39 weeks

Here we are! 39 weeks! When I look at this week's picture compared to last week's, I kind of feel like my child doubled in size. That's the only explanation. Yikes.

We had an ultrasound on Wednesday to measure his general size, as well as the amount of fluid around him, and everything looks great. They estimated that he's about 7.5lbs - give or take - and they didn't see any issues at all with his size. All week, I kept reminding myself that this boy is His before he is ours and no matter what, he is fearfully and wonderfully made. Praise God for that.

Now. Let's have this baby :)

38 weeks

I've never known a waiting game quite like this, but I can't say it's my favorite.

To have everything ready and to feel this excited, yet to have no idea when the big day will be? Well, that's nothing short of torture. Or an exercise in patience and surrender, if you're looking for the silver lining or something.

There's not much to report on the developmental side of things - the boy is just hanging out, getting ready to make an exit.

We have an ultrasound on Wednesday to make sure he's growing alright. Apparently, my belly is measuring just small enough to almost raise a red flag, so they want to take a look and make sure there isn't anything going on that they should be aware of. The doctor didn't seem terribly concerned and I'm sure that if it was a big issue, they would have scheduled the ultrasound right away instead of tacking it on to the next visit. Either way, a prayer or two would be greatly appreciated.

As for the parents-to-be, we're doing well. Andrew's staying busy, I'm trying to do the same and we're making the most of the time we have together in between.

Any guesses on whether he'll be early, on time or late? We're really hoping and praying that he comes maybe five days early - Andrew is more likely to be given some time off if he comes during that part of his schedule than if he comes later.

So please, pray for early :)

37 weeks...full term!

I can't believe it. I mean, really? Full-term? Craaaazy.

I'm almost scared to declare it, but I feel ready. The bags are packed. All the clothes are washed. The guest bedroom is (almost) ready for my mom to come hang out with her new grandson.

Oh and Braxton Hicks? Holy smokes. I was all, "Braxton Hicks won't be that big of a deal. I probably won't even feel them." But over the last few days they're kind of stopping me in my tracks. It freaked Andrew out the first few times my sentences were littered with "ow" and "whoa" but now I think he's used to it. He probably won't believe me when it's the real deal.

By way of updates, there really aren't any. He's ready when he's ready and who knows how big he is.

Exciting, isn't it?

36 weeks

We're just chugging right along! I'm not feeling as sorry for myself this week as I was last week. Maybe it has something to do with the prenatal massage, facial and pedicure I was blessed with this weekend. Maybe ;)

Our boy is pretty much just hanging out at this point...

• He's still gaining weight - about an ounce a day - bringing him close to 6lbs. So am I, in case you were wondering, except it feels like maybe I'm gaining a pound a day. And I'm really not exaggerating.
• He's losing most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the waxy substance that's kept his skin from getting wrinkly for the last several months.
• At the end of this week, he'll be considered full-term! And we have an appointment on Wednesday to make sure he's in a head-down position, so hopefully all is well with that.

On Sunday, the ladies at our church had a baby shower for me and we got most of the final things from our registry - plus some really cute other things, of course. I feel so blessed by them and all the others who have been so generous toward us. I'm thankful that our son will know such amazing people.

Hopefully he doesn't wait too long to come out and meet them all :)

35 weeks (and a little bit of whining)

Andrew's had the last four days off and I have to tell you - I'm not ready for it to be over. I took today off so we could spend some time together before he launches back into this crazy schedule. The next time he has this much time off is the weekend that the baby's due. WHOA.

Anyway, here are the baby stats for this week:

• He doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and over 5 lbs, so it's a tight squeeze in there. And I can tell.
• His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products.
• Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks just putting on weight (but hopefully not too much!)

So, can I be honest? Week 35 isn't quite as awesome as the others. Aside from the sudden swelling (goodbye, wedding rings!) and the inability of my body to control its temperature (hello, hot flashes!) I'm just feeling more emotional by the day. At any given moment, I feel excited and overwhelmed and blessed and uncomfortable and hungry and scared and big - and I just think that it's bound to come spilling out soon.

