35 Weeks and So Much To Do!

How far along? 35 weeks and 2 days

Total weight gain: According to the doctor’s scale, 36 lbs, which is surprising given how much cake I ate this past weekend.     

How big is baby? Dr. H. estimates close to 6 lbs (and that she will most likely weigh in the 8lb range at birth, which is a HUGE relief, and should quiet my fears of giving birth to a 20lb baby!).  The website compares her to a coconut. I’m guessing that’s a weight thing, cuz she’s also around 19-20 inches long.  That’s one big-ass coconut!

Maternity clothes? Um . . . ya. Though I’m down to the same 2 or 3 outfits cuz most of my stuff no longer fits.

Stretch marks? None so far. . . I LOVE my Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter! 

Sleep? Sleep continues to be ok. Hip pain makes it difficult to fall asleep, but once I do, I’m usually ok

(not counting the 95 times I get up to visit the bathroom or grab some honey nut cheerios).

Best moment this week? My baby shower! If I can get my hands on some of the pictures, I’ll do a post. A HUGE thank you to my mom’s friend Carolyn for arranging such a lovely afternoon. And another HUGE thank you to my mom for making sure there was a Publix cake!! So good! (And Kelly, I ate more than enough cake to cover your share!) And another HUGE thank you to Volkswagen for designing my car to work like Mary Poppins’ carpetbag. We were given so many wonderful gifts, and almost all of them fit in the back of my VW Rabbit. It was so amazing to see so many of my friends. As much as we love where we live right now, I miss those girls in the worst way! I just wish I had been able to spend more time with each of them.

How are you feeling? Well, my usually skinny feet and bony ankles are looking a little foreign to me these days, as are my hands and fingers. If you can overlook that and this awful hip pain I’ve been feeling the last couple of days, I still feel pretty good. I’m still able to waddle my way around the neighborhood, and Scout is getting better about not pulling so much. She was so used to the two of us running together, it’s been hard for her to slow it down.   

Miss anything? Laying down, sitting, getting out of the car, getting off the couch, getting off the bed and walking like a normal person.   

Movement? This little girl is such a squirm!!

Food cravings? Strawberries and vanilla frozen yogurt are big this week (topped with Magic Shell – yum-o) . . . and of course, peppermint.  

Aversions? Nothing new.    

Anything make you queasy or sick? Not this week.

Gender: IT’S A GIRL!!!

Any names picked out? We have a first and middle name ready for debut upon baby girl’s arrival. 

Labor signs? No

Belly button in or out? Still an inny…but not sure for how much longer.

Wedding rings on or off? The wedding band is still on, but I’ve had to retire the engagement ring (although today I was able to wear both thanks to the cooler weather.)

Looking forward to: Our last ultrasound in two weeks (when the doctor heard how big my brother was at birth – about 10 and a half lbs!!! – she scheduled one just to double check that Baby Tuna was not headed for a similar weight), finishing with the nursery, and the Hubs’ birthday tomorrow (we’re keeping it low key, but it’s another excuse for Publix cake!!!)

With only a month left in this phase of the adventure, it’s becoming massively overwhelming to think about how much is left to do. This could be why I can’t take a nap to save my life.

Still To Do List

 + Find a pediatrician

+ Thank you cards 

(of course they need to be purchased first)

+ Purchase items left on our registries 

(Thank God for gift cards!!)

+ Make and hang curtains in nursery 

(just waiting for the fabric to arrive)

+ Finish making the mobile and name letters

+ Put away and organize a butt-load of baby clothes 

(they’re all washed, but somehow I don’t think leaving them in a pile on the back of a chair in the living room is acceptable.)

+ DIY some maternity photos 

(This is an easy one, we just have to find the time during daylight hours)

+ Get a pedicure 

(maybe when my mom comes down in a couple of weeks)

+ Write out our birth plan

+ Get a baby book that isn’t pink 

(Why are they all either pink or blue?!)

+ Pick an outfit for Baby Tuna to come home in

+ Pack our “Go” bags

+ Get some last minute things to go in our "Go" bags

And speaking of "Go" bags, to my mommy friends out there, was there something that you brought with you to the hospital that you could never have lived without? AND . . . was there anything that you wished you had brought, but didn’t? 

34 Weeks!

How far along? 34 weeks and 2 days

Total weight gain: Probably 40 at this point.   

How big is baby? The size of a butternut squash. She’s anywhere from 5 to 5.8 lbs and about 19 inches. Baby Tuna can also recognize and react to music, which is pretty cool. I’ve noticed her reacting to strong bass for weeks now (like at the Gator game), but it’s crazy to think that if I start singing the same song to her every day, she will recognize it after she’s born.  

Maternity clothes? A lot of the maternity tops that I bought months ago are getting too short to wear now, and none of my shorts fit, which wouldn’t be a big deal, it being winter and all. But somehow the weather down here didn’t catch that memo.

