37 Weeks!

Wearing some clothes that had been too big for a while... 

Also, you can't see it, but I'm wearing heels!  

I don't know what I was thinking haha

Not looking quite as big as I feel :)

How far along:  37 weeks!  I’m measuring about a week and a half ahead… 

How big is the baby: Junior is the size of a bunch of Swiss chard (that’s random)!  My midwife estimated (when I was 36.5 weeks) that Junior was about 7.5 pounds.  That would make him over 9 pounds if I got to forty weeks… We’ll see if she was right or not!

Total weight gain/loss: As of my midwife appointment this week, I’m now up 27 pounds.  That was a big jump… But I’m swelling more and I hadn’t gained any last week.  Oh well, I’m getting close to the end.  Hopefully then it’ll start going the opposite direction!

Maternity clothes: I’m actually outgrowing some of my staples… I had to go through a bin I have of the next size up maternity clothes to find some jeans, etc. that I can wear now!

I am starting to day dream about my other clothes… I know it’ll still be a while before I can wear my pre-pregnancy jeans, etc… But I am looking forward to it!

Stretch marks: They’re still coming :( Boo!

Sleep: I feel like I’m sleeping less… Waking up a lot with pain and trying to roll over.  Then I decide I might as well go to the bathroom while I’m awake.  Then I come back to bed and have to re-attempt to get comfortable… Quite the process :)  Soon I will be sleeping less for very different reasons!

Exercise: I went to the track on Sunday, Y on Monday, and Y on Thursday!  Yippee! This is what happens when my walking partner is back in town :)  All three times I did between 2 and 3 miles.  I did less because I got there late, not because I had to stop early :)

Best moment last week: We had our maternity pictures done!!! I can’t wait to see them :)

I also had some fun birthday celebrations… a lunch with my mom, a breakfast with a friend, and I’ll have dinner tonight with the family :)  Woohoo!

Movement: He’s still moving a lot, but not quite as much as he was… I feel his head SO LOW!  I said this week that I didn’t think I’d be feeling the baby THIS low until I was in labor! Haha :)

Food cravings/aversions: I had a delicious cheeseburger this week :)  I can’t really think of any specific cravings/aversions… Oh!  I had been wanting dark chocolate for a while and I was given some for my birthday – Perfect timing!  (Thanks, Mom Appleton!)

Other symptoms: Junior has definitely dropped… So I’m having a lot of pelvic pain, hip pain, etc.  He also likes to hit some nerve that makes my left leg numb?  It’s fun ;)

Gender: As far as we know, he’s still a boy!  (I can’t even imagine what it would be like to think you know the gender and then find out when the baby is born that you/ultrasound techs etc. were wrong!)

Labor signs:  Like I said, Junior has dropped.  So that’s a good sign!  I’m having a lot of Braxton Hicks; they’ve definitely increased in frequency and pain.  Still nothing like labor, I’m sure! 

Belly button: It’s basically flat now… Depending on how he moves, sometimes it even starts to stick out.  But it isn’t an outie yet

Weddings rings: Still on, but they’re definitely getting tight!

What I miss: The lack of pain before he dropped ;)

What I am looking forward to: Setting up the nursery – SOON!  Pete is just about done with the master bedroom.  We should be moving in there in the next couple of days and then he’ll work on painting the nursery!  YAYYYYY!!!

Also getting together with my family tonight (Friday) for my birthday!  It’ll be fun :)

Weekly Wisdom:  It hurts when the baby drops… be prepared!  It gets hard to walk, sit, lay down, stand, etc! :)  But, at the same time, it’s great progress and you know you’re getting close!  So, it’s painful, but exciting :)

In case you missed this on facebook... 

I felt like it looked like I had a beach ball in my shirt! haha :)

36 Weeks!

 Looking very... pregnant!

It's getting hard to actually reach under my belly now!! Hahaha :)

How far along:  36 weeks!  As in, I’m due in less than a month!

How big is the baby: Junior is the size of a head of romaine lettuce! 

Total weight gain/loss: As of my midwife appointment this week, I’m still up 24 pounds.  I somehow managed to not gain weight; I’m not really sure how… But I was really relieved either way!  I know weight gain during pregnancy is good.  But after a total of 5 pounds gained in the previous 2 weeks, it was really nice to have a week that helped balance it out some.  I'll probably see a jump again next week :)

Maternity clothes: Yes please!

