37 Week Picture

37 Weeks

How far along? 37 Weeks

How big is baby? A Winter Melon

Total weight gain/loss? 31 pounds

How am I feeling? Thankfully, I have been feeling much better than last week.  The headaches are pretty much gone, and I feel like I have a little more energy than last week.  I am getting a little emotional thinking that this pregnancy is almost over.  This is probably the last time I will be pregnant and I'm really going to miss it.  That being said, I am also so ready to meet this little guy and finally become the family of four we've always dreamed of. 

Gym Activity? :( Membership is now officially frozen.

Maternity Clothes? Just trying to be comfortable at this point and still having to wear the tennis shoes.  I tried flats and boots last week, and it was not good. 

Stretch Marks?  Only 11 more days to keep them away.  Yes! 

Sleep? Sleep has been okay the last week.  I fall asleep almost as soon as I lay down, but then wake up around 2 and sleep off and on for the next few hours. 

Best moment this week? The best moment this week was my ultrasound.  We got to see baby Landon and goodness did he look big!  The first thing she said was, "My goodness, he has a ton of hair!"  I'm expecting him to come out with a head full of hair since we continue to hear this at every ultrasound.  He looked perfect and was measuring right on track and his head was a little ahead.  I told her big heads run in our family.  She estimated that he weighs about 7 pounds and guessed that if I go two more weeks, he will be around 8 pounds. 

Movement? He's back to moving all day.  He must be running out of room because some of the movements are starting to get a little painful.   

Food Cravings/Aversions? I keep thinking of things I want to eat, but usually don't give in to the cravings.  I am trying to be good for these last few weeks since I know that soon, I will be trying to get this extra weight off of me.  I am planning what we should do for dinner the night before the C-section.  It will be our last dinner as a family of three!  I'm thinking my favorite, Pappasittos!   

Gender? It's a BOY!

Labor signs? I think I might be having a few random contractions, but I honestly can't tell if it's contractions or just him.  I can feel my belly get tight and I've been cramping a little bit, but nothing to make me think it's actually signs of labor.     

Belly Button?  soft, mushy and flat.  It actually is pretty tender.  Logan keeps trying to poke it and it hurts. 

What I miss? I miss being able to roll over in the bed and get out of the bed normally.  Right now I have to throw myself over the side of the bed and use my elbows to push myself out. 

What I'm looking forward to? I'm looking forward to Logan's 5th birthday party today.  His birthday was 2 weeks ago, but we had to wait for his party at the Bounce House because of his broken arm.  He's really excited to finally celebrate with his friends.   

Milestones/Development:  He's practicing some skills: inhaling, exhaling, sucking, gripping and blinking.  He's getting his first sticky poop (called meconium) ready for his first diaper.

This is the ultrasound picture that shows all of his hair.  The large black circle is his head and the white on the left is all hair flowing from his head. 

Baby Landon's Sprinkle

My sweet girlfriends, Amanda, Katie, and Mary Brooke, threw baby Landon the sweetest "sprinkle."  For those of you that don't know what a sprinkle is for a second baby and is smaller than a normal baby shower. 

Amanda does an amazing job with showers and parties, and I was blown away when I walked in.  I forgot to take pictures of everything before the shower, but I did snap a few towards the end. 

Landon and I are very blessed to have such sweet friends and family help us celebrate his upcoming arrival. 

Handmade sign that Amanda made for his room

Friends and family left message for Baby Landon

36 Week Picture

36 Weeks

How far along? 36 Weeks

How big is baby? A Honeydew Melon

Total weight gain/loss? Right at 30 pounds

How am I feeling? Besides the back pain I've complained about, I have felt really great this whole pregnancy.  However, Wednesday and Thursday I just felt a little off.  I had a headache both days, my feet were really killing me and I got really worried that I wasn't feeling Landon move as much as I had been.  I checked my blood pressure Wednesday and Thursday and it was pretty high.  This was right around the time my high blood pressure started with Logan. 

I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday, and after talking with the doctor, he told me I am on watch for high blood pressure.  It wasn't too high when I got there, so that was good.  He did a non-stress test where they monitor the baby's heartbeat and kicks for 20 minutes.  Thank God it was perfect!  He told me to keep a close eye on my blood pressure and how I'm feeling this weekend and he wants to see me back on Tuesday.  He is going to do an ultrasound as well to check on the baby.  I'm trying to take it easy this weekend, but my nagging to do list is making that hard.

Gym Activity? :( Membership is now officially frozen.

Maternity Clothes? Due to my horrible foot pain, I am having to wear tennis shoes everyday.  That puts a little damper on my cuteness factor.  Oh well, at least my feet feel better. 

Stretch Marks? I am shocked that they haven't shown up yet, but so thankful!     

Sleep? Sleep has actually been pretty good the last few nights.  I still wake up 3-4 times a night, but I've been able to go back to sleep pretty quickly.  

