The Final Trimester...

Like the first trimester, the third has a lot more to report on than the friendly, easy going second. Unlike the first though, the third seems to be busy with planning and preparing. It feels like I could include more snapshots, but I've limited it to this short novel on baby Worst's final pregnancy frontier...

Week 28: The beginning of the final trimester started this week. I still feel good, and the high of the second trimester is still lingering and sweet!

Week 29: As soon to be responsible parents, we decided to come up with and try a new budget. We successfully came up with a plan, but trying it out was easier said than done. I think the reality of the baby budget will come after the 70 diapers a week, sitter costs, and those stink'n cute baby clothes that are too hard to resist!

Week 30: This week I began having doctor visits every other week...and since I love hearing baby's heart beat it was an exciting change! I also started having some lower back pain, and found relief at the chiropractor office.

Week 31: Mike participated in and completed his first triathlon. Soon after we began focusing on the last leg of this pregnancy.

Week 32: Mike and I took a Babymoon to Frankfort, MI. It was in celebration of our five year anniversary. We were so happy to have this time to get away from the chaos and enjoy some time together.

Week 33: Apparently this Michigan summer set record breaking temperatures, and as a result my ankle swelling became permanent. I believe it was around this time that I completely gave up wearing regular shoes, and wore the same two pairs of flip flops the remainder of the pregnancy. The swelling was not partial to my ankles alone, and as my hands swelled to man like proportions I also said goodbye to my wedding rings.

Week 34: This week I was spoiled with two showers. I followed all the advice and sterilized, washed, and put away all the goodies. Mike and I started having "family time"...this pretty much consisted of trying to feel the baby move, going over names, and trying to picture what life would soon be like.

Week 35: Our last pre-baby vacation was with my family at Maumee State Park in Ohio. My family had teased us that we should find out where the hospital in Toledo was just in case baby came early...it did not, but we made up baby's first bed before we left on the slight chance we were coming home with a baby.

Week 36: Mike finished the baby dresser this week, and I quickly began filling it up. I started my first week back at Calvin College, not as a student this time, but as an MSW intern. And to add to this week's already busy schedule, Mike and I took an infant CPR and birthing class. We both left the birthing class with a sort of deer in the headlights look. I'm pretty sure I walked away saying, "I don't want to do that."

37 weeks

Week 37: Nesting begins (aka. crazily running around your house doing anything and everything you think would be important to baby's arrival). Our nesting included the usual cleaning and doing laundry, but we also added...

1. Had new outlets put in the baby's room and our room to allow for more baby stuff to be plugged in...night lights, monitors, humidifiers...I guess families in the 1920's didn't have all these items because the bedrooms in our home have one outlet for all your plugging needs.

2. Clean and organized the garage.

3. Fancied up the car seat and installed it in our car. Thank goodness for U-tube which gave us a nice video on how to install it correctly.


4. Had new windows installed in our home...we are hoping for better insulation since our baby class recommended having your heat set at 75 degrees in the winter! Seriously?? Our house was at 65 last year...68 for our lucky guests.

5. Emailed my parents directions to hospital

6. Packed the hospital bags. Mike also packed his bag, and has already placed all the gear in the car. Every once in awhile Mike's nesting kicks in, and I find myself sitting on the couch watching him run around packing or cleaning and it just makes me smile :)



Week 38: This was my last week at work, and we celebrated what I like to call my "early retirement" with some classy sparkling grape juice. I also found out at my Dr. apt that I was not dilated..and while this can mean nothing I felt a little disappointed to hear nothing was progressing. I now randomly contact Mike with messages like..."My water broke" or "Things are happening"...he does not find this amusing, but it sure does entertain me:)

38.5 weeks

Week 39: Hello cool, fall weather and goodbye a good deal of swelling. This week's Dr. apt report was the same as the last...not dilated. I decided I needed to help things along, and began vigorously walking and eating spicy foods. "Vigorous" may not be the best word to describe the hurried waddle I attempt when Mike and I walk, but it sure feels that way. As for the food, Mike and I have ordered hot pepperoni pizza, spicy Thai noodles, and jalapeno stuffed stromboli. While this may work to help your digestion, it does not seem to move a baby out of your belly.

Week 40: I thought I might not make it to this point, but here I am two days away from September 15th and trying to sum up all that has happened these past few months. It's increasingly hard to fall asleep, and we have had more dreams of baby Worst (both Mike and I have had a dream that we had a little baby boy). We are still tossing around the final baby names, trying to stay on top of the house (just in case), and keeping plans close to home.

Soon the excitement we felt about being pregnant will be a replaced with the excitement of having our baby here with us, to see and hold and love! God has given us just what we needed each step of the way. Now we wait. We pray for a safe delivery, a healthy baby, and a blessed start to our family.