36 Weeks - TWO WEEKS LEFT!
I typed this on Tuesday, but I didn't publish it until after midnight...so just pretend it's Tuesday still!
How far along: 36wks 1 day - exactly 2 weeks from today!!!
Baby's size: Approximately the size of a papaya or cake (depending on the app haha) - at my 35wk appointment last week they said about 5lbs 11oz. I'm guessing right around 6lbs right now. This week they only checked for fluid, movement, heart rate, breathing, and things like that, so we didn't do any measurements. He or she is projected to be about 7lbs at birth. This kiddo has a BIG HEAD, though. Like, 79th percentile vs a little body that has been pretty consistently in the 49th or less range haha. I think our appointment next week will be the last growth scan - AND OUR LAST APPOINTMENT BEFORE BABY 😳 AHHH!
Heartbeat: 149bpm
Gender: It's a surprise!
Weight gain: Right at 25lbs
Maternity clothes: All day, every day. Except for stretchy pjs when I'm at home
Stretch Marks: I finally have a couple creeping up extending from some I had from gaining/losing weight in the past ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ I mean, it's just a tiny bit, but I still have 2 more weeks to go, and this little one is GROWING!
Belly button in or out: Still in. I'm surprised. It doesn't look like it'll pop out unless I get dramatically bigger over the next 2 weeks.
Wedding rings on or off: On. I'm actually still wearing the spacer on them from when they got too big after I lost weight. I may have to take the spacer off at some point, but I doubt it.
Sleep: Good for the most part, but I can't really sleep without benadryl because I'm so congested. I wake up hardly able to breathe most mornings from the baby squishing my lungs and my back kills me, but I don't lose sleep over it. I'm a super hard sleeper, though.
Best moments since last post: We got to see the baby again today! Starting at 32 weeks I began weekly appointments and ultrasounds instead of every 4wks. It has been nice to see the baby every week. He or she is SUPER stubborn, though, and we haven't gotten to see his or her face since 19wks aside from quick glimpses of an eye socket or the tip of their nose. We kind of got a picture at 24, but not really. That's why I haven't posted ultrasound pics in a long time. She doesn't even bother printing anything out for us anymore because you can't really see anything but the baby's tummy and spine. So frustrating! When his or her face isn't turned the wrong way or buried into my hip bone, little hands inevitably go up in front. Sigh. We're going to have our hands full. I keep trying to remind myself that we'll get to see that sweet face in person in 2 weeks.
Randy's mom and I finished the quilt and curtains for the nursery! They're so beautiful. Mother's Day was lovely, and my parents drove up to spend time with us and to help us clean a bit. I kept having to sit down because, well, I'm 9 months pregnant and TIRED. I'm still feeling awesome, though. Randy also got me the She Reads Truth study bible for Mother's Day. I'm excited! It's so beautiful. He also got me a beautiful pair of citrine earrings and a necklace to match. He's so sweet.
Randy and I also got a few new pieces of furniture for our living room today. We bought a sectional from a consignment store a few months before we got married, but it was never super comfortable to actually lay on the couch. After 5yrs it just wasn't great. We have an old couch in the living room now (we donated the others) that Randy actually got with the house, and while it is comfortable, it is ugly as sin.
I mean, seriously. We were going to have it recovered, but we decided we wanted to have something we could feel proud of and not feel the need to apologize for haha. We wound up getting a great deal on an insanely comfy couch and two recliners. Since donating the sectional, the only seating in our living room has been this 3 person couch, so we also needed something for the many guests we're expecting in and out in the coming months.
I also began taking a different kind of blood thinner in preparation for the baby! This one lasts only 12hrs vs 24hrs, so it leaves my system faster in case I go into labor early. The ones I've been on since 5wks are extremely painful. If I don't hit just the right spot (I've found a few that don't hurt as badly) it's excruciating. I was so nervous about switching because I've been on and off of the other one for 6yrs, so I knew what to expect. The new one doesn't hurt AT ALL! It's so exciting!!!
Miss anything?: Being able to get out of bed or out of chairs without sounding like a wounded or dying animal. Being able to get in bed and not have to wait at least an hour to go to sleep because I just know I'll need to use the bathroom, and going again before I sleep cuts down on middle of the night trips. Maybe being able to stand for long periods of time without my calves, ankles, and feet swelling. It hasn't been bad swelling, but enough to be uncomfortable. My shins also get this wonderful feeling like they're being snapped in half if I stand for too long. It's awesome...
