Bump Update: Weeks 37-38

How big is baby? At 38 weeks, baby is the size of a pumpkin!  The app says she's around 19-21 inches long and weighs somewhere between 6 and 9 pounds.  Mom is hoping she’s not actually 9 pounds yet.  Yikes.  It also says she might have an inch of hair by now… but we all know that’s not the case for our kid J

How am I feeling?  Pretty good!  I’ve been able to remain somewhat active which has been great for my sanity.  I’m still swimming laps a few times a week and going for walks and short trips to the gym.  All the old people at my pool are officially on baby watch which is entertaining. 

 

"hiking" at 38 weeks

Still having lots of contractions off and on but nothing consistent or progressing.  I’ve had a couple crampy mornings which get me hopeful and then I go back to feeling normal.  Lots of nerve pain and “lightning” as a result of how low she’s sitting in my pelvis but nothing unmanageable. 

Little girl is still totally crazy and keeps me entertained with my rolling belly.  I’m thinking she’s going to be an active baby…

Food aversions/cravings?  Fruit, sno cones, anything cold.  It’s dang hot in Vegas right now in case you haven’t noticed. 

Sleep:  Some nights are worse than others.  I’m just thankful I’m not a person who requires too much sleep!

Maternity clothes: Yes.  The belly is expanding at a rapid rate lately.  It’s been so crazy!

Best moments:  The last two weeks have been pretty uneventful in our house. I’ve been trying to enjoy the alone time with my Husband as I know our days as a twosome are almost over.  And I’m still SO thankful we have a pool.  It’s been the greatest. 

 

37 week bump

figured out how to lay on my stomach.... and it's heavenly

Miss anything?  Not too much.  Still just overwhelmingly thankful to be where we are right now.  I guess I could say I miss enjoying going out to dinner.  We keep making reservations with good intentions and then I’m just too full to want to go eat a meal. 

Nursery progress:  Done.  Bags are packed and everything is ready.  Everything except Hannah ;)

Thoughts on pregnancy:  I thought the first 36 weeks went by slowly but they seriously have nothing on this last month.  I’m SO grateful that I’m feeling as good as I am.  I go back and forth between wanting to savor these last couple weeks with her in my belly and being so desperate to have her here now.  I know there is no guarantee I’ll ever get to be at this stage again so I don’t want to take it for granted or wish it away too quickly. 

Looking forward to:  Meeting our baby girl!  It’s so incredible that we should have a baby in our arms in the next two weeks.

Baby Shower

Little one and I were so lucky to have the most beautiful baby shower ever.  My coworkers went all out throwing a gorgeous baby party with everything pink and chandeliers.  It was amazing!  Here are some pics from the event.  We went home with so much stuff!

front door

can't get enough lemonade

mimosa bar

Candy buffet

the dessert part of brunch

so cute!

she was spoiled

the cutest photo sign for her room

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 :)

Bump Update: Weeks 31-32

How big is baby? At 32 weeks, baby is the size of a squash (again this comparison makes me think she's shrinking?).  She's around 17 inches long and weighs almost 4 pounds.  She feels BIG and I can feel her pushing out all the time trying to make more room.  

How am I feeling?  Well, the first of these two weeks was pretty great while we relaxed on the Florida beach. Living in a swim suit was by far the most comfortable way to dress the bump.  Frequent trips to gross airplane bathrooms were the only bad parts of the 5 hour flights - thank goodness! 

Showered with baby gifts! Little girl is so loved. 

Rehearsal dinner

H loooved kicking her Grandma

Best husband ever.  Definitely will be the best daddy ever.

<3 td="">

Gorgeous wedding

Dressing up the bump.

The week after we got home, things got a little more interesting.  Tuesday night (with hubs out of town), I was in a lot of pain and alternated between a slightly warmed hot tub and laying on the couch.  I wasn't sure what was going on but was happy Wednesday when everything returned to normal.  Unfortunately Saturday around lunch time, contractions returned with a vengeance.  I've had tons of Braxton Hicks in the last few months but these seemed a bit different as they'd come and go pretty regularly and there was nothing I could do to get them to stop.  Most weren't painful, but a few were fierce enough to take my breath away and bring tears to my eyes.  At around 5:00 we decided it was better to be safe than sorry and went to Labor and Delivery.  The nurse at check-in was less than helpful.  She never even asked when I was due and basically wrote them off as Braxton Hicks and said come back if they get within 2 minutes apart.  Luckily we were persistent and eventually a second nurse came by and heard us out.  She suggested we check things out just to be sure.  About 15 minutes after being on the monitors they came in armed with shots of Terbutaline and said they were definitely real contractions and it was a very good thing that I stayed.  Of course, that freaked us out a bit but she assured us no babies would be allowed to be born that night!  After two doses and a couple hours, the contractions slowed down enough for them to let us go home.  

Unfortunately, I woke up around 2am with a couple more and by late morning they were back just as frequently.  We went BACK to L&D and got to repeat the whole process.  Luckily, this time the on call doctor was awesome and very helpful.  He again confirmed that I was not dilating as a result of the contractions (the best news) and did an ultrasound to check and make sure everything still looked good.  (added bonus to the ultrasound - we learned she is head down, so hopefully she remains that way for the duration).  He consulted with my OB and the decision was made to put me on Nifedipine for the next few weeks to hopefully minimize the severity and frequency of the contractions.  It sounds like I'll be on it until about 35-36 weeks and then we can see what happens from there.  I'm not crazy about taking any kind of drugs with a baby inside of me (considering I won't eat lunch meat or soft cheeses or even take tylenol) but I guess it's worth and we've been reassured that there is little risk. 

getting things under control!

