37 WEEKS!

A lot of changes are happening in my body this week. It feels like we're gearing up for the big day! My breasts have become sore and full again so hopefully they work. It's still a mystery to me that I can nourish my baby fully. My hips and back have been in a lot more pain and it feels like they are spreading. I think she's probably dropped further because I feel a lot of punching really low in my cervix. My center of balance has changed completely and I feel like a teeter totter. My swelling has increased somehow. I honestly didn't think that was possible. My belly has grown a lot this week and my shirts are barely covering it. I developed a new stretch mark and surprisingly it's on my squishy love handles and not the super stretched belly skin. Go figure.

Sunday I got up and started sorting through all of the gifts and arranging things. We have so many clothes so I had to sort them by size and make a pile of duplicates to exchanged. Later Steven, Dad and I went over to my sister's house to help clean up after the mess we made at the baby shower. We all ended up going out to dinner at Paul's Place and then met Steven's Dad at Cerritos park so they could play with their RC boats. Charlotte had fun driving the little boat and playing with sticks in the gross pond water. Dad got to test out his newly upgraded boat and they flipped Steve's boat so many times that the rescue craft gave out. All in all it was a lovely day.

On Monday my Momma left for Thermal, CA (Palm Springs area) for a job interview at a public high school. They hired her on the spot and wanted her to start the next day! Such a surprise and a big change, but how can you turn down a decent job offer no matter the commute? She's staying with my grandparents who live out there until she can find a room to rent. We met up with Michelle and went to Babies R Us to make some exchanges and get the rest of the items that we need. I'm so glad she was there to remind me of what I do and don't need since my brain feels like a mushy mess these days. She also bought us a mattress while we were there, as if she hasn't done enough already. I love my family! She came over later to visit with Momma before she left for the week and we went through Mom's closet and planned some outfits for her. Hopefully we made things easier and helped her feel comfortable making a good impression.

Tuesday we headed to UCI for our usual NST and everything looked good with me and the baby. Steven headed to his Dad's house afterward to fly their airplanes. I think the ended up doing more tinkering than flying as generally happens. LoL I spent the rest of the day napping, resting, sewing, and doing baby laundry.

Wednesday and Thursday were lazy days with nothing in particular going on. We ran a few errands and I worked a bit more on organizing things.

Friday morning we had a Dr. appointment at the clinic. I finally hit the 200 lb mark I've been dancing around for a while now. So that puts me up 3 lbs from last week. She said I was measuring 34 weeks and that the baby's heart rate was good. She's still head down and cervix is still closed. I've told her the last few visits that I haven't been feeling well with headaches and nausea and since my sugars have been really good she had me do a blood test to see if I'm anemic. I'm already on iron supplements so I'm guessing that maybe I need more? After we finished at the clinic we had to run over to UCI for another NST and ultrasound. The nurse said that I had a happy baby and everything on the monitor looked perfect straight out of a textbook. She measured my fluid and said everything was fine there too. We didn't get to see the baby this time though because they seemed a little short staffed and the nurse was in a hurry. I came home and took a nap after all that running around because I felt nauseous again. Steven went out racing his RC truck and I stayed home and failed miserably at being productive. Momma got home late and we talked about her new position. I think she's going to be pretty happy there. :)

Saturday Michelle and Charlotte stopped by to visit with Mom but she was out with my Auntie all day. So we went back to Michelle's house and ate at the chicken place and dropped by JoAnne's to get a few items I needed. Gotta love those 50% off coupons! We stayed at their house pretty late playing Mario on the Wii. Auntie Anne dropped of the crib that she and Mom bought for us. Steven got a wild hair to put it together at midnight so Dare helped him build it. It's so beautiful and matches the changing table. Thank you!!



I received a few birthday cards this week. :) Diane also sent some sweet bracelets that she made for the baby. So cute!



Here is my 38 week picture. I hope I don't grow much more, although everyone (even strangers) say that I'm small for 9 months. I'm not sure how many of these weekly pictures I have left!

