37 Weeks

37 weeks and still in one piece!

Source: The Bump

It's funny how wide of a span each different baby's weight could be at this point.  A 3 pound difference is a HUGE difference for a newborn!  The entire pregnancy, the one thing I've consistently wished for is a healthy baby.  But recently I also added "not too large" to that wish list.  ;)

Symptoms:

• I definitely feel increased pressure in my abdomen.  It doesn't seem there's much room at all left in there for this little one -- I'm pretty sure I feel every stretch, wiggle and turn from baby these days!  Lately I've felt some kicking up near my left rib, especially the past couple days, though I can't imagine there's much room in there for acrobatics at this point!
• I'm still waking up to pee an average of 5-6 times a night, so haven't been getting much sleep {which explains why I look so, as Shep very gently put it last night, "tired and worn out"}.  I just keep telling myself that this is extra good practice for the sleep deprivation I'll be getting over the next several months once this little guy or girl makes an appearance, and practice makes perfect!
• My right foot has been swelling on a daily basis over the past week.  According to my OB, it's common for women to experience swelling more on one side than the other, especially if the uterus is tilted toward that side, which can apparently happen.  I guess that makes sense since the baby's back and butt appear to be on my right side {which are the heavier parts} and the legs/feet appear to be on the left.  But, as long as there is no pain or tenderness in the calf, there shouldn't be anything to worry about.
• I've been having a weird pressure feeling in my head when I lay down at night.  It almost feels like the kind of head rush you'd get from being upside down, even though my head is not actually lower than my body in the bed.  According to my OB, as long as I don't have any vision changes or increased blood pressure, it shouldn't be a concern.  Boy, is it a weird and slightly disconcerting feeling though!

This week's check-up was relatively uneventful, which is very good news at this point!  My blood pressure was nice and low, weight gain is good, GBS test was negative {hooray!}, fundal height measurement was "on target", baby's heart beat was a strong 140, and my cervix is still closed {phew!}... all in all a positive report!  After my appointment I treated myself to a manicure to celebrate.  ;)

Bump watch alert!

35 Weeks

Source: The Bump

We made it to 35 weeks, and our baby is currently the size of a COCONUT?!?!  Wow, that's huge!!!  No wonder why it's increasingly hard for me to get out of bed from a laying position -- I basically have a small bowling bowl inside my mid-section weighing me down!

By now, baby's hearing should be fully developed, and according to The Bump s/he apparently responds best to high-pitched noises.  I guess that's good since I've been trying to shriek sing to baby more often.  ;)  In all seriousness, I have been reading aloud to baby more frequently, so I hope my voice is getting through!

I've been reading a Dr. Seuss book that my best friend sent me as a gift when she first learned I was pregnant.  It's a compilation of various Dr. Seuss stories, adapted for the baby-to-be, and is quite adorable!

Source

My favorite part is the end; I get a little teary each time I read it.  Here's a little excerpt so you can see how sweet it is:

It's a scrumptulous world

and it's ready to greet you.

And as for myself . . .

well . . .

I can't wait to meet you!

In terms of symptoms, I am SUPER tired -- mainly because I've been waking up as many as SIX times per night to pee.  Yes, SIX!!!!!!  It's quite ridiculous really.  I've also noticed over the past week or so that my ankles and feet {my right side in particular} has started swelling more frequently; a couple times per week.  When I notice it happening, I elevate my feet and try to drink additional water.... but some times it feels like I'm going to float away if I drink any more!  I have felt some pressure on my abdomen wall, but I don't think I've had any Braxton Hicks contractions yet -- it feels more like the baby stretching out or pushing against me.  I'm definitely waddling and wiggling when I walk, even despite my best efforts not to.  Interestingly, the four flights of stairs I climb ever morning from the train when going to work have gotten harder on my legs {because I'm lugging more weight}, but I don't find myself as out of breath as I once did!  Other than that, I've had a couple twinges of back/hip pain when I stand too quickly from the sitting position; but luckily nothing too bad so far.  I'm sure that will get more interesting over the next few weeks though as my belly continues to grow!  The only other weird new thing I've been noticing is that when I lay down at night to go to bed, I get a weird head rush / head pressure sensation, along with more noticeable heart beats, almost like palpitations.  It only lasts for a minute or two, and I assume it's related to my increased blood and fluid volume, but I'm going to ask my doctor about it at next week's appointment just to be sure.

