37 Weeks

How far along: 37 Weeks!  Some sites (babycenter) say full term is at 39 weeks and other sites (the bump) says full term is 37 weeks. All I know is the longer baby stays in the better--so that is my plan.

 

How big is baby: Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (about the size of a bunch of Swiss chard).

This weeks development:

He's practicing some skills: inhaling, exhaling, sucking, gripping and blinking.

He's getting his first sticky poop (called meconium) ready for his first diaper.

My Body: Braxton Hicks contractions may be coming more frequently now and may last longer and be more uncomfortable. You might also notice an increase in vaginal discharge. If you see some "bloody show" (mucus tinged with a tiny amount of blood) in the toilet or in your undies, labor is probably a few days away — or less.
*Braxton Hicks are stronger this week

Really wondering what our boy will look like!!

Stretch Marks:  As I was showing my mom and sister my belly at Christmas they pointed out a stretch mark under my belly (where I cant see without a mirror) and I am pretty sure it was not there the night before.  I will be curious this week what the belly measurement will be at my appointment.
Weight gain/loss: Not sure.
Maternity clothes:  Nothing new, feeling like I am outgrowing my tops.

Best moment this week:  Celebrating Christmas with family. I am SO looking forward to next year having a little one :)
Movement:  Same, he has always been a good mover. Movements are less often but more powerful when they occur. Belly is getting lop sided for sure!!! His butt and feet are sticking out most of the time.
Miss Anything: Nothing really this week.

Food cravings: I ate everything I could at Christmas, and I couldn't stop. I don't know how I fit it all in.

Symptoms: I noticed the last few weeks that my cheeks have been red. I feel like I am warmer, pelvic discomfort, more gas,

Sleep: Getting up to go to the bathroom a lot. I try to stay in bed as long as I can but the pressure just gets to be too much.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No.
Gender: Boy

Looking forward to:  Each day, getting closer to meeting our little one.  I am getting more anxious about when labor will start and how it will start.

Care seat is installed! Just need to schedule a time to have it checked out by an inspector. New Richmond, someone does it at the Hospital. I don't like in my truck when I sit in drivers seat it is hard to reach baby.

 



 

Christmas Eve :)

 

36 Weeks / 9 Months

How Far Along: 36 Weeks / 9 Months!!! 1 month to go!



How big is baby:  Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long (about the size of a head of romaine lettuce).

 

This week's big developments:  He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered "early term." (Full-term is 39 to 40 weeks. Babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term, 41 weeks is late term, and those born after 42 are post-term.)
*It is so hard to be patient!!! I want him here NOW!!

 

My Body:  Now that your baby is taking up so much room, you may have trouble eating a normal-size meal. Smaller, more frequent meals are often easier to handle at this point. On the other hand, you may have less heartburn and have an easier time breathing when your baby starts to "drop" down into your pelvis.

Some of our / my favorite maternity pictures taken

 



Kacie Korthals

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kacie-K-Photography/349275561758607
 



 

Mandi Morgan our Doula

https://www.facebook.com/MandiMorganBirthServices?hc_location=timeline

 

 

 

Stretch Marks:  Same- the ones on each side of my hip are just a bit more pink.
Weight gain/loss: Up one  pound.
Maternity clothes:  Nothing new, but I feel like even my larges may be getting a bit short.

Best moment this week: Having our Doula come out to our house and meeting with us, it was good for Nathan to meet her. He commented on how nice she was and how he can tell she is really passionate for what she does. We also got to do some maternity photos-which was fun! I look forward to her doing our birth photos as well.
Movement:  Same, he has always been a good mover.
Miss Anything: Nothing really this week.

Food cravings: OLIVE GARDEN! Hoping Nathan and I can go this weekend as we finish up our Christmas shopping.

Symptoms: Very Tired! These next four weeks are going to be difficult. I now understand why pregnant women are SO ready to deliver (aside from wanting to meet the little peanut). Baby boy is low, which is nothing new, it is just creating more discomfort and pressure on my pelvis. Doctor said his head is "engaged" which is helpful for labor when baby is low and not floating all around. I am taking that means a shorter labor ha ha jk.  

Sleep: Pretty decent this week, probably because I am so exhausted. I go to bed pretty early, after a nice bath or shower of course.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No, my appetite is low.
Gender: Boy

Looking forward to:  CHRISTMAS!!!! I am excited to spend time with family. This will be our last Christmas just Nathan and I.

Dreams: I have not had many dreams however last night I had one. In my dream I ended up giving birth in our bathtub at home to a baby boy with dark hair.
Labor Signs:  Braxton hicks, I think a part of my mucus plug came out. Body and baby are getting ready!!

 

Finally, with the help of my Aunt Tracy, we got things hung up on the walls!!
 

 Just need rocker, a lamp and a rug. Anyone have chair recommendations???

