36 Weeks

Pregnancy Update October 29, 2012

How far along: 36 weeks! 28 days left... 

Size of baby: 18.75 inches, 5.75 lbs. - A "Crenshaw Melon"

What developed this past week: Still packing on the pounds at the rate of about an ounce a day! He's shedding the soft hair that has covered his body the past 8 months, and is also losing the waxy covering (vernix) on his skin that has protected him while he's been floating in fluid. He is currently head down and ready to go!

Weight Gain: 34.6 lbs. Seems I capitalized on that food-obsessed feeling I talked about last week... Yikes! :) 

Maternity clothes: All maternity or Caleb's shirts/hoodies.

Gender: HE'S ALL BOY! "Bryson Nicholas"
(Bryson means "smart", Nicholas means "winner" or "victory of the people")

Movement: Haven't noticed a decrease in movement yet, as they say happens when he gets bigger. Still feeling him move all day long, but especially in the evenings. Crazy to see the entire shape of my belly change as he pushes out both sides at the same time!

Sleep: I've been seriously capitalizing on my ability to sleep in on the weekends - getting 9-10 hours a night both Friday and Saturday nights! I feel a little guilty because I know I still have so much I need to be doing to get the nursery/house ready... but then I realize that I only have (potentially) 2-4 weekends left of this, and I decide to be happy living it up by getting tons of sleep while I can!

What I miss: Not feeling like my ribs are being SQUEEZED by my bra or shirts that have a tight empire waist... Sometimes I feel like there's an elephant on my chest and I can't breathe because I am so uncomfortable. As usual, this mostly happens when I'm sitting. Which means that all day long at work, I want to claw off a rib or two! I dread going to work and sitting in the car because of this discomfort.

Cravings: I've been a total drunk the past couple weeks - drinking whole bottles of sparkling cider :) I love the stuff! Both before and during pregnancy! My husband was even so kind as to surprise me with a bottle last night when he picked up a few groceries :) 

Best moment this week: Celebrating my golden birthday! :) I turned 27 on the 27th. I started the day off with a bowl of strawberry frosted mini-wheats and a 1 hour pregnancy massage (from my SILs at Mother's Day)! So great!

Caleb is very thoughtful and got me gifts that I didn't even remember talking about wanting! And he took me to my favorite restaurant (Firebird's) for fillet mignon - melt in your mouth goodness!  It's funny how when I was younger, I wanted to have a party and spend the day with every person I've ever known. And now that I'm older, I just want to spend the day with my honey - I don't even care what we are doing... just watching tv together is good enough for me! Another way to live up our time together before we have a baby taking so much of our attention.

We had our 4th and final Newborn Care Class on Thursday. We learned about taking care of children in the toddler years. I'd say some of it was useful, the rest of it is pretty much open to your own discipline techniques. All in all, I thought the first 2 weeks of the class were the most beneficial, but it was worth going to all of it. There's always more to learn!

I had my 36 week doctor appointment on Monday, the 29th, with Dr. Wise (my favorite dr). Heartbeat sounded good - in the 150s, BP was good, and I measured right on track! The nurse gave me a quick lesson in what to do when I [think I] go into labor or if I notice any abnormality in how much the baby is moving (basically if anything happens - call the office and they'll advise. 5th floor of the hospital if I'm sent in!). She also described the difference between false labor and real contractions, which feel like they encompass your hips and back as well as belly.
Dr. Wise said that their office will be on holiday from Thanksgiving through until Monday... so basically if I go into labor anytime in the 4-5 days leading up to my due date, I will not know the doctor who delivers my son :( AND there's a chance I'd have a man doctor... which I don't love the idea of, though I'm assuming when I am in the pain of labor, I won't care who does what to me! :)
As we get closer, we can talk about inducing as of 39 weeks, especially if I'm already starting to dilate/efface - that way I can have my doctor deliver him before the holiday. We'll see - I'd rather not induce if I can let my body do what it wants, when it wants to do it... But if we get to 40 weeks, they'll do an ultrasound to check his size. If he's "too big", they'll want to do a c-section. As of the last u/s, he was measuring average, so I'm hoping the chances of a c-section are slim, though all the boys in mine and my husband's families were 9+ lbs. Yikes! 
SO I think I'm down to just praying Bryson comes of his own accord sometime around 38 or 39 weeks! Feel free to join the prayer team :)

