Bump Update- 37 Weeks!

 

    How far along? FULL TERM....37 weeks, 1 day..... 20 days left!!     How big is baby?  About the size of a watermelon....19-22 inches.  At my doc. appt. on Monday we had an ultrasound to see about how much he weighs and she estimated he was close to 7 lbs!     Total weight gain/loss?  +15 lbs     Maternity Clothes?  Every day.   I live in maxi skirts, tank tops and maxi dresses these days!  Thankfully there is some really cute stuff out there for Spring and Summer.   Stretch Marks?  Sides and boobs.      Sleep?   God is definitely trying to prepare me for when Connor arrives.  Sleep doesn't happen much these days.  Tylenol PM doesn't even work as well as it used to.           Miss anything?  After the past 2 weeks I have had, I miss EVERYTHING.... sleeping, not going to the bathroom every 30 minutes, not being in pain, you name it....         Movement?  I read something this week about how at this stage the baby usually sleeps anywhere from 16-20 hours a day.  Totally not the case for Connor...he moves allllll day long and all night.  I rarely go for an hour where I don't feel him.  That will be what I will miss most about being pregnant.             Food Cravings?  Ice, Banana Split (someone posted a pic on Instagram of a banana split last week and ever since then I have wanted one!), pasta      Anything making you queasy or sick?  Meat in general.  Most nights I want anything that does not have meat in it.    Have you started to show yet?  My belly is HUGE!            Gender?   BOY!!!    Labor Signs? Painful braxton hicks, intense pelvic/who-ha pain      Belly Button in or out?  Almost completely flat.   Mood?  I have had a few breakdowns the past week... I am pretty miserable and limited on what I can do so I've been pretty down.  And I cry at just about anything.  My hormones are definitely crazier than they have been throughout the rest of the pregnancy!        Symptoms?   TERRIBLE pelvic bone/who-ha pains and pressure, unable to walk much, restless legs, aching hands and wrists.  I woke up this morning with a sore throat and bad cough too.          Wedding rings still on?  Still on!  I have had a few days in the past 2 weeks where I could not get them off though, but that usually just happens after I have been standing for too long or if I am in the heat.            Best moments of the week?  -The nursery is almost finished and we absolutely LOVE it! Can't wait to do a whole post and share it with you :) -We had an ultrasound on Monday and got to see him for the first time in a long time. He is head down still and facing my back so we couldn't see too much but still amazing seeing his big head, belly, spine and little feet.   -Hubby and I spent a couple hours on the lake on Sunday.  The lake is one of our favorite places to be and the weather was beautiful so we took the boat out and enjoyed some time just the 2 of us.  And I got to work on my tan :)   -Last Thursday night we went to my husband's company's employee appreciation dinner in Houston and at the end they surprised us with a ton of gifts for Connor!  We were so surprised and feel so lucky to have such great, generous people in our lives.  We are officially completely stocked with everything we need!    Looking forward to? -Giving birth!!! haha :)  Seriously though.... I am SO ready and so excited.    -Finishing the nursery this week -Next doc. appt on Monday, 4/29   Doctor Appt. Update- At our appt on Monday she checked to see if I was dilated for the first time.....and nope, I am at a big fat 0 still.  And she could not feel his head so she said I probably have a ways to go.  We had an ultrasound to see how big he was and confirm that he is head down.  Doc. said he has a big belly :)  My blood pressure is perfect, his heart rate is perfect...so everything is good!  She did tell me that once I was at 2 cm. she would induce if I wanted her too, but she would prefer if I just let him come on his own.  So, we'll just see how miserable I am when that time comes...if it comes! But she did say that no matter what she will not let me go too far past my due date...a week at the absolute most.     

{My Pregnancy Survival Guide}

  With my pregnancy coming to an end in about 4 weeks (hopefully!) I thought I would share with you some of my favorite things these days....things that have helped me survive the past 9 months, and especially the 3rd trimester.   1.  Pregnancy Books If you know me or have been following my blog for a long time, you know I am a big reader.  When I first found out I was pregnant I read every book I could get my hands on.  I wanted to know everything there is to know about my pregnancy and my baby.  I read the funny books, medical books and the week by week books.  These were a few of my favorites:    

      2.  The Bath Tub The past couple of months I have spent A LOT of time in the bathtub.  It is pretty much the only thing that gives me any relief from the aches, pains and restless arms & legs. There have been days I have taken 4 baths but mostly I take one mid-morning and one right before I go to bed.  I have even gotten up in the middle of the night and taken one.  The warm water and Bath and Body Works Lavender Chamomille Bubble Bath work wonders.  It helps ease the pains and helps me relax.  The hospital I am delivering at actually has a few hydrotherapy tubs in the birthing center and  they will let you use them when you are in labor (but before your water has broken).  You better believe I will use one if I am able to.  =)    

    (Best stuff ever)     3.  Soma Intimates Sleepwear and Undies At the end of the first trimester when I officially had a bump and started to get uncomfortable at night I went on a mission to find comfortable things to sleep in and keep me cool at night.  I also knew I would need different under garments as my body grew.  Soma Intimates has been a lifesaver.  I sleep in their night gowns every night and only wear their undies.  They are cool, comfortable, soft and there are tons of cute prints.  But, they are not maternity...I just buy a size up from what I wore pre-preggo and they fit perfectly!  

