Wk 36 - Signs are in the air

Funny how the mind works and what an impact it has to the body.

I have all along decided and told Sisu as well, that after the doctor's visit on week 36 we can start preparing our adventure day.

Well, my husband and myself hardly got back home from the doctor's office as the signs started kicking in! :) It felt also like Sisu started having his farewell party in the belly, he was very active whole Tuesday afternoon. He must have heard when the doctor said that it seems like Sisu is ready from physical perspective and for the remaining weeks following up that he moves on regular basis is important.

Based on the information gathered, once the mucus plug is out it means that within 1-2 weeks one is going into labor. Now that the signs are in the air....one starts of course a whole new mental battle.

Previously it has been all about relaxing and having the mind set to keep the baby in as long as possible. Now the eagerness of meeting the little guy is definitely kicking in.

So, the week went by trying to make a good mixture of resting well but keeping myself busy. Apart from few nights I have been able to sleep well, luckily.  Also cannot complain having uncomfortable feeling or pains. 

On Monday I was able to trick my husband to extend our walk :) He kept suggesting that at some point we turn around but I insisted taking the slightly longer route and keeping going. We walked 9 kilometers! It felt so good! I did my walk as a Nordic Walk (Finnish invention), means with walking poles made specially for the purpose. If you haven't tried it yet....I can only recommend! Great also outside pregnancy. During pregnancy it helps to keep the posture straight and work the upper body at the same while walking. Increases also support, which allows one to go on uneven terrain easier than during a normal walk.

Sisu has been head down for a while already. Related to that the only occasional reminder I get of him being out of space are his kicks, which result to soreness over the left rib cage. 

On Saturday we joined my American parents for a musical. Sisu definitely likes music :) He was active throughout the musical. Doing his own moves. It was at times hard to focus on the musical itself and its artistic depth...as the little guy kept me amused with his own choreography.

I was told that low air pressure may trigger labor, e.g. during hurricane or tropical storms. Sisu did not seem to be too bothered about the storm Patricia's remains, which arrived to Houston on Saturday afternoon. Mainly just lot of rain. Great reason to take it easy on Sunday.

So...we wait....and we wait.... :)

Wk 35 - Preparations in many ways (Read: Nesting)

Though one cannot be 100% prepared for what is to come, preparation is still in place. This week was all about doing the final preparations for Sisu's arrival. Final preparation = nesting symptoms kicked in :)

I am very certain that we missed something, but oh well. We will find it out along the way :) 

Poor husband got to come with me to Ikea to get a dresser for the baby gear and clothes. Easier to try to keep things organized and faster at reach. 

I also cooked an interesting soup :), a pacifier soup. Sisu will get to try then how the outcome of the soup tastes.

I furthermore think that all the hand me downs from friends, trading in 2nd hand shops and pages for baby gear is AWESOME! As I was sorting and folding the clothes into the dresser, I noticed that we are bit short on pajamas and socks.  Also, we had zero clothes with newborn size. It will be short period from clothing perspective Yet since one never knows for sure what the size of the baby is, does not hurt to have few pieces available.

I browsed on few days the Facebook group for Houston baby and kids resale. So it happened, that someone was selling a whole pile of baby boy clothes, including few sets of newborn size and even a Moby baby wrap and some nursing pads. I could have bought 3 new pajamas for the price I paid for the whole lot! The seller sent everything via post and clothes are in good condition. They can easily take on few more rounds. Some of the smaller sizes look like they were never even worn.

So, nesting is in full mode and am so happy now to able to be on my feet and move around. My husband won't let me go for walks or to run errands by myself, which I won't complain about at all. Situation may change so fast and the pre labor symptoms kick in, it is good to have someone close by.

We have done this week few 5 k walks. Well, my walking is more waddling nowadays but for a very pregnant woman, who has been in bed/couch rest, not in bad condition at all.

During my bed/couch rest we have been so lucky. My husband's work has been mainly home office based work during that time. He had only one trip during the time. Even though he is then mostly in the office room, behind closed door. It has felt so great to have him close by, in case things start happening.

While waiting for him to finish the week, I baked him a strawberry-rhubarb streusel. One of his favorite type of desserts. Small gesture to show how thankful I am for him having taken such a good care of me the past few months. Very blessed to have such a great partner, friend and team member to go through this with me. When one has the significant other and good friends to share the curves of the life's journey with, things go so much smoother.