37 Weeks - FULL TERM, WHOA MAMA!

Hi Everyone!

     37 Weeks, and officially FULL TERM!! Whoa Mama! Congratulations to us! And by "us", I mean, Dave and I, and YOU!  After all, many of you have been along for this ride the entire time.  I can't tell you how great it is to see someone I haven't seen in a while, and to hear them say, "I've been reading your blog!".  I feel like this little journal has connected us all in some way.  And since we're so connected, I think I can share more ... personal pregnancy stories with you this week.

I don't know what it is about hitting the 'Full Term' status, but something about hitting 37 weeks has thrown me into a whole new realm with a number of new symptoms. 

First ... I've come down with a cold.  Yes ... BAD TIMING.  I am really hoping that it goes away soon.  I REALLY don't want to be in labor, giving birth, with snot and a sore throat!

Anyway ... I have been SO THIRSTY all the time, I can't even explain it.  My new best friend is a pink Camelbak. I fill it with ice and water, and chug the contents like a 250lb frat boy:

I've also introduced a new, very unfortunate symptom to my repertoire.  I have officially started SNORING.  Sleeping has become difficult.  I wake up almost every hour either to pee (thanks, Camelbak), or to shift positions ... or ... in response to Dave asking me to roll over.  Poor guy ... I know, I know ... the women out there reading are saying, "Good! If you have to go through the sleep deprivation, so should he!" Touche, my lady friends ... touche.  But ... nonetheless, I still feel bad. 

The other night I woke up to Dave running into the bathroom, which was strange.  Dave NEVER gets up in the middle of the night.  The next thing I know, he comes back out with ... wait for it ... EAR PLUGS!  You might think that he's overreacting ... but I can say that he has a point.  Recently, I WOKE MYSELF UP from my snoring.  This is no girlie snort, here and there.  This is the sound that should come from an overweight lumberjack suffering from a deviated septum.  Even Charlie has had enough.  He will wake up in the middle of the night and circle, circle, circle, and PLOP down, I believe, in hopes that he'll wake me up for enough time to quickly fall back to sleep.  I REALLY hope this goes away soon. In the meantime, check out this picture ... perhaps this is why I can't sleep ... there's no room left for Mommy:

Alright ... onto the next symptom.  I am reluctant to discuss this one on this blog.  I don't know if this is 'too much information' ... but, part of what this blog has come to represent, is the truth about pregnancy ... in particular ... my pregnancy.  It wouldn't be fair to keep it to myself.  Plus ... it is an official "symptom" according to thebump.com, so it must be something other women go through.

Let's just call it ... 'cleaning out'.  My body has become very efficient at ... flushing itself out.  I know ... yuck.  But, according to my research, this is "your body's natural way of cleaning out and prepping for baby’s big arrival".  The next sentence, you ask? "Of course, if your symptoms become severe, you should see your doctor immediately". 

... so ... what is considered ... "severe", I wonder?  Here comes the, "too much information' section of this posting.  Recently, when Dave and I were going to pick up our new rocking chair/recliner for the nursery (yay!!! pics will come, I promise!), I all of a sudden didn't feel well.  I felt nauseus at first, which I knew was strange, because I haven't had any sickness at all thus far.  Then ... I HEARD it.  It was a gurgle.  Yup, a gurgle just under my rib cage.  Was it the baby?  Who knows.  All I know is that I went from, "I feel sorta nauseus", to "Oh my god, Dave ... you need to find me a restroom immediately" in about 2 minutes flat. 

Well ... if any of you know Dave ... you know that for Dave to drive quickly, and borderline recklessly upon REQUEST is like a dream come true.  All of a sudden, he is flying down Daniel Webster Highway, practically running red lights, and I kid you not ... he drove in through the exit of a Burger King, disregarding the multiple 'Do Not Enter' signs.  I swear, he was smiling while doing this :) This is NOT my most shining moment ... I ran into Burger King truly sure I was not going to make it.

