41 Weeks - Baby, You're LATE!

December 25, 2014

Photo Thoughts: Merry Christmas!  Have you ever seen someone more pregnant than me?  41 weeks- sheesh.  Even the pregnancy websites and apps have run out of fruits for me to compare my baby to, so I will just settle for standing by our mini Christmas tree and holding the "My First Christmas" outfit that our little guy was supposed to wear today.  Womp. Also- Christmas day + reaching 41 weeks = no makeup, no real clothes for the day!

How I'm Feeling: On a positive note- I'm excited for Christmas of course! And I got to sleep in really ridiculously late today.  But aside from that, I have quite honestly been a total scrooge and just generally unpleasant to be around this week.  The end of pregnancy is rough- physically and emotionally.  And I'd say it gets even harder with each day past your due date you go.  I've been really emotional- just about anything makes me cry, I've basically stopped returning text messages or answering phone calls (no news mean, NO NEWS people!), and I'm just kind of feeling discouraged and frustrated with my body (why doesn't it know what to do?!).  I try to remind myself that having an overdue baby is much better than having a premature baby and that I should be grateful that I have had such a healthy pregnancy, but it is still HARD.  David, like most males I'd say, is generally at a loss of what to do when women get emotional, but he has been so supportive this week and has been a good voice of reason when I lose perspective.  

This photo was taken as I laid in bed after waking up on the morning after my due date. My view was the bassinet currently serving as a pillow holder, and the very gray and rainy weather outside.  Womp. Womp. 

Keeping this on file in my phone for the unlucky person that pushes me over the edge

Baby/Bump: No one has a comparison fruit or vegetable for me this week. Baby is the size of a baby that needs to come out- let's just leave it at that.  

The bump is getting more and more impressive by the day.  David is newly impressed each morning with my continued progress toward (and past?) "large and in charge."  

Symptoms: The usual- back aches, tail bone pain, sore ribs, and most of all ALL THE EMOTIONS AND HORMONES.

Weight: Same this week. Amazingly.  I've been pigging out on Christmas treats... although I seem to have less and less appetite for actual meals.  So at 41 weeks, my total weight gain stands at 27 pounds.  

What I'm Loving: I'm tempted to say nothing, but in attempts to not be a total negative Nancy, I will say that I am still loving and really trying to enjoy feeling these last (however many) days that I will get to feel my baby move in my belly.  Although sometimes it does feel like I am going to be pregnant forever, I know that I won't, and I know for sure that I will miss these movements.  

What I'm Anticipating: BABY'S ARRIVAL.  I mean, it's not like I'm looking forward to labor and delivery and that whole event, but I feel like I'm about 8943890 weeks pregnant, so I'm finally at the point of just being ready to be DONE. It is still so crazy to me that something that is such a major life event is so unpredictable and beyond my control.  It's hard not knowing.  But I do know he will be here soon, and I can't wait to meet this little stinker.  

Sleep: No problem sleeping, and I'm SO glad!  But I do get pretty sad for a few minutes each morning that I wake up and realize, "Oh, nothing happened last night. I'm still here in my bed. Stiiiiiill pregnant."
  
Exercise: Walking 1-2 miles per day and bouncing like a crazy person on the exercise ball.  I get very crampy and have some contractions while I walk, but as soon as I get home and sit down, they immediately stop.  I've also recently started forcing myself to climb the stairs 3-5 times each time I need to go upstairs.  This has also resulted in me finding every reason not to go upstairs.  

Movement: Baby boy is still moving a good amount, although it is definitely slowing down a little bit, as he is obviously running out of space.  I notice he is most active in the evenings.  When he does move, it is so strong, and I can tell that there is so little that is actually separating HIM from the outside.  Sometimes it feels like he is actually trying to break out of there!

Boy or Girl: Baby boy!

Milestones: Is reaching 41 weeks a milestone?  It should be. 

