36 weeks 6 days - almost full term!

Well I've had an interesting few days. The weekend saw my dad and step-mum come up for a visit, they stayed overnight in a nearby hotel and came back on the Sunday as well. We enjoyed seeing them and we went out for a couple of nice meals. On Monday morning however, both Jonathan and I got struck down by a diarrhoea and vomitting bug. Well, Jonathan just felt sick, and had the diarrhoea, whereas I was sick twice in the morning, as well as the diarrhoea, and felt AWFUL for the rest of the day. So much so I spent a large chunk in bed, sleeping or dozing, and even when I wanted to get up, I was incapable of watching over the boys, as they weren't playing nicely enough for me to simply sit WITH them in silence and stillness which was what I needed. I could have stayed in bed but there was only so much time I could spend in bed! So Jonathan couldn't have a rest and ended up looking after the boys all day. He was getting tired and ratty, and not feeling too well, so eventually I phoned his parents to ask them if they would mind having the boys over for tea and then overnight so Jonathan and I could get some rest and get better. So after the boys left around 5pm-ish, Jonathan went upstairs for a rest, and I stayed up on the sofa, facebooking and resting there, and then eventually decided to try an apple. I hadn't been sick since before lunchtime (that I recall - the day merged into each other) so I thought I'd give it a go.

Anyway, what with the tummy cramps from the illness most of the day, I did notice an increase of braxton hicks throughout the day, and then started to feel a bit concerned that maybe the diarrhoea would bring labour on early! Given that I was only 2 days away from my homebirth date, I was a bit disappointed if it would kick off!

We watched the second episode of the new Game of Thrones series, while we ate some toast, around 8.30pm, and went to bed shortly after finishing watching tv. I slept horribly, my tummy was still cramping, which was keeping me awake, and when that wasn't keeping me awake, Jonathan was wheezing and that was keeping me awake. I tried sleeping in Robert's bed, but didn't sleep well there either. At around midnight, I went for a wee, and when I wiped, I saw blood, with mucus. My bloody show! Eeeep! Or a part of it at least! Holy crap, I thought, but went back to bed and hoped it would all settle down again. Luckily, it did, and finally after I went to the toilet for a bowel movement at around 6.40am, my tummy pains settled and I got the first bit of decent sleep until about 9am. I phoned the midwife early in the morning as well, to talk about the diarrhoea, and tummy pains, braxton hicks and the mucus plug, but she wasn't concerned and said it would be fine to wait it out.

The boys went to bed fine apparently, which was good. And I did some washing, and a dishwasher load, and tidied up the carnage from the day before. I decided I was just well enough on Tuesday afternoon to drive and pick up the boys. I felt much better from the get go - I got dressed for a start!! And I was indeed fine for the drive - it distracted me from any lingering queasiness if anything! I felt very grateful for the small break from the boys, and it's nice to know that in situations where we're struggling that we do have the support. I reassured the in-laws that it wasn't going to be a regular thing, and how grateful we were. We would have struggled through no doubt, but it helped LOADS to have those 18 hours or so without them.

Anyway, we have now reached 10th April - which is the date that my midwife thinks I'm 37 weeks, (her wheel thing keeps saying I'm a day ahead of what I am!) so I am now cleared for a homebirth as of today! Baby is still wriggling loads, and in fact his movements since the illness seem to have become slightly stronger. I'm not sure if maybe he engaged a little so his legs have more room to kick? Who knows.

Also on other news, I think I know what the baby's name will be. I still want to wait for the birth until I tell Jonathan what I think we should call him. I just feel it would be a bit weird to call him by "name" before he's born. And I know that if we officially name him before he is born, that the name would get used in conversation, at least between us, and I don't feel quite comfortable with that for some reason! Maybe part of me is still a bit doubtful whether or not he's a boy - which is silly, because we SAW his boy bits. True, they weren't as obvious as Robert's boy bits, but still ;)

Anyway, I do wonder if we'll end up with an April or a May baby. 39 weeks 5 days or before, and he'll be an April baby, 39 weeks 6 days or more and he'll be a May baby. Robert was bang on his scan due date of 23rd November, and Christopher was 12 days early (and therefore a September baby rather than an October baby!), but induced.