34 Weeks

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."- Joseph Campbell

 Happy Memorial Day!  That expression always seems strange to me since Memorial Day is a day to reflect on all of those who have paid the ultimate price in defense of our country.  I am so grateful to all of the men and women who have selflessly given up their lives for love of country.  I recently watched the ship in the picture above return from an eight month deployment.  I watched as helicopters and smaller boats moved troops from ship to shore during my workout (pretty good view from the elliptical huh!) and it made me very emotional to know that those men and women were returning home and families were being reunited.  J has done two deployments, and both times I have felt an insane sense of relief when he returned to have him safely home with me.  I cannot imagine the pain of not having him return.  I think it is very important to honor and remember those who have fought for the rights that we enjoy and not returned to their families.

Best Hug Ever! J's Homecoming 2012

This past week we hit the 34 week mark in this pregnancy!  It is crazy to think that in only a little over two weeks our Little Dude will be considered full term.  I am getting so excited to get him here!  I am trying to enjoy the last few weeks before our lives our turned upside down but I cannot wait to finally meet the Little Guy.  Last week I took a baby boot camp class which is supposed to help prepare new parents for what to expect once their baby gets here.  Between being the oldest of five kids and having gone through nursing school there wasn't much information that I didn't already know but taking the class helped me to get into baby mode so I appreciated that.

Really popping out now!

J had Friday and Monday off for Memorial Day so we took advantage and spent a lot of time at the beach.  J's brother and his girlfriend drove out from Arizona to spend the holiday weekend with us and we had a great time with them!  We went to the beach, had a bbq and played some games.  Another of J's brothers recently moved to California about an hour north of us so he was able to come down too.  I'm grateful that they were willing to make the drive to come see us!  I am so glad that J and I get along with all of each others siblings so we can enjoy their visits.  I was bad about taking taking pictures but I have a few to share.

Gorgeous beach days!

J and G headed out to surf

J and me at brunch

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 34 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  large cantaloupe
Total Weight Gain: 21 or 22 lbs- I didn't actually weigh in so this is a guess

Maternity Clothes: With the nice weather we have had I have mostly been in maxi or sun dresses but I definitely don't fit in regular clothes.

Sleep: I wake up to go to the bathroom or shift positions but I haven't had a hard time falling back to sleep so I'm still well rested!

Best Moment of the Week: Getting to hang out with J's brothers and B :)

Miss Anything: Not feeling like a beached whale while trying to get a tan at the beach.

Movement: Still lots of strong kicks and moving all the time.

Food Cravings: Strawberries and french fries

Symptoms: Nothing too bad!  I wouldn't say that I am comfortable but I still haven't had any swelling, heartburn or fatigue that can hit at this point.  I also haven't had to deal with any stretch marks (at least not new ones) yet so I have my fingers crossed that I will continue to avoid them!

Labor Signs: Not yet :)  He still needs at least a few more weeks to grow so I'm grateful for this.

Belly Button In or Out: In but moving a little more toward out.

Looking Forward To: Getting the nursery finished since J will be gone for most of the weekend.  I want everything to be ready to go by no later than 36 weeks.

33 Weeks

33 Weeks

My first week of unemployment went very well!  I didn't get quite as much done as I had planned on but I made a lot of progress, particularly on getting things organized.  I got the crib skirt sewn (1/2 inch seams are pretty much the worst idea ever for someone with limited sewing skills like me) and I tackled the mess that was the nursery.  After my Arizona shower, I stacked everything in the nursery and then pretty much left it there until this week.  I got everything sorted and came up with a basic organizational system for the room so while I still have work to do in there, everything looks a lot better!  J spent a lot of time today clearing out space in the garage for baby gear.  He bought a new shelving system and then he spent quite a while cleaning stuff out of Baby M's closet so that I can finish organizing this week.  I really appreciate all of his help! We also added a hutch to the dresser that J has had for a very long time and I love it!  I primed and painted it so that it would match.