Doctor Updates: I had a 40w5d appointment with a nurse practitioner on Tuesday.  I'm still at the same 2 cm that I was last week, but I'm 75% effaced now- but apparently that means nothing to my body. I was so desperate for something to happen with this baby, that I even requested ANOTHER membrane sweep. I was convinced the one last week was going to be successful since I did have some good signs shortly afterwards (I'll spare you), but it wasn't. So desperate times call for desperate requests.  Second time's the charm?  Anyways, it was a generally frustrating appointment. I left with an induction date scheduled (which I'm not announcing btw- partly because I don't want it to be real, and partly because if I make it to that point, I'd like to still have some element of surprise in baby's arrival), but I wasn't happy about having to schedule that.  I was proud of myself for asking lots of hard questions of her, like "why is this considered medically necessary in MY case- especially since I haven't had any problems in this pregnancy, and both baby and I are still very healthy?" She gave me a generic answer about how when you approach 42 weeks, the placenta can deteriorate, and she kept throwing out the scare term of "risk of fetal demise."  I'm not one to mess around when people drop terms like "fetal demise," but I do feel like she was somewhat trying to scare me.  So I left with the official eviction notice, but told her I would like to discuss it with my husband and have the option to call the next morning if I wanted to postpone induction another few days. I talked to David when I got home, and we decided to go ahead with what is scheduled.  But fingers, toes, eyes crossed that this baby comes on his own before then. 

The official eviction notice. Let's just hope I can throw this away without use...

Final Thoughts: I think the biggest thing I'm struggling with is just letting go of this idea I had in my head of going into labor on my own.  It was a scary thought, but somewhat exciting too to wonder about where I would be when it happened, imagining waking David in the middle of the night or calling him at work, the hurried drive to the hospital, etc.  So it's difficult now to accept that there's a pretty good chance that my labor process and the beginning of the end of this pregnancy will likely look very different than I had imagined.  It's hard to think that maybe my body just doesn't know what to do. My pregnancy has truly been nearly perfect, so it's hard to accept that my labor might have to begin with drugs.  I'm in a big "trying to let go" mindset right now.  It's hard, but I'm working on it.  David is good at reminding me that the important thing is healthy baby and healthy mom- so I'm trying to just focus on that. 

But you better believe that I will still be hoping and praying to go into labor on my own up until the very minute that we have to arrive for induction. Wish us luck!

One thing is for sure though- there will NOT be a 42 week update! :-)  

40 Weeks - A Jack Fruit

Dec. 18, 2014

Photo Thoughts:  So THAT is what it looks like to be 40 weeks pregnant.  Nesting was a major theme this week, hence the crazy cleaning lady photo.  Also, can we just ignore the fact that I'm now realizing this outfit makes me look like a Duggar?  What can I say? Wardrobe options are very limited at this point. 

How I'm Feeling: Well, I am officially 40 weeks pregnant. This was a milestone that I wasn't sure I would make it to, but here I am.  This milestone has proven to be mentally rough for me.  I find myself questioning every little twinge or ache, wondering, "Is this it?"  "Will this be my last..." It's exhausting.  All at different times this week, and sometimes even all at different points throughout the day, I have felt: excited, nervous, annoyed, pressured, worried, disappointed, manic, etc.  The end of this pregnancy business is no joke- it has been a real emotional roller coaster for me. 

Baby/Bump: Nothing new or monumental with baby at this point. Just continuing to grow hair and nails, and develop his lungs.  It's crazy to think that I have a fully "ready to go" person just chillin' in there.  

According to David, my belly is getting noticeably bigger and rounder by the day.  He never really mentions things like that, so when he does, I know it must really be a change.  Plus, it sure does feel like its' getting bigger and rounder all the time.  I finally realized that this growing belly can be useful. The other day I was sitting on the couch entering addresses into my laptop for Christmas cards. I placed my iPhone on the top of my belly and realized it was the perfect little resting place for it. I could look up contacts in my phone book and see them easily while I transferred them to the website I was using. How useful!

Symptoms: A lot of the same as last week: tail bone pain, nausea the second I lay on my back, my ribs are STILL sore from those crazy kicks, and more frequent and more intense "lightning crotch."  I hope that means something is happening. Oh, and nesting to the extreme!

Weight: I was surprised to see I hadn't gained any weight again this week, especially because I've been indulging like crazy.  So, I stand at +27.0 total. 

What I'm Anticipating: The end!  Sometimes I can't wait for it to be here.

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: The end!  Sometimes I don't want it to be here at all!

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I'm letting myself indulge in basically anything I want. It's a good time of year for that, too! If you can't indulge when you're 40 weeks pregnant, when can you?

Sleep: I'm still sleeping well! I get up once a night to go to the bathroom; however, now it is taking me a while to fall back asleep after that.  I'm pretty sure that is due to my brain immediately flipping through my to do list and getting anxious about what lies ahead.  It does take a while, but I always do manage to shut it off and eventually fall back asleep.

