An End (or Beginning!) in Sight

No baby yet! But some developments since last week....
At my Dr's appt on Friday we discovered that my blood pressure was on the high side. It has been perfect and consistent during the entire pregnancy, so when it was elevated last week my Dr. took notice. After I laid down for a while at the office, they took it again and it had dropped to my normal level which was a relief. I guess at this point in pregnancy (full term!!! 40 weeks! I CANNOT believe it) it is common for blood pressure to fluctate like that and is okay as long as it does go down with rest. So...she told me to take it easy over the weekend and come back Monday to recheck my blood pressure and do a non-stress test on the baby. So as of today, my blood pressure was a bit higher than my usual, but still in the normal range and the stress test showed that the baby is doing well, his heartbeat is nice and strong and he is in no distress! I have started dilating (around 3cm), the baby's head is facing down, and it is all systems go! Because of some fluctuation in blood pressure for me and since I have started dilating, the Dr's don't want me to go more than a week past my due date and told us to choose the day this week that I want to be induced! Keith and I agreed that we would like to give it a little time for labor to start on it's own but we don't want to wait beyond this weekend so Thursday it is! I would really be happy if it would start in the next couple of days naturally, but I do have to say that I don't want to mess with high blood pressure or putting the baby in any kind of danger by waiting too long so I am happy to be induced on Thursday. Should be interesting! My Mom's birthday is on Friday, so we will see if little James Brown will have his birthday the day before Grandma's or share a birthday with Grandma (which I am sure she would not mind!)

Since I didn't go into work last Friday, that was the first official day of my maternity leave. I hate to have started it a whole week before the baby is here (one less week with him at the end), but there is no way I could work this week. I am having a hard time just walking around! I know when I am out and about which is rare these days, people are looking at me pitifully! Although this has been an easy pregnancy overall, eventually I will be glad to be back to my normal self and get in better physical shape to start my new career as a busy mom!!!! I can't wait.

Everyone is telling me to enjoy these last few days of quiet and freedom. I was just thinking, that right now, while I have no work obligations until January, and a few days until the baby arrives, this could be the last time I feel freedom like this for 20 or so years!!!!!!! I truly can take advantage of laying on the couch, napping at will, etc. While that will get old for me in a day or two, I plan to make the most of it! Although I would also like to take some long walks since that is said to induce labor and the weather has been beautiful, I will be a bit restricted to shorter ones that my back can tolerate!

The other time will be spent trying to wrap my head around the fact that this weekend Keith and I will be parents. It is so hard to imagine, but I know once he is here, it will be difficult to remember what we did before. I feel so lucky to be able to embrace this time, to "stop and smell the roses" so to speak before all hell breaks loose!