This is my last week at my job before my maternity leave starts -- I can't believe I only have 2 more days!!  I think it will be bittersweet for me -- I consider all of my teammates friends and will miss seeing and talking to them on a regular basis.  But, I'm also looking forward to having some time to myself before baby arrives to get our home in order {i.e., try to cure the "reverse robbery" situation we currently have on our hands}, brainstorm some baby names, relax and sleep in more while I still can, wash the baby's linens and clothes, and generally prepare as much as possible for our little one's arrival.  We'll see once I stop "working" whether I:  (a) get bored staying at home alone, (b) turn into a total couch potato who refuses to get dressed, or (c) actually get anything from our to-do list accomplished.  I'll be honest -- it might be a combo.  ;)

And on that note, here's my 35 week bump watch photo!

34 Weeks

Hello butternut squash baby!

Source: The Bump

Sounds like our little one is chunking up, which is great!  It's amazing how quickly these little guys and gals grow in the last trimester -- it seems like just yesterday we were looking at photos of apple seeds and blueberries and now we've graduated to a butternut squash!  Wow!

I had my 34 week OB appointment today, and everything looks good!  My blood pressure is healthy, and my fundal height is apparently right on target.  According to the doctor's records I've gained 1 pound in 3 weeks {which she said was fine}, though my own tracker shows a 3 pound increase in 3 weeks.  {It's funny how the time of day and clothing can really mess with your weight measurements!}  The little one's heart beat was a strong 158 -- music to my ears!

Speaking of music, according to The Bump I better start singing some lullabies to my belly!  I'll admit something -- I LOVE to sing!  I always say that if I could have any skill in the world, it would be a singing voice -- some combination of Faith Hill, Martina McBride and Celine Dion would be my ideal!  Alas, I do not, so I keep my performances to the shower and the car.  ;)  This mostly means that Shep is the only one lucky enough to enjoy suffer through my mini concerts, but it looks like Baby will be joining his or her daddy {unwillingly} in the front row of my own personal sing-a-long.  ;)  I'll know I'm really off key if I start getting kicked as a result....  I think that's the baby equivalent of throwing rotten tomatoes.  ;)

Not much new in terms of symptoms -- I've been doing okay on the nausea front, though have had a couple days here and there of queasiness.  Overall though, it's still a marked improvement over what was going on from weeks 6.5 through 32, so I can definitely live with it!  :)  I've had a little bit of foot and ankle swelling, but nothing that bad, so far {knock on wood!}; though I did have to leave my engagement ring at home one day last week for the first time because my fingers were a bit puffy in the morning.  Luckily by the afternoon they were back to size.

This weekend Shep and I went on a baby-buying binge.  We went out to purchase a crib mattress and then spent over 6 hours shopping and buying.  By the time we got home (a) my ankles were totally swollen and (b) I was surprised I didn't get a fraud alert on my credit card!  In all seriousness, our living room currently looks like we are the victims of a reverse robbery.  For those of you not familiar, this would be when a burglar goes to Buy Buy Baby, TJ Maxx, Bed Bath & Beyond and Babies 'R Us, obtains several very large bags of baby supplies, breaks into our apartment, dumps the goods and then takes off.  ;)  Until I finally semi-organized the stuff last night, we couldn't even get to the couch without leaping over clothes, crib sheets, and other random newborn paraphernalia!  It's funny how a baby so small could already own so much stuff!!!  Hopefully it will all come in handy though -- I know the diapers and burp cloths will, that's for sure!  ;)

32 Weeks

Hello, baby squash!

I can't believe I'm carrying a 4 pound baby inside of me!  Well, truth be told it feels pretty darn crowded in there, so I guess I can.  ;)  I can only imagine how crowded baby feels in there!

I still feel a fair bit of movement on a regular basis, so I guess it's not too crowded in baby's living quarters!  Though the interesting thing is that the kicks or jabs, or whatever they are, are mostly down low.  Does that mean baby hasn't turned upside down yet?  I'm trying not to stress because I know there's still time, but I hope when the time comes that this little kicker is in the correct head-down position!

Not much new in terms of symptoms, EXCEPT..... {drum roll please} ..... I HAVEN'T REALLY FELT NAUSEOUS ALL WEEK!!!  Can you believe it?!  I've been afraid to say it out loud or even write it down -- quick, everyone knock on a piece of wood! -- but maybe week #32 is my lucky break!  It's already Friday, and it's been smooth tummy sailing since Sunday, which marked the start of my 32nd week!  I have had some reflux, but I can totally deal with that.  Shortness of breath?  Cake walk!  Not even the seasonal allergies that paraded into town this week, or the zits which refuse to be evicted from my face can get me down - nope!  If my nausea stays away for the next 8 weeks or so I will be OH SO HAPPY!!!  Even though I'm still super fatigued {thanks to waking up to pee 2-3 times per night and not really being able to find a comfortable sleeping position} I've felt like more of a functioning human over the past 5 days than I have been in the past 6 months!  Man, that nausea really dragged down my productivity!