36 WEEKS!

This was a crazy busy week and I've been feeling awful through most of it. I feel like I'm coming down with the flu most of the time and my stomach hurts almost constantly. The aches and pains have reached a new level so I know something is happening in there. My energy level is up and down, but mostly down. There is so much to do but so little energy to get it all done. My Dr. told me to take it really easy so I'm doing that the best I can. The problem is that sitting or laying down for long durations is very uncomfortable. Belly dweller's movements have slowed down a lot and only occur at certain times of the day. But when she's moving she really lets me know it. I've had a lot of Braxton Hicks down low and started having a bunch up high. My muscles are all sore from it, but nothing has been regular enough or strong enough to make me go to Labor and Delivery. I have specific instructions for when to go and none of those things have happened yet. I'm really hoping that she decides to come soon! Well, after I finish getting everything together of course. :)

Sunday we re-arranged our furniture and cleaned up our room. It's so nice to have the extra room and some organization. The downside is that I'll have to put my sewing machine and craft table away so that the crib and changing table have a place to be. I need to hurry up and finish my projects so we can get it out of the way. Steven was supposed to go to his skate reunion that night but his friend's all bailed on him so we went to Michelle's house to visit with Robert and Jewelya some more before they left.

Monday I spent most of the day sewing and later Mom and I met Auntie Anne for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. Whatever they put on their sandwich bread is pretty amazing.

Tuesday we had a NST at UCI in the morning. Everything looked good and they scheduled us to come back on Friday.

Wednesday Steven and I ran some much needed errands. I started having a lot of pressure and contractions. It now feels like my pelvis is separating for real.

Not much happened on Thursday. I felt sick and laid low for most of the day.

Friday was my OB appointment. I found out that they changed my due date to Sept. 16 so that's why the Dr. keeps saying I'm farther along then I thought I was. Blood pressure is good, measuring right on target, my group B test came back negative, cervix is closed, baby is still head down, and I lost two pounds weighing in at 197 lbs. After that we went to UCI for another NST and the baby looked good on the monitor. I had one small contraction that they registered but nothing major. They also did a quick ultrasound to check my fluid levels since Gestational Diabetes can cause excess fluid. I measured just under 20 cm which the tech said was on the generous side but still in the safe range. She was so sweet and tried to steal a few pictures for us but little one had her hand in front of her face. Here is the best shot we got, the big black circle is her eye opened looking right at you.

Aunt Jeannie came down from Havasu, AZ for the baby shower a day early so Mom and I met her for lunch and then they went shopping while I'm went home to finish making the party favors. We had a nice afternoon and evening visiting with her and then took her over to Michelle's house later that evening so she could stay in her guest room.

Saturday was the big day! Our baby shower!! We had an amazing time and my sister far out did herself. I know she put so much money and planning and time into it and it showed everywhere. Everyone said they had a great time and it was a much bigger turn out than I had expected. It was almost standing room only. :) We received so many gifts! It was so nice to see family and friends I have seen in a long time and get to catch up with them a bit. Steven said the men had a good time playing poker and chatting outside. We all partied until it was pretty late. It's so exciting that our baby girl has so many people anxious for her arrival. There are so many pictures so I'll probably make another post with a handful of pictures from the party.

Here is me at a few days past 36 weeks. Steven mentioned this week he thinks I've dropped. What do you think?

35 WEEKS!

I am worn out! Only two more weeks until term and five weeks until our due date. I can't believe how close it is but it still seems so far away. I'm hugely swollen in my legs and feet and slightly swollen in my face and hands. Little girl has quiet days and busy days in there. Her movements really cause pain now. I still haven't been kicked in the ribs so I'm thankful for that.

Sunday we finished re-arranging and painting the living room. It looks soooooo much better! We've already received so many compliments on it and the space it opened up is amazing. It's now very comfortable to sit in there. And the dogs are loving the extra room, especially Bernice (Great Dane) since she has to roll back and forth with all her legs in the air.

Tuesday we did the finishing touches on the living room and had the new TV and Internet service installed. Mom and I went to buy a rug at home depot we saw on sale and it rang up even cheaper than we thought! A lovely cream 9x12' rug for $60! It works perfectly in the room too. Momma did a great job weeding out some knick knacks and books and I think she's happy with the result. I still need to paint the trim and door jams white one of these days, sew a few odds and ends like a valance and table skirt, maybe a few throw pillows, but other than that it's finished!