      4.  My Husband My hubby has been amazing throughout the past 9 months and I don't think I could have made it at times if it wasn't for him.  He has taken care of me many times when I have been sick, put up with my crazy cravings and indecisiveness, been involved in every decision and moment, taken breastfeeding and childbirth classes (and not complained once), helped out so much around the house and stayed home with me at times when I knew he could have been out doing something fun with his friends.  He worries about me and always wants what is best for me.  My love and appreciation for him has quadrupled since I got pregnant and I can not wait to see him as a Daddy in a few weeks.  And now I am crying.......  

      5.  Social Media Friendships I have made some amazing friends thru the blogging, Instagram and Facebook world and one of the most helpful things during this pregnancy is having so many people that are pregnant at the same time to go thru it with. Through blogging I have become friends with or follow 9 others who are due within 1-2 months of me....these are girls I keep in touch with regularly and follow their blogs religiously and I am so thankful for every one of them.  There are several that are even due the same week as me and it has been so fun getting to go thru this (over the internet and thru pictures) together!   My husband makes fun of me and thinks it's a little weird I have so many "pen pals" as he calls them. haha Of course I am so thankful for my family, best friends and friends in real life too....they call to check on me regularly and answer all my millions of questions, hosted amazing showers for us and will be the best "aunts" to Connor.  God really has blessed us with some pretty awesome people in our lives :)  Love you all!     6.  Maternity Dresses & Skirts I live in maxi dresses and skirts these days.  Jeans and pants in general are too uncomfortable.  In my opinion Old Navy and GAP have the best selections for these pieces and they aren't very expensive!   

    (All photos via Old Navy website)       I am leaving out a bunch of random things that helped get me thru pregnancy but these are some of the most important and essential in my experience :) What helped you?   Happy Monday! xoxo      

Bump Update- 35 weeks!

Hi, friends!!! I have turned into the worst blogger ever...I know.  Growing a baby is hard work! ;)  Between keeping busy with house and nursery projects, feeling pretty bad most days and trying to rest a lot, blogging has taken a back seat lately.  I hope to keep posting at least once a week thru the end of my pregnancy and get back into it more once Connor arrives and we get into a little bit of a routine.

Moving on to my 35 week bump update...

(Bump at 34 weeks)

(Bump yesterday at 35 weeks)     How far along?  35 weeks, 1 day!  34 DAYS LEFT...holy cow!     How big is baby?  About the size of a large cantaloupe...19-22 inches, 5 1/2 lbs    Total weight gain/loss?  Somehow managed to lose 3 lbs in the past 2 weeks.  So, total weight gain- 11 lbs.     Maternity Clothes?  Oh yes.     Stretch Marks?  Still on my sides and boobs.  Boo.      Sleep?   Waking up every couple of hours to use the bathroom and still having to take Tylenol PM pretty much every night.          Miss anything?  I would kill for a margarita :)  This whole pregnancy I have not missed alcohol until now.  Springtime and this weather make me want to sit on a patio and drink a big ole margarita!  The thing I miss the most...not being in pain all day, every day.        Movement?  All the time! I love laying on my back or side and watching him rock n roll in my belly.           Food Cravings?  Ice, margaritas, mac & cheese, spaghetti, strawberries     Anything making you queasy or sick?  Still red meat.  I haven't eaten a steak in 9 months and only eat hamburger meat sparingly.   Have you started to show yet?  Oh yeah           Gender?   BOY!!! Connor Christopher   Labor Signs? Painful braxton hicks, intense pelvic/who-ha pain      Belly Button in or out?  Almost completely flat.   Mood?  Super emotional the past few days but still happy and in a good mood.  I have been lucky not to have crazy, raging mood swings or too many crying bouts the past 9 months but something definitely changed the past few days.  I have cried more in the past 3 days than I have in the past year combined.        Symptoms?   Acid Reflux and heartburn, nausea, aching hands, hot flashes, restless legs, hip, tailbone and pelvic bone pain, low blood pressure.....you name it.  I am a walking pregnancy book ;)        Wedding rings still on?  Still on!            Best moments of the week?  We have gotten a lot of little projects done around the house and nursery.  I am feeling much more prepared for when Connor comes!  And 3 friends gave birth to healthy babies yesterday and today!  It has been so fun going thru this pregnancy with so many people that are pregnant and due close to me and now they are all starting to go into labor.  Totally makes me jealous though :) hehe I am almost finished with my hospital bag and Connor's too!  Daddy just needs to do his.   Worst moment of the week?  I threw up in the middle of my massage yesterday morning.  That was awful and embarrassing.  I woke up yesterday feeling bad so I should have just canceled my appt but I didn't.  When the massage first started I got really hot and broke out in a sweat over my whole body.  The massage therapist noticed and immediately took the heavy blankets off me and turned a fan on my face.  Right about that time, I leaned over the edge of the table and threw up on the floor.  Ughhh.      Looking forward to? My next doc. appt on 4/22....we will have an ultrasound and my doctor will start checking me for progress!! YIPPY!!  And looking forward to finishing some projects around the house and getting some landscaping done...hopefully all before Connor arrives!   Hope y'all are having a great week! xo