36 weeks!

So yup four weeks to go... in theory. I'm still feeling really good and have quite a bit of energy. It's not so hot here anymore so I'm able to move about more during the day and not hide from the intense sun. My belly's now 40 inches around and suprisingly enough my uterus is measuring 36 cm- thought you might be keen to know Audrey : ) I'm looking forward to finishing up work in two weeks and being able to totally focus on myself and the ever-growing mystery bump. The baby's head down, yet not fully "engaged" in my pelvis, so my belly hasn't dropped. Everthing is feeling more surreal than ever and it's hard to imagine Kris and I being parents in such a short time! We've hired the birth pool, got our birth "plan" and I'm starting to think about what type of music, if any, I'd like to have in the background during labour. I'm thinking about ocean sounds or whale calls- have heard you can get cds of mama whales calling to their calves and quite like the sound of that. Our midwife was saying some women have laboured to comedy cds to help them relax with laughter. . .don't think that one's for me though! I've joined an active birth group of mamas that meets informally at someone's house for a morning each month. It's been really great meeting other women I can really connect with. Most of them already have children, yet there are a few of us new mums-to-be. It's pretty inspiring to listen to birth stories along with laughter and positive energy, instead of the horrendous stories mum's feel compelled to share. It's quite a phenomenon I reckon- the desire to tell first-time pregnant women horrible stories about something they're about to go through for the first time and might already feel a bit apprehensive about. And they can be quite intimate, personal details they share and it doesn't seem to matter that we've only just met and they might not even know my name! In anycase I'm looking forward to the mystery that lies ahead and maintaining my view that I can do my best to prepare- emotionally and physically and remain positive, and at the end of the day what will be will be. . . what really matters is welcoming a healthy baby into our lives : )