how much longer?

I am now 38 weeks pregnant. Although I know that I am still a week and a half away from my due date, I still can't help but hope that every day will be the day that I might go into labour! I had signed up to a million various baby type websites, babycentre, mothercare, SMA and all the rest and last week I kept getting email notifications informing me that I am now 37 weeks pregnant and considered full term. Whilst that is pretty reassuring, knowing that the baby could be born then and everything will be alright, it also makes me think, "okay, I'm full term........ now where are you??". Maybe it would be better if they didn't mention anything about you being full term at 37 weeks, as at that point I'm still 3 weeks from my due date and potentially around 5 weeks away from having the baby!

Then again, perhaps it does increase the anticipation! Seth and I are both getting very excited about meeting the baby. After not having anything sorted out for the longest time, I can now say that I think everything is in place as far as it can be anyway, and we are ready for the baby to come. On the other hand, am I the only first time Mum who, whilst being excited about it all is also a little bit freaked out? Take for example last night. I was really tired, Seth wasn't home from work yet. So I just laid on the sofa and watched TV. Very lazy and unproductive of me I know. But then I got to thinking that in a couple of weeks' time, everything is going to change. It's no longer going to be about me doing what I want, we have this new little person to take care of and look after. And whilst I really can't wait, I still find it slightly daunting! Okay, very daunting! I don't know anything about babies! I'm rubbish with babies! I am the overgrown child who sits there with their arms outstretched, waiting for a newborn to be placed in their arms because I am not capable of picking them up myself. You think I'm joking, but really, I'm not actually much better than that. I went to see Katie a few days ago and held her beautiful baby girl and I was afraid that somehow I would break her. How exactly I would do that, I don't know, I was only holding her! Everyone says that it just comes naturally to you when it's your own, so I'm hoping that they're not just lulling me into a false sense of security!

Despite me freaking out a bit about it all though, I am still so happy that we are having this baby. I am also really happy that I can eat pineapple again. I don't know if it's true or if it's an old wives tale that eating pineapple can help to bring on labour because it can soften the cervix. But when you've been craving it since around 16 weeks, it's not really the sort of thing you want to take the chance on anyway, is it? I'm also not eating lots of pineapple to bring on labour (although I wouldn't mind!) but it's really nice to actually be able to eat it again and not have to worry.

My Mum has decided to keep a chart of all of my family's guesses as to when they think the baby will arrive, how much it will weigh and what sex it will be. Two members of the family have guessed mine and Seth's wedding anniversary as the date, the 11th July. My midwife and I have decided that I should have it on the 9th, because she's on duty in the hospital that day. I know it will come when it's good and ready but I find trying to guess these sorts of things quite fun! Sometimes when I try to guess the sex of the baby, Seth in a very male, matter of fact way points out that I didn't want to find out the sex. I'm still glad that we didn't, because I still like to keep guessing!

I'm hoping that this will be the last blog post I write, sans-baby, so we shall see how that works out!