Publix Cashier Predictions

Several months ago, when I was about 16 weeks or so, I went grocery shopping to Publix. The cashier asked me how long I had to go, and I told her several months. Her response was, "They is wrong." Then she and the lady bagging my groceries spent the rest of the time talking about I definitely was due soon and not in several months, and that my doctor had my dates wrong. They also told me I was having a girl. I told them I didn't know yet, but they insisted it was a girl and clearly didn't trust some ultrasound machine over their own intuition.

There must be something about me and Publix cashiers, because I stopped by for a few quick things after lunch with a friend earlier today and this is the conversation I had with today's cashier:

Her: Mmmmm. What you got in that belly?
Me: It's a girl.
Her: How much longer you got?
Me: 11 days.
Her: Mmmmm. She gonna be a biiiiiiiiiiig baby.
Me: Maybe so. They estimated that she'll be about 9 pounds.
Her: I don't know. My last baby was 9 pounds 2 ounces and my belly weren't near as big as yours.
Me: {nothing}
Her: You gonna have to push that baby out?
Me: No, c-section.
Her: Good, because I don't think you'd be able to push that one out. Mmmmm.

For the record, I am 38 weeks today and my uterus is measuring about 36 1/2 weeks (it's been measuring 1-2 weeks behind for a couple of months now). When I had an ultrasound not quite 6 weeks ago, the baby was measuring over a week ahead. I'm sure that no one really knows how big Penelope is going to be. But clearly this Publix cashier is quite sure that she is right, and didn't seem to care much for the more traditional (somewhat scientific) methods of predicting a baby size. We'll see whose right soon enough!! Maybe the Publix cashiers have another potential career possibility. . . .

I had an appointment yesterday afternoon, and my doctor literally laughed out loud when she checked me -- I am STILL 1/2 cm dilated. The same as I was almost ten weeks ago. And, I'm 38 weeks today, so I've been considered "full-term" for a week. It's an amazing place to be right now. It's looking like Penelope will be here on August 10 unless she decides to make an earlier appearance. I'm going to try to stop making predictions with this child -- she has been nothing but surprises!!

I'm still getting out a little bit which is nice, but usually brings on a lot of strong contractions that night. At this point I'm not so worried about what the contractions will do to my cervix as I am how bad I will hurt. So, I try to take it easy within reason just to avoid the inevitable contractions that do nothing other than bother me.

Gary and I did go to dinner last Saturday night. We had a great time. I also got all dressed up for the occasion and we took pictures. Here they are:




Because we couldn't help it, we took some "prom pose" pictures -- and because I couldn't help it, I had to edit one in an appropriately cheesy manner: