37 Weeks

Weekly Survey

How far along?: 37 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: + 36.5 pounds (My weight at the doctor's office was actually a little less than last week.)

Sleep: I have been pretty lucky until this point, but things seemed to have taken a bit of a turn. I've now had several nights where I think I only really slept three or four hours total! Boo. Miraculously, I'm still productive at the gym and at work...but I'm EXHAUSTED at the end of the day.

Best moment(s) this week: I ordered the last few things we think we need right away (e.g., waterproof pads, breast pump), and Nick's parents picked up the Pack N Play sheets for us! We also organized the nursery furniture! Sneak peek...

Movement: Feet to the ribs and lots of side-to-side wiggling! 

Symptoms: HUGE, hard belly! I constantly get comments that my belly looks like a basketball!

Maternity clothes?: Duh. Lots of tights and dresses this week!

Food cravings: Crackers!

Food aversions: Nope.

Healthy eating?: I did okay. I feel like all I want to do at work is eat. Luckily, it is all healthy...I just eat all day long!

Exercise: I got in all my cardio and weight sessions - including two BodyPump classes! I hope the one on Friday wasn't my last class!!!

Gender: Baby boy!

Labor signs: My doctor did a new pelvic exam on Wednesday, and I was 1 cm dilated. I don't know if it really counts as a "labor sign," but she said it is a good place to start!

Belly button in or out?: Flat and stretched out!

What I miss: Hmmmm. I can't think of anything. I do miss having a clean kitchen table. Does that count!?! Ha. I keep piling paperwork, coupons, etc. on it, so it hasn't been cleared off in days: (

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the baby's room and wrapping things up at work! SO close...

Weekly wisdom: Find a nursing top WAY before you need it - even if you don't buy it. I'm having a terrible time even finding any to try on! I've only found them at Target and Wal-Mart, and these stores don't have much of a selection. I ordered some bras/tanks online over the weekend, so hopefully something will work! (Anybody have a suggestion?)

Milestones: Nick installed the car seat! We have the installation inspection on Friday. One step closer to bringing the little guy home!

What I'm Smiling About This Week V. 23


- I had a great Monday! Natalie and I had time for a nice long walk, and I had a good visit with Mom, Grandpa, and Grandma at Brandon Woods.


- Nick's 31st birthday was on Tuesday. Butch and Judy took us to LongHorn Steakhouse - yummy! I had chicken, but I will DEFINITELY get a steak next time we're there!

N + L

(I look tired!)

J + B

- On Wednesday, I had El Mezcal and Orange Leaf with Emma, my former student and friend. It was great to hear about her life at KSU and to eat some delish food!


- I started washing baby clothes, and they smell so good: ) For the most part, I don't mind doing laundry - but I especially like doing baby laundry!


- Callie has been acting out here and there, but sometimes she is SO sweet. On Saturday night, Nick and I watched Columbiana, and Callie chewed on her bone at the end of our bed. She is only allowed on the bed when her special quilt is covering our bedspread. When she finished her bone, she scooted up to put her head on the baby.

- Jerod Nieder, my friend from high school, was in a bad accident - which does NOT make me smile! What does make me smile is the attitude he has about his recovery and the number of people he has rallying around him! We went to his benefit on Saturday, and there were hundreds of people there. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers! Love you, buddy!

36 Weeks

Weekly Survey

How far along?: 36 weeks

(Feel free to make fun of my outfit.

I wear this top most of every weekend and to work every other week.)

Total weight gain/loss: + 36 pounds (over the target weight-gain range...at least I'll be close, right!?!)  

Sleep: I'm waking up a lot, but I usually can go back to sleep without too much trouble. I did have some trouble a few nights ago: I was WIDE AWAKE from 2:30 until 4:30. I had some cereal, read for a while, tried to force my eyes shut...all without much luck. Luckily, I went to bed before 10 and didn't get out of bed until after 8 (it was a weekend!), so being awake for 2 hours in the middle of the night could have been much worse!

Best moment(s) this week: Spending time with family: ) Although Nick and I didn't take much time off, our families were in town for over a week. This gave us some time to visit in the evenings: )

Movement: Lots of feet to the ribs! He also shifts back-and-forth and side-to-side quite a bit. For several weeks the doctor has said that the baby is head down, so I really just feel him wiggling and pushing off of my insides - weird, I know.

Symptoms: HUGE, basketball-like belly - and frequent trips to the restroom!

Maternity clothes?: Duh. The weather has been uncharacteristically warm, so I've been wearing tights and dresses A LOT.

Food cravings: Based on my pile of recyclables...I'm still craving cottage cheese. I go through two containers/week and would definitely go through three if I bought that many!

Food aversions: Not really...

Healthy eating?: Better - but I definitely still took advantage of the holiday treats, family dinners, etc.

Exercise: Somehow I'm still exercising! I think I'm about done with BodyPump - because I'm having trouble leaning over to pick the bar up from the ground. HA! I look kind of ridiculous, but it really feels so good! Moving feels good, lifting feels good - sitting in one place all day does not! Even if I don't do BodyPump, I hope to continue to do something. I do hate that it is so cold/dark in the morning and dark before I get home from work. I'd much rather walk outside than on the treadmill!

Gender: Little dude!!

Labor signs: Nope. 

Belly button in or out?: Flat and kind of stretched out...gross.

What I miss: Hmmm. I know I've probably said this before, but I miss being able to hang out with Nick past 10 p.m. It makes me sad how short our weekend time feels when I fal asleep shortly after we start hanging out!

What I'm looking forward to: Installing the bases for the car seat! We scheduled our car seat inspections, so now we just need to get them all strapped in.

Weekly wisdom: If I did everything over again, I would finish the nursery by 30 weeks. It is exhausting to work in there now - but it looks so cute! Updated pics coming soon...

Milestones: We had our preadmission appointment at the hospital! When it is time to go, we just head that way, and they'll be waiting for us. Being in the "Family Birthing Center" and meeting with a nurse/filling out paperwork (We even filled out paperwork for how we want our names to appear in the Lawrence Journal-World!) really made things feel real!

What I'm Smiling About This Week V. 22


- Everything! Ha! I'm really having trouble with specifics because time if kind of running together. I have been feeling really happy, so I guess that is good: )


- We had a busy Christmas day! We spent Christmas morning at Nick parents' house. We ate WAY TOO MUCH for breakfast, opened presents, and had a delicious meal (made by Nick and Jenny!). We took a mini-nap on the couch, and I snapped this sweet pic of Nick with his hand on my belly...

We went to my parents' house for the afternoon. We opened presents, had some appetizers, and talked with Grandmom and Granddad. We went back to Nick's parents' house for Christmas night. We ate TONS of snacks and play Apples to Apples. Ryan can read now, so games are even more fun!


- On Monday, we spent time with my family. Aunt Diane, Uncle Paul, and Hayley came in town from Wichita, so we all went to lunch at Freddy's. We played a game and visited at Grandpa's until Nick and I had to leave to get ready for the work week.


- Lisa and Mom came over on Wednesday. We made a no-sew crib skirt with this tutorial (pics coming soon!!) and talked about some of Lisa's wedding plans! So fun: )


- On Thursday, I went to Mom and Dad's for family dinner. Nick didn't come with me because they had family dinner at their house, too! We had spaghetti - YUM - and chocolate sundaes: )


- On Friday, I went to Mom and Dad's for lunch. Mom made some terrific grilled cheese sandwiches to go with our tomato soup; ) I visited for an hour or so (and wanted to take a nap!), and then it was time to say goodbye to Lisa: ( I cried - as usual - as we said our goodbyes, and she reassured me that I will "do great" when it is time to have this baby! (Miss you, Sis! Can't wait to see you in March when I won't have to work!!!)


- On Saturday, I had lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. It was great to catch up! Then, I finished returning all of the duplicates from the baby showers and used some coupons at Penney's, Kohl's, and Target. I still need to make a list of what we're missing for the baby, but it feels so good to be done with returns! After errands, Nick and I went to his parents' house for New Year's Eve. We got rowdy (a.k.a. fell asleep on the couch!) around 9:30. I didn't see the ball drop, and I didn't get a kiss at midnight; ( I did find out that my grandpa rang in the new year at a party that didn't start until 9...and he stayed until after 1 a.m.!! Grandpa = rock star!

35 Weeks

Weekly Survey

How far along?: 35 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: + 34 pounds (one more pound until I hit the high end of recommended weight gain - yikes!) 

Sleep: Not enough - but only because it has been so busy this week!

Best moment(s) this week: Seeing the baby on Monday: ) The ultrasound pics aren't very good - especially on here because I took pictures of the pictures - but we could see him really well during the exam. The technician estimated that he was 5 pounds, 2 ounces. She looked at the placenta first, and it has moved up (which is good! That is why we had one more ultrasound!). She showed us many different angles and parts which was reassuring! We could see his profile and little lips, and we could see him swallowing. We saw his four-chamber heart, his two kidneys, his little feet and hands, his spine (which is now too big to be seen in one shot!), his brain, and...his hair! Yep, that's right, he has hair! It looks like he may have a mullet because he has long hair in the back and not much on top - ha! 

