35/35

What a week! We visited P's fam for Thanksgiving, and we had a WONDERFUL time. I made sure I did NOT overindulge (despite the nice warning a drunk stranger gave me outside of Beef O'Brady's to not eat too much turkey...ugggg). Then we visited my fam and had such a nice relaxing time lounging, eating, and watching the Gator victory. Even though we had such a good holiday, I am getting VERY uncomfortable. Yes, I know I have a "long way to go". Yes, I know she could go past her due date. Yes, I know it looks like a "big baby" (which, by the way, does not make the expectant mother feel anything but terror). But I'm done. I would be totally fine if she came as soon as she reached the official 37 week full-term mark. But I won't get my hopes up, I promise.

How far along?: 35weeks
How big is baby?: 20.25 inches and 5.5 pounds
Maternity clothes?: Uncomfortable
Stretch marks?: Two. On one boob. Yuck.
Sleep?: Even worse. I get up at least once to pee, and a hundred times to re-adjust. I just want to get comfortable!!!!!
Best moment this week?: Seeing all of P's fam for the last time before the little girl makes her arrival. It was a little sad knowing it was our last road trip just the two of us. But having that peanut in the car seat in the back will be amazing!!!
Movement?: Yup. She's out of room. And has found my ribs with her tiny baby feet. Yes, it's cute the first time. After that it HURTS! I'm constantly having to put my arms over my head to get her out of there. I have no idea how she's going to find more room to grow.
Food cravings?: Not really. I had enough Thanksgiving food to cancel out anything specific.
Labor signs?: Lots of Braxton-Hicks, but I'm pretty sure it was from the stress of traveling and not keeping hydrated.
Belly Button?: Out.
What I miss: My old body. And everything that goes with that.
What I'm looking forward to: Installing the car seat! We had the interior cleaned this weekend, so it's all ready for baby. I'm also going to try to get our hospital bag packed. I want to be ready just in case that 37 week wish comes true!
Milestone: 35/35! 35 weeks down, 35 days to go. 2 weeks until full term, 4 more Mondays, 22 work days left.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We're getting ready to take our last trip until the little one gets here. It's a little sad. I'm sooo ready to meet our little girl, but that does mean the end of an era. Car trips will never be the same...

How far along?: 34 weeks
How big is baby?: 19.8 inches and 5 pounds
Maternity clothes?: Boo. It's really hard to pack for 4 days when you only fit into one pair of pants comfortably. I might make a "no Thanksgiving pictures allowed" rule this year.
Stretch marks?: Can't see any when I'm not looking in a mirror. Guess that's a good thing.
Sleep?: Absolutely awful. Acid reflux and hip pain. I hate them. And I have meltdowns when I get so tired. Good thing P knows how to handle it. Feed me and make me take a nap.
Best moment this week?: Getting my diaper bag!!! Yes, it is FABULOUS. I can't wait to use it!
Movement?: Stretches and kicks to the ribs. I think she has punched my hip a few times. And as always, sticking her booty out so far I feel like my belly is going to explode.
Food cravings?: Garlic rolls. Yum.
Labor signs?: Same old Braxton-Hicks.
Belly Button?: Outish. There's no hiding it, you can see it through all of my shirts.
What I miss: Sleep. Running (there are tons of runners out all the time now that the weather is nice). Bending over. Remaining inconspicuous while out in public.
What I'm looking forward to: My 34 week appointment. I get tested for GBS, so hopefully that will be negative. I really really hope she's still head down too. And my maternity pictures are done, so I'll post those as soon as I get them!
Milestone: We got the ceiling fan hung in the nursery (thanks to P's amazing handy man skills), and also hung the curtains. It's really starting to come together! Now we just need a few decorative touches and it will be ready! 5 more Mondays, 23 more work days, 3 weeks until full term.

A Sneak Preview

of the fabulous maternity pictures K took for us -

Check out her blog in my blog list!!

I think we might be ready

For our peanut to make her arrival. No, I don't mean mentally/emotionally "ready", since I'm sure every experienced parent on the planet will tell us that you can never truly be "ready". But just in reference to the physical, I think our little girl has everything she could possibly need/want for her first several months of life. I'm amazed at how generous everyone has been to our family. We are so blessed!!

How far along?: 33 weeks

How big is baby?: 18 inches and over 4 pounds

Maternity clothes?: None of my shirts cover the bottom of my belly. It's a whole new feeling when you don't fit into MATERNITY shirts. Ug.

Stretch marks?: Don't know, don't care (for now).

Sleep?: Still terrible. But I do get better sleep when it's cold out and we have the window open. I think it's my body in survival mode. If I freeze it enough I'll just remain unconscious.

Best moment this week?: My fabulous baby shower!! It was so good to spend time with the fam and friends. The peanut got so many cute things!!! And I got to chow down on some of the best true down home southern cookin. It was a great day :-)

Movement?: Yes. And it's starting to get a bit painful. It's almost always just stretching, and unfortunately I feel like I have no more room to give her. It will be a LONG seven weeks if she's going to DOUBLE in size.

Food cravings?: Nothing specific lately. But my appetite has increased a bit.