Despite feeling pretty OK in the tummy acid department, things have been pretty stressful this week between trying to prep for baby at home, trying to finish the insurmountable mountain of work I face at my job, and being scared for my grandma who is 92 years old and was hospitalized Sunday night due to fluid build-up resulting from the congestive heart failure she's dealt with for the past couple decades.  Baby prep and work were already bringing me to the edge of my sanity; hearing my grandma so out of it on Sunday when I spoke to her on the phone was enough to push me over the edge.  Luckily, she's been on IV in the hospital and has been feeling a bit better over the course of the week, but it's still frightening.  My grandma {or Babci as we lovingly call her} and I are two peas in a pod -- Shep always jokes that I am "Babci Jr.".  Needless to say it's been a hard week.  I am hoping to God that she gets better and gets released soon.  She lives in VA near my uncle, so I don't get to see her too often and I was really looking forward to her visit up here this weekend for my baby shower.  Alas, that's not going to work out and I'll be honest, I'm really disappointed.  At this point in my pregnancy, I can't even really travel down there to see her.  But I just keep praying that she gets better and will be able to come up to visit once this little baby squash is born!  My brother had a dream earlier this week, and in the dream our grandma was holding my baby.  Of course the first thing my mom and I both asked was "was it a boy or a girl"?!  Bro didn't know that detail {men!}, but I really hope his dream comes true.  All prayers and positive thoughts you ladies can muster would be much appreciated!


P.S. -- Sorry to get your hopes up with my April Fool's prank!  Shep didn't think anyone would fall for it, but I guess I'm more convincing than he thought!  I'm not really known for my pranking skills, but the idea came to me spontaneously and I just ran with it -- sorry for tricking all of you!  xo

31 Weeks

I am officially 31 weeks and 2 days pregnant, and our little one is currently the size of a pineapple!

I had a regular OB check-in today, and Shep and I were both a bit curious as to how I'd measure.  Last time I was measuring a tad on the large side, and I feel like I've only grown a lot more since then.  The fundal height measurement came in at 29 cm, which the doctor felt was perfectly normal.  According to this chart on Wikipedia, 29 cm falls within the normal range for 31 weeks gestational age, and is just slightly larger than the average of 28 cm.  Phew!  To date, I've gained a little over 21 pounds, and 7 inches around my belly.

In terms of symptoms, it's mostly been more of the same.  In odd news, my belly button for some reason decided to turn into an "innie" again late last week, but it's currently back to being an "outtie".  ;)  I'm pretty sure I'm going to throw in the towel on acupuncture, because of the 4 sessions I've tried, only 1 session really provided relief from the nausea and even that was short-lived.  The only new issues I've been dealing with are the 2 gigantic zits that have recently taken up residence on my face, and a bit of ankle/foot swelling that occurred 1 or 2 days last week.  The dr. did comment with surprise today during my check-up that I'm still wearing my wedding and engagement rings, so I guess I should be glad my hands aren't {yet?} swelling!  Back pains are coming and going with a little more frequency; and I've been having a harder time sleeping lately due to not being able to find a comfortable position, waking up 2-3 times a night to pee, and waking up realizing that I'm laying on my back which I'm not supposed to do.  I'm having a bit more trouble walking around and climbing the 4 flights of stairs I tackle exiting the train station on my way to work every morning, but I think that's to be expected.  I want to keep walking around and getting that little bit of stair-climbing cardio in as long as possible, so we'll see how much longer I can hang in there!  If it gets too hard, I can always adjust my morning commute.

My due date is May 25th, exactly 2 months from today -- yikes!  And, my maternity leave begins in just 1 month.  I only have 23 more business days of work left before leave -- woohoo!!!

20 Weeks -- We're Halfway There!

20 Weeks!!!  We made it to the halfway point!  If this were the Super Bowl, Beyonce might be shaking it on stage right now.  Well, I may not be a sports fan, but I simply could not let an occasion like this go by without a song, so CLICK HERE PLEASE to help celebrate us!!!!  {Sorry, I'm a big fan and just couldn't resist!}

Source: The Bump

Current symptoms include:
- Weird/scary dreams
- Stuffed nose/nosebleeds
- Pain below left rib cage, especially while laying on left side
- Waking up every ~3 hours to pee {though oddly the past 2 nights I've slept through the night!}
- Continued feelings of movement in my belly, though it doesn't seem to be every day
- Continued gas, reflux & nausea, though....

