Preggo Update - Weeks 35 and 36

Conner:

Size - Conner is about 18 inches long and weighs apx. 6 pounds at the beginning of 36 weeks!

Activity – Conner is continuing to move around quite a bit and is really making waves for mommy. I can feel his feet, knees, spine, and neck.

Labor signs - A few contractions. I will get 2 intense ones right next to each other and then won’t feel another one for about an hour. I can feel that they are definitely getting stronger and longer. They are not patterned at all, so real labor has yet to begin.

Conner is getting bigger by the moment (and so is mommy!). He gains about ½ pound a week and is right on track. He is fully viable now so he is welcome to come at any time. At 37 weeks, he is considered to be full term and can stay in there from 37 weeks to 42 weeks… so a big eye roll to all those who think that 9 months is a full pregnancy. It is much more like 10 to 10.5 months –so there. Otherwise Conner is healthy and I have no worries about his ability to come into this world as a perfectly formed human.

Me:
Size – OK – it should be pretty obvious now that I am ready to be done. Not to say that I am not happy and loving being pregnant with my little dude, but I am getting to the point where I just want to meet him and feel normal again – not that I really remember what that even means. I am getting pretty big… most people, when they see me, make comments to my belly stating that I am “ready to pop”. That pretty much sums up how I feel. I feel like I am physically and mentally ready for Conner to come and my body agrees.

What I am wearing –Not that it really matters at this point, but I am still trying to wear all my maternity clothes. I spent a lot of time acquiring this maternity wardrobe and feel the need to wear as much of it as I can until I won’t need it anymore. I am aware that I will most likely be wearing some of it after Conner comes, but I am not going to lie – I am looking forward to zippers and buttons.

Strange stuff – Well… besides my face looking so puffy I barely recognize myself, my hands and feet swollen to the point of no return, and my boobs resembling a National Geographic photo I am really doing OK. I am having a little trouble staying asleep and am pretty much married to the bathroom – but these are all boring normal things that every pregnant woman goes through. The only things now that I think about are all the baby dreams that I have been having. For a long time I was never pregnant in my dreams. I seem to have skipped my pregnancy altogether and gone straight to motherhood.

Food cravings – Girl scout cookies! Water, pineapple, peanut butter, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Dave’s grilling

Status of belly button – a visible outie now!

What I miss – Green, lilacs, sleeping through the night, wine, seeing my feet, being able to move without thinking about it first, and my friends.

In General:
Best movement this week – I love feeling his little feet move across my belly. It kind of tickles from the inside and I look forward to it. I can really get him to respond to my touch and can predict exactly when he will be awake and sleeping. He seems to like the early evening and mornings for sleepy time… maybe I will luck out!

Most looking forward to – Meeting my son and watching Dave hold him for the first time. I am tearing up even writing this now. I cannot wait to be a mommy and I know Dave is excited too. He even made a pancake shaped like a teddy bear today in practice for a little one.

Words to live by –Stay busy. I have learned that my pregnancy has flown by because I have been able to occupy my time fairly well. I have especially tried to do that for the last month knowing that I don’t want to sit too idle just waiting. I have tried to stay active, make lists at home of things I can do and take full advantage of my nesting impulses. I have tried to make contact with as many friends as possible, made lots of time to be with Dave, taken classes, and worked on getting organized for my time off. All of these things make me focus on the task at hand and not the weeks to come that can seem a bit daunting.

Milestones – I am in my last month. Today is exactly one month away from my due date and to me that is so crazy. I never thought that I would get here… it never seemed real. I felt like I would be pregnant forever! I knew the whole time my pregnancy was going to be great and that Conner and I would make it though strong and healthy, but 10 months is a long time. You start to forget what it feels like to not be pregnant. Really, by the time my leave is up – I will have been out of commission for an entire year. I am happy and excited though. I am not groaning that I am so ready to be done, but I am looking forward to the finish line; I am OK waiting a few more weeks too. Whatever is best for Conner and I…

Homestretch! My to-do list from last week has pretty much been completed. I have registered at the hospital, mailed all my thank you cards from the shower, washed and put away all of Conner’s things, packed my hospital bag, and am now focusing on last minute details. I just have to put a few things away in the nursery, clean a few rooms, have the car seat checked, and just relax. It is so nice to have everything ready to go!

Dave is convinced that Conner will come on the 14th. I looked at the weather for that day and noticed that it is a full moon – the only one in April, so he may just be right. I was originally set at the 16th for a due date – we will just have to see. That means only 22 more days!

Peace,
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