37 Weeks

How far along? 37 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 25 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes.

Stretch marks? No. Keeping my fingers crossed!  Still love using my Mama Belly Oil.  I have also packed this in my "labor" bag to bring to the hospital.  In this bag I have a heating pad, some lotion, Mama Belly Oil, a massage tool, hair ties, and some LUNA bars! 

Sleep: Sleeping great!  I go to sleep about 8:30pm every night and wake up around midnight and 5:00am to go to the bathroom.  I always fall back asleep quickly at midnight but if Leland is moving about, which he sometimes is, around 5:00am I often stay awake until my alarm goes off. 
 Other symptoms: Varicose veins are still present but not too bad.  Finger tips are still numb most of the time which is such a weird feeling.  I am still starving but I can't eat a lot so I guess that is a good balance!  

Best moment this week:  The mom's of the kids in my class threw me an adorable baby shower in the Purple Room yesterday.  The kids were so sweet.  Almost every gift that I opened the kids would yell, "Hey, I have one of those!"  They also made Leland his first ABC book.  One of the mom's took pictures of the kids holding different letters and compiled them into a book.  So cute.  Annie also asked the kids different questions about me and how I would take care of the baby and all of the kids drew a picture for me.  Some of the answers were so cute!

Movement: Yes! Even though he is getting way bigger in there he is moving a lot.

Food cravings:  cheese!  I have been wanting all things cheese and SALT!  I have eaten about 4 packages of Ramen Noodles (gross) this past week.  Not the best idea when my body is already swelling.  

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope! 

Have you started to show yet: Oh yeah!!

Gender: BOY!

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions are becoming more frequent and intense but not painful.  I went on a long walk yesterday and the contractions were pretty intense.  I texted Nate and told him  to clean our bathtub and burn the relaxation CD onto mine and his phone.  

Belly Button in or out?  Still IN but totally FLAT!

Wedding rings on or off? Wedding ring is on, engagement ring is off.  Still swollen from all of the Ramen! 

Happy or Moody: Happy!

  Looking forward to: I can't wait to see the edited maternity pictures my big sister took!  I am also looking forward to having this baby...not in the sense that I am over being pregnant, I just want to meet him and see what he looks and acts like.  I want to have everything checked off of my to do list but I am slowly realizing that it will probably not happen before Leland arrives.  

36 Weeks

He feels a little lower....maybe just wishful thinking!

How far along? 36 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 22.6 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes.

Stretch marks? No. Keeping my fingers crossed!  Still love using my Mama Belly Oil.

Sleep: Sleeping great!I go to sleep about 8:30pm every night and wake up around midnight and 5:00am to go to the bathroom.  I always fall back asleep quickly at midnight but if Leland is moving about, which he sometimes is, around 5:00am I often stay awake until my alarm goes off. 
 Other symptoms: Varicose veins are still present but not too bad.  Finger tips are still numb most of the time which is such a weird feeling.  I am still starving but I can't eat a lot so I guess that is a good balance!  Pregnancy brain is in full effect.  I have set the fire alarm off at school because I forgot about my waffles in the oven and the fire trucks came and the entire school and church had to evacuate!  Everyone was very nice because I am pregnant!  I have often wandered into the kitchen to get the waters for our student's snack and come back with a chocolate brownie and NO waters.  Oops. 

Best moment this week:  I went on my last car trip before Leland is born yesterday with bestie Sarah.  We went to Birmingham, AL for bestie Suzy's son's 1st birthday!  It was so much fun to see everyone and hang out! 

Here is a pic from the party!  The 5 girls on the left either have a little boy already or are expecting a boy!  Crazy Town!  Sarah (on the right) did a little research and it is more likely for vegetarians to have girls...so, when she gets preggo we will be testing out this theory and expecting a girl!

Movement: Yes! Even though he is getting way bigger in there he is moving a lot.  He has little scissor toes and likes to shake his bottom...just like his father! 

Food cravings:  Sweets. Rootbeer floats and Lucky Charms cereal.  I need to clarify the word cravings here.  I am not having the uncontrollable urge to have a Rootbeer Float and a bowl of Lucky Charms.  I just want these things and because I am pregnant, I eat them.  I want a lot of these things when I am not pregnant but do not indulge (all of the time!)

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope! 

Have you started to show yet: Oh yeah!!

Gender: BOY!

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions are becoming more frequent and intense but not painful.

Belly Button in or out?  Still IN but totally FLAT!

Wedding rings on or off? On.  A couple of days last week my hands were pretty swollen and I couldn't wear my engagement ring but I can still wear my wedding band.  Right now they are both on!

Happy or Moody: Happy!

  Looking forward to: I can't wait to see the edited maternity pictures my big sister took!  I am also looking forward to having this baby...not in the sense that I am over being pregnant, I just want to meet him and see what he looks and acts like.  I would like the "nesting stage" to kick in so that I can do a deep cleaning of the house and a little more organizing before he arrives as well.  We will see! This Friday at school all of the moms are throwing me a shower in the Purple Room!  I can't wait!  The kids are so excited and tell me a lot that they have picked out special gifts for Leland!  How cute! 

In my opinion I think that he has dropped a little bit!  We will compare again next week when i will be FULL TERM!  Wow!

35 Weeks

How far along? 35 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 22 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes.

Stretch marks? No. Keeping my fingers crossed!  Still love using my Mama Belly Oil.

