Weekly checkup update: are we there yet?

I'll try to be pretty good about updating every few days or so now that any day could be the day. 

I had my checkup this morning and all was well.  Cecily is out of town this week so I met with one of the doctors on staff instead.  Different person, same script.  My and baby's weight gain both look great, heartbeat sounds good, protein and blood pressure levels etc all good.  In the internal exam department, the door is still fully shut, so to speak, but 50% effaced and little guy's head is at -2 station, meaning he has definitely started to drop but still has to move down some more.  As the doctor said, you could still quite literally go into labor today, but you probably won't do it while you're sitting on this table.  I got off the table to see if it would help but alas, still didn't go into labor today.

So this dropping thing has turned out to be a decidedly mixed bag.  The good news is that I can breathe much easier now that my lungs aren't so compressed and the acid reflux is better, though not gone.  The bad news is that it doesn't seem to be providing the relief my poor right ribcage needs AND now with the pressure in the lower area I am sore there and the pressure on the bladder is intensified.  The latter point is particularly troublesome at night as it seems pretty difficult to find a side-lying position that is comfortable for my back and hips but doesn't put pressure on my bladder (To try this at home, get in bed with a full bladder and find a position that isn't uncomfortable without lying on your back.  Get back to me if you find one!).  Maybe it's difficult because such a position doesn't exist.  Lately I seem to get one good night of sleep for every one or two restless ones.  Last night was a restless one.  Took me awhile to fall asleep, then woke up seemingly hourly and had a hard time getting back to sleep each time because after getting up to use the bathroom I'd have to go again after getting back into bed.  It's a vicious cycle!  Thinking that the tall height of our bed might be part of the problem I switched to the guest room last night around 330AM.  It seemed to help a little.  Let's see what tonight brings.

These days, odds are at any given moment one or more of the following statements is true:
- Ellen is tired
- Ellen is uncomfortable
- Ellen has to go to the bathroom
- Ellen is hot

The last one is the most unusual for me because in my normal non-pregnant state I'm the one in the room who's cold when everyone else is comfortable.  Now everyone else is cold, I'm still hot.  The other day Nicole came over to watch a movie and I was in shorts and tee shirt, she was in jeans.  I was hot and she was cold enough to need to borrow a pair of socks!  Note to self: next time go for a winter baby so I can just step outside for relief!