32 weeks.

By Rachel Bridgwood

EIGHT! 8 weeks left until my due date. That is absolutely insane to me. I can't wait for my 36 week appointment. That's when we'll find out if they're going to let me attempt pushing that baby out or not. If I remember correctly, there's a good chance I'll be induced in my 39th week if that's the case. But I haven't spoken to my doctor about in for about 2 months, so maybe things are different now. We'll just have to see. Anyway. I've offically gained 18lbs, which is rad! I'm doing amazingly well actually. My belly is currently 39 inches around. Baby is doing splendidly! I'm measuring right where I'm supposed to be, & she's moving all over the place. Gabe got really excited this morning because he finally felt more than just a bump from her. She actually pushed up against his hand. His reaction was cute. He couldn't believe it. & we also discovered today that if I laugh for more than 3 seconds, my belly button slowly starts to creep out. It hasn't popped out all the way, but it starts to roll out on the edges if I laugh. Luckily I can still poke it back in.

Also. MY DOCTOR APPROVED MY TRIP!!!! YAY!!!! After last week's contractions I was really nervous that he wouldn't. When I first brought it up at my appointment, he was a little skeptical, but eventually he said it was okay & gave me a note to fly. I leave at 635am tomorrow morning on my way to Colorado Springs!!!! I'll be there for a few days, & then I'm driving down to Sierra Vista, AZ with my parents for my sister's wedding!!!! She's getting married next Saturday. I'm so excited for her. & I'm really excited about this trip. I'm a little nervous though cause he said I will no doubt have more contractions, & I'll probably swell a lot worse in Colorado thanks to the altitude. Rad.

Which reminds me. This morning I was getting my haircut & the lady asked me how far along I am. When I told her 32 weeks she responded as everyone else does. Saying that I'm super small for 7 months & she guessed no more than 5. & then she said, & I quote "I should've know cause your nose looks big." Then she went on to tell me that it's normal for your nose to swell toward the end. Um. THANKS! I am aware my nose is swollen. Why on earth would someone think it's okay to say something like that to a pregnant woman? What if my nose was just that big? I mean, it's not like it's huge, but it's definitely swollen. I just didn't know it was obvious to strangers. I couldn't believe it. I just sat there & laughed because I had no idea how to respond to a comment like that. I understand "oh, it looks like you're about to pop" (I never hear that, because I don't look like that), or other comments about my belly...but my nose?! Couldn't believe it. Really it's funny, & she's lucky I wasn't highly emotional at the time.

This week has been great. Tuesday night, Anya graduated puppy school! She got the top score on the puppy test in her class which is amazing cause she was pretty much the wildest one in there when we started this class 8 weeks ago. After the baby is born we're going to move on to pre-agility I think. Poodles love agility & Gabe really wants to get her into agility so he can get her on the big ramps they have. Gabe was home all day on Wednesday since I had to take him in for a quick procedure at the hospital & he had to be drugged for it. Good news is he doesn't have ulcers. Yay! He's also clearly not on drugs very often. When they brought me in to recovery to see him, he woke up briefly & saw me, said "ZYXW..." & then started snoring. He has no recollection of this. But it was pretty funny. He slept for the next 6 & a half hours after we got home. Those drugs hit him hard. Then that night we went to our first birthing class. That's when I decided I don't want to go through labour. I mean, I've always known that, but that really made it more real. How do I get out of that at 2 months out?! You know in the original Willy Wonka where he has that machine that can zap the candy bar out of the tv & put it on the table?! They need to make one of those. For giving birth. Zap the baby out of me & put her on the table. Quick & pain free. Someone get on that. ASAP. I need it no later than December 1st.

Anyway. My flight leaves in 9 & a half hours & I still have laundry & packing to do. Goodie.

K. That is all.

- Alexa