Week 38!

Wow, we are getting down to the nitty gritty!  I had a doctor appointment this past Friday and they said they will only let me go 1 week past my due date, so she will be here soon!  I am trying to negotiate being induced at the moment.  Amanda is supposed to be officially moving that weekend (October 15 – 16) and it would really be nice if Baby C & I could accommodate that!  She’s been living in Raleigh for the past month while Ian has started his new job in Charleston…I don’t want her to have to stay here much longer since they have been away from each other for so long already!  The doctor said we would approach that topic if need be, she didn’t seem into my idea, but I’m very persuasive so we will see!

Baby's Size: The baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 ½ inches long – like a leek.  She has a firm grasp, which we’ll soon be able to test when we hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

On a side note, here is some info about eye color: If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

My Weight:  I think I screwed up somewhere, but at my doctor’s appointment on Friday the 22^nd, I have to date gained 33lbs!  The doctor said she usually wants a pregnant woman to gain 25 – 35 lbs, but this just seems crazy knowing the baby is only like 9 lbs on the high end!  Oh well, nothing I can do about it now!  My stomach is back to measuring where it should, so no ultrasound scheduled at this point. 

Maternity Clothes:  I haven’t purchased anything new!  I am just stretching my current maternity clothes to the limit!

Movement:  She seems angry and I think she wants OUT!  She sometimes punches or kicks with such force that it hurts…I would really love to know what she is doing in there!

Sleep: My sleeping patterns suck.  I can’t wait until I can get rid of half the pillows I am currently sleeping with!

What I miss: I am currently missing the feeling in my hands.  The carpal tunnel has made it so hard to do normal things like my hair, the dishes or my makeup.  My fingertips are now constantly tingling and it is just so annoying! 

Best Moment this week: Heading to dinner with the hubby!  We went out to dinner on Friday night as a pre-anniversary dinner.  Our 4 year anniversary is right around the corner, October 6^th, but who knows what shape I’ll be in!  I wanted to make sure I could take him out one last time as a family of two!

Looking forward to:  My appointment on Friday.  The doctor will do an exam to see whether my cervix has started ripening: softening, effacing (thinning out), and dilating (opening). 

Cravings:  NONE!

Symptoms:  No new symptoms thankfully.  The doctor did say I was pretty swollen in the lower part of my legs and hands regions, but she wasn’t concerned at this point. 

Pictures: If you look close, you can see how swollen my fingers are!

Week 37!

One more week under my belt!  It seems like the weeks are blending together and at this point basically anything can happen!  We are getting very excited, nervous, anxious, etc.! 

Baby's Size: The baby is now considered "full term," even though my due date is three weeks away. If I go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb.

The baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel – like a stalk of Swiss chard. Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from ½ inch to 1 ½ inches long. But we shouldn’t be surprised if the baby's hair isn't the same color as mine or Justin’s. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

My Weight:  I had a doctor’s appointment this past Friday September 16^th and had gained about 1 ½ pounds in a week.  At every doctor’s appointment they measure my tummy, from pubic bone to the top of my tummy and this measurement is suppose to match up with the week you are pregnant.  So far, I had been right on track…at 35 weeks my belly was 35 inches.  At Friday’s appointment however, my tummy took a jump and went to about 38 ½ inches and technically I was still on my 36^th week.  The doctor said it wasn’t a huge deal, but he wanted to keep an eye on it and see what happens this coming week.  If the size continues to progress, he said he wanted to do an ultrasound to see just how big this baby might be!

Maternity Clothes:  I still haven’t bought any more clothes although I have purchased several nursing tanks & bras.  I am definitely keeping the tags on until I wear them though just in case I hate them!

Movement:  Lots & lots of movement!  She is also starting to wedge body parts up under my rib cage which is sooo comfortable!  It makes eating very difficult…I can’t really lean over my plate because it hurts!  I am already a messy eater, so this really isn’t helping my cause.

Sleep: I now sleep with 8 pillows!  I sleep in an upright position most of the time so that’s where most of the pillows are, but then I need one between my knees and in my arms.  I’m glad there is still room in bed for Justin!

What I miss: I miss not having energy!  The smallest tasks make my heart pound and make it seem like I have run a marathon. 

Best Moment this week: Finishing up the nursery – sort of!  Justin was able to put the 3 shelving units up in the nursery therefore I put some knick-knacks on them and put everything else away!  The nursery looks complete although we need to order a wall decal and put up 2 picture frames.  I can at least say I am happy with the way it looks currently so if by some chance I go into labor before we get the wall decal, I’d be ok with that!

