39 Weeks!!!! 😎

Weekly Info...

How far along are you? 39 weeks. Someone pinch me. I can't believe we're this far. 

How I’m feeling: great! Spent most of the morning relaxing in bed and then cleaning downstairs. Tonight, we started watching The Walking Dead from Season 1. It was a tough decision to take off work a week early, but I'm glad I did. Getting some extra rest and being able to sit a little throughout the day has helped tremendously. 

Total weight gain: no weight gain in the past week!!! Still at 24lbs and that makes me happier than a pig in poo. 

How big is baby? "Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He or she may measure about 20 inches and weigh a bit over 7 pounds, about the size of a mini-watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.)

Your baby continues to build a layer of fat to help control body temperature after birth, and the outer layers of skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath." -babycenter app

Maternity clothes: none new for maternity but I did break down and buy some nursing tanks to wear in the hospital and after. 

Stretch marks? None have appeared in the past week. We'll see how it goes from here. 

Sleep: i was able to get 4 hours straight, last night! What wondrous sleep it was, too. Maybe tonight I'll get 4 hours again? 

Best moment this week: knowing the mister is there for me even when I'm freaking out about it all. He sure knows how to keep me grounded (poor guy had to put up with a few looks and "emotional" (read b****y) moments). 

Movement: is getting inconsistent. She's running out of room and baby girl likes to sleep during the day. As long as she moves when I wake her, I'm okay...otherwise it freaks me out and my mind wanders to places it shouldn't go. 

Food cravings: Milk, milk, and more milk. I canNOT get enough of it. I'm talking, chug it straight out of the Oberweis glass bottle if I could!! I think it's time to start getting a whole gallon of white milk and half gallon of chocolate instead of just a half gallon of each. Oh, and toasted English muffins with peanut butter right out of the toaster. It melts the peanut butter into ooey gooey goodness!! 

Food aversions: none.   

Belly button in or out: still barely in. The edges of it look as if it wants to poke out but the knot is still inside. 

What I Miss: Breathing comfortably. And sitting/laying comfortably. Not much longer and I'll have my lung space back, right?

What I’m looking forward to: meeting this squishy little thing. We made a trip to Labor & Delivery last night after having steady contractions (every 2-4 mins lasting a minute or so) for an hour and 45 minutes. Contractions continued for another 2 hours but didn't progress any in those 2 hours so home we went. Pain for another 3 hours then nothing. Nada. Home girl wanted to stay put. 

Milestone: maybe that nesting has begun? I want to clean and throw everything away. Only problem? I still get so tired. 

This week's pictures aren't the most flattering but they are reality...

I love this one!! He's checking up on the monitor, listening and watching her heartbeat and the contractions:

Last night at L&D wondering if we'd meet our little girl last night:

Wonderful shot of a contraction starting---it's not pretty haha!! Yep, taking selfies in the hospital was my idea of fun last night:

Tonight (never mind the dog hair everywhere-Elsie and Richard have spent the day near me):

Baby girl, we cannot wait to meet you but know you'll come on your terms and not ours. As long as you're healthy inside, we'll take any day to be your birthday 🍭

38 weeks today :)

Weekly Info...

How far along are you? 38 weeks. Can you believe we've made it this far?!? 

How I’m feeling: about the same as the last couple of weeks. I'm always tired and my feet/lower legs swell like there's no tomorrow. Hopefully they go down quickly after her arrival. 

Total weight gain: no weight gain in the past week!!! Still at 24lbs. Maybe we'll stay at less than 25lbs this whole pregnancy. That'd make me happy. 

How big is baby? "Your baby has really plumped up. He or she weighs around 6.8 pounds and is over 19 1/2 inches long (about the size of a leek). Your baby has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his or her hand for the first time! His or her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If your baby is born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he or she is born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time your baby is 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after birth, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)" -babycenter app

Maternity clothes: haven't spent any more money on maternity clothes. Considering I'm finishing up work very soon, I won't need to impress anyone with cute clothes. Ha! Who am I kidding?! I haven't been impressing anyone the past 9 months with my outfit choices. 

Stretch marks? 3 little dark spots are popping up but they aren't major lines yet. Maybe they'll stay? Maybe they'll go? Who knows...time will tell. 

Sleep: ha. Ha. Ha. I sleep for an hour or two but I'm not sure "sleep" is the most accurately used word. My sleep is definitely not restful and it definitely isn't comfortable. 

