The baby is baked

and now she just needs to decide to grace us with her presence. I'm ready to try every old wive's tale out there to naturally induce labor. On my list: spicy food, eggplant parm, red raspberry leaf tea, evening primrose oil, walking, bouncing on the ball, pineapple, labor cookies, and acupressure (which I won't try until I'm overdue, I promise). Any other suggestions???

How far along?: 37 weeks
How big is baby?: 21 inches and 6.5 pounds
Maternity clothes?: Can't wait to get rid of those awful fat clothes.
Stretch marks?: Up to three now. All on the boobs. So sad.
Sleep?: Terrible. Now it's not just having to pee and hip pain that wakes me. I have awful lower back aches that are constant and will not let me rest.
Best moment this week?: Had a great Dr. appointment on Tuesday. Heartbeat was good, the peanut is measuring right on track, and I only gained 2 pounds!! Woo hoo!
Movement?: Constant, but now they kinda break my heart. It's as if she is as uncomfortable as I am, and is just trying to find a way out. Or more room. Unfortunately she thinks she can make her exit by pushing her pointy baby feet into my right ribcage. Sorry baby girl, that's not going to do it!
Food cravings?: Coconut gelato
Labor signs?: Lots of Braxton-Hicks and tons of pelvic pressure. I don't think she's dropped completely, but I definitely feel a difference in my bladder and hips. Hoping for some more signs this week!!!!
Belly Button?: Out and gross looking. I really hope it goes back to normal.
What I miss: Good moods. I'm a cranky lady these days. Poor P.
What I'm looking forward to: Another appointment this week. Also, I'm expecting the last finishing touches for the nursery to arrive this week. Pictures to come as soon as our camera is back from the repair shop. And of course, I'm looking forward to ANY sign of impending labor. ANYTHING.
Milestone: Full term!! No more feeling guilty wanting this peanut OUT! Any day now sweetheart. If you come soon, mommy will buy you a pretty Christmas dress :-) Only 2 more Mondays and 11 work days. Unless I go overdue. But I can't even think about that right now.

One Month

until the peanut gets here!! I get more anxious for it every day. Yes, partly because I'm sooo uncomfortable and huge. But, mainly I just want to be able to hold her. And see what she looks like! Maybe she'll get here early to be our Christmas present. I hope so...because there are some REALLY cute Christmas dresses at baby GAP.

How far along?: 36weeks
How big is baby?: 20.7 inches and 6 pounds
Maternity clothes?: They look awful. I've already got them all off of hangers just waiting to be put in a box to hide in the closet once this kid gets here.
Stretch marks?: Same two. I haven't even looked for more.
Sleep?: Still awful. I've come accustomed to the burning eye feeling all day. I haven't gotten used to being completely useless once I get home from work. Good thing P takes care of me.
Best moment this week?: Getting the nursery (mostly) finished! Everything is washed and put away. There are diapers and wipes on the changing table. Her going home outfit is packed in the diaper bag. There is a car seat in my car. Yes, a car seat. Wow. I think we would be ok if we had to bring her home today. But she still needs to wait about one more week. (Special thanks to mom and P for helping. I couldn't have done it without you.)
Movement?: Had a scare on Friday. She wasn't really moving that much, but I laid down to do a kick count and she made all ten in fifteen minutes. I guess she just wasn't moving as strong as usual. Things are back to normal now, with her shoving her feet/knees/whatever else into my ribs/belly button/bladder.
Food cravings?: Chicken Caesar salad.
Labor signs?: The Braxton-Hicks have gotten a LOT stronger. But still not very regular or painful.
Belly Button?: Out.
What I miss: Dressing up and looking cute for date night. I would LOVE to be able to throw on a cute dress and heels and take P out for wine/sushi. I guess I'll have to wait a while for that.
What I'm looking forward to: My 36 week appointment. I'll start weekly checkups after this one. Hopefully she's still in position, and measuring right on track. We'll also get our birth plan approved. And, not baby related, our puppy Stella turns 3 on Thursday!!!
Milestone: Having a baby-ready house! ONE more week until full term, 3 more Mondays left, 16 work days left.

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...