Don't get me wrong, I love carrying this boy. I love that my body is doing this - that's it's giving him exactly what it needs and that it can take care of me at the same time. I love the pure joy that is living inside me. I love the secret kicks and tumbles that are just ours to share. But there are a lot of emotions wrapped up in all of that, right?

But fear not, for I am taken care of.

I have the most supportive husband - who tells me daily, if not hourly, that I'm beautiful - and who was on his hands and knees this morning scrubbing the shower because I'm pretty sure that job would have sent me into labor.

And then there's that Peace that usually comes in the middle of the night when I'm awake for no reason that reminds me that I am doing a good work. And that He is here. And He is sufficient.

So amen to that.

33 and 34 weeks

It really has been quite crazy around here, hence the tummy pic hiatus last week. But we're back! Here are some updates for the people (read: grandmothers) following along:

• He weighs about as much as a cantaloupe (4.75 lbs) and is around 18 inches long. Of course, we have an ultrasound coming up soon and that may tell us otherwise!
• He's losing the wrinkled look and is packing on the pounds, which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born
• His skeleton is hardening
• His central nervous system is maturing, as are his lungs
• And for those of you wondering what would happen if I went into labor anytime soon, babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do just as well as full-term babies

As for me, I'm doing about as well as a big pregnant lady can be doing at the end of a Charleston summer.

I kid - I'm still feeling very well, but I can feel myself getting more and more tired each day. It just takes a lot to operate a body under these conditions, you know? But despite all of that, the whole "nesting" thing has really kicked in. And I don't hate it. Like today when I swept, vacuumed, cleaned out three closets and a cabinet and did four loads of laundry - all in about two hours.

Just six-ish more weeks, folks. Question for the mamas: did your first baby come early or late?

(Please say early)

Happy Labor Day! :)

32 weeks

Eight weeks, people. Give or take. I keep thinking of it as "at least eight weeks" but then it could really be six or seven.

!!!!!

This week, there's not much to report except he's growing, growing, growing. He weighs a little under four pounds and is about 16 and a half inches long. And apparently, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight just in the next few weeks. Go, baby, go!

Andrew and I had an awesome weekend. He started "on crew" tonight which means he's working this schedule for the next four months:

7 mids (12-hour overnight shifts)

2 days off

7 days (12-hour daytime shifts)

2 days off

7 swings (11a-11p)

2 days off

4 days of wonky hours that we aren't sure about yet

4 days off

And repeat. Fun, right? Anyway, we soaked up what's left of normalcy this weekend by staying up late, sleeping in, eating cake, watching Netflix and snuggling. All of that really happened. It was wonderful, but it also made it reeeaally hard to kiss him goodnight at the front door when he left for work an hour ago.

But so it goes. Only a few more months and then we're on to the next thing, whatever that thing is. The Navy is good at keeping us on our toes like that.

Hooyah, shipmate :)

31 weeks

You know what's great? When you're standing in the grocery store with your husband, comparing canola oil brands, and he says "You're big." Romantic, that one ;) It's okay, though. I honestly take no offense. I catch a profile view of myself sometimes and think the same thing. Big.

At 31 weeks, here's what we've got:

• He measures around 16 inches long and weighs a little over three pounds (or as much as four navel oranges, if you're looking for the produce comparison)
• A growth spurt is on the way, which makes sense considering he has 4+ pounds to put on in the next few weeks.
• He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump up as he accumulates fat underneath his skin
• And his movement is increasing. Indeed it is. I think the whole "bowl full of jelly" thing started with a pregnant lady, not Santa.

I'm in full-on nesting mode, with lists all over the place and to-dos running through my head when I should be sleeping. But I know that it will all get done and if it doesn't, he'll be here anyway.

And that makes me all fluttery and smiley inside.

30 weeks

I started to type out the title for this post and I had to look at the calendar twice before I was convinced that yes, I am in fact 30 weeks pregnant. That is a lot of weeks.