Best moment this week: being checked to see how much progress we've made. Don't get me wrong, best moment does NOT mean most fun moment. But I am glad to know I'm not zero everything. 

1cm dilated. 50% effaced. Head is way down. Measuring 39 weeks.  

Movement: is painful. She isn't as graceful in her movements this week. And my movements continuously slow the further we get. 

Food cravings: not food, but milk. I HATE drinking plain milk...but this past week I just cannot get enough of it. 

Food aversions: spicy food probably.   

Belly button in or out: still barely in. It looks so weird and kinda gross. 

What I Miss: I already miss my kiddos at school and I haven't even left them.   

What I’m looking forward to: having this baby on the outside, healthy. I cannot wait to see her wrinkly skin and smushed up face. 

Milestone: we are packed and ready for her arrival (I think). I'm sure I'll always wonder if I have it all together for D(delivery)-day and panic the day of, but I think we can safely say she can arrive any time and we have everything we could need. 

 

38 weeks today. 

Old ultrasound pic but maternity pics at 37.5wks. Take my advice and get pictures done prior to your ninth month. It'll be easier on your body and your belly won't be as huge. 

37 weeks, folks!! 37 weeks!!!!!

Weekly Info...

How far along are you? 37 weeks. 3 more weeks til her due date. I'm not convinced I'll go now but I'm not convinced I'll make it to her due date. This tired lady may have to make the decision to stay home before her arrival depending on how the next 2.5 weeks of working go. My hope was to work up until Christmas break (December 19th is the last day of school) and then have her after that. We'll see how long we make it. 

How I’m feeling: not so hot. I've been struggling and sorta sluggish every morning this week. **Usually** by lunchtime I'm semi up to speed but it's still rough on me. My body feels beat up and my brain feels like slush some days. And then by the afternoon/evening- stick a fork in me...cause I'm done. 

Total weight gain: no weight gain in the past week. Still at 24lbs. I'll call that a major win since last week was Thanksgiving :) 

How big is baby? "Your due date is very close now, but doctors don't consider your baby "full term" until 39 weeks. Spending the next two weeks in the womb allows your baby's brain and lungs to fully mature. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches (about the size of a bunch of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. 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 an Elvis look-alike. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz."-babycenter app

Maternity clothes: broke down and bought another pair of maternity pants for work. Need to buy a few nursing tanks but other than that, I'm hoping to stick with what I have until she's here. 

Stretch marks? No thanks. 

Sleep: still waking up every couple hours. Sometimes it's every hour and sometimes she's nice enough to let me sleep for 2-3 hours. Those wake ups just require a bit more speed to make it to the potty. 

Best moment this week: getting to hear her little heartbeat. She hasn't been moving as much as they'd like so I had a NST done yesterday. Quite worrisome to find out I had to do it but thankful everything is okay. While hooked up, her heartbeat had a great rhythm and I had 9 contractions. Most were Braxton Hicks though. I only felt two of them so when she said 9 I about flipped. 

Movement: not as active lately. I assumed it was because she's running out of room but the docs say I should still feel her kicking or jabbing or grazing somewhat from spot to spot. 

Food cravings: salami. Or deli lunch meat in general. I've been really good about not eating it unless heated and it just isn't the same lately. 

Food aversions: nothing really. I hope that stays away for the next few weeks too.   

Belly button in or out: in. Barely. Haha. It's more of a "flatty" instead of an "inny" or an "outty" 

What I Miss: a whole bunch of stuff.....my hips not feeling like they're breaking apart would be a good place to start....not feeling like I am carrying a bowling ball between my legs would be nice too haha. Just means we're getting closer to her making her appearance in this world.   

What I’m looking forward to: seeing Phil and AG's relationship. It seriously melts my heart just thinking of it. 

Milestone: at this point, they won't stop labor. They'll let her come on out. Just means we've made it to a safer place in pregnancy and chances of us coming home are better and better each day. 

I say this one makes me look smaller. Phil chuckles. Haha!! 

37weeks today 

Our Thanksgiving 2014 picture

36wks 3days

Thirty-six weeks!!!

Weekly Info...

How far along are you? 36 weeks!!! 9 months preggo, yo! Only 28 days til due date!!! Twenty. Eight. Days!! 

