Less Than a Week

Today was my last non stress test and my last OB appointment, barring something weird happening.

The Baby was very cooperative during the NST.  She bopped around and wiggled and the OB loved the heartbeat strip.

I am so ready to have this baby. I am so so so so so ready to have this baby :-).

I am sure part of it IS knowing that the end is in sight.  But I'm also just tired and very bulbous.  My feet and ankles are swelling, I have slight numbness in my feet ( possibly from the swelling), I have to use the bathroom all the time, hormones are raging...yes, I am ready.

My blood sugars and blood pressures are still great.  For an old mama, I'm doing very well.

Just for fun, I looked at some articles about fertility in the 40's.  The short truth is that very few 44 year old women carry a baby to term without intervention from fertility specialists.

I even found an article about an Amish population over the last 100 years.  The Amish usually don't use birth control methods and have large families; even in the Amish group, the average age for "last baby" was around age 40...not 44.

So yes, this kid is a remarkable gift.  One of our children commented that I've thought the last 4 kids would be "the last", and she is right -- I thought Angela (now age 6) would be the last baby after I had 3 miscarriages in a row in 2009.  Then Sarah seemed to be our surprise miracle.  Then Daniel was conceived and carried to term when I was 42. And now Little Miss.  People keep asking me if she is the last and I sure THINK so -- I am 44!  But maybe we'll be surprised again!  For now, I'm thankful for our 9.

And the name game continues.  I think we have a name, but it is a different name from the one I alluded to last week.  So we may change our minds again.