Stretch marks: They’re still coming :( Boo!

Sleep: I’ve been working hard to increase my water intake… So I’m waking up even more over night! Haha :)

Exercise: I went to the Y on Monday.  Only once, but better than none… I am still managing to do 3 miles at a time… I’m not sure how long that will last!

Best moment last week: Being told I didn’t gain another crazy amount of weight! Haha :)

Our rug for the living room/office area came and we put it in place.  It’s so great!  We already have the dining room one in place, too.

The rocker for the nursery came this week too!  It’s so nice to have things coming together.

I ordered Junior a couple of cute toys for Christmas… We’re not really doing Christmas for him this year, but there was a good sale/promo code combination happening and I needed to add something to an order for one of his cousins :)

Movement: Tons, and really low!

Food cravings/aversions: I had been wanting pumpkin cheesecake for a few weeks.  Over the weekend, I ate homemade pumpkin pie ice cream from our local ice cream place.  I had cheesecake pieces and caramel sauce on top of it.  It was SO perfect!

Other symptoms: I’m just generally getting rather uncomfortable :/

Gender: He’s a boy <3

Labor signs:  Braxton hicks contractions have gotten a bit stronger… 

Belly button: Still holding on as an innie for now… Let’s hope it stays that way!

Weddings rings: Still on!

What I miss: Being able to sit, lay down, stand, etc. comfortably haha…

What I am looking forward to: Setting up the nursery – SOON!  Pete’s working on painting our master bedroom and then we can move in there and work on the nursery!

Weekly Wisdom:  I don’t have any that I can think of right now…

And a bonus picture that Pete took that I really love...

35 Weeks!

We had a wedding to go to on Saturday :)

 I don't know why I haven't worn this dress sooner... It's so comfortable and easy!

There's our big boy! :)

How far along:  35 weeks!  Oh my goodness…

How big is the baby: Junior is the size of a honeydew melon! 

Total weight gain/loss: As of my midwife appointment this week, I’m up 24 pounds.  That was a huge, unexpected jump!  It’s frustrating to see… My midwife suspects a lot of it is fluid retention.  I’m also measuring about 1 week ahead right now.  Not so fun to be about the weight I wanted to be at 40 weeks, but still having 5 weeks to go… Oh well!  Junior’s worth the weight gain I suppose :)

Maternity clothes: In this picture, nothing is maternity… But it’s probably part of the reason my belly looks so big! :) (Maybe it's the angle too! haha) In general, I have to wear maternity now!

Stretch marks: Some new ones popped up this week… I think I/Junior had a growth spurt or something because I suddenly popped out more and I suddenly got some new stretch marks…

Sleep: I’m struggling to sleep these days… (In fact, I’m writing this at 5:30am.  I’ve been up since 4 because I just couldn’t sleep…)  On the days that I don’t sleep well over night, I’m trying to take an early afternoon nap.  That way I get some extra sleep, but it *hopefully* doesn’t keep me up at night.

Exercise: I have really slowed down with life in general… I find myself so worn out (maybe partially because I’m doing more around the house… see below).  Also, my Y partner is on vacation! (Miss you, Mom :) )  So… All those excuses to say I didn’t go to the Y this week :(  I wanted to go Monday, but it was Labor Day.  Tuesdays and Wednesdays can be hard to get there because of my schedule.  So, I was determined to go Thursday.  Then I got about 3 hours of sleep overnight.  So, I napped during my Y time :)  I think that was a good toss up! Haha :)

Best moment last week: I’m working on getting a schedule set in place over this past week and the next 5 weeks… I am trying to get a system of cleaning etc.  I know it’ll be thrown in the air for a bit after Junior is born, but I feel like if I can get it established now then I’ll have something to settle back into as life finds a new normal in October/November :)

In light of that, we’ve had a super productive week!

We prepped and froze a bunch of veggies on Monday.

I’ve worked a lot this week on getting the house more settled – putting away random things that hadn’t found a spot, etc.  I’m also trying to finally get every room clean so that it’s just “maintenance” that has to happen.  This will help so much as I continue to get bigger and slower :)

We ordered a rug for our “office” area (a section of our living room haha) and one for our dining room.

AND we ordered the car seat! YAY!

