Week 34

Baby is the Size of Butternut Squash

34 weeks, 1 day
Merry Christmas!

Harrison is recognizing and reacting to songs-- his current jam is
Blank Space by Taylor Swift.  He dances every time it's on- he is a momma's boy! 

How far along? 34 weeks 

Maternity clothes?  I bought nursing bras with the intention of saving them for when the baby is here, but they don't cut off my circulation so they are my new favorite thing.  I might as well get as much use out of them as possible since they are just as expensive as non-nursing bras.  

Stretch marks? No- even though my skin seems to stretch more and more every day.  I don't know if you noticed the giant bump above… 

Sleep: No better or worse than usual.  It doesn't hurt when you dream about James Franco being your boyfriend either… 

Best moment(s) this week: 

-Spending Christmas with family and friends!  

We spent Christmas Eve with our good friends and watching them celebrate their daughter's first Christmas made me all the more excited for our own bundle of joy. 

Isn't Harrison's future girlfriend adorable?

My parents came in town on Christmas day and I'm so grateful we got to spend the day with family.  Harrison was spoiled and all I could think about was how exciting next Christmas is going to be with our little man!  Unfortunately, we are lacking on the holiday photos because my mom was sick, my dad and husband are not photo advocates, and I was feeling like a beached whale so this is the only Christmas photo we have for 2014, but I have a feeling we'll make up for it next year.

We spent the next couple of days being visited by family and friends and enjoying our last holiday as a party of two.  

Miss Anything? Not having 6 chins and being able to drink on Christmas morning. 

Movement: His movements are becoming very limited and I'm not sure how much more room there is in there for him.   

Food cravings: 

-Coke is still making me very happy.  

-My Aunt brought one of our family's Christmas cookie traditions with her when she came to visit this week and I can't stop eating them.  They are currently in my lap begging me to finish them.  

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Everything was pretty fair game this week.  I even had Indian food!  The chef came out to take our order and would only let me have the coconut based meal because of the health benefits, which was sweet, but I really wanted the creamy and fattening dish. Or maybe he was trying to help with my 6 chins.  

Gender: A boy with very strong kicks- move over Aguayo.    

Labor Signs: There were a couple moments this week when it felt like he was going to fall out.  I've read that this is normal, but I crossed my legs a little tighter just in case.  

Symptoms:

Same as last week…. 

-Pelvic pain/pressure

-Swelling

-Exhaustion

-Shortness of breath 

-Pregnancy brain

-Obsession with Baby Gap

What's new this week?

-Nesting-- I've reorganized the kitchen, cleaned the baseboards, and packed the diaper and hospital bags.  

-Crying at EVERY baby commercial, article, TV show, etc.  This post really sent me over the edge- http://citymomsblog.com/cincinnati/welcome-to-motherhood-a-letter-to-my-little-sister/

Belly Button in or out? Still in!  

Wedding rings on or off? Still off.   

Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty happy this week-- each day is closer to the big day and that puts a big smile on my face.  

Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery…I feel like I've said this before?  But, for real this time, we are almost done.  The changing table needs one more coat of paint and then I can organize everything and finally be done with his room.  It's my favorite room in the house and I can't wait to post a nursery tour soon!

Week 33

Baby is the Size of a Durian Fruit

What a baby filled week!  We had a doctor's appointment, infant safety class, breastfeeding class, installed the car seat, and envisioned packing the hospital bag-- I mean, I looked at the list and bought a few essentials, like a new robe and comfy socks.  

Baby's heartbeat was 154 this week, head down, and growing as he should!  Now that I know baby CPR and took Breastfeeding 101 I am more than ready for him to be here.  I wish we could spend Christmas with him in our arms, but that will make the new year all the more exciting!  

33 weeks, 6 days

Baby is keeping his eyes open when he's awake and
his brain keeps developing.
Also, where the heck do you buy a durian fruit??

How far along? 33 weeks 

Maternity clothes?  Those and my husband's PJs.  Do I really need anything else?  Oh wait, yes.  New bras because I outgrew those too.  

Stretch marks? Still a no! 

Sleep: I thought I was going to make it through the pregnancy without getting sick, but I caught a cold this week so naps were back in my life and worth every sleeping minute.  

Best moment(s) this week: 

-My surprise baby shower at book club!  I forgot to take pictures, but the girls had a little room set up with balloons and spoiled Harrison with books and other gifts.  It was so sweet and thoughtful and I'm so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life that already love Harrison as much as I do.  

