Almost 40 weeks and busy as ever, so I haven't had time to update as much as I've wanted to. I had a lovely, lovely blessingway last Friday. I've never had one before. It was small, and quiet, and oh so peaceful, and a friend did a gorgeous henna design on my belly. I've always wanted to do that, and she made this incredible lotus flower that was just stunning. I didn't even tell her beforehand that I'd made an anklet for the baby with a lotus charm on it, and a matching bracelet for myself.

It's been so cold here, and I haven't wanted to leave the house at all. Today I had to make a run to the bank to have some paperwork signed and it was such a relief to get back home and spend the rest of the evening in the warm kitchen preparing dinner (baked ziti and salad, with chocolate cake for dessert).

The older kids and I have talked a bit about getting back on track with our Waldorf-inspired homeschooling, but I have yet to really get anything organized. It seems almost senseless with the baby due to arrive so soon; we'd just be thrown into chaos again. Of course, that might just be my radical unschooling mind looking for an excuse. The kids, however, are restless and eager. They've been pulling out the workbooks they bought at Barnes and Noble last year. It's tons of fun for me when all three of them are spread out ON THE FLOOR with workbooks and asking me to answer their questions and I have to hop from one to the other at 39 weeks pregnant. Ah well, that part won't last forever.

And speaking of the hellmonkeys, it sounds like they need help getting ready for bed, so I should run.

Mmm... pregnancy insomnia, how I've missed you.

Not really, but how I've missed those long, slow nights of sitting beside the window while snow drifted by outside, sipping tea and listening to nothing but the quiet.

I'm wide awake tonight, since every time I try to lie down, I'm either accosted by heartburn or by the baby trying to kick its way out of my belly button. Patience, little one, please? For the sake of my ribs.

It was my last teaching day today at LCG until after the baby comes. Next week I'll be assisting in Youngest's classroom so we can celebrate her birthday at snack time. Providing I'm not in labor at the time.

As much as I've been loving this pregnancy, and in many ways don't want to see it come to an end, I don't think I'll miss the heartburn, or the general feeling of sluggishness. I've decided it's hard being pregnant as a short person. There's not nearly as much room for the baby to hide out inside, so you either go outward toward ridiculous proportions, or everything on the inside gets awkwardly rearranged. In my case, it's been both. My freakishly short arms are not appreciating my current lack of reach (washing dishes has become almost comical).

I have one more load of baby laundry to do, and a few more nesting particulars to take care of in the bedroom, but other than that, I'm feeling quite ready for this baby to come along. After Friday, Boyfriend will be around for a long stretch of time, and I'm looking forward to that.

I'm feeling so good today. Tired, but good. It's Eldest's 9th birthday today, and two days ago it was Youngest's 5th. I'm hoping this little babe holds out for a couple more weeks, because we need a bit of a break after all the post-Christmas birthdays, but with all the contractions and "shooting crotch pains" lately, I'm starting to wonder if labor might be closer than I thought.

This birth is so different than my last two UCs. In Louisville, I had a few friends in the neighborhood, and they came to see Middle Boy the next day, but I hadn't talked all that much to them about my birth plans. With Youngest, I hadn't really connected with anyone in Rochester after moving back here just before I got pregnant, so her birth felt very secluded. This time around, I have a whole list of friends who've requested a call when I go into labor, and I have to admit that I'm very much digging the idea of a "labor party".

I'm especially hoping that my dear, dear friend Brittany is able to make it down from Watertown in time. Of course, my history of 2-3 hour hard and fast labors doesn't bode well for my dream of a long, slow labor with friends and their children coming and going as they please.

I think I'll spend tonight bouncing a bit on my birthing ball and drinking RRL tea. Tomorrow I'm going to try finishing up all my labor preparations around the house. Then it will just be a matter of keeping it that way for the next two weeks or so.

37 weeks (taken by Eldest):

37 weeks. And tiiiiiiired. Last night I slept really well, though. Better than I have in a few weeks. It was good.

Today I have tons of housecleaning ahead of me. I'm quickly getting to the point where I'm not going to be able to do all this really ambitious stuff (like scrubbing out the huge clawfoot tub) and I want it out of the way before baby makes an appearance. I think if I can start off with everything neat and organized, the kids will be more likely to help me keep it that way.

My mom and I went to the mall last night to get a few last minute things for the girls' birthdays this week. Normally, I have no use at all for malls, but with the weather keeping us inside this winter, it's nice to go somewhere and just walk for a while. I had BH contractions all evening after that, which was nice. They were very mild, but I love feeling my body start to prepare for labor.

So, my plan to post this today was derailed a bit by the unwelcome appearance of sewage in my basement. Luckily, the town came out on a Sunday to clear the access drain out front free of roots from the tree that sits on town property, and by now my basement has the lovely scent of bleach wafting up from it, but all is well, I think.

I have a few more baby things to wash, blankets and such, but I'll need to catch up on our regular laundry first. We couldn't run any water all afternoon while we were waiting for the town to show up.