Luckily ... I saught and found relief in time ... but (shame on me), I didn't bring my phone with me.  Apparently I took a little longer than normal ... and Dave began to worry.  If I had taken any longer, he said he was going to go in and ask the MANAGER OF BURGER KING to go 'check on me' for fear that I was giving birth on their bathroom floor.

Holy gosh ... as if my body "cleaning" itself out in prep for labor isn't embarassing enough ... could you imagine if Dave had the manager come "check" on me"?  I would have died.

Note to self ... never be more than 30 feet away from a bathroom.  Thank god for plumbing!

Alright ... welp ... hopefully it's true what thebump.com says, and this is a pre-labor term.  I am hoping we will meet our little guy soon!

Today we went for our last ultrasound.  We are happy to announce that everything looks good!  But let me tell you ... our little man is currently measuring approximately 7lbs 10 FREAKING OUNCES!  He's huge already! I knew it!  And I swear, his head looked bigger than normal on the ultrasound!

The doctor checked me out, and I still have not dilated.  She is concerned, however, because this is the second week in a row where I have had high blood pressure.  Last week, it made sense, because I had a busy week at work ... but this week, it does not make sense.  I had more blood work done, and I will find out the results tomorow.  She said that if my BP was high again next week, they will consider inducing me.  In response, I told her that given that statement, that I just may plan on going for a run just before our appointment :)

In an effort to help keep my BP down, I am transitioning to a schedule at work where I will work a few days a week from home.  I can't tell you what a relief it is to work in such a supportive environment. I know not everyone has this luxury, so I consider myself truly lucky.

How far along? 37 Weeks, 5 Days

Countdown: 2 Weeks, 2 Days (or, 16 days!!!)

Total weight gain: at the doctor today, I gained 4lbs. That puts me at a total of 44lbs! Makes me laugh when people tell me that I don't look like I've gained anything.  Wow ... blinders, people!
Maternity clothes? yup!  Still mixing in some non-maternity outfits. 
Stretch marks? No, thank god
Sleep: not sleeping well. The combination of this cold, and my SNORING escapades are making sleeping difficult.
Best moment this week: seeing our little guy on the ultrasound! It's not going to be much longer! Also, we got our horrible PINK carpet replaced with a nice grey-ish one! It's MUCH better for the nursery
Miss Anything? being able to move without assistance.
Movement: Yes!!! lots! He is always rockin' and rolling!! I love it! I am going to miss feeling him!
Food Cravings: ham and cheese ... and CHARDONNAY.
Anything making you queasy or sick: no!

Gender: BOY!

Labor Signs: Nope ... augh.

Symptoms: "stabby stabby hoo-haa pains", snoring, excrutiating thirst, and ... bodily ... cleansing ;)
Isabelly Button, In or Out? no change ... mostly flat ... maybe a TAD out, but definitely doesn't look like an 'outie'.
Wedding rings on or off? very unfortunately off. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy! but definitely "done"!
Looking forward to: meeting our little guy!!!! 

36 Weeks - The 9 Month LIE!!!

Hi Everyone!

     36+ weeks down, and less than 4 to go!  As I sit here staring at a blinking cursor, wondering what to write (there's a million thoughts going through my head), I reflect back on my decision to start this blog back on week 13, and I'm so glad I did.  This journey is truly amazing ... but it is FREAKING long, I'll admit.

Here's my problem.  Everyone talks about pregnancy lasting 9 months ... but they lie.  Everyone LIES to first-time preggos.  It's not 9 months.  It's 10!  So, why ... WHY do they LIE?  Guess what ... I have a few theories:

~ My Angry Preggo Theory ~ It's completely psychological (hey, I was a psych minor in college!). The reality of going from one-digit months, to a two-digit month, is too much for a hormonal, potentially suicidal pregnant person to handle. By the 9th month, you've lost all ability to think like a rational individual.  EVERYTHING is annoying, and EVERYONE is an a$$hole. Yup, I can say a$$hole at 9 months pregnant, as long as the S's are replaced with dollar signs $$.  It lessens the blow.  If everyone said the gestational period was 10 months long, then all reproduction would cease and we would die off as a species. Two digits, is too much.

