Bumpdate: Week 40

Drumroll Please.........................Happy Due Date!

and there's no sign of baby :-(

Size of baby:  a small pumpkin, she is anywhere from 6-9 pounds

Total weight gain:  31#, I believe some of it is fluid weight.  I can't wear my wedding band and I've had some slight swelling in my legs and feet.

Maternity clothes:  Lets talk about this, I know I'll be stuck in maternity clothes for a bit after I give birth but I'm hoping I can get a few new non-maternity maxi dresses and make them last for the first few weeks. I'm having a bit of a crisis because I truly have very little to wear at this point, and most of my maternity wear is appropriate for late Fall or Winter.  Now that temperatures are warming up I'm going to have to get creative during the transition period.

Gender:  We have a daughter!

Nursery:  Done and it feels so good!  This is her temporary sleeping location though, a bassinet in her playard by our bed.  We also have a swing and a rock n play if she needs other accommodations.  We have two playards and we were so torn whether or not to return this one because my sister in law gave us a very cute pink, apple print one.  We decided to put this one up though only because it is lighter and a bit more narrow so I can move it between the bedroom and living room a little easier.  We plan to keep the other one though, its a little more sturdy and may be a better choice for corralling a toddler.

Sleep:  I'm sleeping okay I suppose, going to bed earlier and waking earlier.  I get up about every 2-3 hours to use the bathroom and I'm having some acid reflux at night.  My dreams are pretty vivid and I'm still having some hip, lower back pain in the mornings when I get up.

What I miss:  I miss being limber, without aches and pains.  I'm trying not to complain too much because I know in a few weeks I'll miss being pregnant.

Cravings:  Nothing really this week.  I'm still loving chocolate milk and cinnamon gum.  There is a special pasta dish that my husband makes that I love and I requested it with extra artichokes - but no die hard cravings.

Other symptoms:  Some minor swelling and hip pains.  I'm trying so hard to stay active because I've heard that it will help with labor progression but walking and moving around gives my feet such a beating.

Best Moments:  My husband and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary on Monday.  He surprised me with flowers at work and made a very special dinner that night.  I requested Hayes Barton Cafe for lunch this weekend (mostly for the dessert) and he obliged. 

Preparing for maternity leave.  My last day was Friday but I called our leave office and pushed it to Tuesday so I can finish out the month.  I'm going to make efforts to see as many patients as possible the next two days and get them charted.  Plus I think it does me good to get up and go to work in the mornings, even if I'm slow, even if I'm dressed in yoga pants, and even if my brain is mush.  

Preparing for baby.  We had our 39 week appointment on Tuesday and I really having had much progression from my 38 week appointment.  It wasn't a regular OB appointment, it was a follow up from our L&D triage visit from the previous Friday so they scheduled me for an ultrasound.  They did a few tests to make sure everything was okay, she had enough fluid, she moved 4x in 20 minutes, good growth, head down, etc.  I'm not sure what all was "tested" but they told me she scored 8 out of 8.  We have our next appointment on Wednesday and if there is still no progress we will schedule an induction.  Both R and I are hoping she will make an appearance on her own before Easter.

Odds n Ends.  I decided to get another pedicure on Friday, my tootsies were swollen and I wanted to relax and get a fresh coat of polish.  It was heavenly and a treat that I may not get again for a long time. Normally pedicures do not relax me because my feet are pretty ticklish but anything that makes a preggo feel pretty is worth it's weight in gold.  This week my husband and I also "stocked our pantry and freezer", we bought meat to freeze, he went ahead and cooked a bath of hamburger for tacos or burritos and he made three freezer meals that are ready for the slow cooker.  I made a big batch of breakfast muffins to freeze and stocked our pantry full of snacks and "easy" foods.  All this plus the meals my best friend brought to us a couple of weekends ago mean we have several meals prepped and ready for the next month.  We have also been cleaning nesting, mostly trying to keep up with laundry, dishes, and the abundance of pet hair that floats around this house. We have also finished organizing the house (except the basement but that is a chore on it's own) and are trying to keep it looking nice so we don't come home from the hospital to a disaster. 

