35 and 36 Weeks Pregnant

Currently 37 weeks (and 4 days) pregnant! #pregnantforever 

These Weeks:

The end is so close I can taste it. It tastes a lot like acid reflex actually. :) 

Baby This Week: 

Baby at 36 weeks is the size of a cabbage patch doll! I think this is my favorite week for comparison. 

Maternity Clothes:

Getting by and will continue with what I have until the end. It got a little tricky after my grandmother passed away. I don't have a lot of fancy clothes and most of my dresses are summer with no sleeves. I made it work though! 

Stretch Marks/Weight: 

Apparently still no weight gain which rounds this pregnancy weight gain to exactly 22 pounds which oddly enough is EXACTLY what I gained with Sam. Stretch marks are there and very red. 

Movement:

Still lots of movement but they are lower and more painful. Baby will push out hard with a knee or something right around my already stretched belly button. Ouch! 

Food Aversions/Cravings:

So much great food these weeks that it is amazing that I didn't put on 10 extra pounds. Ryan and I had a wonderful date at 35 weeks pregnant to our favorite restaurant. I also had a couple special meals at work and we did a lot of take out the week of wake/funeral for Grandma! No real cravings though just really hungry again lately. 

Symptoms:
I'm surprised with the baby being so low that I still have some lingering heartburn. It's not as bad as before but I still need something to help it 1-2 times a day. Maybe this baby will be hairy little thing like I was (if wives tales are true)! Oh and besides that, it feels like the baby is so low that it could stick it's hand out and give me a high five. Getting up from any surface is entertaining as I try and roll and grunt my way through it. 

Jared and I. I was 3 days old here. 

What I Miss:

I miss summer flip flops! What I would give not to have to deal with winter boots right now! 

Labor Signs/Health Update:

Well nothing new at 35 weeks but at 36 weeks, they finally removed my cerclage! Baby had been measuring on the smaller side of normal so they decided to leave it in for the maximum of 36 weeks! I was very nervous for the appointment but excited to finally be just a normal pregnant lady! The procedure itself was more painful then I expected but it was done without anesthesia which was my goal. Get up, get going right away. Doc had a little trouble removing the stitch because baby's head was in the way. 

I am so thankful for my little cross-stitch and doing it's job to keep this baby growing safely on the inside. Now baby will be a normal, healthy (hopefully) child (aka: not preemie). 

Doctor decided to still keep me in the high risk department and my file list me as high risk as I had hemorrhaging troubles last time. He thinks all will be fine but wants it shown on my file when I go to have this baby so the doctor who delivers can be prepared for such a circumstance. I am SO thankful for the wonderful team that has and is continuing to follow me through all this. I really feel like they have given me the best care!  

Gender:

So excited to know! I saw my grandma 6 days before she passed away and she was very excited to put her hand on my belly and feel the baby. Her grin will always be one of my most cherished memories. We asked her what she thought the baby was and of course she said girl. You don't really take that one to heart though because Grandma guessed girl for EVERY single person! She was right about 50% of the time...:) 

The night before her wake I had a very vivid dream it was a girl but then the day of the funeral I had just as vivid a dream it was a boy! So I give up. I have no idea but I am SO excited to know. We are set with a boy name that we love and 2 girl names we love! Now we just need to meet this little person. 

Wedding Rings/Belly Button

Very flat and the rings were taken off at 35 weeks pregnant (sadly). My hands and feet aren't really swollen just thicker with the extra weight gain. 

What I'm Looking Forward To/Best Moment:

Ryan and I had a wonderful date at 35 weeks pregnant! It was great to get out one last time with just him. 

Also I thought my husband and Dad were going to kill me, but at 35 weeks pregnant I decided to press on and paint our kitchen. After 8 years of orange I had been wanting a change but never bit the bullet. Glad it got done before baby comes! 

While the passing of my Grandma was a very sad thing, it also brought some joyful moments too. Sitting around telling stories about her and visiting with extended family who we don't see nearly enough for example! 

Becoming a normal pregnant lady and getting my cerclage removed! Glad to have made it to this big milestone and now I just sit back and patiently wait for the arrival. 

A not so great moment: Realizing I no longer fit at some booths at restaurants. 

Daddy This Week:

I'm pretty sure Ryan and I are going to kill eachother when he is off for the week after baby comes! ha ha! Ryan was off after my Grandmother passed for the arrangements and then again for cerclage day. That was only THREE days of us being together steady and by the fourth we were both ready for him to go to work! ha ha! We have gotten to the point in the winter where we are use to doing out own thing and so it makes it difficult to get back on the same page. 

Big Brother Sam:

Sam has started talking about baby as if it is already here. When we talk about our family he always includes it. We tested out our names with him to see how it sounded coming out! ha ha! With one he had some trouble but I think we have a cute nickname that will help him. 

Wisdom:

City hospitals can be a little sketch. While I was waiting for Ryan at my appointment in the lobby. Beside me sits a large (and kind of stinky) man on his phone. He is RIGHT beside me and all I can hear is him talking on the phone to someone and they begin talking dirty! "I liked the picture you sent me. Next time can you take off your bra?", "What would you have me do to you?" and "hmmm....who's your daddy?". I was sure I was on hidden camera or something! The nurse upstairs and I laughed about it during my appointment (and I showed her a video I had taken ha ha) and she told me from now on when waiting for Ryan to park to just wait upstairs because there are some weird people who sit around the entrance lobby apparently. 

xo