Baby White Week 37

Hi guys!

Sorry I am late in posting. We got back from our trip yesterday around 5 and I spent most of today doing errands and getting ready for my work "week" which starts again tomorrow.

Thursday afternoon we set out for the outskirts of Birmingham (Childersburg to be exact) to spend time with friends of ours and just get away and relax. It's so pretty there- the colors are starting to change, and everything is not flat :) In fact, it's pretty much mountains by my standards. Nothing like the Rockies or anything, but very hilly. I think I could possibly trade the beach for that nice scenery. Except it still gets just as hot there as it does here :( And the traffic, I could definitely skip.

We enjoyed lots of lazing around, dining out and browsing. Combined with just a tiny bit of shopping. I also got treated to a lovely pedicure. We stayed with John's best man and his parents. We are equally good friends with both :) It just so happens John's friend is a manager at the movie theater, so we also got to see "Here Comes the Boom" for free! It was super funny. We laughed a lot.

A peanut butter shake with banana foam and "lacquered" bacon at FLIP Burger Boutique. I was not so much a fan of the bacon.

View from The Summit outdoor shopping mall

Getting ready for another delicious fattening dinner :)

Church of the Highlands. Part Sunday morning church, part worship concert. :)

Lunch Sunday at Cheesecake Factory. So so good!

After lunch at FLIP Burger at The Summit. With my new hat from Charming Charlies.

We had a doctor appointment today. I don't like going in the afternoon. We had to wait a stinkin' hour! In the last 3 weeks, I've gained 7 pounds. Yikes! Four of those were just in the last week! But I figured it would be high with all the rich food we ate on our trip. That makes my total weight gain 22 pounds. So I'm 2 over my goal with 3.5 weeks to go. Boo. But I plan to watch it while at home and back in our routine. The midwife was not concerned. What she was concerned with- I had ketones in my urine. In fact, I got a stern talking to about my water intake. She said if the ketons were any higher she would send me to the hospital for IV fluids. I don't want that! So I'm chugging away today. Here's to sleeping in 2 hour increments.

Otherwise everything else looks great. My belly measurement is right on track. Sophia is head down. We did one last quick ultrasound to make sure, since if we needed to turn her now would be the time. We got a quick peak at her profile and her back and ribs. The midwife was very happy to see that she was doing breathing motions with her chest/ribs. She said babies that are really well oxygenated do this. It's weird since that's not how she actually breathes. But good practice for her! I've started Evening Primrose oil and Red Raspberry Leaf capsules as of yesterday. The midwife suggested it at my last appointment. The oil (capsules) are supposed to help soften the cervix and the leaf is supposed to help tone the uterus.

We also got our maternity photos back last night. I was so pleased with them. A few are really just of us and don't feature the belly, and I love those! I love belly ones too of course.

 And to think these photos are not from a "professional" per se. Just from my great friend/fellow blogger Lauren, who loves to take pictures. And is quite good at it. I'm trying to convince her to start a side business :)

I got a lot of errands done today. My last round of baby returns to Target, along with purchasing a few items off the registry. Not that there are many unpurchaseds left! I took the car and carseat to the fire department for inspection. It was pretty funny to see 5 firemen all surrounding a baby seat :) But they showed me how to get it just right. I also voted! I was taking some donations to the library, and it happens to be an early voting location. Since I work next Tuesday and I could technically have a baby any day now, I figured I'd go ahead and check that off the list.

Oh, on  the way home from our trip we stopped at a local pecan company. It's like a Cracker Barrel store too. They serve a lunch buffet but other than that there's just pecans, sweets and coffee. And a ton of Alabama football flair and lots of other really neat (and mostly overpriced) items. But I just loved the socks and had to have them. Even at $7.

Here's this weeks' belly photo. Taken on the road :)

Baby White Week 36

Hello from the land of the super-prego.

This week I ran out of my heartburn medicine. I thought I'd try going without it to see if I still needed it.
Research shows: I do.

After waking up several nights in a row either coughing from bile or just having esophageal pain, I decided it was time to buy some more. I'm very thankful for pharmaceuticals. I tried Tums and milk, and neither helped. Generic Prevacid does :)

My sleep has improved overall. Not as much insomnia. Most nights I'm tired by 9. But I can push through if need be.

