Pregnancy Highlights: 37 Weeks

How Far Along: 37 weeks...he is probably around 19 inches long, and weighs about 6 1/3 pounds (unless you're Carter and your mommy’s doctor said you’re probably more like 7 pounds).

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I no longer keep track. I gained 3 since last week, but she said of course I would with all the fluid retention. I stopped caring.

Maternity Clothes: Still eeking by with my long-sleeves. Just when I think I can handle the heat no more, we have some cooler days and I survive. I refuse to buy anything new because I am holding out that maybe just maybe he’ll come early.

Gender: Boy.

Movement: Constant and hard. But we love it. Seth loves it more than me because his ribs are not being used as a punching bag. :) (In all seriousness, it lets me know he's alive and well!)

Food Craving: Eh, nothing really. Still the occasional cereal and Italian ice craving.

What I miss: sleeping, wearing shoes other than flip flops, shaving my legs without getting out of breath from bending over.

Sleep: Better this week, but maybe it is because I was so insanely exhausted from last. Nonetheless, it was greatly needed for both Seth and I.

What I am looking forward to: Carter is full-term now, so he COULD come any time. At my appointment yesterday, I was 50% effaced and 1 cm dilated, which I’m pretty sure means nothing. haha...BUT, be sure to go to the last post and guess when he'll be here and his stats. :)

Symptoms: crazy swollen ankles and feet at the end of every all day, overheating for no apparent reason, breathlessness, sciatic nerve pain, creaky bones and joints (I feel my hips pop sometimes when I stand), general feeling of discomfort, heartburn again, gurgling stomach/throat (from what I can only describe as acid reflux), general anxiety of not knowing when I’ll have the baby, etc.

Happy week 37 - only 21 days to go!

Baby birth pool

Let's play guess when baby Carter will arrive. :)

Seth and I (and many others) have taken to throwing out there when they think the little guy will arrive, how much he'll weigh, and how long he'll be.

So, when do you think he'll be here? How much do you think he'll weigh? How long do you think he'll be?

If you win, there are no prizes except a nice pat on the back, but let's play anyway! haha

I'll start:
May 2 (hey, I'm being optomistic, alright??)
8 lbs., 2 oz.
20.5 inches

Your turn!

Pregnancy Highlights: 36 Weeks

Warning: Negative Nancy pregnancy edition #2 (you may recall one several weeks ago)

How Far Along: 36 weeks...he is 18 1/2 inches long, and weighs about 6 pounds. I'm going to take a stab and say that he feels like he weights about sixTEEN. :)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I don't even think it's fair to keep track of this anymore because there is no feasible way it is ever accurate. Depending on the time of my appointment, I am retaining so much water I look like the 1/2 ton woman on TLC. I did ask if he was going to be a giant baby and she said "nooooo, he'll probably be upper 7s, maybe 8 pounds." I'm going to hope she's right on that one.

Maternity Clothes: I am thankful that it is to be slightly cooler again this week because I was running out of options of things to wear in 90 degree heat everyday. Everything I have still fits but is just starting to be too warm.

Gender: It better still be a boy because if he comes out a girl, I'm going to just die. Or else she'll be wearing a lot of blue, and will still be named Carter. haha.

Movement: A LOT. We love feeling exactly where he is and love identifying baby parts. I'm almost 100% positive that it is his knee that occasionally sticks out an inch or two on my left side. Too bony to be a foot. And he is moving almost all day now with very short down periods rather than the other way around.

Food Craving: Eh, nothing really. Probably italian ice if I had to pick something.

What I miss: I'll just sum it up with "not being pregnant." This week has been a tough one with serious swelling, rubbery joints, pain, etc.

Sleep: Let's just say that God is preparing me in a mighty way for motherhood by what I can only describe as significantly less sleep. I seriously toss and turn ALL NIGHT (Seth can attest to this because he is also a walking zombie some mornings because he gets no sleep either). I never wanted to get to this point, but I'm wondering if the poor guy might have to sleep in the guest bed some nights so he can actually get any type of sleep. Last night, I remember vividly apologizing to him two times during the night because I was so miserable and was keeping him awake.

What I am looking forward to: The fact that at the end of this week of pregnancy, Carter will be full term and then I can wish him here all I want. :) We can't wait to meet the little guy!

Symptoms: Swollen ankles and feet all day, overheating for no apparent reason, breathlessness, sciatic nerve pain, creaky bones and joints (I feel my hips pop sometimes when I stand), general feeling of discomfort, pressure of the baby dropping maybe?

Happy week 36 - only 28 days to go!

Grace Like Rain

Hallelujah, grace like rain

falls down on me.

And hallelujah,

all my stains are washed away.

Happy Easter!

