39 weeks "I keep checking the clock"

39 weeks has officially become labor watch week.  Literally every single twinge, crampy feeling, or ache makes me whip my head to find a clock to make note of the time, in case it's the beginning of labor.  I've kind of given up on the "You'll just know" idea about going into real labor.  I'm just going to assume that after a while we'll figure out that it's the real thing.  Take for instance, about 2 weeks ago, I had bad cramps and a bad stomach ache for about four hours and was pretty convinced it was time...and yet here I am still mego prego.  And on Saturday Matt and I ran all over town all day keeping busy with errands and shopping, hoping to kick start some labor, which of course did not work.  Baby Owen was probably the most active he's been in months, along with my body giving me lots of weird and random twinges/crampy feelings....but I'm still mego prego today.

At our 39 week doctor appointment, the doc checked again to see if I was dilated at all....and we were finally getting somewhere!  Yes my friends, I was dilated to 1.5 cm.  Which pretty much means nothing at this point.  I could have gone into labor the very next day, or may end up having to wait to be induced in our 41st week.  But it gave me hope that there actually was an end in sight and we'll finally get to meet our little future kicker in less than two weeks. :)  Such a crazy, surreal, amazing feeling. :) :) :)

One weird thing...for the past two weeks my right hand has been numb.  It's just another fun symptom that can happen when you're this pregnant.  I have the numbness 100% of the time in all my right fingers (but not thumb) and after a really busy day at work, it spreads to my palm too.  One night my right foot also went numb, but only the one time.

Next week (or actually in 2 days since these posts are a week behind) we hit 40 weeks and our due date.  It seriously feels like we just found out we were pregnant a month or less ago.  It's insane how quickly the past 9 months have flown by.  Some days it feels like we were just talking about trying to make a baby, and now suddenly our made baby is about to be born.

For this week's photo, I wore tighter fitting clothing, to try and show you the actual size of my belly. (Sexy sounding, huh?)  I only have 2 non-work shirts that fit right now, both of which I wear every weekend so you've been seeing them every other week or so the last 2+ months (royal blue top: here,  here, and here  and grey and black sweater: here, and here, ), so I thought I would switch it up the only way I could this week with my limited wardrobe....black leggings and a black tank top with a cardigan.  Which made me end up looking like a big butted, pregnant cat woman...only without any cat ears or ninja skills. : /

39 weeks along

Believe it or not, this is actually my belly after it's dropped too, though in the first picture it seems to defy gravity a bit, or it appears as though I'm pushing it up like a boob.

~Matt, Steph, and Baby Owen~

***Weekly words of wisdom: Not so much wisdom this week....but please send us happy thoughts as we reach the end of the pregnancy....and keep all your appendages crossed that we go into labor on our own and get to forego the inducement in week 41...which would make us 10 months pregnant....***