Exercise: I'm done. I threw in the towel this week.  For the past couple of afternoons though, I've been taking a little walk around the neighborhood in hopes that that might get things moving a little bit. If nothing else, it's nice to get out and enjoy the nice weather. 

Movement: Still lots and lots! I think I said this last week, but I'm starting to already feel sad about missing this feeling soon.  I always wonder if I took enough time to pay attention to him moving, to put my hands on my stomach, and to just enjoy it. 

Boy or Girl: Baby boy coming soon!

Comment of the Week: "But you look so wide to be having a boy."  Um, thanks? Sorry?  How does one respond to that?

Dr. Updates: I had my 40 week appointment yesterday. I was measuring right at 39 cm, which she said was fine (I've been about 1 cm behind most of the time), and everything else she checks each week looked good. She did the internal exam and found that I had finally graduated past 1 cm and am 2 cm now. Big timer. I was really emotional during the appointment and told her I was so scared to get induced, so I had been teary before she reported this, and I told her she didn't have to say I was 2 cm finally just to make me feel better. Haha. She assured me she wasn't just saying that. We also agreed that she would do a membrane sweep- which is about as unpleasant as it sounds.  But the idea is that 50% of the time, this gets labor moving within 48 hours, so we will see soon enough which 50% I am in.  We also talked about my least favorite topic- induction. The hospital won't allow medically unnecessary inductions before 40w5d- which would be Dec. 23 for me. I told her I really didn't want to be in the hospital over Christmas, so for now, we are tentatively looking at the Friday or Saturday after Christmas if we need to do that.  I think I get upset because it's like I think that just because we talk about the possibility of induction that that means I am going to have one. Logical, right? My doctor told me that really it is very likely that labor will happen on its own well before we get to that point.  I sure hope she's right...

Bored while waiting in the exam room at what is hopefully my last appointment

Highlights of the Week:

-Baby: Our friends Gerald and Nary had their baby! Nary was due on 12/13- just five days before me. I was so excited when I heard the news, but I also have to admit that it gave me butterflies in my stomach thinking, "OK, I'm next."  

-Last Day of Work: Friday was my last day of work. I felt good about leaving because I had completed all of my projects, so it felt like the perfect time to leave. I was only slightly sad to leave... I was mostly just excited.  It was a good role for me to be in at this point in my life, but it's time for me to move on. 

-Early Anniversary Dinner: David and I went out to dinner for our 4th wedding anniversary on Friday. We thought we better celebrate early, since our actual anniversary (Dec. 18) is also my due date.  

-Maternity Leave: Monday was the first day of my "maternity leave."  Sunday night I made the most epic multi-page to do list you've ever seen, and then Monday morning I hit the ground running. I am definitely trying to take advantage of as much time as I end up having before baby... especially since I was so far behind to begin with.  Nesting is no joke.  You just get these crazy impulses that some random task must be done.  Like that very minute.  I seriously felt like I was on speed... nothing was safe from me cleaning it, organizing it, etc.  If you want proof, check out what I accomplished on Monday and Tuesday...

Ignore the laundry piles

Monday: 4 loads of baby laundry, deep cleaned guest bathroom, sent out last minute Christmas cards, hung a curtain rod, post office run, recycle center run, clothing donation run, bank, completed a HUGE Babies 'R' Us registry completion run, unpacked and put away all items from that shopping trip.

Tuesday: 2 more loads of laundry, finally put up mini Christmas tree, called Australia to deal with some bank issues, assembled Rock and Play, hung some lights outside, felt an uncontrollable urge to clean the exterior of all first floor windows (seriously), cleaned master bathroom, deep cleaned the kitchen.  And more similar craziness insued on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Will there be a 41 Week Post?...

39 Weeks - A Watermelon

December 11, 2014

Photo Thoughts:  How does it grow that much in just one week?! See below for a comparison between this and last week.  Also, I'm basically throwing in the towel on wearing anything with a waist most days. So dresses it is! Let's just hope it doesn't get cold again in the next week or so. 

How I'm Feeling:  I'm starting to find myself sometimes wondering things like, "will this be my last..."  It's a strange thing to not know where you will be (or rather, what tiny human might be with you), the next time you do something simple like a load of laundry, etc.  