-Hearing that people actually read this thing (thanks guys!)-- I heard from multiple sources about how they keep up with the blog each week and it made me feel special :)  I love writing and although I don't have much to say, it's nice to know that my words are being read.  Thanks Lauren for referring to me as your "spirit animal" - you made my day.  

Miss Anything? Feeling normal sized.  I feel HUGE.  I feel swollen, fat, unattractive, and uncomfortable.  I know, I know...I'm growing a life.  There is a tiny human inside of me, but that still doesn't make me feel pretty or less round.  

Movement: Yes, but he is quickly running out of room.  The movements are becoming more defined and restricted to certain areas.   

Food cravings: COKE- out of a fountain.  I know I can only have one a day, but it's the best part of my day.  The bubbly goodness makes me so happy.   

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nothing particular this week. I even ate a little bit of chicken.  

Gender: Boy- with an ever increasing wardrobe and book collection.   

Labor Signs: Those "practice" contractions are becoming more frequent.  I'm so worried that I won't know when I go into labor and I'll miss my window to get an epidural... this seriously keeps me up at night.   

Symptoms:

-Pelvic pain/pressure

-Swelling

-Exhaustion

-Shortness of breath 

-Pregnancy brain

-Obsession with Baby Gap

Belly Button in or out? In/flattish?  

Wedding rings on or off? Still off.  They fit, but they still leave an indent so I'm just going to stick with the fake ones to be on the safe side.  

Happy or Moody most of the time: Depends on who you ask. 

Looking forward to: Christmas!  It's so wonderful to have family and friends in town...and also a break from work!   

Week 32

Baby is the Size of a Squash

32 weeks, 5 days

Baby is almost 4 pounds and is sucking his thumb. 

How far along? 32 weeks 

Maternity clothes?  I wonder what would happen if I went to work in my PJs and a t-shirt... nothing else is very comfy these days.  Thank goodness winter break is in a few days.. I need to spend some serious quality time with Netflix in my jammies.  

Stretch marks? No- even though my stomach gets bigger every single day. 

Sleep: I did not take a single nap this week!  I wanted to see if it would help me sleep at night, which it did for the most part.  There were only one or two nights this week that I was up thanks to a tiny human pushing on my bladder or bad dreams, like going into labor early and having all of the doctors refusing to help me.     

Best moment(s) this week: 

-Our maternity photo shoot!  We had so much fun posing with the bump and can't wait to see the pictures!  I'm so grateful to our photographers for fixing my awkward modeling poses and putting up with Mike's ridiculous faces and jokes.  We had a blast!

Miss Anything? An empty bladder.  What's that like? 

Movement: Always.  Between the hiccups, kicks, punches, and sudden jabs I'm thinking this child is never going to sit still.  I'm still blown away my how much I can see and feel this little busy boy.     

Food cravings: What's better than your husband bringing home flowers?  Your husband bringing home a box of Dunkin Donuts.  True love.   

Anything making you queasy or sick:  The usual.

Gender: A very, very active boy.  

Labor Signs: We did a lot of walking this weekend, and that really brought on some Braxton Hicks.  Once I sat and rested they went away, so I guess that means I should listen to my body and rest.  

Symptoms:

-Attention- The bump has been quite the conversation starter this week.  Wherever I go I see people looking at it or asking me questions- When are you due?  What are you having?  Are you ready?  Is this your first? etc.  

-Discomfort- With each passing week I am more and more ready to pop this baby out.  I know I should be enjoying these moments and the milestones of my pregnancy, but I am so uncomfortable and I just want to see his little face! 

-Swelling- I was hoping to avoid this one, but it's here.  My rings are tight, my face looks bigger, and if I stand for too long my feet look swollen (at least to me).  

Belly Button in or out? In, which is amazing considering how large and in charge my belly is.    

Wedding rings on or off? Off as of yesterday.  I noticed my rings getting a little harder to slip off this week and yesterday when I took them off there was an indent from them being tight.  I really don't want to have them cut off, so my husband and I picked out a nice, big fake one for me to wear until the swelling goes away.  Go big or go home.  

Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm really starting to get over being pregnant, but I'm really happy with life in general-- so both :)

Looking forward to: Our breastfeeding and infant safety classes next week-- hopefully they will help me feel somewhat prepared.   

Week 31

Baby is the Size of a Broccoli Stalk

31 weeks, 4 days

All five of his senses are developed and working! 

How far along? 31 weeks 

Maternity clothes?  Even my clothes designed for pregnancy are starting to feel snug.  He just keeps getting bigger! 

Stretch marks? Nope.  