~ My Thoughtful Preggo Theory ~ with the one rational brain cell I have left, this is what I've come up with.  The gestational period is typically 9 months and 'X' days long.  On average, the baby comes out before hitting the 10-month mark ... so they can't say 10 months ... they must revert to leaving it at 9 months.  Reminds me of when I was in college and I had a 3.67 average in marketing, but my jerk professor wouldn't give me a 3.7 ... (which kept me out of qualifying for the 5-year graduate program by .02 of a grade, no less), because ... "If I gave you a 3.7, then I would have to do it for everyone." Such a BS reason!  But ... "almost doesn't count" ... right?  So, we are stuck with the 9-MONTH-LIE, and no masters degree. 

It is really long, though.  It doesn't seem as long when you watch someone else go through a pregnancy ... but when YOU'RE the one going through it ... it's long.  On my pregnancy tracker, it says that I've been pregnant for 257 days.  257 DAYS!!! Yup.  It's funny, though, because eventhough I've been pregnant for 70.4% of a year, I still sometimes forget that I'm pregnant.  Not in a dangerous way ... ("Yes, bartender, please pour me a vodka, straight up, and keep 'em coming! ... and yes, and I'll have the filet extra-rare with a side of ham and cheese sandwich and a hot dog ... thank you!")

No, what I mean is ... in my head I still feel thin, trim, and agile.  I sometimes forget when I'm laying down that I can't get up by sitting straight up.  It's sort of funny, too, because I attempt to get up by sitting up straight, and I just flop back down on my back. I then remember that I have to roll over to the side and prop myself up sideways ... oh yeah!  And, I sometimes put on a shirt I THINK I can fit into because it used to be one of my "bigger" shirts, until I put it on and it doesn't even cover Isabelly. In my mind, I still think of myself as this skinny, sun-kissed, beach-bum girl:

Until I catch my reflection in a mirror or window and, "AHHHH! Who IS that?"  haha it's true!  Ahhh ... will I ever be that little athlete again, or is my fear of becoming a washed up, "once upon a time" athlete inevitable?  I'll let you know post-baby.  If I remain in this forever-pregnant body, I will change my name, move to Oklahoma, and become a gypsy.

In the meantime, we had our 2nd of 3 September weddings this past weekend.  Our friends Mark and Daniela got married in Boston at the State Room and it was AWESOME.  We had so much fun! Dave was their Best Man, and for the last ... oh ... year, he's had some anxiety over giving his best man speech.  He worked very hard on preparing, and rehearsing his speech over and over again, but when it was time for him to get up there and speak, I think I was more anxious than he was.  I soon realized that this is what it must feel like to watch your child perform. I'm thinking ... at the free-throw line with .2 seconds left on the clock in a tie game.  Or in a spelling bee or something ;) You have absolutely no control over the situation, and there is nothing you can do but hold your breath, cringe, and hope to god that your child will succeed.  I all of a sudden had some serious respect for Ally Raisman's parents from the Olympics Gymnastics team:

In this case, I just hoped that Dave would be able to deliver the way he had done over and over in practice ... and thank god ... he did it!  He got laughs where he had hoped to, and he got the "aweeeeee"'s where he had intended them to be.  Phew!

In baby news this week, our little guy is the size of a FREAKING WATERMELON.  I can't say "watermelon" without the word FREAKING in front of it.  Because ... I AM GROWING A FREAKING WATERMELON INSIDE ME! Yesterday, at the grocery store, I saw a mom and a daughter tapping the whole watermelons to see which one they wanted to "take home", and now I am thinking ... I HAVE ONE OF THOSE INSIDE MY BELLY ... WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAP MY BELLY, TOO? IT KICKS BACK!!!  or, "Hey Lisa, how are you feeling?", "ohh, good, good, thanks ... just growing a FREAKING WATERMELON inside me".  jeez. 

Anyway, Bob is about 6.5lbs, but we will know a more accurate weight after next week's doctors appointment when we get our last ultrasound done :) At yesterday's appointment, the doctor measured me, and where she measured him having dropped last week, he was back "up" this week.  She said it could just be how he is positioned, but that he's "right where he should be".  I'm starting to get annoyed with that answer, hah. 