This is supposed to be his profile,

but you can't really tell: (

Movement: I can feel his feet up against the right side of my ribs most of the day. He seems to stretch and move a little bit, but I'm pretty sure he ran out of room to do the crazy twists and turns I once felt! I also feel him hiccup every other day or so, and my sisters have both felt that, too!

Symptoms: HUGE and tired!

Maternity clothes?: A MUST. The drying rack is always filled with maternity clothes as I move them through the rotation. Thank goodness for scarves and other accessories!

Stretch marks?: I don't think so.

Food cravings: Nope.

Food aversions: Nope.

Healthy eating?: Nope: ( As I anticipated, this was a rough week. I ate WAY too much and had WAY too many sweets. I'm a little scared to step on the scale later in the week when it all catches up to me!

Exercise: I was about 20 minutes short of my usual work outs - not bad for a holiday week. I got in both BodyPump sessions, so that was good. I can pretty much only walk for cardio now (because I HATE the way my belly sits on my legs when I ride the bike - ha!), so that is getting a little old. I didn't really run this week. I probably could have, but I did a couple of prenatal DVDs for a change of pace.

Gender: Still a boy: ) 

I can't tell you what any of it means, but supposedly this pic proves it! 

Labor signs: No - but I'm getting nervous. People have started asking me less about what the baby's name will be and more about whether or not I've had any contractions.

Belly button in or out?: Flat or out!

What I miss: Being able to sit comfortably for long periods of time! I'm not much of a sitter anyway, but I'm finding it increasingly more difficult to sit in one place. I end up hunching over, and I think it squishes the baby!

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing up our to-do lists!

Weekly wisdom: The holidays make pregnancy FLY by! I can't believe we have about a month to go!!!

Milestones: I'm now far enough along that I can deliver at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. If babies in Lawrence want to come too early, the mom is sent to a hospital with a NICU. As long as things go well, we'll be at LMH.

What I'm Smiling About This Week V. 21

- I had dinner with Mom and the sisters on Tuesday, and then we sorted baby clothes at my house. It was fun to visit and to show them all of his cute stuff: )

- I took the day off on Friday to hang out with Mom and the sisters! We went ALL OVER Kansas City. We spent some time on the Plaza and then we went to the One Nineteen shopping center. It was a little chilly, but we had a good time: )

Mom and Me

The Sisters

Ha!

Worn out!

- Nick and I spent Christmas Eve at my parents' house. We had some yummy lasagna, homemade caesar salad, eggplant parmesan, bread, and pumpkin pie - YUMMY!

L and L

Mom and Grandpa looking up his favorite book from childhood - 
Peter and Anneli's Journey to the Moon

Parents-to-be!

- I wanted to give Dad his gift from Baby A on Christmas Eve, and Dad said he had a gift for Baby A, too. He went to get it...and the package looked similar to the package I had for him. We opened them up, and they were the same - copies of Mr. Pine's Mixed-Up Signs! A few weeks ago, Dad told me about his favorite book (this one!), and apparently we had the same thought. I wanted to surprise him so that he'd have a copy at his house to read to the baby. Well...he wanted the baby to have his own copy! Now there will be a copy at each house - perfect! - and a great story: ) Thanks, Dad!

34 Weeks

Weekly Survey

How far along?: 34 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: + 33 pounds

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty well! I wake up a lot to go to the restroom, but I'm still falling asleep without too much trouble. I think I've been pretty lucky in the sleep department!

Best moment(s) this week: We had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday. The doctor said I'm measuring just right and that the baby's heartbeat sounds good, too! Also, Lisa is home for the holidays - woooooo woooooo!

Movement: Yes! The movement now is almost jarring - no more little kicks and wiggles! The movements I feel are more like he is squished in there without much room to move around. Sometimes there will be a hard spot where I think there must be a little hand or foot. When I press on it a little bit, the hand/foot moves away! He also moves a lot when I slouch. I think I'm squishing him, and he's trying to let me know!!! 

Symptoms: I.AM.HUGE. I feel like my belly is multiplying in size. I'm still pretty comfortable, but I'm finding it harder and harder to do normal things like get off the couch, get out of bed, reach the bottom shelf of the fridge, etc. I guess I just can't bend at the waist (what waist!?!) anymore. It is kind of a amazing to be WAY over the most I have ever weighed...and know that I could grow for another 6+ weeks with baby growing 1/2 a pound or so a week!?! Mix in the holidays, and HUGE may have a new definition!

