37 Weeks

Once again, I'm posting a few days late so I have more than usual to talk about.  Last weekend I made 2 casseroles plus a lasagna and they're in the freezer waiting for the baby to arrive.  Since that is off of my list, I've been working on knocking out some of the other items.  I ordered a dresser for her room today and I'm excited for it to arrive so that we can get the room in order.  I also ordered some wall decals from Etsy and am waiting for those to arrive as well.  Etsy says it should be shipped by tomorrow... I hope they're right!  Here's a little preview of what it will look like (with a different name, of course).

I think I posted a while back that her room will be pink and teal/turquoise with chevron accents and birds, so this decal fit everything perfectly.  The colors will be slightly different (and I ordered another one to go along with it) but it's pretty close to this.  I'm excited to put them up!

I still have a blanket and a few pillow covers to sew for her as well as another boppy cover but I should be able to finish them within the next week, especially since I get Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving.

I actually made notes of what to blog about this week, so bear with me... this might be a long one :).

For the past month or so, I haven't worn any flowy tops.  They've all pretty much been fitted because my belly is so big that the flowy ones make me look like a circus tent.  Thanks to my hernia surgery last year, I don't have an outie belly button this time, so I'm not quite so self-conscious about wearing the fitted shirts.  I'm hoping I can also avoid some of the turkey comments this Thanksgiving since my belly button isn't popping out ;).

I received my Group B Strep result and it was positive this time, grrr.  That just means I'll have to get an IV antibiotic while I'm in labor, which is a bummer because I want to be up and moving around as much as possible.  I guess I'll just have to deal with an IV pole following me around everywhere.

Baby is sitting very very low now.  Saturday seems to be the magic 'drop day' because I keep waking up on Sunday with her feeling even lower.  People at work have been making comments about how low she's sitting.  While it does help me to breathe a bit easier, it makes walking up stairs harder and it means my wardrobe has been cut in half because my shirts don't go down low enough to cover my entire belly.  It has made things a bit more interesting :).

And now for the normal weekly updates:

Contractions: I've been feeling them multiple times each day but nothing close together or consistent.
Cravings: After thinking about this a bit, I realized the one thing I've been drinking a lot of this pregnancy is tea mixed with lemonade... also known as an Arnold Palmer.  I don't drink them daily but close enough.  I guess that has been my craving :).
Weight:  My total is up to 31 lbs
Swelling:  My feet are puffy all the time and my right hand (moreso than the left) has been swollen.  I've actually contracted what's referred to as "pregnancy induced carpal tunnel" so my right hand/forearm goes numb randomly.  My hand went numb while putting my makeup on the other day and sometimes it's numb when I wake up. 
Things to do: Buy a couple of final items from my registry (Target), pack the hospital bag, pack a small bag for Logan, reinstall the infant car seat, etc....
Heartburn:  It is under control but only because of my friend Zantac.
Stretching: Minimal stretching beyond what I have from Logan.

That pretty much covers things for the week.  The baby should be around 7 lbs and 20" long but it can vary from here on.  She's still very active and enjoys sticking her behind out near my ribs, just like Logan did.  The doctor said I will probably be pregnant for a couple more weeks, but we'll see!  Logan seems to really enjoy using my belly as a pillow so I'm sure he'll miss it when it's gone ;). 

I'll end this post with a couple more pictures from the week.  Enjoy and don't forget to enter your guess in my baby pool!  I was going to close it tomorrow (my birthday, yay!) but think I'll wait until I hit 38 weeks on Wednesday.  Just use the link in the upper right area of the blog :).

37 Weeks - Full Term!

I feel like I have so much to share this week.  I finally reached 37 weeks, which is considered full term.  Basically, if Logan were born now, he wouldn't be considered premature.  This means lots of great things that basically boil down to him being able to function on his own without much or any medical intervention.  His lungs should be strong enough to work on their own and he would be good and strong.  However, each day that he stays in the womb means better lungs and overall health, so I'm ok with him staying for a few more weeks :).

He's been very active lately and I have to physically adjust my position when he tries to roll around, because he's getting so big!  He's been dropping more and more and a few times I've even been able to feel his head in my lower abdomen... craziness :).  I'm getting so excited to meet my little watermelon... only 18 days until my due date!!!

We've made a lot of progress this week with the nursery and other things.  I bought more food to make & freeze meals with... I just have to actually make and freeze them now ;).  Jason and I bought a car seat, stroller base, and other registry items we still needed.  We also went to Ikea and bought a nightstand and dresser for the nursery.  I ordered a slipcover for the recliner and I'm going to return the curtains I bought and buy a different set (they were pretty cheap).  Jason's going to put the dresser together tonight and then I'll start loading it up with clothes and can start arranging everything in the room :).

I had my 36 week checkup this week and got tested for Group B Strep, which is negative, yay :).  That just means I won't have to be hooked up to an IV with antibiotics while I'm in labor.  My next appointment is tomorrow and I think they start checking to see if I'm dilated at all (yay :P) and I also have an ultrasound immediately following, which should be my last :).

I've been swelling up quite a bit the past week, but it's mostly in my feet.  After walking around Ikea for about an hour, I noticed my hands were really swollen, though.  I think I pushed myself a bit too hard yesterday, so I'm going to be extra careful about that for the next few weeks.  My boss has actually started asking if my feet are swollen a couple times a day and she's cool with me going and putting my feet up at my desk. 

I got my new health insurance card today, so thank God for that!  I'm officially double-covered for when I go into labor and Logan will be double-covered for anything he might need :). 

Anyway, Jason needs the computer, so I better wrap this up, but things are moving along and I'm very very very very very excited!!!!

Here are the development details for this week:

• Congratulations! Your baby is now considered full term. Most babies weigh 7 pounds by week 37 and measure around 20 inches. Remember, by this point in a pregnancy there tends to be variability between babies, some weighing more than others. Boys, for example, are typically heavier and longer than girls.
• If your baby were to be born this week, all of his internal organs would be developed enough to function outside of your body. Also, from week 37 on, your baby will only be adding a few ounces of fat to his frame each week.

Don't forget to enter your guesses into our baby pool!!!  You're running out of time :).  And remember, you can enter multiple guesses...