And a lot of belly.

This week has brought a few things to complain about, but I still feel so thankful to be growing this baby. As far as we know, he's healthy and happy and I can't believe my body is doing all of that for him. The Creator is quite impressive, amen?

As for the baby stats, he's a little over 15.5 inches long and weighs about 3 pounds. His eyesight is also continuing to develop. Apparently, he'll only have about 20/400 vision when he's born, which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. Bless him.

Andrew and I are making progress on the baby to-do list, but I feel like there's still a lot left to cross off. I think that maybe we've done enough so that I can start working on the rest without Andrew's help. Maybe.

Hope your week starts off fabulously...

29 weeks

Really? 11 weeks until my due date? Hold. Your. Horses.

I feel so excited about meeting our boy, but I also feel a liiiiittle bit like he's coming faster than I can cross things off my list. Get used to it, right? But I will say that after experiencing some pretty consistent back aches and sleepless nights, I won't mind having my body back. (I know my body will still be taken over and my nights will still be sleepless and yadayadayada, but you know what I mean!)

Anyway, it's been a big week for the little mister...

• He weighs about 2.5lbs and is around 15 inches long
• His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature
• His head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain
• His skeleton is hardening, so I bought three gallons of milk today to stock up on calcium (actually, that was only because it was on sale and we like milk)

Up this week: pictures from the shower on Saturday, random thoughts that have been keeping me up at night aaaaand maybe some more baby-related crafts. Maybe.

Hope your Monday was fabulous!

28 weeks (3rd trimester, whaaat?)

Phew.

This week has left me feeling a bit exhausted. After fretting about the possibility of having gestational diabetes, reading all about breast feeding and natural childbirth (more thoughts on that later this week) and then getting a crash course in labor and delivery, I'm feeling a little bit like I need a nap.

I definitely feel more prepared and excited to have this baby than I ever have before, but preparing for it is still exhausting. And mothers everywhere are saying, "Just wait 'til he gets here."

Anyway, I'll elaborate on some of those thoughts later. In the meantime, here are some stats on our boy:

• We're now in the third trimester. Whoa.
• He weighs about 2.5 lbs, or as much as a head of Chinese Cabbage. Not regular cabbage, Chinese. Just wanted to make sure that's clear.
• From head to heel, he should be around 15 inches long.
• He has eyelashes and is blinking.
• He's developing billions of neurons and adding more body fat.

And mama's doing well, too! My biggest complaint? Back pain. Wah. But we got an exercise ball yesterday and even just sitting on it takes some major pressure off, so I'm feeling good about that.

That's all for now, folks. Hope your week starts off happily.

27 weeks and pictures of friends

There aren't many updates on the developmental front, other than the fact that he's growing A LOT. Other than that, we're just chugging along!

This weekend, Andrew and I went to Greensboro to see one of his old college roommates get married. Can I just tell you how much it warms my heart to reunite with these people?

Also, can I tell you how much it warms my heart that friends share pictures? Otherwise, I wouldn't have any since I forgot my camera. So thanks, Christina :)

There were a few folks who couldn't make it, and who were missed dearly, but the GREAT news is that there's another preggo in the group (due a few weeks before me) and we're the lucky recipients of a shower/cookout in August. Love.

Hope your Monday is going well, my friends...

26 weeks!

I told Andrew that we're 14 weeks away from the due date and his eyes bugged out of his head. That seems to be a common feeling around here these days. When did time start moving at lightning speed?

This week, we've got a little hothouse cucumber-sized baby on our hands! At least that's what babycenter.com says. Also:

• The network of nerves in his ears is better developed and more sensitive than before, so he probably is able to hear a lot from the outside
• He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs
• He's fattening up!

Gotta love those fat rolls on little baby legs, amen?

24 and 25 weeks!

Better late than never, right? That first picture is from the shower we had a few weeks ago - which I'll recap soon, I promise! But you see that headband? It's from Oh, Sweet Joy and I looove it. That is all.