Maternity clothes?: Normal clothes are not really an option! As you can see in my photo from this week, I have been rocking my Old Navy top a lot! Nick told me he really likes the color on me, so that makes me feel good at least: ) 

Stretch marks?: Not that I can see - ha! I wouldn't be surprised if there are some on my belly already or if I get some on my sides in the next few weeks!

Food cravings: Not really...

Food aversions: Not at all...

Healthy eating?: Healthy eating is definitely getting harder and harder with the holidays! It seems like there are more and more treats at work, and I have a hard time resisting! Before I getting pregnant, I could easily skip the treats, but I think my willpower is lower now because I already weigh so much. That's bad, isn't it!?! This week will be rough as well: Monday - work holiday party, Tuesday - lunch meeting (I might bring my own food!), Thursday - reading team lunch at Free State; Lisa's wedding shower for dinner; Saturday - Christmas Eve; Sunday - Christmas!! I'll have to make sure I pack a lot of healthy snacks to much on throughout the day and try to make good choices at all the gatherings!

Exercise: I got in all of my normal workouts, and I'm still feeling good! This week I had many comments from people at the gym. People have been so supportive, and it has been so motivating to have people tell me that I inspire them or that I look like I must be feeling well: ) 

Gender: BOY - I hope he is still a boy because we sure do have a lot of "boy" clothes and toys these days!

Labor signs: No: )

Belly button in or out?: Flat and stretched - SO weird.

What I miss: Having energy! I do feel pretty well, but I'm EXHAUSTED at night again. I'm hoping the baby will wait at least a couple of weeks after Christmas before making his appearance so that I have some time to  get some non-holiday-related things done after the work day!

What I'm looking forward to: We have an ultrasound on Monday morning!! I hope the little guy is doing okay in there!! 

Weekly wisdom: Exercise! I'm confident that exercising during my pregnancy has helped me feel so good. I'm worried about these busy days around the holidays because I know that sleep is more important than making sure I get all of my workouts in. We'll see...

Milestones: I think I have felt him hiccuping a few times this week! I've always heard that pregnant women can feel their babies hicupping, but I didn't know what to expect. Such a weird feeling!

What I'm Smiling About This Week V. 20

- Natalie and I got in 2 runs this week! We met Sunday and Thursday for an hour on the treadmill. I still ran a little bit both days, but I'm only running at 5.8 for a few minutes at a time. I spend most of the time walking at 3.8. SO good to chat with a good friend: )


- After missing my visit to Brandon Woods last week, I was happy to make it this week! Mom joined me, and we had a nice visit with G and G!


- I'm managing to keep my head above water - barely - at work. I'm trying to make progress without stressing out too much. I'm determined to get some big tasks done before the end of the year and to have my maternity plans in much better shape. They have been done for months, but they lack specificity. Since I'm getting closer to my due date, I think I need to be a little more specific!


- Krista had a scary day at work - involving a fireball a few feet away from her - and I'm VERY thankful that she is okay!!! "Ozzy" needs his Auntie Krista!


- Nick = amazing; )


- We are stocking the fridge with some frozen entrees again. We have taco chicken chili, pizza casserole, pulled pork, and pot roast right now. They're not the healthiest meals ever, but it is nice to have some delicious meals ready to go!


- I finished the thank you notes for one of my showers!

32 and 33 Weeks

Weekly Survey

How far along?: 33 weeks - but this post will talk about weeks 32 and 33 because I'm so far behind!

32 weeks, 1 day - Sunday 12/4

33 Weeks - Saturday 12/10

Total weight gain/loss: + 31 pounds

Sleep: I've actually been sleeping pretty well! I'm trying to drink more water during the day and less right before bed. I think it is working pretty well so far. I did have some weird dreams - including one where I was babysitting John and Kate's eight kids! Let's just say it was more of a nightmare than a dream; )

Best moment(s) this week (and last week): I have several...1) Nick has been able to feel the baby move A LOT! Now that the baby seems to move on more of a regular schedule, it is easier for Nick to feel him. 2) Nick finished the touchups in the nursery! Getting closer... 3) We got a new car!

Movement: I'm pretty sure I'm to the point in my pregnancy where I can tell that little feet are pushing on me! I laugh at night when he seems to move around to find a comfortable spot, and I laugh during the day when my belly shifts from left to right while I'm at work. If I were to imagine what it feels like to have a baby inside, the feelings I have now are EXACTLY what I would imagine!