Caleb's brothers had a diaper party for him this weekend and we were ABUNDANTLY blessed with diapers! I can't even believe how many! Thank you so much to everyone who came and to those who took the time to plan, prepare, and throw the party! We love you and appreciate all the hard work!

Random info:
-I have one little stretch mark - from my old belly button ring :( 
-I've started getting acid reflux, randomly. No heartburn. It just feels like acid is in the back of my throat - gross, but not too painful.
-The doctor said I do have Strep B - which apparently is very common. Just means I'll get antibiotics through my IV when I go into labor. That will keep any infection from getting in my uterus or bladder or hurting the baby.  When she said I have it, I laughed and told her I guess I deserve it, since I haven't had MOST of the problems other women deal with in pregnancy! This is an easy one - just get a medication at the end - I can handle that! :)
-Caleb helps me put on/take off my tall boots. He helps me get up from the couch/bean bag a lot. And he often tells the baby he loves him and can't wait to hold him.

What I am looking forward to: Finishing my final week or being "pre-term". After this week, the doctor won't stop me if I go into labor because the baby [should] be healthy!!
I did get a bunch of things crossed off my baby to-do list last week, but there's plenty more to do! Hoping to get a ton more done this weekend. We also have a guy coming to do some work in the bathrooms and other odd-jobs this weekend - SO excited for everything to be completed!

35 Weeks

Pregnancy Update October 22, 2012

How far along: 35 weeks! 35 days left... 

Size of baby: 18 inches, 5.25 lbs. - A "Honeydew Melon"

What developed this past week: At this point, all B's major organs should be nearly complete, including his kidneys and liver, which are now capable of processing waste products. His main job for the next 5 weeks is just to put on weight. Um, wouldn't we all love this to be our full time job/main goal?! SUCCESS! lol :).

Weight Gain: 31.4 lbs. This past week or so, I've felt like I did the first 10 weeks of my pregnancy - I want food all the time. Despite whether or not I'm hungry, I often can't get my mind to stop thinking about food! It's ridiculous...

Maternity clothes: All maternity. Even my big tshirts now show the bottom of my belly - very attractive. lol

Gender: HE'S ALL BOY! "Bryson Nicholas"
(Bryson means "smart", Nicholas means "winner" or "victory of the people")

Movement: Same schedule he's been on for weeks now - moves some during the day, but definitely busts a move or two in the evenings! He's more often been shoving his little feet or hands out my sides, or down into my legs, or up into my ribs! He must be getting tight in there! Such a strange sensation to have something sticking out your side! lol Also feeling him push more on my bladder and colon - it feels like he punches me. What the heck is he doing?? haha Bizarre...

Sleep: I sleep well - still don't get up to use the restroom, and no pregnancy insomnia, praise the Lord! Hoping this lasts the next 5 weeks! I don't know how women go into childbirth, new parent-hood when they are already exhausted!

What I miss: Sitting comfortably in the car. I have no idea how shorter people do this! Sometimes I feel like he's pushing my stomach up into my lungs and I can't get a good breath... and I'm almost 6 ft! How do 5 ft tall people ever sit?! 

Cravings: Had 3 bowls of mini-wheats over the weekend - found a new kind I like (as well as strawberry) - Maple and Brown Sugar... even as I type this, it sounds good! I want a bowl any time I think about cereal. Weird. :) Actually, I think Caleb won't be home for dinner tonight - it's sad that that makes me excited - I GET A BOWL OF CEREAL FOR DINNER! lol

Best moment this week: Getting more maternity pictures taken! I'm so excited to see/share them! These were done by my SIL, Kristen. On Saturday, we went to a train station and took some pics on a big red train! And we also took a few on the railroad tracks, and in front of some pretty fall colored trees/vines!

