Preggo Update - Week 33

I have to apologize for not updating last week. Things have been a little crazy around here and I have been trying to keep up with it all, but here is the best I can do :)

Conner:

Size - Conner is about 17 inches long and weighs apx. 4.5 pounds!

Activity – Conner is definitely growing into a big strong boy. He moves most after I eat and when I lay down, but even when he is sleeping I can feel his little movements. He gets the hiccups all the time and I can feel him all the way up to my rib cage. He love s it when I am around people talking… he jumps around in there like a little bean listening in on all the juicy conversation. He also kicks when I laugh.

Labor signs – I have been keeping a fierce eye on anything out of the ordinary and as of now everything is AOK. A few contractions here and there, but just practice ones, so nothing to worry about.

There is no doubt there is a baby in there! Conner is so big now that I can feel all his little body parts and sometimes I just sit and rub his back. His brain is growing so quickly that the size of his head has grown by 15% this month alone. His skeleton is hardening and he is gaining weight every day. He gains about ½ pound every week from now until delivery.

Me:
Size – Well, I have gained weight – a pretty normal amount, and otherwise feel awesome. I am getting used to my body and am enjoying my belly.

What I am wearing – I am on a never ending hunt for comfort. I feel super uncomfortable in jeans – as all the waistbands fall down and they are just too restricting. I am looking around for yoga pants and sweats, but my pride still has me in jeans. I have never been one to wear my PJ’s out of the house, but I may soon have to change my opinion on that one.

Strange stuff - Peeing has become my number one priority. If there is not a bathroom within close walking distance, then I will not be there. As weird as that sounds, it is the truth! It is like every fifteen minutes… I do drink about 140 ounces of water a day, so that may be the main contributor, but peeing has become my life. Seriously.

Food cravings – water, grapefruit, cupcakes, fruit, cheese, pasta, and chips.

Status of belly button – a visible outie now!

What I miss – jeans that stay put, my previous shoe size (my feet resemble Shrek’s minus the green), being able to see my feet, wine, my cheekbones, energy, and the ability to bend over without grunting.

In General:
Best movement this week - what I heard to be called “crotch lightning. When Conner decides to move his arm or hand quickly and because he is heads down, the arm is punching me in the you know where… it hurts and usually catches me by surprise. I just thought the name for it was hilarious... because it's true.

Most looking forward to – Ok, now I can say it… BABY! Conner will be here in 6-8 weeks and I have everything ready for him that I can possibly think of. He has a room, stroller, car seat, bouncers, enough diapers for an entire nation of pooping babies, wipes, toys, clothes, bathtub, he even has a pretty impressive book collection. All the things that have been marking my time have come and gone – setting up his nursery, the shower – now I am ready to relax and enjoy being pregnant and wait for my little man to come out and say hello!

Words to live by – Stop yourself from missing your “old self” before it is too late! I literally spent 45 minutes the other day looking through my Facebook pictures comparing recent ones of my big pregnant self to pictures of my much thinner tanner self from last summer. This is not healthy. I ended up thinking I went from a cute young looking girl to looking like the woman who has had so much plastic surgery she looks like a cat. I have since realized this and try to make a point of not only looking in the mirror and seeing how great I look, but also stopping myself from pouring over old pics of me that will be me again in a few months. It IS only temporary and I cannot start complaining now, so I deal with it and I will work hard when Conner gets here to feel sexy again!

Milestones – Like I mentioned earlier, Conner’s nursery is complete and his things are all ready to be used and abused. I feel like I need to make a few last minute purchases and maybe a to do list but for the most part I am feeling prepared. The shower was beautiful. That was the time of my life. I felt like a princess and everyone that came and spent some time were people that I genuinely wanted to see and talk to. The gifts were overwhelming and the generosity was more than I could have ever imagined. Conner is a lucky boy! Great grandma made him an embroidered pillow, a burp cloth and a handmade bib. Grandma knit him a hat and a beautiful wool blanket and Aunt Dana… well only a picture (which I will post soon) can describe the work that went into her gift. She cross stitched an entire quilt for Conner. It is so beautiful – he will have that forever. Everyone was thinking of Conner and I when they bought and gave their gifts and the love was awesome. It was so nice to be surrounded by all these women that I adore and trust. It was a wonderful day.

Now we are on the last leg of my pregnancy and I am starting to feel so many different things. I am feeling a little blue that I will not be pregnant for too much longer, excited to meet Conner, scared that I am not prepared or that something could go wrong, nervous and anxious about labor, and calm when I think about coming home with my son in my arms. I have started to sit in his room and read to him while listening to music – in an attempt to start some sort of sleep schedule and to let him know I am here. The rest of my little family – Dave, Dot, and Daisy are all excited and the dogs can feel it in the air, although they have been so amazingly good and well behaved the past nine months. Like they know I am a little more fragile these days and I need more puppy love. Dave is so excited as well, although he is the strong one – he is keeping me grounded and focused on the things that matter and not on the what-if’s. His practicality is one of his strongest qualities and is really helping me right now. My mother has also been great  – she and I always have the best talks about whatever comes to mind and she has been able to whittle some of my fears of the unknown down to almost nothing. My sister is helping me keep things light and airy and fun. She makes me smile and reminds me that you can laugh at anything. I am so fortunate to have such a strong support system that has been able to help me through everything that I have come across in the past months. Perhaps that is why this pregnancy has been so easy for me… I love you ALL!

Peace,
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