My blood pressure was a little higher than usual this week.  Because of how far along I am, she had me get some blood work done to rule out preeclampsia. She doesn't think that I am at a risk for this, but she wants to be sure.  I am not worried, either. I feel pretty good, and I think this was just a day of running around that led to a raised BP.

She also measured ... errr ... things downstairs, and I am not dilated at all at this point.  Looks like we're in for the long haul.  Hopefully, next week after our ultrasound, I'll have more info!

How far along? 36 Weeks, 5 Days

Countdown: 3 Weeks, 2 Days (or, 23 days!!!)

Total weight gain: at the doctor yesterday, I STAYED THE SAME WEIGHT! YAAAYYY!  Down to the ounce, baby! No weight gain this week.  Thank god!
Maternity clothes? yup!  Still mixing in some non-maternity outfits.  The dress I'm wearing in this picture is actually a regular dress, but I find that wrap dresses are easy to maneuver around the bump.
Stretch marks? No, thank god
Sleep: Sleeping okay ... last night was tough.  Lots of tossing and turning and mind racing.
Best moment this week: MARK AND DANIELA'S WEDDING! And also going to watch my SHOCKERS co-ed softball team play a game. It was nice to see all of my teammates and cheer them on.  Luckily, I still fit into my jersey, so I was able to sport that from the sidelines!
Miss Anything? yes ... everything! This fall-feeling weather makes me want to go for a run so badly.  Unfortunately, it's going to be a while before I'm out there running the streets :(  Oh ... and wine ... and a ham and cheese (again).  Oh ... and playing with the SHOCKERS!
Movement: Yes!!! lots! He is always rockin' and rolling!! I love it!
Food Cravings: a ham and cheese CALZONE. Yeap, I've upped the anty ... a regular ham and cheese sandwich won't do anymore ... it's gotta be a CALZONE.
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope!

Gender: BOY!

Labor Signs: Nope!

Symptoms: still feeling the "stabby-stabby-hoo-haa" pains, mostly when I'm walking Charlie, or when I get up too quickly.
Isabelly Button, In or Out? fairly flat ... sometimes (like when I'm full), it seems more out ... but I'm starting to think it may never pop out.  Oh crap, now that I've said that I'm going to wake up with the biggest outtie ever.
Wedding rings on or off? very unfortunately off.  Probably not worth buying a replacement at this point.
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy! but definitely "done"!
Looking forward to: next week's doctor's appointment, and SEEING OUR LITTLE MAN on the last ultrasound!!!!  YES!!!

35 Weeks - The Pregnant Dancing Queen!

Hi Everyone!

     35+ Weeks, and officially 30 days to go! And bring on our 'wedding season'!  We haven't had any weddings all summer (when I could have fit reasonably into a dress), but this month, we have 3 weddings!

This past weekend was wedding #1.  My friend and Dave's friend got married .. yup! It was a perfect wedding, and the happy couple looked so beautiful and happy!!!  I can't tell you how jealous I am that while I type this, they are in Hawaii.  Augh!

I did learn something at this wedding, though ... and that is ... that there is absolutely NO graceful way to dance when you are 35 weeks pregnant.  Nope ... none.  You can't even fake graceful dancing.  It didn't start off all that bad ... but it quickly went from 'not that bad' to just horrible. 

Let me try to describe it for you .... and for fun, I'll do it in a way that I think you'll enjoy.  Some of you may be familiar with the "What People Think I Do / What I Really Do" pictures that have been all over facebook.  Here is an example ... I chose the "Teacher" one because I know I have a good number of teacher readers!  You should appreciate this:

Here's my version explaining how I looked through the progression of the night. 

I was only able to link them through videos ... so I hope you enjoy them ... click away :)

How My Friends Think I Dance While Pregnant

How My Mom Thinks I Dance While Pregnant

How Society Thinks I Dance While Pregnant

How Kids Think I Dance While Pregnant

How I Think I Dance While Pregnant

How I Really Look While Dancing

Judging from the last video, you'll see that there is really no way to dance gracefully while pregnant!