Really since about 38 weeks, but especially once you enter the 39 week territory, people start to treat you like a ticking time bomb.  It's fun to have reminders of how close you are. But also not fun. Maybe it's just since I have just been feeling so not ready all along, but those constant reminders about how you're basically ready to explode tend to rub me the wrong way... or just make me really anxious.  Instead of "how are you today?," it's "how are you feeling/anything changed?"  And sometimes you start to feel like you're a bit of a disappointment when you say (and mean!), "good, normal."  I think it's also a little different for me, since most women around this time are getting impatient and just ready to be done being pregnant.  Every once in a while, I get that sort of feeling, but most of the time, I'm still over here like, "not quite yet! I could deal with another month or so!" But I know that is crazy.  I know I'm reading too much into it, but these are just honest 39 week hormonal feelings for you.  

Baby/Bump: He is still getting bigger in there, despite running out of room.  Although, growth is definitely not happening as quickly as previous weeks.  BUT, the good news is that the brain is doing LOTS of growing and developing this week!  

The bump is feeling more and more heavy... which I had hoped wasn't possible. However, it's usually only toward the end of the day when I start to feel this heavy sensation. 

Symptoms: Racking them up finally! On a positive note, my lower back nerve is feeling MUCH better!  No more limping for this preggo.  However... that seems to have been replaced with things like tail bone pain, belly heaviness, general back pain, stomach cramping, occasional lightning crotch. etc. Fun.  I'll address this more in the movement section, but my ribs are also in a LOT of pain!  Oh, and a kind of funny symptom is that I have been hearing stomach gurgling/digesting sounds (things you hear normally after eating a big meal), but now I hear them WAY up high.  It;s a crazy reminder at how shifted around my insides are!

Weight: +0.0. +27.0 total. 

What I'm Anticipating: Friday will be my last day at work!  I was lucky that I was able to just stay for as long as I wanted to/could.  It was very open-ended.  And it wasn't that I felt like I couldn't physically work anymore, it was just more that I really began to feel like I wanted and needed to be at home doing things for me and the baby.  It had been getting harder and harder to be doing things for other people, when I am very conscious of all that I still have to do.  I am looking forward to having as much of next week as our little guy will give me to attack that crazy nesting to do list!

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I haven't had too many crazy cravings this pregnancy.  But for a long while now, I have been really fixated on Wendy's Frostys and cake donuts (not together though).  Well, this week, I finally let myself indulge and pulled through the drive thru of Wendy's on my way home from work to get my Frosty.  It was totally worth it.  Now to track down a cake donut!

Delicious "waiting for baby" chocolates that my sister sent!

Sleep: Still no complaints here! That is probably one of the things I am most thankful for this pregnancy- that my sleep was hardly affected.  

Exercise: I think most of it has to do with the fact that my Prenatal Pilates/Barre class is now over, but I just was not motivated to work out this week. I did ONE home workout video.  Oh well... I did pretty well up until now.

Movement: He is still moving a ton in there! For a long time now, I've been getting lots of kicks up near my ribs- which is great reassurance that he is upside down.  But this week, he took those rib kicks to a new level!  I can feel his feet wedged up under my ribs.  And when we decides to kick them, it hurts so badly, and I literally expect to look down and see a rib or two poking out from his force.  He had one particularly strong assault on my ribs one night, and ever since then, my rib cage has been so sore... I keep expecting to see bruises.  Seriously.  

Boy or Girl: See you soon, baby boy!

Most Entertaining Comment of the Week:  When I went to the grocery store this weekend, I stopped at the in-store Starbucks to get a drink to shop with.  The barista was a bit of an older lady, and she asked me right away when I was due and what I was having.  When I told her I was having a boy, her response was, "Oh, there are just so many nasty little boys in this world- we don't need more!"  I wish I was making that up.  I had no idea how to respond other than to just nervously laugh, grab my drink, and leave.  SO strange!

Highlights of the Week: 

-Coming Home Outfit: Our little guy's coming home outfit finally arrived in the mail.  I hope it fits!

-39 Week Appointment: Still no further progress.  Stuck at 1cm, 50%, and -2.  I went into the appointment thinking, "I really hope she says I haven't made any progress because I'm looking forward to next week's time off to get ready for baby." So I was surprised that when she gave me this report, that I actually found myself a little upset.  Also adding to that was probably the fact that she began an initial conversation about induction possibilities... which I really hope to avoid.  She said we will chat again next week, if I make it to that appointment.  

