Week 40

week: fourty

fruit size of baby:  watermelon

cravings: lemons or anything lemon, pineapple, anything really cold - smoothies, ice cream, ice water, etc.

aversions: don't really have any aversions, but preferring to eat more bland foods lately.

weight gain: 30 pounds

exercise: making myself take longer walks one or two times a day. also walking the stairs at our building and at work.

sleep: thankfully i'm getting restful sleep still. i wake up to use the restroom or readjust, but i fall back asleep pretty quickly and wake in the am feeling rested.

belly: about to pop and full of stretch marks. it amazes me that it continues to grow. also very very itchy lately to the point of lotion not even being a relief. 

clothes: squeezing into what maternity clothes still fit over my belly for work and wearing andrew's clothes on the weekends. my bright orange tennis shoes are still the only shoes that fit me too.

movement: not quite as active lately, but i don't blame her as i'm sure it's cramped in there. she still pokes out body parts here and there and gives my ribs a kick or two.

gender: we are having a baby girl and we are both so excited to meet her!

names: we have our "hospital list" that consists of three names. we will choose her name when we meet her.

worries: having to be induced because of going way over-due. having a long, hard labor and not being able to do it naturally without drugs - mostly fear of the unknown. 

what i love: knowing that i reached our "due date" and it could be a matter of days/hours that i go into labor. we are so anxious to meet her!

what i am looking forward to: being able to bend at the waist, wear normal clothes, walk without waddling, not itch everywhere, but most of all hold little lady in our arms!

milestones: making it to 40 weeks! you can come any day now little lady!

best moment of the week: going to my appointments and making progress each week. at my 39 week appointment i was dilated 1 cm and 50% effaced. at my 40 week appointment i was dilated 3 cm and 80% effaced. We are getting close!

amusing comments from the general public: a random woman asked me when i'm due. i told her i was due yesterday. she looked at my stomach and asked if i was having twins. i told her just one as far as i'm aware. she then proceeded to tell me that there has to be something medically wrong if i only have one baby in my stomach... 

baby mama drama: thinking i'm in labor only to have my cramps and contractions stop until the next day.

Week 38

week: thirty eight

fruit size of baby:  pumpkin

cravings: lemons or anything lemon, anything really cold - chocolate milk shakes, smoothies, ice water, etc.

aversions: don't really have any aversions, but preferring to eat more bland foods lately to help with heartburn.

weight gain: 30 pounds

exercise: i've been so exhausted the last two weeks that i really haven't done much for exercise. Just one short walk a day and exercises on my yoga ball.

sleep: waking up at least 3 times a night now if not more. i usually can fall right back asleep though after adjusting. 

belly: about to pop and full of stretch marks. they aren't very dark though so hoping they will fade.

clothes: squeezing into what maternity clothes still fit over my belly (mostly having this issue with shirts) and still rapping my bright orange tennis shoes 

movement: still quite a mover! she loves to kick my right ribs at night... the pain wakes me up.

gender: we are having a baby girl and we are both so excited to meet her!

names: we now have a "hospital list" that consists of two names so far. we may or may not add anymore, but we will choose the name when we meet her.

worries: having to be induced or having a long hard labor and not being able to do it naturally without drugs - mostly fear of the unknown.

what i love: knowing she could come anytime now and knowing that we have a doula who will be there to help us cope through labor. 

what i am looking forward to: meeting our little lady and naming her! i can't wait to call her by name!

milestones: making it full term! and still being able to paint my toenails and tie my own shoes... this is a huge feat with a large belly, but i can do it!

best moment of the week: my swelling went down (thanks to my bright orange tennis shoes)! i still don't wear my wedding ring though (more out of fear that my swelling will come back and i won't be able to get it off). also, setting up a few last minute things for baby and packing her diaper bag and getting ready for the hospital.

amusing comments from the general public: random women have been coming up to me and asking when i'm due, then they proceed to tell me how their labor started and/or their birth stories. this has happened about five different times in the last couple weeks. andrew also told me that getting me out the door lately is like trying to move a hippo out of the water. i asked him if that was a fat joke and he said no you're just really slow moving lately. i laughed pretty hard at that.

baby mama drama: an angry mother of a student i was talking to on the phone at work told me to get a life. i hung up on her and instantly started crying. thank you pregnancy hormones.