Looking forward to:  I’m just waiting patiently at this point…I keep waking up in the middle of the night thinking it might be the night.  I have no actual symptoms; I just think it could happen!

Cravings:  Boring, boring, boring…no cravings!

Symptoms:  Still the same symptoms.  I’m starting to get use to not having feeling in my fingertips, but it is still annoying!

Pictures: Justin & I have been babysitting Ollie while Amanda & Ian get settled into their new apartment in Charleston.  He doesn’t really get the concept of these so called pictures, but he sure looks cute trying!

Week 36!

To say I am anxious is probably an understatement!  I don’t know if I am completely ready to deliver the baby, but I am ready to not be pregnant anymore.  I am across the board with all types of emotions.  Some moments I feel very ready to have a baby and other moments I’m thinking, “What am I going to do with this baby once she comes out!?”  I am asking that the baby stay put until Justin has at least 2 weeks of his new job under his belt.  I am thinking he has enough to think about right now with that!

Baby's Size: The baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds – like a Crenshaw melon - and is more than 18 ½ inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. The baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium.

At the end of this week, the baby will be considered full-term! (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position (the doctor did verify that she is currently head down!)

My Weight:  On September 8^th, last Thursday, I had only gained .6 pounds since my September 2^nd appointment.  Not too bad! 

Maternity Clothes:  They are tight and are ready to be retired!

Movement:  Lots of movement!  I feel her low, underneath my belly button, and high, above my belly button…she’s everywhere!

Sleep: Sleep is still fun!  I am sleeping in a more upright position and word on the street is that I am snoring.  Fun for all!   

What I miss: Being able to sleep on my side.  It seems like a simple thing, but when I turn on my side it feels like the weight of the world is on me. 

Best Moment this week: Football starting!  Riiiight.  Well, it was someone’s best moment of the week at least!  We had some friends over for football, pasta and sauce which is always fun.  Our friends Mike & Jessi brought their 3 month old, Molli, over and let’s just say that Justin will have to work a little harder on his indoor voice. 

Looking forward to:  A relaxing weekend.  We still have some odds & ends to finish up, but nothing too horrible.  I started packing our hospital bags, but I probably should finish that task. 

Cravings:  Still no cravings!  I am the world’s most BORING pregnant woman!

Symptoms:  The numbness in my hands has turned into arthritic feelings as well.  I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and won’t be able to bend my fingers.  That hopefully will go away quickly after the baby is born because how will I change a diaper in the middle of the night with no finger movement!? 

I’ve recently developed cankles as well.  The “urban” dictionary defines cankles as a reference to a pair of legs that have no defined end of the calf area as well as no defined beginning of the ankle area.  Sexy!

Pictures: Another stellar hair-do!

Week 35!

I'm such a slacker, but here it is finally!  It feels like life is getting crazy!  Justin has decided to take a new job and he starts September 12^th!  He will be working as an outside sales rep and although he has never done this type of work, I’m more than positive that he will do great.  I mean anyone who knows Justin, knows he is outgoing, personable and can pretty much make conversation with anyone!  I’m really proud of him that he decided to jump into this new venture…especially at this time in our lives.  Our September & October will definitely not be boring! 

I am counting down the weeks and every night when I wake up for a run to the bathroom, I wonder if this will be the night.  I don’t know why I think I will go into labor during the nighttime, but that seems to be stuck in my head.  I’m still working and plan to until the doctor says I can’t or until the baby is born.  I pretty much sit at a desk all day so it isn’t very strenuous and if I really don’t want to move I have 3 family members I can boss around!  Onto the weekly update!

Baby's Size: The baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 ¼ pounds – pick up a honeydew melon. Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

My Weight:  On September 2^nd I had a doctor appointment and I had gained another 6.2 lbs, in just 2 short weeks!  Yeesh!  I’m now at the point where I’ll be headed to the doctors every week, so that should be even more depressing.  I am hoping that the weight gain will start to level off because the more I gain, the more I’ll have to eventually lose!

Maternity Clothes:  No more maternity clothes…there is just no reason to buy anything else at this point.  I can just wear the things I have til the end!

Movement:  There is still a ton of movement going on.  She sometimes seems angry that she is in there and is trying to get out through my belly button!  It isn’t the most pleasant feeling, but I do love watching my belly roll around. 

Sleep:  I’m still struggling getting to sleep.  I have to sit in an upright position with tons of pillows and even then, it’s tough to fall asleep.  Brinkley is no longer sleeping in bed with us thanks to a huge comfy bed we bought her.  This helps a little, but I kind of miss her snuggling with us!    

