Here we are at 37 weeks exactly
My little egg from the front!
Week 35 Updates:
- My hair texture has really changed. It feels like the individual strands are thicker and textured differently.Also, my body hair, which was barely growing at all, has started growing super fast! I knew it was too good to last!
- I usually do at least a little bit of yoga stretches everyday. I start to get those legs cramps everyone has told me about if I miss a few days in a row. They start to get tight for a moment, but never make it to a leg cramp, thankfully, because those are supposed to be really painful. At 35 weeks, my body is not letting me get a good stretch in at all! I am so much more flexible, but bean is in the way and I feel like I'm doing nothing - no burn!
- We finally decided on his middle name!
- Following up on last weeks updates, I still am dreaming vividly, but all those weird back and ligament pains are gone! Thank god, I thought I would feel that bad for the next few weeks. No real discomfort or pain, but I think my hands and feet are swelling. Sometimes they feel a little funny! I also had to take my little adjuster piece out of my engagement ring so it fits bigger.
- Cravings have been fruit! Mainly pineapple.
- This week I am really starting to be over the pregnancy, not because of discomfort, but because I am ready to move on! I miss jeans and shorts and going to the gym and really working out. I am ready to meet him and just MOVE ON to being a mom!
- Now that the shower is over, I am focusing on getting ready for the hospital. I think my packing lists are complete, so I've been gathering stuff in his diaper bags to take with us.
- Not pregnancy related, but I paid for my next class. I'm taking a criminal law class July 1st - August 9. I am pretty sure as long as I don't get PPD, that I will be able to do it. Bean might only be a month old, but I'm familiar with the teacher and his online set-up. As long as I can work on it three to four days a week, I will have it done. I'm determined to get my classes done!
36 Week Updates:
- Pregnancy is getting tough - I am swelling! Not a lot, but enough, in my hands and feet. Usually walking brings it on and when I wake up in the middle of the night I can barely walk, but it goes away once I start moving around in the morning. Then sometimes my face will flush hot hot hot for a few minutes, but not turn red or feel hot to the touch. So I went to my appointment thinking for sure that they would find high blood pressure or protein in my urine, but they didn't and what I have is just another normal part of pregnancy. Besides the horrible exhaustion in my first 18 weeks of pregnancy, this is the worst symptom, because I can't walk very much without swelling up. So frustrating! I don't have any other uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms, so I am going to consider myself lucky. I am moving slower and feel less mobile, but a lot of people have it a lot worse! My midwife did tell me to swim and float and that "hot flashiness" was just hormones. We also did the strep B test, which I am not concerned with because it's normal and treatable if I do have the bacteria. I also asked her when the office will step in if I go past 40 weeks, and she said they wont let me go past 41 weeks. So Bean should be here in May! I am very excited to not go to 42 weeks, because I am SO ready to move on from pregnancy.
- It is my grandma's 74th birthday and we got her a heart-shaped lucky bamboo plant, added some rocks and found a nice vase at Hobby Lobby. It looks so cute, I almost want to keep it for myself! We got the bamboo at the flea market and the little old asian lady was so excited she asked to touch my baby for good luck! It was so cute! She even gave us free plant food because I was going to be a mommy. Ha ha.
- I've had a lot of people ask me if I've dropped / engaged yet. He has always been very low and my belly is more long and oval like an egg than round like a ball. I have been feeling a lot of small movements very very low, but I don't think he has dropped yet. I've been paying extra attention to every little movement, waiting for a bh contraction! I want some sort of sign my body is getting ready for labor! I still have one month to go, and may never get braxton hicks, but I am very anxious to get this goin!
- Cravings have been pineapple, watermelon and baby oranges. I have to buy a new box of cuties every 3 days! I think it has something to do with how juicy the fruits are, because I also have been eating fruit snacks in tropical fruit flavors.
37 Week Updates:
- This week I still have the occasional swelling in my hands, but now my feet hurt from random arch pain in the am and swelling in the middle of the night! Any daytime swelling is definitely walking related at this point, but it hasn't stopped me from getting out, just from exercising! I don't feel comfortable pushing myself at this point and will resume myfitnesspal and runkeeper sometime post delivery! I wont even drive or go out by myself, I am too paranoid!
- I have been tired more, but not tired enough to go to sleep or stay asleep much longer than usual. There have been a few days where I closed the shade and tried to sleep, but haven't had a successful nap. It's not pure exhaustion like in the beginning.
- I had my hair cut and colored and she made it feel amazing! I said it felt weird, and she described it as coarse and said a lot of it will probably fall out after I have bean. Yay!
- The hospital bags are all complete just have to throw them into a suitcase! I had to get after delivery panties- it was horrible! I was mortified! I am not looking forward to the state of 'down there' after delivery. Icepacks? Ugh!