Stretch marks? None so far. . . I LOVE my Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter! 

Sleep? Sleep has been ok this week. nothing to write a song about, but ok. My joints, especially my hips and knees, feel super stiff when I wake up.  

Best moment this week? The Hubs had a work party last Sunday (technically their Christmas party. . . go figure) and they had a mini shower for us, complete with cupcakes and a diaper cake, which was great since we haven’t purchased any diapers yet. At least now I know that if Baby Tuna decided to show up tomorrow, we’d be covered for a few days. Diapers are definitely on our “must get” list before she arrives. We also had dinner this week with our great friends Jason and Lara. I’ve known Jason for about 100 years, and we now live 25 minutes away from each other, but never see each other because we are slackers of our busy schedules. We had such a good time at dinner. . . we REALLY have to do it more often!

How are you feeling? Honestly, I’m ready to not be pregnant anymore, even though that means we will have a little one and that is slightly terrifying, so I much prefer she bake a little longer. I feel lucky that I feel so good this late into the adventure, but I do get super uncomfortable. Sitting for too long (like at the movies where you don’t want to get up, or on a car trip where you can’t) bothers my back and makes my toes puffy if I can’t elevate my feet. My joints also feel stiff by the end of the day, in spite of the exercise and stretching that I do every day. I also have a hard time breathing sometimes, as baby girl gets bigger and bigger.

Miss anything? I miss being able to sit comfortably for longer than 10 minutes.

Movement? I feel her moving all the time. I can tell when her head shifts to one side or the other (because the pressure changes on my poor bladder), and can feel her little butt wiggle around from time to time, too.  I felt the first “painful” movement the other morning, which wasn’t actually that painful, but it didn’t feel good either. I think she just wasn’t too pleased with the position I was laying in and wanted to let me know.

Food cravings? Well, I finally caved to the Frosty craving this week. . . and it was wonderful!!! May have to hit the drive-thru again soon. Froyo kind of fills the same craving, and I’ve also enjoyed that this week. All that calcium is good for me and the baby, though, right?! Haha!! 

You can't have a frosty without french fries to dip in. Yum-o!

I’m also loving crunchy things like ice and kettle chips. Besides that, I think I could probably eat pizza for every meal at this point, but I don’t cuz the Hubs won’t go for it. I’m trying to eat as much healthy food as possible, but the junk just sounds so much more appealing.

Aversions? Breakfast eggs (egg salad doesn’t bother me). The Hubs made some cheesy scrambled eggs the other morning, and I ate them, but immediately wished I hadn’t. They were delicious, but something about eggs is just a big turn off. Boo!     

Anything make you queasy or sick? Just eggs.

Gender: IT’S A GIRL!!!

Any names picked out? We have a first and middle name ready for debut upon baby girl’s arrival.  But don’t bother asking, because the Hubs will just tell you that her name is Shaniqua.

Labor signs? No

Belly button in or out? Still an inny, but getting flatter and flatter.   

Wedding rings on or off? Wearing my wedding band, but have had to retire my engagement ring. I’m just so afraid of it getting stuck as my fingers puff up throughout the day.  

Mood? I’m one happy and slightly freaked-out little camper.  

Looking forward to: Heading back home to Melbourne for the baby shower this weekend. I can’t wait to see all of my old friends! And, you know. . .another excuse to eat cake!!!   

33 Weeks

How far along? 33 weeks and 3 days

Total weight gain: According to the scale at the doctor, I have gained 36 lbs. It feels more like 50.  

How big is baby? The size of a durian fruit. (You’ve probably only heard of those if you have been to southeast Asia or watch a lot of Bizarre Foods, like we do. It’s pretty much the only thing that Andrew Zimmern won’t eat. It smells like feet. Apparently.) Anyhoo, Baby Tuna is about 18-19 inches long and weighs around 5 lbs. Woah!

Maternity clothes? Still looking for something cute to wear to my shower. Sweatpants are sounding better and better!

Stretch marks? None so far. . . I LOVE my Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter! 

Sleep? Some nights are better than others. My left hip has been bugging me (sciatica?) so it’s pretty difficult getting comfortable. It doesn’t help that the douchy neighbor a few doors down likes to rev up his new Harley at 7 am either.

Best moment this week? A good check up this morning at the doctor, and of course, hearing baby girl’s heartbeat always tops my list. We are also getting closer to finishing the nursery. . .the lamp we ordered came in and it's the perfect shade of yellow, the Hubs put up the bookshelves, and we finally got the rest of the knobs for her dresser. It’s becoming our favorite place in the house! There will be pictures once it’s all finished. We also installed the car seat base in the backseat of my car, which is just weird.