What I miss: Right now I miss being able to put lotion on my legs without it hurting my stomach.  Justin has become my lotion applier, but I’m pretty sure he can’t wait for me to be able to do this myself again!

Best Moment this week: There wasn’t anything too exciting that went on this past week.  We ran more errands for nursery items and I think I can comfortably say we are ready to roll!  There are little things we need to do, but I have been very indecisive with what items I want on the nursery walls.  We were originally going to buy a big tree decal for the wall, but now I think it is too “busy” for the bedding pattern.  The room is really small and I just don’t want it overwhelmed with this tree.  Now I am thinking about a pretty monogram for behind the crib.  Nothing too big, but just a little something.  I wanted shelving units, but I can’t seem to find the right color to match the furniture.  I know it won’t match perfectly, but I don’t want a huge contrast either.  Decisions, decisions!

Looking forward to:  Meeting Baby C!  I am just very ready at this point to not be pregnant…I feel like I shouldn’t complain because we wanted this so badly for so long, but I am just seriously uncomfortable a lot of the time.  I realize I probably have at least 5 weeks still, but a girl can dream!

Cravings:  Still no cravings!  I guess this pregnancy will be without them.

Symptoms:  The numbness in my hands seems to be the most annoying symptom at the moment.  It is just the most bizarre feeling!

Pictures: It's amazing Justin stays with me when my hair continually looks this horrible!!

Week 34!

The days seem to be flying by at this point!  On tap for this week: order/shop for items that we still need, pack our overnight bags for the hospital, hang picture frames in the nursery, order the wall decal for the nursery, laundry of all the new clothes Baby C got at the NC shower and RELAX!
Baby's Size:  The baby now weighs about 4 ¾ pounds – like your average cantaloupe - and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. It’s also good to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

My Weight:  I haven’t had a weigh in since August 17^th.  I have a doctor appointment coming up this Friday, September 2^nd, so I’ll have a better idea how I am doing then.

Maternity Clothes:  I caved and bought a dress for my NC baby shower.  I was good though and managed to only spend $15!  It was a dress on summer clearance at Target & I had a 20% off coupon, it was meant to be!

Movement:  Supposedly her movement is going to start to calm down, but I haven’t experienced this yet.  She is still very active and makes it difficult to do certain things!  It’s hard to bend over and shave my legs or put lotion on them…I think she gets too cramped or something.

Sleep:  Wow, this past week has been a tough one sleep-wise.  It is impossible to get comfortable when I fall into bed even with the number of pillows I sleep with.  I toss and turn trying to find a good sleep position.  I seem to be frequenting the bathroom around 4 – 6 times a night as well…and it is so annoying because it feels like I have to go so bad, but when I get in there, I hardly pee!  At work I find myself getting really tired around 2pm and am totally ready for bed around 8:30pm. 

What I miss: I don’t miss a whole lot right now, maybe just the occasional alcoholic drink.  A friend brought over some Sam Adam’s Octoberfest beer and I’d really like to dip into it!

Best Moment this week: The NC baby shower!  It was a good time, but I needed a nap afterwards!  

Gifts for Baby C!

Diaper Cake

Sugar cookies!!

Looking forward to:  Getting everything from the NC shower situated in the baby’s room and putting the finishing touches on it.  We also have to order a wall decal for the nursery, so I should probably get on that!

Cravings:  No cravings BUT I did eat chicken on Saturday night!  I probably haven’t had any chicken in 5+ months, so this was a huge step for me!  The whole family went out to dinner since it would be the last time in awhile we’d all be together.  Ian left early Sunday morning for Charleston and who knows when the 7 of us will all be together next!  The chicken fricassee sounded so good so I decided to give it a try.  It tasted pretty good, but I still don’t think it will be on the menu at our house for a little while still.

Symptoms:  Still the same fun stuff.  Back pains, leg cramps and hand numbness are the major ones.

Pictures: Ollie gets a cameo!

Week 33!

Baby's Size:  This week the baby weighs a little over 4 pounds – about the weight of a pineapple – and has most likely passed the 17-inch mark!  She’s rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening.  The bones in her skull aren’t fused together, which allows them to move slightly and overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal.  These bones don’t entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. 

My Weight:  I had an appointment this past Wednesday and I had only gained 1.8 lbs in 12 days.  Not too bad, the doctors said I will probably gain a pound a week until the baby is delivered anyways.

Maternity Clothes:  I am sooo over maternity clothes at this point.  I just want to wear loose fitting dresses or t-shirts until this baby is born!  I’m not interested in any clothing being tight around my stomach because it is just uncomfortable at this point.