At my OB on Tuesday, we did a Fetal Fibronectin test and were so relieved for a negative result.  It was scary discussing the plan if it were positive so we are so happy to hear that I would probably NOT go into labor in the next 1-2 weeks.  After a few days on the drugs, I definitely think they are helping if I keep up with them regularly.  I'm still being very cautious with my activities and trying to take it as easy as possible (so not fun).  M has been amazing through the whole process and takes such good care of us.  I'm so thankful for him being so awesome.  

 

Food aversions/cravings?  Carbs and fruit are still the best but I'm trying to eat as many high protein snacks as possible to get her little brain developed and keep me from feeling overly full (hah).  I find it SO hard to eat at night because I feel so stuffed.

 

Sleep:  Yeah... no.  I'm up to pee all the time and little girl has some crazy dance parties several times a night which make me smile in spite of the lack of sleep.  It's amazing how her movements in my sides feel just like tickles!  I actually shot up out of sleep the other night thinking Mike had tickled my side.  But no, just baby kicks.  

Maternity clothes: Yes... still thankful for the elastic and drawstring waist shorts Jcrew has out this year as I mostly live in those and maternity dresses.  Also, it's HOT here.  Summer came early and we're on a string of like 20 days with the highs over 110.  This is no joke.  

 

Best moments:  All of our Florida trip- spending time with my Mom, our mini shower in Hannah's honor, seeing lots of our Florida friends.  Also, getting the good news after our scare.  While on the monitors, everyone remarked how strong her heart is and how well she's doing.  There were also several comments on how crazy active she is...  yes, I'm aware!  She's constantly wiggling, hiccuping and I've experienced the weird "practice breathing" movements a couple times.  I feel like I'm getting to know her little personality with all the movements.  It's fun to have her reacting to my voice and rubs.  She definitely wakes up when her Daddy reads to her at night and she startles when Ellie barks or other loud noises happen.  So cute.  

Miss anything? I definitely miss feeling like my body is my own.  Spin and weightlifting are now out of the picture so I am relying on walks and am getting back into swimming laps at the pool.  It's crazy to go walking and have to stop to take a break.  My lung size is making me pretty pathetic these days!  I know it will all be worth it though!

Nursery progress:  I think I'm officially calling it done.  After all the excitement, all of her stuff has been washed and sorted and essentials were ordered.  All I could think last week was "but my car seat hasn't arrived yet!"  Full pictures coming soon!

 

I pretty much hang out in the nursery all the time ;)

Thoughts on pregnancy:  Just when I think I'm handling things well, it throws me another curveball.  I'm getting more uncomfortable every day, but the scariness of this week made me so, so grateful for every day she's safe inside me.  I'm so excited that the number of weeks left till we have her in our arms is in the single digits!  

Looking forward to:  Counting down some more weeks.  I'm so ready for it to be August!

Bump Update: Weeks 29-30

How big is baby? At 30 weeks, baby is as long as a cucumber (this comparison makes me think she's shrinking?).  She's 16 inches long and weighs about 3 pounds.  She feels BIG and I can feel her moving on both sides of my belly simultaneously. 

How am I feeling?  Pretty good still.  Definitely starting to slow down a bit and feel slightly exhausted again.  Belly feels stretched out and 10 more weeks of growth is intimidating!  Lots of Braxton Hicks and pressure down low.  That part is not fun.  But also, thankful.  I've spent most of the pregnancy terrified and, while still very anxious, the end is in sight and I can.not.wait.

 

Food aversions/cravings?  Cereal, pizza, and fruit are all still so good.  No real aversions.  Trying to eat slow and steady throughout the day to stay comfortable!

 

Sleep:  Hah... They say the insomnia prepares you for baby, right?

Maternity clothes: Yes... Hopeful my non-maternity gym clothes keep working for another two months.

 

Best moments:  Still the movement.  I didn't think she could get crazier, but she did.  I've grown pretty fond of this little girl's wiggles and somersaults.  Also, summer has officially arrived in Vegas so we've spent lots of time in the pool.  Being in the water makes me feel like less of a whale and more of a human so that's a nice change!

Miss anything?  Backing off workouts a bit has been kind of a bummer but I'm thankful that I'm still able to be active most days.  I'm still making it through MOST of my spin classes and body pump for now, though we'll see for how much longer.  The elliptical and long walks are my friends.  

Nursery progress: It's mostly done!  I just need to wash the bedding so I can put it on the crib (that she won't sleep in for a very long time).  I go in there daily and sort through her stuff and dream about bringing her home!

 

Thoughts on pregnancy:  "TWO months to go" is the greatest sound ever.  I feel like I've just had a shift from being excited for the next stage of pregnancy to now being excited to meet our daughter.  I'm constantly imagining how it will be holding her for the first time and seeing her with her Daddy and I can hardly stand the excitement!  

 

Looking forward to:  Our labor and delivery tour is coming up next week and our infant CPR class is shortly after.  We also booked our newborn photographer and she's coming over soon to discuss the plan for her first photos.  We're on our way to Florida to relax on the beach and celebrate a friend's wedding.  I can't wait for Hannah to get to kick for her Grandma :)

29 Week Bump