40 Weeks! Due Day ~ Happy Thanksgiving

How far along: 40 Weeks

Total weight gain: 40lbs

Maternity clothes: Yes - or some of Steve's around the house, ha!

Stretch marks: No

Sleep: not well. still hard to get comfortable and roll over. also i don't think i've mentioned before but for pretty much this entire pregnancy i've had a lot of congestion when lying down, so I sleep a  lot with my mouth open now. Ugh.

Best moment of this week: weight has finally stopped going up? 

Miss anything: sex without a huge belly.

Movement: Lots. She is getting stronger. Some kicks kind of hurt!

Food cravings: nope. I feel like appetite has increased, though. Weird - can't be much room in there!

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Have you started to show yet: yes

Gender: girl

Labor signs: just braxton hicks, as always. some with cramping.

Belly button in or out: both! depends on her position. kind of funny!

Wedding rings on or off: off :(

Happy or moody most of the time: moody. lots of tears lately.

Looking forward to: getting this party started and meeting my baby!

Exercise: A few times a week - mostly walking and dumbbells at home. About to crank it up - walking more throughout the day &/or jumping jacks!

I don't think I've mentioned I've been extra ... flirty... the last few weeks. haha! still have heart burn occasionally in the evenings. not much swelling in my feet or ankles, thank goodness, but I can't wear my engagement ring anymore. Still very clumsy and incredibly forgetful. I've been pretty grouchy and blunt, but also extra sensitive. I have to change panty-liners pretty often throughout the day and once or twice in the evening as well. To me it seems like quite a bit of discharge - if it only happened once I would swear I'd lost my mucus plug. But no "bloody show" or tinges of blood so I guess it's still there. I haven't had any cervical checks - I don't see the point and my midwife doesn't seem to care much either way. My back is getting more and more sore, sometimes lower and sometimes it's in the middle or all over.
I am getting nervous about labor and taking care of a baby. I'm glad I won't be going through it alone. :)

39 weeks

From Kyle & Courtney's wedding last weekend

How far along: 39 Weeks

Total weight gain: at my appointment Monday, about 40lbs. Steve said that was 3 pounds less than the previous week. whoops. haven't been weighing myself at home - I really don't care to know anymore exact number. I know that I'm not happy about how I look, and that's enough.

Maternity clothes: Yes

Stretch marks: No

Sleep: awake often to use the restroom, it's hard and uncomfortable to get up or roll over. I'm not getting quality sleep.

Best moment of this week: Steve got me gorgeous diamond earrings for our anniversary/Christmas :) He has been so great and understanding, and so extremely patient with how miserable I've been feeling lately. so thankful for him

Miss anything: everything. I miss everything.

Movement: Lots.

Food cravings: No

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Have you started to show yet: Yes

Gender: girl!

Labor signs: possible "lightening" - I'm really not sure, what I feel is occasional sharp pain in my crotch. It is deeper than when I feel her punch down there, and a lot lower than round ligament pain (which is also worse and pretty often the last few weeks.) Last week I woke up to contractions with pretty bad menstrual-like cramps. I drank a ton of water, sat up, took a bath, after a couple hours they stopped and I was able to go back to sleep. Mentstral-like cramps are becoming more frequent with contractions, but still not every time. I am pretty sure I haven't lost my mucus plug, but I've had a LOT more mucus-like discharge and am changing panty liners more often. 

Belly button in or out: half? sometimes it pokes out a little, sometimes it's not.

Wedding rings on or off: off

Happy or moody most of the time: Moody.

Looking forward to: 

Exercise: twice last week, so far three times this week. I feel good while doing cardio, but I feel pretty exhausted after so I'm not really sure if it's worth doing or not at this point. Also I'm not sure if I really care anymore. I'm just so tired. 

additional symptoms: occasional mild heart burn in the evening. I am tired ALL THE TIME. I lay around a lot - it's very hard to get motivated to do anything around the house. I really don't care anymore about that, either! Part of me feels bad for Steve, the other part thinks, "eh, he has more energy than I do. If he cares, he'll do something about it." ha! It's so odd - I wake up after sleeping (still up every hour or so, though) for 10 hours, eat breakfast, and then I crash. I can't wait to finish this so I can go lay down again! I have lower back pain more often now.

