Week 37

Not the most flattering view...

How far along? 37 weeks.

Baby is the size of: A quarter of a watermelon.

Maternity clothes?  Will I ever wear normal sized clothes again???? I'm starting to wonder.

Rings on or off?  Off, but I got them cleaned, so when I'm ready to wear them again, they'll be all nice and sparkly.

Sleep:  It's ok, at least I'm in a pattern of sleeping, waking, bathroom, sleeping... etc.

Belly Button:  Way out there.  Kind of like my dreams lately.

Week 36

Just got back from the pool!

How far along?  36 weeks.

Baby is the size of:  A honeydew melon.

Maternity clothes?  Yep... sleeveless = happiness right now.

Rings on or off?  Off...

Sleep:  As M would say, "meh".  I never realized how hard it would be to turn over in bed with a bowling ball attached to your abdomen. Sort of.  You get the idea. And why is it that I'm always turned the wrong way when the alarm goes off?  It sort of annoys me that it takes so long for me to turn over and turn the alarm clock off. Beat it into submission is more like it some mornings.

Belly Button:  Really outie.

Exercise: Does intent to exercise count?  I'm still sad I missed my swim on Monday!  At least I got to swim today.

Food cravings: Cinnamon coffee cake. Popcorn.  Basically, carbs... the things I'm not supposed to be eating right now.  Sigh.  Where's my peanut butter?  Oh, and grapes!

Movement: I think he's part kangaroo.

Best moment of the week:  Had a relaxing day off on Memorial Day!!

Fun fact:  In ancient Rome, there was a tradition that babies with dark eyes were caused by the moms eating mice.  The one time it's totally ok to not do as the Romans do, regardless of where you are.  Unless of course, you're a momma cat.

Symptoms:  Stretch marks... I think they're breeding... like mice... I find a new little one every day.  Feet are still puffy-ish and my blood pressure was the same this week as it was last week.  Not getting worse, but not getting better either.

Mood?  I'm tired of people.  Some days, I just want to close the office early and hang a sign on the door that says, "Happy employees, welcome.  Disgruntled employees, try back in a few months."

Blessings of the week: I didn't gain any weight this week!  Total weight gain so far = 32 pounds.  Also, I was able to find a great deal on brand new cloth diapers and other baby stuff on Craigs List - got about $600 or so worth of gear for $250!

I learned ...  So much practical information during my childbirth classes!  I'm sad they're over!

Looking forward to:  Being able to sleep on my tummy again.

Week 35

How far along? 35 Weeks

Baby is the size of:  A large zucchini

Maternity clothes?  I had an issue with "Bubba Belly" this week.  That's when you have your 'gut' lopping over your waistband and your shirt doesn't quite cover it.  LOL I need longer tank tops. :)

Rings on or off?  Off

Sleep: Ok, but still snoring.

Belly Button: Outie

Exercise: Pool twice this week, yay!  I've been advised not to get too sweaty and be out in the heat because of my blood pressure, so looks like I'm down to just pilates inside with the AC cranked, and swimming.

Food cravings:  Mexican food.  Butter.  STRAWBERRIES. Grapes.

It is SO hot here!

Movement: It's funny when he gets the hiccups.  Kind of feels like a heartbeat, since the hiccups are so regular.

Best moment of the week: Hearing my midwife tell me that my Group B Strep culture came back negative.  Whew!

Fun fact:  He's just about as long now as he's going to be before he's born. He's just plumping up from here on out.

Symptoms:  Puffy feet, hot and sweaty, fatigue.

Mood?  Kind of stressed - trying to stay calm!

Blessings of the week: Went out on a double date with some friends... for Mexican food.  Yay!

I learned ...  That the U.S. is one of the few countries in the world that treats positive Group B Strep with intravenous antibiotics. Hmmmmm.....

Looking forward to:  An extra day off this coming week.  Yay for Memorial Day!

Week 34

How far along? 34 weeks

Baby is the size of:  a bunch of carrots

Maternity clothes?  Stretch.... anything that stretches is happy.... Random thought:  do they make maternity shoes?  If not, they should.

Rings on or off? Off... :-(

Sleep:  Ok, but M says I've started snoring.  Sorry, honey!

Belly Button: Outie

Exercise: Finally got to go swimming!  They changed the pool schedule, so I'm able to go more often.

Food cravings: Dill pickles; chocolate; ice cream cone (think McDonalds...)

Movement: Finally flipped head down!  So, now he's kicking my side, and my ribs.

Best moment of the week: Swimming on Friday.

Fun fact:  According to a Harvard study, first time moms give birth (on average) at 41 weeks and 1 day.  Thank goodness my midwife won't talk induction until 42 weeks.

