36, 37, and eep...38 weeks!

*Doing an email post...to be edited with pictures later!* :)

 

Marination Time: 38 weeks, 3 days...we officially have a full term baby.  Crazy!!

Musings on the Weekly Photo: I feel like I've been about the same size for awhile now.  He's definitely dropped pretty low, which makes my hips and back complain a little bit. 

This Week's Produce Item: 

36 weeks - Honeydew

 

37 weeks - Winter Melon (whatever that is?)

 

38 weeks - Pumpkin!

 

Currently Craving: I think I've eaten pizza 5 times this week, no joke.  I can't get enough!  No real "cravings" though - just still loving to eat everything in sight because I am the ultimate fatty.

Weight: 172 last I checked, which puts me at about a 42 pound weight gain.  Wow.

Symptoms: Gettings lots of sharp pains on the lower part of my belly.  Mom thinks they're bladder spasms from our friend head butting me in the bladder.  I'm definitely slowing down some, and having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions.  Mom and I went for a walk yesterday and my belly was rock hard for a good five minutes of walking uphill!

Belly Button Status: Same old, same old. It's out. Also I have that lovely dark line up my belly and it's hilarious because it also makes a circle around my belly button.

Sleep Grade: I usually get up once, maybe twice now.  Rolling over in bed is a big process where I basically have to get on all fours and then switch to the other side.  Basically how  I would imagine an elephant would roll over in a lying down position.

Movement: I think he has one place on my right side (where his feet always are) that he likes to wallow his feet, it's funny.  Other than the fun bladder head-butts or maybe some mild shifting, I don't feel much else.  He's just too big for his little apartment in there,  I think. 

Appointments: I am going every week now - at 36 weeks, I was "very thin" (though the doctor didn't give me an effacement percentage) and he said he could feel the baby's head.  I had an appointment last week at 37 weeks and the doctor gave me some crap about how they would "go ahead and get me delivered at 39 weeks' and then sort of patted me on the head when I explained that I would rather chew broken glass than be induced.  I see another doctor today who tends to be a somewhat reasonable human, so maybe he won't make me get into the whole induction battle...we will see. Nervous!  Hoping this guy can just take his own course and come when he wants.  I also have another internal exam, so we'll see if we've made any progress in the last two weeks. 

Highlights of the Week: PB has started working his 24 hour shifts at the fire department, so the weenies and I have to get used to being without him every third night.  It usually involves watching a lot of things on the DVR I don't get to watch when PB is home because they drive him crazy, and sprawling out all over the king size bed.  Haven't really had many other highlights, just trying to get my head wrapped around the idea that we are going to have a baby soon.  I still haven't - it's insane!!!

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35 Weeks!

35 weeks (I think)....wearing my "man pants" and making frozen pizza just for me because PB was at work late.

35 weeks 2 days, before heading out to work

Marination Time: 36 weeks as of today - we are exactly one month away from our due date!

Musings on the Weekly Photo: Every time I think I can't get bigger....I get bigger. Wow.  I feel weird saying it out loud, because I'm afraid to jinx it, but I can't believe I don't have stretch marks on the belly yet.  I still have a whole month to get some though!

This Week's Produce Item: 

Baby's the size of a coconut this week!

Currently Craving: I have really been wanting candy.  Boss lady gave me a bag of Twizzlers for my bday (because she knows it's my favorite...) and all I want to do is snarf all of them down.  I think I might break down and do it soon. Otherwise, still eating lots of ice cream and ice cream sandwiches.  Also, discovered I can eat Pizza Hut pan pizza and still have rockin' blood sugar, so that's my favorite treat as of late.

Weight: I think we're at 168 now.  Wow.

Symptoms: Feeling lots of pressure this week.  Sometimes if I stand up too long I feel like a baby might fall out.  I know, I know, it isn't that easy, but that's what it feels like sometimes.  Itchy belly sometimes...still a little heartburn, still doing Zantac.  Think that's about it!  Piggies might be a tad swollen this week (but nothing you'd notice if you weren't me and didn't see them daily).

Belly Button Status: Same old, same old.

Sleep Grade: I usually get up once...that's about it.  Not too terrible.  I need to stop staying up so late and being a zombie all day though!

Movement: I feel him much less frequently now, though he does get the hiccups most every day (sometimes a couple of times a day).  If I feel him, it's little teeny punches or a sliding motion when he drags his feet around.  I think he's out of room for gymnastics in there.

Appointments: Had a diabetes appointment where they checked my a1c....aaaaaand it was a 4.9! So they told me that I'm fine, to go forth and enjoy my pizza and ice cream, and I don't have to come back.  WOOHOO.  I told them that at the OB's office too, so they can cut it out with all this extra mess about the diabetes.  Case in point, we had an ultrasound to check growth at our last appointment (even though I wasn't measuring ahead).  Ultrasound estimates that he's 6lbs 9oz at this point, though third tri ultrasounds aren't very reliable.  The doctor said he'd guess high 7s or low 8s at birth if he had to guess.  I go back this Friday, and we get to start checking on all those fun things like effacement and dilation.  I know those exams have absolutely no basis in science, but I'm kind of curious to know where we stand, whether or not it matters.  So Captain Curiosity over here is agreeing to the fun awkward exams. Makes it feel very real though - like this could be happening very, very soon.

Highlights of the Week: We have had two awesome baby parties this week!!!  I am the luckiest girl in the whole wide world.  

First, Jessica threw us a baby party last Friday night.  I had a pretty big list of invites, mainly because a) if you invite one person, that opens up a whole new "tier" of like 10 others that also need to be invited and b) I figured what the heck, because we only got maybe 30% turnout at my first shower.  We ended up with way more people than I thought we would and probably Jessica should have just locked the door and told me it was cancelled.  But she is awesome and threw the most fantastic party, complete with a firepit, delicious barbecue, cupcakes, and the most adorable blue and green decorations.  It rocked.  So many of our friends and work friends came, and I was out until after midnight - shocker.  I came home feeling like the queen of the world after that one!!!

And then yesterday, my coworkers threw me a surprise shower in the media center at school that just knocked me on my butt.  They told me there was a "training" after school and I of course was huffing and puffing about whatever nonsensical training we had to do.  A bunch of them disappeared during planning to go set up and told me they were going to a meeting with the principal.  I thought nothing of either of these things - I had no clue whatsoever.  They called me to the office beforehand, and had the secretary ask me a thousand questions about my maternity leave sub that I'd already answered....and still I had no suspicions.  I walked into the media center and everyone yelled "SURPRISE!" and I almost fell in the floor.  There was cake, cookies, games (complete with door prizes!) and so many awesome presents.  

(Please excuse my unwashed hair and lack of makeup....this was seriously a surprise.)

All in all, I have felt like the most loved girl in the world over the past week or two....it has been amazing.  It doesn't help that I am all hormonal and all of this makes me want to just tear up every time I think about it.  Week 35 has been awesome!

Oh, and finally, PB graduated from recruit school at the fire department!  We went to his graduation on Saturday afternoon.  We were all so proud of him!  And he looks darn cute in the outfit.....wait, there are those pregnancy hormones again.  But seriously!! :)