Sleep: Naps are part of my daily routine once again. I come home after work, eat a snack, then nap.  On the weekends, I wake up, eat breakfast, attempt to clean or run errands, then nap again.  All of this napping makes me feel so unproductive, but I can barely keep my eyes open.  I'm really looking forward to being able to have multiple cups of coffee again so that I can feel somewhat human-like after he's here.  

Best moment(s) this week: 

-Our bi-monthly check-up.  All is still well with the nugget- his heartbeat is strong, his head is down, and he's growing appropriately.  There is nothing better than hearing that we are both healthy- so many things can go wrong in a pregnancy, and I am so thankful that Harrison and I are doing well so far! 

-Watching baby DVDs with my husband- I don't think I've laughed that hard in a while.  I'm glad we watched some videos before our classes because it took Mike an entire bottle of wine to get through the breastfeeding section.  If you know my husband, you know he's not weirded out by these things-- I have the husband that will gladly do diaper duty and has his own diaper bag by request-- but this was his first experience watching a baby be teased with a nipple (a very, very large nipple) and it was quite entertaining.

Miss Anything? Caffeine, excessive amounts of it.  

Movement: Dance party central.  His crazy movements are really starting to hurt and it makes me a little nervous for how they might feel a few weeks from now.  One of my new hobbies is watching my stomach while he's jamming out in there- it's insane how much my stomach moves and changes shapes.  

Food cravings: Still sweets.  If I could just move into a candy store I'd be the happiest preggo in the world.  

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Meats and I are still on the outs, but I know I need protein so we're making it work.

Gender: Little guy.

Labor Signs: I woke up to a painful cramp/contraction last night, but it was just one.  I know my body is practicing for labor, but can we save the painful ones for the real deal?

Symptoms:

-Weight Gain- 23.6 lbs -- he's really packing on the fat these days!  Yes, I'm attributing my weight gain to him, and not the pint of Ben and Jerry's cake batter ice cream I inhaled this week.  

-Shortness of Breath- With all of my organs pushed around and a baby crowding my lungs I feel pretty winded most of the time.

-Back Pain- My back started hurting again this week.  I think it's from being on my feet all day after having that wonderful break from work.  I need to remember to rest and put my feet up during the day, but it's so hard once I get going in the classroom.  

Belly Button in or out? I keep waiting for it to flatten or pop out, but we're still in.   

Wedding rings on or off? Still on. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty happy.  My exhaustion gets the best of me sometimes, but overall I'm in good spirits.  

Looking forward to: Being a mommy :)  I'm so ready to meet my son!     

Week 30

Baby is the Size of a Cabbage

We are down to the single digit weekly countdown now that this week is officially over!  Time is flying by and all I want is to snuggle my little nugget!

30 weeks, 1 day

Baby H is strong enough to grasp a finger! 

How far along? 30 weeks 

Maternity clothes?  I treated myself to some more maternity undies because the only thing worse than not being able to sleep is not being able to sleep while wearing uncomfortable underwear. 

Stretch marks? Still no! 

Sleep: The break from work did a number on my sleep!  I actually slept most nights and sleeping in past 5:30 AM was a dream come true.    

Best moment(s) this week: 

Thanksgiving Break! So much good food, so much friend time, so much productivity! 

Miss Anything? 

Drinking during the holidays.  

Movement: The bigger he gets, the more uncomfortable his movements are.  He's running out of room! 

Food cravings: Cereal, sweets, breakfast. 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Salad and meat again. 

Gender: Baby Boy

Labor Signs: Nothing new this week. 

Symptoms:

-Weird Dreams- For instance, my husband is named Javi and he died and left me pregnant with another woman's baby.  Another fun one was that everyone in my life stopped talking to me because I was unable to breastfeed.  I was also dating three men in one of my dreams, oops. 

-Shortness of breath- I can't go up and down the stairs anymore without feeling like I ran a marathon.

-Discomfort- Between feeling off balance, being kicked in the ribs and punched in the va jay jay, and having my entire body completely change I am experiencing some general discomfort. 

Belly Button in or out? In- holding on strong! 

Wedding rings on or off? On- let's hope that swelling stays away! 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Mmmmm, both. I think I was better at controlling my emotions this week thanks to some extra sleep. 

Looking forward to: Labor.  Well, not the hard part, but the part where I get to meet my baby and see his sweet little face.  Only 9(ish) more weeks of waiting!    

Week 29

Baby is the Size of a Pineapple

29 weeks, 5 days

Harrison is getting more energy from growing white fat deposits
under his skin and Mommy can feel all of that excitement!