Wednesday we went with Steven's Dad, Grandpa Steve, to Babies R Us and picked up our travel system. I was only going to buy the infant car seat but he insisted that we needed the whole system. They had one left in stock of the color we wanted so we snatched it up! G. Steve still wanted to peruse the store after that so I'm not sure if he was really interested in baby stuff or has something else up his sleeve. We are soooooo relieved to have that major purchase out of the way and so very thankful for his generosity! All of our parents have been great to us and we're so appreciative for wonderful family to lean on. Here's a picture. :)



Thursday was our bi-monthly Dr appointment at the clinic. We met with the Dr this time and she was unusually chatty. My blood pressure was good but weight not so much. I'm at 199 lbs (holy cow) and up 7 from two weeks ago. My baggy maternity pants aren't fitting any better so it must be water in my legs and baby in my belly. Nobody said anything about my weight gain so I'm hoping that's ok. I measured 34 weeks which is spot on. Baby's heart rate was good and I think this was the first time she held still for the Doppler. Usually they are chasing her around to try and get a reading. I had to get swabbed for the Group B Strep test which is standard procedure. If I am a carrier then I'll have to have antibiotics during labor. I guess while she was in there she decided to do a cervical check. I have had some ugly procedures done in my lady regions in my time, but nothing prepared me for how badly this would hurt. It wasn't the Dr's fault, I've been ridiculously tender from the hips down for a really long time now. She said my cervix was closed and didn't mention if it was soft or not. The baby's head is "right there" so she said that's probably why I'm feeling so much pain and pressure. Baby has been head down and ready since the 20 week scan though so I'm thinking she's as anxious to get this over with as I am. :) I now am at weekly Dr appointments and Non Stress Tests (NST) at the hospital twice a week. We start this madness on Tuesday.

Friday we had a gathering at the house for Robert's birthday. He and Jewels and Dax are visiting from UT for a week. I spent the day cleaning up and running errands and cooking. We had quite the crowd actually. It was a really long day and I was beyond exhausted. It was great to see Jewels and Dax again though. It's too bad they live so far.

Needless to say Saturday wasn't a great day for me. Steven wanted to make room for the baby finally so I wasn't about to stop him. He did most of the planning and moving and I just agreed with whatever he wanted. I honestly have no opinion at this point, just get it done. LoL. He did a great job though and it's giving us so much more space in our room. In the evening I had a lot of gas pains up high in my stomach that felt like knives stabbing me. I couldn't catch my breath at all, like having the wind knocked out of you for a few hours. Oh man I was miserable. A hot shower helped some and moved the air bubbles around but it made me start contracting a lot which was really uncomfortable. After last night I can honestly say that I'm ready for the end. I didn't get much sleep so I think Sunday and Monday will be lazy days. I was supposed to meet Michelle and Robert and the gang at the beach but they called to say that paid parking was full so I stayed home. I was bummed but looking back it was probably a good thing I didn't go.

Here is me at 35 weeks. Steven said something that caught me off guard the other day about being agile even while pregnant. I certainly don't feel that way! I had to ask his help to get my pants on the other day. He's so funny, and does his very best to make me happy. Still no stretch marks on the belly!

34 WEEKS!

This week was full of projects around the house. Things are pretty much the same with baby and me. Some days she's active nonstop and others she is very quiet. I feel the same, hot, tired, swollen, lethargic, sore, etc. I'm getting excited and anxious for this part to end and the newborn part to start. I'm sure I'll miss being pregnant though when she's here.

I spent the weekend mostly sewing up tons of wipes. It feels good to finally have all of that finished. I sure hope that huge stack is more than enough. I know they all look boyish, but decided to use up a bunch of flannel we already had.



Some great news for this week is that I'm finally confirmed to deliver at the hospital I really wanted. The admitting department called me with a few questions and ran my information since I still don't have a MediCal card. They said since I'm only on it for pregnancy services I can deliver there. YAY! It's a huge weight off my mind to know where I'm delivering. It's also the same place I have to go for my NST's starting in a few weeks.

