The final countdown.

On Tuesday I will officially be 34 weeks pregnant. Hallelujah. Not that I'm ready for them to be born at 34 weeks, because I still want to squeeze a few more weeks outta these boys. But for me, 34 weeks = relative safety. Sure, it means a little time spent in the NICU, which of course I don't want. But if it happened, I wouldn't freak out. I'd be sad yes, but frantically neurotic, no. They couldn't come right home with me like I'd hoped, but they'd be fine. And then we could all breathe a collective sigh of relief.

With that said, I'm still plugging along through this pregnancy. I feel giant and more uncomfortable with each passing day. My uterus is measuring 42cm, which is bigger than most full-term singleton pregnancies ever reach. I've gained 40 pounds (yikes) and still have 5 more to go to make it to the goal set by my OB. I can't sleep because my legs would like to run a marathon at night (restless legs = awful) and my giant belly makes it very difficult to find a comfortable position. Not to mention that I probably have 9 pounds of baby resting on my bladder, which requires hourly trips to the bathroom. If I sit for too long, my upper back hurts. If I stand for too long, my lower back hurts. If I lay on one side for too long, my side and hip hurt. My crotch hurts no matter what I do.

When I think about the fact that I could have to live like this for another 4 weeks, I want to curl up into a ball and cry. But one thing keeps me going -- these boys. I want them to have the best possible chance at coming straight home with me after they're born. That means NO (long term) NICU TIME. Which means that I will suffer through all of this garbage for 4 more weeks, even if it kills me. But I've also seen plenty of 35 or 36 weekers go home with mom, so that thought keeps me motivated to keep plugging along for just another week or two. Thinking about what's best for my boys keeps me sane. So that's what I'll keep on doing.

I'll leave you with a 33.5 week belly shot ...

... someday I'll wear makeup and do my hair again ...