Yes, forty-ONE. No, I am not posting a picture this week. Really… would you?? I still look pretty much the same as last week… very pregnant, swollen feet, etc.

We are trusting God’s perfect timing for our little one’s birth, so we have chosen that I not be induced until absolutely necessary (the doc said that would be a week from today… so week forty-two). We would greatly appreciate your prayers that I would go into labor naturally BEFORE that time comes! I know every family has to make their own decisions about birth plans, induction, practitioners, and more, so I am not saying that this is the only way of doing things. It’s just how we feel led to do things at this time and for this baby!

Our baby is perfectly healthy and passed all of the “tests” yesterday beautifully. She is active, her heart rate is high, she is breathing well, the placenta is working, there is plenty of amniotic fluid, and she is very cozy & content, apparently! They think she is probably between 7 and 8 pounds.

Here are some specific prayer requests:
-that we would continue to trust God in all things
-that our baby would continue to be healthy and well
-that I would not allow fear to overtake me (my mom had a difficult experience with Pitocin, so I have lots of concerns about being induced that way)
-that the midwife I have when I go into labor would be supportive of my desires to do things as naturally as possible
-that labor would start up naturally on its own before next week!

Thank you for your prayers! We can’t wait to introduce our baby girl to the world!

Last week’s photo can be seen here.

Yep, I’m still here, and no, I haven’t had my baby yet. I’m not sure I want to keep taking photos each week anymore…

At my appointment on Wednesday, my midwife said I am about 50% effaced and only 1/2 to 1 cm dilated. So… basically not much is going on. I’m cramping all the time, and my lower back aches a lot as well. I guess this is productive!

It would be cool if she were born on Monday, since it is 08/09/10, but being born today would be even cooler since only 3% of babies are born on their actual due date.

Hoping before next week I have a BABY picture to post, not another huge belly shot! Thanks for your prayers for patience!

To see last week’s bump and compare, click here.

At my appointment earlier this week, I asked my midwife how much she thought our baby girl weighs, since so many people have been asking me. Her best estimate (which could be off) was between 6 and 6.5 pounds. She doesn’t think she will be more than 7.5 when she is born. Baby girl still appears to be head-down and her heartbeat is strong. She is still active as ever!

I had three different women tell me separately on Wednesday night that I looked like I had “dropped” or was carrying lower than I was on Sunday. I definitely feel lower and more like I’m waddling!

I’ve been cramping a lot this week, so I trust that is a very good thing! When I wake up my abdominal muscles hurt (like after a good Pilates workout), so I know I’m cramping during the night. I’ve been timing these cramps/contractions, but they don’t seem to be getting much stronger or closer together at this point. My lower back also hurts a good bit, which I think can also be a sign that labor is drawing near.

Hoping that labor begins naturally really soon! I went bowling tonight (youth group outing), so hopefully that will have helped speed up the process! I also read that eating pineapple (which I loooove) can help naturally induce labor, so I ate a can of pineapple chunks today.Andrea took this picture of me at the bowling alley. I’m holding a six-pound ball… the same weight as our baby!