How far along? 29 weeks 

Maternity clothes? Like anything else would fit...

Stretch marks? No, and I'm not sure how that's even possible with how much he's grown in the past few weeks!  I feel huge. 

Sleep: I'm sure you've gathered by now that I'm not sleeping well.  Last night, Harrison would not stop kicking, punching, rolling over, trying to escape, whatever, and it was painful.  I was up for what felt like hours listening to my husband and dogs snore as I was being punched repeatedly from the inside.  Finally, I got out of bed and rocked myself back and forth since the only time he is still is when I'm moving.  It worked! He fell asleep, and so did I until my next midnight bathroom run.  This child is not even here yet and I'm already rocking him to sleep.  

Best moment(s) this week: 

-Our doctor's appointment this week reassuring us that he's a happy, growing baby in there

Miss Anything? 

Relaxing.  When I rest, I get kicked.  When I try to sleep, I think about my never ending to-do list.  When I stress, I can't have wine.  I feel like my mind is on constant go mode, even though I don't have the energy to accomplish much.  

Movement: This boy likes to party.

Food cravings: Hot chocolate, breakfast foods, anything full of sugar... 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Most vegetables.  The only salad I can tolerate is one with fruit in it and a creamy balsamic dressing. 

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Just a few Braxton Hicks, but nothing too unpleasant 

Symptoms:

-Appetite-My appetite came back this week in full force and no donut was safe

-Excessive thirst- Give me that water! 

-Exhaustion- I think this is a symptom I'll be experiencing for a very long time, like, forever.

-Weight Gain- 18.6 lbs 

Belly Button in or out? Strange shape, but still in

Wedding rings on or off? Still on

Happy or Moody most of the time: MOODY.  I just have so many feelings!  I feel ready to snap or cry (you never know which one) at a moment's notice and I never know what will set me off.  I'm a ticking time bomb of emotions. 

Looking forward to: THANKSGIVING!  Is there a better holiday for a pregnant lady?  I think not.   

Week 28

Baby is the Size of an Eggplant 

28 weeks, 4 days 

Harrison is packing on more fat , secreting androgen from his adrenal glands,
and momma needs a manicure. 

How far along? 28 weeks

Maternity clothes? Sweaters and leggings are life changing

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: I've been taking naps almost every day, which is nice, but it makes me feel so unproductive.  At work I'm exhausted and try to get as much done as I can, but I just want to go home so I can nap.  And when I get home I feel like I should be cleaning something, but then the couch calls my name and... zzzzzz. 

Best moment(s) this week: 

-Heather and Josh's Gender Reveal Party-- it was so amazing to look around and see how far we've all come together.  Most of us met in college, attended each other's weddings, and now we are having babies and watching them grow together!  Thank you to our husbands for bringing us together. My heart is so full!

Baby Bean is a GIRL!

Miss Anything? Beer during football games, especially stressful football games like FSU vs. Miami last night.  My non-alcoholic beverage did not make watching that game any easier, but thankfully the Noles pulled off their 26th straight win so that I didn't go into early labor. 

Movement: I think he's getting crowded in there based on my aches and pains. He's still an active little nugget-kicking, punching, rolling around- you name it.  I'm up at night because he's kicking me repeatedly or I'm up at night because he's not kicking me and I worry until I feel him again.  I'd rather get kicked in the ribs all day and night and know he's ok than not feel any movement.  

Food cravings: New cravings this week! Queso, hot chocolate, and orange juice.  Mostly hot chocolate- I want it wherever we go.    

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Plain chicken- it needs to be fried or covered in some kind of sauce... but, usually I just avoid it. 

Gender: A momma's boy (hopefully!)

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are happening- woo. hoo.  

Symptoms:

-Loss of appetite- I never feel hungry anymore and looking at a full plate of food is daunting.  I'm trying to snack throughout the day because I know I need to eat, but I get full so quickly now

-Excessive thirst- I can't get enough water, especially at night

-Exhaustion- naps on naps on naps 

Belly Button in or out? Still in!

Wedding rings on or off? On and easy to take off- no swelling of the hands just yet! 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Both.  Overall, I feel so happy about this baby and life, but I may have snapped easily a few times this week...

Looking forward to: Our maternity photos in December!  We met with our photographers/friends this week and I'm so excited to work with them.  Also, I don't have to diet for these pictures- hallelujah! 

And here's the crib!  The nursery is still in progress, so excuse the stacks of books and things, but I wanted to share the beautiful crib Mike created for our son.