Finding a GREAT deal on a swivel glider that I had crossed off my list because it was too expensive!

We also scheduled our maternity pictures and have newborn pictures in the works… SUCH a fun week!

Movement: I think Junior has continued to grow (which is a good thing!)… I can feel him pushing down into my pelvis and up into my ribs at the same time.  We’ve also watched him stretching my belly in diagonal directions :)

Food cravings/aversions: I don’t feel like there’s anything specific this week, oddly enough…

Other symptoms: I finally recovered from the stomach bug over the weekend… Somewhere between Sunday night and Monday morning.  I’m SO grateful for this!

Gender: He’s a boy <3

Labor signs:  Braxton hicks contractions have gotten a bit stronger… 

Belly button: It’s still in… Barely.  However, there were a couple times this week that Junior made it poke out from the way he was sitting/stretching.

Weddings rings: They’re on… My hands haven’t really been swelling this week.

What I miss: Sleeping through the night, again :) Also… Being able to easily shave my legs!  It’s like an Olympic event now :)

What I am looking forward to: Setting up the nursery – SOON!  As the end is approaching, it’s all starting to feel more real… I can’t believe I will have my son in my arms in just a few short weeks <3 (and now I’m crying…)

Weekly Wisdom:  Get a system in place before the baby comes!  It’s a super nice feeling having the house feel more settled  and clean, etc.!

34 Weeks!

 My hair is a little crazy... Usually we do my pictures before church, but this one was after church (and a few other things)... Oh well :)

This dress is not maternity - I just happened to realize it would work!

How far along:  34 weeks! 6 weeks to go (or 7 or 8... ha)!

How big is the baby: Junior is the size of a cantaloupe!  Or… the weight of a bag of flour/sugar… No wonder I’m worn out! :)

Total weight gain/loss: No update from last week’s – I’ll update next week :)

Maternity clothes: Yup – and I’m noticing that some of my smaller ones are getting tight or short now… I guess that’s what happens as you near the end :)

Stretch marks: I think I’ve had a couple more coming through… I don’t really see them because they’re on the underside of my belly :) So, I can only see them when I look in the mirror haha

Sleep: I am waking up even more often to go to the bathroom and/or to readjust… I go between 2 and 3 hours before needing to get up to go to the bathroom :)

Exercise: I was able to get to the Y a couple times again this week… And I’m definitely not as fast as I used to be, but I’ve still been able to do 3 miles each time!

Best moment last week: We started childbirth classes… That is so exciting, but it makes it all feel so real!  We were discussing ways to relax during the pain of labor, etc… I can’t believe we’re at the point of making those plans!

A hamper I ordered a couple of weeks ago for the nursery came in… It’s so cute and perfect!

More progress is happening on the work in our master bedroom… I can’t wait to get in there because then we’ll be able to set up the nursery!

I also had a really productive day baking etc… That was nice!

Movement: His movement hasn’t slowed down yet… Still lots of big, painful, shocking jabs etc :)

Food cravings/aversions: I made zucchini bread, blueberry zucchini bread, and lemon zucchini bread… Those are all delicious!  I have found myself craving chocolate things a lot… Right now, though, I can’t imagine eating those things – see below

Other symptoms: I have, in general, been nauseous this week… I think it’s acid reflux related and maybe because I need to eat smaller meals (Junior is cramping my stomach!).

I woke up overnight last night (Thursday night) with what I think is a stomach bug :( So, I got very little sleep and I’m eating very bland foods and trying to drink and stay hydrated…

My migraines have calmed down this week.  The medicine from the midwife definitely helped break the cycle… And I switched allergy medicines and I think that helped, too.

Gender: He’s a boy <3

Labor signs:  Lots of Braxton hicks – I’ve just gotten used to them haha… They’re not painful, just uncomfortable/annoying I guess

Belly button: Still hanging on with an innie… Maybe I’ll make it!

Weddings rings: Still on!  My hands swell a little bit here and there, but nothing concerning.

What I miss: Right this minute? Eating regular food :)  In general? Sleeping on my stomach and sleeping through the night

What I am looking forward to: I still am most looking forward to setting up the nursery… I think when that is done, it’s going to feel SO MUCH more real that we’re about to bring a baby home… It’s still very surreal.

Weekly Wisdom:  Avoid stomach bugs… They’re not fun to add on top of a pregnancy!  

