Am I boring you with these pregnancy updates?

I apologize. There’s little else on my mind these days. I don’t have much else to share. That will change soon enough. In the meantime, thanks for hanging around. Did you enter the Ice Pop Joy giveaway? It doesn’t end until Friday so you have time.

I’m at 36 weeks now.

This past week has been trying, to say the least. The temperature has been around 105F for 3 of those days. I’m having lots of cramping in my calves (despite doing my calf stretches faithfully and taking a calcium/magnesium supplement), hip pain, nausea and fatigue. I have been praying that this baby come as soon as possible after 37 weeks and the home visit, when I get the thumbs up from the midwives for a home birth.

I did have a bit of excitement the other night.

Let’s just say that a mom who is hardly a rookie to this whole pregnancy thing can still be fooled by her desire to be in labor already.

A few nights ago I slapped a mosquito that had bitten me while I was sleeping. But not before it had already feasted on my unmentionable areas (that’s what I get for sleeping Commando!). In my sleep I also scratched said bug bite, apparently hard enough to draw blood.

The next morning while cleaning myself I noticed blood on the washcloth. Then there was blood on the toilet paper after the next few visits to the potty. Even though I wasn’t having any real contractions, just the usual Braxton-Hicks and crampy pains, I had never had Bloody Show before and wondered if this might be it. I called my midwife and started Googling to see how early bloody show can present itself.

Just to make sure, I decided to do a very precarious and difficult exam with a mirror. That’s when I found, and remembered, the bug bite.

While I was very relieved not to be in actual labor, since I would have had to go to a hospital, a teeny part of me was disappointed. At the same time, I realized how silly I was to be so impatient already. I’m very close, and I still have stuff left to do. I haven’t washed the newborn clothes yet! Hubby was freaked out, because he wasn’t ready. (Exactly what he has to do to “get ready”, I have no idea. LOL!)

At this point in my pregnancy I just don’t want to leave the house to go anywhere. I want to stay home and conserve my energy. I don’t want to talk to anyone, deal with the stares and obnoxious comments, or tell another person how much longer I have to go. Didn’t some ancient people have a women’s hut where grumpy pregnant ladies such as myself could hang out until their baby arrived? I see wisdom in that. The whole idea of “confinement” sounds real appealing right now!

Anyhoo. Here’s how the progress on my countdown checklist is going.

Countdown to Baby: A Weekly To-Do List

Week 36:

• Buy a few girl newborn clothing items. I already have some boy stuff my mom gave me. (I can always give away the items I won’t need later.) Done. I have a nice stash of gender-neutral, boy and girl stuff now. And tomorrow, my favorite thrift store is having their half price sale! I am so there.
• Start reading the instructor texts for our 2012/2013 school year. Done. I think I have a good grasp on what we’ll be doing, and I’m excited to get started in a couple of months.
• Get a homeschool routine down on paper. Done. This is actually more difficult than it sounds. For those of you who homeschool multiple children, you know what I mean! Creating a schedule that works is a real logistical challenge, and I’m sure we’ll make some adjustments as the weeks go by. I feel relieved just knowing I have a basic schedule outlined.
• Start potty training Ruby. If this isn’t quick and easy, wait until after baby arrives. Ruby is in a “No” phase at the moment, so I’m going to wait another few weeks to begin full time potty training. She does show an interest in the potty and will sit one of those inserts that fit on top of the regular toilet. Today she even made a tiny poo in it. She doesn’t like the potty chairs that sit on the floor at all.
• Cook and freeze at least 2 meals. I actually got this done! I have a pot roast with veggies, a lasagne, a huge dish of macaroni and cheese in the freezer. Of course, my mom brought over the last 2 items, but who’s counting? This week I’m going to make some mini meatloaves in muffin tins. I’m craving beef lately, and these won’t take as long to cook as a regular meatloaf. I’m going to freeze some so that after baby arrives I can quickly reheat one to eat for a snack or lunch.
• Schedule a blog post to publish postpartum. Done.
• Order a new bathtub filter (no chlorinated tap water on my baby, thankyouverymuch). It’s in my Amazon shopping cart. I have a couple other items I need so I’m waiting for hubby to place the final order soon.

I’ve actually done a few of the items on the next couple week’s checklists too, so even though I’m exhausted, I’ve been getting stuff done. We cleaned out the basement last week and threw out a ton of junk. That feels good anytime but especially pre-baby!

Previous updates:

• 30 Weeks
• 32 Weeks
• 34 Weeks
• 35 Weeks

What are you up to lately?