Week 36

week: thirty six

fruit size of baby:  honeydew

cravings: lemons or anything lemon, and i recently got a craving back for ice cream. maybe the warmer weather?

aversions: don't really have any aversions lately

weight gain: 28 lbs

exercise: walking two times a day on my breaks at work and prenatal yoga stretches. i also do some stretches on my yoga ball. 

sleep: still sleeping pretty well. i cannot wait to sleep on my back again. my hips get so sore with my sleeping on them lately that that pain wakes me up. i roll over multiple times a night. 

belly: stretch marks are showing up around my belly button now. i look (and feel) like i am about to pop.

clothes: so thankful for this warmer weather! i no longer have to worry about a winter coat buttoning or not. i also don't have to worry about squeezing my feet in boots as they are very swollen. the only thing that fits at this point are my bright orange tennis shoes... 

movement: she sure is a mover. i saw a midwife i've never seen before at 35.5 weeks and she loved how curious our little lady was about the outside world. when they put monitors on my belly, she tried to push them off from inside my belly. the midwife loved it.

gender: we are having a baby girl and we are both so excited to meet her!

names: we have a list that we narrowed down that we will choose from when we meet her.

worries: this is probably going to sound dumb, but i am scared of puking during labor and feeling extremely miserable the entire time. not sure why. i'm praying against fear and hoping i can at least enjoy part of the labor process. i am also scared of having a big baby as andrew weighed 9lbs 12oz.

what i love: washing all her little outfits, blankets, and necessities for her arrival. it makes it that much more real!  

what i am looking forward to: meeting our little lady! it gets more and more real every week!

milestones: making it this far wearing my wedding ring. i think it is now retired until after i give birth as my hands have swelled.

best moment of the week: enjoying some lovely baby showers friends and family have thrown. i cannot even comprehend how blessed we are and how loved our little lady already is. i am so overwhelmed with thankfulness.

amusing comments from the general public: i've actually received quite a few comments in the last couple weeks where people ask when i'm due and when i tell them they say, "oh but you're so small!" i'm not sure if they're lying because i feel like i look ginormous, but regardless, it's a nice change from hearing how big i am.

baby mama drama: lately i feel like crying over everything. i'm sure it's just the hormones going crazy and the exhaustion that comes with working 40 hours a week, but i'm thankful for a caring husband that loves me so well.

Week 34

week: thirty four

fruit size of baby:  coconut

cravings: lemons, grapefruit, limes (anything citrus), blueberries, lemonade

aversions: don't really have any aversions lately

weight gain: 26.5 lbs

exercise: walking two times a day on my breaks at work and prenatal yoga stretches. stairs are getting really hard to climb without taking a break.

sleep: i've actually been sleeping really well lately. i am so exhausted by the end of the day i fall asleep and barely wake up enough to get up and use the bathroom.

belly: continuing to grow each week! three tiny stretch marks on my left side, but they are very faint. 

clothes: i can no longer zip my winter coat and the two buttons i can button are about to burst open lately. i was able to wear a non maternity top this weekend... before i was pregnant it was a longer shirt to wear with leggings. now it's just a shirt.

movement: her movements are very visible on the outside now. when she hears andrew talk she will move to the side of my belly he is on.

gender: we are having a baby girl and i can't wait to meet her and see what she looks like!

names: we have a list that we are still narrowing down.

worries: that little lady will come early. hoping she at least stays in there until Easter.

what i love: how excited drew is for her to come and imagining with him what she will look like 

what i am looking forward to: my side family/friend shower next weekend, warmer temperatures, summer when drew and i will both be off work learning what it looks like to be a family of three

milestones: passing my glucose test finally!

best moment of the week: getting our insurance figured out after a very stressful couple months of them telling us we wouldn't be able to deliver where my midwife delivers. taking maternity pictures. can't wait to get them back and share them with you all!

amusing comments from the general public: people continuing to comment on how big my belly is. a guy i work with asked me how many weeks i have left. i told him about 6. his eyes got huge and he replied, "there is no way you are going to make it that many more weeks! there's nowhere for her to go but out (as in be born) at this point!"

baby mama drama: since september we had arrangements to get a crib, glider rocker, changing table and dresser from someone only to find out they sold it two days before we had arranged to pick it up. we are now in search of those items.

