"There's a full-term baby in there!"

My new response to the ridiculous comments on how BIG I look (like to the lady who said, "You're bigger than me when I was having my TWINS!") will be, "Of COURSE I look big! There's a full term baby in there!"

I'm actually not hurt by those comments (anymore) but still so very very surprised by people's tactless. And yes, I WAS hurt at one point in my pregnancy, making me think that many other pregnant women are, too, so people should just get over themselves and say something NICE!

How far along? I'm 37 weeks, 5 days. That means TWO WEEKS from Monday is my due date!

Maternity clothes? I'm running low on anything a) cute that also b) still fits. Alas, this is to be expected. Thankfully I have a pretty dress I can still fit into, so I will most likely be seen at home making bread and changing diapers rather dolled up for the next few weeks.

Sleep? Well, my heartburn is actually intense now, so much that I sometimes think I am going to be sick to my stomach. It only comes at nighttime, generally, so I find myself, like tonight, up in the middle of the night wandering in and out of the bathroom. Needless to say, my sleeping is poor so it's pretty stellar if and when I can nap in the middle of the day.

Best moment this week? Since this is the octave of Easter, every day? In all seriousness, I can't narrow it down to one day so I'll tell you about all of them!

We had a beautiful Easter Sunday where we were able to attend a baptism (my cousin's baby) and enjoy the amazing weather -- sunny, very warm, basking in the beauty of Herring Cove (sidebar: it is and likely will forever be my dream to live there. I love it!). Then we enjoyed Easter dinner with my family.

Monday we went out for lunch, a rare and exciting treat, and looked around at Home Depot for new doors. Noah thought Home Depot was basically a playground, and was hilariously entertaining to us AND the employees by constantly knocking on the doors that were set up in the display area, saying "Heh-wo?" and opening them. After this we came home and prepared Easter dinner for Patrick's family. The rack of lamb I cooked, if I do say so myself, was mouth-watering.

Tuesday was a quiet but joyful Easter day, with Noah's frequent requests for more "pah-ah" (aka Paska) and us enjoying a more typical day at home.

Wednesday my cousin came to visit with her two children; Noah was nearly levitating with excitement to have a friend his own age to play with, and I was so touched to see him want to 'help' with my cousin's four-month old daughter.

Thursday, a friend of mine who is 24 weeks pregnant with her first came to visit (we almost never have company, so this week has been unusual, but very happy for me and Noah). She actually contacted me about coming over and helping me cook and/or clean. How could I say no? We had a lovely, lovely time.

Then on Friday I went to my doctor and chiropractor for routine a checkup / adjustment, respectively, then I got some errands done thanks to my lovely mom (a superb toddler-rangler and general lovely person with whom to spend a day!). I am excited to say I have everything I need now ready to go for the birth. The bassinet is set up, I bought two cute outfits on consignment to take the baby home in (one pink, one blue), my dad (bless his heart!) will be finishing the last coat of paint on the kids' room tomorrow, and I got all my toiletries for my hospital stay. Now I know I could just grab the ones we already have in the house on our way out the door... but I had a nightmare this week that convinced me otherwise, whether it is rational or not to make decisions based on dreams! In said dream, I went into labour, and I put Patrick in charge of putting the last-minute things into my hospital bag. My labour progressed fast though, apparently, and Patrick was taking his sweet time, because before I knew it, the baby was coming out of me, and I had to deliver it ON MY OWN in our room. Needless to say, I think this was my subconscious' way of telling me NOT to be so unprepared.

Oh yes, there are TWO things I need to do, though, before the big event -- get my camera fixed or replaced (I REFUSE to give birth knowing I can't have a photo taken of our baby right after) and ditto for the dishwasher. While I could just do them by hand, I have gotten quite accustomed, thankyouverymuch, to having my handy appliance and the postpartum period is no time to start aspiring to pioneer woman-like status.

Movement? He or she is calming down a bit, even at night, so the movement I do feel is way less frantic and uncomfortable than before. Also now I can SEE the movements vividly like ripples and waves. It's amazing and sometimes slightly strange to watch.

Gender? Well everyone has made their predictions now, including Noah, who has now decided Baby is a Girl and we should call her "Marg" (Margaret). This is also the name of his imaginary friend with whom he talks on the phone AND his baby doll that he carts around, wraps in blankets and occasionally throws from his highchair on purpose.

Cravings? Chalk. It's sick, I know, but my mouth waters at the idea of grinding it between my teeth. I have taken this as a sign of nutritional deficiency, and I did test low in terms of iron, so I am supplementing with extra iron.

Belly button in or out? Out. And very visible under any outfit. Not my favourite accessory!

What I miss: I'm missing it in advance -- call me selfish but I have become very accustomed to our current family rhythm. Our predictable life from sunup to sundown, the time I can spend focusing solely on Noah and doing things we love just the two of us, and knowing I have evenings free to enjoy with Patrick or simply to be by myself -- none of these things will be possible for some time after the baby comes. While the benefits of having another child NATURALLY outweigh the hardships, I know I need to enjoy these last few predictable days as much as possible, because life IS about to get busier and more complicated.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing the kids' room all done! The paint colours are lovely but hanging up the art et cetera will make it so much more exciting.

Weekly wisdom: Try to sleep. Daytime, nighttime, even while your kid is running around you and you doze off on the couch upright. Just sleep.