Bumpdate :: Week 37

How far along: 37 weeks! FULL TERM!

Baby's size: A watermelon? Really?  The other option was as long as a stalk of swiss chard, but somehow that one didn't feel right. I feel much more like I'm carrying a watermelon than a stalk of swiss chard. I could carry a whole bushel of swiss chard.

  Sleep: Not bad, except for the bathroom visits. I inherited a huge body pillow from a friend which was a little too much for me. Although, Ivalle has taken a liking to it. So now it looks like his side of the bed should be hosting a pregnant woman. Pretty funny sight.

Food cravings: Not much, I'm trying so hard to steer clear of sugar, but it just keeps finding its way into my mouth. Tis' the season I guess. I balance it out with a huge healthy smoothie in the morning with fruits and veggies combined with prune juice and some nuts. (it sounds bad, but tastes delicious!)

Symptoms I have: Starting to get a ton of Braxton Hicks contractions. Luckily they don't hurt or slow me down much.  I've also been exhausted by the end of the work week. I am LOVING the weekends lately, which is nothing new I guess.

Doctor’s Appointment: Next appointment is Monday. I'm getting the flu shot and pertussis vaccination. I'm also looking forward to hearing what my midwife thinks about the baby's size. It might be my last visit with her since she is pregnant too. The next visits will be with a different OB. Both are great though. I also found out I'm Strep B negative, which is a good thing!

Movement: I love the movements! It's funny when people can just watch him roll around from the outside. A little creepy for them, but fun for me!

Gender: Boy boy boy!

What I’m looking forward to: Holding my sweet baby in my arms! And seeing this little guy with his daddy. Ivalle has been such a great partner and support through this whole thing. It really puts my mind at ease. :)

What I miss: Getting out of bed and off of couches quickly. I'm kind of sloth like when I go from sitting to standing these days.

Thankful

 We have so much to be thankful for this year! Our baby is due right around Thanksgiving week so I'm sure things will look much different than they usually do. These pictures were taken last thanksgiving at my parents house in Medford. It was really nice to be with family and catch up. This year we will be starting a family of our own. Hopefully some family will be able to celebrate with us in Portland. On a smaller scale of course. I'm looking forward to some cozy snuggle time, adjusting to a newborn, and maybe even some of the traditional thanksgiving dishes.

Bumpdate :: Week 36

How far along: 36 weeks! I'm getting excited to meet this little guy!

Baby's size: A honeydew melon - 5-6 pounds. Eeek! No wonder my back hurts.

  Sleep: Sleeping like a rock until about 4:30 AM. That's when my mind races a bit, but I can usually get myself back to sleep. I also get up to use the bathroom 4 or 5 times. I think I'm in training for waking up with a baby.

Food cravings: I've actually lost my appetite a bit. I don't think I have much room for food at this point.

Symptoms I have: Some backaches and little tiny contractions when I walk around really fast. Working still feels great and I'm glad I'm there each day. It's the perfect balance of walking, standing and sitting.

Doctor’s Appointment: Next appointment is October 29th. My last appointment went really well. I don't have strep B, The baby is head down, and my cervix is already softening. I'm not placing any bets, but it sounds like all is set up for a delivery near my due date. I am preparing to go longer or earlier just in case.

Movement: Movement is starting to be a little less intense. I think he as less space to move now.

Gender: Oh joy it's a Boy!

What I’m looking forward to: My first pr-natal massage! A gift for my birthday back in July from Ivalle. Normally I'm not a massage person, but this time I'm really feeling like I could use a rub down.
This weekend we are doing some important house chores like checking the smoke detectors and hanging some last minute items in the baby's room. I'm looking forward to feeling ready to leave work. I'm still not quite prepared, but getting there.

What I miss: Sunshine. Sleeping on my back and stomach.

80's Baby Shower :: Like...Totally!

 Let's hear it for the boy! My amazing friends threw me the most radical 80's baby shower. The details were incredible. My little pony, pop rocks, The Price is Right Games, sweet tunes. You name it. They thought of it.  I'm pretty sure  80's fashion was not meant for women with a bun in the oven. I feel a little pudgy in these photos. It could have been the giant wad of big league chew I had in my mouth the entire time. It was a blast! Like, totally!

Bumpdate :: Week 35

How far along: 35 weeks! 

Baby's size: A Coconut

  Sleep: Sleeping  well. Feeling lucky about this. Hoping it continues.

Food cravings: Anything I don't have to cook myself. Ivalle and I have been told to go on as many dates as possible since we might not get a chance for a while. I love that idea of course. We've been trying out a fun restaurant or food cart every couple of days.

Symptoms I have: Little backaches here and there. 

Doctor’s Appointment: October 15th.

Movement: I feel movement frequently, however he must be running out of room because the movement is mostly in the same place each time.

Gender: Boy!

What I’m looking forward to: Finishing my sub notes and wrapping things up at work. I'd like to be ready early if we have any surprises.

What I miss: Summer! The rain finally kicked in and I'm having trouble finding a raincoat that fits my midsection.

Bonus: Here is a silhouette photo that Ivalle took. This was our original bump date idea but it turns out its hard to get my husband to be ready to take photos when I'm ready to model so mainly I've been doing the mirror self portraits. I love these silhouettes though. I think it will be fun to put them together at the end and see the progress. Maybe we will try to squeeze in one more before baby arrives.

Blast from the Past :: Gender Reveal Party

The day we found out we were having a little boy was priceless. It feels like ages ago, but I had these pictures lingering around on my computer and decided they needed to be posted. 

Some are blurry and some capture the moment just right. We had our best friends over back in June and opened our secret gender envelope in front of them. We really had no idea what was inside until that moment. It was a really fun way to find out. I had a feeling it was a boy the entire time. Everyone had a chance to place a guess and put on a bow or bow tie before the big reveal.

Bumpdate :: Week 34

How far along: 34 weeks! Getting BIG. And we have our camera back!

Baby's size: A Butternut Squash

  Sleep: Sleeping really well. I get up several times to use the bathroom, but I've always done that. Lately I've been longing for a little more sleep when I wake up in the morning. The mornings are starting to get dark and chilly. I'm trying to get sleep while I can. 

Food cravings: Fruit still. I love the fall apples. Honey Crisps are heavenly.

Symptoms I have: Just the same old backache in the same old spot each day when I drive. I'm getting a prenatal massage in a week or two.

Doctor’s Appointment: October 15th. I had an appointment last week that went really well. The doctor said everything looks great and the baby is a normal size with head down for now.

Movement: Lot's of movement. I can feel that he is getting much longer. I feel movement in many different areas at once now. 

Gender: Boy!

What I’m looking forward to: The 80's baby shower hosted by my Portland friends this weekend. My co-workers are also hosting a baby sprinkle next week! 

What I miss: Normal posture. I've been noticing my back is compensating for my larger front lately.