Today's post is brought to you by the number 4

Can you believe it? We only have 4 WEEKS TO GO! Just one month! Well, OK - I'm 32 weeks along, which means that technically we have two months. But if these boys stick to the average and make their debut at 36 weeks, that means we only have four short weeks to go!

It could be as as long as six weeks if the twins decide they'd like to be baked a while longer, but my doctor has informed me that he probably won't allow me to go past that, not only because of the stress on my body, but due to the gestational diabetes...so if we do make it to 38 weeks, I'd be looking at an induction. However, he also thinks it's fairly likely that I'll naturally go into labor before then, so right now we're just focusing on making it through the next month and hitting that 36 week goal.

There are a few reasons why we're trying to hang in there for the next month. First, after 35 weeks, your baby is basically done developing. Sure, they'll be smaller than a 40 week newborn, but for all intents and purposes everything is finished growing and the baby won't need to go to the NICU. The second reason is a bit more personal: the hospital in my little town will not take births before 36 weeks. If I go into labor before April 5 (Easter Monday), then I will need to call the maternity ward at my hospital to give them a heads up before I arrive, and they will then transfer me in an ambulance to an alternative hospital in another town about 45 minutes away. The maternity ward in this second hospital has a great reputation, so I'm not worried about that, but from a practical standpoint (such as ease of driving for Mr Bibliosaur) it would be preferable to stay in our town.

Some days - like today - it seems like it will be so easy to make it to 36 weeks. My Braxton Hicks contractions have significantly reduced since I stopped working (I didn't realize just how much stress simply going to work was putting on my body, but I was getting BH contractions all.the.time), I'm lying comfortably on the couch, most of my bodyparts aren't hurting, and I'm well rested. Other days, it seems like there is simply no way in the world that we can make it another month - when the pain in my hips is so bad that I can't sleep at night, when my stomach muscles are screaming for this strain to end, when my multitude of stretchmarks are growing as wide as my little finger because the babies have run out of room to grow upward or forward and are now stretching my belly and my skin sideways (and oh my god but those stretchmarks ITCH!).

So for now, I'm taking things the only way I can: one day at a time. Some days are easier, some days are harder, but every day is another step toward our goal. Wish me luck, and send some "stay in there for another 4 weeks" vibes!