The nursery is done, all my check-ups have been good (which are weekly now.) Every day I wake up and am kind of pissed that I didn't go into labor through the night. I think, "damn. another day pregnant." I am thankful, but I'm tired to the point of tears over here! I've been pretty grouchy for the last week, and traveling (only a three hour drive each way, mind you) really sent me over the edge. I still feel tired just thinking about it. I hope I remember this next pregnancy - the last few weeks is NOT a time to get out and socialize. I have since decided I don't want to travel for Thanksgiving. And I don't want to see anyone. I don't want anyone to come over after the baby is here. I don't want people at the hospital, except Mom. Hopefully my mood about people visiting improves after delivery. I'll be pretty tired and sleep deprived, then, too, though - so I definitely would not count on it.

37 weeks - Term!

We met with a different midwife earlier this week because Leanna was booked by the time we tried to schedule with her (the rest of our appointments will be with her, though.) I was NOT impressed with this girl. It didn't make me feel great about the fact that Leanna may not be there to catch our girl and it could be this midwife, or another one... Between that, my arm STILL being sore from the T-Dap shot I received over two weeks ago, and writing out our birth plan I am starting to not feel great about going to a hospital. I hate that I have to write out a LIST of things I want and do not want done to me and my baby. But, I still will go when it's time for her to be born. The only reason is in case she or I need emergency care, in case something doesn't go well. All I can do is cast my cares on the Lord! It's completely out of my hands. I can stay mobile and use gravity & warm baths to my advantage, and relax - that's about it. I am so glad we hired Laura and she will advocate for us. In the moment I am just not sure what I'll think about anything, haha!

How far along: 37 Weeks

Total weight gain: I think around 35... dang halloween candy & junk food. I really thought I'd be better at eating healthy!

Maternity clothes: Yes

Stretch marks: No - I noticed in my early blogs I said yes to this. I thought I was seeing stretch marks around the sides of my hips and my breasts, but I don't think I actually have any. Which is why I think that I don't. Because stretch marks are pretty darn obvious, ha. I definitely do not on my stomach at all.

Sleep: Yes, but not great. Usually if I roll over to my right side, her feet jab into the side and really hurt - so I pretty much stick to left side only. Setting the mattress so a softer setting has helped me be more comfortable.

Best moment of this week: Prepped some freezer meals, so for at least a week we won't starve ;) haha

Miss anything: OH SO MUCH. Moving easily - I have round ligament pain what feels like every time I move. Having energy, I am tired a majority of the time. Probably more than anything else lately is being thin, though. I really feel like a freak - wish I felt beautiful, but I sure don't.

Movement: Lots.

Food cravings: Sugar. Ugh.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Have you started to show yet: Yes

Gender: GiRL <3

Labor signs: Yes, had a lot of BH Monday - we had gone to Woodward and I did a lot Saturday (spin and helping Canaan get ready for the Halloween party) so I was pretty swollen by the time we got home Sunday night. I kept my feet up all day Monday, sat around and drank a TON of water to help swelling go down. Around 4:30-ish I started getting a lot of contractions - I didn't count past 6 an hour... ha! They were short, didn't require my concentration, and didn't seem to get worse so I didn't call anyone - Laura or hospital - about it. Eventually around 11:30 I just decided to try to go to sleep (if it's the real deal, it'll wake me up, right?) and next day they were gone! So weird to me because I went to lay down after an hour or so of them starting and it didn't help at all. Anytime I got up or sat up it seemed to give me one immediately. Still often have pain in my crotch - am I dilating? Who knows.

Belly button in or out: In - sometimes it looks half out, though.

Wedding rings on or off: off

Happy or moody most of the time: I wouldn't say either. Just kind of blah & tired. I cry easily.

Looking forward to: Meeting our little girl <3

Exercise: This week I've only worked out twice. Elliptical & full body machine circuit yesterday. Today walked 2 miles & biked 2 miles, and my lower abdomen ligaments are NOT happy about it! Not sure why walking is so uncomfortable. Toms of pregnant women walk.

additional symptoms: heart burn is back - not super bad. Hopefully it doesn't get worse like a few weeks ago. Hips & back ache. Still no constipation - I thought I would have more towards the end. Nice surprise haha :) I can also eat more now, unfortunately. A couple weeks ago I felt like I didn't have room - I guess it's how she's positioned?