Symptoms:  Weepy! I cried several times this week.

Mood? Did I mention weepy?  And oversensitive?

Blessings of the week: The sense of relief and thankfulness after finding out the baby had flipped to a head-down position.  Now, if he'll just stay that way.

I learned ...  That high blood pressure is no laughing matter.  My midwife was pretty concerned about my BP at this week's appointment.  It was fine at the end of the appointment when they re-took it, but she's wanting to be cautions and has booked me for once a week appointments from here on out to keep an eye on it.  In the meantime, she's advised me to drink plenty of water, keep my feet up, and REDUCE STRESS!  Pray for me, would you?  I'd appreciate it.

Looking forward to:  Being done with work.  I just need to hold out a few more weeks.

Week 33

How far along? 33 Weeks

Baby is the size of:  A large bunch of kale.

Maternity clothes?  Found a cute t-shirt today on clearance and picked up a couple of nursing bras.

Rings on or off?  Still off :-(

Sleep: Had my first round of heartburn/reflux last night.  Yuck.  Otherwise, not much change or improvement in sleep.

Belly Button: Outie!

Exercise: Got up early and walked on the treadmill a few mornings before work. Still want to go swimming, but it rained every night the pool was open.  Bummer!

Food cravings: Potato chips and onion dip; pickles.

Movement: Lots of sloshing side to side and "barrel rolling".

Best moment of the week:  Cookout with friends Friday night!

Fun fact:  His bones are hardening.

Symptoms:  Heat rash, back pain, heartburn/reflex, puffy feet.

Mood?  Cranky and oversensitive, I hate to admit.

Week 32

How far along? 32 weeks

Weight gain so far:  26 lbs.  

Baby is the size of:  A butternut squash

Maternity clothes?  Formalwear was a no-go for the play we went to this week... that's ok, though. Thankfully, I had a black dress that still fit.

Rings on or off?  Ugh.  Off. I've been a bit puffy this week. 

Sleep: Not so great, but I'm getting through it.  I wake up a lot.

Belly Button: Pretty much an outie.

Exercise:  Pilates twice, walked once.  And walked/hefted/sorted/arranged for 6 hours at my yard sale!

Food cravings:  Peanut Butter... and Chocolate... and Steak.

Movement: Bouncy, as per usual.

Going all cowgirl on you...

Best moment of the week:  After paying for breakfast, lunch, and a dinner date out, we still made over $100 at the yard sale.  Woohoo! 

Symptoms:  Sore back, knots in my neck and shoulders.  Puffy feet.

Mood?  Somewhat oversensitive.  

Blessings of the week: Great date night with my man!  Steakhouse and a Rodeo!

I learned ...  Tone matters!!!  That goes for conversation, as well as muscles...

Looking forward to: Hair appointment this week.

Week 31

How far along?  31 weeks.

Baby is the size of:  A pineapple

Maternity clothes?  Yay!! Went shopping with my mother-in-law and found 3 skirts for work, a dress, and a few tops.  Also got some nursing tops and a nightgown.

Rings on or off? Mostly on... except for Saturday.  It was so humid and my hands got puffy.  Seem to be back to normal today.

Sleep: Last night was rough... I have knots in my back and had a hard time getting comfortable.

Belly Button: M says it's officially an outie.  I say, not quite.

Exercise:  Pilates twice and walked on the treadmill once. 

Pineapple this week!

Food cravings:  Pizza.  And apple juice.

Movement: All over the place this week.  He mostly seems to be laying sideways and is long enough that I can feel his head on the left side of my belly and him kicking all the way over and around my right side.

Fun fact:  He's about 4 pounds this week and has fully developed senses.  His irises are even reactive to light at this point.

Symptoms:  Starting to have a hard time taking deep breaths.  And I can't get off the couch without help.  I think it's just too soft... The backache is worse this week.  I've been stretching a lot and trying to move around as much as I can.  I've also found that my skin is sensitive to something in my carpet - my hands and feet break out when I'm in contact with the carpet for more than a few minutes.

Best moment of the week: Baby shower!  Had great turnout... not to mention, a surprise!  M's parents flew down and surprised us at the shower.  Was not expecting that!

MIL and me at the baby shower

Mood?  Pretty good this week.  Less stress at work toward the end of the week helped.

Blessings of the week: Baby shower.  And my friend Sara's cloth diaper demo.  I learned  a lot from her experience.

Baby Shower:  We did a baby safari/jungle theme for the shower, since that's the nursery stuff I currently have.

MMMM! Good cake!

