Baby Belly Wednesday- 35 Weeks

35 weeks pregnant today, next week I will be 9 months pregnant. Crazy! In some ways, it feels like it's been going slow, but I also can't believe we're almost there. I am full term (37 weeks) and can deliver at the hospital here on post in 2 weeks. I've known that for awhile, but there is something about saying it out loud that really makes it sink in! My due date is in 5 weeks, which seems a whole lot further away. I'm really hoping this little one decides to make an appearance sooner because I don't want to wait that long! At the absolute latest, it will be 7 weeks from now, but I'm really praying that doesn't happen.

I'm feeling alright. I've been sleeping better, although I'm still pretty tired during the day. I haven't quite gotten to the point of taking naps, but I do enjoy laying down for a bit. At night, I have to get up to go to the bathroom at least once, no matter what. And have to change positions a lot because I get uncomfortable, especially in my hips.

Thus why I would love to meet this little one sooner. And then there's the fact that I would really like to meet the little boy or girl who has been kicking me this whole time! I also find it quite amusing that I can no longer bend over to pick stuff up off the floor, unless I take a sumo wrestling stance. And putting on socks and shoes is quite the feat as well! I can't believe the belly is going to get even bigger! I have already started singing Raffi's Baby Beluga (because if I'm a whale, I would definitely be a baby beluga), ha ha.

Not much to update about the baby. Still loving pushing knees, elbows, hands and feet all over the place. Not too many kicks at all anymore, I imagine it's getting pretty cramped in there! Oh, except for when Nick rests his head on my belly- then the baby loves kicking him, ha ha. Ya, we have a busy one in there! Not a lot of development at all this week (just working on those chubby cheeks!), but the baby is the size of a honeydew melon -up to 6 lbs and as long as 22 inches.

Here are this week's belly pictures:

35 weeks! Getting to the end slowly but surely!

Close-up on the 35 week belly

Baby Belly Wednesday- 34 Weeks

I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant today, woohoo! I think I would be perfectly alright if the baby came in 3 weeks though, which will be full term. And really, that would probably work the best with Nick's school schedule. Hear that little one? I know that first pregnancies are usually on the slower side (my nephew was about a week late), so I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much. Thank goodness it's only 6 weeks until full term and 8 weeks until they would induce me (which I'd rather not experience if I have the choice).

All I know is, I am pretty tired! I've been sleeping much better now that I'm on allergy meds again and my nose isn't completely congested. Also, we are using Baby D's new humidifier & it is awesome! I'm still feeling pregnant, but just here and there. I still amazingly forget how big my belly is sometimes. Although Nick and I keep joking that I am now at dwarf planet status (like Pluto) and have a gravitational pull! I'm still having sporadic braxton-hicks contractions, but they're just annoying at this point because I know they're not real labor. I'm also definitely nesting still and getting things ready, although not intensely. This weekend, we're going to do some tweaks on the nursery (attach the changing pad to the changing table, move some stuff out of there, etc.) and put the carseat bases in the cars, woohoo! Progress!

Also exciting, my neighbor, one of the million pregnant women I know is in labor right now! Her water broke this morning and she's been in the hospital since this morning. We're taking care of their dog and just waiting to hear some progress. Her due date is obviously way before mine, but it's making things pretty real, nonetheless!

Baby D is still doing great! My midwife confirmed today that the head is down, yay! Although I pretty much figured since my trips to the bathroom are getting more frequent and I can regularly feel a foot in my ribs. My little lump (my new term of endearment, ha ha) is still moving around all the time and pushing extremities out here and there. Nick has been listening to the belly a lot more recently and said he can hear lots of water swishing around. This week, the baby is the size of a large cantaloupe- as much as 20 inches long and weighs about 5.5 pounds. Still just getting big for the most part, but here are a few interesting things this week:
- Most of the growth over the next month or so will be in weight, not height
- Weight is made up of about 15 percent fat. Was about 2 percent fat in the middle of pregnancy & will get to 30 percent at term
- Central nervous system is maturing

Here is this week's belly picture:

All gussied up at 34 weeks

We went to a reception at the house of the Commanding General of the post tonight. Nothing like a dress up event when you're 34 weeks pregnant! But it was surprisingly fun and it's amazing how much of a talking point a baby belly is. Thankfully, I was smart enough to wear flats since we were standing for about an hour. Nick got to wear his Dress Blues, but honestly, they're just not quite the same without his Stetson.

Nesting Much?

I think my nesting instinct might be kicking in a bit. What do you think?