Oh and I also re-packed our hospital bags because, why not?

Come on baby!

 6 weeks / 14 weeks / 15 weeks

 16 weeks / 17 weeks / 18 weeks

 19 weeks / 20 weeks / 21 weeks

 22 weeks / 23 weeks / 24 weeks

 25 weeks / 26 weeks / 27 weeks

 28 weeks / 29 weeks / 30 weeks

 31 weeks / 32 weeks / 33 weeks

 34 weeks / 35 weeks / 36 weeks

37 weeks / 38 weeks / 39 weeks

Our Nursery Tour...

When I planned my daughter's nursery I wanted color, I wanted pretty, and I wanted baby girl appropriate. We already had a dresser and nightstand and my husband painted them white to match the crib that was purchased by my mother in law.  He also changed out the knobs for something more modern.  I knew I wanted a nice glider/recliner and I knew I wanted to accent the room with pink and turquoise.  After months of working on it we adore the way it turned out.

As promised, here is my baby girl's nursery...

My favorite room in the house by far!

Third Trimester Favorites...

 Just a few things that got me through the last few weeks.

Reglan.  Available by prescription only but dang if it doesn't work.  It was prescribed to me for acid reflux to take 4x per day.  I only take it twice a day now but it's absolutely necessary for me.

Maidenform Bras.  I had to buy a few new bras to get me through my third trimester and after looking for a good quality bra that wasn't too expensive I chose these.  I love the fit and they're pretty.  Anything that makes a preggo feel attractive is gold.

This belt.  Because babies are heavy.

A pregnancy journal, I love this one.  I bought it the week I had a positive test so I could keep track of my thoughts each week and to keep up with my ultrasound photos.  The layout is great and I think it will make a great keepsake of this special time in my life.

Mama Bee Belly Balm.  It smells a bit like plastic but I love the consistency and it makes my skin feel so soft.  Plus it takes the itch out of my rather round tummy.

Coconut oil, can anyone tell me what this can't be used for?  It's great to prevent stretch marks, for massages, and for dry skin.

Silk PureAlmond Chocolate Milk, a cold glass of this makes for a yummy dessert.

Tarte BB cream, pregnancy glow in a tube.  I wanted a low maintenance product to use after birth so I chose to give this a go.  There isn't a lot of color but it blurs imperfections and smooths skin.

Red raspberry leaf tea, I don't care much for the flavor honestly but the benefits alone make it worth drinking.  I don't like it warm at all, probably the first tea I can say that about.  This one needs to be sweetened a bit and cold for me to drink it and even then I have to drink it fast.  I'm hoping that it helps my uterus prepare for labor and helps with healing afterward.

My final favorite is this link to a post from one of my favorite bloggers about her annual cleaning lists.  It's been important to get some chores done before the our daughter arrives.  I printed them out for some guidance to help me keep track of those important but not weekly chores.  We have been Spring cleaning for weeks and it's great to find resources like them to help you keep organized.  I'd recommend anyone check out her blog for other great ideas.

To my husband on our 2nd anniversary

Walking down the aisle after being announced husband and wife...

I hope we always stay this happy.

We don't have big plans this year, because I'm so pregnant and we didn't know if we could or should make any plans at this point.  I'm excited to spend our anniversary at home with you and if we are still pregnant this weekend I'm thrilled to make "no plans" with you so we can just relax before our life changing event.  You're my very best friend, my most favorite person, and the first priority in my life.  I love you honeypot, cheers to the next chapter (we can toast with real champagne in just a few days)!

Bumpdate: Week 39

Another tale of L&D triage woe.  I went to my 38 week appointment and mentioned that our babe had been a bit sluggish, because it was Friday the nurse practitioner wanted to make sure everything was okay before releasing me for the weekend so she hooked me up to a fetal monitor.  Everything was swell until I had a contraction and the machine tracked a distinct dip in heart rate.  Nugget's heart was beating between 130-150 bpm and briefly dropped to the low 80s.  So I earned my trip to triage and was monitored for three hours before they were satisfied that I could go home.  The doctor thinks that the baby moved away from the monitor during the contraction and the machine briefly captured my heart rate or that she moved on top of her umbilical cord and quickly moved off of it. I was worried when they talked about the possibility of induction and so grateful when they discharged us.

