Week 35 – November 23, 2010

Your Body: Now that D-day (that's delivery day) is sneaking up on you, you may start to get nervous about what a literal pain in the you-know-what it'll be. But instead of focusing on the "ouch!" of it all, focus on the "oooh!" of it: meeting your baby for the very first time. At this point in your pregnancy all the blood has gone to your belly ... literally. Nearly 1/6 of your body's total blood volume is chugging around in the vessels in your uterus. So that's why you feel so lightheaded all the time! Starting next week you'll visit your OB or midwife weekly. Every time you go you'll probably beg her to tell you when she thinks your babe is coming. Unfortunately, her guess is about as good as yours. Even if you're dilated, there's no telling exactly when baby will make his appearance. If you're not just a little bit scared of the pain that occurs during labor and delivery, then you're either very brave or totally in denial. For those who are scared, it's completely normal, but keep in mind that you are not the first woman to give birth. It may not seem like it, but women have actually been delivering babies for centuries (many without pain medication—who knew?!). The best way to get a grip on the fear of the unknown is to educate yourself about the labor process and to research your options. Your pregnancy is progressing and you may have trouble sleeping at night. Some claim that this is mother nature's way of preparing you for life with a new baby. Others believe it is caused by worrying about the health of your baby, labor, and/or parenting. There are also numerous physical reasons that sleep may be difficult. If you cook, start doubling recipes and freezing half. You and your partner will be too exhausted to cook in the first weeks after you bring your baby home and you'll be thrilled to have healthy meals you can heat up fast. If you don't cook, go around your neighborhood and pick up all the takeout and delivery menus you can find. You'll be grateful for all the options at your fingertips.

Your Baby: Your little Karate Kid can't quite pack the punch it used to due to the limited space inside the womb these days. You're likely to feel more wiggles, stretches and rolls than kicks and jabs. The extra layer of fat your baby is adding will create those cute dimples on your baby's elbows and knees. The liver has begun processing the waste products, so you know which organ to thank when he or she has the first blowout up the back of its onesie. Baby's nails are growing so long they may curl over the tips of its tiny fingers and toes before it sees a pair of clippers. Baby'll be in serious need of a mani-pedi once born (as will you). During these last weeks, your baby is developed sleeping patterns (and they often have little to do with night and day!) Your baby is now about 5½ pounds and over 18 inches long—about the size of one of those price-club sheet cakes.

"Okay, so how many meals were you thinking of making in between now and Christmas for after the baby's born?" asked Chase as he helped his wife unload the car after an evening filled with grocery shopping.

"Just enough to get us through the first couple of weeks or so. And considering that the only thing either of us will be doing along with taking care of the baby would include sleeping, it would be best to prepare ahead instead of ordering take-out every single time," responded Cameron as she put her bags down on the table. Even though the bags were light in weight, it still wore her out.

"Good point. In the mean time," he interrupted her unpacking of foodstuffs and gently guided her into a chair. "Why don't you sit down and unpack instead of standing the entire time."

"Thank-you," she told him with a smile before there was a knock at the door. Chase opened the door to reveal Wilson, still looking haphazard from work. "Hi Wilson. What brings you to this side of town?"

"Doing my civil duty to check in on a couple of colleagues," smirked Wilson as he gave Cameron a kiss on the cheek. "How much longer are you going to carry this thing around? Give it up, give it up I say!" he joked as he patted Cameron's larger than life belly.

"Very funny. And in answer to your question, forever," she said as she stood up to move over to the couch but not before her ever watchful husband stepped in out of nowhere and helped her. "Thanks hon."

"Now, the reason for my unannounced visit is something that I want to do for the two of you, on top of future babysitting jobs."

"Which is?" asked Chase.

"A week's worth of pre-cooked meals for you, free of charge."

"Thanks Wilson. That means one less thing for me to worry about," smiled Cameron as she rubbed her belly.

"No problem. With the baby and everything, your hands will be tied down forever."

"Don't remind us," remarked Chase. "We'll remember to save room in the freezer for your food Wilson."

"Gee, thanks," acknowledged Wilson as he turned to leave. "See you guys tomorrow." Walking out the door, he closed it behind him. When Chase locked the door, he turned to Cameron and blew out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I'll say," agreed Cameron as she stared at him. Feeling the baby kick, she reached her hand out for Chase who immediately went to her side and placed his hand where the baby had kicked. "Not much longer now."

"We've made it this far, just a few weeks more and then it'll be all over."

"For who? You or me?" she asked as they continued to bask in the love that they had created all those months ago that now wanted to be with its parents.

During the night, both Chase and Cameron were dead asleep when all of a sudden, Cameron began to not only move in her sleep, but moan as well, almost as if she was having a nightmare. Whatever was wrong, it woke Chase up. Switching on the light, he turned over to face his wife, who was now sweating up a storm.

"Allison," he called out to her. "Allison," he said again but this time shook her awake at the same time. When she opened her eyes, she looked around dazed and confused. "It's all right now, it's over," he whispered as he comforted her.

"I don't feel so good," she told him a moment later.

"Do you want some milk?" Seeing her nod he left for the kitchen. He came back a moment later and found her with her eyes closed. Putting the glass down, he turned on her nightstand before brushing the hair off of her face as he gently applied a compress to help cool her off. About five minutes later, Cameron was sitting up in bed against Chase, drinking her milk as they listened to the soothing music of the cd again, as they had done every night for the past couple of weeks. "Are you okay now?" asked Chase after a while.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" When she silently nodded, he took the empty glass from her and got up to turn the music off. "Go ahead and lie down. I'll be right back." A minute later, he had his arm around his wife's belly, feeling the baby kick gently inside its mama. I know baby, I know. Just a few more weeks and then you'll be here with us.

A/N: I know what ya'll are thinking: Way too short! Well, let's just call this a "preview of coming attractions" chapter. Enjoy & R/R!