So here I am, still pregnant :-) It's so hard to be patient, but I'm really trying. The past week has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions and symptoms, but still no baby.

I'll start from week 39 when I last posted. I felt NO signs of labor. Nothing. Not even Braxton Hicks really. It was Father's Day weekend and I was starting to get depressed that nothing was happening. My hormones however, were totally out of control.

Monday of last week I had my appointment with my OB. To my surprise, she said I was a tight 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced. She said I also had a "bulging bag." She swept my membranes and told me she thought we'd have the baby by the weekend. I was so hopeful! The cervical check and membrane sweep was uncomfortable, but not painful.

That evening I felt more Braxton Hicks than I had before. However, they were still very inconsistent. Tuesday I woke up hoping it would be the day, but didn't feel anything different. I walked like crazy on Tuesday. Wednesday morning I woke up, went to the bathroom and lost my mucus plug. I was hopeful this was a good sign that labor was starting. I had contractions about every 10 minutes that morning while I was getting ready for work. Another good sign! I had no appetite and and upset stomach. I thought for sure, ok today's the day. But no.

I went to work and my contractions stopped. I got more throughout the day, but not consistently. Every couple of hours I would have a few in a row, about 20 minutes apart, but then they would stop. I had a dull back ache, but nothing major. My stomach stayed upset and my appetite was still bad all day. That evening I was a little discouraged thinking I could stay like this for days before labor starts.

Thursday and Friday I decided to stay home from work. I wanted to rest, get caught up on housework, and prepare myself for the baby. Friday, June 25 came and went and still no baby. It's like waking up at Christmas with no presents. I tried hard not to let it bother me, but it was difficult.

I felt absolutely great on Saturday, no symptoms, no contractions, nothing. Sunday was a little different. I was nauseated and sick all day - so I was hopeful it was the start of labor - but it wasn't. Monday I felt fabulous again! I decided to go back to work since the baby hadn't arrived and I wanted to save my days off.

Going to work was hard emotionally. Everyone kept stopping by my office making comments like, "Oh you're still here," and "Oh, you're still pregnant." I felt like bursting into tears every time! Not only were my hormones out of control, but you just don't talk to an overdue pregnant woman like that.

I had my weekly OB check up Monday. She said I was still 3 cm, but seemed more like 75% effaced and the baby was definitely lower. This is a very good sign! She swept my membranes again and we talked about induction. If the baby doesn't come soon, she gave me the option of inducing at 41 weeks or letting it go to 42 weeks, but then I'd have to do NSTs and some other tests every other day starting Friday.

We opted to induce at 41 weeks if there's no sign of baby. So the plan is for me to check in Thursday night. She'll start me on that stuff they put on your cervix to soften it and let me sleep Thursday night. Then she'll check me Friday morning and see if that worked to soften and dilate and get some contractions going. If I'm not contracting on my own they'll give me Pitocin on Friday morning and go from there.

So hopefully Baby Chavez will come before Thursday, but if not we'll definitely have a baby this weekend! I'm really excited and hopeful that everything will go well. Hopefully my next posting will include pics of our new baby!

So now I'm just playing the waiting game. My doctor is back in town and I had an appointment yesterday.

I was depressed because I haven't "felt" any different. I keep thinking this baby is going to be way overdue, and I'm just flat out tired of carrying it around! Every day at work, people come by my office and say, "Oh you're still here! I guess you didn't have your baby yet, huh?" I feel like saying, "Does it look like I'm still here? And yes, I still have a giant belly, so obviously I haven't had a baby yet!" Can you tell I've been ultra hormonal??? These darn hormones!

My appointment went well. Two weeks ago, I had NOTHING going on. This time, she said I'm about 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I also have a "bulging bag."

She's thinking I'll probably have the baby by this weekend. I'm trying not to get too excited though, because I've heard of women walking around at 3 cm and 100% effaced for weeks! I'm also not really having contractions yet. She swept my membranes yesterday, which seemed to create more crampy Braxton Hicks last night. However, I slept really well and I've had no contractions this morning, so we'll see!

I've been walking every day, so I hope that helps things along. I hope the wait isn't too much longer - I'm getting so antsy!

Today I'm 38 weeks. Nothing really eventful except that I am WAY more swollen this week than I've been during the whole pregnancy. I think part of it is this god-awful heat (which I used to love) and part of it is that this baby is just getting bigger and bigger! I've been tipping my trashcan over under my desk and propping my feet up when I can. That seems to help a little.