Pregnancy Highlights: 35 Weeks

How Far Along: 35 weeks...he is 18 inches long, and weighs about 5 1/4 pounds.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Not sure, no real appointment until next Wednesday. I do have a quick nurse visit today to check B/P and urine since yesterday my swelling was really bad to my knees and my B/P was elevated when I stopped at CVS to have it taken after work. It's back down to normal now (was probably elevated due to a combination of nerves and the insane swelling). But just to be safe, OB is having my swing in for a few minutes today to just check. Better safe than sorry before the holiday weekend, right? :)

Maternity Clothes: Yes, and I might sweat to death if I don't find some short sleeved shirts to wear soon. I did go back into my regular wardrobe of flowy shirts and manage to find a few that work with pants that have a full panel (to help hold them down and keep the shirts from creeping up in the front) so that's nice. But seriously, this little guy makes me feel like I have my own personal space heater.

Gender: Boy. Carter Nicholas.

Movement: Still a ton. We can totally feel exactly where he is, and are starting to be able to identify parts besides the head which is pretty obvious. I think I touch his tiny little butt like 27 times a day because it is right at that spot where pregnant people always rest their hands on their belly. haha. Plus, often, we'll see a foot poke out the left side of my stomach.

Food Craving: Popsicles.

What I miss: Not having swollen calves and feet every.single.night. And not being out of breath when I walk down the hall at work. I think it's safe to say there is a baby foot in my diaphram. It better be a cute baby foot, that's all I have to say. :)

Sleep: There is absolutely no pattern whatsoever anymore. Some nights I sleep amazing and only get up once to go to the bathroom, other times I get up 3 times and can't sleep at all. A few nights ago, my mind was racing so insanely bad, I was certain I wouldn't get more than an hour or two of sleep....any worry a new mom can I have I did: what if my water breaks at work? What if we have to go to the hospital and we don't have our labor bag and CAMERA? What if I can't reach Seth when I'm in labor? What if my house is messy and we have to bring our new bundle of joy home to a messy house? What if I go out on maternity leave before my maternity leave plan is finalized at work? What if he comes early and something is wrong? And on. And on. And on.

What I am looking forward to: Picking up the glider today from Babies R Us. It's the last component of the nursery that was ordered and we were waiting for....well, except for the letters for above his crib which should be here soon! But we can at least live without those if he came. Also, in non-baby excitement, we got mulch delivered yesterday which Seth is diligently working on. So this should make our flower beds and gardens look lovely for baby C's arrival.

Symptoms: Swollen ankles and feet at the end of every day, overheating for no apparent reason, breathlessness, sciatic nerve pain, general feeling of discomfort, anxiety about the fact that we could have a baby pretty much any day but that in reality DEFINITELY within just a few weeks (almost a month!).

Amazing Video

I saw the story of this guy on someone's blog today, and....wow. That's all I have to say. His name is Zac and he is 33 years old, diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer, which has now spread to his abdomen. Medically speaking, there is no more hope for him aside from a miracle -- chemotherapy no longer works, and surgery is not an option.

Take a look at his story and send up a prayer for him. I read a few excerpts from his blog here and on his Twitter, and almost burst into tears in my office as he talked about preparing his wife and kids for "life without him" by teaching her about finances, how to grill, and how to raise boys.

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

It's amazing how watching a story about a complete stranger can make me want to hug my husband just a little bit tighter tonight.

Pregnancy Highlights: 34 Weeks

How Far Along: 34 weeks...he is almost 18 inches long, and weighs about 4 3/4 pounds.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Not sure of the total, but I LOST weight since my last appt! WOO HOO!

Maternity Clothes: Yep...tomorrow night, we're going to go try to find the good ol' (prepare for TMI) nursing bras I'll be needing. The new belly pic will be coming sometime this weekend.

Best Moment this week: Going to a car seat check to get his seat installed in our cars...NOW we're getting close!

Gender: A boy....who must want to play soccer or be the kicker for the football team. :)

Movement: Crazy amounts. So much so that, because of his length now and the fact that he must be squished in there, it literally feels like he is moving my organs when he shifts around. Sometime it just downright HURTS. And I'm pretty sure one of those cute, tiny little feet is somewhere between 2 of my rib bones.

Food Craving: Pretty much back to cereal. And toast. And Italian Ice.

What I miss: When I could wear shoes other than flats to work, not having to prop my feet above my heart every night, a nose that isn't clogged.

Sleep: Off and on....I have had a few nights lately where I've only woken up one time to go to the bathroom and aside from that slept wonderfully. Then last night, I tossed and turned ALL NIGHT, which hurt when doing so. I feel like I want to wake Seth to help me roll over without pain.

What I am looking forward to: Going to BRU this weekend to order the glider which will make the nursery look complete! Oh, and also the fact that there are only 6 weeks to go AND technically, he is full term in 3! :)

Symptoms: Swollen ankles and feet at the end of every day, stretch marks (which are actually fading so that's nice), and a few sharp pains at the bottom of my belly. Also, like I mentioned above, he sometimes feels like he is kicking or shifting my internal organs. Sometimes when I'm just sitting at the computer I'll suddenly get out of breath for no apparent reason. It's then that I feel like he's kicking something like my lungs. :)

Baby Shower #2

On Saturday, my mom and sister threw Carter and I a baby shower for the PA family and friends! And, just like the one in NJ, this one absolutely made everything feel so much more real. In fact, there is just over 6 weeks until the little guy gets here, assuming, of course, he doesn't want to delay his arrival and be late. :)

It was so much fun -- it was held at a super cute place nearby called Events, Etc. Lots of friends and family were able to come and celebrate with us. The theme matched the invitations and was turtles!!