33 Weeks!

This shirt is actually a new non-maternity shirt... I couldn't resist it and then was pleasantly surprised to see it stretches over my belly right now :)

How far along:  33 weeks! 

How big is the baby: Junior is the size of a pineapple! (That sounds painful!)

Total weight gain/loss: 18-19 pounds, which is right where I expected to be.  My midwife had told me she wanted me to gain about 25 pounds.  If my current pace continues, I think I’ll be right around 27 pounds – so pretty close! :)

Maternity clothes: Pretty much just wearing maternity clothes exclusively now… Although I did find a few non-maternity things that I can wear still… In fact, last Sunday I wore a dress to church that I got in college – it’s funny how things just look a little different :)

Stretch marks: There’s been a spot that I have thought was just an appendectomy scar getting more noticeable, but I think I have a couple of little stretch marks around that scar.  I’m not sure if the skin is less flexible there because of the surgery/scar or what… But it’s the only spot where I have new ones.  I’m slightly disappointed because it seemed like I wasn’t going to get any.  Hopefully I won’t get too many more!!

Sleep: I’m still awake a lot… In fact, overnight on Thursday (I hit 33 weeks on Friday), I slept between 2 and 3 hours total.  Then I was up for the rest of the night… I just couldn’t get comfortable, couldn’t fall asleep, etc… So annoying!
My sleep schedule may just be off from a crazy week.  I worked a longer day than normal on Wednesday.  Then, I went with my mom to pick up my dad & brother at the airport.  Their flight was delayed.  So, I didn’t get home until around 4:30am!  I ended up sleeping in – still not getting quite enough sleep though.  Then, I napped on Thursday evening.  So, all of that may have contributed to my insomnia overnight on Thursday… Hopefully I can avoid a nap today/tonight and then I should sleep better!

Exercise: I was able to get to the Y a couple times this week.  I think, at this point, I’m starting to slow my mom down!

Best moment last week: I got a great deal on nursing tank tops!  My focus has shifted from shopping for maternity clothes to shopping for nursing-friendly clothes :)

Also, Pete painted our dining room!  It’s such a pretty shade of green :)  I love seeing our home come together! (You can see the green in these pics!)

Movement: SO much movement!  I had Pete pause a show last night just to watch what Junior was doing to my belly ha

Food cravings/aversions: I am still loving citrusy things – I had an orange tangerine smoothie this week that was just SO good!

Other symptoms: My migraines continued this week.  When I went to my appointment on Tuesday, I was on my 7^th day straight of migraines :( This pattern was all too familiar :(  My midwife, thankfully, approved an occasional medicine that has been helping so much!  I’m also trying to get more on top of my seasonal allergies – that seems to be a contributing factor.

Gender: He’s a boy <3

Labor signs:  Braxton Hicks – just practicing :)

Belly button: Still in, but barely!  In fact, when I laid down last night, it looked flat!  I’m curious to see how this progresses haha…

Weddings rings: Still on!  The only time my hands seem to swell is when I’m walking.  So, I’m just learning to bend my elbows to help counteract gravity :)

What I miss: Right this minute? Sleep! Like I said, it was a short night last night!

What I am looking forward to: I so can’t wait to set up our nursery and get some baby things out.  I finally started pinning all of the components of the nursery onto a board on Pinterest, just so I could see some of it in the same place :)  (We are currently using the nursery as our bedroom while some work is done to the master bedroom.  Hopefully that will be done in a few weeks so that we can move into our room and paint the nursery, etc.!!)

Weekly Wisdom:  Sleep when you can because apparently you can start struggling to sleep before the baby is even here!  

32 Weeks!

This post is SOOOOOO late... That's what happens with migraines I guess :/  Better late than never!

I normally take my pictures on Sundays (at ___ weeks, 2 days).  This picture was taken on Wednesday (at 32 weeks, 5 days).  So, I was nearly 33 weeks... Oh well! :) Now you see me in work clothes instead of church clothes... Ha!

How far along:  32 weeks! 

How big is the baby: Junior is the size of a jicama :)

Total weight gain/loss: No update – going to the midwife in a few days :)

Maternity clothes: Pretty much just wearing maternity clothes exclusively now…

Stretch marks: Nothing new still!

Sleep: I’m still awake a lot… especially this week with migraines, etc.

