No, not yet...40 weeks

Alas...I have neither baby nor brownies to introduce you to just yet.

According to my research, my body is apparently not in a hurry to get the ball rolling.  Oh it's doing this and that - a contraction here, a mucus plug there (so gross, by the way) - but it's all so noncommittal it makes me think it's stalling.  I'm attempting to be a good cheerleader, "you can do it, body!  Let's do this!"  But, you know, pain.  I don't think I'm fooling myself.  And Baby James seems content where he is, even though YOU'RE RUNNING OUT OF ROOM, KID.  He has not got the memo.

So I had my weekly visit with the midwife and she finally checked me out internally.  I was dilated to a 3 and 80% effaced as of Monday, for those interested.  Also, that was fun.  I didn't know I could nonchalantly talk about mundane work things with a woman who's up to her elbow in my body, but I can.  Is that a good thing?

And then today I went to have the baby's heartbeat monitored to make sure he's not stressed out and to check fluid levels.  His heart sounds great but my fluid is only just on the safe side of low, so they'll check it again Friday if I haven't delivered by then.

But for now, maternity leave, babeh.

Anyway, I wanted one last shot of my belly, because who knows when it will be like this again.

See my bellybutton?

I still feel a bittersweetness about the end looming near and all that, because I really have loved being pregnant.  But now my back and pelvis have been so sore and achey for the last several weeks that I won't be so sorry for it to be over.  I think that's nature's gracious way of solving the sentimental hangup problem.

In related news, I found this on my doorstep last night:

So I opened it to find this:

Which I unwrapped to find this:

Isn't that Holly just the sweetest dang thing?

Tony was all, "what's that?"  And I told him a blog friend made and sent us a blanket for James.  He thought it was the coolest.  So do I.  I mean, how amazing is it that someone I've never actually met would take the time and energy to knit a whole blanket for my baby?  I love that friendship like that can exist, that I can feel loved by someone in a different country.  I love that people have talents and then use those talents to reach out to others, and that this beautiful Internet makes it so easy for us to connect.  I love blogging.  I think a lot of people think it's silly, but I've made several good friends just through this silly little blog of mine, and that makes it all worth it to me.

Also, I am so impressed with artists and business owners of handmade.  I can't mass produce on any level whatsoever, so the fact that you can buy your own blanket (or other knit thing) from Holly's shop blows me away. 

Have a good week, everyone!