Today's output: two loaves of zucchini bread

Rookie watch: still no sign of our guy. I know lots of folks are waiting anxiously for his appearance but so far, he's being either: shy, mellow or just running late. Since at least one of his parents could be described as such at times, I guess it's not totally surprising.
It's been an interesting week for me trying to approach this waiting with relaxation, joy and not too much impatience. I really enjoy a good chunk of my days-- going for long walks (my guess is that I've probably covered 30-35 miles in the last week, mostly in gorgeous Rock Creek Park), doing some reading about babies, spending quality time over lunch with my buddy Lea, baking zucchini bread (today's project-- as my buddy Crickett noted, at least something came out of the oven!), and treating myself to a massage (where she did focus on pressure points to help induce labor), etc. We had a prenatal appointment today-- no specific "diagnosis" re: when to expect him, but we did get a better sense of what the next 1.5 weeks could look like if we continue this waiting game. Next Tuesday, we have an appointment set up at Washington Hospital Center to run a biophysical profile (here is the BabyCenter's summary), where he'll get an ultrasound and have his heart rate monitored. If there is cause for concern about his status (he is moving around as I type this to say: "I'm fine... I just like it where I am!") then I could be induced at the hospital. If that happens, the midwives from the birth center will still attend the birth, but I confess I will be disappointed to not be at the actual birth center. Otherwise, our next appointment would be with the midwives on Halloween-- where we will talk about options (including castor oil if necessary). It turns out that, as long as the Rookie seems healthy, I can go until 42 weeks-- the eve of the elections-- before getting induced. That seems a long way away!
Tomorrow, I'll have some good distractions (or, perhaps, some plans to cancel)-- Maury has returned to DC from her latest work sojourn abroad (in Georgia, via Tanzania I think), and Annie is swinging through DC on her new husband's book tour. Sagehens galore! We had a fun time tonight over dinner with Maura and Jen-- at an Italian place after our midwife jokingly shared that there is a group of women with a theory that eggplant parmesan will bring on labor. They didn't have it on the menu-- we'll see what clams with a white sauce triggers instead!
We'll keep you updated but it's time now for the vessel to get some rest... you never know if it's my last shot at a full night's sleep (one, granted, interrupted with frequent trip to the restroom and lots of grunting when I try to roll over, etc.). Love to all!