Symptoms: My tummy (a.k.a. uterus!) is growing higher and higher! I have trouble breathing when I leave over, and I frequently lift my belly up or push my belly down if the baby is in a strange position.

Maternity clothes?: All the time - except for at the gym! I look pretty HUGE at the gym. I try to make myself feel better by reminding myself that I am at the gym, so that is good: ) I only have one pair of capris that really fit, so I wear them when I lift weights. The rest of the time I just look silly in shorts and Nick's big t-shirts!

Stretch marks?: Nope.

Food cravings: Hmmm. Not really!

Food aversions: Apples: ( I wouldn't say it is truly an aversion to apples, but I keep buying them and not eating them because they never sound good. Nick just received a holiday fruit basket from work. The apples look pretty good, so I may make some pumpkin pie dip and eat some of them!

Healthy eating?: Yes! I was WAY TOO BUSY to track my food this week, but I did track it last week. I do think that keeping busy at work keeps me from snacking too much!

Exercise: I'm still sticking with it! My original plan was to try to exercise until at least 34 weeks, and it looks like I should have no problem doing that as long as things continue as they have been. I really feel so much better on the days that I do exercise, and I'm convinced that I don't have a lot of the usual aches and pains of pregnancy because I've continued to move, lift, and run. This week I lowered my back and shoulder weights a little bit at BodyPump, but I've been able to continue everything else at my normal weight so far. If I'm still at it at 36 weeks, I'll probably drop down on some of the other weights as well.

Gender: Dude!

Labor Signs: Nope. 

Belly Button in or out?: I don't even want to talk about it anymore...

What I miss: Staying up late on the weekend! The last few years I haven't been much of a party animal, but Nick and I used to watch movies or play video games past midnight on the weekends. Now I fight to keep my eyes open past 10, so I don't feel like we have as much time to hang out: ( Nick is AWESOME, though. He'll watch a movie with me in bed, and then after I fall asleep he'll hang out with Callie and play video games by himself for a while before going to sleep himself!

What I'm looking forward to: We go to the doctor on Wednesday, and we will set up our ultrasound. It will be WILD to see the little guy again! We haven't seen him since 17 weeks, 6 days!

Weekly Wisdom: Go to baby class! We've really enjoyed our classes at the hospital - Nick even said that he enjoys learning at them! We both think they're a little too long (2.5 hours/night!), but I'm not sure there is much of a way around that. We took: Baby Care, Newborn Safety, Childbirth, and Breastfeeding (just me!).

Milestones: We *might* have some baby names picked out! We're not sharing them, so don't get your hopes up; ) I think we'll probably go the hospital with 2 or 3 names in mind, and then we'll pick one once we meet him!

What I'm Smiling About This Week (and Last Week!) V. 19

- We got a new car! I'll feel much better about it all once we officially have all the paperwork (e.g., registration, etc.) done, but it seems like it has all worked out okay. We were hoping to get a new car in the spring, but the accident in October forced us to get a new car now. We received a nice check from the other person's insurance, and were able to get a 2010 Nissan Altima. She looks like this...

Now I just need to have Nick install the car seat; )...

and I need to give her a name!

- Cleaning out Nancy the Nissan was quite sentimental for me! It was like taking a trip through the last 10 years of my life! I found: an ET figurine that Mom sent to me my freshman year of college as a reminder to "phone home," CDs from my college friends, parking permits for Meramec Springs, a very nice sticky-note note from Jane, a mini-copy of the Chi Omega Symphony, my LFS faculty parking pass, miscellaneous St. Pat's flair, a manatee figurine from the summer after high school, a piece of paper with Krista's mailing address on it so I'd always have it handy, driving directions to Sarah and Steve's so that I wouldn't get lost...again, one of my H20 Project wristbands... I also found a few random clothespins, pens, playing cards, and bobby pins, but it was interesting to me that so much of what was in the car made me smile: ) Nancy and I really have been through a lot together! RIP, Nance!

- We've made so more progress around the house, and I'm starting to feel a little more ready for Baby to get here! I have a TON of paperwork to go through - especially since I'm a receipt hoarder - but I think I can tackle it over the next few weeks.

- I'm making progress at work! I should be able to finish a couple of the MAJOR tasks that I need to complete before our big deadline (and my maternity leave!), and I think I will feel so relieved when I can cross those tasks off my list!

- I found out that one of my college friends is pregnant! YAY! YAY! YAY!

- Cute Callie: )

- Krista and I had a Skype date, and it was glorious...and greasy: )