My stash of baby stuff is expanding!  We received so many useful (and cute!) things at the shower.  This baby is off to a good start.  We've got most of the basics now, just need to pick up a few more things before he arrives.

Week 30

How far along?  30 weeks

Baby is the size of:  An English cucumber

Maternity clothes?  Ugg... can we not talk about clothes?

Rings on or off?  Hurray!  Finally something that HASN'T expanded yet.  That would be my ring finger, by the way.

Sleep: Not too bad, between multiple trips to the bathroom

Belly Button: Almost an outie...

Exercise: I wish.  My midwife recommended an iron supplement to help with the sluggishness.  I've been too wiped out the last week or so to do any kind of exercise beyond walking to/from work.  Hopefully the energy improves enough that I can work out again soon.

Week 29

How far along?  29 weeks.

Baby is the size of:  A buttercup squash.

Maternity clothes?  It was slightly depressing this week to find that I don't fit into any of my shorts and most of M's shorts are also too tight.  Yuck.  Apparently, my expanding hips and shifting hormones have shifted my saddlebags as well... :-)

Rings on or off?  On, except for Saturday.  It was so hot and humid, I couldn't get my ring on.

Sleep:  Not terrible.  Being away from my normal life stress this weekend was nice and I could definitely tell I slept better as a result.  Except for Saturday night/Sunday morning when a really loud clap of thunder made me jump... and the baby jumped (LITERALLY) as well.  He was all over the place kicking and squirming for over an hour after that. No more sleep for me!

Week 28

How far along? 28 weeks.  Welcome third trimester! 

Weight Gain:  22 lbs so far.

Baby is the size of:  A medium-ish head of cabbage.

Maternity clothes?  I hate waistbands...

Rings on or off?  Still on!

Sleep: I wish...

Belly Button:  Still a half-n-halfie.

Exercise: Need more!  I felt pretty rotten at the end of the week and didn't exercise (other than walking to/from work) on Thursday or Friday.

Food cravings:  Spicy cheese and tortilla chips; apples.

Week 27

How far along? 27 weeks.

Baby is the size of: A rutabaga (similar to a turnip, but way bigger).

Maternity clothes?  I'm still looking for a black skirt for work. My hips seem to be expanding, so the few non-maternity bottoms I've been wearing are on their way out. Sigh.  Looks like I'm bound for all things elastic.

Rings on or off? Still on...

Sleep:  Not much the last few days.... the back pain is making me restless and uncomfortable.

Belly Button:  I'm calling it a half-n-halfie.  The top part sticks out and the bottom part sinks in.

Week 26

Do I look as tired as I feel?

How far along?  26 weeks

Baby is the size of:  An eggplant (or a head of iceberg lettuce).  I couldn't find an eggplant big enough since they're not in season right now.  So just imagine him a little wider and longer. 13.5 or so inches long and around 2.5 pounds!

Maternity clothes?  Even the stretchy panels on my maternity bottoms feel tight on my belly sometimes... sigh.

Rings on or off?  Still on! Yes!!

Sleep: Sadly, not much.  Sleeping on my left side is easier now, but I still struggle with some numbness and tingly-ness in my leg when I stay in that position very long.  Lots of tightness in my neck and shoulders... which means I'm asking for back rubs ALL the time.  Thanks, honey...

Belly Button:  Not innie or outie right now... kind of just level with the rest of my tummy.  On the up side, it's easier to clean it now. :-)

Exercise: I'm looking into working swimming into my routine as soon as it gets a little warmer.  This week, I did pilates for 3 days and walked on the treadmill 2 days.  I'm finding it more difficult to do stairs these days, but I try to make an effort to take the stairs to my office at least twice a day (we walk back and forth to work twice a day and I work on the 4th floor).

Biggest eggplant I could find...

Food cravings:  Chocolate, Marshmallow Fluff (marshmallow creme), and Dijon mustard.  Just not at the same time.  Ew.  I read somewhere that eating enough healthy fats help satiate you and diminishes sugar cravings.  I tried upping my healthy fat intake this week and it really did help with the sugar cravings!!  Although I've been craving chocolate, I find myself preferring dark chocolate, up to 80% cacao, over milk chocolate, which is too sweet for me. 

Movement: I'm definitely noticing cycles.  He'll get really quiet for a couple of hours, then bounce around a whole lot for a couple of hours, then get quiet again.  I wonder if he's wearing himself out, then taking a nap.  This week, he kicked my ribs for the first time. Up til now, he's been sitting in a breech position and kicking me down low.  We're not too concerned about his position yet, since I still have more than 10 weeks left to go, but it was encouraging to feel that he's practicing flipping over into a vertex position (head down). 