Kristen also got to come over on Sunday afternoon to help me fold more baby clothes and put them away. We're getting there!  Caleb put the art above the crib on Saturday, but we still haven't gotten around to hanging the rest of the wall stuff...

We had our 3rd Newborn Care Class on Thursday. We learned about safety (ie carseat, etc). One more class next week, then we're done.

On Saturday, after pictures, Caleb and I ran some errands, then met up with my brother and Laci for dinner at Moe's. Then we came back to our house to watch a movie and Laci got to feel Bryson moving around TONS during his crazy time... So fun! She and Eston also gave us their baby shower gifts - an adorable giraffe print romper with matching hat and bib! And a picture frame and baby record book that is so cool! Will be great to have all Baby B's info in one place! Thanks!!!

My friend Sarah came over on Sunday and we made 5 crockpot meal recipes! I'm excited to be filling my freezer with meals that are already prepared for me to bake/cook! This link says it takes 1 hour... not true. Took more like 3 hours... and we helped eachother, so we should've even had a little more efficiency. Still fun! And my hands still smell like garlic! lol

I had an interesting doctor appointment on Monday, the 15th. I've never met one of the doctors in our practice, Dr. V., so I made my appt with her - I want to at least know who she is if she happens to be on call when I go into labor... I thought I was just going in for a normal appt where they ask if I have any questions, take my urine sample and weight, and I go home. But when I got back in the room, the nurse told me that Dr. V. would be doing my strep B test.  After the doctor finished the strep test, she said she was going to check me - I was not dilated, and the baby was posterior and his head was down in a good position! When I asked if I was effacing at all, she said, "No you're posterior - you're not effaced"... ok... I had no idea what being posterior means! lol (still doesn't make sense to me - maybe I should google it!) Anyway, then she measures me and says, "Good! You're 36 weeks!"  This is where it gets funny - I looked at her and said something about only being 34 weeks, so it's funny that I'm now measuring big, when last time I measured too small - which is why I had an u/s at 32 weeks...  She responded with, "You're not 34 weeks, you're 35 and a half." Um what? No I'm not... I'm 34. No you're 35. No, I'm 34...  After a little back and forth, she says, "You're due November 15th, that makes you 35 and a half". To which I responded, I'm not due November 15th, I'm due November 25th.
There was a little more questioning about if I've always been due the 25th, and how that was calculated (off an u/s or from my LMP - BOTH!). Then she finally says, "I believe you, but why do I have written on my chart that you're due the 15th?!" hahha Well thanks for believing me! I think I know my due date, but have no idea why it's wrong on your chart.
Turns out, whomever wrote the chart for the day, messed up my LMP by 10 days... supposed to be 2/19, she had 2/9 written. Funniest part to me was that after Dr. V. figured this out, she gets out her little wheel of due dates/progression, and lines up my LMP and my due date and says, "Ok you are 34 weeks, 1 day today!"... YES! THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU! LOL Finally, we're on the same page... haha
Only thing is that I don't think I would've had the strep b test or been checked yet if she knew I was only 34 weeks... Oh well! No harm, no foul! Next appt is Monday 10/29 at 36 weeks. Then I'll be going weekly!

What I am looking forward to: This week I'm hoping to get a bunch of baby stuff done - call jcp about full-size bed rails, call the daycare about rates, finish getting all the things we need off the registry, wash everything and put it away, etc...
Also, I'm FINALLY cashing in my 1 hour pregnancy massage that my 3 SILs got me for Mother's Day. I'm going on Saturday, which also happens to be my birthday! Great treat for sure!
Sunday is Caleb's diaper party - we currently have all of 1 pack of diapers, so it will feel good to know we've got a few more than that ready and waiting for all of the messy diapers in our future! :)