Week 38: A Leek, or a Canned Ham

Sort of a rough few weeks around here, as we pound down the pregnancy homestretch. 

1. Last week at my 37-week checkup I got the DTAP vaccine (Whooping Cough, Diphtheria, Tetanus), more for Baby than for me. The nurse warned me that "there may be some discomfort the next day," meaning "your arm will feel like it was bitten by a pterodactyl." For the first few days my upper arm was red, inflamed, and itchy. After 1 week it feels mostly better, with just a hard lump at the injection site. 
2. The next day, Wyatt fell on me while climbing into bed with us -- or, his head fell onto my eye, leaving me with a nasty shiner. (His response? "I bonked Mama." He says he "bonked" whenever he runs into a door, a table, or a head.) Upon seeing the black eye, some people asked what the other guy looked like; I told them I let him off easy. 
3. I now have acid reflux, aka GERD or "I threw up a little in my mouth." This happens after eating most food. I can't tell what triggers it. I've given up trying. 
4. Speaking of food, eating large meals and even breathing are difficult as Baby takes up more space in my abdomen. 
5. Sleep is becoming less possible, which is ironic considering how tired I am most of the time. It just takes forever to fall asleep and stay asleep. I've heard this is to acclimate your body to what's coming ... the months of sleeplessness, broken sleep, or bad sleep.  We've been there before, and are ready, sort of. 

How I feel, and probably how
Baby feels.

Waah waah, waah. Baby is doing well -- initially I thought I was not as big as I was with Wyatt, but now I think I am. My belly is hard and dense, like a canned ham. At last week's 38-week checkup, I found that Baby is around 6.5-7 lbs. right now (supposedly the size of a leek), so s/he is on track to be as big as his/her brother. My BP is elevated (126/74) but no one seemed too concerned, since D-Day is now only 1.5 weeks away -- I'll probably deliver before it gets dangerously high. A box of tiny, doll-sized newborn diapers is ready; the nursery is ALMOST done; and I'm preparing to wash the first load of onesies in Dreft. Next up ... packing the hospital bag, and buying some frozen meals to get us through those first bleary weeks.