THE LAST WEEK OF PREGNANCY

This is what happened in the week leading up to the birth of our son:

Monday, April 2, 2012

In preparation for Ravel's birth, Marcel started working from home that day; and it's also my first day being a homemaker.  That morning, we went to SF to renew my passport and then went to the hospital for the prenatal check-up.  Little did we know that it would be our last prenatal check-up.

We learned that I was already 2-cm dilated, 80% effaced; and the baby's head at -1 station.  We were overjoyed to hear that (even though I am not a fan of vaginal exams) but had some worries because Marcel's parents - who made a special trip from Indonesia to be present for the birth - had not arrived yet.  So to maintain the progress but very slowly, Coach Marcel decided that I should keep myself busy doing light activities and avoiding squatting (one of prenatal exercises I enjoyed doing).  Hoping that those would help to keep the baby in until at least Friday.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012 - Thursday, April 5, 2012

Knowing that the baby could come anytime now and with the spare time I had while Marcel's working, I went to get 5 inches of my hair cut, sent the backup keys to our friends The Rustams (in case the baby decided to come before the grandparents), and cooked confinement food to freeze and eat for about a month after the birth.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Marcel's parents arrived.  YAYYY.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

I cooked lunch for the family.  I think I knew that would be my last time in the kitchen for awhile so I wanted to cook something for them to thank the parents for coming and Marcel for being such a great sport all throughout the pregnancy.  For dinner, we had a little April Birthdays celebration at the Texas Roadhouse.  Seriously, everyone in our family (including our soon-to-be-born son) has an April birthday -- BUT me.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

I felt like this would be my last church visit for awhile.  So after the Easter Service, I bid my see-you-in-a-month-or-so to our friends at church.  Then off we went for grocery shopping so that Marcel's mom can stock up ingredients to take over the kitchen.  Now that the parents were all here, baby was full term, and the fridge was stocked up, it's time to be back to the regular pregnancy exercises.  So we took an afternoon stroll around the complex.  Yes yes yes, walk walk walk.

And that's how the last week of pregnancy went.