Crib Skirt

Dresser with the Hutch

My dad was in Santa Monica with his business partners for a few days this week so on Wednesday I drove up north to see him at my Aunt C's house.  We had a really great time with good food and very entertaining conversation.  I have been so happy to see so much of my family this year!  Normally I only see them a few times a year but things have worked out this spring so that I have been able to see a lot more of them. 
On Friday I was able to watch a good friend's daughter who is six months old.  She was a perfect angel and it was fun to spend some time with a little one!  It made me even more excited to get our little guy here.  I can't wait to have him in my arms :)  Little Miss Q is a total sweetheart and she is such a happy smiley baby. 

Isn't she just adorable!

 I feel like I am starting to get to know our UPS man because so many generous friends and family have sent us gifts for Baby M.  This week we received some early shower gifts for my California shower and we are so grateful for them!  I'll wait until after the shower to reveal what we got but I was beyond thrilled. 

Thanks Aunt C, Uncle C, O and W!

I want to send my congratulations to a two different friends who had their babies this week!  D and A are high school friends of J and they were very blessed to welcome a sweet little girl to their family on Mother's Day.  My friend M is a military spouse who I have been getting together with to talk about all things pregnancy related and she welcomed her adorable little man on Thursday.  Congrats to all of you!
I also wanted to mention a book that I think that everyone should read.  Someone very close to me who I am very proud of wrote a book that is in the Kindle store on Amazon now!  I have read the book and I have to say that even if I had never met the author I would have thought it was a great book! It is a very cool story about a dystopian society in which teenagers are having to take on the responsibility of stopping creatures known as diggers from destroying the cities they live in. Please support this book by picking up Breaker by JJ Sharpe on Amazon!  You can click here to go straight to it.  It only costs $2.99 and is definitely worth reading!

 

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 33 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  Pineapple
Total Weight Gain: 20 lbs- I like to think at least a little of that is muscle since I was able to work out 6 days this week :)

Maternity Clothes: This week I mostly wore dresses that aren't maternity because we had gorgeous weather but I also wear maternity tank tops with regular (but stretchy) yoga pants for workouts.

Sleep: I am still totally lucking out and getting good sleep!  I wake up to go to the bathroom or move positions a few times a night but I haven't had any problems falling back to sleep.

Best Moment of the Week: Seeing my dad and some extended family.  Also, last night J and I watched a movie and he had his hand on my stomach the whole time so he was able to feel just how much Baby M kicks.  I love it when they bond :)

Miss Anything: Being able to sit comfortably without having to shift positions every 10 minutes.

Movement: We still have a very active little guy on our hands!

Food Cravings: Pepperjack cheese on everything!  I still ate a ton of strawberries too but not as many as last week.

Symptoms: I officially feel huge and it is getting harder to do things like get up off the floor without grunting or rolling on to my hands and knees but overall I am still feeling really good!  I have a lot of energy (I think regular exercise has helped a ton with that) and no signs of swelling or heartburn so I'm happy!

Labor Signs: Plenty of Braxton Hicks contractions this week but no real signs.  It's crazy to think that I only have a few more weeks before I really have to worry about labor!

Belly Button In or Out: In but the top lip of it flips up a little about half the time.  It definitely doesn't look normal.

Looking Forward To: Getting our little guy here!  But this week I'm really looking forward to J's brother and his girlfriend coming to spend Memorial Day Weekend with us :)

32 Weeks

Happy Mother's Day!  I am so grateful and blessed to have such an awesome mom in my life!  I am really looking forward to asking her for all kinds of advice once the Little Dude gets here.  My mom was a really great example for me and all four of my siblings and I can't imagine life without her.  I hope that I can be half as good as she was for Baby M!

Happy Mother's Day!  I can't to be able to celebrate with the Little Guy next year!

This week was an exciting week for me because it was the last week that I was going to be working.  I have really enjoyed my job over the last two years but at this point in my pregnancy I was just really uncomfortable and the kindergarten chairs were really making my back hurt so I was very ready to be finished.  I was planning on working Monday-Wednesday and then Friday was supposed to be my last day(I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday).  My patient ended up being out of school on Tuesday-Friday so things ended a little faster than I was expecting.  I will miss my job but I am looking forward to really having time to get ready for the Little Man's arrival over the next few weeks!