Sleep: Sleeping great!
 Other symptoms: Varicose veins are not my friend.  However, they have not gotten any worse in the last 4 weeks so that is a blessing. Week 35 has started off with a bang!  It is like my body is trying to tell me: YOU ARE PREGNANT SO START ACTING LIKE IT!  I have backaches, pregnancy brain (lil' story on that later), heartburn, swollen hands and feet, numb fingertips, exhaustion (I'm waiting for this "nesting stage" to kick in), fits of hunger, not able to eat full meals, not able to eat while sitting down which is pretty awkward, and a full bladder ALL of the time!  I am doing all of the things that I have read to help these symptoms.  I drink almost 120 ounces of water a day, I eat raw almonds and milk to help with heartburn (and have the occasional TUMS), I walk everyday for about 30-45 minutes with the Puppy Baby, and try to sit down a lot to help with the varicose veins.  I am pretty thankful though that all of these symptoms have not caught up with me until now, at 35 weeks.  I know that some people have things much worse than me all throughout their pregnancy, and for that I am thankful. 

Best moment this week:  We had an appointment with the midwives on Thursday.  He is still head down, fingers crossed he stays that way for the next 5-7 weeks!  His heartbeat was 147 and it was so fun hearing it again!  When she measured me (from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus) I was measuring anywhere from 35-37.5cm because Leland was putting on some sort of show in my stomach and did not want to stay still! They say you should measure in centimeters the same number of weeks you are, in my case that would be 35cm.  He was kicking and shaking his bottom like no ones business in there! 
Jill finished the curtains for the nursery and Nate hung them last night!  They look so great.  When we peeked in the nursery this morning it was pretty dark so the black out fabric was a good purchase!

Movement: Yes! Lots.  He is going to be a lil' soccer player I'm sure.....and ice hockey player! 

Food cravings:  Sweets. Rootbeer floats!

Anything making you queasy or sick: nothing right now! 

Have you started to show yet: Yes.  Nate and I think that my stomach is getting larger and larger each day!  It is definitely becoming more torpedo-like.

Gender: BOY!

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions are becoming more frequent and intense but not painful.

Belly Button in or out?  Still IN but totally FLAT!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody: Happy!

  Looking forward to:.....having a baby!  I am ready to have a baby - or as ready as I'll ever be, I think?!  The more I try to plan and prepare, the more nervous I become.  I think that I just need to relax and know that things are out of my hands.  We are still doing our Hypnobabies sessions each Sunday night and have started doing our "stretches" since we are 6 weeks out from our "guess date."  I am still doing all of the recommended "exercises" (not as often as I should but I guess anything is better than nothing).  I also can't WAIT to see all of the edited maternity pictures that my sister took this past weekend!  

I took down the bunting over the crib and hung this adorable paper airplane and cloud backdrop that Jill made for the baby shower.  It was so cute, I had to use it in the nursery!

34 Weeks

My belly is starting to look more torpedo like, especially during the Braxton Hicks contractions!

We added some stuffed animals to the "reading buddies" basket because I have had a lot of questions about what that thing was for!

How far along? 34 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 21.2 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes.

Stretch marks? No. Keeping my fingers crossed!  Still love using my Mama Belly Oil.

Sleep: Sleeping great!
 Other symptoms: Varicose veins are not my friend.  However, they have not gotten any worse in the last 4 weeks so that is a blessing. 

Best moment this week:  I had a baby shower on Saturday and it was sensational!  I knew that my mom was coming up for the baby shower on Thursday and I was hoping that my big sister was going to be with her, but I didn't know for sure.  I got home from school and they were both in the van.  I was so excited!  Kristen told me she brought me something special in the van and to come over by the car and MY AUNT JUDY WAS IN THE CAR!!!!!  I had NO idea that she was coming.  She kept messaging me each week when I would send her a weekly chalkboard picture how sad she was about not being able to see me pregnant.  TRICKSTER!!!! It was so much fun having so many people at my house.  My little sister, Lindsay, came up on Friday night so she could baby at the baby shower too!  My older sister, Kristen, also took some maternity photos of me and being one of the most impatient people in the world I am dying to see some of them edited!   The baby shower was sensational.  As promised in my week 33 post, I will do a whole blog post on baby showers!  They have been so wonderful that they need their own personal post!  Also, my mom bought me the most comfortable pajamas on the planet from Pea in the Pod.  I got a nursing tank top and black pajama pants, a beautiful and comfortable robe that I will wear forever, a sexy lil' nursing nightgown, and a "Let Me Out" shirt to wear to the hospital as well!!  Getting items of clothing that you feel good in when you're pregnant is such a wonderful feeling!

 (If it looks like I am holding myself in the pic to the left, you're right!  I peed in my pants and started crying when I saw Aunt Judy!)

(These are just pics from my iPhone with an Instagram filter added to them - I can not WAIT for the real pics to be edited and sent to me!)

Movement: Yes! Lots. 

Food cravings:  Sweets. Rootbeer floats!

Anything making you queasy or sick: nothing right now! 

Have you started to show yet: Yes.Nate and I think that my stomach is getting larger and larger each day!  It is definitely becoming more torpedo-like.

Gender: BOY!

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions are becoming more frequent and intense (not painful) and I often do the pregnancy waddle!

Belly Button in or out?  Still IN but totally FLAT!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody: Happy!

  Looking forward to: We have our 35 week appointment with the midwife on Thursday, February 7th at 3:00pm.  I'm so excited.  I love hearing his heartbeat (it sounds a lot more "normal" than it did early on which I like) and having the midwife tell us what position he is in so I can visualize what he is doing in there when he is moving! Our primary midwife moved to Arkansas so we get to have a new midwife, and I am hoping to meet a new one at each of our future appointments.  Whoever is on call when we go into labor will be the one who helps with delivery so we want to meet all 5 of the midwives.