Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Since You Asked . . .**(updated)

I just came back from the doctor, and everything is looking good.  Being just past 37 weeks now, I can technically go into labor safely at any time now.

haha. heehee. hoho.    Yeah, right.

I am totally hunky-dory with tempting fate and making fun of going into labor before my due date.  In fact, there would be quite a few scheduling problems that could be cleared up by having the baby now.

But since it's been almost 12 years since I last went into labor on my own, I'm not holding my breath.  I think my body may now be conditioned to wait for a little fake labor hormone prompting before committing to the big show.

Maybe that sounds a little callous --to talk about the arrival of a precious new life in the same way you might talk about a dental appointment --but when you've got five other little people who still need to eat, sleep, get washed and get to school . . . well, it happens.  There are a lot of arrangements that need to be made.

We love you, #6!!  Now if only you'd let Mom pencil you in on the calendar . . . .

Baby seems to be behaving by already being head down, unlike the previous two occupants who thought it would be funny to flip heads-up at the very end of the third trimester.  That's what happens when you try to make your uterus all stretchy and accommodating.

Of course, I scared them right quick into flipping back around when I decided that I'd pop into the hospital to try an external cephalic version, which doesn't sound terribly comfortable for anyone involved.  It's better to just do what Mom says from the very beginning, guys.

My doctor likes to joke that my blood pressure is better than hers, so I guess that the throbbing vein I feel when all the kids are scattering to the winds and leaving a mess in their wake is really not a sign that my blood pressure is in danger of making my head explode.  Good to know.

Aside from the usual discomfort of the third trimester and the significant hip pain I have experienced since my pregnancy with Sally, I am just playing the waiting game.  I should be playing the "dig around in storage for our baby stuff" game, but that doesn't seem to be coming together as well as the waiting around part.

I am curiously unconcerned about all that, given my need to organize just about everything. I think it's probably because I haven't really left the "baby stuff" stage for five years now.  We can pretty much host an army of babies at a moment's notice.  It feels relaxing and disconcerting at the same time.

Since we are nearing the end, a few of you have asked me about the good old HomeFront Baby Pool.  Mostly saying, "The POOL!  Are you doing it this time?!  You have to, because I'm ready!"

You know I love you for your enthusiasm, right?!  It makes these last weeks fun, and it's nice to know that everyone else is as crazy as we are to know what we are having. 

So I happily give you the Official 2011 HomeFront Baby Pool! 

(Notice I have refrained from calling it the Annual HomeFront Baby Pool, although it feels like that sometimes . . .)

Here are the terms of participation:

1.  Leave a comment with your predictions, including baby's birth date, gender, and weight.

2. Comments will be accepted on this post up until my due date, which is May 17th.  After that, no more guesses will be accepted.

3. The winner will be the person whose guess is closest in all the categories.  You guys are amazing guessers, and in years past the winner has come down to a difference of mere ounces!  Rob even has a little winner-choosing logarithm thing worked out, so I leave that to him.

4. The winner will receive a special "Pennsylvania" prize package and a donation made in your honor to one of our favorite local organizations, Mary's Shelter.   This place is excellent at offering real, hopeful, life-affirming support to women facing crisis pregnancies.  (And they are trying to open a second location very close to my area, so I'd like to help them as much as possible!)  

And that's all there is to it, my friends.  Once Rob gets home, I'll ask him for his official prediction.  Then I'll be sure to post it here, along with mine. 

For the record, I have been thinking boyishly.  I have nothing on which to base that, except the fact that with this baby my first trimester nausea was about the same as it was with Fiver and Bun.   Other than that, there has been no similarity to my pregnancies of either gender in terms of cravings or the way I carry.  

I will tell you, however, that my intuition has been correct all five times so far.  So my feelings could either be par for the course or my turn for a huge delivery room surprise. I really have no idea.  I'll let you decide.

I look forward to your predictions, and good luck!!

This was the belly two weeks ago.  Now add the three weeks I have left,
do a little pregnancy math in your head, and make a wild guess.

  ** For those interested, here are the parental predicitions:

Rob:  Boy, May 18th, 9lbs
Me:  Boy, May 23rd, 8 lbs 15oz

I know, I know . . . 8 lbs 15 oz is essentially 9 lbs, but I didn't want to guess the same weight as Rob, and that was Fiver's weight, so I went with it.  

