35 weeks, prodromal labor (?) and nesting

Yesterday I hit the "35 Week" mark! If I were to go into labor at the same time as I did with Peanut, that means I'd only have 9 days left. :shock: Isn't that insane? Doesn't it seem like this pregnancy has flown by? Eh, maybe it's just me!

I have a check up on Monday with Dr. P and I'll be curious to see what kind of changes are going on. I know that Sweetcheeks is still head down...she has the hiccups as I type and I can feel them way down by my pubic bone. We've used our Doppler a couple times this week and her heart-rate is always right around 150-155. This is totally TMI but since it's my blog I'll share anyway, but I lost a big of my mucous plug already. Eek!

The crazy thing is the amount of contractions that I've been having. While still highly irregular, they are getting stronger. To me, Braxton Hicks contractions are just a general tight feeling over my belly. I get them after carrying Peanut or going upstairs too quickly. Carrying in heavy groceries or sitting up too fast, etc. I've had them on and off since about 22 weeks. But the last couple days I've been feeling ''real'' contractions. I'll get this kinda breathlessness feeling, followed by my abdomen cramping and tightening up and my back hurting. They about a minute and then fizzle off. They don't hurt but they are much more intense. They'll come on weather I'm sitting, standing, and even sleeping...doesn't seem to matter. And they'll be anywhere from 20 minutes apart, to 4 minutes, 8 minutes, then 35 minutes...no pattern what so ever. But it has made the whole thing seem more real, that's for sure!

When pregnant with Pooks I was in Prodromal labor for over a week. Some call it false labor, but I prefer prodromal because for me, I typically really am progressing. At my 34 week appointment I was 1cm dilated, I'm curious to see what I will be on Monday (35w3d). I know that dilation doesn't mean I'll go into labor any sooner but it's encouraging to know that my body is working. I love going into active labor being 3 or 4 centimeters dilated already...without having felt any pain before that. It makes managing labor and getting through the active and transition phases without pain relief much easier; after all if I can progress through {the first} third of labor without even knowing it, surely I can get through the other 2/3 without pain relief!

Lastly in addition to the contractions and general uneasy feeling, I'm nesting. It seems like there is something everyday that hits me and I have to do it right then or I can't stop thinking about how it needs to be done before Sweetcheeks gets here. On Wednesday, I mowed the front yard. On Thursday I vacuumed the entire house, used the attachment to vacuum along all the baseboards and all the air vents/ducts. On Friday I jokingly {and non jokingly} harassed B to clean the garage. Which he did and I feel much better. Friday night I finished packing my hospital bag and attached a post-it to the top with the remaining items to be thrown in last minute. Today I bought a nursing tank and some pj's to wear at the hospital, then did all of the laundry. I mean all of it. Other than the clothes that we wore today, everything else is clean. Bed linens, dog bedding, everything. And I feel much better :)

We're getting down to the wire and it's amazing how quickly it's passed by!