sooner than we thought!

I have read and read and read. Every book, article, medical study or magazine that has been printed in the last 36 weeks has passed through my hands or lit up my laptop screen. I wanted to know everything about having a baby- how to have a healthy pregnancy, how to increase his likelihood of having a higher IQ and lower rate of obesity, how to manage pain during natural childbirth, the risks of an epidural, the benefits of breastfeeding. My brain is full of knowledge that most would find painfully boring. 

We were preparing to welcome our sweet little man with as few interventions as possible. Labor at home as long as we could, and then deliver in the hospital with no medications or the like. Because exclusively nursing and cloth diapering doesn't make me weird enough- after watching "The Business of Being Born", we even threw around the idea of having him at home- if I didn't live in the smallest rural town in Kentucky and knew where to find a midwife.

That was the plan until today. When my doctor looked at us and smiled and just said, "Wow... I mean... wow!" At 36weeks, our sweet boy measures roughly 8lbs 2ozs and is in the 98th percentile for just about everything except his "tiny" little legs which are measuring in the measly 84th. :) If we were to go to term, Dane would be roughly 10lbs! My doctor began to explain that no matter how we look at it, we're staring at a c-section. He doesn't want to risk any complications that could occur from having a 10lb baby with a 98th percentile head naturally. He did say we had about a 5% chance of having him naturally. If I go into labor in the next week he'll let me have him. If I make it back to our appointment next Friday, we're more than likely scheduling a c-section.

But I can tell he's dropped! And I'm having contractions every day, all day so I must be dilated and effaced, right!? Wrong. In my doctor's straight-forward fashion he informed me that my cervix was "locked up tighter than a jail". Great- thanks, Doc.

Praise God our sweet boy is perfectly healthy in every way- a little too healthy even! He's fat and rolly and growing beautifully. While I consider this "bad news" I know there are sooooo many worse things that doctor could have said to me today. I will gladly deliver my boy by section rather than hear that he is in distress... or worse.

We weren't able to get many pictures of our little guy. As you can imagine- he's completely out of room in there! We did get a few of his precious hands and feet. 

 His head is pressed against my pelvic bone and bladder so this profile pictures looks like the top of his head is cut off. His little nose is on the left. You can see his chubby cheeks and big eye socket. Maybe he has my big eyes! 

 This was the best face shot the tech was able to get today. You can see his eye sockets, nose, mouth and round chin. That's his arm/hand pressed up against the right side of his face. 

It's terribly exciting to know that we will have a baby in TWO WEEKS!!! A big baby at that!! We are praying that Dane comes on his own time and doesn't need a c-section. We're lacing up our sneakers and walking until labor starts- hopefully before next Friday! 

Please pray that our little man continues to grow perfectly and that his entry into this world is easy and uneventful, no matter which exit he uses. :) 

I can't wait to snuggle you and love you, sweet boy! I love you to the moon... and back!