Shift

This is 38 weeks. Someone told me today to watch out for people who call my baby precious because what they really mean is ugly. A cute baby, you'd call cute. A homely one is precious. I don't care what she looks like; I just want to see her. I'm also looking forward to responding to the first person who unwittingly calls her precious: "What, are you saying she's ugly?!" That will be hilarious.

Julie's headache is a little better. Headaches are concerning during pregnancy when they're coupled with other symptoms. High blood pressure, protein in the urine, and a headache while seeing spots are symptoms of preeclampsia, which is bad. Julie's only symptom was the headache, but she had it for several days, sometimes throbbing, sometimes not. And we watch far too many medical dramas on TV to rule out some of the more dire, ridiculous possibilities.

But her doctor told her to try a cocktail of Extra Strength Tylenol, Benadryl, and Coke. Dr. House never would have said that, but Julie agreed to give it a go anyway. This morning, it basically worked. No throbbing, anyway, so at least she avoided that agony.

Julie once coughed for so many weeks that she cracked a rib. When she finally went to the doctor, she was admonished for waiting so long. Whereas I'm like, "Take pills! Go in! Take more pills!" Julie has always been more of the "Oh, I'll be fine" mentality. It drives me crazy.

The last couple days, though, she has made occasional offhand comments about feeling weird or like things aren't quite right. This from the girl who nearly didn't go to the doctor when she broke her toe. Today she said she was walking in the skyway in Minneapolis and she wondered whether she was in labor. I just sat there with wide eyes when she told me this and then assured me, ha ha, that she must not have been in labor because look at her now.

I feel as though something is shifting. Pregnant women can get headaches from their changing hormone levels. I wouldn't want to comment publicly on how hormones affect her mood (for fear of bludgeoning), but it wouldn't surprise me if Julie's body was shifting into birthing mode. Still, we both have a hunch that she's headed for a late delivery. But I wonder. I'm struggling to reconcile my desire to meet my daughter with my need for a couple more days of relative independence.