Best moment this week?  I think the best moment this week was finishing all of my lesson plans for school.  I got 12 weeks of lessons plans done and the copies!  I feel like I can relax a little now.  I still have a few things left on my to do list, but at least now that's done.

Movement? Wednesday night scared me because I didn't feel him like I normally do, even after drinking something cold and sweet.  I still felt him a little so I wasn't too worried.  Of course, around 1am, he started rocking and rolling which made me really happy. 

Food Cravings/Aversions? I finally caved and got a cookies and cream milkshake from Chick-fil-A.  It was so good!!  I have been enjoying cereal in the mornings.  This week it's been Honey Comb. 

Gender? It's a BOY!

Labor signs? Nothing right now, but I'm thinking it could be earlier than expected if this high blood pressure is a problem.   

Belly Button? It's pretty soft and mushy

What I miss? I miss being able to walk on my feet normally.  I feel like I have to walk on the outside and balls of my feet.     

What I'm looking forward to? I'm looking forward to seeing him on the ultrasound on Tuesday and making sure that everything looks good.  I am also looking forward to one more prenatal massage next week.  Chris got me one for Christmas and I'm finally using it. 

Milestones/Development: He's getting closer and closer to being able to breathe on his own.  His skin is getting smooth and soft and his gums are rigid.  His liver and kidneys are in working order.  Circulation and immune systems are basically good to go, too.

35 Week Picture

35 Weeks

How far along? 35 Weeks

How big is baby? A Coconut

Total weight gain/loss? Around 29 pounds

How am I feeling? Now that I can see the light, I am feeling good.  I keep going between wanting to have him right this minute, and wanting to freeze time.  I really love being pregnant and I know I am going to miss it again once he's here.

Gym Activity? :( Membership is now officially frozen.

Maternity Clothes? I really didn't buy too many things this time around.  I have decided that I am not going to buy anything else anyways.  Since I only have a few weeks left I figure I can squeeze into what's already in my closet.  

Stretch Marks? Still good.  Just three more weeks to go!  Fingers crossed.    

Sleep? Sleep has been okay.  I'm back to waking up several times a night to go to the bathroom.  I have been trying not to take Tylenol PM, but decided to give in tonight.  

Best moment this week?  I had two super moments this week.  The first was celebrating Logan's 5th birthday.  (I'll post more about that soon) and the Sprinkle shower that my friends, Katie, Amanda, and Mary Brooke threw for me.  It was beautiful and Logan was spoiled rotten. 

Movement? This is one of the main things I will miss about pregnancy when I have him.  I love to just sit and feel him moving all around.  Some of the movements can be a little painful, but mostly I just love feeling him in there kicking and rolling. 

Food Cravings/Aversions? I have still been wanting a milkshake and still have not given in.  I'm not sure why, but every time I want to go, I tell myself I don't really need it.  I think I will go this week and just get one so that I can finally satisfy that craving. 

Gender? It's a BOY!

Labor signs? No signs of labor, but I keep being so afraid that my water is going to break.  I have no reason to think this, I'm just scared it's going to happen for some reason.   

Belly Button?  I think it's sticking out just a little bit.

What I miss? Still missing good sleep, and I think a small glass of white wine sounds pretty good.   

What I'm looking forward to? I'm looking forward to organizing all of the diapers and gifts that we were given at the shower.  I also have a doctor's appointment on Thursday.  I start going once a week now until the C-section.   

Milestones/Development: His hearing is fully developed, and he responds best to high-pitched noises.  If it's a boy, his testes have probably fully descended.

34 Week Picture

34 Weeks

 

How far along?  34 Weeks

How big is baby? A Butternut Squash

Total weight gain/loss? I think I'm around 28 pounds :( 

How am I feeling? I am feeling good, just large.  My back hasn't been hurting too much this week, so that's good.  The heartburn has been terrible though.  I'm eating Tums like crazy.

Gym Activity? :( Membership is now officially frozen.

Maternity Clothes? I had a $20 loft gift card, so I ordered one more sweater.  I'm waiting for it to get here.  I guess I only have a few weeks left to enjoy it. 

 

Stretch Marks? I'm getting really worried about these.  I'm using Cocoa butter and vitamin E lotion in the morning and at night.   

Sleep? Logan is officially sleeping back in his bed!  Yay!!  He has been for the last two weeks and while I miss snuggling with him a little bit, I am so happy to have my bed back.  I know I need to enjoy it, because in just 4 short weeks, I'll have another little guy sleeping in my room. 

 

Best moment this week?  I had a good 34 week check up this week.  The doctor said he doesn't see any signs of high blood pressure, so that was good to hear.  I go back in two weeks and then weekly visits after that until the C-Section.  I have most of my to do list for home done, but my school to do list is still growing.  I was able to get started on my 12 weeks of lessons plans for school on Friday.  I still have a lot more to do, but it feels good to get started.