Week 32

week: thirty two

fruit size of baby:  squash

cravings: lemons have been a big one this last week, blueberries, bacon

aversions: don't really have any aversions - trying to not eat sweets or things with processed sugars in them since I have my glucose test coming up again 

weight gain: 24 lbs

exercise: walking two times a day on my breaks at work and prenatal yoga stretches 

sleep: still waking up a few times each night to re-adjust. my hips get so sore from laying on my sides. still only needing the restroom one time in the night though.

belly: starting to get itchy as it continues to grow. i have a scar above my (non existent) belly button where I got a mole removed a few years ago. that scar itches so bad from my belly stretching. i officially have three tiny stretch mark on my left side, but they are very faint. 

clothes: i can no longer zip my winter coat (come on warmer weather!) my maternity shirts are starting to get shorter on me and it is way more comfortable to not wear a bra. sweatpants and tank tops are my best friend on weekends.

movement: her movements are very visible now. she loves to poke her limbs out. i shot a really cool video of my stomach moving like crazy from baby girl having a party in there.

gender: we are having a baby girl and I am enjoying every minute of making girly things for her!

names: we have a list. we are starting to more seriously talk about names and start narrowing down. my favorite has been crossed off, but so has drew's favorite.

worries: passing my third glucose test and starting to think about labor which is kind of a scary thought!

what i love: watching my belly move, imagining what baby girl will look like, and making things for her 

what i am looking forward to: baby showers, warmer temperatures, getting things ready for our little one's arrival

milestones: still being able to put my own shoes on... the struggle is getting more and more real each day

best moment of the week: capturing baby girl's movements on video. it's so cool to be able to visibly see how active she is

amusing comments from the general public: a man i work with stuck up a conversation one day while waiting for the elevator by saying, "wow you look like you're at that point where you are  just ready to be done!" i told him that some days i feel uncomfortable but don't really have many complaints yet. i told him i want her to stay in there as long as possible. he then asked when i'm due. i told him april 11th. he said, "oh wow that's still two months away!" then we continued the elevator ride in awkward silence. another comment i had was from a lady at the checkout counter at joann fabrics. she asked me when i'm due. i told her agril 11th. she replied, "oh wow that's going to be a big baby!"

baby mama drama: i went to a high school friend's wedding with my mom last weekend. i didn't dance much as i was exhausted and we were having fun watching others dance. as we were standing by the dance floor, a drunk guy came up to me and said, "you can't go to a wedding and not dance with the pregnant lady!" then proceeded to back his butt up into me... queue exit stage left!

Week 30

week: thirty

fruit size of baby:  cantaloupe 

cravings: cinnamon french toast, blueberries, grapefruit, bacon... I find a reason to put bacon on everything 

aversions: spicy things and red sauce. they give me acid reflux. 

weight gain: 21.5 lbs

exercise: back to walking two times a day on my breaks at work and prenatal yoga 

sleep: waking up a few times each night to re-adjust. some nights are better than others. 

belly: getting bigger and my stomach and bladder capacity are getting smaller. i think i have one tiny stretch mark on my left side, but i'm not really sure. my belly button is officially starting to poke out too.

clothes: maternity pants and shirts for work and sweatpants as soon as i get home.

movement: loves to move in the am, after lunch in the early afternoon, and at night after dinner. andrew loves to play with her, he'll poke my belly and she will poke back and we can feel limbs. kind of crazy!

gender: we are having a baby girl! that reality is starting to feel more real!

names: we have a list. we are starting to more seriously talk about names and start narrowing down. my favorite has been crossed off, but so has drew's favorite.

worries: i don't really have many worries. the lord has really given me a peace lately and i'm very thankful for that!

what i love: spending my free time working on projects for baby girl. 

what i am looking forward to: baby showers friends and family are throwing for baby girl, and finishing her quilt and other things i'm making for her.

milestones: still being able to paint my toenails and wax my legs and making it to 30 weeks! it blows my mind that we only have 10 weeks left!

best moment of the week: andrew playing guitar for her and feeling her completely shift to the side of my stomach that was closest to him as if she was trying to get closer. she loves music and when andrew talks to her.

amusing comments from the general public: a few people that don't know me have started statements with, "when i was that pregnant..." i must really be popping out more lately!

baby mama drama: failing my one hour glucose test, having to take the 3 hour glucose test, only to have to take the three hour one again in three weeks... third time's the charm?