36 and 1/7 now!

We're getting closer to baby time around here and couldn't be more excited for this baby to come! We go to weekly appointments now and I was all jazzed for yesterday's 36wk appointment because I thought they'd check me to see if my cervix is doing anything that indicates this baby is coming (dilating, effacing, etc), but it was just another measuring, HR check kind of appointment. The midwife said that even checking me for GBS status would be a little early at this point. The results are good for 5 weeks and she said if I go over 41wks they would have to repeat the test. The average gestation for first time moms is 41 and 2/7wks, so I'm much more likely to deliver a few days over 41 weeks than I am likely to deliver in the next week before they check my status. So next week will be the big appointment. My belly measurement is growing, but I'm still measuring a little small 35 or so cm, which seems so bizarre because feeling this baby move around now, I'd think it's a 12 pounder for sure! :)

Here's a picture from just before our appointment yesterday -- you'll have to excuse my backward skirt -- it's not the new fashion, I just put it on wrong and can't see that part of my body when I look down anymore!

Daniel and I went on Tuesday to get some pregnancy pictures taken at a neighbor's photography studio. I don't think we'll purchase a ton of the pics, but I thought it'd be fun to have a few documenting the end of pregnancy. I'll let you know the website you can go to to look at the proofs once she has them up (just in case you want a 16 by 20 of my large belly!).

Oh, and the strike. Yep, nurses voted overwhelmingly for it. Both the pension vote and our hospital contract vote were about a 90% "No, we do not accept the contract. Yes, we authorize a strike." So, the union has proposed a 1 day strike. They feel like this would be least disruptive to the patients. The hospitals have already said that if we give notice of a 1 day strike, we would most likely be prevented from coming back to the hospital to work for a whole week because they would be paying to have replacement nurses for a week contract. Our current contract goes until June 1st and the union has to give a 10 business day notice to the hospitals of a strike. They are going back to the bargaining tables tomorrow and it sounds like they're pretty determined to work something out. Once they have a new contract, we'll vote again. I'm much less stressed about it now, but would like it all to just be over with. I'm sure everyone does. 12,000 replacement nurses they'd have to find for a week! I heard they're offering $5,000/wk -- not a bad salary for one week! So, any of you nurses, if you want to make a quick paycheck... you'd just have to be willing to work on a unit staffed almost completely by newbies for the week!

Daniel and I are getting ready to start working for the weekend stretch. Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend and that your weather is as beautiful as our weather is supposed to be this week! Talk to you all soon!