To Drop, or Not to Drop...That is the Question!

Okay, so all the pregnancy books say first babies "drop" (lower into the pelvis in preparation for birth) up to a month ahead of the actual birth...but how can you tell? I went back to look at other belly shots, and from my vantage point, I don't look any different at all. But lots of people at school have commented that the belly looks lower...and I can indeed breathe better (for the most part--still get the occasional foot in the ribs) and the heartburn has been better overall. Not that that or dilation, etc. necessarily means anything--you can go into labor whenever, but it still makes you feel better. Kinda like when Dr. Herzog says I'm dilated "a tiny bit." He's probably just trying to make me feel better, lol (and I'm sure I'll hear the same thing, for the third week in a row, tomorrow at my appt).

Early this morning, I actually thought I might be in labor!! Somehow I usually make it from 10 or 10:30 until about 2:30 before having to pee the first time (and then it's like every single hour after that...sigh...did I mention that Jason and I finally traded sides of the bed last week just so I can be closer to the bathroom?). So last night, it was about 2:30--like clockwork, I had to pee. So when I got back into bed, Reid was moving around like crazy for awhile, then I began having pains (for lack of anything else better to compare them with, it felt like bad menstrual cramps) for awhile. It finally tapered off and I drifted back to sleep, but the same thing happened at 3:30, 5:30, and before I got out of bed, at about 6:30...sooo weird. I've felt pretty normal today (translated: BIG), but maybe have been a bit 'crampy.' I'm hoping this is moving the process along...we'll see what news tomorrow's appointment brings...

37 weeks:
Last Thursday was our field trip to the zoo. Can I just say it was FABulous driving there in a car versus the bus?? Last time (6 wks ago?) the bus was not comfortable at all. So I followed my formerly pregnant co-worker's lead and had Jason drive me. It was fun to hang out with him (plus he got to see the kindergarten madness I deal with on a daily basis, lol--I always liken it to herding cats) and was a lot less bumpy! On the downside, it quickly became the field trip from you-know-where as the weather declined. We basically got there, took a potty break, gathered for the tram, ate lunch, and it began to rain cats and dogs. I soon got a call from my team leader that we were leaving early due to a tornado watch--round everyone up. Thank goodness I'd gotten chaperones' cell phone numbers this time! So long story short, we were all completely soaked when boarding the buses...and poor Jason had to spring, flip-flops in hand, to the back parking lot where our car was. What a mess! So here's one of the only animals we actually got to see (excluding the tram). These cool little birds were flitting all over the aviary and hanging upside down to build a nest. They made sweet little chirps, too.

And here's my class, just off the tram as it was beginning to sprinkle. Jason and I got a laugh that morning when I put on my shirt and half of the bear paw didn't even show anymore...