Week 35

Everyone has told me that fetal movement should be slowing down around the last few weeks of pregnancy but it has so far been just the opposite. I feel Kendrick all of the time and I LOVE feeling his little knee or foot brush against my hand when I put it on my belly. I think he has moved more this week than any other week in pregnancy.

I don’t know if this is a prego thing or not but my hair has been amazing. I can easily go 4-5 days without washing it and not have it even begin to look oily. It could partly be because of winter but I have NEVER been able to go that long before and still have it look so good. I wish I could remember how many days it had been in the picture but the fact that it was in a pony tail means it had probably been at least 3. I hope it is something that doesn’t change after pregnancy.

So my milk (colostrum) has started to come in. I think it came at the very beginning of this week. It is hard to remember exactly. Luckily I don’t have to wear a pad or anything but when I put on lotion it will leak. It is kind of freaky having my body change without my little man here but It is good to know that I will be able to feed him when he arrives. Nate and I have taken a breastfeeding course and I feel a lot more confident with that method of feeding now that we have more information on it.

 

Week 34

I woke up Thursday morning just super excited to be having a baby. I think it is all becoming more and more real knowing that Kendrick will be full term in just 2 short weeks. My midwife didn’t help my excitement by telling me that I’m 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I can’t help but feel like I am one cm closer to meeting my little man. I am finally past my fear of having Kendrick early. I feel far enough along now that I think I will go full term (at least 37 weeks). My contraction/ Braxton hicks are a lot better than they used to be. I still get them often but they are more sporadic that I’m thinking my water will break before they are a constant 5 minutes apart and worth going into the hospital.

Nathan has been such a wonderful husband that I just keep hoping I luck out with a little miniature Nate. I hope our little man gets lots of Nate’s qualities. I have been really looking forward to having a boy! I love the idea of having a boy first just for the big brother roll. I always looked up to my oldest brother so I’m glad our future kids will have a brother to look up to too. I am also a fan of the simplicity of a boys outfit. All you need are adorable hats or shoes and the outfit is complete.

Whelp I am too tired and sick to think of what else is new for week 34. Mainly just excitement!! Happy days are ahead and Nate and I are living up the last few weeks of it being just us.

Week 33

This has been Kendrick’s growing week. I have had sooo many people comment without hesitation on my belly. I have been wearing shirts that weren’t made for pregnancy and I swear that in one day from morning to night the shirt went from fitting me to being too small. Sadly my belly isn’t the only thing growing either. I have been unable to find a bra that is comfortable enough to last me a day at work. I have switched over to nursing bra’s just because I knew I would be needing them eventually and I’m busting out of my old ones. When I have back pain I almost want to blame it on the growing breasts more then the tummy but I’m sure it is a little of both.

I found out what it is like to be pregnant and have crazy dreams. I have had a few dreams now where I wake up and really don’t want to think about how I could have possibly dreamed what I did. There is absolutely no logic in my dreams and they make no sense whatsoever. I’m super lucky that I can still sleep through the night though and so I’ll take the weird dreams as long as they come with all the REM’s.

Can you tell a difference just from last week or is it all in my head?

Week 31 and 32

I have been too busy to blog the past week with Thanksgiving so I thought I would just combine the weeks. I have been eating LOADS of sugar. Nathan and I have had a brown cow (cookies and cream ice cream with chocolate milk) almost every day of the week. I have had a lot of comments on how much I have grown in the past week so I will have to get pictures of week 33 up soon for the ultimate comparison. I think my sugar eating is really paying off on the weight gain.

I had an ultrasound and midwife appointment this week. I can finally say that I have passed my birth control weight.. It only took me till my 32 week but I finally did it by 2 pounds. I really really hate birth control and pregnancy has been a breeze compared to what I experienced on that unnatural drug.