By the end of the night, I was basically standing in place, but just moving my arms :)  My mind said "Go ahead, SHAKE THAT BOOTY!" but my body said, "yeah ... if you can find your booty, you can shake it ... go ahead ... try to find your booty ... I DARE YOU".

Needless to say ... we had an AWESOME time at the wedding, but my cankles were so bad by 1130pm or so, that we called it a night.  

We get to do it all over again this coming weekend when our friends Mark and Daniela get married! I am so exciteddddd!  

In other news, everyone has been so great ... Always asking me how I'm feeling.  Overall, I am feeling good! I'll say it again ... I'm so fortunate to have had such a great (dare I say ... easy?) pregnancy.  I am, however, starting to have some strange symptoms.

Here's your "that's too much information" warning ... if you don't want to know the gory details, then skip this paragraph ... this is your last warning.  Ok ... I'm starting to have some serious pain down ... well, ... downstairs.  In my ... hoo-haa ... it honestly feels like a knife, err ... inside.  It is NOT in my uterus, and as I understand it, it is NOT a Braxton Hicks contraction.  It seems to happen when I'm doing a lot of walking around. Today was tough ... I was walking with my boss and my bosses boss into a meeting.  They were walking fast, so I had to keep up.  All of a sudden I started feeling my "stabby-stabby-hoo-haa" pains, but I had to keep a straight face, as I didn't want to show signs of weakness!  I figure, it's good practice for pain management in labor.  If I can walk, talk, and keep my poker face going while the "stabby-stabby-hoo-haa" pains are happening, then I should be able to handle labor without so much as a wince, or drop of sweat ... right??  Why do I feel the need to share my experiences of "stabby-stabby-hoo-haa" pains with all of you?  Well, because if I were reading this, I would want to know the TRUTH.  The doctor says that this is a "normal symptom" due to the pressure of him dropping.  Well, NO WHERE I've read is there any mention of "stabby-stabby-hoo-haa" pains in the common 9th month symptoms.  So ... you've heard it here first, folks! It's normal, and it's all part of this wonderful journey we call, "the miracle of life" ...

Other than that, I'm feeling great, relatively speaking! This week we had a doctors appointment, and from here on out we will go once a week.  The doctor measured me and it looks like Bob has dropped a little!  That is a good sign! He's getting ready!  

He is about the size of a coconut!  He is somewhere in the 5-6 pound area, but we will have more of an idea in two weeks when we get our next ultrasound.  I'm really looking forward to that visit!  Most of his systems are mature, except for his digestive system.  This won't actually mature until after birth when he begins life on the outside, without the help of the umbilical cord.  

How far along? 35 Weeks, 5 Days

Countdown: 4 Weeks, 2 Days (or, 30 days!!!)

Total weight gain: gained another 4lbs at the doctor yesterday.  I'm starting to think their scale is broken.  It's gotta be, right?  That puts me at the big 40.  I really hope I don't join the 50+ club.  I'm starting to realize that my body is no longer my own ...
Maternity clothes? yup!  Still mixing in some non-maternity outfits.  The dress I'm wearing in this picture is actually a regular dress I found in a bigger size.
Stretch marks? No, thank god. How this is possible, I do not know, but I am going to whisper when I say 'stretch marks' now in order to not wake them ...

Sleep: Sleeping okay. I've been SO THIRSTY at night that it's contributing to my number of pee breaks, though.
Best moment this week: LISA LU'S WEDDING!!!!
Miss Anything? yes ... everything.  It was a little difficult watching everyone drink, dance, and  generally move without so much as an inkling of a waddle at the wedding.  I sniffed a few drinks just to enjoy the vapors.  I wonder if the lack of use of my sense of taste has helped to improve my sense of smell?
Movement: Yes!!! lots! He is constantly pushing and stretching out! Since he's dropped, it's gotten a little weird, though ... I feel him wayyyyy down low.  Ladies ... think about where your ovaries are .... imagine feeling little fingers moving down there.  Very weird to feel.