Movement: Still all day, every day. I love it. They actually have never bothered having me do kick counts to make sure the baby is moving enough because it never stops! Every now and then I'll get some fairly hard kicks to my ribs -mostly the right side- but they aren't too bad. Just a little uncomfortable or startling sometimes. It's more pushing and pressure now.
Cravings: Apple pie (especially fried apple pies from Whataburger), Lindt dark chocolate with orange peel and almond slivers, regular coca-cola (I know, it's terrible...I keep my caffeine intake below the recommended levels, though), chicken & dumplins, spaghetti, hot fudge sundaes, and most sweets of any kind still.
Anything making you queasy or sick?: Not really. Sometimes I'll get a gas bubble stuck in my stomach or something that makes me a little nauseated, but once it's gone I'm fine. After throwing up for some unknown reason most of last year, I think I'm one of the only women who STOPS throwing up once pregnant, haha!
Happy or moody?: It depends on the moment or day, but mostly moody. I'm not quite as cranky as I have been, but very weepy. It's better than the irrational anger from the last few months, though, so I'll take it...and I'm sure Randy will as well! In the last month it has really hit me that we're having a baby soon. I'll suddenly think of it and my mind immediately starts rotating through excitement, anxiety, fear, feeling ready, feeling SO not ready, terror, excitement, joy, panic...all within about a minute. I then get a few happy/nervous tears in my eyes and I hyperventilate a little. More like I have to catch my breath.
Labor Signs?: Contractions have begun, but I'm pretty sure it's just Braxton Hicks. However, I have had this eerie feeling that the baby is going to come early. It's weird.
Looking forward to: Meeting our baby in exactly 2 weeks! Or possibly less, I suppose, since babies just love to be unpredictable. We have an infant CPR course Wednesday and our ridiculously long childbirth class Saturday. I'm also having lunch with two sweet friends this week. Our new furniture comes in Sunday, so we've got a busy week ahead!
Not looking forward to: The EIGHT HOUR childbirth class...
Induction and labor. The closer it gets the more afraid I am. I know it'll be fine and a bajillion women have gone through it, but it's so intimidating. I keep telling Randy how it's hard to feel calm about something guaranteed and promised to us to be painful.
Other weird symptoms: I can't think of any.
Today we took our hospital and diaper bags with us to see my doctor, just in case he sent us upstairs to L&D. It was unlikely, but it happens. That was freaky! It definitely made things more real.
I'm sitting here typing this in our beautiful nursery, with little one pressing hard into my lower ribs and pushing my belly out so far it almost feels like he or she is trying to make a break for it! I'm so thankful. Even when it's uncomfortable, it's comforting.
The other day Randy and I were discussing what we wanted for this sweet gift of new life. We want to be an example, and to lead him or her to the Lord. It sparked a deep look inward for me. The last year especially, I have been so angry with God. If you have read my last post, there's a deeper insight into why last year specifically. I blamed Him for what was happening to us -for what has happened to us these last 6 years- and I felt like we were being punished. I found myself pushing Him away rather than running into His arms because I had almost developed a phobia that depending on Him and seeking Him would lead to some kind of test or something else being taken from us. I was afraid to trust, because trust could put me in a place where I would need trust...if that makes sense. I spoke these fears to Randy and his response really struck me. He said, "All that has happened was in His plan for us. It's okay to be angry, but it's time to move on. We have faith in God, not the outcome. Whatever comes, we can trust that God is in control. Hard to see sometimes, but true. 1 Samuel 1:27-28 is my commitment to God. I think yours as well."
I know I'll still struggle with this, but I'm so thankful for a godly husband to help pull me back in and point me to the Lord. Sometimes it's so hard to see His plan and how much better it is for us through all of the thorns, but it's very evident in our story if we really look back. It's so obvious that His hand was over us, putting us in the path so much greater than our own. My health was not ready for a child when we began trying. Waiting was hard and heartbreaking, but I really have had an incredible pregnancy, and this baby is perfect and healthy in every way so far. There are so many other examples, but that one has stuck out to me lately, for obvious reasons.