How I’m feeling: pretty good considering. Did a little Christmas shopping today, packed our hospital bag, and began cleaning out the pantry like a mad woman. Next on the list? Purging other rooms in the house! 

Total weight gain: too much to tell. Haha! From my lowest this pregnancy, about 24lbs. 

How big is baby? "Your baby is still packing on the pounds – at the rate of about an ounce a day. He or she now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long (about the size of a head of romaine lettuce).

Your baby is shedding most of the downy hair that covered his or her body, as well as the vernix caseosa – a waxy substance that protects the skin during its nine-month bath in amniotic fluid. Your baby swallows these substances, along with other secretions, and they form a tar-like black substance called meconium, which your baby passes in his or her first bowel movements.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered "early term." (Full-term is 39 to 40 weeks. Babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term, 41 weeks is late term, and those born after 42 weeks are post-term.) Most likely he or she is in a head-down position. But if not, your caregiver may suggest scheduling anexternal cephalic version. (That's a fancy way of saying that your caregiver will apply pressure to your abdomen to try to manipulate your baby into a head-down position.)" -babycenter app

Maternity clothes: no new outfits. I have bought some nursing bras and other clothes stuff for hospital bag. 

Stretch marks? No new ones. Some of the ones I've had for years are becoming more visible though. 

Sleep: awake every two hours at least. She just moves all over the bladder which makes for multiple trips to the restroom. And rolling over wakes me up every time. 

Best moment this week: knowing all is still well at the appointments. And getting the hospital bag packed. Just need to get it all in one place and install her car seat in my car. 

Movement: she's pretty active normally. Decided to take a little break Tuesday all day and not move. Those days don't make for a happy mommy. 

Food cravings: none really. 

Food aversions: none thankfully.  

Belly button in or out: in. Maybe it'll make it all pregnancy :)

What I Miss: rolling over and laying on my tummy. 

What I’m looking forward to: holding this little munchkin! Teaching her all kinda of cool things!!

Milestone: chances of a NICU stay are slim at this point, in case of an early delivery :) 

Ignore the mismatched outfit. I'd halfway changed into pjs before I remembered I needed to take today's pictures. 

It's a lot of work having to tote this thing I call a belly around. 

This was last night...35wks6days. 

Progressions in same shirt...left to right- 21wks, 24wks, 36wks. 

35 weeks

Weekly Info...

How far along are you? 35 weeks! 35!!! 

How I’m feeling: uncomfortable. tired. sick. ready. 

Total weight gain: another 4 pounds. Depressing for me. Normal for the docs. 

How big is baby? Belly is measuring 36 weeks (we were 34+6 days yesterday when they measured). 

According to babycenter app-

"Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now. He or she is over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (about the size of a honeydew melon)! Because he or she is so snug in your womb, your baby isn't likely to be doing dramatic somersaults anymore, but the number of movements you feel should remain about the same.

Your baby's kidneys are fully developed now, and his or her liver can process some waste products. Basic physical development is now mostly complete – your baby's main job over the next few weeks is to put on weight."

Maternity clothes: are getting small. Okay, so I know it's really me getting bigger but that's not the point. If I don't wear the full panel belly pants, my tops are always too short looking. Just depressing. 

Stretch marks? Some are popping up on my sides but none so far on the belly. We shall see. 

Sleep: I don't know that this word is in my vocabulary anymore. At all. It's beyond uncomfortable when I sit. Beyond uncomfortable when I lay. No winning from this point forward I reckon. 

Best moment this week: Phil getting to see my stomach jerk so far to the side it looks like I'm having a seizure. During our child birth class this weekend she was going crazy inside. Kicked/punched me so hard that my entire midsection jerked. Might as well have jumped outta my seat. 

Movement: it's slowing down somewhat but she's still quite active in there. She prefers to keep a foot in my ribcage and her head on my bladder. Let's just hope I don't pee myself. It's come quite close as of late! 

Food cravings: pumpkin pie. I just had a delicious slice. :)

Food aversions: none thankfully. 

Belly button in or out: in. It seems to be staying that way for a while. When she's mashed against it from the inside or I've eaten too much, it looks like the bottom of my belly button may start to poke out but I still have a crater, so I think I'm good. 

What I Miss: being comfortable. I've heard I might as well get used to that. My ribs hurt all the time. I wish I could take a few deep breaths and feel better, but it isn't working that way. 

What I’m looking forward to: the next 5 weeks. 35 days. 19 working days. 8 duty days. 

