Birth Story coming soon....

38 Weeks

Best moment this week:  Picking out baby furniture and preparing baby's nursery.....so exciting that baby's almost here!!

Sleep:  Really feeling exhausted lately so I've been sleeping more than usual.  

Movement:  No changes.  Still feeling good movement.

  

Food cravings:  Not having cravings really, but just SUPER hungry lately.  

Gender:  Unknown

What I miss:  Down time.  Ever since Russ got off the ship, it feels like we've been going non-stop.  And now that baby is coming soon, it may be a long while until we see any real down time...but it's all totally worth it :)          

What I am looking forward to:  Meeting our little one....we're in the homestretch now!!  

Milestones:  Baby is practicing and gearing up for their first breath.  

Baby Size:  leek  

Weekly Wisdom:  There are lots of natural ways you can try to prepare your body for labor, such as drinking raspberry leaf tea or taking evening primrose oil.  Before starting the use of anything new though, be sure to consult your doctor or midwife to make sure it's something they are onboard with you using.  

37 Weeks

Best moment this week:  Getting to see and catch up with my friends at the baby shower.  It was Russ's first time to see most of them since he got back from sea.  We're so lucky to have the friends we do....they're like family :)

Sleep:  Sleeping well.  

Movement:  About the same.....movement is still there but no big movements or anything, just small movements. 

  

Food cravings:  Not craving anything in particular, just feeling hungry all the time lately.  

Gender:  Unknown

What I miss:  Being able to get around easier.  Having a belly makes it hard to do some otherwise simple things that you take for granted before your belly gets big.      

What I am looking forward to:  Spending these last few weeks relaxing at home with Russ before baby comes.   

Milestones:  Baby is now considered "full term", as in all of baby's organs are fully developed.      

Baby Size:  About as long as a stalk of Swiss chard. 

Weekly Wisdom:  If you're having your baby at the hospital, pre-registering (and signing consents) may help cut down on the paperwork you need to do once you're actually admitted.  Be sure to ask your hospital if there's a time limit on how long your pre-register paperwork is good for...some will make you redo it if you're admitted outside of 30 days from pre-registering.

Abby's beautiful homemade cake for the shower

Another angle of the cake....it was as delicious as it was beautiful!   

A pic of all the ladies

A pic of me with the guys

Russ and me 

Cynthia, Abby, and Sheena playing a game at the shower

Victory goes to Cynthia!!

Playing another game

Team Russ and Jay clearly didn't win but were really fun to watch....
look at all the applesauce!!

Thanks so much to all of our friends for coming to the shower!!
Russ and I were so overwhelmed by all the love, support, and gifts that we received!!

Russ holding one of the handmade gifts we received....a wooden elephant rocker

36 Weeks

Best moment this week:  Settling in back at home.  This week was Russ's first week back at our casa in Georgia since he's been off the ship.  

Sleep:  Better now that I am using my Snoogle again.  

Movement:  Starting to slow down a little....baby's probably running out of room in there.  I still feel good movement though.

  

Food cravings:  Meat again...we grilled out for Laura's graduation celebration and the smell of the meat on the grill set my craving into high gear for the weekend.  

Gender:  Unknown

What I miss:  Being able to move around without so much effort.  As I get bigger, it gets harder to do even the simplest of things.  I wouldn't trade it for the world though....it's all part of the journey.     

What I am looking forward to:  Our baby shower at home with our friends.  

Milestones:  Baby sleeps around 90% of the day away and will gain about 1/2 to 1 pound a week from now until birth.  

Baby Size:  crenshaw melon

Weekly Wisdom:  If you're swelling (like I have been), investing in some support hose or compression socks may be a good idea.  I bought a pair and have misplaced them but I'm definitely looking for them now!! Several other moms have shared this wisdom with me and as soon as I find mine, I'm going to be sporting them myself.  

35 Weeks

Best moment this week:  Water aerobics with Russ and his mom.  We had such a fun time...Russ was the center of attention being the only guy in the class.    

Sleep:  Russ isn't a fan of my Snoogle (I don't blame him though, it's like another person in the bed with us and between us at that!)....so I've been trying to sleep without it.  I have to admit though that I haven't been sleeping as well.  Once we get back home to our large bed, the Snoogle will be making a reappearance.  

Movement:  Same as usual.  Russ likes to feel the baby move when he puts his hand on my tummy, but he doesn't like to see my tummy move....it weirds him out, haha.  

  

Food cravings:  Red beans and rice.....bet it's because we're close to the land of Louisiana Creole cuisine :)

Gender:  Unknown

What I miss:  Having ankles instead of cankles, haha.       

What I am looking forward to:  Being home and staying there for awhile.  It seems like we're always traveling (which I love), but I'm looking forward to staying put for a little bit while we prepare for baby's upcoming arrival.  It's just right around the corner!         

Milestones:  Most of baby's physical development is now complete.  

Baby Size:  honeydew    

Weekly Wisdom:  If you're curious to hear what other moms due the same month as you are talking about and experiencing,  join an online group.  I'm part of a  June 2012 group on Babycenter.  I'm sure there are other ones out there, so be sure to find one you like and can gain something from.  There are first-time moms as well as been-there-done-that moms in the group so it's a good mix of women that share their opinions and experiences on discussion boards about various topics.  Beware though, there is a lot of acronym usage on the discussion boards....which can be frustrating at first when you're trying to figure out what they stand for, but once you get the hang of them you barely notice them.  

34 Weeks

Best moment this week:  Picking up Russ.  I'm SO glad he's back and will be around for a good while.  The pups and I have missed him!

Sleep:  I'm having to get up to go to the bathroom more frequently than before, which has affected my sleep a little.

Movement:  Still feeling those frequent bumps and thumps.  Russ was even able to feel baby move too.  It was so awesome to see the excitement on his face and hear it in his voice when he felt baby move.  

  

Food cravings:  Sno-balls....even though I'm not entirely sure shaved ice is considered "food", haha.

Gender:  Unknown

What I miss:  Being able to travel in the car without having to stop so frequently.  

What I am looking forward to:  Getting to spend family time with my in-laws while we're in Mississippi.    

Milestones:  Baby's central nervous system and lungs are continuing to mature.  Baby's also filling out and becoming rounder.

Baby Size:  cantaloupe    

Weekly Wisdom:  If you have to travel in the car while pregnant (especially later in pregnancy), try to stop and take frequent breaks (about every hour or two) to get out and walk around.  Doing so will help prevent the risk of blood clots forming in your legs.  Also, make sure you're staying plenty hydrated....you're making frequent pit stops anyway to get out and walk around so why not use that time for potty breaks too.     

33 Weeks

Best moment this week:  Going to the Mossy Creek Festival...it's a local festival where artists and craftsmen sell things they 've made.  I love going to festivals like that.

Sleep:  Starting to have a little insomnia, but once I'm asleep I sleep hard. 

Movement:  Lots of thumps and bumps....I love it.  

Food cravings:  Baked potato.

Gender:  Unknown

What I miss:  Having energy!  I've started feeling exhausted again.    

What I am looking forward to:  Getting to see Russ soon!!!

Milestones:  Baby spends most of the day and night sleeping and is also dreaming. 

Baby Size:  honeydew  

Weekly Wisdom:  Slow down....(this is my own advice to myself!).  It's easy to get bogged down with all the things you want done before baby arrives but in the scheme of things, there are only a few essential things that need to be done or purchased when baby arrives....the rest is just extra, if you get it done great and if not, no worries. 

32 Weeks

Best moment this week:  Spending the weekend with the Hilton/Bemis ladies and having baby shower #2.  It was so nice too to have my parents there.    

Sleep:  Still good.

Movement:  More frequent, but smaller movements for the most part.  I think baby is running out of room in there.  

Food cravings:  Been hankering for toast lately and I also have been drinking lots of milk.  

Gender:  Unknown

What I miss:  Walking without waddling....I have now developed the pregnant waddle.    

What I am looking forward to:  Meeting up with my doula, Erica.    

Milestones:  Baby is practicing sucking and breathing and is estimated to be at about 4 pounds at this stage.      

Baby Size:  a large squash

Weekly Wisdom:  If you're someone that enjoys pedicures....get one!  Oh how nice it feels to have someone rub your calves and feet.  

cute chandelier decoration Aunt Mimi put together
made of teethers, pacifiers, and baby spoons

the bounty of presents for baby.....
thank you Hilton, Bemis, and Ferenczy families!

the spread of yummy food

beautiful and yummy cake

working on making an origami mobile for baby

some paper cranes

working on a special origami project to put on the
mobile for Russ....a Chocobo from Final Fantasy

still working hard on our Chocobo's....they were SO hard!   

some of the finished products, as close as we could get them  

the finished origami mobile for baby, complete with Chocobo's