Food Cravings: nothing really ... I wish I had something fun to put here, but I don't! I just WANT TO EAT EVERYTHING.
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope!
Gender: BOY!

Labor Signs: Nope!

Symptoms: swollen feet! and ... "stabby-stabby-hoo-haa" pains
Isabelly Button, In or Out? fairly flat ... sometimes (like when I'm full), it seems more out ... but I'm starting to think it may never pop out.  Oh crap, now that I've said that I'm going to wake up with the biggest outtie ever.
Wedding rings on or off? very unfortunately off.  No replacement ring yet.  I'm too picky ...even with my cheap replacement ring!
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy! but definitely "done"!
Looking forward to: MARK AND DANIELA'S WEDDING!  Can't wait to give my dance moves another go!!!

34 Weeks - Bend ... and SNAP!

Hi Everyone!

     Happy Labor Day!  .... if only the LABOR in this case was in reference to our little man coming out early!!!  ahhh, a girl can dream, can't she?  I keep hoping that he will come out a week or two early, and there are two reasons why.  First, I am CONVINCED that this guy is going to be huge.  My doctor says he's measuring "right on track" to be a 7-8lb baby, (insert eye rolling <here>), but I just don't believe her.  I can feel myself growing by the minute, practically.  Plus, Dave was a big baby with a giant head, so if there is any chance that he will take after his daddy, then I would like to cut the 'baking' period a bit short.  I like my steak medium-rare, so why not my little babe, too?

The second reason why I'd love for him to come out a little early, is because it's getting a sort-of ... uncomfortable around here. It's becoming more and more difficult to find a comfortable position to lay in, and I feel like Bob is stomping all over my internal organs anytime I shift from one side to the other.  I am also finding it harder to get around.  Dave has to rent a commercial grade crane in order to help me out of a seated position.

The problem, is that in my mind, I still feel as swift and agile as I used to be pre-giant-preggo-bump.  So, I have it in my head that I can do things a certain way, but when I go to actually accomplish these plans, reality is proving to be quite different! 

Take, for instance, picking something up off the floor.  Sure, no big deal.  Just bend over and pick it up. Everyone have visions of the "Bend-and-Snap"?? .... "Just beeeenndddd ..... and SNAP!" Exactly! But, ohhhhh no ... Bob has other plans for me.  Bending is becoming a virtually non-existant move for me, and snap? You've got to be crazy.  In leiu of being able to perform typical human movements, I have been working hard to perfect three different ways of picking things up off the floor:

1 ~ The Squatter ~ this move is the go-to, and consists of me separating my feet/legs as far out to the sides as possible, and lowering at the knee into a Sumo-wrestler-like position.  Once I have a solid balancing foundation, I slowly lower down, down, down, and reach for the object.  The kicker here, is that I am usually left patting the ground all over, feeling blindly for the object, because if I lower and attempt to look down at the same time, I risk toppling over like a very drunken Sumo wrestler.

2 ~ The Belly Swing ~ this move begins similarly to The Squatter, with me separating my feet apart.  In this case, however, I am separating them so that I can have room to swing my belly down.  I usually have to hold onto something sturdy with one hand, and then I bend at the waist, situating my belly in between my crotch, while I grab quickly for the item!  (Without separating the legs, my big 'ole belly jams into my thighs, and Bob does NOT like that!!!!) Hey ... it 'ain't pretty, but it works!

3 ~ The 'Take a Load Off' ~ this is not my favorite, but in certain circumstances, is my only option.  This move consists of me collapsing to the ground (there's no graceful way to lower myself down to the floor anymore) and picking up the item.  The challenge with this move is figuring out a way to get back up! 

It's amazing to me how this once-athlete is not agile enough to even pick up something off the ground in a graceful manner.  Here are some other things I can no longer do well:

                                    * Glory Day Moves I Can No Longer Do*
~ Put Socks On ~ first, the idea of being able to actually put socks/shoes on from a standing position is out of the question.  I try to still do this by lasoo-ing the sock onto my toes, but usually end up toppling over.  I have to rely on The 'Take a Load Off' move mentioned above.

