counting down

Dave and I had a busy and fun weekend, cramming way too much in resulting in extra sleepiness today. And, to top it off, we lost an hour of sleep! Argh! We spent Saturday visiting family, walking around the Hopkins antique malls, taking in a film and having dinner at a local pub. Sunday was full with breakfast out, yoga class, a birthday party, and a huge frustration regarding the car. That's unresolved, but we pulled it together enough to make a nice dinner and watch the beginning of a sci-fi classic. Dave made it to the end, but I was snoozing by 10. It was an excellent weekend, and I've declared a moratorium on all social engagements (after this Wednesday, when we're having friends over for dinner).

While it's nice to still have some energy and feel like hanging with friends and going out, for the most part I want to spend the next week in my pjs, knitting and preparing for baby. I have some projects around the house I'd like to finish up, get the birth announcements in order, finish the sweater I've been working on , and generally just take it easy. I know that some folks get that nesting urge right at the end, and they're buoyed with energy which lets them vacuum and scrub the bathrooms. I'm fortunate to have a husband who does all of these things for me, so my nesting instinct (once it kicks in, that is...) will have to be directed elsewhere. If the baby doesn't arrive this week, I hope to spend my energy walking the dog, getting things organized, and mostly just having a few fun days to myself.

We got good news from the insurance biller this week, it looks like we will get some reimbursement for the midwife services and home birth. We had been planning to pay for the entire deal out of pocket, and it's a relief to know that some money will be coming back to us. It's unclear yet how much we can expect, but anything helps right now. While normally I would have a tirade prepared about how ridiculous it is for a health insurance company not to cover the $3000 fee for all prenatal services and birth when the average hospital birth costs between $8000 - $10,000 (that's one that goes unmedicated, unassisted, and completely natural), but that hour lost on Saturday night is kicking my butt, so I'll have to list my complaints another time.

The baby is the weight of a mini watermelon this week, something I'm unfamiliar with. Right now I'm mostly just grateful for the mini part, glad that the baby does not weigh as much as a full size watermelon. Apparently mini watermelons weigh a little over 7 pounds, and it's still hard to believe something so large fits inside my basketball sized belly. Strange, but in the last week there have been a few times when I've forgotten that I'm pregnant. I've been so comfortable laying or sitting down that when I get up, it's a shock to realize that I'm still gigantic. Who knew that something like an extra 40 pounds around your middle could slip your mind?

The pregnancy ticker says 7 days to go, but right now I find opposite number much more interesting. I've been pregnant for 273 days. If you divide that number by 30.5 - the average number of days per month - you get 8.95 So there. I'm 9 months pregnant. I win. Now where's my prize?