37 weeks

Skin
Pale, pale, pale. Pale legs make even the slightest nit of swelling... unattractive? To say the least. My skin is getting thin for sure, and this baby trying to bust out of my abdomen aliens-style is not helping. Seriously, Baby G is head down where he or she should be and pushing out against the front of me when stretching. Craziness. Sometimes it hurts. Meh. 


Weight/Clothes
Down a 1/2 pound from my appointment last week, though I certainly feel bigger. Life is getting a little more difficult in the simple ways of sitting up in bed etc. Sitting up from laying down flat when you have a watermelon on your midsection = tres difficile. 

Cravings/Aversions
Meh, not hungry. Drinking water, eating protein, you know. I am having the weird burst of nesting energy they say hits some women in the last few weeks though and LOVE cooking right now. So, we are rolling with that. 

Cramps/Pain
Yikes with the pressure in the groin. Baby is weighing heavily down there, and it still hurts my right side if I try to roll over there...I dunno why that side hurts more, but the belly definitely needs support these days. 


Also... Braxton Hicks! Yay! Just a few, but they are definitely happening. Fun times. They don't hurt at all, they are just weird and there. Intriguing.


Sleeping
Doing ok, but it is HOT out. We live in a 100 year old house with 1 zone heating and cooling...and let me tell you that the last two summers upstairs have been fine for me. But, this summer spring has been ooc. When it is 98* all day beating down on the top of the house. Bah. The nights are warm for a preggo. We bought one of those fancy tower fans with temperature control the other day though, so we will see how that works out. At this point it is more about it being cool enough for baby to remain comfy as well.


Plus, I am getting woken up by baby movements! This baby wants to rock and roll all night apparently. But I get to practice sooting techniques by patting and rubbing my belly and saying soothing phrases. Usually calms him or her right down...for an hour or so. 


Mental State
So excited! Did you not see the post from yesterday? Ah! Fun times. Also, I find myself getting slightly jealous of all my teacher friends who are getting out for the summer...and then I remember to not be jealous because they will all be FREE to hang out with me and Baby G all summer long! Woot!


Also, I am really feeling great lately about this pregnancy and how it has been. I think I finally breathed a sigh of relief (that I didn't even know I was holding in) knowing I was full term and that things were going a-ok. I am totally at peace, and will miss being preggo for sure, but I am getting to the point where I am so.ready. to meet this baby. And not in a "get this baby out of me NOW" kinda way that I was sure I would be feeling by now. Give me till I pass my due date and check back. Ha. 

Heartburn

Boo.

The Girls

Hangin out. They have been the slightest bit sore this week, so i am wondering what that's all about. Growing again? Quelle surprise. 

Fetal Movement

Groovin! So funny. The alien movements are ooc with my belly now. And I think that we are far enough along that Baby G has started developing a sleeping pattern. Turns out this baby is nocturnal (like most other newborns) and really wants to play when I am going to bed and in the middle of the night. 

Oh, and any time I chew ice. Baby LOVES ice. Just like momma. Swoon.

Swelling

Still there, BP is still rocking it out and baby's heart rate is all good, so apparently it is environmental. Oh and that whole huge volume of blood thing. You know. All of that fun stuff. 

Appointment Updates

37 week appointment was great. First it was all exciting because as I was pulling into the parking lot I got a call from Nell, one of the midwives, that I would need to go to the main office rather than the midwifery because she had a woman laboring and about to give birth! Yay! I got so excited for that unknown woman!

Anywho, I trotted over to the other building and got to see Beth, whom I love, so all was dandy. She told me my Group B Strep test came back negative (wooty woot! no IVs for me!) and that everything seemed to be swimming right along from their end. She checked my cervix (just in case since husband's next few days/weeks are spotty in being able to attend our child's birth). And I am 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced! Woo! I mean that is not like a huge thrill and is totally normal at this point, but exciting that things are doing what they are supposed to! Yay!

Weird Stuff

I am nesting like CRAZY. I don't think I have ever had such an eye for dog hair in my whole life. I want to be scrubbing baseboards and reorganizing closets...and A just wants to relax. Which is totally understandable but leading to a bit of tension since I cannot.let.it.go. 

Everywhere I look I see some little mess or another than needs to be in TIP TOP SHAPE. Then I get tired and go to bed. I really just wish I could be home all day instead of tethered to my boring desk job and cleaning. So, instead I make lists. All day. It's a good little stress reliever. 

Since I don't have the real photo from yesterday with me...I snapped this in the bathroom. I wish you could see my cute black sandals because then the flower wouldn't look so rando. But, I am comfy. 

37 weeks, 1 day along

...and that dress in the cell phone photo is yet another example of non maternity clothes that you can use while pregnant. It's at Target RIGHT NOW for $18. Seriously. I almost bought it in every color because I think it will make nursing easy and accessible and is just plain cute. (P.S. Waaay more colors online) Others were buying it as a swimsuit cover up? I mean sure, if you want to, but I promise it's a dress.