37 Weeks

Pregnancy Update November 5, 2012

How far along: 37 weeks! FULL TERM, BABY! 21 days left, hopefully less... 

Size of baby: 19.25 inches, 6.3 lbs. - A "Stalk of Swiss Chard"

What developed this past week: Since baby is now considered full term, it means all of his organs should be developed and ready for the outside world! Now is just more time for his hair to grow and his cheeks to get chubbier!

Weight Gain: 34 lbs. I actually lost a TINY bit this week - I lost the food obsession as quickly as I found it, AND I started getting on the treadmill during my lunch hour for 20 minutes or so! Only got 2 days in this week, but will be doing it every week day now that I am full term!  Gotta work Mr. Bryson down and out! :) 

Maternity clothes: All maternity.

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

Movement: Moving all the time - mostly on my right side still. Only 4 or so days of the last couple months have I felt him kicking out on my left side. Maybe this explains why my right ribs ALWAYS hurt and my right leg is the one that goes to sleep or gets nerves pinched when I walk a lot!

Sleep: Still sleeping OK. Sometimes I wake up with pain in my upper back or my abs. I usually can adjust and go back to sleep. If I seem to be laying awake for more than a couple minutes, I'll usually get up and go to the bathroom. The changing of positions and standing usually helps relieve whatever pains I have, so when I lay back down I can fall asleep fairly easily.

I'm having more crazy dreams recently... Not sure where they even come from sometimes! Apparently, my mind is a lot more creative than I think it is! lol

What I miss: As much as I won't miss the burning in my abs/ribs, I'm trying my hardest to focus more on fully enjoying the last few days/weeks I have with Bryson kicking and punching me (from the inside... won't be so cute on the outside! lol)!

I definitely missed my niece, Joscelin's, 1st birthday party! I heard it was wonderful! I was so sad to not get to be there, but being in a car for 16 hours, and being 8 hours from home while full term wasn't advisable :( Though it did cross my mind to "risk" it... there are hospitals along the way, right?? If only I could make it through the car ride without wanting to cut out my half of my rib cage...

Cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary. Still like all the usual things - cereal, sparkling cider, coke & dr. pepper... Still wouldn't consider any of them cravings, but I can always go for a bowl or glass if I'm hungry or thirsty!

Best moment this week: This week, Caleb and I got to spend a couple evenings together, both shopping/getting stuff done and relaxing. As much as we love the alone time, we keep telling Bryson we're ready for him to join us! Caleb is especially ready, since I've been able to "hold" B every second of the day for the past 9 months and he hasn't! I'm a baby hog... what can I say? :)

Another thing Caleb and I did together this week was take a CPR class. We are now fully trained and certified in adult, child & infant CPR! Caleb said he already knew what to do before taking the class, so I doubt he'd admit to feeling more prepared to care for Bryson, but I certainly feel more comfortable with my skill level now!

Thursday evening, my SIL, Laurie, and niece, Emilie, came over one more time to help get the last things put away and organized in the nursery! I know I've said this a hundred times, but since certain finishing touches keep getting pushed off, we are still SO close to having the nursery done! It WILL be done this week, if it's the last thing I (and Caleb) do! :) Thank you girls, again, for your help! I was certainly at a point of not caring/not knowing what to do and just wanted it done for me! You saved me from just throwing everything in a drawer or the closet! :)

One more time before Bryson's arrival, I did another session of Freezer Cooking! I made 5 recipes that I found on Joyful Mommas Kitchen and I am very excited to eat them! Three of them are topped with shredded cheese and baked... can't go wrong with all that cheesiness! :) The potato soup seemed interesting... I wasn't too sure about it... but since making it, I randomly found the same recipe posted on another blog I read where she claimed it is delicious! :) All 5 recipes I made alone and they only took about 2.5 hours! I was very impressed! I guess it helped that not much needed chopped - only one onion. Everything else was a cook or mix kind of thing. I now have at least 15 meals in my freezer just waiting for the day I don't feel like cooking! :) Unfortunately, I'm forcing myself to wait until after Bryson is here... because most days I don't feel like cooking even now! lol

Random info:
-I have had some swelling in my ankles/calves a few times. It is seriously quite the site to see your calves mushroom over the top of your tight socks... I have switched to wearing Caleb's looser/lower cut athletic socks and haven't had any problems since I made the change!

