It's due date day!

Today is my due date! (and I'm writing this on Monday so fingers crossed that my sweet baby boy stopped giving me practice contractions and just came out already.)

For the past week anytime anyone asks me when I'm due I've been able to say Tuesday! and it's been great to see their reactions. One of my neighbors is also pregnant and after she asked when I was due, her friend informed her that "she's HUGE!" since she isn't due until November and our bellies are about the same size.  Every time I say Tuesday I get wide eyes and a look of shock like I should be sitting on the couch instead of running errands. Of course that's immediately followed by, "well any day now, Good luck!"

I have yet to figure out what my response will be if he goes past his due date. Will I go the negative route of "he was supposed to be here Tuesday and he's never coming out!" will I use our induction date that has yet to be scheduled? or will I get really wild and say December just to throw people off? These are the things I think about.

When we moved to Tennessee I was actually pretty nervous about the advice, questions and belly rubs I might end up getting from well intentioned southerners but surprisingly enough I've had very few. The only advice I've been given is "get an epidural" & "walk a lot." While almost all the questions came from men and they were primarily concerned with gender and due date and I have had ZERO stranger belly rubs. It's been fantastic! Maybe I just give off a don't touch me/talk to me vibe.  Whatever it is, I'm happy, I didn't want strangers touching me.

38 weeks/ I'm huge

I do not realize how huge my belly actually is until I walk past a full length mirror or see myself in pictures, like these. My belly is really sticking out! It's no wonder I have so much trouble with getting up these days.

Due date: September 16

How far along? 38 weeks

What food are you? Watermelon

Maternity clothes? It's gotten to the point where even Brenden's large t-shirts no longer fit without the bottom of my belly peeking out.  

Stretch marks? Still on my hips

Sleep:  Hit and Miss, I sleep through most of the night but from about 3am on I tend to get up every half hour to visit the facilities. 

Miss Anything? Being able to roll over. The pressure on my back has started to get really intense so anytime I roll from my right side to my left side the pain is incredible.

Exercise: Walking

Movement: Still pretty active in there with very long periods of rest. 

Food cravings: Carrots 

Labor Signs: Still just braxton hicks.  No signs of baby boy coming anytime soon. 

Belly Button in or out? Half out, but can be flat depending on how baby boy is positioned 

Happy or Moody: I was a bit in between this week with a lot of emotional moments and a lot of happy moments. 

Looking forward to: Meeting my sweet baby boy! That's all I can think about 

Best moments last week: Brenden and I are really savoring our last moments as just the two of us. This Tuesday marks 39 weeks meaning there is really only two more possible weeks of life without baby boy. So we've been spending a lot of time cuddling, holding hands, and savoring laying in bed with nothing to do.  

Pregnancy Squares

Just some of the photos I've posted on Instagram over the past 9 months. Can't believe it's already been 9 months. Here's hoping that I'm posting baby photos and not baby bump photos soon!

Full Term!

Full term!! We made it! I knew it was coming and it still snuck up on me but I am so excited to be here. Now it is safe for baby boy to come at any time and I can't wait. I've been having contractions here and there, even a few that make me think "this could be it!!" and then they stop :/ Yesterday we were walking around the grocery store and the contractions just kept coming  and I was getting so excited, then nothing. I'm just so excited to meet my baby boy and I don't want to wait possibly another three weeks.  But I know I may have to.

I should actually feel really fortunate as I am not completely miserable.  I still sleep through the night and just have a general sense of uncomfortableness.   

Due date: September 16

How far along? 37 weeks

What food are you? Watermelon

Maternity clothes? and Brenden's clothes, and no clothes and maxi dresses.

Stretch marks? yup! They finally showed up on my hips. It bothered me for about 15 minutes and then I was over it.

Sleep:  Still sleeping through the night and very thankful

Miss Anything? Been thinking about wine a lot this week 

Exercise: Walking

Movement: Well now that he's in position and his back is on my left side all of his movement is on the right.  His feet are right up in my ribs and his hands spend a fair amount of time pushing out.

Food cravings: Krispy Kreme

Labor Signs: Yes! But not true labor. =(

Belly Button in or out? Half out 

Happy or Moody: Happy!