There's a quote I love from this blind, 19th century pastor named George Matheson that comes to my mind every now and then-
"My God, I have never thanked Thee for my thorn. I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensation for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory."
Baby's size: Approximately the size of a papaya or cake (depending on the app haha) - at my 35wk appointment last week they said about 5lbs 11oz. I'm guessing right around 6lbs right now. This week they only checked for fluid, movement, heart rate, breathing, and things like that, so we didn't do any measurements. He or she is projected to be about 7lbs at birth. This kiddo has a BIG HEAD, though. Like, 79th percentile vs a little body that has been pretty consistently in the 49th or less range haha. I think our appointment next week will be the last growth scan - AND OUR LAST APPOINTMENT BEFORE BABY 😳 AHHH!
Heartbeat: 149bpm
Gender: It's a surprise!
Weight gain: Right at 25lbs
Maternity clothes: All day, every day. Except for stretchy pjs when I'm at home
Stretch Marks: I finally have a couple creeping up extending from some I had from gaining/losing weight in the past ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ I mean, it's just a tiny bit, but I still have 2 more weeks to go, and this little one is GROWING!
Belly button in or out: Still in. I'm surprised. It doesn't look like it'll pop out unless I get dramatically bigger over the next 2 weeks.
Wedding rings on or off: On. I'm actually still wearing the spacer on them from when they got too big after I lost weight. I may have to take the spacer off at some point, but I doubt it.
Sleep: Good for the most part, but I can't really sleep without benadryl because I'm so congested. I wake up hardly able to breathe most mornings from the baby squishing my lungs and my back kills me, but I don't lose sleep over it. I'm a super hard sleeper, though.
Best moments since last post: We got to see the baby again today! Starting at 32 weeks I began weekly appointments and ultrasounds instead of every 4wks. It has been nice to see the baby every week. He or she is SUPER stubborn, though, and we haven't gotten to see his or her face since 19wks aside from quick glimpses of an eye socket or the tip of their nose. We kind of got a picture at 24, but not really. That's why I haven't posted ultrasound pics in a long time. She doesn't even bother printing anything out for us anymore because you can't really see anything but the baby's tummy and spine. So frustrating! When his or her face isn't turned the wrong way or buried into my hip bone, little hands inevitably go up in front. Sigh. We're going to have our hands full. I keep trying to remind myself that we'll get to see that sweet face in person in 2 weeks.
Randy's mom and I finished the quilt and curtains for the nursery! They're so beautiful. Mother's Day was lovely, and my parents drove up to spend time with us and to help us clean a bit. I kept having to sit down because, well, I'm 9 months pregnant and TIRED. I'm still feeling awesome, though. Randy also got me the She Reads Truth study bible for Mother's Day. I'm excited! It's so beautiful. He also got me a beautiful pair of citrine earrings and a necklace to match. He's so sweet.Randy and I also got a few new pieces of furniture for our living room today. We bought a sectional from a consignment store a few months before we got married, but it was never super comfortable to actually lay on the couch. After 5yrs it just wasn't great. We have an old couch in the living room now (we donated the others) that Randy actually got with the house, and while it is comfortable, it is ugly as sin.
I mean, seriously. We were going to have it recovered, but we decided we wanted to have something we could feel proud of and not feel the need to apologize for haha. We wound up getting a great deal on an insanely comfy couch and two recliners. Since donating the sectional, the only seating in our living room has been this 3 person couch, so we also needed something for the many guests we're expecting in and out in the coming months.
I also began taking a different kind of blood thinner in preparation for the baby! This one lasts only 12hrs vs 24hrs, so it leaves my system faster in case I go into labor early. The ones I've been on since 5wks are extremely painful. If I don't hit just the right spot (I've found a few that don't hurt as badly) it's excruciating. I was so nervous about switching because I've been on and off of the other one for 6yrs, so I knew what to expect. The new one doesn't hurt AT ALL! It's so exciting!!!
Miss anything?: Being able to get out of bed or out of chairs without sounding like a wounded or dying animal. Being able to get in bed and not have to wait at least an hour to go to sleep because I just know I'll need to use the bathroom, and going again before I sleep cuts down on middle of the night trips. Maybe being able to stand for long periods of time without my calves, ankles, and feet swelling. It hasn't been bad swelling, but enough to be uncomfortable. My shins also get this wonderful feeling like they're being snapped in half if I stand for too long. It's awesome...
