40 weeks, 1 day

We took our picture yesterday before our appointment, where we learned he still has a great heartbeat and ideally positioned as well as in -3 station. We also found out I'm 2 cm dilated, 50% effaced, and  have slightly elevated blood pressure. I'll go back tomorrow just to get checked before the weekend. 

It's weird to pass the due date! We trust God's timing but still pray for him to come any minute :) (Seriously baby boy, the counters are confused. Come out)

How far along? 40 weeks (1 day)

Baby is the size of a: A baby :) or a jackfruit (18.9 to 20.9 inches long and about 6.2 to 9.2 pounds)

Total weight gain: 33 lbs (going with the doctor scale)

Maternity clothes? Wearing maternity clothes. So thankful for all I've been able to borrow! 

Stretch marks? Nothing yet. But slight linea nigra.

Sleep: Could be worse. I get up several times to pee, and the tingling hands make it hard to go back to sleep a lot. I feel pretty hefty when I roll over.

Best moment this week: Officially on maternity leave (taking a few days of vacation first).

Movement: Head down, with rolls and pokes. He moves a lot less, but passes the kick counts (sometimes barely).

Food cravings: Not really, but kinda coffee and oranges.

Gender: Little boy :)

Labor Signs: Swelling, congestion, and cramping. Lost at least a fair amount of the mucus plug.

Symptoms: Big belly (I feel like his butt sticks out more than it did), still pretty mobile but getting a bit of my waddle on, hand swelling/carpal tunnel, some in my ankles, baby brain, etc.

Wedding rings on or off? Off.

Belly Button: Pokes out and still soft.

39 weeks, 5 days

Hanging out at work (I think today and tomorrow will be my last days), after having a great weekend with Joey. We got some cleaning done, along with a lot of hanging out, movies, walks, naps, and baths (just me). Today he's having maybe one of his last home alone days. I think I tried to be mentally and house-wise prepared in case our little guy came early, so now I feel like I've been waiting a long time and am struggling to remember what exactly I put in those hospital bags :). Right now we've been praying for each day to be the day, but also acknowledge that if it doesn't happen, it doesn't lessen God's glory, it just means it's not part of our story. Until then, I'll be sitting here at work on my exercise ball, nursing some hot water and my sore hands. So excited yet patient :)

39 weeks, 2 days (picture)

  This week at our appointment, our little boy is still measuring well, with a healthy heartbeat. My blood pressure was a little high, but within a safe range. I got checked my doctor, still 1 cm dilated and not effaced, but soft. My doctor said if she had to guess, I'd be coming back for a 40 week appointment, but you never know. I took Wednesday and today (Friday) off from work this week and it was great to have a break and focus on our future :) Joey is off today too and we've been watching the frozen rain and hanging out. Praying that everyone stays warm and safe this weekend!

 

How far along? 39 weeks (2 days)

Baby is the size of a: Watermelon (18.9 to 20.9 inches long and about 6.2 to 9.2 pounds)

Total weight gain: 32 lbs (going with the doctor scale)

Maternity clothes? Wearing maternity clothes. So thankful for all I've been able to borrow! 

Stretch marks? Nothing yet. But I think the linea nigra is officially coming in very faintly.

Sleep: Could be worse. I get up several times to pee, and the tingling hands make it hard to go back to sleep a lot.

Best moment this week: Reducing my work week. 

Movement: Head down, with rolls and pokes. 

Food cravings: Joey craves mexican food :)

Gender: Little boy :)

Labor Signs: Some swelling, congestion, and cramping. 

Symptoms: The worst is the pregnancy induced carpal tunnel. Otherwise some achiness, swelling and headaches. 

Wedding rings on or off? Off.

Belly Button: Flattened but soft. 

38 weeks, 6 days

So tomorrow we turn 39 weeks! I'll have my last appointment before my due date. I've still been working and it's harder than I thought it would be. We have just about everything done at home (we could clean and cook some more if we wanted to), and my most of my work responsibilities have been transferred or in the transition process. I think it actually makes me more anxious at this point to be at work. I feel less distracted and just want to be home already. Because of that, I plan to take a few days off each week (this week is Wednesday and Friday). While coworkers do comment that I'm still here, they don't seem too concerned to see me (I think I'm still normal to smallish sized), so I'm glad I don't scare them. While I'm excited for our little boy to come, I don't really mind being pregnant still. I can tell I'm getting bigger, clumsier, more swollen, etc., but all in all it's not too uncomfortable yet. 

At this point, we're still praying for a healthy boy, as quick and easy a labor as possible (although I know it might not go that way), and patience, particularly at work, until his day comes. It still feels a little surreal that it's actually going to happen, but we're not really nervous yet. So thankful for the path we're on!

38 weeks, 3 days (picture)

  On Wednesday, on my appointment, Joey was not able to come, but baby boy and I sat in a non-stress test. I got strapped into a monitoring system and got to hear his heartbeat and press a button anytime I felt him move. It was a fun appointment! Each day we wonder a little if this is the day, but we are happy knowing it's all in God's timing.

 

How far along? 38 weeks (2 days, in the picture)

Baby is the size of a: Pumpkin (18.9 to 20.9 inches long and about 6.2 to 9.2 pounds)

Total weight gain: 27 lbs (going with the doctor scale)

Maternity clothes? Wearing maternity clothes. So thankful for all I've been able to borrow! 