My placenta was measured at the ultrasound and is only about 2.2cm away from my cervix. My midwife feels confident that I should be fine to deliver vaginally but I have a higher chance of possible bleeding. The worst that could happen is that I would have to have a C-section but at least I can try for a natural birth.

This picture was taken during a contraction so you can see just how round and tight my uterus gets.

Thanksgiving day picture taken before the big meal. (A day before week 32)

Week 30

This week Kendrick has really been a kicker. He is constantly on the move and making me smile. His little foot is either in the triangle between my ribs or kicking my right rib. It is fun to feel his limbs but I wish that I could feel them somewhere other than my rib. I don't think he has kicked my left side ribs once and I find that a little odd. He must have found his comfort spot and isn't willing to give it up :)

I felt hiccups for the first time this week. My sister-in-law explained what it should feel like and then I was finally able to notice. Thinking back on it I don't think that Kendrick has had them very often but I look forward to paying closer attention now that I know what it feels like.

So I have been adding some sugar back into my diet. I am trying really really hard not to get carried away with it. I am working on just enjoying one treat a day. I went to a midwife appointment and I had lost weight and I really don't know how to gain without the yummy sugar. My goal is to just be careful about not getting carried away through the holiday season but hopefully I will be able to enjoy a treat here or there. I may just work on increasing my protein as much as possible rather than go down the sugar route, but we will have to see what my body and Kendrick like more : )

Only 9 more week until I get to meet the little person growing in me.. So excited.

p.s. The Hypnobirthing classes have been going great! Yesterday we talked about fears and I think that a small baby is my fear. The only baby dreams I have are of Kendrick coming early (Tuesday Nov 22 to be exact). I think I have dreams of Kendrick coming early because I'm scared of him being small. I just need to get past my fear of having a tiny baby because even if Kendrick does come on his due date I know that an 8 pound baby is tiny and that freaks me out. I still just can't believe that I am going to be a mom. Being responsible for a tiny person is really a big step in life and I hope that I can handle this step in my life.

Week 29

Little Kendrick was spoiled and loved this week. We had another baby shower and were blessed with good company, food, and presents. It felt so odd to be opening presents for little Kendrick when he isn’t here to enjoy it, but I sure do enjoy his gifts. We got lots and lots of children’s books which I just couldn’t resist reading and enjoying now.

We had our final research study appointment yesterday and I can hardly believe that we made it to this point. We had an ultrasound, exam, blood drawn, many pokes all for the very last time at the U hospital. I even had to wear the sleep monitor last night and I felt more pregnant in my first trimester wearing it than I did last night. I still feel like I am living in a dream with this whole pregnancy and yet I have a movement in me reminding me of just how real everything is. I hope I start feeling like a mom sometime soon and that I don’t have to wait until Kendrick is here in order to feel like he is mine.

 

Look at Kendrick’s giant foot. I’m hoping it means he will be tall and not just have big feet!

Is this picture not super creepy and look like a toddler is growing in me? (He is an ounce away from 3 pounds)

Praying hands in front of the face :)

Week 28

This week has been full of appointments and guessing games. I have been scared to eat many foods because I didn’t want my stomach to hurt again. I am eating a bland diet while trying to gain weight and it isn’t easy. Before last Friday I would eat just about anything that sounded good and now almost NOTHING sounds good. I just have to start cooking something and hope that I’m in the mood by the time it is done cooking (which usually I am : ) ).

I wish that I had something significant for this week to mention but it seems like a basic week. I still have braxton hicks/ contractions a lot of the time but I’m not too worried about it. I think that they are sporadic enough that unless I start dilating I won’t be going into labor anytime soon.  In fact night time is when they come on strong and often so I’m going to make a prediction now that when I do go into active labor it will be at night.

I almost forgot to mention that I started the Hypnobirthing classes this week. I am really excited about incorporating it into my everyday life. The instructor did a guided hypnosis at the end and I am pretty sure Nathan fell completely asleep, but I’m thankful for his support anyway. I think that it is going to be a good method of birthing for us.