-Trader Joe's Meltdown: (Keep in mind, I was a little emotionally wound up after my appointment.)  Right after my appointment, I went to Trader Joe's to pick up a few items.  One of those items being my favorite TJ frozen pizza crust, since I was planning on making several pizzas to freeze for the coming weeks.  I was annoyed when I couldn't find my crusts, so I asked an employee about it.  She said she was new and would go ask the manager.  The manager came out and told me that they had been discontinued.  Immediate waterworks.  Not even kidding you.  I was crying in the middle of the freezer section in Trader Joe's.  In an attempt to distract me, the poor guy asked me when I was due, and that ended up making me cry even more, because it scared the crap out of me to have to say out loud that my due date was next week.  I was a MESS.  I mean I wasn't like full out balling, but I was definitely red in the face, with tears running down my cheeks.  It was so embarrassing, but the guy was so nice, and  he proceeded to carry my basket while walking me around the store helping me find everything else I had come for.  He must have thought I was insane and not wanted to leave me alone in his store. Poor guy. 

I guess I should have added "extremely over-emotional" to that symptoms list this week! ;-)

38 Weeks - A Pumpkin

December 4, 2014

Photo Thoughts: I JUST put my fall decorations away, so I just couldn't justify going out and buying another pumpkin. So, a bag and a half of Cuties/Mandarins will have to do.  

How I'm Feeling: I'm starting to feel some nerves about my fast-approaching due date. It's pretty scary to know that you are  in "any day now" territory.  Also, I think I have also officially entered that period where people start to view you like a ticking time bomb.  If you don't respond to a text message or return a phone call, you just know people are wondering if you're in labor. 

Baby: The weight range for baby this week is a little shocking- 6-9 pounds? Lord help me if I have a nine pound baby already! Supposedly baby can also have up to an inch of hair already.  I'm really interested to see if our little guy is born with a full head of hair... I kind of think he might be.

Belly: This belly of mine is definitely rapidly expanding. Duh, right?  It's just that it was so slow-going and gradual for such a long time, that now it just feels like it's a little out of control.  David has said to me several times this week, as he catches a side view of me, things like "Whoa, you're like really pregnant" or "Now THAT'S a belly!" 

Symptoms: Still with the back pain, the shortness of breath, and the heaviness/tightness of the belly toward the end of the day.  Nothing too crazy to report though. 

Weight: +0.0. Still plateauing at +27.0 total. Even AFTER Thanksgiving!  I guess I should have had more pie after all! :-)  

What I'm Anticipating: Like I said above, I'm starting to get nervous about my fast-approaching due date. I'm excited, of course, but it also somehow seems so abstract to me still.  I can't wrap my head around the reality of how close it could be, and I just can't imagine myself in the whole labor/delivery process.  

Sleep: I am so glad that sleep hasn't yet been an issue for me.  And I only have to get up once per night to go to the bathroom, which is totally manageable. I'll take the sleep while I can get it!

Exercise: This week was the last class of my Pre-Natal Pilates/Barre class. The instructor grew up in Australia and is going back to visit family for the month. I SO wish I could keep going to this class for my last few weeks. It has been something I look forward to each week, and I always feel so good after going. The instructor plans on starting up a Post-Natal class (that she will let us bring our babies to!), so I am already looking forward to that.  Here's a group shot of the girls in the class on our last day all lined up in order of our due dates!

Movement: SO much movement!  And sometimes, it can be really uncomfortable... and painful even.  BUT, I've already started to get a little nostalgic about not feeling this baby boy move inside me anymore.  I know I will miss it so much, so I'm trying not to get too annoyed when he's ninja chopping and karate kicking my insides.  

Milestones/Progress: For the third week in a row, I'm still holding steady at 1cm dilated, 50% effaced, and -2 position. I'm totally fine with not making progress at this point, because I feel SO not ready, but in the back of my head, I can't help but wonder, "what happens if I just never make it any further than this on my own?"  It's a head game...

Highlights of the Week: This was a good week!

-Mission: Baby Gear Assembly - After our lovely Thanksgiving, we spent the weekend focused on getting things ready for baby. I deep cleaned the nursery (officially the cleanest room in the house), got the new rug we ordered all laid out, and then the next day we were baby gear assembly fools (and yes, we ARE major procrastinators and should have done this weeks ago- whatever).  We assembled: the crib, stroller, co-sleeper, car seat, and the play yard/downstairs sleep/changing station.  There's still a lot of work to be done (organizing the baby closet, taking inventory of what we have/need, baby laundry, etc.), but I feel much better about life now.  