Daddy's Letter to Bean (35 weeks):
Hi baby Marco! Man I
am excited to see you!!! I can’t wait
for you to be here! It has been a few
weeks since I wrote last and lots has happened. I got a new car, and one mommy likes too
(thank goodness)!!! I love it. It has plenty of room for your stroller and
has a big back seat for you and mom. The
Magic job is going great and I love being a part of them. I was offered an Assistant General Manager job at Advanced Auto Parts and I am
taking it, I have to tell my boss tomorrow that I am stepping down. I am not really looking forward to that
because I love my job and my co-workers, but this will be good for our family
and I want to be able to give you and your mom a great life and give you
whatever you need and take you cool places.
This is something you will learn you have to do when you are older. Always strive to do your best and be the best
at whatever you do. We also had your
baby shower and got some cool stuff! I
cant wait to buy you toys so I have a reason to play! We went to a rib fest and an air show too, it
was fun, but it will be even better with you too! Well bean that’s about all for now, until next time. Love you, Daddy
Bella:
Here is our only baby for now! She is very silly and tries to sit on bean and I have to move really quick and she slides off him.
Always makes herself comfy after the bed is made. Do you know how hard it is for me to make the bed at 9 months pregnant!
Cuddling on beanie
Nursery Updates:
We have everything we need for Bean minus a baby blue beanie, so everything is in its place just waiting for Bean. This is what we are using for his bassinet. I can't say how long I will use it for, but it's an all in one piece. I've talked about it before. This is the view from our bed. I think I'm going to move it right next to our bed. I just have a feeling I will want to keep a close eye on him and peek at him all day. I have his projector, boppy pillow, and swing out because we will use those from the beginning.
Here's the view by the door.You can see we have a lot of his toiletry items in there and our packed hospital bags.
I organized this drawer of his with these cute baby blue baskets. I have newborn and 0-3 months in one drawer and in the 2nd drawer I have 3 months and 3-6 months. After the first few weeks of his life he will outgrow the newborn, so that will make more room. Every other size is in labeled plastic bins in the garage. We have a huge tower of baby boy boxes since I saved Q's clothes from 12m-4t!
Alphabet Wall Updates:
We went to the flea market this weekend and had an X Made. We decided we aren't going to paint or hang the alphabet letters yet. If we aren't going to live here for very long it doesn't make sense to paint and once the crib is up after the pack and play we will see if we need more furniture and hang the letters once everything is in its place.
Baby Shower Updates:
36 Weeks: Our baby shower was earlier this month and I've been posting about the different elements. Now we've just been working on writing thank yous and packaging up some of the leftover candy and favors to send to our far away friends and family that sent their love to baby Marco.
37 Weeks: All the thank yous have been sent out and all the baby shower related posts have been posted. The last and final Baby shower update is on our insane magic air balloons. I have NEVER had balloons last more than 24 hours, ever. The balloons lasted two weeks after the shower and the mylar ones are still floating! It is amazing and I love having them around.
Here's what the thank yous look like.
Preserving the fondant cake topper
Hospital Bag
36 Weeks: I've been focusing on getting our bags ready for the hospital. We bought all the toiletries and travel toiletry bags, I got Jimmy a special Daddy shirt, and have been getting things like sport / nursing bras, soothies and pads ready for breastfeeding. Beans bag is done! His outfits are all coordinated and wrapped together. We are also bringing a spare blanket for Bella to sniff before we bring him home. Everything I ordered for newborn photos, his it's a boy cigars and my matching nightie and pillow case for the hospital are all in. Only a few loose ends to tie up!
Here is his coming home outfit, we have it in two sizes just in case he is bigger or it's too tight on umbilical cord.
Here's another hospital outfit. He will probably wear this when we have visitors.
Said nightie and pillow case. They always look so nice in photos! I got the nightie instead of delivery gown for visitors and photos. I don't plan on being seen as much in my delivery gown and those for sure get ruined!
Baby Buys
35 Weeks: This week was nuts because we had our shower last week and were so thankful to receive so many gifts. Now that it's past, I was able to figure out what still needed to be bought. I picked up a few random things like bibs, bath items, mittens and receiving blankets.
37 Weeks: His crib and mattress! I don't have a photo, because we aren't putting it up until he outgrows his bassinet.
Here's a Magic bib and burp cloth I bought for Jimmy to use with Bean.
Here comes trouble outfit I bought at Babies R Us. I love the dog!
We are big space and alien fans.
I registered for a baby bottle cooler, but then took it off and never bought it. Then I saw this lunch box at Ross for $7.99! Nope, too cute to not buy. It's a great size for bottles and one day snacks.
I am already picking out his outfit for 4th of July.
V-neck and dinos - YES!
Life Before Bean:
When Jimmy worked at JCP he had mostly morning hours because he worked in the cashroom, but now that he's still under the wing of another employer at AAP, he has a lot of 1-9:30 shifts. He is up at by 6 am, so he prefers the early shifts, but I love the closing shifts. We can spend time with each other before he goes to work and we usually make breakfast and even tho he misses dinner, we can still catch up at night, watch a little tv and go to sleep. I like it better. Here's a video of how nice it was one morning after breakfast before work.
Bean's hiccups and squirms!
