Now I am truly nervous!

Week 38! My last day at work was yesterday. I'm glad the baby held off from any emergency early labor at work, just too much drama for a work setting =P I'm sure our VP Operations was nervous that an impending birth could be possible at the office considering I only have two weeks left! Last week, my co-workers threw a surprise baby shower for baby Chin complete with musical BINGO and yummy cake made completely out of little cupcakes. I received my first ever diaper cake. It was so cute!

When I wrote my last post about being anxious, I never thought that I would be hit with even more nervousness weeks later. It is probably a combination of a few things; doctor observing the baby dropping, increased pressure in the pubic bone area and increased frequency to pee, meeting with our Doula to discuss labor and delivery and finishing up at work.

There are still a few more things that need to be done but overall, we are ready if the baby should decide to come right NOW but it's more the mental nervousness that is bugging me. Up until now, I have avoided thinking of the laboring part (ignorance is bliss?!?) I have not overwhelmed myself with reading others' birth stories for the reason that I know each person has an unique story to tell and it would only make me more anxious wondering what mine would be. After meeting with our Doula today and going over some labor logistics, I felt so overwhelmed with the thought that my pregnancy 'condition' will soon be changing. In fact, our lives will forever be changed (many have made that comment and it doesn't make it any more comforting). Rob was right when he said it was good for me to work right up to now, 2 weeks before the due date so I wouldn't have so much time to think and get anxious about the impending birth. Now we just wait... There are things I can do in the meantime to 'prepare' the cervix for the most optimal birth and I guess I can focus on these things so I have less time to wonder when it will actually come.

In the past week, my ugly stretch marks have taken on an even uglier side, they began to itch. The full medical term for it is Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy, or PUPPP and is inmensely irritating. I try not to stratch but there's such a large area under my navel that it's so hard to control and once I start, I can't stop and then it spreads!! Cold cream and anything cold from the freezer helps with the itch but it seems to be very bad at nights. So right now, as I type, i'm trying hard to focus on blogging and not itching my tummy =(

Other than that, Rob and I went to listen to Dr. Harvey Karp share about how to calm a baby and minimize tandrums in toddlers on Monday night at the VPL Main Branch. He did his magic with the babies in the room and had the parents try his techniques right there right then. It was an eye-opener and he was a good speaker. We saw this funny commercial about a toddler throwing a tandrum at a grocery store: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_0bhT98g9Y

Dr. Harvey Karp wrote The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block. Visit his website for more information.

Stay tuned for more updates on the baby's arrival.