Size of the baby: a winter melon, there seems to be some discrepancy among my pregnancy apps at this point but she should be around 7-7.5 pounds

Total weight gain:  29 pounds

Maternity clothes:  Every dang day.

Gender:  sweet girl

Nursery:  Pictures coming soon.

Sleep:  Yes but I wake up with hip pain, lower back pain, and it takes forever for me to get out of bed and switch sleeping positions.   I actually slept on the couch one night this week because it was easier to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

What I miss:  I miss being able to move normally.  Everything kind of hurts at this point - feet, calves, back, hips.  Oh it takes me a long time to get ready in the morning and my walks with the dog have gotten shorter and shorter.

Cravings:  Banana pudding, cheeseburger, and cinnamon gum. I'm not really having "cravings" at this point it's just whatever I want to eat.  But I really can tear up some gum.

Other symptoms:  Aches, pains, all normal per the doc.  I had an awful migraine this week which I think had more to do with the weather change but it was difficult going through it with an active baby in my tummy.  Oh I have to pee a lot.

Best Moments:  Lets see, my best friend surprised me with about two weeks worth of frozen meals, in disposable containers no less.  Much appreciated and often drooled over.  We will be dipping into that stash when nugget arrives.  We also did a mega grocery haul so we have lots of snacks, paper products, and meat to freeze for easy dinners.  Oh and we finally made it to a breast feeding class on Wednesday after rescheduling twice during bad weather conditions in February.  I've already shared tale of the 38 week OB appointment, of course finding out our daughter was cleared to bake a bit longer was the very best news we could have received.  And my husband and I made it to our massage appointments today which was a fantastic treat!

Bumpdate: Week 38

38 weeks!  Sh*t is getting real over here y'all!  My husband and I are realizing that our time is limited and we are about to be willing slaves to a tiny tiny baby.  We have decided to go out like champs with a couples massage to kiss our peace and quite goodbye in style.

Size of the baby: I have two apps, one says swiss chard and the other says a baby bok choi, approx 6.5 pounds which hasn't changed since last week.

Total weight gain: Holding steady at 28 pounds

Maternity clothes:  Oh yes...

Gender:  Tiny baby girl

Nursery:  We ordered the bookcase finally!  The baskets are already organized so as soon as I can get it set up and the books/baskets on the shelves we can say done Done DONE.

Sleep: I was sleeping really well until about mid week and then THE dreams started.  Vivid, sometimes horrible, terrifying dreams.  Basically everything from a bad labor to something happening to the baby to fights between my husband and I - all nightmares, all waking me up in a panic.  I've heard that when you are preggo you can have very "real" dreams but I didn't realize that it would be quite like this.  I'm having straight night terrors and I'm hoping they stop soon because I am actually scared to go to sleep now.

What I miss:  Feeling like myself, I'm having trouble moving and getting comfortable in my own skin.  It's difficult to dress this 38 week preggo body too, I have limited options.

Cravings:  I can still tear up some chocolate milk, OJ, and ice cream.  No real cravings though, in fact most of the time I let R pick what to eat because I have no preference.  I'm still smacking some cinnamon gum though.

Other symptoms:  My belly itches, I'm reapplying my belly butter 2-3x per day.  It's hard to get up during the night, I have lots of aches and pains in my pelvis and lower back.  Every time I get up from the chair/floor/couch/bed I let out lots of grunts and groans.  I've had some mild swelling but the doctor says it's normal.

Best Moments:  So many!!!  I went for my 37 week appointment and I'm GBS negative - woot!  No antibiotics for this girl.  The tiny one is measuring a bit small but the doctor said it was nothing to worry about.

 I've been spoiled this week - my coworkers gave me a shower on Monday and we received so many cute gifts!

Then I was given flowers for Registered Dietitian Day on Wednesday:

Spoiled I tell you!  And on Friday I was given a shower at my second clinic, there was a nice spread of food in the break room but the decorations for the throw down were hidden in our conference room.

And I ended the week with a deluxe pedicure on Friday.  Ready for my close up?