Labor signs?: Same old Braxton-Hicks.

Belly Button?: Flat. And odd looking.

What I miss: Eating raw cookie dough. My thighs NOT rubbing together. Good hugs (it's really hard to give a good hug when there's a baby in the way).
What I'm looking forward to: Hopefully we'll get to tour the hospital on Saturday. And we only have a few things left to get for the nursery, so I'm going to do my best to get it done this week. Milestone: Had my 32 week appointment. Everything looks good. Baby girl is growing right on track and has a very strong heartbeat. Still head down, and the doctor said it felt like she was pretty stuck that way. Woohoo!!! 6 more Mondays (not counting today), 29 work days left, 4 weeks until full term.

Here's some shower pictures:



The most precious cake ever. Our little peanut next to Stella. And it was delicious too!


All of baby girl's gifts. And my pregnant face.

Official Week 33 pic:

Time is standing still

as I wait for our little girl to get here. I know, I know, it's only going to get worse the closer I get, but I'm not a patient person. At least I'll have the holidays to distract me a bit while I'm waiting. So now I just wait for Thanksgiving...two more weeks!

How far along?: 32 weeks
How big is baby?: 18 inches and 3.75 pounds
Maternity clothes?: My work uniform = jeans, a soft shirt and sandals. Comfort is my ultimate priority. It's the pregnant person's "business casual".
Stretch marks?: Don't know, don't care (for now).
Sleep?: Awful. I basically get naps in at night. No more long glorious stretches of uninterrupted sleep. And please don't tell me this is just "practice" for having a newborn. I don't need to practice being tired. I've got it down. Now being able to rest up BEFORE she gets here...that would be ideal preparation.
Best moment this week?: Had my maternity photos taken!! I'm super pumped to see how they turned out. It will be the one time I won't mind having pictures of myself looking like a whale. We also booked the photographer we wanted for our infant photos.
Movement?: Yup! Every morning and after I eat. And now, in the middle of the night. That's the only time I don't mind being kept awake. I love feeling her stretch around in there. And sometimes it feels like she's having a dance party. So cute...unless it's on my bladder.
Food cravings?: Sonic coconut slushes.
Labor signs?: Same old Braxton-Hicks.
Belly Button?: I think we can say it's officially flat. We'll see if it ever emerges to a full on outie.
What I miss: Mobility. Painting my toenails. Getting out of the car without assistance. Bending over.
What I'm looking forward to: My 32 week appointment on Tuesday. I get to meet with the doctor we want to deliver with! AND I have my baby shower on Saturday!!! Woo hoo!! We are soooo blessed.
Milestone: Hmmm...another week down? 7 more Mondays left. 33 more work days. 5 weeks until full term.

Picture to come...

Tailgating Pregnant...

is kinda like being famous. I don't know why, but all strangers are extremely impressed to see a pregnant woman outside for the day to watch a football game. For me, it's an excuse to be sweaty (since everyone else is too) and eat good food all day long. Who wouldn't like that?? But I guess the attention was nice. I stopped counting how many times I was called a "trooper" on the walk to watch the game :-)

How far along?: 31 weeks
How big is baby?: 18 inches and 3.5 pounds
Maternity clothes?: All of them are too tight. I'm going to default back to yoga pants every day. Work should just appreciate that I'm not coming in in PJ pants.
Stretch marks?: Out of sight out of mind.
Sleep?: Still pretty bad. I had a melt down last Thursday and I'm pretty sure it's because I didn't sleep at all last week. But after a good cry, a nap, and dinner in bed from P I felt much better. Hopefully I can keep it together better this week.
Best moment this week?: We met with the midwife at the new OBGYN practice and I LOVED her. She really took her time getting to know my file, answered tons of questions, and didn't rush me at all. And she even felt around on my belly to see what position the little girl is in. And the verdict is...HEAD DOWN!!! Woo hoo!! Now I know she can flip around a million more times before she's locked and loaded, but I'm hoping she stays right where she is. So now I know what part keeps pushing out of the side of my belly...her tiny little bottom. Just knowing that makes it a bit more cute and a bit less painful.
Movement?: All the time and VERY strong. I think it's starting to freak P out a little b/c now it feels like a little person is in there trying to get out. Her favorite thing to do after I eat is push her feet against my right side to push her little booty out of my left side.
Food cravings?: Not so much this week. But the heartburn is much worse. Just drinking water before bed makes me want to puke. But does that keep me from eating?? Of course not!!!
Labor signs?: Braxton-Hicks probably once a day.
Belly Button?: Still weird looking. It's half way out right now.
What I miss: Breathing easily. She is definitely taking up lung space now. I'm told that when she drops it will be easier. Too bad that's probably 8 or 9 weeks away!
What I'm looking forward to: I ordered more baby clothes on Old Navy last week, so they should be here soon. And I got her her first pair of jeans. They're soooo tiny!!!!
Milestone: People have started to ask how much time is left, instead of how far along I am. I think I got that question 5 or 6 times on Saturday. And it kinda feels weird saying 9 weeks!!!

And here's the 31 week pic: