Adventures in Pregnancy: 36 Weeks

Less than four weeks until Baby C's due date! They say that 37 weeks is full-term, so really, she could technically be here any day. However, after my midwife appointment this morning, it doesn't look like she'll be coming anytime in the immediate future (1/2 cm dilated, -2/-3 position). I'll be going to my appointments weekly now, so it'll be interesting to see how my body progresses over the next month or so.

Anyway, onto the formal update...

36 WEEKS

TRIMESTER: 3

OBLIGATORY BELLY PICTURE: I was torn on whether I wanted to invest in Maternity Photos. Being a photographer myself, I know that professional images are not cheap, nor should they be as they require a lot of time and talent by the photographer. Raul and I both decided that, being that they're a luxury and we have a baby on the way (i.e. we need to save money), that I wouldn't have professional photos taken. Instead, I convinced Raul to go out to our backyard on Saturday afternoon to take a few shots. He's learned a bit from me over the past year and a half or so, so I knew we'd get a few good ones out of the bunch. He did a great job!

I ordered a few prints already for the baby's nursery and baby book. I'm so glad we took the time to do them.

BABY'S SIZE:  Baby C is pretty much done growing in length and is likely somewhere around 20 inches and already over the six pound mark. It's crazy to think that a baby that size is living inside of me right now!

NAME: Ha! As if we'd share at this point. Raul and I decided a few months in that we would be keeping Baby's name a secret until she is here. When brainstorming name ideas with friends and co-workers, I quickly learned how opinionated some are and how those opinions affected my own of names which I loved. So, in order to not have others' opinions sway our choice, we decided we'd keep it quiet. The first name is set in stone. The middle is between two, though we are leaning towards one and will likely go with it. We can't wait to share!

SYMPTOMS: Oh wow, these past four weeks from my last update have been a rollercoaster. At 32 weeks I was feeling pretty darn good. Then 33 and 34 weeks left me complaining and saying that I was over being pregnant. I was tired and achy and uncomfortable and was having a horrible time sleeping. I'm happy to report that last week I was back to feeling great and 36 weeks is the same. I'm feeling really, really good overall. I can always complain about little things, but I truly feel blessed to be feeling as good as I am this far along. Onto the symptoms update...

• Weight gain: Continuing to gain. A little more than I'd like lately. If I can keep my remaining weight gain to five pounds or less, I'll be happy with my overall weight gain for the pregnancy.
• Occasional heartburn still, but it does go away relatively quickly.
• Round ligament pain. Still. Again, it's not daily, but when it does act up, it's a pain, literally.
• After my last update about my acne letting up, I can report that it's back with a vengeance. I'll be happy to be able to get back on acne meds/treatment after the baby's arrival.
• I'm still experiencing a bit of difficultly sleeping. I wakeup about six times a night, and usually have to make at least two bathroom trips. However, even though I'm waking up frequently, I don't have a problem falling back asleep. I've been strict about going to bed at a decent time so that I can function at work. I've been averaging at least 8 hours at night.
• No Braxton-Hicks (that I'm aware of).
• I'm still walking to and from work from the train stations. I had thought that by this point I'd be driving to work, but I'm feeling good and staying active is a must! So for now, I continue to walk ( and still pass people I might add).

MOVEMENTS: She is moving like crazy in there lately. I don't know if I'm just feeling it more since she is bigger or if she's truly dancing around in there. She gets the hiccups at least two or three times a day, which are funny to feel. Even with all the moving, I was happy to learn that baby is head down, and I'm hoping she'll stay that way until delivery!

CURRENT FAVORITE FOOD OR CRAVING: No new cravings. Still not eating as many veggies as I should be, but overall I think my diet is pretty darn good!

CURRENT MOOD: Getting more and more ready for her to just be HERE! Yes, I'm nervous, but more than that I'm excited. I think Raul feels the same. I am a little stressed at work as I'm trying to tie up a bunch of loose ends and get everything ready for my co-worker who will be acting in my position for the 12 weeks I'm away. I don't want to leave her in the dust, so it's a lot of work getting everything set while still trying to do my job on a day-to-day basis. I'm getting there though. I need at least two more weeks to feel better about how I'm leaving things, so I'm hoping Baby will stay in there at least that much longer.

In other pregnancy news, Raul and I continue to go to childbirth/baby classes. So far we've attended Childbirth 101 and 102 and a breastfeeding course. Our only remaining class is "Baby Care Basics" next Monday. We also toured the Labor and Delivery unit at Adventist Hinsdale where I'll be giving birth. It's all coming together!

I've had two baby showers since my last update. My co-workers were super sweet and threw me one at work. It was really nice, and baby received a lot of great items. A few days later I had my family baby shower. My sister-in-law and aunt served as hostesses extraordinaire (I'm so lucky to have both of them so close). It was a beautiful brunch followed by fun games and, of course, gifts for Baby. I was so lucky to have my grandma and aunt fly in from Arizona for the shower. I hadn't seen either of them in two years, so it really made it extra special. 

The nursery is pretty much complete. I'll be sure to take pictures and post them.

At my midwife appointment this morning, we talked about our birth plan. A lot of you reading could care less or wonder why people have birth plans. However, I've done so much reading and research, and my choice to use a midwife is clearly reflected by the research I've done. Instead of writing about my choices and reasoning, I'd like to share a great blog post by Emily at the Daily Garnish. She wrote much more eloquently my beliefs and *hopes* for childbirth. I did put together a "plan" with my specific hopes and wishes for how things will proceed, but my number one goal is a happy and healthy baby when it all comes down to it. "Natural" or not, a healthy Baby C in my arms is my ultimate mission.

Well, I'm hoping to fit in one more update before Baby's arrival. I'll be sure to keep everyone posted as the time nears.