week 39

Baby’s size

Your baby now weighs as much as a mini watermelon. At this point, he has shed most of that white creamy substance called vernix and the fine, fur-like hair called lanugo that has covered his skin since the middle of your second trimester.

Baby's Length: 19.96 in.

Baby's Weight: 7.25 lbs.

**from parents.com

How I am feeling

I'm feeling pretty good for being almost full term.  

Just because I'm hoping this is my last post and want to remember things:  things are that are not so fun right now are putting on my pants and socks, bending over to get things (which I almost always drop again once I'm standing up so I have to bend over again), turning over in bed, standing up after sitting for awhile, standing up in the middle of the night with a full bladder, and trying to walk through random pains that shoot through my girl parts.

My hands have been really swollen the last couple days in the morning when I wake up, so much so that I can't really make a fist.  Most of the swelling goes down within an hour of waking up though.  My lower legs/feet/ankles are still super swollen.  I've now got dozens of what look like little water blisters on the top of my right foot to go along with the swelling.

My belly is pretty itchy most of the time which is new.  I've also noticed a very faint linea nigra has shown up in the last week or so.

My mind has been in a constant state of "oh my God, I'm not ready for labor" to "let's just get this over with already."  I fully intended to get an epidural so that eases my mind a little about the labor pains.

_______________________________

Instead of the other categories, I decided to write our predictions down to see how close either of us come.

My predictions

Arrival date: September 25

Time: 8:09 pm

Weight: 9lbs 2 oz

Length: 19 inches

Eye color: blue

Hair color: dark brown

Dave's predictions

Arrival date: September 27

Time: 3:33 am

Weight: 8lbs 8 oz

Length: 19 1/2 inches

Eye color: blue

Hair color: blonde

week 38

Baby’s size

Your baby is the length of a stalk of rhubarb. Connections are forming in her brain that will help her swallow and even sleep better once she's born.

Baby's Length: 19.61 in.

Baby's Weight: 6.80 lbs.

How I am feeling

Uffda.  I think I officially hit the wall Friday afternoon.  I came home from work and was just over everything.  I doesn't help that I'm getting a sinus infection or cold or something.  I had so many pains going on Saturday night that I thought we might be heading to the hospital in a few hours but eventually everything calmed down and I went to sleep.  I haven't had much for pain today other than feeling like Baby is trying to push his legs right out of my stomach and a few cervical zingers.  I'm just feeling really worn out, again because of whatever illness is trying to start.  

I'm hoping we make it through this next week before he decides to make his appearance.  Everything considered, this should be my last full week at school.

What do I miss

Not going there.

Gender

Boy

Food cravings/aversions

The acid reflux was really bad earlier this week so I've been trying to be extra cautious of what I'm eating.  

Highlights this week 

*Had another doctor appointment on Tuesday.  My blood pressure was higher (123/83, I think) but still doing ok.  The doctor checked me and I hadn't made any more progress dilating since last week.

*Knowing that it's just a matter of days until we get to meet Baby.

week 37

Baby’s size

Your baby is as long as stalk of Swiss chard. Because he's running out of room in your uterus, he mostly stretches and wiggles, instead of delivering big kicks.

Baby's Length: 19.13 in.

Baby's Weight: 6.30 lbs.

**from parents.com

How I am feeling

Oh boy. Well, I feel like I'm carrying a 10 pound baby around inside of me.  I notice that I'm really arching my back when walking, especially at the end of the day.  The tops of my feet are so swollen now that even my flip flops hurt my feet and leave marks so I'm out of shoes to wear.  I've had a lot of pressure "down there" and had so much on Friday that I was sure my water was going to break at school.  One of my co-workers told me I waddle now when walking, which I think is probably more noticeable when I'm having lots of pressure or at the end of the day.  Sleep is not the greatest and I still have acid come up when I lie on my right side (I try not to lie on that side but sometimes it's unavoidable).  Despite all of this, I feel a lot better than I thought I would at this stage.  It's really not all that bad but I'll be honest and say I'm ready for my body to go back to normal.

Mentally I'm at a tug-of-war with myself.  I'm so ready to be done and so excited to meet this little guy but I'm still pretty nervous about labor/delivery/recovery.  I'm also kind of hoping that he hangs on as close to his due date (September 24) as possible.  If we can make it that long, he won't have to start daycare until December which would save us from paying for two weeks of daycare in November when he'd only be there for one.  Obviously in the bigger picture, that's not that a big deal but it's just a thought in my mind.

What do I miss

Well, lots of things but we're so close to the end that I'm just focusing on Baby L.'s birthday.

Gender

Boy 

Food cravings/aversions

Still really trying to avoid foods that trigger my acid reflux but at this point it seems like most foods can make it flare up.  No real craving this week.

Highlights this week 

*My blood pressure is still really good.  It was 108/68 on my appointment on Tuesday.  The scale keeps creeping up though I'm guessing all the swelling isn't helping that.

*The doctor did another cervix check and found that I'm dilated to a 3.

*Being so close to the end!  It's crazy to think that at most, I probably only have 2 more of these, maybe 3, Sunday updates to write!

week 36

Baby’s size

Your baby is now the size of a canary melon, and her wrinkly suit of skin is filling out as she gets plumper.

Baby's Length: 18.66 in.

Baby's Weight: 5.78 lbs.