Movement: Still all day, every day. I love it. They actually have never bothered having me do kick counts to make sure the baby is moving enough because it never stops! Every now and then I'll get some fairly hard kicks to my ribs -mostly the right side- but they aren't too bad. Just a little uncomfortable or startling sometimes. It's more pushing and pressure now.
Cravings: Apple pie (especially fried apple pies from Whataburger), Lindt dark chocolate with orange peel and almond slivers, regular coca-cola (I know, it's terrible...I keep my caffeine intake below the recommended levels, though), chicken & dumplins, spaghetti, hot fudge sundaes, and most sweets of any kind still.
Anything making you queasy or sick?: Not really. Sometimes I'll get a gas bubble stuck in my stomach or something that makes me a little nauseated, but once it's gone I'm fine. After throwing up for some unknown reason most of last year, I think I'm one of the only women who STOPS throwing up once pregnant, haha!
Happy or moody?: It depends on the moment or day, but mostly moody. I'm not quite as cranky as I have been, but very weepy. It's better than the irrational anger from the last few months, though, so I'll take it...and I'm sure Randy will as well! In the last month it has really hit me that we're having a baby soon. I'll suddenly think of it and my mind immediately starts rotating through excitement, anxiety, fear, feeling ready, feeling SO not ready, terror, excitement, joy, panic...all within about a minute. I then get a few happy/nervous tears in my eyes and I hyperventilate a little. More like I have to catch my breath.
Labor Signs?: Contractions have begun, but I'm pretty sure it's just Braxton Hicks. However, I have had this eerie feeling that the baby is going to come early. It's weird.
Looking forward to: Meeting our baby in exactly 2 weeks! Or possibly less, I suppose, since babies just love to be unpredictable. We have an infant CPR course Wednesday and our ridiculously long childbirth class Saturday. I'm also having lunch with two sweet friends this week. Our new furniture comes in Sunday, so we've got a busy week ahead!
Not looking forward to: The EIGHT HOUR childbirth class...
Induction and labor. The closer it gets the more afraid I am. I know it'll be fine and a bajillion women have gone through it, but it's so intimidating. I keep telling Randy how it's hard to feel calm about something guaranteed and promised to us to be painful.
Other weird symptoms: I can't think of any.
Today we took our hospital and diaper bags with us to see my doctor, just in case he sent us upstairs to L&D. It was unlikely, but it happens. That was freaky! It definitely made things more real.
I'm sitting here typing this in our beautiful nursery, with little one pressing hard into my lower ribs and pushing my belly out so far it almost feels like he or she is trying to make a break for it! I'm so thankful. Even when it's uncomfortable, it's comforting.
The other day Randy and I were discussing what we wanted for this sweet gift of new life. We want to be an example, and to lead him or her to the Lord. It sparked a deep look inward for me. The last year especially, I have been so angry with God. If you have read my last post, there's a deeper insight into why last year specifically. I blamed Him for what was happening to us -for what has happened to us these last 6 years- and I felt like we were being punished. I found myself pushing Him away rather than running into His arms because I had almost developed a phobia that depending on Him and seeking Him would lead to some kind of test or something else being taken from us. I was afraid to trust, because trust could put me in a place where I would need trust...if that makes sense. I spoke these fears to Randy and his response really struck me. He said, "All that has happened was in His plan for us. It's okay to be angry, but it's time to move on. We have faith in God, not the outcome. Whatever comes, we can trust that God is in control. Hard to see sometimes, but true. 1 Samuel 1:27-28 is my commitment to God. I think yours as well."
I know I'll still struggle with this, but I'm so thankful for a godly husband to help pull me back in and point me to the Lord. Sometimes it's so hard to see His plan and how much better it is for us through all of the thorns, but it's very evident in our story if we really look back. It's so obvious that His hand was over us, putting us in the path so much greater than our own. My health was not ready for a child when we began trying. Waiting was hard and heartbreaking, but I really have had an incredible pregnancy, and this baby is perfect and healthy in every way so far. There are so many other examples, but that one has stuck out to me lately, for obvious reasons.
There's a quote I love from this blind, 19th century pastor named George Matheson that comes to my mind every now and then-
"My God, I have never thanked Thee for my thorn. I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensation for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory."
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