Weeks 38, 39, & 40

So it's been awhile since I've posted but for a good reason! Our little bundle of joy arrived on May 3rd, 2012 but that is a story for my next post. The last few weeks I was pregnant really flew by. I felt great until the Sunday before I delivered too (I delivered him early on a Thursday). My 38 and 39 week appointments with my doctor were very quick and easy as I didn't have any symptoms of labor except the fact that he had dropped. My doctor did note that he was incredibly low so apparently I handled that okay. I really didn't have too much pain, just a little discomfort, mostly while sleeping. At my 39 week appointment, I weighed in at a gain of 29 pounds, but by my 40 week appointment I was down to a 23 pound gain. My doctor assured me that this was normal as I had probably lost some water weight as my body prepped to give birth. I was happy that I hit my under 30 pound goal!

I think I became a little too smug about feeling so good because Sunday night, it hit me like a ton of bricks! I felt awful all night and had very regular contractions. I only went in to work for a half day on Monday to tie up some loose ends before my maternity leave started up and didn't end up going in at all on Tuesday or Wednesday due to contractions. On Monday night, I about had a breakdown due to no sleep and James suggested we get up and try to walk to speed up the contractions (they were coming about every 10 to 15 minutes) and see if we could kick start labor. He was so great and walked around the house for hours with me and didn't sleep at all himself. The walking worked and my contractions were coming every 3-5 minutes! I knew going in to the hospital then was still a risk because I desperately didn't want to be sent home but we went ahead and left the house around 5:30 AM on Tuesday. When we got to the hospital, my suspicions were confirmed that I wasn't dilated enough to stay and my contractions slowed again (probably from sitting in the hospital bed for an hour). I was crushed but I hoped that my contractions, even at their current speed, would do their job before my appointment on Wednesday.

It was another sleepless night but I could tell my contractions had increased in intensity so I knew if labor hadn't started yet, it was coming! I had also had some of the less blog-worthy signs of labor, yuck. When my appointment came around, I tried to not get my hopes up, but I couldn't help it. I hadn't slept in days and couldn't wait to see an end to it all, haha! My doctor checked me and I was almost at a 4! Yay! She gave me the option of going home or heading over to the hospital. I picked the hospital!!! I think it all hit me then that I was going to have a baby in my arms in less than a day. I was a little terrified and a lot excited :) I'll leave the rest of the story to my next post!!

Here is my 9 month shot!

And here are some side by sides for comparison.

Well, it sounds like someone is getting hungry so hopefully I'll be able to post my birth story sometime soon!

Weeks 36 & 37

The countdown is on, my friends! As of today, I have 18 days left until my due date :) Now for a little pregnancy rambling... Little man is growing and my stomach is noticeably farther out each week. I have also been incredibly hungry the last week and a half. I'm hoping it's a growth spurt for him and not me! We finished the last project in the nursery yesterday so it's all decorated and ready for its tiny inhabitant. At my next doctor's appointment on Friday, we'll be discussing an inducement date just to get one on the calendar. Hopefully I won't have to use it because I honestly hate the thought of pitocin but I know eventually I'll have to consider it. I won't be induced until I'm at least 41 weeks so that should give me a little more time to go into labor naturally. We had our cloth diapering class last week and our birthing class yesterday. I feel a little more prepared now. I was really impressed with our hospital's tour. The birthing rooms seem very comfortable and each one has their own tub which I heard is a great way to relax while your contractions start to heat up. I'm definitely starting to feel some pressure so I know he's at least dropped a little. However, I keep telling myself I will still be pregnant on my due date so I'm not disappointed. And that, folks, is all I got!

Weeks 34 & 35

Only a few short weeks to go! Well, probably more like 5 or 6, but still!!! We had an appointment on Friday with my doctor and she confirmed my suspicions that this kid isn't ready to vacate any time soon. I had figured that because it still seemed like I was carrying incredibly high (which has led people to remark that I "must be having a girl") and my Braxton Hicks contractions were never very regular. James and I do take a long walk most days and that really brings on the BH so now I just walk half the length of the park and wait for James and Penny to finish the rest. My doctor did a quick look to make sure he was head down and he is, so that's great news!! At least when he's ready to meet us we won't have a surprise breech baby. This was the first week that I had some regular swelling in my feet but it goes away at night and hasn't really been a problem. I have been up and around a lot of the time and it's been warmer so I think that's why it's started. I also have a very large knot in my back that we can't seem to get rid of, but that's really the only comfort issue I've had. Suits me just fine!