Movement? He's still rocking and rolling all over.  I wake up every morning to see if he's dropped some, but no luck yet.  He's still way up high.    

Food Cravings/Aversions? It has been so cold this week, so today I decided to make some spicy sausage and kale soup.  It was delicious.  I'm sure I'll have more killer heartburn later.  Logan suggested vanilla ice cream sandwiches at Kroger, so we have been enjoying those.  (They are mini) 

Gender? It's a BOY!

Labor signs? Nothing right now.

Belly Button?  The same as last week, flat and slightly poking out

What I miss? Still missing sleeping on my stomach and a small glass of white wine sounds lovely.    

What I'm looking forward to? I'm looking forward to my sprinkle (which is a small shower) thrown by my friend Amanda this weekend. 

 

Milestones/Development: He's recognizing and reacting to simple songs, if you're singing them. (If you're not, start! He may find them soothing after birth.)  He's also urinating about a pint a day.

 

 

The Removal of the Cast

We had Logan's appointment set for next Tuesday to get his cast removed.  That is also Logan's first day back to school after a two week break and I knew he would be exhausted.  I was also going to be by myself, so I was a little worried if I was going to be able to handle him alone if he freaked out.  I decided to call on Friday to see if they could squeeze us in a few days early and that way Mimi could go with us.  Luckily, they were able to get us in!  Over the last few weeks, we watched a video on YouTube several times of a little boy getting his cast removed in hopes that Logan would see the saw they use and see that it's not too scary. 
It must have worked, because he was so brave!  He sat right up on the table and let the nurse cut the cast right off.  I was shocked!  I fully expected him to flip out.  After the cast came off, they took him for an x-ray to see if another cast needed to go back on for 2 more weeks.  Thankfully, his arm was healed and the doctor said he did not need another cast!  I wanted to do flips!  I was thrilled! 
The doctor did tell us that he needs to be careful for the next 2-4 weeks so he doesn't reinjure his arm. 
We have his birthday party at a Bounce House scheduled for the end of the month, so I think he will be in the clear by then. 

Here's my big brave man getting his cast off!  (I think it's sideways)

33 Week Picture

33 Weeks

 

How far along? 33 Weeks

How big is baby? A Durian (I'm not even sure what that is)

Total weight gain/loss? weighed today... I was up to 25 pounds. 

How am I feeling?  I am feeling a lot bigger this week, but overall still feeling pretty good.  I bought a yoga ball to try to help with the back pain when I sit.   

Gym Activity? :(   Membership is now officially frozen.     

Maternity Clothes? I took out some of the pajamas I had from when Logan was born and washed them to pack in my hospital bag.  I'm still just cycling through my favorite maternity clothes.  I've been enjoying the time off work and mostly staying in comfy clothes unless we go somewhere.   

Stretch Marks? Still keeping those bad boys away! 

Sleep? Ugh, sleep has been pretty horrible.  I think I wake up every hour or two.  I got desperate and bought some Tylenol PM and took one twice this week.  I really helped.        

Best moment this week?  We had lots of great things happen this week.  Logan wasn't supposed to get his cast off until next Tuesday, but I called Friday to see if they could squeeze him in a few days early and they had an opening.  Mimi went with me and he was so brave!  I'll post a video soon.  I also had an amazing massage this week at my gym.  She really got deep into my muscles and it was amazing!  Chris and I decided to head out for a date night when Mimi and Pop offered to keep Logan overnight.  We went to Kani House, a Japanese steak house.  It was so good!  I stuffed myself! 

 

Movement? I think he was doing some crazy flipping a few days ago.  For two or three days, I swear I felt little fingers or toes tickling me way down low.  It was quite a funny feeling.  I was hoping he would stay that way for the 3D ultrasound today, but of course, he went right back to the same old spot.  She really had a hard time getting any pictures, because he either had hands, feet, or cord all in front of his face.   

Food Cravings/Aversions? Besides the Japanese steak house, I haven't had too many cravings this week.  We bought some blueberry muffins from the store that were good and I also got some gingerbread biscotti to go with my morning coffee. 

 

Gender? It's a BOY!

Labor signs? Nothing right now. 

Belly Button? It's flat and maybe the middle is poking out just a little?

What I miss? I miss being able to sleep on my stomach.  I have woken myself up several times, almost on my stomach and it makes it hurt so bad.  Then I can't go back to sleep and I start worrying that I squished the baby.   

What I'm looking forward to? I'm looking forward to going back to the OB for my next check on Wednesday and also looking forward to getting everything ready for maternity leave at school.  (This is going to be a ton of work, but I know I will feel better once it's done. 

Milestones/Development: He's keeping his eyes open while awake.  He's also starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing.  His bones are hardening.  He going through (more) major brain development -- that's one smart baby!