Movement:  She is moving all around!  I still love to watch and feel my belly rolling all over the place!  The 3D/4D ultrasound technician said she is currently head down butt up, which is good.  She said she should stay in this position until birth because she doesn’t really have any room to swing around.  Her movement is starting to hurt a little more than before though.  I feel like her elbows and heels are jabbing into my stomach & liver making me keel over a little!  Thankfully they are short, quick movements and they pass quickly!

Sleep:  My sleeping patterns stink!  Finding that perfect position to fall asleep in just isn’t happening.  The other night I actually had to prop several pillows up behind me and fall asleep in a sit-up position.  I probably head to the bathroom about 3 times a night as well…I have gotten very good at keeping my eyes closed and finding the bathroom in the middle of the night though! 

What I miss: I’m missing sleep…like I said, I wake up several times at night and it takes forever to find a comfy position.  I find myself being exhausted at about 2pm everyday and most definitely in bed by 9pm every night.  I feel somewhat bad going to bed so early because I don’t get to spend a lot of quality time with Justin on workdays.  He’s a night owl and doesn’t head to bed until at least 11:30 ish every night.  Thankfully he comes up to bed with me around 9 and watches a little TV with me until I fall asleep!

Best Moment this week: Nothing really exciting went on this week.  Same old stuff…we continue to prep the nursery, even though there really isn’t much else we can do. 

We were able to get our 3D/4D DVD scan of the baby sent to our grandparents!  Our friend John was able to burn the DVD copy we had so we could send a copy to Justin’s Nana & Papa and a copy to my Grandma.  It’s just the coolest thing to watch and I was pretty excited to send them on their way!

Looking forward to:  The NC baby shower is this weekend!  I can’t wait to see what my mom and sisters have in store for the shower.  It should be a fun time!

Cravings:  This past week I had an actual craving for Carvel Ice Cream cake…ask and you shall receive!  Justin went and bought a little one from our grocery store and it made me a very happy girl!

Symptoms:  This carpel tunnel syndrome is still bothering me.  It’s just a pain and kind of inconvenient!  Sometimes it is worse than others, but I can’t wait to be “normal” again and not have pregnancy related problems! 

Pictures: Brinkley has the weekly photos down to a science…I go and stand near the door and Justin tells her to go stand next to me.  She comes over and positions herself beautifully every time!

Week 32!

Baby's Size:  By now, the baby weighs 3.75 pounds – pick up a large jicama - and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. I’m apparently gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to the baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

My Weight:  I’ll know after my appointment on Wednesday August 17^th how much I’ve continued to gain!

Maternity Clothes:  My shorts are starting to seem even tighter lately!  The full panel on the shorts doesn’t seem to be going over my whole bump anymore, but they’ll have to do because I’m not buying anymore clothes!

Movement:  Lots of movement!  It seems like she is throwing a party in there sometimes!

Sleep:  I miss uninterrupted sleep, but I think I better get use to it!  Maybe my body is just getting me ready for midnight feedings, crying, etc. 

What I miss: I actually miss eating chicken, BUT I don’t technically want any.  There are just so many more dinner options when you eat chicken.  I feel like figuring out a dinner menu each week is like pulling teeth!  I did receive my glucose test results and they were NORMAL!  No change in diet for me thankfully! 

Best Moment this week: Our 3D/4D appointment!  It was so amazing to be able to see little Baby C on a huge TV doing her thing!  My parents & sisters were able to make it to the appointment and we were also able to have a web link sent to Justin’s parents so they could watch with us as well!  We had J’s parents on speaker phone for the whole appointment and it was just a really wonderful thing to have everyone able to share with us.  Baby C needed some chocolate to warm up, but once that was in my system she was ready to roll.  We got to see her suck her fingers & toes, smile and open & close her eyes.  It’s just crazy to think that all of that is going on inside me!

Looking forward to:  The NC baby shower!  It’s in 2 weeks, but I am getting so anxious because I think Baby C might arrive early.  (Wishful thinking?)  The house is pretty much in order because I didn’t want to save things until last minute and then not get them done.  Obviously it is very important to have the entry way closet clean for when the baby comes home!! Yeah I know I have some issues!

Cravings:  Again, no cravings and no imagination…our dinner menus are sooo boring!!!

Symptoms:  I now have carpel tunnel. Carpal tunnel syndrome is pain, tingling, and other problems in the hands because of pressure on the median nerve in the wrists.  It’s such a lovely feeling!  It’s a huge pain because doing small tasks like straightening my hair seem impossible. A friend has let me borrow her wrist braces from when she was pregnant and had this issue as well.  I wear the braces at night and I look so sexy!

Pictures: One more week down!

B is so precious!