Six weeks and counting...

I love tuesdays because it means the beginning of another week pregnancy wise. This week I hit the 34 week mark, and I have to tell you- it feels good! I had my 34 week appointment today, which went really well. Even though I constantly get told that I look really good for 34 weeks (or in other words: you look too small to be that pregnant) my measurements are right on. I have a lot to say, but rather than try to list it all out paragraph style, why don't I just make a list? Here are my thoughts at this point in my pregnancy.

• Prenatal appointments have gotten kind of boring. This visit Christian came along and we actually waited twice as long (or more) to see the doctor as my actual appointment took. I had my weight checked (more on that later), my blood pressure checked (it's still in normal ranges, but seems to be a little higher each time... 125/62 today- but the Doc says that looks good), had my urine checked (numbers look good there too) and had my tummy measured (33 cm- just fine for 34 weeks). We did get to listen to baby's heartbeat again, which is holding steady at around 150-160 bpm. We did have a little scheduling issue at the end of the appointment (I blame the fact that Dr Watabe's regular receptionist is out for a few weeks). He will be out of town for my 36 week appointment an at first the fill-in-receptionist just wanted to schedule me 3 weeks out. Armed with my paperwork that says that I need to be seen at 36 weeks I informed her that waiting until 37 weeks would mean missing a whole appointment and asked her to check with the nurse if this would be ok. I was glad the nurse said "absolutely not, three weeks at this point is way too long", and I'll be seeing my doctor at the end of my 35th week for my "36 week" appointment. This appointment promises to be a little more exciting. I get to have my GBS screening (should be interesting if I'm strep-B positive, since I'm allergic to pretty much every antibiotic under the sun...). I also get to be pre-registered for the hospital, and he said we would talk about induction (whether or not I want to be induced at some point, and when, etc...).
• The hardest part about these prenatal appointments is the part where I have to step on the scale. I've already gained 30 pounds, and 10 of that came on between weeks 28 and 32 . Even though I KNOW that gaining weight is a healthy part of pregnancy and I KNEW going into this that I would be putting on a significant amount of weight, watching the numbers go up has been a little tough. The fact that it bothers me a little surprises me, but I keep reminding myself that my putting on weight means that the baby is growing. Even though I'm having a slightly difficult time watching the scale creep up past 140 pounds (save your comments... I know I'm being silly, but like I said, I've been REALLY LUCKY to have stayed much lighter for a long time) my doctor is very pleased with my overall weight gain.
• My back hurts CONSTANTLY! And my pelvis, and my legs, and my feet.... and it's getting increasingly harder to move. Poor Christian and Tieg, taking walks to the part take about three times as long these days. One thing I'm definetly looking forward to after delivery is getting back to walking at human speed.
• My fingers are swollen and my wedding rings don't fit any more. Since I'm not a ring person in general I don't have a ring that fits my ring finger and thus I walk around feeling naked most of the time. Oh well.
• Picking a pediatrician is overwhelming. I have plenty of recommendations and I've narrowed it down to two doctors. My insurance won't cover a consultation before the baby is born, so I guess I'll just have to pick one and hope for the best! Perhaps I'll write both names on slips of paper, put one in each hand and tell Christian to pick a hand. Both doctors come VERY HIGHLY recommended, so I guess there is no going wrong here.
• I have no idea when I'm supposed to pack my hosptial bag. Every book, magazine and internet article I have read had a differet opinion on timing. Plus- I only have a limited number of things that fit and I know I'm supposed to pack maternity clothes to wear home... any thoughts?
• I also have very little idea of exactly what to pack in this hospital bag. There are countless lists out there, but what's really important. Advice from those of you who have been through this before would be greatly appreciated!
• My nesting instinct has kicked into overdrive. I have been in the process of deep cleaning the house, organizing and reorganizing every room in the house, and folding and refolding baby clothes a milion times. Sometimes the urge strikes in the morning, but strangely enough the urge often strikes at 11:30 pm and suddenly the doors to the closet just HAVE to be wiped down and the sock drawer has to be reorganized. I can't explain it any other way but nesting.