7 weeks to go!!

How much further can my belly stretch?? I remember feeling this way with Zoe and being surprised every week. But seriously, I look like I have a perfectly formed basketball in my stomach.

So, I guess it's time to just share the news that I'm not really pregnant, just blowing a beachball up little by little every week. Ok, so just kidding. But sometimes I now days I wish I could just lift my shirt up and let a ball fall from it, all while saying "Just kidding with you...no baby, see?" and having an instantly "flat" stomach again. 7 week...just 7 weeks. I can do it!

Still feeling pretty good at this point. A little sciatic nerve pain for an hour here and there, but not constant or anything. Swelling started just a little bit yesterday, but not too bad. Nothing really new this week other than that I'm still contracting a lot. I remember lots of Braxton Hicks with Zoe, but not until I was 35 or 36 weeks along. Then they were constant. This time, they started way early, and although they're not very strong they're constant and quick. It seems like every other night I'm having to force myself to lay down on the couch, on my left side, and force a bottle of water down to ease them. That usually does the trick, but sometimes it takes 30 minutes or an hour for them to settle down completely. Those were my doctor's instructions to me...and what followed was, "if after laying down they don't stop, you'll need to come on in". Yeah, easy for her to say...she's not living an hour away with a 19 month old to worry about. I guess that's the price I have to pay for choosing not to see Arkadelphia's doctor. I'd prefer to have bedside manner to distance, and that meant traveling outside Arkadelphia. LR Baptist was the closest hospital that our insurance accepted at the best rate. The other ones they'll take I think but won't contribute as much. It's really a great facility, though and complete with a great staff of nurses and doctors. Just a little nerve wracking being 60 miles away.