40 Weeks

Tom Petty had no idea how right he was when he said that "the waiting is the hardest part".

I'm still just hanging out waiting for labor to start. As of my appointment this morning, I'm still not making any progress whatsoever. My OB did an NST scan to see how Abbey was faring in my ute, and apparantly, she's extremely comfortable right where she is. Her heartrate was excellent and she isn't showing any signs of distress. I also had an ultrasound done to check the amniotic fluid levels and the flow of blood through the umbilical cord, both of which are excellent. The ultrasound technician mentioned that Abbey is practicing her breathing skills, so it appears that her lungs are doing great as well. We've ultimately decided to hold off on doing an induction just yet since there's no immediate danger to the baby if we just wait it out. I'm trying very hard to be patient, but it's certainly becoming more and more difficult.

I have another appointment scheduled for Monday (at 40 weeks, 5 days) to see if anything has changed.

Total weight gained so far: +34.4 lbs. (YIKES!)

From Baby Center this week, it's hard to say for sure how big our baby will be, but the average baby weighs about 7.5 lbs. and is about 20 inches long. Her skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason our baby's noggin may look a little cone-headish after birth. Rest assured - it's normal and completely temporary.

Once again, I apologize for not posting a picture. I just haven't been motivated enough lately to take one.