Getting closer!

After today's doctor's appointment, my cervix is 3cm dilated, still thinning out (not sure the % of effacement), and she stripped my membranes for me.  Come on, baby!

39 weeks

How far along? 39 weeks.  7 days to our estimated due date.  I am ready to be done.  Today has been the most mentally taxing day I've had so far with this pregnancy, and I think it is due to the fact the that next week is all about waiting and not knowing.  There is also the worry that this kid could decide to take his sweet time and force me to stay pregnant for another week past the due date (that thought is actually quite terrifying for me).  I want him out, Luke wants him out, our families want him out... Come on little man- let's get going!

 
Total weight gain/loss: 25.8 lbs as of Thursday last week.

Maternity clothes? Yup.  And I hear that I'll probably still live in them for a while after birth...
 
Stretch marks? Not that I can see. I hope there aren't any in hiding...

Symptoms:  Mild, inconsistent contractions.  As of Thursday, I was dilated 2cm (though these numbers can be misleading because you can walk around for weeks dilated without any real labor).  My body also seems to be clearing itself out- all sorts of bathroom trips are quite frequent.

Sleep: Sleep has been better this week.  Less middle of the night bathroom trips, and I am more comfortable being back in our regular bed.

Best moment this week: Finding out that my cervix is starting to dilate, and that the doctor said that he is welcome to arrive any time now!

Have you told family and friends: Everyone knows, and the whole world can tell.

Miss Anything? Not being on such an emotional roller coaster.  I know postpartum will be a challenge in itself with hormones and everything that comes with it, but as of right now I am struggling with waiting patiently, and I am extra sensitive to comments.  I can't wait to be back to my old, even-keeled self  
  
Movement: He still likes to shift my entire belly from one side to the other, though lately he's been preferring the left side.

Food cravings: Still nothing.  Maybe I'll get post-pregnancy cravings?

Anything making you queasy or sick:  I have to make a conscious effort to feed myself.  Most meat still sounds gross.

Have you started to show yet: Getting bigger every day!

Baby is a: BOY

Belly Button in or out? Still an innie!

Wedding rings on or off? The rings are off until after the little guy gets here.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Like I said in the "Miss Anything" category- as of today, all bets are off on whether or not I'm going to be laughing, crying, or both at the same time.

Looking forward to: Hopefully meeting Baby Lorenz this week! (otherwise my doctor's appointment on Thursday)

Finally taking advantage of the belly.

I am at the point in this pregnancy (38w5d) where I just don't care anymore!  It took me about 8.5 months before I felt comfortable to do so, but I take advantage of this belly now to get me out of doing things that I could maaaaaayyyyyyybe do, but I know will make me uncomfortable, and have been enjoying the "special" treatment I have been receiving the last few weeks.  This includes waiting 3 deep in line at Target, and then being the first person asked if I would like to move to lane 14 where a team member can help me in just a minute (heck yes I will move lanes!).  This exact scenario has played out several time in the last two weeks.

Also, since I don't give a crap anymore, I don't mind being rude to people who are going to be an inconvenience or waste my time.  Like this morning.  I was sitting on the couch with the dogs when I noticed that someone was about to walk up the sidewalk.  Usually, I do everything I can to calm the dogs down, and then I'll at least answer the door before letting the salesperson know I'm not interested.  Today, I decided that there was no way I was going to attempt to launch my 9 month pregnant butt off the couch to get Lucy and Kale to be quiet and then answer the door- that would be doing too much.  Instead, I let the dogs bark like crazy, and when the guy poked his head to look in the window, I just signaled to him that I wasn't interested, and to go away.  It was so much easier to be a curmudgeon.

Anyway... back to doing everything in my power to make this baby want to come out soon!

13 days to go!

How far along? Made it to 38 weeks!  Sometimes I feel like I'm not getting much bigger, but then I when I compare the bare belly to last week, there is definitely growth still going on!  The shape of my bump has changed a bit- it seems to be getting rounder and more outward now.

 
Total weight gain/loss: I'll find out next week.

Maternity clothes? Most days I walk around in athletic shorts and a sports bra, unless I am going somewhere that requires getting dressed.  My shirts are starting to get a little short, but they still work.
 
Stretch marks? Still no surprises.

Symptoms:  I'm starting to lose my mucus plug.  If you don't know what that is, I do NOT recommend doing a google image search.  It's gross, and it can regenerate.  While this is not necessarily a sign of impending labor, I'm just glad to see a sign of something happening. 

Sleep: I'm starting to dread bedtime.  I know that I will have difficulty falling and staying asleep.  I dread having to get up out of bed to go pee.  Half the time I trip over a dog, so that startles me, and makes me more awake, making getting back to sleep harder.  Also, the heat has not helped, so until we are out of the heatwave, I think Luke and I are going to move downstairs to sleep in the cooler part of the house.

Best moment this week: One of my closest friends had her baby on Saturday!  I got to meet and snuggle the perfect little guy today, and I am now even more impatient than ever to meet my baby.  I am so happy for her.  She struggled with PCOS, and had planned on eventually adopting a child, but then she got pregnant with her miracle baby just a couple weeks before I did!  I've been so grateful to share this experience along with her.

Have you told family and friends: Everyone knows, and the whole world can tell.

Miss Anything? Being able to bend over.
  
Movement: He definitely likes to remind me that he's there :)

Food cravings: Maybe I'll get post-pregnancy cravings?

Anything making you queasy or sick:  I'm in a phase where I don't really want to put out the effort to eat, and carbs and fruits are the things I can eat consistently. 

Have you started to show yet: Getting bigger every day!