Stretch marks? Nothing yet. But I think the linea nigra is officially coming in very faintly.

Sleep: I get up several times to pee, but sleep well once I fall asleep

Best moment this week: Getting to sit and hear his heartbeat for 10 minutes. 

Movement: I don't do kick counts often enough, but he still shifts around. I'm still told he's head down.

Food cravings: If anything, cookie dough

Gender: Little boy :)

Labor Signs: Some swelling, congestion, and cramping. 

Symptoms: My hands have started to swell and will feel sore, particularly in the mornings. Some fatigue, spikes of energy, cramping, thirstiness, and hip soreness. But really thankful that it hasn't been that bad, and that we're near the end!

Wedding rings on or off? Off.

Belly Button: Flattened.  

37 weeks, 1 day (pictures)

We have reached full term! Yesterday I stayed home from work after my appointment and had a great day with Joey. We feel as though most of our to-do list is done, and if little man shows up, we'll be ready and happy :) Measurements were good, and we can still expect a normal sized baby. So thankful! 

Currently:

• He's practicing some skills: inhaling, exhaling, sucking, gripping and blinking.
• He's getting his first sticky poop (called meconium) ready for his first diaper.

How far along? 37 weeks (1 day)

Baby is the size of a: Winter Melon or Watermelon (18.9 to 20.9 inches and weighs about 6.2 to 9.2 pounds)

Total weight gain: 27 lbs (going with the doctor scale) - but we went out for a huge breakfast right before my appointment..

Maternity clothes? Wearing maternity clothes. So thankful for all I've been able to borrow! 

Stretch marks? Nothing yet. But I think the linea nigra is officially coming in very faintly.

Sleep: I feel tired a lot, even though I feel like I sleep pretty well, and only get up once or twice most nights. 

Best moment this week: Helping Stephanie prepare for her life changing event :) (wedding), and soaking up one on one time with Joey. 

Movement: He's head down, and pokes out his butt and his feet. His feet are often resting against my ribs. He'll squirm a little if you push on him or after drinking hot things.  

Food cravings: Not really, ice cream? 

Gender: Little boy :)

Labor Signs: Just some cramping, and 1 cm dilated (as of last week).

Symptoms: Still thankful for a healthy pregnancy. I still get some swelling by the end of the day, some sore hips (occasionally back when I don't sit much), some headaches, and typically feel really thirsty. Getting up from couches and beds is a little difficult, but I think I still move pretty well. 

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Belly Button: Very shallow, and pokes out at some shirts.   

And here are pictures of our "finished" nursery (I still mess with it some). Iphones only give but so much qualtiy, but they'll give a good idea. Thanks Joey for taking them!

This is the view from the doorway:

 Joey let me try making a mobile and verse canvas. This is from the dresser view:

 Jenn's mother in law, Gina, made us a fantastic quilt with lots of colors:

Our sign has a few lyrics from "This Little Light of Mine" : 

We are so excited!

36 weeks, 2 days (picture)

 So it took us a while to get a picture, but here we go! We had a great Christmas, even with Joey working a day shift, and fun New Year's Eve at home. We've been productive, but also have been trying to enjoy our time together with just the two of us. We are pretty much done with the nursery, our hospital bags are mostly packed, and we are excited! We're praying for our little son, for the labor and delivery, and for patience with His timing. This had been such a neat time of trust and love. 

Lately, while I feel laid back a lot of the time, I've had a weird 9:30PM spike of anxiety, when I really want to figure something out that I can't do much about - whether Victoria Secret carries their yoga pants in their stores and if I'll want them, to work out a plan on how to switch the stool to get the right color, which bag should be for labor and which one for postpartum, etc. The worst part is how long it takes me to realize I'm being silly and hyper about something I don't need to be. Fortunately, Joey is patient, gets me to bed eventually, and maybe even finds some humor in my moments. 

Almost there! 

How far along? 36 weeks (1 day) in the picture

Baby is the size of a: Honeydew (17.2- to 18.7-inches and 4.2- to 5.8-pounds)

Total weight gain: 23 lbs (going with the doctor scale)

Maternity clothes? Wearing maternity clothes. So thankful for all I've been able to borrow! 

Stretch marks? Nothing yet.

Sleep: I sleep well... once I fall asleep. Feeling a little more uncomfortable and sometimes my foot will itch nonstop or a leg will feel restless. 

Best moment this week: Having my first New Year's Eve with Joey (he wasn't working), and hearing everything is still going well at our appointment.

Movement: He's head down, and pokes out his butt and his feet. His feet are often resting against my ribs. He'll squirm a little if you push on him or after drinking hot things.  

Food cravings: Not really.

Gender: Little boy :)

Labor Signs: Nope. 

Symptoms: I have more now, being in the last month, but I've been thankful for a fairly easy pregnancy! I have get swollen ankles by the evenings, a little swollenness in my wrists and some knuckles (just a little painful to bend), cramping but nothing too intense, fatigue with energy spikes, more hormonal (weird outbursts and tears), headaches, and some achiness. It seems easy to deal with knowing it'll be over soon!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Belly Button: Very shallow, and pokes out at some shirts.  

Here is a "before" picture of our nursery. I'm not really sure when we took this even, but we have a few pieces of furniture in a teal room. I like to think it looks a lot different now!