One week till due date

Where has this week gone?

We’re back in the old routines of school and kindi and slowly adjusting. The girls have mostly been good for me in the morning; so I haven’t had too many drill sergeant major moments, but I do feel a little on edge with a rapid change in hormones. I’ve been really clumsy this week; what with smashing a glass in my hand and getting a nasty cut on my finger; and racing past a chair tonight and getting an awful scrape on my lower belly and then bursting into tears with worry that I may have harmed baby.

On Monday morning I was all set to drive the girls to school and kindi, but couldn’t find the car keys. For a moment I thought Dad had flown back to England with them in his pocket! Mum ended up walking Charli up to school and I called the Kindi to say Sophie wouldn’t be in (her Kindi is an hour’s walk from our house and I’m so not up to that right now!). By the time Mum returned (which was fast – she must have set a new speed record) I had found the key… oops! Mum said it was a clever ploy to keep her fit and I texted Dad to let him know I’d found it (he was in transit in LA and had said, ‘It’s definitely not in my hand luggage as it’s been searched twice by security already!).

Braxton Hicks contractions have been increasing and I’m finding it really uncomfortable to drive. Baby’s head is so low down and I keep getting quite sharp, shooting pains. The cervix is definitely softening and my body preparing for birthing baby. I never had ‘pre-signs’ with either of the girls. With both their births the first contraction I had was the commencement of labour. I had no ‘show’, no water’s breaking prior to labour and no Braxton Hicks. I never experienced the head engaging prior to labour either. This time round everything is feeling very different and I am really beginning to wonder when everything will kick in for real. I have been feeling very spaced out for the past few days and premenstrual. On the one hand I am feeling positive about all the pre-signs I am getting; hoping that they will mean a smooth and relatively short labour. On the other hand I feel on constant tender hooks as to when baby will arrive and can’t quite relax.

Mum and I have been really busy with preparations too. All the baby gear is sorted, but there’s always so many other little things to do, as well as regular house-work. We’re all organized with some little surprises to keep the girls amused when I eventually disappear to have baby. I’ve written them a little card each to say what amazing big sister’s they are going to be. I’ve fitted in a hair cut (probably won’t have one for at least six month’s now!). And we’re all sorted for Dan’s Birthday tomorrow – just got a cake to bake and a Birthday tea to prepare with the girls for when he gets home from work.

I had another acupuncture appointment and will have my last one next week (which will be induction treatment). Whilst I had my appointment I let Mum loose in town and was getting a little worried when she was a few minutes late meeting up. Dan has now sorted her out with a spare mobile phone we had hanging around so I can keep tabs on her 😉

Mum and I have been really cherishing our quiet morning’s together and enjoying morning tea at various cafes between doing the food shopping, returning library books and doing the house-work. Of course we’re missing Dad and thinking of him all the time too.

The girls have been really good for us, though naturally there’s been some adjusting as they fall back into routines. They played inseparably for most of the holidays and Sophie, in particular, is feeling the change the most. She really misses her big sister when she’s at school. Charli is fine and loving her new class. She is enjoying seeing all her friends again and can’t get enough of them – asking for play-dates after school, which I’m reluctant to commit to just yet as I cherish the time with her after school and so does Sophie! We have walked up to the school to pick her up a couple of times this week and enjoyed taking our time meandering home. The girls got a chance to have a whizz on the school’s new flying foxes this week, which they were totally thrilled about.

Sophie started swim classes on Tuesday afternoon (whilst Charli is at school) and totally loves them. She is already very confident in water, but is now in need of lessons to get swimming proper. Charli’s lessons are on a Saturday, which will make it easy for me when baby is here. We’re skipping dancing this term, as I’m not up to doing too much running around after school, but have promised Charli a return to classes in term 2.

Not much time to rest up and take it easy this time round. It’s all go till the final countdown – whenever that might be! The girls are very excited and cuddle up to my belly and talk to baby. They find it strange not being able to countdown to a particular day and every night say, ‘Baby might come tonight?’. Well, baby is definitely going to come within the next couple of week’s – that is for certain – and I’m just hoping we’re not kept waiting too long!

Here’s the final belly shot…

I always wonder if I’ll ever return to normal at this stage of pregnancy, but looking back on photos of when I was pregnant with Charli and Sophie and then seeing me normal afterwards helps to reassure me!