**from parents.com

How I am feeling

Not too bad.  My feet and ankles swelled up pretty bad all of a sudden this week so I made an appointment to see the doctor on Thursday.  

My doctor was full so I saw the CNP, who is actually the mom of one of my classmates whom I went all through school with.  She ran some tests to rule out preeclampsia and other issues and everything came back fine.  She wants me to come home at lunch time every day for an hour to put my feet up to help the swelling.  She also checked my cervix while I was there and said I was dilated to a full 2 and 75% effaced.

What do I miss

I'm just trying to keep my eye on the finish line right now.  I'm getting so excited to meet him and see what/who he looks like.  Definitely feeling ready to be done though.

Gender

Boy :o)

Food cravings/aversions

I'm just trying to stay away from anything acidic.  Even with the prescription, I've had a lot of acid lately.  I had acid come up twice last night while I was sleeping.  The second time, a bunch of it got stuck in the back of my throat.  Gross.

Highlights this week 

*Being another week closer to meeting this little guy.

*Dave installed the carseat base in my car today.

*My mom and dad came up on Saturday.  My mom has been buying clothes for quite awhile so we went through those and got them put away.  We also went to Walmart and picked up a few of the last items on our list.

week 35

Baby’s size

Your baby is the size of a honeydew melon. In preparation for birth, he is now upside down in your uterus.

Baby's Length: 18.19 in.

Baby's Weight: 5.25 lbs.

**from parents.com

How I am feeling

Earlier this week I was feeling good, just had the pelvic pain.  I went to a doctor appointment Friday afternoon and she did my first cervical check.  I've been cramping/contracting and spotting ever since.

What do I miss

I don't even know what all to write here this week.  I'm just not in a good mindset right now and my husband being a jerk (that's a very kind word considering what I'd really like to put) isn't helping that situation any.

Gender

Boy

Food cravings/aversions

nothing really this week

Highlights this week 

*My doctor appointment went well.  My blood pressure was still good (118/68). I was a little worried about  what it might read since my hands swelled up all of a sudden on Thursday and I'm not able to wear my wedding ring anymore.

*The doctor said I've dilated to about a 2. 

week 34

Baby’s size

Your baby is the size of a cantaloupe. Her bones are fully developed by now, and she's turning her head, pirouetting, and moving her body from side to side.

Baby's Length: 17.72 in.

Baby's Weight: 4.73 lbs.

**from parents.com

How I am feeling

Pretty much the same this week as last.  The maternity belt I ordered arrived Friday so I've had a couple days to try it out.  It does help relieve some of the pain in my pelvis and makes my back feel better, which I didn't even realize was hurting until I wore the belt for awhile.

What do I miss

feeling like myself....having more clothes to choose from (I did order a few shirts for school yesterday otherwise I was going to be wearing the same 5 shirts each week)

Gender

boy

Food cravings/aversions

I did have a few cravings this week that would come and go, all junk food....Fruit Loops, plain M&Ms, brownies

Highlights this week

*I got all of Baby's clothes washed and put away this week.

week 33

Baby’s size

Your baby is the size of a pineapple. Lanugo, the fine hair that covered her entire body and helped keep her warm as she developed, is starting to disappear, but there might still be patches of it on her shoulders and back.

Baby's Length: 17.20 in.

Baby's Weight: 4.23 lbs.

How I am feeling

Well, I guess I'll just say I'm feeling really pregnant.  I've had bad acid reflux, which my doctor gave me a prescription for on Friday so hopefully that will start helping soon.  The ligament pain has gotten worse.  I'm so thankful that it's just on the right side because walking is hard enough with the pain on just the one side.  I'm also thankful when the pain is on the right side and not straight down the middle of my pelvis.  I feel like the baby is squishing my pee tube {medical term ;o) }and that is super uncomfortable.  My doctor wants me to try a maternity belt to try to get the baby off my pelvis a bit.  I just need to get one ordered.  

What do I miss

I feel like a lot of things could go here right now but walking without pain definitely tops the list.

Gender

Boy :o)

Food cravings/aversions

I had a huge craving for my grandma's cut-out Christmas cookies yesterday.  I'm too lazy to make them right now though.

Highlights this week 

*Friday was a big day.  We took a tour of the birthing unit at the hospital, had another ultrasound, and a doctor appointment.

*The birthing unit is really nice and the nurses we met seemed very nice.  Being in the birthing suites peaked my anxiety a bit though.  I'm trying hard not to over think the whole labor/giving birth/recovery thing but right now that is the thought at the front of my mind most days.  I have to try hard to remember that we will finally get to meet our little guy at the end of all this this because anxiety takes over and all I can think about is what the pain will be like.

*This ultrasound was just so we could check the growth of the baby since my thyroid went crazy when I got pregnant.  He's a big guy.  His estimated weight was 5 lbs 4 oz, which is on the big side.  All his measurements were in the high 50th, 60th, or low 70th percentiles..... except for his head which measured at greater than 97th percentile.  Yikes.  His big head is what is causing the pelvis pain for me and adds to my worry about delivery.  The ultrasound tech was able to show us where baby has some hair growing on the back of his head so he may not come out a baldy. :o)

*My OB appointment went well.  My blood pressure was still good at 110/64.  I gained two pounds in the past two weeks (eek!) putting me at a 7 pound gain overall.  I have another appointment in two weeks, then we start with once a week appointments.