Changing table ready with dipes, wipes, books & toys

Freshly washed blankies!

All the newborn & 0-3 month clothes organized by type of clothing (pants, onesies, etc) & sleeve length. Ya, I'm ridiculous


All the other outfits organized by size

The nursery isn't quite finished yet, but since we'll be moving in the fall, I'm not really expecting it to be all fancy until after that. At this point I'm just trying to be ready for the baby to come home since it could be as early as about 3 weeks from now, although I'm trying not to count on that. But it is definitely getting me motivated to get stuff done...when I have the energy!

Feeling Pregnant

I've actually enjoyed most of this pregnancy experience so far, definitely besides the morning sickness and all of the ridiculous symptoms, of course (although I really can't complain too much). Second trimester, I almost felt "normal", despite my ever expanding waistline.

So obviously I've "felt" pregnant before now. I mean, we're in the 8th month, I don't know how I couldn't! But lately, I guess it's been affecting me more. Don't worry, I've managed to keep a pretty good sense of humor and this is not going to be all complain-y. I'm just noticing things, like my ankles starting to swell, and a ridiculous amount of braxton-hicks contractions (apparently my body is just really excited to practice, no preterm labor here, I promise!).

It's amazing how difficult it is to roll from one side of the other with this big 'ol belly. All I'm saying is, when this baby decides to come, I think I'm going to be more than ready! I think I'll be quite motivated to quit lugging around all this extra weight too. I'm sure my back will be happy, at the very least!

I also realized today that what is Summer to the rest of the world, also known as "Spring" in Georgia, has officially begun. I thought I might have a few pairs of shorts that were always kind of loose that might fit...ya, not so much. As of yesterday, I have graduated to Nick's clothes, which is a weird concept considering he is about 8 inches taller than I am and obviously weighs more too! Quite fashionable, if I do say so myself, ha ha. Good thing an online shopping trip at Old Navy maternity is in the works!

As a result of my body being very pregnant-y lately, I decided to get myself pampered! I got some sweet spa gifts for my birthday- a prenatal massage from my parents and a pedicure from Nick. Heavenly! I still can feel like awesome, jello like effects of some good old relaxation. I think it'll be just the ticket to get me through these last 4-9 weeks!

Baby Belly Wednesday- 33 Weeks

We are approaching the end! Today is week 33 of pregnancy- the magic numbers are 4, 7 & 9- 4 weeks until full term, 7 weeks until the due date, and 9 weeks until the baby would officially be evicted from the womb. It's crazy to think that the baby could be here in as little as a month! That kind of makes my nesting instinct kick into high gear...yet I'm just going to continue to sit on the couch because I'm tired.

Still feeling alright. Definitely tired and moments of being uncomfortable. My allergies are better because my midwives told me a couple of medicines that are safe to take, yay! Otherwise, I just have times where my back hurts or it just takes a lot of effort to get out of a chair or the couch or flip over in bed. I will definitely be excited to be "normal" again once this little one decides to show up. I'm also really excited to start buying some pink or blue! As cute as the "gender-neutral" stuff is, it just doesn't quite compare to how cute all the other baby clothes are! So I'm definitely excited to find out if we've got a little boy or a little girl on our hands!

The baby is doing lots of stretching and pushing. Some kicks here and there, but way less than it used to. Now, it's more like a little foot pushing out or a knee. Pretty amusing! Baby D is now as big as a pineapple and can be as tall/long as 20 inches and as heavy as 5 pounds! Not really a whole lot going on developmentally, just getting nice and big.

Here is this week's belly picture:

33 weeks!

The lovely silhouette

Baby Belly Wednesday- 32 Weeks/8 Months

My goodness, 8 months pregnant already! So crazy! Only 5 weeks left until full term and 8 weeks until my due date, eek! It's getting more and more real every day that we're going to meet this little one soon. Obviously, sooner would be better, but I'm trying to be realistic that it could be as long as 10 more weeks too. I was 2 weeks late when I was born, after all!

I've been feeling alright. Getting more and more uncomfortable, especially at night. Also, some not so fun heartburn here and there. And I'm just tired and not used to this extra big belly. I have the urge for a nap pretty much once a day, and today was the first time in weeks I was actually able to take one! Oh, and my allergies are going NUTS, but I found out what I can safely take and will be stocking up! Some braxton-hicks contractions here and there as well. Otherwise, doing well and enjoying a little time in the pool with zumba & water aerobics when I can.