Here are some pictures of the shower:

The centerpieces (under the turtle tag was Carter's monogram!)

The tables all set up!

The food! It was very good!

Cake -- white cake with strawberry filling!

Ultrasound picture on the welcome table -- surrounded by the turtles!

Turtle cookies made by mom, my sister, and grandma

All of the gifts moved into Carter's room

Working on his closet -- everyone brought a book to the shower, so he has 2 FULL shelves of books plus a tote of them in the living room. Love that he'll have lots to read! :) He was also blessed with tons and tons of clothing so he won't go naked, that's for sure!

His bed is all ready for him -- now we just need HIM!

We are very thankful for the shower and I was so excited to see so many friends and family there. Thanks to my sister and mom for planning the day! :)

Pregnancy Highlights: 33 Weeks

How Far Along: 33 weeks...he is over 17 inches long, and weighs slightly over 4 pounds (though I'm going to be frank...he feels like he weighs 20) :)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Like 24 I think.

Maternity Clothes: Yeah...went to the consignment maternity shop a few days ago but only had luck with one short sleeved shirt. They had a TON of pants and shorts but we'll be getting out of pant season soon (and I'll be fine on dress pants and jeans for the rest of the time anyway), and there is no way I would be these swollen legs in shorts. I was hoping to find a bunch of longer tops, but they still had mostly long sleeved. Bummer. I'll check again soon. The place is SO CHEAP. It is all Motherhood Maternity, Liz Lange, and things like that for like $4 or $5 an article of clothing.

Best Moment this week: Scheduling Carter's newborn photos!!!!

Gender: A boy....who must want to play soccer or be the kicker for the football team. :)

Movement: So much it is unreal. My stomach moves all the time. I felt him have hiccups for the first time yesterday. It's pretty cool because we can feel exactly where he is all the time because of how hard it is at that spot. Seth loves to find where he is and how he is laying!

Food Craving: Nothing really. Pretty much out of the cereal phase so when I'm finding it challenging to find a snack I want. The past week or so, those real fruit popsicles seem to be hitting the spot.

What I miss: When my feet weren't so swollen every day, wearing my wedding rings (though I probably could -- we won't risk it though), sleeping through the night.

Sleep: Eh, getting sort of rough again. I just wake up SO MUCH. If it isn't to go to the bathroom, it is because the baby is kicking the tar out of me. A few nights ago, I just grabbed Seth's hand while he was sleeping and put it on my belly. Instantly my entire stomach shifted and he said "oh my word, no wonder you can't sleep." Yeah, tell me about it. :)

What I am looking forward to: My PA baby shower is tomorrow!!! Plus, I get to meet baby Emily AND set up Carter's nursery!!! WOOO HOOO!!!!!

Symptoms: Swollen ankles and feet at the end of every day, stretch marks appearing, and a few sharp pains at the bottom of my belly...not sure if it is some type of Braxton-Hicks contraction (I have no idea what to even expect!) or him kicking something. Never lasts more than a few seconds.

ABCs of me

My life is consumed by pregnancy lately. :) Seriously, it feels like I work, eat, sleep....oh, and prop my feet up so that I don't have cankles from the swelling.

SO, as a break from all things pregnancy-related (until tomorrow's 33 week update), I'm doing something I saw on someone else's blog.

Age: 25
Bed Size: Queen -- sometimes wish it was a king but we would have no space in our room!
Chore you hate: Emptying the silverware part of the dishwaster, cleaning showers
Dogs’ names: Bentley Maximus
Essential “start the day” item: Breakfast! Love it!
Favorite color: Turquoise blue
Gold or Silver: Silver
Height: 5'4"
Instruments you play: None anymore...used to play the flute. haha
Job Title: Marketing Specialist
Kids: One furry kid and one human baby almost here!
Living Arrangements: ranch house
Mom’s Name: Sally
Nickname: D, Dee, Doc (one of my co-workers calls me this since we work at a hospital and my initials are DR)
Overnight hospital stays: None
Pet peeve: Lying, when people don't drive the speed limit in normal weather, when the house gets messy after it was just cleaned, when Bentley takes pieces of his dog food and drops them all over the house
Quote from a movie: And who is going to poison theiw baby with the dwugs of westewn medicine? Woo Wooo! (Baby Mama) :)
Righty of Lefty: Righty
Siblings: Old sister, younger brother
Time you wake up: 5:33 a.m.
Underwear: Um, yes????
Veggie you dislike: Lima beans, peas
Ways that make you late: Slow drivers, TRAFFIC (story of my life)
X-rays you have had: Oh boy, dental, legs, knees, ankles, back, fingers -- a lot!
Yummy food you make: Anything I make :) hehe
Zoo animals you like: Haven't been to the zoo in a LONG time...bears, tigers, giraffes