Best moment of the week: Registering for my shower.  M had fun "shooting" things with the scanning gun.  My only beef with Target is the scarcity of "green" options and the very small selection of classic children's books.  I was very surprised that they didn't have any classic Little Golden Books, just 2 or 3 adaptations of current Disney movies.  Sadness! No Poky Little Puppy or Scrawny Tawny Lion!  They did at least have Curious George, though.

Fun fact:  He has eyelashes now! 

Symptoms:  Achy side muscles and neck/back/shoulder tension.

Mood?  Roller coaster... Sometimes irritated, sometimes down, sometimes excited.  

Blessings of the week: I'll be sharing this in a future post, but just want to say it was encouraging this week to define my "sweet spot" (the type of work/service God has created me for).  What a blessing to know that He designed me for a specific purpose and I can see now more of what that purpose is.  It is freeing to realize that I don't feel like I fit where I am right now, not because I'm a failure, but because I'm not supposed to fit here long term.  This phase in my life (the past 6 years) has been beneficial and I have learned a great deal, but it was only ever a passing phase - a stepping stone - to what I'm really created to do.

Week 25

How far along?  25 weeks

Baby is the size of:  A head of cauliflower

Maternity clothes?  Need more cami's and tank tops!!!  I noticed this week that a couple of my tanks were a little too short in the belly...

Rings on or off?  On... yay!!

This tank top has pretty much reached it's capacity

Sleep:  Iffy... but hanging in there.  Just excuse me if I fall asleep on you.

Belly Button: It's half innie and half outie... M says it's cute. I still think it's weird.

Exercise:  Had some back pain this week and that slowed me down... only got to work out 3 times this week.  I am learning some labor prep exercises and trying to remember to do them each day - Kegels, squats, cat/cow stretches, sitting 'tailor' style (I always called it Indian style) and practicing good posture to help keep the baby (and my back) in alignment.

Food cravings: I had a very specific craving for a sandwich this week... I'll blog about that (with pictures!) later this week.  I've also been craving butter and bacon.

My main man!!

Movement:  Small, light movements early in the day, but gets VERY active between 3 and 4 p.m. and stays pretty active all evening... especially when I'm trying to fall asleep.

Best moment of the week:  Postponing the glucose test until my next appointment.

Weight gain:  17 pounds total  

Symptoms:  Achy back and fatigue.

Mood?  Still cranky at work...  And I feel sort of clingy...

I learned ...  that I should be eating about 100 grams of protein each day.  Whoa! I don't know how much I have been eating, but I'm pretty sure it's not that much.  I'm looking for ways to up the protein content in my diet (without using a highly processed whey protein powder).  Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Looking forward to:  Maternity leave. :-)

 

Week 24

How far along?  24 weeks

Baby is the size of:  A cantaloupe

Maternity clothes?  Oh yeah.

Rings on or off?  On... still!

Sleep:  Meh. Depends on the night.  Tried some nose strips earlier in the week, it helped my stuffy head a bit.  Most of the congestion seems to be gone now... that may be due in part to the fact that it rained most of the week and that kept the pollen down.

Belly Button: Innie... for now... 

Week 23

How far along? 23 weeks

Baby is the size of: A grapefruit

Rings on or off?  On!  I actually remembered to put them on every day this week.

Sleep:  Never enough....

Belly Button:  Weird and stretched out.  It's not even round anymore... it's like, oval.

Exercise:  Still not feeling good this week (recovering from my allergy attack, or cold, or whatever it was), so only did pilates twice and walked on the treadmill twice.

Food cravings:  Chick-fil-A waffle fries and lemonade.  I didn't get any though...  Oh, and carbonation.  I really, really, really, really, wanted soda.  But it wasn't the sweetness I wanted, it was the bubbles!!! I solved the problem by buying a 2 liter of club soda and mixing it with some juice or unsweetened tea.  Worked like a charm!

Grapefruit size this week!

Movement:  I think he's pushing off one side of my stomach and bouncing into the other side, then turning and bouncing back to the other side.  At least that's what I imagine he is doing.

Best moment of the week:  I went to JoAnn Fabrics today and bought some fabric for the little munchkin's quilt that I will be making.  They were having a sale and I was able to use some 40% and 50% off coupons! Awesome!

Fun fact:  His face is completely formed now!  Just needs to gain some weight from here on out.

Symptoms:  Had my first Braxton-Hicks contraction this week.  Kinda freaky.  I laid down on the couch and drank a big glass of water and it went away after a few minutes.  I hear this is a normal occurance at this point and can be caused by dehydration or physical stress.  Looks like I need to keep calm and drink more water... sounds like a T-shirt slogan or something.