Looking forward to: Meeting my sweet baby boy

Best moments last week: Maternity leave! Being done with work is amazing and also testing my patience. When I was working the day went SO quickly and now its molasses. MOLASSES.

Counting down

In my last post I was talking about how this is my last week of work, but now it's not.  Technically it is but they asked me to come in Monday and Tuesday to train whoever is replacing me... Which is fine as long as it's actually me training someone and not just teaching for two more days.  I'm exhausted and I just can't handle the PreK chaos anymore. 

Next week I will be full term and I'm finally feeling like I'm ready for baby boy to arrive. Very excited to meet this little boy.

The Last Week

looks like fall but it's not.

It's my last week of work! I'm mostly excited to stop working as this is the most stressful job I've ever had with the most bending ever and I am just a tad bit pregnant.  Watching me bend over has got to be a sight.  Actually I could still sort of bend until about two weeks ago when it turned into a full on squat and reach. I try to avoid bending/squatting as much as possible. But anyway, it's my last week and while I am excited, I'm also a little bit blue about it because I stayed home sick today and got a look into what my life will be like for the next 1-4 weeks.

Sitting and waiting.

Hopefully I won't be sick the entire time and I can actually get things done but I have a feeling that meeting my baby boy will be the number one thing on my mind. I really want to enjoy the dwindling time that Brenden and I have together to enjoy just the two of us but all we can ever talk about is baby boy, and meeting baby boy, and baby related things. We've got baby brain!  Perhaps we can remedy that situation this weekend.

For now, I have a sickness to overcome and four more days of work to conquer.

33 weeks/baby shower!

Due date: September 16

How far along? 33 weeks

What food are you? Durian fruit

Maternity clothes? All the time!

Stretch marks? No

Sleep:  I'm starting to sleep less and less as I wake up more and more.  

Miss Anything? Nothing in particular this week.

Exercise: I'm getting a lot of slack about not walking enough so I guess next week (or when I'm on maternity leave...)I will start walking more.

Movement: Goodness gracious he is moving a lot and has really been favoring pushing against the right side of my belly.

Food cravings: Chinese food.

Labor Signs: No.

Belly Button in or out? It's stuck just a little bit out and I don't think it'll come out anymore. 

Happy or Moody: Moody. I was just grumpy and tired this week.  It doesn't help that I'm really over working because I wake up so tired and frustrated that i have to go to work.  Though usually I come home in a good mood.

Looking forward to: Doctors Appointment (we're going every 2 weeks now!) and getting answers to all the questions that my family has asked.

Best moments last week: Baby shower of course! I had family in town which is always wonderful and we got to celebrate baby boy. He is so very loved and he isn't even here yet. 

32 weeks / sewing and sanding

Due date: September 16

How far along? 32 weeks

What food are you? Head of lettuce

Maternity clothes? This week I started wearing my maternity shirts! Up until now they still looked way too big but the other day I put one on and boom! it fit. 

Stretch marks? No

Sleep:  Okay.

Miss Anything? Goat cheese. I really miss goat cheese and I am so excited to go to the goat cheese farm after baby boy arrives.

Exercise: meh...

Movement: I had some passion fruit tea this week and surprise, surprise, tea has caffeine in it. I never drink caffeine so baby boy has never had it and he was going WILD. I didn't even finish it and yet he was rolling around and kicking, and punching for so long. He was still going about 2 hours later when I met Brenden at the doctors office.  I had Brenden put his hand on my belly and he couldn't believe it, because he just kept going and going. Crazy baby.

Food cravings: CHEESE.

Labor Signs: No.

Belly Button in or out? I don't know if it's actually going to come out.

Happy or Moody: Quite a good week.

Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery!! I keep saying this but we actually are almost done with it. 

Best moments last week: I don't know, it was a pretty good week all around.

31 weeks/ I hate this schedule

Due date: September 16

How far along? 31 weeks

What food are you? Pineapple!

Maternity clothes? All I wanted was to be comfortable this week so I took the strings out of my gym shorts and wore Brendens t-shirts.  

Stretch marks? No

Sleep:  Waking up multiple times a night to use the restroom and incredibly parched all night long.  