32 Weeks

I had my 32 week doctor's appointment this week and everything is still looking great!  I got to hear the Little Guy's heartbeat and ask a bunch of questions about delivery which was exciting because it means we are nearing the due date!  I have been very blessed with an easy pregnancy so my appointments are usually pretty fast.  I didn't have an ultrasound but the doctor was fairly sure Baby M is head down so now we just need him to stay that way!  We have less than two months to go now :)

We got a bunch of presents for Baby M this week!  Thanks everyone!

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 32 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  Honeydew
Total Weight Gain: 18 lbs

Maternity Clothes: yes but a lot of my regular dresses still work

Sleep: I wake up to go to the bathroom at least once a night but sleep has still been going really well.  I have my fingers crossed that this will last as long as possible!

Best Moment of the Week: Hearing Baby M's heartbeat :) 

Miss Anything: Being able to sit comfortably without getting kicked in the ribs

Movement: He has been extremely active this week.  He still likes my ribcage a lot.  He also likes to kick the floor if I am laying on my side which looks and feels pretty strange to me!

Food Cravings: Strawberries!  I ate at least 3 pounds of strawberries this week.  I can't seem to get enough of them!

Symptoms: I use the bathroom constantly and get uncomfortable if I try to stay in any one position for too long but I have still been having a pretty easy time with no heartburn or swelling.

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button In or Out: In but definitely strange looking and depending on how Baby M is positioned sometimes it looks ready to pop out.

Looking Forward To: Spending some time organizing the nursery and getting some projects done this week.

31 Weeks- Fun for the Derby

This past week was pretty busy around our house!  After we got back from Arizona, it was back to work for both J and me.  We drove back from Arizona on Monday and then we headed up to LA on Friday to spend the weekend with my aunt and uncle for their Kentucky Derby party.  We always have a great time when we go visit them and this weekend was no exception.  I have never been to a Derby party but we were told that hats were required :)  I am not really a hat person, particularly because my head is the size of an eight year old but I found a big floppy hat that matched my dress at Target.  I am working on a very limited wardrobe right now so I didn't have the luxury of finding a cute hat and then picking a dress to match but I was happy with what I ended up with!

 The party was a lot of fun and included lots of mint juleps (virgin for me of course), betting, delicious food and lots of hats!  My Aunt C and Uncle C have a gorgeous yard with a lot of space and they had a tent set up with a tv so that we could all watch the Derby together. 

J running the betting board

Hats!

 We got lucky and had a gorgeous day for the party.  Friday was really hot and it rained on Sunday but Saturday was perfect!  I didn't get many pictures but it was a lot of fun to see what everyone was wearing!

More hats!

C and C didn't want to let us leave emptryhanded so we ended up coming home with bourbon, flowers, and some chocolates.  We really appreciate them hosting us for the weekend!  We had a fabulous time!

On our way back down south today we stopped at Cafe Rio so that I could enjoy my favorite Cinco de Mayo meal since I can't have a margarita this year :)

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 31 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  Head of lettuce
Total Weight Gain: 17 lbs

Maternity Clothes: yes but a lot of my regular dresses still work

Sleep: I had one night where I was super restless and woke up a bunch with leg cramps (apparently a normal pregnancy symptom) but other than that sleep is still going pretty well!

Best Moment of the Week: The Kentucky Derby party with my Aunt, Uncle and Cousins

Miss Anything: It was a little sad to have virgin juleps instead of the regular ones and no margarita for Cinco de Mayo

Movement: He is still trying to train for kickboxing or something because he moves around a ton.  He really seems to like to keep his feet up by my ribs which can get a bit painful

Food Cravings: Cafe Rio!

Symptoms: I think Baby M moved up a little (or just grew more) because I seem to be getting out of breath easier than I used to (like by walking up a flight of stairs) and it is getting harder to take a deep breath.  I also had some leg cramps but I have avoided most of the bad symptoms.  I have been drinking a ton of water and working out which I think has really helped.

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button In or Out: In!  Though the top part has started sticking up a little.

Looking Forward To: My 32 week doctor's appointment this week where I can hear the Little Dude's heartbeat :)