Baby is a: BOY

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but it's pretty flat.  If I push my gut out as far as I can, I can see a little mound poke out from the belly button.

Wedding rings on or off? The rings are off until after the little guy gets here.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Still happy, but I can lose my patience pretty quickly.

Looking forward to: Doctor's appointment on Thursday.

37 weeks!

How far along? 37 weeks!  Time is starting to slow down (except when I remember that I am now down to less than 3 weeks to the due date).  Some sources say that 37 weeks is considered full-term, but the new guidelines mark 37-38 weeks as early term and 39-40 as full term (41 weeks is late term, and 42 weeks is post term).  I know if he decided to show up now, everything would be okay, so I am fine with him showing up any day now :)
 
Total weight gain/loss: As of my appointment last week, I had gained a total of 25 lbs.

Maternity clothes?  I can't let myself go clothes shopping anymore.  I gravitate toward the maternity section, and then remember that I only have 3 weeks to go, and buying more maternity clothes is not worth it... I'll make due with what I have.
 
Stretch marks? I'm still in the clear... knocking on wood though.

Symptoms:  My hips are KILLING me the last couple of days.  Also, heartburn is back.

Sleep: I'm getting up now 2-3 times per night and I am over it.  Half the time, a dog steals my side of the bed while I'm running to the bathroom, and it becomes a huge ordeal to get my covers and pillows back from Lucy or Kale.

Best moment this week: Realizing that my belly is now bigger than a bowling ball... I went bowling with a friend today, and asked her to take a picture of me holding the ball (thinking that it would be funny to see that my belly and the ball were the same size).  I looked at the picture and realized that this baby bump is bigger than the bowling ball!  The whole thing was pretty funny.  We've also enjoyed being spontaneous this past weekend.  We know that life is going to get more complicated pretty soon, so it was nice to agree to some last minute fun time with friends and family.

Have you told family and friends: Everyone knows, and the whole world can tell.

Miss Anything? Not aching all the time.  I feel like an old lady lately.
  
Movement: Still rocking and rolling around like crazy.  Though, he's gotta be running out of space in there!

Food cravings: Maybe I'll get post-pregnancy cravings?

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Still not a fan of most meats.

Have you started to show yet: Getting bigger every day!

Baby is a: BOY

Belly Button in or out? Still in

Wedding rings on or off? The rings are off until after the little guy gets here.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Still happy, but I can lose my patience pretty quickly.

Looking forward to: Our 5th wedding anniversary on Friday!

36!

This was at 35.5 weeks- I was feeling huge!

How far along? How in the world am I down to less than a month before our little guy arrives?  I'm at 36 weeks today, and provided that I go into labor by my due date, I've got 28 days or less left before we become a family of three.
 
Total weight gain/loss: Not sure this week.

Maternity clothes?  I'm glad that my maternity clothes still fit!  I wear a lot of dresses, and athletic shorts w/tank tops these days, and I am happy that I don't need to figure out appropriate outfits for work.  Since it's been so hot, I do spend a lot of time walking around the house in shorts and a sports bra (sorry neighbors...).
 
Stretch marks? I'm still in the clear... knocking on wood though.

Symptoms:  This week I get to take heartburn OFF the list, but I can add round ligament pain again. Difficulty sleeping, stiff lower back, shortness of breath, occasional light-headedness, swelling with the heat, hands and feet fall asleep easily.  How do some people get all the way to the end of their pregnancy without even knowing that they are pregnant??  Weren't they wondering what the alien-like gas pains were caused by?

Sleep: I'm starting to overheat again at night, but that might just be because it's been hot and humid the last few nights.  I still get up 1-2x per night to pee, but I can usually fall back to sleep pretty easily.  I'm also grateful that I am on summer break, so I can take naps when needed because 3rd trimester exhaustion really is taking a toll.

Best moment this week: Getting most of the nursery done.  I am just waiting on some packages to arrive from amazon this week to get the changing station all ready, but then Little Man's room should be ready for him whenever he decides to show up!  We also picked a pediatrician, so that's a load off our shoulders.

I've been storing everything that needs to go in the hospital bags in his crib for safe keeping from the puppies, so that's why you can see the diaper bag, and nursing bras through the slats.

Don't mind the mess on the dresser- this is where the changing station will be (eventually), but this was more to show the items on the wall.

Have you told family and friends: Everyone knows, and the whole world can tell.

Miss Anything? Same as last week: Not having a baby butt shoved up in my rib.  I've also started to miss wine and trying out different beers.  Luke ordered the beer I would have gotten at The Happy Gnome this past weekend, and I was jealous!  I'm looking foward to that first drink after I've got breastfeeding established.
  
Movement: The movement is getting more and more uncomfortable, and sometimes I yell at him to get out of my ribs, but I'll endure it as long as it helps me know that he's okay in there.

Food cravings: Still no craving.  Lamest pregnant lady ever.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Appetite is generally still pretty low.  I prefer to snack on fruit/popsicles and graze throughout the day, rather than eat a normal meal.

Have you started to show yet: Getting bigger every day!

Baby is a: BOY

Belly Button in or out? Still in

Wedding rings on or off? I am officially ringless.  I can still fit them over my fingers, but I worry that with the heat and humidity, there will be a day where there is no going back, and the idea of the rings being stuck freaks me out!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy (I'm glad that this answer hasn't really changed much over the last 9 months).

Looking forward to: Tomorrow's hospital tour, and my 36 week appointment on Thursday.  While I'm not looking forward to the discomfort of an internal exam, I am curious as to if I'm starting to dilate at all.