Miss Anything? I had to work 9-6 this week and I desperately missed working 6:30-3:30. When I work 9-6 I come home exhausted and stressed out. 

Exercise: I still think working at the daycare is great exercise.  Sitting on the floor and then getting back up, is becoming increasingly difficult and should be considered great exercise.  I do it like 50 times a day. 

Movement: Baby boy has started to sleep more. Instead of feeling him moving all day, I have to sit down and rest and then he starts going wild. 

Food cravings: Ice cream sandwiches. 

Labor Signs: No.

Belly Button in or out? Still just barely peeking out

Happy or Moody: I was in between this week.  Frustrated by work, but happy about other things.

Looking forward to: Doctors appointment! 

Best moments last week: My fur child is still loving on me all the time and this week was no exception but it was extra fun because he legitimately thinks the baby's room is his room and glares at us whenever we walk in. It's hilarious. But no worries, we've started locking him out so he knows it's off limits.

30 weeks/ big belly

Due date: September 16

How far along? 30 weeks

What food are you? Cucumber

Maternity clothes? Maternity clothes/ Brenden's clothes.  I can't even wear my t-shirts anymore because they are just way too tight. 

Stretch marks? No

Sleep:  I now wake up twice a night to use the restroom. Then at about 4am Izzy wakes up and starts scratching the wall next to my head. 

Miss Anything? Stamina/energy.  I'm so tried.

Exercise: Still doing walks when possible. 

Movement: Lots and lots, including more stretching which feels like he is pushing out my skin.

Food cravings:  Not this week.

Labor Signs: No.

Belly Button in or out? Not fully out, not fully in. Just kind of chilling on the edge. 

Happy or Moody: Moody.  I was incredibly moody this week and everything annoyed me, especially the heat. 

Looking forward to: We have another doctors appointment coming up soon and then we start going to the doctor more often meaning baby boy will be here soon!

Best moments last week: The crib is here and built and baby's room is looking more complete everyday! I love just going in and thinking about him being here. Already love him so much.

29 weeks / no water

This is my "I just got home from work and I'm exhausted" look

Due date: September 16

How far along? 29 weeks

What food are you? Acorn Squash

Maternity clothes? Wearing all maternity clothes in this photo!  

Stretch marks? No

Sleep:  My pillow cocoon now has a body pillow! Thanks Brenden. 

Miss Anything? Not being exhausted.  This third trimester is hitting me like a ton of bricks and I am tired allll the time. It's not even that I want to sleep, I just want to lay down every few hours.

Exercise: Not really happening, but I did go on walks when the weather was cooler for a few days. I would probably feel guilty about not exercising if I was gaining too much weight. However, I am very lucky and have only gained 18 of the recommended 25-35 pounds so far. One of my co-workers commented on how that is "so much" and I just laughed.  

But, I still have 11 more (possible) weeks! Lets hope I stay in the healthy range.

Movement: This baby is going to be a soccer player. I count his movements once or twice a day and he'll move ten+ times within a minute. But of course as exciting and fun as that is, on the flip side it stresses me out when I don't feel him kick for a few hours. 

Food cravings:  I have not been having any stand out cravings but I have been giving in to any of the cravings I have. :/

Labor Signs: No.

Belly Button in or out? Flat-ish.  Sticks out a bit here and there

Happy or Moody: Happy!

Looking forward to: Our crib will be arriving soon! (Thanks Grandma!) That is the last big thing for the nursery and then we are basically ready! There are a lot of little things I want to do but they don't truly matter.

Best moments last week: Our water went out! This was not really a good moment, it was actually really frustrating when the water was off for 6+ hours when it was only supposed to be off for one.  The good part was that we live near family! It was so easy for us to take Izzy, hop in the car, drive down the road and have a nice hot shower and functioning toilets.

28 weeks

Due date: September 16

How far along? 28 weeks

What food are you? Eggplant

Maternity clothes? I'm wearing a maternity dress from h&m in these photos. 

Stretch marks? No

Sleep:  Still using my pillow cocoon and still loving sleep. Struggled a bit after getting my Tdap vaccine since my arm was SO sore. But thankfully the soreness is gone and the wonderful sleep is back.