This *might* be wishful thinking on my part, but it seems my nausea may finally be getting better.  Don't get me wrong, I still experience tummy queasiness at least once a day, but it seems like it might be less frequently/less intense than it used to be. While I wish the queasies would exit stage left entirely, I'll take any improvement at this point!  If it doesn't ease up more by the end of this week though, I think I'm going to look into acupuncture.  I have a LOT to do in the next 20 (plus or minus) weeks and I just can't afford for this nausea to keep slowing me down!  My to-do list is calling too loudly!

Speaking of to-do lists...

This past weekend we finally signed up for childbirth classes, and just in the nick of time!  Our hospital recommends that patients sign up by their 20th week, and we registered online on Saturday night.  Talk about waiting until the 11th hour.... quite literally!  ;)  The schedule includes five 3-hour long sessions, which will take place at the end of March/first half of April.  Just having to think about registering for lamaze classes made me start thinking more about the actual birthing process and let's just say I'M SCARED!!!!!!  I'm going to do what any self-respecting woman would do though and just avoid thinking about it for the next several months!!! Great coping mechanism, huh?!

This week we'll be going for a fetal echocardiagram test and our 20-week anatomy scan ultrasound.  PGAL {pregnant after a loss} brain has me a bit nervous for each of these, but my fingers and toes are crossed for good results at both appointments.  I think if I get my wish and we get double-healthy thumbs up this week, I might, just might, stop worrying quite so much.  Maybe?

We also still need to:

- Continue our research on local pediatricians, and set up some appointments for any potential contenders.

- Continue research / decide about using a birthing doula so we can book one if desired.

- Research the specifics of each of our maternity/paternity leaves.

- Research cord blood banking {I have lots of brochures from my OB on this topic.}

- Look into maternity & newborn photographers, as I've heard these book up fast.
- Plan a babymoon!!!!

It's just like people always say -- so much to do and so little time...  I better get to it!

But not before I leave you with an encore presentation of my favorite NJ band of all time, because I know you all love Bon Jovi as much as I do {just kidding -- not possible!} and just can't get enough ...

 

19 Weeks

{This post is 1 week late, but better late than never, right?!  Please excuse my tardiness and pretend I posted this on 12/29 please!}

Wow, 19 weeks!

Our baby is now the size of a mango!  According to The Bump, he or she measures about 6 inches long and weighs in at about 8.5 ounces.  In addition to developing a protective coating over the skin, called vernix caseosa, baby is also working on his or her five senses.  Nerve cells for her sense of taste, hearing, sight and smell are developing in the brain.

Symptoms I've been {in most cases still} experiencing include: dizziness/lightheadedness, gas {including the dreaded puke burps}, acid reflux, irregular bowel movements, and sciatica pains on my left side.  Not fun, but if this is what gets us a healthy baby then I'll continue to deal!

On the to-do list for this week:

• Research/decide about using a doula
• Research pediatricians
• Sign up for pre-childbirth classes
• Create a baby registry

Although a little late, Hubby and I decided to take some photos together in front of our Christmas tree, to remember this special time.  Here's one that shows my growing bump!

Since we got all gussied up for the photos, we decided to have a nice Sunday evening date together at a local steakhouse called Dino & Harry's.  Choosing meals out is always a little more involved than it used to be, since there are so many foods I need to stay away from, but we had a delicious meal together nonetheless.  It hit me though during our quite candlelit dinner that the cozy spontaneous outings for two we've so enjoyed for so many years together are only going to be feasible for a couple more months.  After that, we'll be a family of three.  I started to get really emotional at this thought, and I'll admit there were some tableside tears.

I'm really excited to be having a baby with the love of my life, honestly.  We've been "the two of us" for so long though that it's going to take some getting used to, and like many expectant couples, we're going to have to make a bunch of changes to our lives once baby arrives.  I love and live for the quiet cuddly time I get to spend one-on-one with my Hubby and I'm really, REALLY going to miss it.  I'm absolutely sure spending time together as a family of three will be amazing, and will make my heart explode with happiness.  It's just going to be different.  I guess because the first half of this pregnancy has been so filled with so many worries about losing the baby that I haven't actually spent much time thinking about what it will be like in May once he or she hopefully makes an appearance.  I guess now that we're almost at the halfway mark, the realization that our time together as a twosome is dwindling so quickly brought some mixed emotions up inside me.  I am very happy and excited about what is to come, but that doesn't mean I won't fondly remember and even miss the things we've done and shared, just the two of us.