Milestone: another week done.

Hahaha!! This made me laugh. Only I have a tad more to lose after AG's arrival. 

Big ol' belly! Should've taken my jacket off. 

Our little (ha, little) beach ball of a baby. 

And here are these achy things. Five more weeks, footsies. Five more weeks. The sad thing is, this is as soon as I say down and propped them up. After a bit of them propped, they blew up even more. Walked to the kitchen and could feel the excess swelling in the area between my toes and tattoo just jiggling as I walked. Doc wasn't concerned yesterday- until my face and hands blow up, says swelling isn't too bad. Too bad it is getting quite unconfortable... having feet the size of Africa. 

34 weeks

Weekly Info...

How far along are you? 34 weeks, baby!!

How I’m feeling: tired. But that's all the time now. She has made me the most uncomfortable ways I could imagine. 

Total weight gain: +2 more pounds. If I don't say it altogether maybe it'll make me feel less self-conscious about it. 

How big is baby? "Your baby now weighs around 4 3/4 pounds (about the size of a cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Fat layers – which will help regulate your baby's body temperature after birth – are filling your baby out, making him or her rounder. Your baby's skin is also smoother than ever.

The central nervous system is maturing, and your baby's lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy 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." -babycenter app

Maternity clothes: they are ranging in comfortable to completely uncomfortable. Denim- not comfortable. My belly gets smushed and dang it it's fun. 

Stretch marks? None. 

Sleep: none of that either. No more ability to skip a potty break til the next time I wake up. I'm afraid I may pee the bed. 

Best moment this week: feeling her move after her being pretty silent for a while. 

Movement: she still loves the ribcage and bladder at the same time. My ribcage needs a break though! 

Food cravings: none in particular. I could go for some spaghetti though. 

Food aversions: none. 

Belly button in or out: in. But it's flirting with outtiehood I think. 

What I Miss: being able to find a comfortable position. Sitting isn't comfortable. Laying isn't comfortable. Standing isn't comfortable. So I just constantly rotate between them. At work I look like I'm doing a rendition of "stand up, sit down, fight fight fight!" 

What I’m looking forward to: holding this little thing and being able to watch her grow in so many ways. It'll truly be a blessing from above. 

Milestone: 34 weeks. Plenty of babies born around this gestation time are able to go home soon after momma. 

Big ol feet, sore as sore could be:

Side view:

Front view:

Night, all.

33 weeks. And tired.

Weekly Info...

How far along are you? 33 weeks

How I’m feeling: today, über tired. This week, tired is a good word to stick with haha

Total weight gain: appt tomorrow. I'm not getting on the scale until then. 

How big is baby? "This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (about the size of a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He or she is rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look.

Your baby's skeleton is hardening. The bones in the skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap. This makes it easier for your baby to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as your child's brain and other tissues expand during infancy and childhood." -babycenter app

Maternity clothes: one of the coolest people I know sent me some tops that I'm loving!! Especially since I didn't buy many winter style tops and there were a few in the package! 

Stretch marks? Only old ones still. Although I think the belly is running out of growing room, so I expect some to show up eventually. 

Sleep: ha! Someone asked me how sleep was going. I chuckled and asked what sleep was... It is so, so uncomfortable laying down now. I love the way our bed feels as soon as I lay on it but I cannot get in any comfortable position. I usually wait until I can't stand it anymore before I get in the bed so I can just lay and pass out almost immediately. 

Best moment this week: the mister has run into my belly twice this week already. Several students have done the same. It makes me laugh that people don't realize how big this belly is getting.  

Movement: slow and moving from side to side or poking out. I had a butt sticking out between my belly button and ribcage for a bit today. It's not comfortable either. The kicks and punches are slowing down into more graceful movements as she runs out of room on the inside. 

Food cravings: I want chicken wings. Only the kind with two bones parallel like. Not the ones that look like mini legs. And fried. Dry plain or wet with BBQ. Mmmmm. 

Food aversions: none. Probably why I gained so much before my last appt. 

Belly button in or out: in still!! Can you believe it?!?

What I Miss: getting comfortable. Going more than a couple hours without a potty break. Being able to "squeeze" through places without hitting my stomach or mashing my stomach. 

What I’m looking forward to: meeting Little Miss AG. 7 weeks til our due date. Seriously, where did the time go?!?

Milestone: another week down :)