Pregnancy Log - Week 36

Tuesday, July 26:
Last week, though busy, was fairly uneventful. I was able to get another "haul" of baby things from Eva and Justin's, which included a bath, playpen, (more) clothes, a jumper, another car seat and another swing. We're thinking we might pass a few of the things along to our friends Greg and Sandra, who are due a month later than we are. One of the things that I received was Sam's old crib bumpers, which I was initially very enthusiastic about. But I've actually started reading some articles that advise against using crib bumpers. Until the baby can move, the main thing they do is decrease airflow, which is one of the causes of SIDS. When the baby starts moving, it becomes dangerous because they can smother themselves on the fabric or use them to pull themselves up/step on. It may be a cute addition to the crib, but I'm either not going to use them, or investigate the thinner, mesh crib bumpers (though, if the purpose is the protect baby's heads from bumps, I don't really see the point).
I finally made some key purchases. A stuffed animal net (for my stuffed animals actually) that hangs from the ceiling and the much sought after glider and ottoman.The nursery is feeling much less like a storeroom (which it's felt like for a few days not because it's been filled with a cradle and two unused chairs in addition to the nomal furniture) and more like a place to take care of baby. I still have a couple of decorating projects (making the dust ruffle, hanging the animal net and framing/hanging things) but most of the practical things are taken care of. Hurray!
Physically, it's been hard to deal with the hot weather and the crampy, B-H contractions, but I've been getting around. I'm still running errands, thanks to the air-conditioning in my car, and am keeping the house clean. Daniel still kicks around as fiercely as ever, but seems to be settled in a head-down position. I'm not sure if he's engaged yet, or if it just feels like he's settled down lower. Tomorrow, I have another doctor's appointment. I'm pretty persistant about finding out what's going on with us, but sometimes it's hard to get an answer. I hope I'll at least be able to find out where Daniel is and if anything interesting is happening in preparation for labor.

Friday, July 29:
The doctor's appointment was short and sweet. The only new thing that I found out was that I tested positive for the Group B Strep and will have to have antibiotics during labor for it. Other than that, my doctor reminded me that I need to call when I have contractions that are around a minute long occuring less than five minutes apart, if I have a gush of fluid or other such things.

Monday, August 1:
Today I realized that I can count the days until my due date! Last night I was experiencing a lot of painful B-H contractions, but tried to relax through the discomfort and practice the breathing/relaxation skills that I've been learning. Over the past couple of days, we've hung up (and filled) the animal net, cleared out the crib and put a sheet on the mattress, organize the diaper changing station and work out the birth plan. I still need to make an appointment with the fire station to help check the car seat installation and work out a phone-call plan (mainly meaning that we need to get a phone card and make a phone tree). In just a week, we're going to really be on the look out for labor signs!