Bump Update: Weeks 35-36

How big is baby? At 36 weeks, baby is the size of a honeydew melon.  She's around 18 inches long and, according to our growth ultrasound, she might weigh somewhere around 6.5 pounds!  She still feels enormous and super strong.  I'm pretty sure my insides are bruised somedays from her kicks.

How am I feeling?  Pretty good!  Besides the obvious fun of having a 20+ pound belly, I'm feeling pretty normal for the most part.  Rolling over/getting out of bed is a little absurd.  Tying my shoes in the evening is also quite comical.  Overall though, I think this is my favorite part of my pregnancy!  I am finally relaxed that she won't come too early and am just excited to meet this little girl!  She keeps me entertained with her giant movements and constant hiccups and it's so fun wondering what in the world she's doing in there. 

I've also noticed that I have had a few more crazy/irrational moments than normal.  The smallest and weirdest things have set me off a few times.  I'm going to go ahead and blame my hormones (and be thankful for a very understanding husband).  

Food aversions/cravings?  Fruit, sno cones, popsicles, anything cold... it's all I want to eat.  No aversions. 

Sleep: Some nights are decent, some nights I have crazy insomnia.  Either way, I still wake up to pee every couple hours. 

Maternity clothes: hah. yes.

36 weeks.  that's a big belly.

Best moments:  At my 36 week checkup, my OB decided I was measuring 4 weeks behind schedule and sent me for a growth ultrasound.  Getting to see my babe on the screen is always the best.  She ended up measuring completely perfect and they estimated her at 36 weeks and 5 days which is even a little ahead of schedule.  Her head measured over 38 weeks, so she's obviously a Kaufman.  They say the scans aren't super accurate for weight because baby is so crammed, but they estimated her to be 6 and a half pounds already!  I also got to see her practice breathing which was really cool because I've been feeling that more and more frequently.  

36 week face... a little crammed to make it out!

Miss anything?  Nope.  Trying to just soak up these final weeks with her in my belly.  I know I'll miss this part when it's over.

Nursery progress:  Everything is setup and ready.  Bassinet is in our room and carseat is installed in the new car.  Hannah got SO much stuff at our baby shower and it has all been washed and put away.

Mommy mobile has arrived and I'm loving it!

Thoughts on pregnancy:  I can't believe it's almost over (NOT that it has gone by fast because I'm pretty sure these have been the longest 36 weeks of my life).   However, watching the countdown on my phone get below 30 days and knowing that she could come anytime is super exciting.

Sometimes I feel patient and relaxed as we wait and then other times I've overwhelmed by how much I want to meet her and hold her RIGHT NOW. 

Looking forward to:  Meeting our little girl.  I really hope she doesn't make me wait too long!

Bump Update: Weeks 33-34

How big is baby? At 34 weeks, baby is the size of a butternut squash.  She's around 18 inches long and maybe weighs around 5 pounds.  She feels enormous and super strong.

 

How am I feeling?  Better than expected?  Besides feeling like I ate a mountain, I'm not too terribly uncomfortable during the day.  After I cram dinner in, I'm pretty much stationary for the night.  My back has been feeling way better than I expected and my pelvis has stopped feeling like it's separating into two pieces except when I roll over in bed. 

As far as the contractions are concerned, I've had a couple multiple hour sessions of them being pretty intense.  My OB first recommended doubling my meds but that made me feel like I was going to pass out from the low blood pressure.  I've increased the frequency and have been handling them decently well.  I'm always nervous when I get a couple in a row that they are going to pick back up and be crazy. 

Little girl is still a wild one.  I'm absolutely in love with all her movements (even when they are painful - like pushing out in one spot super hard or wedging her foot up under my rib).  She's so responsive to our voices and touch and it's so fun to "play" with her in there.  I know that I will miss this part!! 

Food aversions/cravings?  I want to eat all the fruit.  I decided being pregnant in summer is worth it for all the fresh berries and watermelon.  I'll take 110 degrees every day if it means fruit is in season.  Yum!

 

Sleep:  I think it has improved slightly.  I'm still up to pee several times a night but I'm spending less time lying awake afterward.    

 

Maternity clothes: Yes... I'm large.  Even some of my longer shirts are starting to be midriffs if I'm not careful!

 

Best moments:  Checking off weeks has been such a relief after the scare at 31 weeks.  I'm so relieved to be at 34 weeks and mostly "in the clear" in case she is ready to join the world.  At my 34 week appointment, they said she'd be completely fine if she were born now but they are going to keep me on the contraction meds until 36 weeks at which point they will consider her close enough to full term! 

 

Miss anything?  My lung capacity!  Going up our stairs or walking up a hill (and sometimes just standing to cook dinner) has me huffing and puffing.  My meds apparently worsen the shortness of breath so I'm thinking it's extra bad these days.  I also miss my stomach capacity!  We've pretty much given up going out to dinner because it's just too painful to eat a full meal at night.  So much for the restaurants I had on my list to eat before the baby arrives!

Nursery progress:  Done!  Clothes are washed and essentials are purchased.  Hannah's hospital bag is mostly packed.  Only thing left to do is install the car seat and assemble her bassinet.  So now we wait.

Thoughts on pregnancy:  As the end gets closer, I'm more and more overwhelmed by how grateful I am to have been able to go through this whole process.  It's crazy to me how completely in love I am with this little girl I've never met.  My emotions are high and it doesn't take much for me to tear up (like in our labor and delivery tour when they talked about handing you your baby for the first time... waaah!)

 

Looking forward to:  I'm very excited for my baby shower next week!  Aside from that, I'm thrilled to be full term soon and get this show on the road.  Oh!  I keep forgetting to mention that we are in the process of buying a mommy-mobile.   My new Honda Pilot has been ordered and I'm anxiously awaiting its arrival.  It should be here around the third week of August which could be a little interesting.  I'm sure we won't be busy then or anything ;)

Our Little Girl's Nursery

Here is the space we created for our nursery!  It was a long process, but we had so much fun with it and cannot wait till it is home to our little girl!  

Get ready for photo overload... I couldn't pick favorites :)