21 weeks

Well, so much for having a January baby! I’ve been informed that the actual due date for the little carrot is not January 25^th as I had calculated using the 40-week count, but instead is February 5^th, 9 months from May 5^th.  All this involves too much counting for my tired head. But I do have the echographie in hand that has pictures of this baby’s super long femur and age listed as 21 weeks, so there you go, we’re still on track. Maybe in France babies take 10 days longer to be born because of the August vacation and a frequent strike in July?

The doctor’s estimate on weight was 500 grams, which is 1.1 lbs. Phew. Must be those femurs!

Using a combination of English, French and hand waving we were able to ask the questions that have had me losing sleep over the last month, and the answers were straightforward and simple, something that was not the case in Greenville, SC. After the echographie the doctor took us on a tour of the delivery floor, showing us delivery rooms, waiting rooms and explaining the procedure, something that would be unheard of in the US – a doctor taking leisurely time to reassure a nervous mother.

I finally unpacked the box of maternity clothes that was hiding in the corner of the room and have been relaxing in the spacious sacks-they-call-shirts ever since. Energy levels are somewhat back, morning sickness is gone, and back pain is minimal. It must be a girl, causing this little trouble! Waiting for the other shoe to drop…

Have you checked the batteries of your smoke detector recently?