Update on this pregnancy lark

I know I've been pretty rubbish at writing anything at all to do with this pregnancy, despite all my best intentions.

So let's have a catch-up now, eh?

Today I am 37 weeks and 5 days pregnant (or 37+5, to those in the know).  That makes it about 2 weeks until I'll realistically think something could happen (although I am now technically full-term) and 4 weeks until I'm booked for induction (done to avoid a repeat trip to see the consultant if I go over.  I'm sure I won't go over).

This cheeky baby was breech, just like her big brother, up until a week ago, when a scan showed that she was indeed head down.  And has a full head of hair, and ribs, and all kinds of cool things.  The best thing about the scan was that Jamie couldn't attend it with me, so my sister drove 200 miles with her 4-month old baby to be with me.  I therefore had my sister, my niece, and Jacob in the scan room with me.  Jacob was awesome, and thought it was really cool to see the baby.  Although he kept thinking we could see the baby because it had come out of my tummy, and when he turned round to see my tummy still intact, he got very confused.

Since then I've been getting lots of crazy movements, and I'm not entirely sure she's still head down, but am crossing my fingers.

She's given us a couple of scares during this pregnancy, going very quiet for a couple of days so we've had to haul ass down to the Day Assessment Unit to get monitored, but each time everything has been fine.

I've been a bloody nightmare to live with - lots of crazy mood swings, crying at the drop of a hat, and lots and LOTS of pain.  Pain in my ribs from her head bouncing where it shouldn't be bouncing, pain from her trying to move round and stretching me further than I'm designed to be stretched, painful Braxton Hicks, painful kicks in the bladder, pain from Sciatica, pain, pain, pain.  Restless arms and legs that make me want to crawl out of my skin or rip my limbs off, getting up six times in the night to go to the toilet, a pelvis so tight I can barely walk ... pregnancy sucks.

But as I'm approaching the end, and knowing that this could be my last pregnancy, I'm feeling kind of nostalgic and sad, like I'll miss it a fair old bit.  I'll miss the wiggles (even when they last for 5 hours at a time and keep me awake half the night) and the quiet times spent looking at my belly and being so happy that I'm here again.

I'm scared, of the birth, and of going through the difficult newborn phase again, and of splitting my love between Jacob and a new baby.  But I'm so excited too.  I can't wait to meet her, I can't wait to name her, and to carry her, and love her, and see Jacob loving her too.  We very suddenly seem to have reached the end of what has been a long struggle, and I don't feel quite ready, but I know we'll be fine.

Check out my belly ;)