We have booked a couple of massages at the end of the week and we plan to keep the appointment as long as she cooperates and bakes a little longer.  I've been working Saturdays to prepare for my leave and I still feel so behind - ready or not she is coming so the next couple of weeks we are along for the ride.

 6 weeks / 14 week pregnancy reveal / 15 weeks

 16 weeks / 17 weeks / 18 weeks

 19 weeks / 20 weeks / 21 weeks 

 22 weeks / 23 weeks / 24 weeks

 25 weeks / 26 weeks / 27 weeks

 28 weeks / 29 weeks / 30 weeks

 31 weeks / 32 weeks / 33 weeks

 34 weeks / 35 weeks / 36 weeks

37 weeks

Bumpdate: Week 37

Size of baby: A watermelon, approx 6.5 pounds. I'm feeling every last ounce.

Total weight gain:  28 pounds and I'm over keeping up with it.  I'm feel like it's moot at this point but at least I can metabolize glucose and my blood pressure is normal.

Maternity clothes:  I wore a bridesmaid dress that was not maternity in a wedding this past weekend...it was ah hem, several sizes larger than my normal AND required a magic touch from a local tailor but I squeezed into it.  I am definitely more comfortable in maternity clothes though am I'm noticing more and more than I'm living in lounge/yoga style pants.  I even wore them once to work this week.

Gender:  Bunnylove is a girl

Nursery:  We still don't have a bookcase, procrastinators!  Everything else is finished, it's taken me nearly all week to get it clean and organized from our bountiful shower last weekend.  Not a bad problem to have but it definitely was work now that I'm full term.

Sleep:  I'm napping more, not for long periods but I don't remember the last time I could stay awake during an entire movie or show easily.  It's taking me longer to get to sleep at night and I'm naturally waking up earlier in the morning.

What I miss:  Feeling normal and fitting into my clothes.  I took a small tumble this week and pulled a muscle in my back which caused me to have some difficulty walking.  I really miss how quickly I was able to get my work done before and now my days are a lot slower and less productive.

Cravings:  A strong craving for an almond joy and for a cookies and cream milkshake.  I've also been enjoying ginger ale this week.

Other symptoms:  I've had some swelling this week, not to extremes but my wedding band has been tight so a few days I left it off.  Also my legs and feet have had some swelling, I can fit into my shoes but they have been a bit tight.  I honestly didn't think I'd be able to wear my boots for the wedding on Saturday but our hairdresser had a trick to dampen some kitchen towels and freeze them to make some "ice packs" to reduce the swelling.  I kept them on for about an hour with my feet elevated and I was able to wear the boots. Thankfully another friend had let me borrow her boots in a size larger, I'm not sure I could have fit into my own. I'm having a weird feeling of my hips spreading and sometimes when I stand up it feels like a water balloon dropping.  It's really hard to describe but my doctor says it's normal for late term.

Best Moments:  Not sure if it was a "best moment" but I had an OB appointment on Thursday and we heard the heartbeat and got a clean bill of health for our check up.  She is still oriented head down and looking at my left hip with her little bottom up near my sternum .  I also had my Group B strep test but the results won't be back until next week.

Oh and my husband was out of town all week competing in the National Craft Championship and he placed third!  It was rough without him and I depended on my mom a lot this week but she moved in with me for a few days and helped me through it.  I think he had a good time on his trip even though he was super busy, I know he was thrilled to be home.

And of course my oldest friend was married on Saturday.  Normally I'd be excited and jumping out of my skin with wedding joy but not this time.  It was a mixture of hip pain, swelling, and fatigue that made it kind of difficult for me to get in the mood.  The dress was really uncomfortable so I was glad that we didn't have to put it on until half an hour before the ceremony and we left the reception as soon as the cake was cut.  I was falling asleep in my chair!  The bride was very understanding.  One thing I did enjoy was feeling fancy for a night, lately I've been all lounge wear so getting in a lacy dress, makeup and hair was a nice change.

And now that I'm officially full term, here is the changing bump over the last 37 weeks:

She's been all mine so far but soon I'll get to share this sweet joy with the world!