39 weeks pregnant

A week of lasts, maybe. My last visit from Frances. My last Nandos treat without having to juggle a chicken pitta in one hand and a baby in the other. My last ladies-wot-lunch date with Donna and Sheli. My last waddle round the racecourse with D-W before we have a buggy with us on the morning walk. My last supermarket trip without having a rage about B*****DS in big cars using the mother & baby parking spaces because its beneath them to park in coach class like the rest of us non-parents. My last long bubble bath with the latest Dan Brown novel. My last [insert activity here]..... MAYBE.

I say 'maybe' because this is all assuming she's on time and arrives in this next week. She may of course be late. Statistics suggest 20% of babies come early, 75% come late, and only 5% come on time. Of the 8 women in my NCT antenatal group, 2 have already had their babies - that'll be the 25%. Who's to be next I wonder? Susan missed our lunch meet up this week as she'd started having regular contractions, so fingers crossed for a progressive labour and the safe arrival for her baby with a natural birth which is what she's hoping for. She's overdue so no doubt relieved finally to be seeing signs.

My last pre-baby lunch with Sheli and Donna? Maybe.



My last pre-baby visit from Lady Frances HRH? Maybe.



As for me, I am officially fit to pop. My belly feels like an African drum, taut to say the least. And if I'm lucky between now and B-DAY, no stretchmarks... yay! Surely there cannot be any more room for growth in there?? I met a friends baby this week for the first time, a little boy called Toby. He was 3 weeks early and is now weighing in at around 9lbs - and that's a reality check for me... the thought of pushing a 'Toby' out into the world seeing as I'm predicted by the health professionals to be having a biggy. I think I need not explain further. Added to this fear, my hormones have finally started raging over the past few days and poor Matt the Husband is taking the brunt. I hope for his sake that Gracie-wiggle sticks to her mothers ethos of never being late for anything (ones own birth included), as I feel there is only so much the Husband can take before he runs for the hills to take cover. I feel exceptionally mean spirited over these pregnancy hormones since the aforementioned lovely Husband made his last pre-baby guilt free splurge by buying me a new SLR camera to capture the life of the little one with a bit more creativity than this automatic Canon can do. I am a big meanie and he's such a sweetheart x x x

My last pre-baby antenatal photo? Maybe.



So wish me luck, I imagine I'll need it. Or it may be I'm back again next week blogging my annoyance that someone little in my family is LATE. I am planning on having a few stern words with Baby L this evening - WATCH THIS SPACE!

39 weeks down, 1 week to due date.