In baby news, here's what our little guy is up to these days:

• He's about 13.5 inches long and weighs about a pound and a half
• He's getting baby fat - ohhh, the cuteness
• His brain and lungs are growing more and more, so send your prayers for lots of intelligence and strong breaths
• He's developing taste buds

Mom's doing well, too. I love to sleep, eat and say things like, "but I'm growing your son!" when I need Andrew to pick something up off the floor for me. So yes, I'm great :)

After getting our first round of baby gifts, I can't wait to for this little guy to get here. I can just see him all snuggled up in some soft PJs after an evening bath. I plan on sniffing his head A LOT.

23 weeks!

We're just chugging right along, aren't we? I realized this week that I'm less than a month from the third trimester and I stopped breathing for a few seconds. How can that be? In some ways, the time has gone by so slowly. And in others, I feel like he's going to be here in just a few blinks.

Anyway, in baby development news, there's not much to report. He's almost a foot long and weighs just over a pound. His hearing is also picking up and they say that he'll be able to hear more and more, with sounds like our voices or Rudy barking becoming more familiar.

I feel him all the time now and can usually see his little kicks on the outside. In the morning especially, while I'm still in bed and on my back, I can put my hand on my stomach and feel him actually moving around - not just kicks, but his body squirming all around. It's so crazy.

I've loved being to share that with Andrew, since so much of pregnancy is felt only by the one doing the gestating. And he's a strong, active little guy. Last night, I was on the couch and Andrew had his hand on my stomach. He wanted to see if he could get him to move, so he nudged my belly. The baby kicked. He nudged again and the baby kicked again. Nudge. Kick. Nudge. Kick. It was pretty funny.

We had a great weekend and I can't wait to get all the pictures together to show you all. Happy Tuesday!

22 weeks!

Oh, he's growing now! {name that reference and I'll give you a yankee nickel}

Here are some facts about our little man:

• He's almost a foot long and weighs about a pound. Or knowing my luck, he's two feet long and weighs 5 pounds.
• His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct
• He's developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums
• His eyes have formed, but his irises still lack pigment. Our cute little albino baby!

I also read in one of my books this weekend that he can hear more and more each day. Andrew keeps humming Beethoven to my belly in hopes that our boy will be a musical prodigy. We'll see about that.

I'm still feeling great. I've been having some hip and back pain that can be a nuisance, but I have a very stylish (not) maternity belt that has made a bit of a difference in the last week or so. Hopefully that will continue.

I'm also somewhat of a crafty nester at the moment. All I want to do is sew and paint and decorate for the baby. I have a few things done already, so look for it all on the ol' blog in the coming days. And as we get more done in the nursery (eeeek!) I'll show you that as well.

Until then, send some good baby-growing vibes my way...

21 weeks

I feel round. All of me, everywhere, just feels round. At the end of the day, all I want to wear is a giant t-shirt so my body can finally breathe. And guess what? In case you were wondering, humans gestate for 40 weeks. What's that saying...? Something along the lines of it's all downhill from here. I know I shouldn't complain, but I feel like this happened overnight. Everything is just a liiiittle snug.

Silver lining? I work from home and my husband thinks t-shirts are sexy (sorry, Dad) so I can wear stretchy pants and 100% cotton all.day.long. And I will.

Moving on...

At 21 weeks, this little bambino is the size of a carrot. That confuses me a little because last week he was supposed to be a banana and I feel like carrots are smaller than bananas? But, whatev. He can also hear things from outside the womb, so Andrew likes to get really close and say, "Heeeeeeeey, behbeh" in a really deep and kind of creepy voice. I'm afraid this child won't recognize his father when he actually sees him.

Also, this boy moves around. He's been kicking all the time lately and I love it. We can even see little jumps and twitches on my stomach if I lie flat, which is bizarre, but so cool.

Aside from being a teensy bit uncomfortable, I feel great. I feel happy and motivated and just good. Honestly, all complaints aside, I really love being pregnant.

And I love this boy.

20 weeks (half way!)

