39+4

Oh my gosh, it's Monday and Elle is due Thursday! I can't believe how far we've come. I am just so ready to meet her and hold her and get to know her.

I am feeling about the same, maybe just a little more tired than usual. But still the crampy-ness and achy-ness are still there. We are still on watch for the mucus plug (eew!) and water breaking.

Me, Mark and my mom and dad get to go to a Padres game tomorrow night. Hope Elle doesn't decide that's her perfect time to introduce herself! :) it would be kind of funny though if I did go into labor at a baseball game, what a great story!

This morning Mark and I took Frankie for a walk at the Bay together. I got the opportunity to spring into action as a nurse when this older man tripped and smacked his head on the side walk. Blood was gushing from his face and people were quickly shuffling past him trying to pretend they didn't notice. Poor old man, so we helped him to sit on the side walk for a couple minutes to make sure he wasn't dizzy or going to pass out or anything. I was asking him questions to judge how coherent he was, if he was going to be OK or if he needed to go to the hospital. After the bleeding stopped, only 5 minutes-the cut wasn't bad it's just that the face tends to bleed a lot-I asked if he wanted to be taken to the hospital, his buddy was right beside us the whole time and they both said no, that he would be fine. Luckily their car was parked in a near lot so we walked as a group to their car and they profusely thanked us and then drove away. This situation really made me hope that if I'm ever hurt someone will stop and help me and not just step over me.

Tomorrow is the day that Mark predicts Elle will be born, I think it's this weekend. But as far as I'm concerned THE SOONER THE BETTER!! I'm really ready to not be fat any more :0) And these little teaser contractions need to turn into the real deal, waiting is so hard!

39+1 (39 weeks plus 1 day, just in case it wasn't understood)

I finally filled out a birth plan. I have been hesitating because when I was working on the labor and delivery unit during school, all the nurses would make fun of ladies that brought in their own birth plan. However, the more I think about it, the more I want to be able to communicate with all the members of my labor team. And I think it will be extremely difficult to lovingly share my thoughts and opinions while I'm trying my best to endure the most excruciating pain I've ever felt. So...it's just better that I wrote it down. I'm in the process of writing my mom and Mark a little letter letting them know exactly what I need from them during labor, nothing too crazy: lots of encouragement, some wiping away of my sweat, breathing with me when I forget to, and reminding that this too shall pass. And the most important thing for them to do is back me up when I tell the nurses that I don't want drugs (nurses can be pushy because they don't like to see their patients in so much pain :))

I think I felt a real contraction this morning! at 4:50 am I was jarred awake by a terrible, radiating pain that went high across my tummy and shot down ward. Then my back and low abdomen started to ache (ladies-it felt like intense menstrual cramps). I've been having a ton of pelvic pressure and achy-ness lately, especially when I walk for long periods of time. So today I decided to take a break from my usual hour and 10 minute walk. If I feel up to it, I will go in the morning.

Today I am savoring how fast my hair has grown and how healthy it is! And my finger nails too, I will miss the super growth speed when I'm not pregnant any more :)

39 weeks!

Alrighty! Let's get this show on the road. Every morning I wake up and think, "Could this be the day, do I feel different in any way, am I still pregnant?" Then I try to sit up and find that it's impossible to sit up with out using my arms, my stomach muscles are still stretched beyond belief cradling my bundle of joy.

Two evenings ago we had the great pleasure of having our "last supper" with our dear friends John and Jordanna. I love how easily the conversation flows with them, how it's so natural for the four of us to talk about the future and what it holds for us, all the time committing it to the Lord. On the drive home from Claim Jumper in La Mesa Mark and I reflected on how rare it is to find friendship like that, and how blessed we are to have several Godly couples that we call our friends. Thank you, Jesus.

Elle's official due date in July 28th, exactly one week from today. It's my goal to write something every day until she arrives. It should be easy because I'm feeling so nostalgic lately, I know a chapter of my life is coming to a close, a great chapter of freedom, no pain, really only worrying about myself and my well being. Every time I mention to a lady who's already had children that I'm so excited to start the chapter of my life as a mom and that I'm totally over being pregnant, they tell me to savor every moment Elle is still in my tummy because motherhood is nothing like what I'm thinking it will be like.  So that's what I'm trying to do, savor.

Last night, I got to savor one more of Jessi's "Girl's Night In" evenings. So amazing!! It was all of the girls from our old Bible study. I love how it worked out like that, it really blessed my heart! That's one of the things that I've been nostalgic about; leaving behind all my friendships. I was feeling like that would be taken away from me when Elle is born and when we move. Last night I received closure, I guess that's what you can call it. I feel like I've left that part of my life (staying up late, sharing stories, spending time with just the girls) in a wonderful place. I'm not scared or sad any more or grieving the loss of my freedom as a young woman. I was refreshed to realize that my friends will always be in my life, and I started to get excited to think about making new friends!

Enough of that, on to what being pregnant at 39 weeks feels like! Here are some pictures first. Graduation from nursing school and my baby shower. Enjoy!!

 Yay! I did it, officially I'm Katherine Ritter, RN

 At my pinning ceremony with Steve and Ladee, the smartest people I've ever met!

 Sky, Rachel and me waiting for our names to be called.

 at my baby shower, so fun!

 Elle's blanket that Toni lovingly made her. Can you see Elle's name spelled out?

 Aunt Vicki with pink hair (????)

 My favorite onsie that says "I melt daddy's heart". Can't wait to take a pic with her wearing it!!

Elle is fully developed and just waiting until the precise moment when she wants to show her pretty little face. My belly is as big as it's going to get (thank God!), I've already gained the weight I'm going to gain (33LBS at my heaviest, ahhh!) I'm happy, excited, impatient, and oh so scared about D-Day. Feeling that  much emotion at once is exhausting! Not to mention I have a little cold. Mark has it worse than me, but I still feel a little run down. But still I try to walk every day. I go to the Bay and walk for about an hour and 10 minutes. They say that's the best thing a pregnant woman can do. At our last Dr. apt (yesterday) my cervix was thinned out about half way and no dilation yet. I've been having "practice" contractions for a while now but they always go away. I'm impatiently anticipating that first real contraction that means Elle is on her way! EEEEEEE! that thought makes me so excited, I can't wait to hold her, to look at her eyes, to put her tiny hand in my hand, to kiss her tiny toes, oh! my heart melts when I think about her :) So far as early labor signs go: baby has "dropped" into my pelvis, loss of a couple pounds, nesting, low back ache, and lots of pelvic aches and pains. Now we are on the look out for the elusive 'mucus plug' that shows up when dilation begins. (I apologize if that's too much information for some of you! Pregnancy is kinda icky!)