-Maternity Photos: We also  took maternity photos to really make our post-Thanksgiving weekend a baby-dominated few days. I'm so excited to see how they turned out! We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day for our mostly outdoor photo shoot.

-MamaRoo: Ok, I have to admit that besides the baby (obviously), one of the things I have been most excited about this pregnancy is this silly baby chair/swing called the MamaRoo. I've been DYING to have one, but since we weren't gifted one, I just really was having a hard time justifying this expensive (and ok fine, probably unnecessary) baby item. I had been hoping to find a Black Friday or a Cyber Monday deal, but had no luck. So I scoured Craigslist and found THREE that looked nearly brand new. And now I can say that I am the proud owner of a MamaRoo... at almost HALF the cost!  It's a little ridiculous how excited I am about this!

I hope they make these for adults some day! 

-David's Nightly Ritual: Now that we actually have some things assembled in the nursery, and it is starting to look a little closer to a real life room for a baby, I think David and I both enjoy just going in there and looking around in disbelief. One night right before getting into bed, he said he had to go do something, and that I couldn't come. So of course I dragged my pregnant self out of bed and followed along. It was so cute when I realized that all he was doing was going down the hallway to have one last peak of the nursery before he went to bed. He's done it a few times this week.  It's adorable... especially because he's not usually sentimental about things like that. Awwwww....

37 Weeks - A Winter Melon / Watermelon

November 27, 2014

Photo Thoughts: That belly is looking very round! Also, winter melon?  I'm taking that to mean mini watermelon.  In the 3rd photo, I am proudly displaying the practice baby from our Infant CPR class that we got to take home.

How I'm Feeling: I'm starting to get anxious about my quickly approaching due date. I know that around this time, a lot of pregnant women start to feel like they can't wait to NOT be pregnant anymore... but I am feeling very much the opposite. I find myself wishing for more time- not because I really want to be pregnant for an extra long time, but more just because I feel SO not ready.  Rather than looking up old wives tales to start labor, I am looking them up so that I can AVOID doing those things.  Does that make me crazy?

Baby: Technically I am full term now, meaning that all of baby's crucial functions are developed and from here on out he's just getting bigger and stronger!

Symptoms: That same lower back/hip pain is still pretty bad. Basic movements like walking, climbing stairs, and turning over in bed can send shooting pain through my lower back. This makes me very limp-y by the end of the day.  Also, if I'm on my feel a lot in the evening (cooking dinner, etc.), my belly starts to feel very heavy, and sometimes gets very tight and crampy. These are most likely Braxton Hicks contractions, because the sensation stops as soon as I lay down on my side.  

Weight: + 0.0 - Holding steady at +27.0 pounds total. I've definitely hit a weight gain plateau, which supposedly is somewhat normal at this point.  Let's see how long this lasts... especially with all the Thanksgiving indulgences.   

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: SO excited to have an EXTRA excuse to indulge at Thanksgiving this year! I made an apple pie just for David and I, but I haven't decided yet if I will share the leftovers.  I also started the effort to stock up our freezer with pre-made meals, so I made a double batch of The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti.  

I met a friend for breakfast the day before Thanksgiving.  Cookies and orange juice count as breakfast, right? Don't worry, I had eggs, too. 

What I'm Missing: At our Thanksgiving dinner, I was really wishing that I could have a glass of wine with David. Soon enough...

Sleep: I'm still sleeping really well.  It just takes me a while to get comfortable when I first get in bed, since turning over aggravates my back so much.  But once I'm comfortable, I'm out for the night (mostly)!

Exercise: Pre-Natal Pilates/Barre and a couple home workout videos thrown in if/when I'm feeling motivated. 

Movement: Lots! I can tell he's getting cramped though.  I get lots of kicks way up high, but I've also experienced a few instances of "lightning crotch" where it feels like his little hands must be karate chopping a nerve down there.  Ouch!

Highlights of the Week:

-OB Appointment: I'm still at 1cm, 50% effaced, and -2 position. I was a bit relieved actually at my lack of progress since last week, since I'm hoping he won't be early!  David came with me to this appointment, since he hadn't met the new doctor since I switched.  It was fun to have company during the long wait in the exam room!