Exercise: I was able to get to the Y some again this week.  I’m definitely slowing down, but I’m gonna try to keep pushing!

Best moment last week: Pete and I went out on a little date.  At dinner, the cashier outright said to me, “So, when are you due?” :)  It was so fun having a stranger be 100% sure I was pregnant – confident enough to say something :)  It turns out she had just had a baby 2 months ago.

It was also so much fun to go through all of Junior’s clothes, etc. with my mom :)  And I purchased a few of the baby things we still need with gift cards and money that we received.

Movement: Lots… and lots!

Food cravings/aversions: I finally got SunButter and I like it WAY more than when I tried it a few years ago… So nice to having something “peanut butter-y” to eat!

Other symptoms: Braxton Hicks have continued… I’ve also been dealing with migraines this week.  I’ve had them on Wed-Fri.  It’s so frustrating and discouraging :(

Gender: He’s a boy <3

Labor signs:  Braxton Hicks – just practicing :)

Belly button: Still in, but barely!

Weddings rings: On… My hands started swelling when I walk.  I actually felt my rings be tight for the first time in months and months!  So, I need to keep my hands/arms up when I walk (like those speed walkers! Haha)

What I miss: I miss sleeping on my belly, like usual… And I miss headache-free days :(

What I am looking forward to: Naming our little man, setting up his nursery…  I’m getting eager to see it all come together!

Weekly Wisdom:  Don’t get migraines… And if you find a trick for that, let me know!!

31 Weeks!

The picture above is in our dining room... That color is in the process of changing to a fun green color!  Woohoo :)

And here's my belly... It's hard to miss these days!! :)

How far along:  31 weeks!  7 months along!! That is just crazy…

How big is the baby: Junior is the size of a coconut!  That seems kinda small haha :)  However, he is not small… In fact, my midwife told me I’m measuring 2 weeks ahead.  She doesn’t think I’ll go early.  She just thinks I’ll have a big baby :)

Total weight gain/loss: 16-17 pounds gained.  About what I expected

Maternity clothes: Most non-maternity things are uncomfortable, too tight or short, etc… Except for yoga pants and some shirts that had been too big on me before I was pregnant :)

Stretch marks: Nothing new still!

Sleep: I awake often overnight… To go to the bathroom, to roll over, because Junior is kicking… Then I often just lay there wide awake for an hour or two :/ Preparing me for 2 months from now, I guess!  

Exercise: I was able to get to the Y a couple days this week again.  Maybe I went three times?  I’m not 100% sure.  It is leaving me a bit more tired than it used to… And I think I walk slower than I used to :) But at least I’m still walking!

Best moment last week: My mom got to see Junior move! That was fun :) (Yes, I mean see… It’s often pretty visible from the outside haha)

I also got some more baby things, which was fun!  I got storage cubes for the nursery in fun bright colors that will look super cute :) I also got the Boppy pillow with a gift card from one of his showers.  I love seeing more baby stuff coming into the house!

Movement: He’s moving quite a bit… It can keep me awake at night now – not quite as fun ;)

Food cravings/aversions: I can’t think of something specific… I have found that when I eat protein (like shredded chicken, for example), I really want more.  I’ve been struggling to eat meats, etc. throughout the pregnancy and I got sick of eggs… But lately meat is tasting good to me :) Phew!

Other symptoms: I’m tired a lot, getting worn out more easily… I’ve also started getting Braxton Hicks more often, or at least noticing them more often.  New experiences!

Gender: All boy!  I’m going to sort through his clothes with my mom this coming week, organizing them by size… that’ll be fun!

Labor signs:  Braxton Hicks – just practicing :)

Belly button: Still in… Super shallow, though!

Weddings rings: On… My hands started swelling when I walk.  I actually felt my rings be tight for the first time in months and months!  So, I need to keep my hands/arms up when I walk (like those speed walkers! Haha)

What I miss: I’m back to really missing laying on my stomach haha… Also I miss knowing something will fit me when I pull it out to wear – not needing to try everything on to find out haha

What I am looking forward to: Naming our little man, setting up his nursery… Looking through all of his adorable things again <3

Weekly Wisdom:  Listen to your body… Rest when you need to.  I find myself needing to find time to rest every day pretty much now… It’s a weird adjustment, for sure