37 weeks=Full Term!

Baby's now the size of a watermelon!
Your full-term (yay!) baby is gaining about 1/2 ounce a day and getting his first sticky poop (called meconium) ready. He's also brushing up on skills for the outside world: blinking, sucking, inhaling, exhaling, and gripping (it's getting strong!).

How far along? 37 weeks
Total weight gain:+31
Maternity clothes?Yup. I am so sick of them...
Sleep:Uncomfortable...

Best moment this week:Got the closet doors on in the room.
Movement:Maybe a little uncomfortable...
Gender:Pink
Belly Button in or out? Out.
What I miss: My clothes.
What I am looking forward to: Meeting my little girl!
Weekly Wisdom: Be ready for anything
Milestones: Full Term!!!

Houston, we have progress

So my 36(or 37 by my standards) week Dr. appt. went pretty well.
I am fingertip/1cm dilated
I am 70% effaced.
But my Blood Pressure was 120/90. They thought 90 was high and I will go back Thursday to get checked again...I am not sure what the course of action is if it is still high. My MIL said they get excited about it sometimes and to not worry too much. I think I will be working from home as much as possible now.

I am just happy there was some progress :) C'mon Baby Kate. We can't wait to meet you!!!

36w3d

As ready as I'll ever be...

So I am sooo close to being full term. And will I ever be ready? No. There are always more preparations that need to be made. ALWAYS. If I had a baby today, would I deal? Of course. We have the essentials. Namely we have love. I cannot wait to meet her. (Well, I could wait until April because that is the month of diamonds, but that is sidetracking...)
I can feel that things are happening.
I am getting cramps that would have scared me 8 months ago...I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions..I am just plain tired..my belly is uncomfortable...my feet are swollen
Overall, I feel great though. I will wait 5 more weeks if she is not ready to come out. I will do what it takes. I feel good, because if you think about the craziness that my body is going through carrying around all this extra weight, having an extra person to care for, ...if you consider all of that, my minor aches and pains really aren't all that bad.

Overall, I am so excited to meet her. I am so scared to meet her. I am so sad to not feel the kicks and jabs anymore. I am so anxious about someone being dependent on me. I am so nervous about my labor plans going to shit. I am a ball full of emotions right now, but whether she comes tomorrow or cooks for another 5 weeks....I will grin and bear it, because you just don't find a love like this everyday :)

36 weeks!!

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Baby's skin is getting smooth and soft, her gums are rigid, her liver and kidneys are in working order, and her circulation and immune system are basically good to go. Her lungs are the only organs that still need to fully mature, but every day she gets a little closer to breathing on her own.

How far along? 36 weeks
Total weight gain:+27 as of last week.
Maternity clothes?Yup. I am so sick of them...
Sleep: Eh. If I wear myself out enough, it isn't too bad.

Best moment this week:Got my dresser in last night and we finished the painting last night!
Movement:Maybe a little uncomfortable...
Gender:Pink
Belly Button in or out? Out.
What I miss: My clothes.
What I am looking forward to: Full term next week!
Weekly Wisdom: The chiropractor is your friend...well so is his son for helping move the dresser in at 9pm last night, but I regress.
Milestones: Last childbirth class this week :)

Belly Pic! 35 w 3d

I haven't uploaded a picture in forever, so this is a Friday present to all you lovelies out in cyberville...

Bad Day turned Good.

So this morning I had my breakdown. I got it out. I just want Dan to be home. My basement has been flooded twice and I am a crazy hormonal pregnant lady. So I got what I needed to get done at work and left early and took My dog, Molly on a walk. We have been using remote shock collar on walks so that she can run free but we can control her when she needs it. She does pretty well with it. So she went in the pond swimming today and just had so much fun, she is just too cute. Then when I got back to the house I put together some baby stuff I was leaving for Dan. I just felt so good. I picked up my niece from school, we decided to go to the grocery store and get ingredients for a mexican meal. I have not cooked in forever!
So now, I am just laying in bed with the shades open watching TV. This is the best mood I have had all week.
Sometimes I just need some time alone in the beautiful sunshine!

35/35: A day I have been waiting for

Today I am 35 weeks pregnant and 35 days to go. I can't believe I am this far along and will be giving birth to my little girl soon!

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
From now on, baby's growth is mostly in the plumping up department -- though he won't get much longer, he'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth. (He's about 15 percent right now and will be about 30 percent by full-term.) His hearing is totally developed (tip: baby responds best to higher pitches), and if he really is a "he," his testes have probably completed their descent.

How far along? 35 weeks
Total weight gain:+27
Maternity clothes?Yup.
Sleep: Oh, I wore myself out yesterday shopping for baby then going on a walk, so I slept soooo good!

Best moment this week: Reaching 35/35
Movement:Yeah, I think it is starting to get tight in there for her..
Gender:Pink
Belly Button in or out? Out.
What I miss: Dan.
What I am looking forward to: Full term in 2 weeks!
Weekly Wisdom: There is actually very little you need to bring a baby home.
Milestones: Well, my doctor said that Kate would be just fine out of the womb and they would do nothing to stop labor!!!

Murphy's Law at its best...

Dan left this morning for work in Texas. My dad and him went together to get things set up for the guys when they come next week. So, just to set it up, my two handymen are gone...

I start the water for my shower, and wait, not hot water. I call Dan to see how to light the flame,because it must of went out. I turn on lights to the basement stairs and start walking down while talking to him, I go to step off of the stairs onto the floor and step in 3" of ice cold water...