Weight Gain: 23 pounds. Is it possible that I'm just having a 20 pound baby and this will all go away??? But seriously, I'm so happy it isn't higher than that! My goal was under 30 and we're definitely on track!

Sleep: Well, I just like to think that this is God's way of getting me ready for nightly feedings and screamfests, we'll just put it that way.

Gender: Boy! Despite what people think!

Names: All in due time..

Feeling: Besides the knot in my back, sooooo good! Seriously, I feel so blessed!

Health: Awesome! Blood pressure is low as usual and I'm still feeling pretty awesome.

Movement: From what I can tell, he's definitely running out of room. No more flips and rolls, just occasional spins and kicks. Still, he likes to move it, move it.

Belly: Still measuring ahead 1-2 weeks but I think he's just a tall babe.

Next Appointment: This Friday. We're officially on weekly visits now!

And here is my 8 month shot... how did we get to 8 months so fast????


We've had 4 showers so far, with a small Girls Night In coming up. We seriously feel so blessed with all we've been given. He's pretty much set! I probably won't post pictures of the nursery until after he arrives so it can be completely finished (with his name up and everything). Can't wait! I love it!

Weeks 32 & 33

Looks like we have a tall one on our hands. At my appointment yesterday, my doctor remarked that she thinks he is a long baby since he is all the way from the bottom of my stomach to up in my ribs. I could have told her that since he likes to lay on my bladder and kick me in the ribs at the same time :) I'm also measuring 2 weeks ahead so we're guessing he is bigger than average. I'm hoping he falls into the 7 or 8 pound range instead of 9 or 10... yikes! My doctor said she would schedule an ultrasound to check his weight if he continues to measure ahead but said that sometimes it just freaks moms out. No one wants to hear that they have to push a 10 pound baby out! Ultimately, his estimated weight (which can be off by a pound either way) will not change my decisions for my birth plan. I'll still try for no inducement or c-section but I know those plans can change. So far, my blood pressure has been great (actually on the low side, which is normal in my family) and my weight gain is right on track (thank the GOOD LORD)! We had our first shower last weekend and will have the second tomorrow. They're so fun and we're already stocked up on clothes :) Can't wait to meet our little man!!! Here's a picture of us from our first shower...


On a non-uterus related note, my Dad and James just set the posts for our deck today. This was one project that James really wanted to do but now I'm so excited about it. I can just imagine us sitting on the deck watching the little one(s) play in the backyard with the dog. How fun! And for an awesome shot of our weird little doggy... we call this her mummy sleep pose. Legs straight out. It's exhausting to be her!

Weeks 30 & 31

Even while I am trying to rest as much as possible before little man makes his grand appearance, we have been so productive in the last few weeks. It makes me so happy! I am definitely nesting because when we're not getting a project done, I'm on Pinterest to find new projects or updating our to-do list (James is starting to hate that list!).

Here's a few projects we've completed recently...

If you remember my tie onesies from last year, I took it one step farther and added a vest. This was a Pinterest find and the original post looked so cute, I had to give it a try! We had a ton of leftover t-shirt fabric so I just used some of that. Cute and cheeeeeap!


I also made some baby legs out of socks that we got on clearance. Seriously, this couldn't be any easier. I think pairing it with the vest onesie would look adorable! Please ignore how dirty my couch looks :)


Another Pinterest find are some baby sandals. I had faux leather on hand from when my dad recovered my headboard when we moved, so this was essentially free. I thought they turned out cute but definitely not perfect :) He won't mind!


Yet another Pinterest inspired project was to hang a peg board over our changing table area (we're attaching a contour changing pad to the dresser) so we could hang some baskets for diapers and whatnot. We're also hanging some of our decorations including those pictures and vintage baseball knick knacks. I am in love with it. I think I'll also add little man's initials.


I also recovered the chair cushions in some sale fabric from Hobby Lobby. Love that place! Here is the chair with a blanket on the back. Does it look perfect? No, but that's just fine with me! I also made them removable so I can wash them if need be. You can also see our new rug!


I saw this on Pinterest as well, but it didn't come with a tutorial but it was seriously so easy to wing it! I just used some scrap fabric and elastic. Easy peasy.


