36 Weeks

 Baby is the size of a honeydew.

• She's getting closer and closer to being able to breathe on her own.
• Her skin is getting smooth and soft and her gums are rigid.
• Her liver and kidneys are in working order.
• Circulation and immune systems are basically good to go, too.

 I'm going to go with the survey style update today so here we go!

How far along?: 

36 weeks

Maternity clothes?:
Heck yes. Even those are getting too tight.  My jeans have a full coverage panel for the waist and it does not come up high enough to cover my entire belly anymore.

Sleep:

Not the best.  I am too hot.  I have to turn over multiple times so my hips don't hurt as much.  I have to pee once or twice every night.  Basically I am prepared to be up all night when the baby gets here.

Best moment of the week: 

Nesting!  I even cleaned out my baking kitchen cabinet.  I have a whole list of projects and organizing I want to do the next few weeks.  

Movement:

She is definitely getting squished in there so her movements are different.  Rather than a fluttering feeling, I can feel her all over when she shifts positions.  Her kicks are hard when I lay down on my right side.  She is starting to respond to loud music, which is fun!

Gender: 

Girl

Belly Button:

 My belly button is starting to poke out a tiny bit.  Not an outie but definitely not flat anymore.

Rings:

 I can't wear my rings anymore.  My fingers are just too swollen to take them off comfortably at night so I am walking around with naked fingers.

Weight gain:

35 lbs

Appointments:

We had an ultrasound on Monday.  It w as probably our last one before we get to see her in real life.  The cyst has remain unchanged and the baby is measuring in at whopping 6 lbs 11 oz!  Of course this is only an estimate and they are often wrong.  but at that rate, baby will be a good 8.5 lbs at birth if I go to 40 weeks. The tech said she has a chubby belly.  I also had a check up with my doctor.  I met a new one this week.  His name is Dr. Crouch.  He is younger and seemed nice.  He took his time and did not seem in a rush at all, which I like.  They did all the normal weight, blood pressure, urine specimen, measuring the uterus, checking heart beat, etc.  They also did a blood finger prick test to check my hemoglobin levels.  All was good there.  They also did the strep B culture swab that will determine whether or not I need antibiotics when I go into labor.  Many women grow extra bacteria when they are pregnant so I will get those results next week.  Now I will be going to the doctor for a weekly check up until I go into labor.

What I miss:

Sleeping on my stomach, being able to do everyday activities without feeling exhausted.

Labor signs:

Braxton hicks come and go now.  Sometimes I will get three or four in a short period of time, then none for the rest of the day.  It usually happens when I switch from sitting to standing or vice versa.  Being hydrated is key, I think.  Some days I have some very intense back pain.  Not sure if this is a labor sign but ouch!

What I am looking forward to:

Packing our hospital bags and installing the car set this weekend so that when I go into labor, we will be ready to go!

Weekly Wisdom: 

Trying to remind myself everyday that "this too shall pass" when my back hurts or when I feel like the heart burn is going to kill me.  Then I feel her move around in there and I smile because I know that I will get to meet her very, very soon.

Milestones:  

One more week until baby is considered full term!  Then she can come anytime after that if it was up to me. :-)

Here is a look back on my months of pregnancy in photos.

I have now completed 8 months and am in my 9th month!