Miss Anything? no

Exercise: Negative.

Movement: Still lots of movement and really letting me know that he does not like when things are on him. Even if I put my arms on my belly he immediately starts kicking. I guess he doesn't like being squished.

Food cravings:  All about the sweets this week.  Mostly cake. I always love cake, but this week I loved it extra. 

Labor Signs: No.

Belly Button in or out? Still flat

Happy or Moody: Happy!

Looking forward to: We found the crib! and I've started printing photos and finding art to hang in baby boy's room. All of our apartment is a work in progress but his room will be done soon.  

Best moments last week: My work schedule changed from 9-6 to 6:30-3:30. I'm not sure if its permanent but I love it so much. I come home and still have time to do things, like cook/eat dinner, do laundry, be awake for a few hours. It's wonderful!! and since I only have about 2 months of work left I hope it lasts.

I'm wondering if I should cut my hair. A few months ago I was certain I would cut it and now I just don't know.  Brenden keeps joking that I should get the mom bop but if I cut my hair that short it becomes a triangle head real quick. I will probably end up just getting a trim. 

27 weeks / up close and personal

Due date: September 16

How far along? 27 weeks

What food are you? Cucumber or rutabaga 

Maternity clothes? I've found that my maternity shorts are much more comfortable if I don't use the belly band. When I have it all the way up it just makes me feel claustrophobic and it makes me sweat so much.  When I push it down it looks ridiculous but I don't even care. It's so much more comfortable.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep:  I have started sleeping in a pillow cocoon and it is amazing. Best sleep I have gotten in weeks.

Miss Anything? no

Exercise: Being outside is an exercise in itself these days. I was transferring our tomato plant to a larger pot, I could not have been outside for more than 5 minutes and I was completely drenched in sweat by the time I came in. 

Movement: It feels like he is doing somersaults in there. I love it. But I can't believe there is over two months left. He's moving so much already I don't know what its going to be like when I'm closer to my due date.

Food cravings:  Steak.  I never had a steak last week and this little boy seems to have a taste for red meat. He does not get that from his parents.

Labor Signs: No.

Belly Button in or out? It's basically a flattie.

Happy or Moody: I've been very positive this week.  After my stress migraine a couple weeks back I've been making more of an effort to relax and I think it's been working. The great sleep also helps.

Looking forward to: Dressing baby boy in all of his adorable clothes. I did all of his laundry over the weekend and I must of said precious 100 times. Everything is just so cute and I can't wait to see him in it.  

Best moments last week: The apartment is getting more and more organized every day.  It makes me so happy. While Brenden was gone I got a lot of the little stuff done that he doesn't really like to be a part of like, purchasing bath rugs, organizing all of our cabinets, and buying tons of baskets from the dollar store. And the nursery!! It's actually starting to look like a nursery with real baby size things in it and even though it freaked me out at first now I'm beyond excited. 

It's a ...

We're having a boy! I was like 98% sure that we were having a girl so when we found out it was a boy I was in total shock.  It took me a good couple days to wrap my head around the fact that I'm going to be a mom to a boy.  But both Brenden and I are incredibly excited that our baby boy will be here so soon! 

26 weeks / security guard

Due date: September 16

How far along? 26 weeks

What food are you? Lettuce

Maternity clothes?  At work I only wear maternity clothes and Brenden's t-shirts. On the weekend I'm all about maxi dresses. I wear the same two over and over again and I have no problem with that.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep:  Getting rough.  My ribs have started to hurt.

Miss Anything? Nope.

Exercise: 

Movement: Baby spends all night moving and all day sleeping.

Food cravings: Steak. 

Labor Signs: No.

Belly Button in or out? Still an innie but just barely 

Happy or Moody: Happy.  It was an overall good week even though work made me a little crazy. 

Looking forward to: I can't even narrow it down, I'm looking forward to so much. 

Best moments last week: Izzy has started this new thing where he has to know where I am at all times. If the bathroom door is closed he runs to Brenden and does his "I'm in distress" meow. If I am in the shower he pushes back the shower curtain with his nose and starts trying to climb in. Then he realizes there is water and lays between the shower and the door to protect me from intruders. He is my personal security guard these days.