37 weeks

I am 37 weeks today, and now I am officially full term! Bring on the baby! (Just kidding, I'd really like him to stay put awhile longer.)

Charlie is now the size of a watermelon:



And to give you some idea, here is the size he was when I found out I was pregnant:



Here's how damn skinny I was at that time (I didn't think I was, but turns out, I really was pretty thin!):



I had a little bit of a belly back then, but nothing compared to where it is now:



So I guess it's safe to say that we've come a long way, baby.

The end of this pregnancy is upon us. There are so many things I'm looking forward to. I can't wait to meet our sweet kiddo, of course, and to witness the chaos that will ensue. I can't wait to see Roy in his first stages of being a dad. I can't wait to have my body back (within reason, since I'll be breastfeeding). I can't wait to eat whatever I want (within reason, since I'll be breastfeeding). I can't wait to do simple things, like bend over, without feeling like I'm going to fall over. I can't wait to work out. I can't wait to have a drink. I can't wait to sleep on my back and lay on my stomach. And I can't wait to spend the entire summer off work and chillin' with our baby. Although I seriously doubt there will not be a lot of chillin' going on - just plenty of hard work.

Being off work has done wonders for my level of discomfort and my sanity. I actually feel really good these days, with the most pain/discomfort being in my feet and hands, all of which hurt all the time. I'm able to take a lot of naps and get things done at a leisurely pace. All in all, this first week off has been really good. (Big, huge bonus - not having to hear comments about my body every single day. Those were really beginning to wear on me.)

I've been having some Braxton-Hicks contractions. It took me awhile to realize that's what they were, but they are happening. They are not painful at all, and most times they feel like Charlie moving. In the last couple of weeks, I've also had several instances of spotting, but being as I'm so far along, it's not a big deal.

I saw my OB yesterday for my (now) weekly appointment. Charlie weighs about six and a half pounds now and is still head down. I haven't gained any weight in weeks and everything's looking good. (I'm always anticipating bad news for some reason.) I realized yesterday that I am quite fond of my OB. I had never seen him before I got pregnant; I'd always seen another doctor in the office. At our first appointment, I remember thinking, "Uh, this guy has no personality whatsoever" and being kind of disappointed. Over the course of my pregnancy, he's really loosened up and has proved himself to be a funny guy. Not only that, he knows what he's doing. He's kind of restored my faith in male OBs. I was down on them for awhile (and I'm still down on some of them).

I wanted to say thanks so much for all your comments/texts/emails on our maternity pictures. You guys are awesome - you know exactly what to say to make me feel better when I feel as big as a house. Thanks, as always, for being there throughout this journey and for your kind words.

I've been thinking a lot about my pregnancy journey, and I have a few posts coming up that I'd like to put out there while Charlie's still an inside baby. So stay tuned! (Hopefully these posts won't be too boring.)

From here on out, we wait. Realistically, though, I am expecting to be pregnant for a few more weeks (a month at the most).

Happy Full Term!