 

35 Weeks

How Far Along: 35 Weeks--5 more left!! Time is sure going by fast!

How big is baby:  Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (about the size of a honeydew melon).

This week's big developments:  Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

My Body:  Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your other internal organs, too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and may be dealing with heartburn and other gastrointestinal distress.

Labor Scare
Thursday 12/12/13, I thought I was leaking amniotic fluid. I called OB and they wanted me to come in to get checked. I was brought to a room on the birth unit and put on a gown, gave a urine sample and they swabbed to see if I was leaking fluid.  as I was hooked up to a monitor  I heard the heartbeat get quiet and felt more pressure towards the top of my belly  (thinking he just moved his position like I have felt for the last few days). The nurse came in and said,  "I think I need to adjust the monitor". Then  she noticed I was having "practice contraction." Now I know that sensation where my entire belly gets tight is Braxton Hicks.  I thought this was just baby boy moving around / adjusting position.  I was discharged after they found I was not leaking fluid. I continued to have contractions (just pressure and tight belly) no serious pain. I was also dehydrated so I was told to drink lots of water.  After going to the grocery store, we put the waterproof mattress pad on the bed to be ready.

Stretch Marks:  Nothing new
Weight gain/loss: Same as last week.
Maternity clothes: Today I purchased some nursing bras at Motherhood Maternity.

Best moment this week: Maternity photos were taken on Tuesday! It was fun and now I cant wait to see them!!!!
Movement:  His movements are more uncomfortable, but I love feeling him anyway. I like to poke at his butt :)
Miss Anything: Just wine, I have been drinking sparkling grape juice in a wine glass to help :) I am a dork.

Food cravings: Not much of an appetite these days.

Symptoms:  Braxton Hicks have started this week.

Sleep: Tuesday night I woke up with a leg cramp at 1am, it lasted for about 20 minutes before it went away. I could not get back to sleep the rest of the night. I am more exhausted, emotional, and irritable these days, it seems worse then the first trimester!
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Gender: Boy Boy Boy

Looking forward to:  Relaxing at home this weekend, finishing up Christmas shopping, and meeting with our Doula.

34 Weeks

How Far Along: 34 Weeks / 6 left to go!

 

How big is baby:  Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (about the size of a cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long.

*At OB appointment Thursday of this week (yesterday) the belly measurement was at 32. OB asked how big I was when born (which I think I was 6 something) and thought maybe he will be a small baby / or my long torso hides him.  I feel big, because I have never been pregnant, but when comparing to others I am tiny.

This week's big developments:   His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well.

 

My Body:  By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable.
* I have been very tired, the snowy and dark weather has not been helping either.
*He is still head down, I am feeling tender on by pelvis where his head and shoulders are pressing making sitting and walking a bit more uncomfortable.

Stretch Marks:  Nothing new, not much growth this week.
Weight gain/loss: Happy that I have not gained any weight in the last two weeks :) I was really packing it on there for a while.
Maternity clothes: Got a nursing tank and some comfy active wear pants to wear now and after baby comes (fold over top).

Best moment this week: 
Movement:  He is active, especially when I lay on my right side (where his feet are) when I go to bed. I guess he doesn't like to be squished. It is fun when he really gets going, typically after I eat, because my belly dances. I think I will miss having him inside me.
Miss Anything: Wine currently.

Food cravings: I  have not had a good appetite lately, nothing sounds that great.

Symptoms: Irritability, Fatigue, lack of motivation to do much of anything. Poor Benz has not been on a walk in months :( Such a bad puppy mommy. I know why pregnant women waddle, because of the pressure going on down there. Which I have had this pressure from day one because he has always sat so low.

Sleep:  Some nights it is hard to fall asleep partly because my body is sore and partly because my to do list has been in my brain. Work has been a bit stressful which is probably why my to do list is being a bother.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Gender: Baby Boy

Looking forward to:  I keep looking at our ultrasound pictures, I am dying to see what our little guy is going to look like. I wish we could get another  ultrasound just to get another peek. I am getting more items in my hospital bag and diaper bag.  This weekend (Sunday) our Doula is coming to our house to talk about how to labor at home and to take some maternity pictures. I am hoping to get some good bare belly shots. Then on Tuesday we have a maternity photo shoot (outdoors) with https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kacie-K-Photography/349275561758607 

This weekend we are going to get the rest of the important stuff off our baby registry (breast pump, baby monitor, additional crib sheets etc) Black Friday we spent a certain amount and got a 20% coupon which is totally better then the 10% you get for the registry items.   We still need to figure out a chair / rocker for the nursery. I totally don't want to pay an arm and a leg and I am not sure exactly what I want, which is a problem. I guess I am just hoping I come across one. We also need a nice rug since it is wood floor.

Made some Danish Spritz :)

 

Getting Benz adjusted to life with baby by not letting him have free range of the back seat. He did super great! Here he is waiting for Nathan to come out of the store.