What I am looking forward to:  - Going to my doctor appointment on Thursday and hopefully finding out if I'm dilating/progressing at all! So strange to actually want to be dilating! For the longest time, childbirth seemed far too terrifying to ever want to get to. Now I think we're about ready to meet this little miracle.
- One of my friends went above and beyond for my birthday this year and got me a 1 hour pedicure at Bella's! I had literally just told my sister that I was going to schedule a pedicure somewhere so my toes look nice when I have to stare at them during labor! lol What a wonderful gift! Thank you, Nicole!!!
- My mom coming over a couple nights this week to get my spare room and office organized. We pretty much just dumped a bunch of stuff in those rooms when we cleaned out the nursery, and effectively moved the mess from one place to another. Mom is going to help me get it put away, once and for all :). She also is going to prove her unconditional mother's love by scrubbing my bathtub! I feel bad asking anyone to do this nasty chore, but she is always willing to do anything for me. Bending over to scrub and using harsh chemicals does not sound like a good idea for me to do, but I want the tub clean so I can soak in it during labor if I feel like it. Thanks, Momma!!
Unfortunately, our contractor guy wasn't able to come this past weekend to finish our bathroom and the other small projects. We're hoping he can come next weekend now... not sure if that will work out. Depends on the timing of the baby's arrival! Still very much looking forward to him completing so many projects in our house!

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! :)

32 Weeks

Pregnancy Update October 1, 2012

How far along: 32 weeks! 56 days left... 

Size of baby: 16.7 inches, 3.75 lbs. - A "Large Jicama"

What developed this past week: Still getting more baby fat! He's likely going to double his weight between now and birth! And let me tell you - there have been plenty of days this past week where I FEEL like he's doubling his weight and stretching out my belly! Ouch!

He now has toe nails and finger nails and he's shedding the soft lanugo hair that covers his body and his real hair and skin is becoming soft and smooth.

Weight Gain: 27.8. Went back down a little - I'd say the weight check from last week wasn't quite accurate - it definitely didn't seem to me like I had gained almost 5 lbs in one week! I guess the doctor's scale on Wednesday will help solve this mystery.

Maternity clothes: All maternity. Getting out my fall clothes now! Love these comfy sweaters and long sleeve shirts.

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

Movement: He's a mover and a shaker! It's cool now because I can "rub his back" or use my hands to slide him back and forth and he responds to my touch! It's also funny to feel him fall subject to gravity when I lay down on my sides at night - he feels like he's about to fall out my side! When I turn over onto my other side, I feel him slide down the other way and rest on the bed as well! I even had Caleb put his hand on him while I turned over the other night so he could feel his little body slip down.

Sleep: After being exhausted all last week, over the weekend I got a few nights of some GOOD sleep - 9-11 hours a night! I couldn't BELIEVE that I did that 3 nights in a row. Usually if I sleep that long one night, the next night I'm awake in the middle of the night. Must've needed the rest! Since then, I haven't felt so exhausted and it's been great! Feeling like your head is going to drop on the keyboard at work is miserable - hope I can stay rested enough that I don't get to that stage again (until after birth!).

What I miss: Talking (for extended periods of time) without feeling like I'm winded! I swear I've never smoked a day in my life, but I feel like I'm a chain smoker sometimes! lol

Cravings: Nothing.

Best moment this week: We had our last Childbirth Class this week. We talked about what to expect during delivery, making a birth plan, breastfeeding, etc... all the finishing touches! I'm definitely glad we took this class - I feel a lot more prepared and I think Caleb does too. Now he doesn't have to just watch me go through labor and have no clue what is happening or how to help. I feel assured that we CAN do this! (Regardless, we have to at this point! But it's good to feel prepared.)

I also thoroughly enjoyed going to the chiropractor a few times! Highlight #1 - relieving some of the rib pain in my upper back/stretching out my back and hip muscles. Highlight #2 - LAYING ON MY STOMACH! :) Love the drop table - wonder if he'd let me take a little nap when he's between patients ;) lol

Another thing I'm VERY happy I did this week was make some freezer meals!! My friend, Sarah, came over and we made 6 recipes each (at least 10 meals and leftovers) in about 4 hours! It feels good to have healthy/homemade food in the freezer ready to eat! We're going to try to do it every once in awhile so that we can keep the meals coming and I'll be prepared with ready-to-cook food when Bryson comes and I have no motivation/energy to cook good meals! 

This is what I used to get started on my first freezer cooking experience. She lists 10 recipes, but I started with just 6 of them... don't want to bite off more than I can chew in my first try! :) Wish we would have taken a picture of our finished products! It was awesome!

What I am looking forward to: Our doctor appt this week!! Bring on the ultrasound! Can't wait to see my little man's face again! And we get to find out how big he is, what position he's in, etc. My MIL and husband are coming to the appt on Wednesday at 4.

Right after our doctor appointment on Wednesday, Caleb and I are going to our first Newborn Care class! It will actually be a private class where the teacher will go over the first 2 weeks worth of material, since we will not be able to attend the class on Thursday nights for 2/4 weeks! I'm pretty excited that we'll get one-on-one, to our level, lessons!

This coming Sunday is our final baby shower! My mom and sisters are throwing it for us and it will be for my friends and friends of our family to come and celebrate Baby Bryson! Can't wait!