39 Weeks!

39 Weeks! I can hardly believe it. As Tyler said, this little girl really played the role of drama queen, getting everyone all riled up so long ago, with no real results. My trip with Tiana to the ER with contractions at 24 weeks seems like a lifetime ago. I couldn't be happier that she is now full term and taking her time making her grand entrance (and if she really is the drama queen Tyler expects, the entrance could be very grand... though I'm hoping for quick and low-key!). Every day that she stays in is more weight gained, increased head control, improved nursing skills, and a better developed immune system. Way to go, Baby Girl!

That said, the waiting is hard!!! Tyler compared it to seeing me walk around carrying a wrapped Christmas present with his name on it. Multiply Christmas times a million and take into account that we've been waiting with Christmas Eve levels of anticipation for over a month now, and that seems like a fair comparison.

Yesterday was the last day of our Childbirth Preparation classes (nothing like cutting it close, I know...). We spent a good portion of the afternoon with our instructor, Jacque, practicing partner relaxation techniques, massage techniques, and labor and birth positions. Jacque is a doula, which is a trained labor assistant. Unlike a midwife, who takes care of the medical aspects of the deliver, the doula specializes in making labor comfortable for the couple. As the husband of another mom put it, Jacque is "the MacGyver of pain relief techniques." Who better to have teaching us than MacGyver? I know Tyler is going to be great at taking care of me, and everything we learned about working through the pain together from someone with so much experience will be helpful. Tyler has now seen more birth and breastfeeding videos and learned more about labor and delivery than any other man I've ever met, both from classes and self-initiated. When another new parent asked yesterday what merconium is, Tyler smiled and responded, "Google Image that." I was so proud.