Hopeful Report at OB Appt & Ava Update

I had another OB appointment this morning and saw a different doctor than the one I saw Thursday last week. She checked me and said I am about the same as I was (2cm, 50% effaced) and that she thinks it is totally likely/possible that I will make it until Richard arrives. He may be arriving a little earlier than we originally expected, too, so for now I am breathing a little easier. My next appointment is next Monday.

Ava went to the day care place today during my appointment and had a blast again. I'm so proud of the great little girl she is growing up to be! She is SO stinkin smart and such a sweet girl (usually, hehe). One thing I'm keeping an eye on, though, is that she has been stuttering a little bit lately; like it just started within the last week. Initially it worried me but I've done some reading about it and it sounds like a pretty normal thing. Apparently it's not at all uncommon for 2-3 year olds to go through little phases of stuttering as their cognitive development and language skills do not always match up exactly. Like they can think faster than they can talk sometimes. I have seen definite changes in Ava's use of words in the same span of time as the stuttering so for now I'm assuming there's just a little disconnect in the speed of her different kinds of development. For example, a lot of times when she would wonder what something was she would point or bring it to me and say "What's that, Ava?" (phrasing it the way I would ask her). Well just in the last two days she has been getting it right instead. Yesterday we were outside and she pointed at something and said "What's that right there, Mama?" Another way she has changed is in the complexity of her responses and using more connecting words. Usually when she would go potty and seemed like she was done I would ask her if she was all done. She would say "Yeah" or "All done." Yesterday I asked her if she was done and she said "Umm, yeah, I'm probably all done." She has also discovered that if she's struggling to get a word out, whispering helps her. (Interesting.) So... I'm not worrying about Lil A just yet. :)

So, anyway, while labor and such could still happen anytime (I mean, really, no one every knows until it happens), I don't feel like it's as pressingly upon me anymore. It's nice to NOT be in control of this situation - we are forced (in a good way) to trust God and it's quite freeing. I think now I will be able to relax and enjoy the week (and these last days with just Ava) without analyzing what I'm feeling every minute (timing contractions, etc). I plan to still avoid extra walking and such but will do all my usual stuff otherwise. Story time at the library with Ava tomorrow, choir practice Wednesday night, girls' night with a couple friends one night, Shane's baseball game(s), another chiropractor appointment at the end of the week, church on Sunday, OB appointment on Monday, and then potentially picking up Richard from the airport any time after that (??). Oh yes, and lots of naps and resting mixed in with all of that as well. That should be a good week of keeping busy to (hopefully) make the time fly by. :)

I will probably update again here with my 38 weeks picture on Wednesday night or Thursday sometime. :) :) :)