-Over the weekend, David and I had our Childbirth Class.  It was Friday evening and then all day Saturday and Sunday.  I didn't really know what to expect, but I think we both ended up being pleasantly surprised with the class.  The instructor was great, and the other couples in the class were really friendly, too.  It was nice to learn about the stages of labor, what to expect, relaxation techniques, ways to cope with pain, etc.  They had us practice several laboring positions, etc., which I at first thought was kind of silly, but it was actually really good to get an idea of what I think I might like/not like to do to help with pain during labor. And plus, they made the husbands do things like massage our backs with tennis balls, etc.  It was a LONG weekend though, and I'm glad that we checked that off the list!

Crazy how all of your insides shift around to accommodate that baby! 

-Since we are procrastinators, we also had our Infant CPR class this week.  This was just an evening class, and we ended up having the same instructor as our Childbirth Class. Each couple got their very own blow up baby to practice on (and take home). It's pretty scary to think about ever actually having to use these skills, but it's good to have the knowledge.  

-TODAY (my 37 week mark, not the day this posts, obviously) is actually Thanksgiving day! You can read more about our Thanksgiving HERE.  A quick recap: we had a very quiet and relaxing Thanksgiving for two. It was SO nice to stay in our pajamas most of the day and not have to be anywhere.   

Baby H - A Sneak Preview

I've been wanting to put together a post with all the photos from the ultrasounds we have had.  Now that we most likely won't have anymore sneak peeks at our little guy before he arrives, I figured it would be a good time to look back on how far baby has come.  Also, I try to refrain from posting photos of my uterus on Facebook and Instagram (OK, except for maybe one time), since I don't like to assume that people want to see these sometimes creepy photos, so I figured my blog would be a good place to share and have a little fun watching my little guy grow.

8 Weeks

This was at my very first OB appointment.  It was basically just to confirm that, "yep, there's a baby in there." He was nothing more than a little jelly bean back then.

11 Weeks

At this ultrasound, they were taking lots of measurements for various tests that they run.  I remember thinking how amazing it was that in just 3-4 weeks, he had changed so much.  That blob that we had seen just 4 weeks prior now was much more human-looking (although sometimes alien-looking, too). David and I were both surprised to see how much he was moving around in there, especially since I couldn't feel ANY of it!  This was also the first time that we got to hear his heartbeat!

Looking like a Teddy Graham

David loves these freaky alien ones. 

20 Weeks

This was the much-anticipated "anatomy scan" where they check and measure the development of all the body parts.  And of course, we also got to find out the sex of what we now know is our little man! This was such a fun ultrasound, and they spent a LOT of time showing us every little body part. BUT, part of the reason it took so long was because baby boy was very uncooperative.  Every place that the tech would try to get a view of, he would use his arm to cover up or make a shadow so we couldn't see, or he would turn the other way and hide.  They had to have me get up several times and walk around, use the bathroom, roll over to my side, etc. in attempts to get him to cooperate.  We both agreed that he must get that tendency to be difficult from his dad.  But in the end, we DID get to see everything, and we were SO excited to find out that a boy was on the way!

Alien/Skeleton Baby, again, David's favorite for some reason. 

That's his nose and his mouth (check out those lips!) with a shadow he is making from his arm over his eyes.

Legs, feet, and arms... notice him shaking his fist at us in defiance in the last photo

It's a BOY! I promise, this will be the last time I post a picture of my kid's anatomy on the internets. 

36 Weeks (Bonus!)

We thought that we wouldn't get anymore ultrasounds past 20 weeks, but because of a study that I have agreed to participate in throughout my pregnancy and after, they wanted to do another one to get some images and measurements for their study.  I was SO excited- it felt like forever since we had seen the baby!  I thought that we would just get a few little peaks, but we ended up getting to see a ton, PLUS, the tech told us that she just got a new machine with the 3D/4D features and she wanted to play around with it.  So we got that perk, too!  The thing that stood out to me this time, was he looked very crowded in there because he was definitely chunking up- chubby cheeks and everything.  He was asleep almost the entire time, so once again the tech had a hard time getting him to move and let us see him.  He had his arms and hands up by his face while he slept, which is what he was doing at the last ultrasound too.  Now I'm curious to know if he will sleep with his little arms and hands up by his face once he arrives, too!

An obstructed profile

More hiding.

2 D toes and 3 D toes

That face! Definitely looking like David... 

And we even caught a blurry smile. This photo is a little creepy- she was using some editing effect that makes the skin look like candle wax, but I had to share the little smile we got to see. 

And a final comparison for good measure...

See you SOON, little man!