This week I think Sophie is dropping lower. I had some episodes where I was in quite a bit of discomfort, but I don't think it was contractions. Mostly because it was only the lower half of my uterus and it didn't seem to make my whole belly hard or anything. But it feels like she is punching my bladder. It makes me stop what I'm doing, that's for sure. I was thinking perhaps she was engaging in my pelvis, but I think she's probably still moving around too much to be locked and loaded :)

I had my last shower this week. My co-workers threw a lovely cake and punch affair during our lunch time Wednesday. I'm still surprised at how generous people are, even when they don't really know you that well. We have gotten like over 800 wipes and almost 550 diapers. I'm keeping a tab of sorts and we've probably gotten between $2500 and $3000 worth of gifts. Crazy! We are very blessed.

I'm probably waddling just a tad these days. I don't really notice it, but I think some others have. I saw a prego in the hall at work who probably swayed a foot side to side with each step. She looked like she had a stick up her behind the way her butt was tucked in but her legs wide apart. It was pretty dramatic. I know my stride has slowed, that's for sure. I took the dogs for a 30 minute walk this week and I was pretty tired after. I think my Zumba days are over. Just walking for this momma from here til the end.

My lower back is starting to ache more. Not every day, but some. I think the chiropractor and a massage therapist would do me some good, but I'm so close to the end I don't want to spend the money.

We are in the home stretch for sure. John said tonight "just think, in two weeks we could have a baby". Then he said he might throw up. Lol. I did go ahead and get the baby's bag packed and our suitcase probably 2/3 packed. Some things I can't have packed away for weeks, so they'll have to get thrown in last minute. I have our birth plan and call lists done and packed. I even went ahead and made an "emergency birth" kit for the car. Our Bradley book suggested it. It might be a bit overkill, but better have it and not need it then need it and not have it, I reckon. We are taking a 4 day trip next week (not too far from home) and possibly a 4 day trip the week before my due date (even closer to home), so I guess the kit would be good to have. Just in case.

Tomorrow we are going to exchange our duplicate or unnecessary gifts and get a couple minor things off our registry. I'm excited about that :) We also may try to get my baby box out of the attic. It has my going-home dress in it, and Sophia will probably wear it too (if it fits!).

We are trying for maternity pictures again this Sunday. It didn't work out last Sunday. A friend from our Bradley classes just put her maternity photos on Facebook and they are gorgeous! But then again, she's always looked like a model.

I have my 36 week appointment Tuesday. I get the Group B strep swab. Fun. But I'm anxious to see if Jenny can tell me if she's engaged or anything. If there's any changes or anything. Maybe guesstimate her weight? After this appointment we start weekly appointments!

I thought I'd be cute-sied up in my pic this week. We were supposed to go out tonight. But we didn't. So here's my makeup-less face and my "sweats". We were about to go for a walk in the neighborhood.

Oh- as you can see my belly button is still in. But a little part of it is starting to make it's way out!

Baby White Week 35

I kind of feel like I updated everyone on Monday. So not that much to say.

I don't know if I mentioned, no weight gain these last two weeks. So I'm still at around 15 pounds. I think I'd set a goal to not gain more than 20. We'll see how that goes. But I should be close even if I do go over a little.

Sophia has been moving a lot this week. The other night she was making little tents on my belly. It's still not to the point that you can see hands or feet or anything like that. I don't know if it ever will be for me, since I probably have a little more cushion layers than some people :)

My sleep has been deteriorating some. I'm making an extra potty trip and sometimes it's hard for me to get back to sleep. Not like me at all. In fact one night this week I took melatonin. I slept very soundly. I don't like to take it very often because it works so well I feel I could sleep 3 hours past my alarm. But John was congested, so he was snoring more, and although he doesn't snore loud enough to wake me up, it does make getting back to sleep after a potty trip that much harder.

Friday night my good friend (and bridesmaid) and her two friends spent the night here on their way to New Orleans. We had a girls night (along with my MOH/BFF and my other good friend/neighbor) and went to our local Greek festival for some yummy food and lots of good conversation. When we got back home we chatted a bit while my friends all felt Sophia's "belly dance" she does every night. Fun times.

Buds! (Me, MOH, BM)

Me and Els! (and a very prominent Sophia!)

Saturday I piddled around the house in the morning while John slept. Poor hubby has been sick for a few days, but is on the upswing today after rest and meds. He was feeling puny enough that he skipped yard sales. So you know it was crummy :)

I had a baby shower today with the ladies from our church and two of my friends. Sadly, I didn't take any photos. There were some taken, just not by me :) I may get my hands on them. I got some very nice things, including embroidered burp cloths and a blanket, all with Sophia's name. I also got some handmade paci clips, very cute.

Tomorrow afternoon we are going to take maternity photos, and I'm really excited about that! I picked out our outfits this evening. I'm going for a fall/country theme. We are hoping to find a field with some big hay bales, we shall see.

So here's to a great photo shoot!