~ Painting My Toenails ~ this usually ends up in me making a mess.  I manage to almost do this by sitting on the couch and putting my foot up on the coffee table, but Bob kicks me angrily the more I try to reach my toes.  My recent attempts at painting my toes look like a 3-year-old enjoying a good fingerpainting session!

~ Blow Dry My Hair Upsidedown ~ the women reading this are familiar with this move.  Hang your head upsidedown and blow dry to generate more volume.  I begin to lose my balance, and get very lightheaded doing this move.  Now I'm stuck with flat hair!

~ Shaving My Legs ~ okay okay, I have an out on this one .... our WONDERFUL shower has two spa seats that fold down from the wall, so I am able to sit on the seats to shave my legs.  ahhhh wonderful (ahem ... someone buy our house, please!!) Anyway ... I would NOT be able to shave my legs without these seats! How do other women do this?

~ Take a Deep Breath ~ I haven't enjoyed a full breath in months.  I loose my breath when I present at work, have a conversation that requires me to speak more than one-word answers, or move in any way faster than a sloth's pace.

~ See Anything Between Isabelly and My Knees ~ ok ... this might be too much information ... but it's the truth and that is what this blog is all about.  I can't see anything ... south of the equator.  I have a theory about this, though ... I think god makes preggos have a big belly while pregnant so that they DON'T have to witness what will be going on 'down there' ... helps alleviate the anxiety :)

I could go ON AND ON with this list, but there are a few to give you an idea of why I am encouraging Bob to make his debut a bit early.  We're all ready!! (our nursery is another story .... but soon, I promise!)

This week, Bob is the size of a "large cantaloupe".  I don't know why they feel the need to put the adjective "LARGE" in there, but yes, that is what I have learned.  He is no ordinary cantaloupe ... he is a LARGE cantaloupe.  He is around 19-22in long and about 5.5lbs! At this point he is just working on getting fatter and fatter ... just like his mummy!!!

How far along? 34 Weeks, 5 Days

Countdown: 5 Weeks, 2 Days (or, 37 days!!!)

Total weight gain: 36lbs as of our last appointment.  Our next appointment is on Monday ... then we start going once a week!  I'm not looking forward to the scale on Monday ....
Maternity clothes? yup!  still managing to find a few non-maternity outfits here and there in my closet, but mostly in maternity clothes.
Stretch marks? No, thank god. How this is possible, I do not know, but I am going to whisper when I say 'stretch marks' now in order to not wake them ...

Sleep: Sleeping okay. My shoulders get cramped from sleeping on my side, though.
Best moment this week: Enjoying the LONG WEEKEND and catching up on some rest.  Dave painted more in the nursery, and WE GOT OUR CHANGING TABLE IN! It was supposed to be 8-12 weeks out, but came in after ONE WEEK! It is beautiful!
Miss Anything? yes ... my old clothes, my old body, my old athletic ability, my old workout regime, my old drinking habits ;)
Movement: Yes!!! lots! He is constantly pushing and stretching out!

Food Cravings: hmmm ... nothing really in the last couple of weeks, but I am constantly hungry ... even when I'm full.
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope!
Gender: BOY!

Labor Signs: Nope!

Symptoms: swollen feet! But only on my right foot!  And my fingers have started to swell, too.  Other than that, I am continuing to lose my breath.
Isabelly Button, In or Out? She's still mostly in ... but despite my yelling at her, she continues to work her way out.  She's just not a full outtie yet, thank god!
Wedding rings on or off? very unfortunately off.  Still don't have that replacement bling yet, but I'm going to look for one this week.
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy! Excited to meet this little creature!

Looking forward to: LISA LU AND ANDREW'S WEDDING THIS WEEKEND!  Our two best friends are getting MARRIED!  I am so freaking excited for this ... I can't wait to swing this belly all around the dance floor! Look out, bumper bellies!!!