ever end?" Self-care is big time important.
But it is time to move on and bring little girl into the world. Just let me get a haircut and see "Breaking Dawn" in the theater before that very soon day arrives! And I better find $2 to give my husband.

*Amy