I really, really can't believe that this pregnancy is half way over! In the beginning, I felt like the days were dragging by. Now, I just want things to slow down a little bit because when I think about all the things I'd like to happen between now and the little one's arrival, I start to get the shakes.

Also, how do you take care of a baby anyway? Yikes. Just keeping it real.

So what's going on with our boy? There's not much to report except that he's the size of a banana and he's learning how to swallow. And he moves a lot, especially when I first start a meal and when I start to settle down for the evening. I think that might be my most favorite thing right now. A few times this week, I've actually felt him from the outside of my belly, which made me smile. I tried to get Andrew to feel, but he can't tell the difference between a muscle twitch and baby kicks. Hopefully, in a few weeks it'll be easier for him to notice.

In other baby news, we're working hard to get the nursery cleaned out. What is now the office will become the guest bedroom and what's now the guest bedroom will become the nursery. So we have a lot to do to get all of that ready, but it's fun. I like to stand in that room and think about our boy being in there in a few months.

It's so crazy and surreal, but it's happy. So happy.

19 weeks

There we are at 19 weeks! We were fresh off I-95 from a trip to NC, feeling like you do when you've been in the car for 5 hours. But the bump is cute, eh?

So what's new this week?

• The little one's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he/she may be able to hear my voice, so maybe I should start imparting wisdom now :)
• The tomato-sized bebe weighs about 8.5 oz and measures 6 inches, head to bottom
• The arms and legs are proportional to each other and the rest of the body (always a good sign)
• Hair is growing on that sweet little head (which I can't wait to sniff, by the way)
• I think this is cool: there's a waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on the skin to keep the baby from pickling. No pruny kiddos for us!

As for the mama and the papa, we're settling in with a new routine this week. Andrew's been given a stash job until school starts in July, so he's gone during the day. We're mapping out a to-do list for evenings and weekends (which is growing by the minute) and trying to make the most of our time together this summer. There's a lot to be excited about!

Things I love: milk, the maternity shorts I just got in the mail, bacon, air conditioning, hush puppies and the fact that about 40 hours from now, we'll know whether we've got a boy or a girl cooking in there.

Things I don't love: eggs (although I think the gag-reflex is fading), the 95 degree weather, Rudy's bad breath and the fact that I can't have a glass of red wine. Or two.

Also, I can feel the baby moving all throughout the day and I love it. He/she apparently likes to party it up around 10pm. If this is a sign of things to come, we're in trouble.

18 (almost 19) weeks

I'm not doing so well with sharing the updates on time. Somewhere between taking the picture and writing the post, I get distracted by food and walks around the neighborhood and my husband, who is gracing us with his presence again. I'll try to do better.

Maybe.

Here I am at 17 weeks (which I skipped altogether) and 18 weeks. The first one was taken when I was in Black Mountain for Mothers Day and the second was taken the day before my honey came home. Both were good days.

Let me tell you something. Between last Friday (the white shirt pic) and now, I feel as if I'm expanding by the minute. And I'm sure it's only going to get worse. All I know is that elastic is my friend. The end.

He/she is about the size of a bell pepper now (weighing in at around 7oz) and I'm feeling movement! That's been really incredible. I'm still feeling great - I'm getting less and less tired, although I still try to rest when I can. And the headaches aren't a problem anymore. I find that I get winded more easily, but I've started doing better about exercise just so that I'm building endurance/flexibility however I can.

My appetite? Unbelievable. So far, I've gained about 5 lbs. Last night, Andrew and I were eating dinner and we were talking about a friend of his who is pretty serious about a girl and is considering marriage. I told him that I'm a fan of marriage. His response?

"I like marriage, too. But I like it a lot better when my wife doesn't eat all of her food."

Poor guy. He's used to getting whatever I don't finish, but there hasn't been a lot of that these days. He was watching every bite thinking, maybe now she's done. Nope. Definitely not done. Ever.

And next week is the big appointment! It looks like you all are leaning more towards boy. I honestly don't have a clue, so I think I'll be surprised either way. Only one more week! :)