My doc goes on vacation tomorrow, so she said I have to keep my legs crossed this week and hold the baby in until she gets back. LOL. I don't "feel" like I'm going to have this baby anytime soon. Hoping, but no real labor signs yet. The baby hasn't dropped and I'm not have more BH contractions than usual.

I gained lots of weight in one week, but I think part of its water because I've been drinking more with the heat and from the looks of it, I'm retaining every ounce. I'm at 25 lbs!

We still have not decided on names. We basically came to the conclusion that when we finally meet the baby and know the sex and see it's face, we'll come up with a name. This "spur of the moment" decision totally goes against my typical "planning" personality, but we've just decided it's too hard to name someone you haven't met.

It's so relieving to know I'm almost there. I can't wait to see what my little baby looks like and to find out if it's a girl or a boy. I've started to worry about whether or not I have everything I'll need, but being a first-time-mom I am sure I'm forgetting things and I'll have Jeremy doing lots of Wal-Mart runs when we realize we need something. I'm getting nervous about breastfeeding too. I really want it to work!

Here's a pic of the belly at 38 weeks. I definitely had a growth spurt this week. Stay tuned until next week...!

I thought I'd post some creative and fun ideas for those who will be entertaining for the Fourth this year. Hopefully my new bundle of joy will be here by the fourth, so I'm not planning a party, but maybe next year...

Throughout my pregnancy I discovered it can be quite a chore to find maternity clothes. Especially if you have a limited budget and are a working woman. Working and being pregnant means you need professional clothes AND casual clothes, which adds to the expense.

I thought I'd share some of my must-haves for any pregnant lady and some of my favorite maternity stores.


- Jeans 
You need at least one or two good pairs of comfortable maternity jeans. Motherhood had some really nice styles. Target also had some cute maternity jeans.


- Leggings
My maternity leggings are a godsend. They are SO comfortable. I can wear them with tunics or with dresses. They are light and breathable too. I bought mine from Motherhood.



- Dress pants
If you are working, you'll need 3-4 dress pants at least. I purchased mine from Target and Motherhood. I bought a black pair, grey, brown, and khaki. This seems to be enough to rotate through the week.

- Cardigan Sweater
Especially if you are pregnant in the colder months, it's nice to have a black or brown cardigan sweater that will go with anything and dress up a cami or t-shirt.

- Dress shirts
I was fortunate in that I had a lot of regular tops that fit me throughout the pregnancy. A lot of my tops just happen to be in a style that allowed for a growing belly.

- Tunics/Dresses
I was able to find a lot of tunic shirts and dresses that allowed for a growing belly, but weren't exactly "maternity." I rotate through 4-5 of these types of outfits.

Bigger bras w/ out an underwire. When my skin was stretching out, the underwires hurt so bad!
Capri pants
Shorts
Belly bands for the in-between stage


- Maternity Stores worth checking out
As for the in-store shopping experience, I bought maternity clothes at Motherhood, Target, and Kohls. That's really the only options I had in Albuquerque.

There are also some other online stores that are definitely worth checking out.

Today I am 37 weeks. I am definitely feeling the strain of pregnancy these last few weeks. The past few nights it has taken me at least an hour to fall asleep and I wake up in the morning with sore hips and ligaments. I'm also feeling a lot more pressure and discomfort on my bladder and cervix. It feels like this baby is getting a lot heavier. It's getting harder to walk. My sciatic nerve is bothering me if I sit too long.

However, I don't think I'll be having this baby anytime soon. I had my OB appointment on Tuesday and my cervix is tightly closed. I haven't been having too many braxton hicks either. The good news is that everything looks good - blood pressure is good, no signs of pre-eclampsia, no anemia, etc.

So... unless something changes, looks like I'm on track to make it to my due date.

Pregnancy Update

• How far along?: 37 weeks.
• Total weight gain: 22 pounds.I'm on track for a total gain of roughly 25 lbs.
• How big is baby?: Who knows... it feels ginormous though!
• Stretch marks?: None. But more burning belly skin so I know the baby is growing.
• Sleep?: Sleep? What is that again?
• Best moment this week?: Hearing the heartbeat at my appointment. It never gets old!
• Movement?: I think this baby likes to use my cervix as a punching bag.
• Food cravings?:Not really anything...
• Labor signs?: None really. The cervix is closed like Fort Knox and I still have my mucus plug. No contractions.
• Belly button in or out?:Partially out.
• What I miss: Walking without waddling.
• What I'm looking forward to:The birth!
• Milestone: 3 weeks left.