Also, since a few friends asked about the weights of the other children, here they are:
8 lbs 9oz; 8lbs 15oz; 9lbs 3oz; 7lbs 12oz (4 weeks early); 9lbs 2oz

Happy guessing!

21 comments:

  1. Oh boy...I'm first!

    Ok, I'm guessing:
    May 19
    bouncing baby boy (because you do that girl/boy/girl/boy thing so well)
    and....8 pounds 12 ounces
    because you are looking quite svelte, my dear.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was going to say boy but decided to take a chance and say:
    GIRL, May 8th, 7lbs, 11oz

    ReplyDelete
  3. I also have to say BOY ....keeping the pattern going.
    May 21....can't be early....keeping that pattern going too.
    9 lbs 2 oz....AJ size. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Here goes:

    BOY
    May 17
    8 lbs 4 oz

    That's the type of baby we think we're having, my wedding anniversary, and the weight of our biggest baby so far.

    So exciting!!!!!!

    P.S. 500 to 1000 mg Magnesium daily prevents charlie horses (says my midwife).

    P.P.S. The baby name just came to us this week - you were right :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. OOO. Fun. I love games.

    Boy.

    May 13th. Feast of Our Lady of Fatima (wouldn't that be cool?)

    9 lbs. 8 oz. (sorry, it was the weight of Huckleberry, my sixth, all I could think.)

    PM

    ReplyDelete
  6. Amy Michelle9:53 PM

    Hmmmmm . . . I think I have to go with boy - can't doubt your intuition! I'll take a chance and say that you'll actually go on your due date, May 17, and 8lb 14oz. Be well!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Girl
    May 15th
    8 lbs 10 oz

    I haven't even been close yet so I'm sure I'm off on this one too :)

    Just be healthy and stay comfy!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Girl, May 15, 9 pounds, 3 ounces

    No rhyme or reason to my guess, at all. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm also guessing BOY, since you've got a pattern thing happening.

    May 20

    9 lb 2 oz

    As to organizing the baby stuff, why not put Sally to work on that? She'd probably do a great job.

    ReplyDelete
  10. boy... May 29... 9 lbs, 4 oz...
    of solid love!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous11:17 AM

    Here's my guess although it's probably wrong: boy, May22, 9lb 1oz...JuJu

    ReplyDelete
  12. GeeGee11:19 AM

    Boy;May 24;9lbs.5oz.

    ReplyDelete
  13. May 11! Boy! (So it must be a girl because I'm always wrong, especially if I'm sure that I'm right.) 9 pounds 6 ounces, keep that head down, son, like a good little boy!

    I'm so excited for you! Good luck!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sue S.3:04 PM

    Yay! I've been looking forward to this! :)

    My guess is:
    Boy
    May 20th
    9lb 1oz

    Looking forward to seeing you soon! :) Take care of that belly, Aimee! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  15. Marguerite A. Weiss10:02 PM

    I predict a baby boy born May 5th and about 9lbs.3 oz.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Finally, a night at my computer with time to enter my guess!!
    Let's keep that pattern going with a boy
    But mix it up with baby boy coming a little early on May 15th at 8lbs 15 oz (just shy of 9).

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous8:57 PM

    Girl
    May 19th
    9lbs, 1 oz

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous9:07 PM

    I wrote my guess before reading the rest and Barbara had my EXACT guess!! So, I will post May 19, BOY and 8lbs 11 oz.

    You look FANTASTIC!!!

    -Lisa L

    ReplyDelete
  19. Boy
    9lb 9 ozs
    May 17th

    ReplyDelete
  20. jlaflyer4:02 PM

    Wednesday, May 18 -
    Boy for sure!!!!
    9 lbs 3oz.

    You look fabulous!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous7:24 PM

    I was with T when she read you were going to have #6. I said at that time you were copying my mother. (She had 7) She had girl, boy, girl, boy, girl, girl, boy. I say you are going to be a girl born May 28th. 8 pounds 13 ounces.
    You are doing GREAT.
    T's mom

    ReplyDelete

Go ahead and say it. You know you want to.