3 centimeters

That's how dilated I am! I spare no details, do I!? My 37 week appointment on Friday went great. All is looking good and now we're just waiting for Sesame to be ripe!

In the mean time, I can't get enough of my 21 month old. I feel like these last few weeks/days/hours are all so precious. And he is in a HOOT of a stage... ranging from adorably cute, giggly, creative, sweet, and even occasionally cuddly to stubborn, disobedient, insubordinate and ornery. It all depends on the day. Oh, but how he makes me smile. Even when I have to run out of Barnes and Nobles in sheer shame for how he behaved while within. Even then, I manage to smirk at the "fun" of being a mom to the little guy.

Meanwhile, Dad participated in the Water Tots class at the YMCA for J-man this morning. I opted to stay OUT of the water and therefore OUT of swimwear. In fact, there was a special "Spring into Fitness" themed day at the Y this AM, which included chair massages for FREE, so you can imagine where I spent the half hour my boys were in the pool... yum. It felt AWESOME.

Then this afternoon we went as a family to Quarry Hill, a nature center here in Rochester with neat-o paths and a cool indoor area for aquariums that house a variety of amphibians. I think EVERYONE in Rochester was enjoying the fake Spring today. It reached 50 degrees!

Post bath/shower attire (both Jackson and I believe that if towels/robes would be acceptable as full-time wear, we'd be happier people)
Speaking of wear, couldn't resist snapping this shot of Jacksonian "dressing up" with Mommy's scarf and Daddy's hat

36 weeks and ticking

Yesterday was my 36 week appointment (we're doing the weekly thing these days!). My belly seemed to be measuring small and the babe's heart beat was reading a little low, so doc wanted to check in on my amniotic fluid supply and observe baby's overall activity... off to the ultra sound room I went. Jackson, mind you, had been a GOOD little boy throughout the office visit. [Poor guy got caught on the wrong side of the room when doc checked my dilation (1 cm, by the way!) - I think he'll be scarred for life to see that scene!!!]

So when, at 4:40pm (when I thought we'd be heading home and starting our dinner ritual), I had to get this ultra sound done, I wondered what to do with Jackson. Thank goodness for Cathy, some compassionate nurse who volunteered to stroll Jackson for 25 minutes while I took care of business in the ultra sound room (NOT a kid-friendly sort of room). Talk about trust. Off they went down the hallway - and I had met the woman 30 seconds prior. Oh well, it takes a village. And besides that, I had no choice.

So I guess I should get to the point... the ultra sound revealed that I am FINE on amniotic fluid and the baby's weight is equally FINE - a fat 6 lbs 13 ounces. So nothing to worry about (although as I got comfortable in there and had to wait a few secs for the technician, I have to say my mind was spinning: "Ok, who will watch Jackson if they need to induce me tonight? I don't have freakin sub plans for school tomorrow! Did I pack my hospital bag yet? Oh, yeah, that's right... I started and so far all that's in there is an Enya CD and the baby's outfit to come home in. Great, I'm as unprepared as it gets. Will Scott make it back from LA? I am going to TOTALLY milk this experience for a lifetime if I have to deliver this baby alone.")

So once we established that all is well. I started zeroing in on that estimated weight: six pounds, thirteen ounces. That weight is precisely 2 pounds heavier than each boy was at delivery last time. Two pounds. TWO STINKIN POUNDS. So how much WIDER does two pounds make a baby's head, a baby's shoulders... Oh, geez. I'm freaking out about this labor. I gotta push out a FULL SIZED BABY... before I pushed out mini-babies. Granted, there were two. But STILL.

I finally calmed down.

Although a slightly interesting appointment, Jackson and I left feeling confident again. He was an angel, according to Nurse Cathy, during his impromptu stroller ride, and I was comforted that Baby Sesame is looking good in there. All is right with the world.

Mr. Potato Head

Mr. Potato Head is a big hit in our family at the moment. Here he is in all his glory. Most days Jackson gets his anatomy more accurate. But tonight's "Picasso head" made me giggle enough to get the camera. He must be in an "arm" phase.