On Wednesday Mom and Dad and I went over to Michelle's house for dinner and helped her finish making the baby shower invitations. She's super creative when she wants to be. LoL. They turned out really cute!

Thursday through Sunday we started a big project of redecorating and rearranging the living room. Mom was such a tropper and was able to weed out many items we took over to Goodwill. We painted the walls and moved the furniture and now it's much more open and a far more functional space. It was a lot of work but well worth it.

On Saturday we took a breif break from the painting and went to the race track so Steven could collect his first prize trophy. It's fun that he won something while he's over there playing all of the time.

I had a fever on day this week that I couldn't shake. I felt awful and hot and seem to be getting more headaches. Luckily the fever only lasted a day and didn't turn into anything like the flu.

Here is the 34 week picture. Looking a bit ran down.

33 WEEKS!

Yay! Only 7 more weeks until our due date and 4 weeks until term! I’ve been pretty hot and moving slowly between the bigger belly, sleeping badly, and my feet hurting. I’m getting more swollen everywhere. It’s moving up my legs and I’ve had to quit wearing my wedding ring. Baby girl is pretty mellow, or I’ve just gotten used to her movements by now, hard to tell which. I can feel hard lumps in my belly and I think she likes to lay the same way most of the time. Her head is down, arms punching my cervix and bladder occasionally, back to my left and feet over to the right-ish. She gets me good on the sides sometimes and it really hurts. I don’t think my abdominal muscles like being stretched. The nausea has been gone for two weeks now, yay! I’m keeping my sugars under control and for the most part feeling rather well besides being worn down. We had a busy week so be ready for picture overload.

Monday was our second wedding anniversary. We did…..absolutely nothing. LOL. I got him a card and two roses. I know he’ll make up for it next year and he did a lot for me on Mother’s Day so I can’t complain.
On Tuesday his friend Brian gave us a toddler bed, mattress, and changing table. I’m not sure if we’ll use the mattress or not. He scrubbed everything down and put the changing table together and it looks pretty nice. I need to get some baskets for the lower shelves and of course a changing pad for the top. Donny came by with Brian so we chatted for a bit. I also made a purse I found online. What do you think?



Wednesday was a super busy day! We had our 32 week Dr appointment. I weighed in at 192 lbs, a 1 lb gain from last time. High five to me! They told me to eat less at my last appointment so I went away from the guidelines of my diabetes diet and started eating 4 meals a day instead of 3 meals and 3 snacks. It’s been working out much better for me. I hated standing in front of the fridge every other hour trying to figure out something to eat. I’ve also introduced some sugars in extreme moderation and so far my numbers have still been good. We met with a medical student that’s now working with my Dr. She measured my belly at 31cm (meaning I’m measuring 31 weeks) and the baby’s heart rate was in the 140’s. So everything looks good! My Dr came in after and told me that starting at 36 weeks I’ll be going to the hospital twice a week for monitoring. After our appointment we met my sister at the fabric store and had lunch with her and Charlotte. Char really wanted us to go see her swimming lessons after lunch to we went to watch her swim. She was so excited and swam her little heart out. After that Mom and Char and I went over to Auntie Anne’s house to help her pack for Germany while Steven went to race his truck. For dinner we headed over to Uncle Larry and Aunt Anna’s house and Michelley met us there. I had made plans to help Chelsea learn to sew and somehow it turned into a big dinner gathering.

I have no idea how I had the energy to get up and clean on Thursday but I managed to get all of our laundry done. In the evening we met the photographer I found on craigslist at a private beach in Corona del Mar for our maternity pictures. He was very nice and had brought a friend and she stood in the background snapping away also. Steven was a good sport and participated in a few shots. I was able to get these amazing pictures for free because he was building his portfolio. I did have to do a few cheesy shots like the heart on the belly thing, but hey, for free I can’t complain. And truthfully I think one of those turned out cute. LoL. What a dork I am. He’s sending me a disk but here are few of my favorites!






















Friday and Saturday were lazy days and I mostly just rested and sewed up some more wipes.

Me at 33 weeks with no stretch marks on the belly yet! (fingers crossed)