One final Pinterest find (can you tell how I spend my time?) was another great way to use scrap fabrics. I used some leftovers from previous projects, the baby's room, and t-shirts. I made 2 of each below, one for me and one for a friend. They were fun and easy to make! James really liked them and thought they looked funky and cool.


On the less crafty note, everything seems to be progressing great! He's measuring 2 weeks ahead but James was a big baby so we expected that. In 2 weeks, I only gained a pound but little man moved ahead 4 weeks in measurement. Big growth spurt! Our first shower is next weekend so we're trying to get as organized as possible before then. So much fun! Here's my 7 month shot from a week or so ago.



And here is one of my favorite shots from our maternity session a few weeks ago. Seriously, Deisy did such a good job!

Weeks 28 & 29

Not much has changed since my last post. Little man gets bigger and bigger everyday and you can literally see the dance party going on in my stomach. James is fascinated with it :) James also likes to pick out his favorite music and put headphones on my stomach so baby can learn to like his tunes.

I have been a little hungrier lately but there's less and less room for dinner in there so I've been trying to eat multiple small meals. Some of my favorite things lately have been plain yogurt with honey mixed in (low in calories and high in calcium), Cheez-Its, cereal like frosted mini wheats or honey nut shredded wheat (lots of vitamins), and dried cranberries or other fresh fruit. But I also eat a lot of things that aren't the best for me, I've just really tried to watch how much junk I'm consuming.

Baby Boy's room has stalled in its progress until we have the majority of our showers (3 in March and a small one in April!) so we know all that we need to put away. We're getting our maternity shots done today and I am so excited. This is the third time we've tried but the weather was not cooperating. Today looks so beautiful though that I'm glad we didn't try to tough it out during the first two tries. Our awesome friend Deisy is taking them so I know they'll turn out super cute :)

We've also tried to start putting together a plan for the day I go into labor with a few different versions (pre and post James' finals, whether or not I'm at work, etc.) and what we want to take to the hospital. James has started making a list of songs to make a few playlists to calm me down once we're in the hospital. We also need to finalize what we'll be doing with Miss Penny once the time comes. We have some friends that have a dog that live very close to us who have offered to come pick her up and then my parents can take her as well, so at least we have some great options!

I need to sign up for my birthing class at my next appointment (we're officially at every 2 week appointments now, exciting!) so I can feel as prepared as a first time mom can :) I'm sure I'll be a little panicky anyways! My supervisor and boss and I have a meeting set up in a few weeks to finalize my maternity leave plans (who will take over certain duties, etc.) and then I'll feel like my work life is organized for his arrival. The rest of our lives, who knows when I'll feel organized?! I guess God does so I'll have to trust him on this!!!

Weeks 26 & 27

I officially hit the six month mark in week 26. I can't believe it! Only 3 more months (at max!) before we meet our sweet boy! Things are starting to fall into place in his room and it makes it all the more real.

James' parents brought down his furniture since it was delivered to a store closer to them and they got it all set up in his room. He definitely has nicer furniture than we do but we're not complaining at all. Thanks to both sets of grandparents for the awesome Christmas gift (crib and dresser). Baby boy and us love it!

Please ignore the fabric on the chair. My grandma gave us this chair a long time ago and we've been waiting to replace the cushion (or recover it) until we knew what color we wanted to go with. We're thinking cream or a light tan but it's still up in the air. The two pillows on the chair were craft projects I made on the fly today. I made them with a pocket back so we can easily slip them off and wash them if anything... ummm... gross were to happen to them :)

We're putting a peg board over the dresser to hang some baskets and other decorations from. Here's a look at some of the decor for the room that's waiting for it's rightful place.

We're also hanging his name over the crib and a few other vintage baseball pictures that my Dad saved for us (Mickey Mantle, Joe Dimaggio, etc.). I made two collages out of some of James' baseball cards and put them in 5x7 frames that are up on the shelves and we've bought a few other baseball items.

I think I'm in the nesting mode. I spent most of this afternoon doing sewing projects. I made my boot cut maternity jeans into skinny jeans using this tutorial. I think they turned out really well and I'm glad I can easily fit them into my boots now! I also made the pillows and fancied up a plain onesie with the little man's name (so that won't be on the blog for awhile!). I also feel like I constantly want to clean everything around me. We just bought an air purifier so I'm hoping that cuts down on my urge to dust every day.

Anyways, here's my 6 month pregnancy shot. Getting bigger and bigger everyday!