Our sump pump shut off for some reason.. Luckily it is an unfinished basement and houses mostly totes of clothes, but There are something down there (like a dresser of my grandma's Dan is going to refinish) that shouldn't be in water.

I am currently waiting on Dan to call back with a plan of action.

I think this is some kind of Murphy's Law....

Oh and I found out this morning my uncle had a heart attack through facebook..no one called my dad because they all thought someone else did....

Update on Me

Since Baby Kate thinks I have better things to do than sleep, I thought I would give a little update.
On Thursday at Baby Class, we took a tour of the OB department. I had been up there a few times to see Darlene, get my rhogam and listen to Kate on the doppler when I had my scare t 11 weeks (so long ago!). But this was different. I was there to get acquainted with the room I would be in when I welcomed my little girl into the world. I knew the delivery and everything would be hard on Dan. He doesn't take hospitals well, and to see me in pain (albeit good pain) would be enough to send him over the edge. Well, apparently the hospital tour was enough to send him over the edge...He was shaky and nervous.
At first, I thought maybe it was a mistake to take him. It just made him worry about all the problems Baby Kate and I could face in delivery. But now, I think it was good. He is aware of everything and hopefully it won't be such a shock to his system when it is finally happening. And I have to say, that I am more afraid of medical intervention than I am the pain of going natural. I have total faith that my body can do this. If complications arise, I will take them in stride and make decisions then. I am too excited about meeting my little girl to let details get in the way.
In other news, Dan leaves for Texas on Sunday for work. I will miss him terribly. I am not worried about labor yet, but I have become more dependent on him. He has been great about picking laundry baskets up off the floor for me and putting my socks on and such. I feel that pregnancy has brought us to a new level of closeness. I don't know how single women go through pregnancy alone. I know when I am going through contractions at home before we go to the hospital, I can lean on him, figuratively and literally. I know that although he won't like seeing me in pain, he will tell me how great I am doing and stand behind my decision to have med-free birth. It means so much to me that he thinks a baby breastfeeding for the first time is as awesome as I think it is. He has stood beside me this whole pregnancy and carried me when I could not make it alone.

An award from Peetie!

Thank you to Peetie for nominating me for the Sunshine Award! If you haven't checked her out yet, please do so! I love her :) Here are a few bloggers who brighten my day (besides Peetie Pie):

1. Jacquie from Baby A is Brewing

2. Carissa from Love, Marriage, and my life in-between

3. Gretchen from Our Journey (check out those twinsies!!!)

4. Kate from Baby Rogers

Rules of Acceptance:

1. Place the logo in a post or on your sidebar.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. Pass the award on to 4-6 bloggers who brighten your day.
4. Link the nominees with your post.
5. Let the nominees know they've received the award by commenting on their blog.

34 weeks Baked!!

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Baby can recognize and react to simple songs...time to start practicing your lullabies! In fact, baby will recognize frequently sung tunes after birth and probably find them soothing. Less cute news: She now urinates about one pint per day. Get the diapers ready!

How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain:+22 last week
Maternity clothes? All the time. And sick of them.
Sleep: Tossing and Turning

Best moment this week: Starting our last baby class!
Movement:Yup We got some footage last night :)
Gender:Pink
Belly Button in or out? Out.
What I miss: Rolling over in bed
What I am looking forward to: Tour of OB this week.
Weekly Wisdom: Sleep good when you can!
Milestones: She can recognize the music playing on her seahorse when she is out of my uterus!!

On the last lap

I feel like I am round a turn on my last lap of pregnancy. My feet and back hurt like crazy if I am standing for too long. I had to give up my rings to swelling this week. Her jabs and rolls are starting to get painful. People I have considered "just ahead of me" during the pregnancy are now full term and having their babies now...yikes!
I feel like there is so much to do, but I am waiting on Dan to finish the paint trimming (won't let me do it) and I am waiting for the dresser to come in. I am also patiently waiting for the completion coupon from Target so I can buy those last few things that I need (mattresses, extra car seat base, changing pad). And that is pretty much it...

Meanwhile, I am stuffing my face with Girl Scout Cookies!

Off Kilter

Today I am not having a good day. I feel a little off. Like the Earth, I feel like I have been nudged off my axis just a bit.
It is a bunch of little things I guess.

• I didn't get sleep at all last night.
• I had some stressful stuff happen at work today (that I hope will work itself out)
• I am sub-conciously getting anxious about the arrival of Kate
• I have some wild pregnancy hormones.
• Did I mention I was tired?

I just want to curl up and go to sleep.
The one part of the day I feel good is when I go on walks with DH and the dog. I might see if I can work at home for part of the day Friday or something....

33 weeks!!!

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and his brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, he'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake.

How far along? 33 weeks
Total weight gain:+22
Maternity clothes? All the time.
Sleep: Sleeping better due to my utter exhaustion
Best moment this week: Finding out I did not gain at my appt this week (actually lost 2)
Movement:Yup We got some footage last night :)
Gender:Pink
Belly Button in or out? Out.
What I miss: My clothes...
What I am looking forward to: The snow melting...
Weekly Wisdom: Walks do a body good.
Milestones: Eyes are open when awake!!

Just a few Maternity Pics...

So I had my maternity pictures taken yesterday by a friend who is just getting into photography and has started her own business...She got a couple edited for me already and here they are...

And...

Hopefully More to come...