34 weeks, 4 days - Babysitting

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm in Atlanta with Matt, watching little Cousin Carter while Aunt Amy, Uncle Dave, Cousin Brooklyn, and Grandma & Grandpa Rehbein are up in Pittsburgh for a wedding.  I go home today and it's going to be a very sad good bye.  I don't know how anyone in the whole world could do this if they weren't expecting a baby in a few weeks.  Little Carter is so good and sweet and snuggly.  He goes to sleep easily and loves to eat.  He loves to play and wears himself out well, but he also loves to cuddle and be held.  I do not want to give him back.  At all.  I'm sure it's hormonal and extra emotions and what not, but I feel like I would cry when I gave him back if I wasn't expecting my own so soon.  I only hope that I like our baby as much as I am enamored with him.  He's just so good and sweet and beautiful.  I'm glad we didn't take any pictures of Matt or me taking care of him, because I'm pretty sure it would make me cry.  Matt is really going to be a great, great dad.  He's really fabulous with that baby.  I am a little concerned that he's going to be a crazy worry wart, since in the three days we were watching Carter, Matt decided that he gave Carter a cold from the bath not being full enough or warm enough, Carter must be either too hot or too cold while he's sleeping/napping, Carter has a rash or a bug bite or bumped his head when we weren't paying close enough attention because there was a red spot above his eye, he must have gotten soap in Carter's eyes while he was giving him a bath because his eyes are red and now he's fussy (mind you, it's almost 8:00 pm and he usually goes to bed between 7 and 7:30), maybe Carter is getting carsick or something is terribly wrong because he's making a cooing sound and now he's fussing after being in the car for nearly two hours... and on and on and on.  I just had to keep reminding myself that I don't have a lot of room to poke fun because I come from a family of worriers and I'll probably be just as bad.  I just hope he doesn't make me crazy with his worry for our baby when he/she gets her.  But really, he's pretty great with that little boy.  I just can't believe we're going to have a baby in less than two months!  We'll be induced if it goes past 42 weeks, so really, we're down to less than eight weeks for sure.  And Just over five weeks until our due date.  And just over two weeks until we're officially considered "full term."  So so so crazy.

Oh, also, I suspect that Baby has "dropped" because I haven't felt a foot in my ribs in several days, I'm feeling more movement much much lower, and my tummy actually looks smaller to me rather than larger.  I don't really know how you know other than if your doctor tells you, but again, I'm not in that constant state of uncomfortableness from Baby's foot so either he/she took the message about getting out of my rib, or he/she has officially dropped.  In case you don't know what that means, here's what Babycenter says:

It's impossible to say precisely when your baby will "drop" or descend into your pelvis, because every pregnancy is unique. If this is your first baby, this process, which is also called lightening, is likely to occur several weeks before labor begins, though it may happen later. For subsequent pregnancies, lightening often doesn't occur before labor starts.

You may find that you feel a little different after your baby has dropped. Some pregnancy complaints may get worse, while others may improve. On the one hand, your baby will be taking up more room in your pelvis, so you'll probably find that you have to urinate even more often than before. You may get an uncomfortable feeling of pressure deep in your pelvis, feel increasing discomfort when you walk, and even begin to waddle a bit.

On the other hand, with less pressure on your stomach, you'll be able to eat a little more without feeling uncomfortably full, and if you've been suffering from heartburn, you may get some relief. You'll probably find that breathing feels easier, too.

While lightening isn't a predictor of when labor will start, it is a sign that your body's getting ready. It's normal to feel lightening up to four weeks before your due date. If you feel an increase in pelvic pressure or the sensation that your baby is "pushing down" before then, call your healthcare provider so she can evaluate you for preterm labor.