How are you feeling? Overall, I feel pretty good. . .considering. I’m uncomfortable a lot of the time and get worn out very easily, but there are much worse things I could be feeling at this point, so I feel pretty lucky that I can still take Scout for a walk every morning, do some pilates, even walk around the mall once and a while, even if I have to take a few breaks. Because Baby Tuna is in her head-down position, I feel pressure under my belly almost every time I stand up. I just hope it doesn't mean she will have a gigantic head. Nightmare! 

Miss anything? Energy.  

Movement? Baby Tuna is one active little fish!

Food cravings? The usual. . . Cheerios (both chocolate and honey-nut), peppermint, ice (and other crunchy things), and I could kill someone for a chocolate Frosty and Wendy’s fries.  I’ve been strong this week in resisting, but I may cave at any moment!

Aversions? Nothing new.    

Anything make you queasy or sick? Not this week.

Gender: IT’S A GIRL!!!

Any names picked out? We have a first and middle name ready for debut upon baby girl’s arrival. 

Labor signs? No

Belly button in or out? Still an inny. . . but barely hanging on to that status.

Wedding rings on or off? They still fit, but are getting tight, so I don’t wear them that often. I’m too worried that they will get stuck in this warm weather.  Maybe I’ll start wearing a ring pop instead.

Mood? I’m a happy little camper.  

Looking forward to: Our first childbirth class is tonite. I’m looking forward to it in a terrified kind of way. It makes this whole adventure feel really real.  Also looking forward to my baby shower back home next weekend.  I’m down for any excuse to eat Publix cake!!

32 Weeks

How far along? 32 weeks and 3 days

Total weight gain: Probably about 35 lbs. Not totally sure, though. And judging from the back pain (and the looks I get from strangers), it’s all in the belly.

How big is baby? The size of a honeydew (I’m guessing that’s a weight comparison, or maybe her size now that she’s all curled up and running out of room). Baby Tuna is a little more than 19 inches long and weighs 4-4.5 lbs. She has fingernails now and is working on her sleep cycles. At least one of us is well rested!

Maternity clothes? Looking for something cute to wear to my shower in a couple of weeks…although part of me would love to rock sweatpants and one of the Hubs’ t-shirts.  

Stretch marks? None so far…I LOVE my Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter! 

Sleep? Now that we are home for the next couple of weeks (which means sleeping in my own comfy bed), I’m sleeping much better. All of the travelling we did in the past few weeks was exhausting!

Best moment this week? Probably my cousin’s wedding shower.  The boys built a bonfire in my uncle’s backyard, and s’mores were involved, so it automatically hits the top of my list, but it was so great getting to spend some quality time with that side of the family.  New Year’s Eve was wonderful, too. The Hubs and I spent the afternoon and evening in our pjs, watching movies and playing Mario Kart. I’d like to say that I beat the crap out of him, but it’s been so long since we played, we were both pretty evenly matched in our suckiness. The Hubs made a yummy dinner (grilled salmon and asparagus with jasmine rice and key lime pie from Publix for dessert). Later, we flipped between Seacrest and Carson, trying our best to avoid Justin Bieber (who was annoyingly everywhere!) until the ball dropped. We toasted our sparkling apple juice at midnight and talked about what a HUGE year 2013 was going to be for our little family.

How are you feeling? I’ve officially reached the point of constant discomfort, and I know it will only get worse from here. Stand for too long and the belly feels heavy, sit for too long and the back hurts, slouch on the couch for too long and it becomes hard to breathe.  My walks with Scout are also getting shorter (and slower!) thanks to my lugging around all this extra weight in the belly. The Hubs thinks at some point I may just tip over forward thanks to this huge belly. I’m just thankful that I haven’t gained weight in my ass to balance it out!!

Miss anything? Being able to put on shoes, bend, and easily get off the couch or out of bed. Also being able to walk across the living room, which is the size of a postage stamp, without feeling winded.

Movement? All the time!!! She’s so active and sometimes it feels and looks like she’s doing push-ups in there!

Food cravings? Peppermint EVERYTHING and ice (that’s totally weird, I know!). There’s a lot of other stuff that sounds good to me, but nothing else that I’m really craving.

Aversions? Nothing new.    

Anything make you queasy or sick? Not really, but I’ve randomly gotten sick a few times recently. I wish it would stop.

Gender: IT’S A GIRL!!!

Any names picked out? We have a first name picked out, still working on the middle name.

Labor signs? No

Belly button in or out? Still an inny…but it’s really flattening out. The Hubs thinks it’s gonna pop soon.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on, but not sure how much longer they will last.

Mood?  Pretty happy most of the time, but getting a little anxious when I think of all we have left to do!

Looking forward to: Still working on the nursery, but it’s down to the details at this point: organizing the dresser and closet, hanging things on the walls, filling up the bookshelves, making and hanging curtains and a mobile… crap, that’s starting to sound like A LOT!!!!!