38 weeks!

Today's photo shoot happened this morning in the backyard. The morning air was warm, the sun was out, the birds were singing, and the cemetery crew was already mowing. Perfect nearly-spring morning! And you can see just how happy I was this morning by the amazingly smug look on my face here:

Actually, that expression is a response to Theo cat wanting my attention and being adorable in order to get it.
She succeeded.

So, the 38th week of pregnancy. This is the time when pregnant ladies start to get really antsy about when their bundling joy will decide to join the world. It's not uncommon for babies to come 2 weeks early, but, as I keep telling myself, it's also not uncommon for babies to come 2 weeks late. I need to get back into the mindset of Ruby being a later baby. Although I am doing everything I can think of to help her inch closer to birth. At work I sit on a big red exercise ball, which is supposed to strengthen my quads for a squatting position for birth and to get her aligned and dropping into the birth canal. I am drinking red raspberry leaf tea, which is thought to tone the uterus and get contractions more effective. And I went and got a pedicure last night with a full on foot massage. It is thought that there are places on the foot that when massaged in the third trimester, could send a woman into labor. That did not happen last night, but I did walk away with gorgeous Ruby Red toes :)
This past week we presented our birth plan to our doctor, who was on board with all the crazy requests we were making. Just kidding, there are no real crazy requests. My birth plan, or "Our Birth Preferences" as the document is entitled so to not get an eye roll from the nurses thinking we think we can plan a birth, includes statements such as:

• "I will bring in my own music." (more on that later)
• "I would like to be free to move through labor and birth to any position I prefer or find helpful to the birthing process."
• "I prefer that no pain medication be routinely offered."
• "I would like skin to skin contact immediately after birth."

This is all said with this disclaimer at the top: This birth plan outlines our desire to keep this labor and birth as natural as possible. These plans can be revised for medical reasons, should some complications arise, after informed consent has been well established.

So, should Ruby or I start not doing well during labor we are open to medical interventions only if we are first informed about the new plans and give permission UNLESS there is just no time.

Fingers crossed it won't come to that!