Mood?  Irritation!!!! And some nervousness about labor, but I'm working through that.

Week 22

How far along? 22 weeks

Baby is the size of: A papaya (approximately 11 inches)

Maternity clothes? Mom sent some new maternity tops, including a nursing cami... that'll come in handy later.  Thanks, Mom!

Week 21

How far along? 21 weeks

Baby is the size of: A pomegranate (approximately 10.5 inches)

Baby weighs:  Approximately 14 ounces, according to my ultrasound this week.

Weight gain so far:  I am estimating 10 pounds.

Maternity clothes? MOST DEFINITELY! My midwife commented that she was surprised at how much my belly had grown since my last appointment. Thanks? I think?

Week 20

How far along? 20 weeks

Baby is the size of:  A banana (approximately 6 to 6.5 inches)

Maternity clothes? Shhhh.... the denim skirt I'm wearing is NOT a maternity skirt.  Scandalous... my fly is unzipped and the top is held together with a rubber band between the button and buttonhole. I never thought I would purposely leave my fly unzipped; that's usually one of those middle school horror stories.  LOL.  You do what you gotta do.

Sleep: This morning, I gave up. I got up at 7 a.m. and half laid/half sat on the couch with a blanket and dozed for another hour until M got up.  It was nice to (sort of) lay on my back for a change.

Food cravings: Last night, it was marinara sauce and parmesan cheese.   But mostly, it's been strawberries.  Still.  In fact, we bought a flat of fresh strawberries at the produce market today.  MMMMMMmmmmmm..... 12 pints of strawberry awesomeness.  I may or may not have eaten an entire pint in one sitting.

Movement:  I'm noticing the baby is more active when I'm hungry!

Best moment of the week:  Went on a date night out with the Hubby last night.  Lasagna at Olive Garden, followed by a free concert.  Yep, we're big spenders!  It was fun to get dressed up.  I haven't worn heels since November, so this was a big deal.

Fun fact: The baby practice swallowing by ingesting amniotic fluid.  What I can't get over is that what I eat flavors the amniotic fluid, so the baby is tasting the same flavors I am since the tastebuds have now developed.  This kid's gonna really like strawberries.

Symptoms: More emotional and forgetful.

Wedding rings on or off? On... except for today... I forgot to put them on this morning! EEK!

Mood? Somewhat anxious.  I may be driving M nuts with all my questions.  I just want to make sure he's happy and content!  Thankfully, he's been very reassuring and understanding. 

Looking forward to: Valentine's Day, and another ultrasound next week.  Maybe we'll find out if this little one is a boy or a girl!

Week 19

How far along? 19 weeks

Baby is the size of:  A mango

Mango sized this week!

Maternity clothes?  I made the skirt I'm wearing. I needed a skirt with more stretch around the waist and maternity clothes are SO ridiculously expensive. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for good deals on more skirts for work. Someone graciously gave me a few maternity tops and a dress, so I at least have some options for work!

Sleep: Old news... still can't sleep.

Food cravings: Brownies. I finally gave in and made some semi-healthy nut-butter brownies. I'll post the recipe at some point, just in case you get a craving, too.

Movement:  I think this baby will be a kickboxer. The kicks and punches are not hard, but starting to be regular. More active at night!

Best moment of the week:  I had enough energy to prep most of next week's meals today (Saturday). Whoo hoo! Finally feel like I accomplished something.

Fun fact: Babies develop the vernix caseosa usually by this week. That's the scientific term for the white stuff that you sometimes see on newborns. It's a layer of fat and dead skin... sounds gross, but it's vital for protection of the baby's skin. Sitting in a "water" bath for 9 months can be rough on the skin, I'm sure!

Symptoms: It's getting hard to bend over.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood? Mostly happy. Stressed at work.

Looking forward to: Weekends!

Week 17

How far along? 17 weeks

Total weight gain: 7 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Not yet! I'm wearing this khaki skirt in a size larger than normal... Things are feeling tight around the tummy, though, in most of my regular clothes.

Stretch marks? Not yet (fingers crossed)

Sleep: Starting to struggle with getting comfortable. Can't sleep on my back... can't sleep on my tummy... I feel very restless at night.

Food cravings: Pickles (just by themselves). And Mexican food. 

Movement: Started to feel "flutters" this week!

Best moment of the week:  Had my first prenatal care appointment and my first ultrasound. It was so amazing to see this little person moving and kicking and hear the strong heartbeat!

Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of M's vitamins. Yuck!

Gender prediction: Couldn't tell on the ultrasound! I think it might be a girl though.

Symptoms: Round ligament pain. Shortness of breath.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood? Short fuse...

Looking forward to: SLEEP