The baby got checked again today (woo, appointments every 2 weeks!) and is still doing awesome! The heartbeat is still holding steady at 153. Still lots of kicks and "parties" in my belly (where it goes crazy) and hiccups about once a day. The kicks are fun except when it kicks the placenta or my ribs, neither of which feel very good. I'm almost excited it's running out of room in there so there will be a little less force behind those little feet. The baby is as big as a honeydew melon or a large jicama. They should be between 17-19 inches long now and can weigh up to 4.5 pounds! Some developmental milestones this week:
- Eyes closed while sleeping & open while awake now
- Development of the immune system and protection from mild infections
- Should have hair or (more likely) peach fuzz

Here is this week's belly photo:

8 months pregnant! I don't feel that big until I look at the belly, ha ha

Creative Thinking

I don't know if you've heard of "pregnancy brain", but I am definitely suffering from it. Usually it is just a moment where my mind goes completely blank, usually when I'm talking. It's pretty awesome. However, recently, it has also spread to my grocery list...more than once.

Case in point: last night, I was getting ready to make dinner. I knew we were either going to have Chicken Enchiladas or Chicken Pot Pie. Well, after about two seconds, I realized we didn't have enchilada sauce. Only slightly important in making enchiladas. Whoops!

So, I baked the chicken & was getting ready to put everything together for the Chicken Pot Pie. Then, I realized I didn't get biscuits to put on top of the Chicken Pot Pie instead of crust (yes, we put biscuits on top. We've been in the South for too long). I was just about to throw in the towel (tired & hungry pregnant Courtney is not a good combination), when my super creative husband suggested we use corn muffin mix on top. I was desperate, so I obliged, not knowing exactly how it would turn out.

Oh my goodness, we are now officially making Chicken Pot Pie that way every time because it was delicious! He was definitely thinking on his toes on that one, and I am so thankful. Not only did I get a scrumptious dinner, he saved me from having a complete meltdown, since I had already severely limited our dinner options for the night.

Further proof that Nick is awesome: we were also trying to decide if we should buy a bassinet holder for our Moses basket or if we should just have Nick try to build one. It didn't happen over his long weekend, and we've just been so busy lately, we weren't sure what to do. Well, Nick got yet another brilliant idea and decided to just put the Moses basket in the bassinet part of our pack-and-play. Love it!

Trouble, our stuffed bulldog, playing the part of the baby

And, just for a little entertainment, here is how I found Trouble the other night:

Our practice baby

Did I mention I love my husband?

Baby Belly Wednesday- 31 Weeks

I can't believe I am now 31 weeks pregnant! It is really starting to go fast and I know our little one will be here in no time. I have finally gotten the chance to do some serious nesting, which has included washing and organizing everything in the nursery. I even busted out my label maker! This was some serious business. The nursery is definitely taking shape here and there. Still definitely not quite ready for a little one to arrive, but thankfully we have another 6 weeks until I'm full term, and I'm sure lots more nesting will ensue in the meantime.

I've been having a bit of pregnancy insomnia (was up yesterday morning from 5-7am for no reason), my allergies are driving me crazy and my hips are starting to ache, mostly at night. I'm not really trying to complain here, but it's definitely getting more and more uncomfortable. I know I will definitely be ready to get this baby out towards the end! We've still been pretty busy, but things are starting to slow down again, YAY! We had our last parenting class last night. It was very informative, but I'm glad it's over. I think we might do an infant CPR class or something, but otherwise, we're DONE!

Thankfully, I started doing water aerobics this week and that has definitely helped! Yoga was starting to take a toll on my arms and wrists because of the extra pregnancy weight, so a friend and I decided the pool sounded pretty good. We went to Aqua Zumba on Monday, which was really fun (gotta love a crazy Russian instructor) and water aerobics today, which was a really good workout. The baby really enjoyed it too! The funniest part was getting out of the pool at the end and feeling like I weighed a million pounds.

The baby is still doing great! I'm going to appointments every other week now, so I'll get another check-up on the little one next week. Yet again, it's just doing a lot of growing. It's apparently still the size of a head of lettuce, but could be almost 4 pounds (3.9) and 19 inches long now (last week it was 3.2 pounds and up to 18 inches long). Some developmental milestones this week:
- Arms, legs and torso starting to fill out
- Digestive system fully formed
- Running out of space- movements are mostly squirming and tapping (although I definitely still get some really good kicks!)
- Definite sleep cycles

Here is this week's belly picture:

31 weeks!

And here's a collage of pictures I made showing the belly progression from 12-30 weeks (we didn't take a 22 week picture):

Weeks 12-30. Pretty crazy how different it looks every week!