Week 37

This week baby is practicing inhaling, exhaling, gripping, sucking, and blinking.  The baby is likely between 6.5-7.5 pounds and 18-21 inches right now.  This weekend he is considered "full term" although I would not want to go into labor for another couple of weeks just to make sure he's as healthy and complication free as possible.  I like my babies big and sturdy :)

I'm really hoping to go into labor naturally this time (without an induction like I had 2 weeks overdue with Jace).  Even though my induction was very successful with Jace, I feel like I missed out never "going into labor" on my own and being strapped down to a hospital bed throughout the entire 3 days we spent in the hospital.  I've also heard pitocin-free labor is much less painful... and I want to see for myself!  I'm not super optimistic that I will go into labor on my own this time, just because I went so late last time, but I'm really hoping to.  I've been trying to prepare my body a little in the last week for labor.  I've been trying to help the baby drop down into position by rocking on a birthing ball and going on walks when my SPD allows me to.  I've also started taking a little evening primrose oil orally.  At my 36 week appointment my doctor said it was hard to tell if labor was close or far, but that the baby is head down and based on his estimates won't be as large as Jace... but I'm not putting much weight in a size estimate since they're not usually very accurate.  Hopefully by my next appointment on Monday I will be showing some signs of my body preparing to do this the natural way.  I have definitely notice the baby drop more in the last two days, so hopefully that means something. :)

As far as symptoms go lately I have the usual I guess.  Since I've had extreme pelvic pressure since week 16, it's just something I've become used to... but standing up and getting out of bed is becoming harder with how huge my stomach is and the lower back pain added in.  I had alot of heartburn, along with a lack of appetite, for a couple weeks there but it seems to have passed which I think is because the baby dropped.  My appetite is definitely in full swing again... just ask the scale.  I'm up about 40-45 pounds now.

I've nested on and off throughout this pregnancy, but it's now in crazy OCD full out nesting... and my to-do list keeps getting longer instead of shorter so it's stressing me out.  I think I've purchased at least 40 storage and organizing devices in the last month, and the whole house has been torn apart and re-done.  We moved into this house right before I got pregnant (and sick for three months) and it was also during a time where Tate was traveling constantly and Jace was refusing to sleep ... EVER.  So needless to say, I didn't unpack and settle us in very effectively, and I've been trying to undo all the horrible unpacking and setting up now in this last trimester.  The only frustrating part is that my body is no longer allowing me to accomplish all of the things I need it to.  I will be reaching up to a top shelf to put something in its place and my stomach will knock over 5 other items below me in the process, or my bones will suddenly lock up and it will take me a full minute to stand up off of the floor.  That combined with Jace always being right next to me "helping" proves to make all of these tasks take ALOT longer than they should.  I need to just let alot of it go for my own sanity, but that's easier said than done.  In reality if I had wanted to complete everything on my list, I should have started at 4 weeks pregnant to be done in time for this babys arrival.  I guess it's time to prioritize and quit stressing.  My goal this week is to focus on the important things like getting the last of the baby items, making and freezing several meals, and spending lots of quality one on one time with Jace. The deep cleaning of every nook and cranny and the organizing and decorating will just have to wait... until the baby is 18.  :)

The only new symptom that's creeped up on me in the last few weeks is the extreme emotions.  I've never been an overly emotional pregnant person... I never felt like I was super hormonal with Jace, and hadn't up until about a month ago this pregnancy.  Now I can cry on a whim... over EVERYTHING.  I'm not used to it and I don't like it.  I think alot of it is the self-induced stress of my huge to-do list, and the worries about labor (which is scarier this time for some reason), and about Jace's adjustment to no longer being an only child, and about the possibility that Tate may be out of town when labor starts or immediately after the baby arrives.  I think I just have more on my plate this time, and I'm easily choked up and turned into a huge cry baby.

Speaking of Jace, I have been meaning to post a blog update about him but this website is giving me issues when uploading several pictures... so I haven't gotten it posted.  He's going to be 3 in less than a month!  I can't believe it... I've really been trying to treasure the simple moments when it's just the two of us (or the three of us on the weekends), because I'm feeling all sorts of mom-guilt already about how he may feel forgotten about after the baby gets here.  I know a brother will be a huge blessing for him in the long run, but I also know it's going to be a bit rough on him for the first few weeks or months.  We probably won't be going out and about much in the first two months, and I'll be exhausted and nursing all the time for a while too... I can't help but feel guilty about how this will make him feel.  That's why it's important to me that he has a really great birthday celebration, and halloween celebration this year, where we will make a few more fun memories with him as our complete focus.  It also sounds like we will have some family visiting during the holiday season, so he'll thankfully get extra attention during those times as well and have some extra excitement to look forward to.  Who knows... maybe I'm anticipating his transition to be harder than it actually will be, only time will tell.

Earlier this week a few of my friends surprised me at dinner with a sweet "Welcome Baby" cake and super generous gift from all of them.  It was very sweet and unexpected.  I am very lucky to have made real friends here, and it's great to feel like you have family friends around to support you and celebrate with you during these moments.  There will be ALOT of celebrating in the next few months, since several of our friends (and my brother and sister in law) are also expecting their second babies! 

In the midst of full on nesting, with an ultra round belly.  This was a few
days ago and I've since dropped a bit.