36 Weeks!

How far along? 36 weeks and 4 days

Total weight gain: 24 lbs

Maternity Clothes? yes of course! Bringing out all the elastic waistbands for Christmas! 

Stretch Marks? Nope! I'm praying I can make it through the next three weeks without getting any!!

Sleep? Still awful. I don't think it's ever going to get better for the next 10 years. 

Best moment this week: I anticipate Christmas will be, but for now it's been finding out our friends in Germany had their baby boy!!!

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Miss anything? sleep of course, other than that I would have to say I will miss having a drink on Christmas! 

Movement? like crazy! It's not hurting too often anymore which is nice also. 

Food cravings? digestive cookies and chips... weird. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nothing! 

Have you started to show yet? Haha this week people started asking me when I'm due even with my huge maternity winter jacket on. 
Gender: Girl!

Symptoms: Exhaustion, back pain to the max, nesting like crazy! So far I have over 6 dozen muffins and 12 freezer meals ready and frozen. Don't ask me where I got the energy to do all that, I have no clue. Oh yeah, I also enjoyed my first cankle experience after a full day of cooking and being on my feet. They're still a bit swollen, but not too bad. I'm thankful it's winter so I can hide them under jeans and boots. 

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy, but getting quite impatient. 

Labour Signs: just a few contractions this week, they're feeling more like Braxton hicks now which is much nicer. Hopefully she hangs out in there until the new year!

Belly Button in or out? Out!

Looking forward to: Christmas, spending time with our family, getting all my 'to do' list done and of course- meeting our baby girl!!!!

Coming soon- Nursery tour!!! 

35 Weeks!

How far along? 35 Weeks and 5 days!

Total weight gain: 23 lbs!

Maternity Clothes? Of course

Stretch Marks? Nope!

Sleep? AWFUL.

Best moment this week: seeing baby girl on ultrasound! She's so low now I wasn't able to see her face, but I was able to see from about her nose down and guess what- baby girl already has a little double chin! so cute! 

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Miss anything? my sleep, being able to put my shoes on, being able to walk up the stairs without my legs feeling like I just ran a marathon... the list goes on and on :P  

Movement? Like crazy this week. It's getting very painful which makes me sad!

Food cravings? Nothing crazy this week!

Anything making you queasy or sick? Contractions!! More on that in a minute. 

Have you started to show yet? haha, funny one! People have started to say that I've dropped though!
Gender: Girl!

Symptoms: exhaustion, contractions, lower uterine pain. yuck!

Happy or moody most of the time? this week has been a mixed bag of emotions for me.

Labour Signs: YES! I really didn't think I would be answering yes to that question so soon. 

Belly Button in or out? Out

Looking forward to: Getting all the last minute preparations done before Stella arrives (hopefully!!!!)!

Now for the labour story:

This weekend Paul and I went back to my parents house as we had a few things we needed to do back home. Lily needed to go to the vet, I won a photo shoot a couple months ago so we had that booked for this weekend in hopes of getting a few 'big belly' shots, we had Paul's family Christmas party as well! Quite a busy weekend. 

A preview from our shoot this weekend!

Anyways we never ended up going to the Christmas party as the weather was awful and I hadn't been feeling well since Friday. I had a bad headache (which I never get) and just felt 'off'. We ended up leaving my parents house early on Sunday since I really wasn't feeling great. About 45 minutes into our trip the contractions started. There are no words to describe that feeling. I was so terrified! I instantly started crying and saying that it was too early. Paul was really great through it all, considering he was driving on the highway just after a snow storm! In the next hour it took us to arrive home I had 8 contractions. We dropped the dog off and went strait to the hospital. 

I was hooked up right away to monitors for baby and my contractions. It was nice to see that baby's heartbeat was doing well. I had always wondered if babies can move around in labour. I now know the answer- YES! She was kicking and punching and moving all over. It was SO uncomfortable. About an hour after getting to the hospital I threw up. It was awful. The nurse came rushing in just as it started which was just about the last thing I wanted, it's awful enough when you're on your own, let alone with two other people in the room! Anyways, once that was done with the Dr came in to check my cervix- 1 cm dilated but still long! Good news. I had to wait two hours and she would check me again. 

In the mean time they wanted to give me morphine and gravol, but I asked for Tylenol instead of morphine since I go crazy on morphine. The contractions started to slow and get a little less painful thankfully. When the Dr came back in two hours she said that things were looking like they would be fine and did I want to go home or stay. I wanted to go to the comfort of my home and we did shortly after. They thought I was getting sick and that's what brought this labour on. The next day I didn't feel sick but was still having contractions off and on (and I still am)! 
I went to see my OB the next day and he checked me again, still 1 cm but my cervix is soft. He said I can still make it to 40 weeks but this may be a sign she will be making her grand entrance a bit sooner than that. He said I will likely have contractions now until I go into real labour and to come back when they're 10-15 mins apart (if I'm still preterm). He checked my fluid with an ultrasound and said I have a good amount and that baby is quite long! Her head is way down and bum is right up at the top of my uterus! Taking after daddy I guess :P
I am feeling well now, still uncomfortable and not able to do nearly as much as I used to. I'm so overwhelmed with all of the things I have left to do. My hospital bags aren't even packed. This whole scare really made us realize how soon she is coming and that really it could be any day! 
I plan on using the rest of this week to fill my freezer with food and pack my hospital bags! 

The start of our food stock pile!

Our stroller came! Just in time :) Thanks mom and dad!!!

Spaz approves

My parents! 

34 Weeks!

How far along? 34 Weeks and 5 days 

Total weight gain: 23 lbs

Maternity Clothes? all my maternity clothes are starting to be too short. :(

Stretch Marks? Nope but I am so nervous they are just going to pop up one day soon!

Sleep? Still awful, I'm totally ready for life with a newborn.  

Best moment this week: There was lots this week! We had a wonderful visit with my in laws this weekend, then Paul installed the car seat and I started washing all of her little clothes! It is feeling so real now. Oh and one more great thing, she's awake for about an hour at a time now! It's great! 

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Miss anything? Still my sleep. I don't even remember what it's like to sleep right through the night.   

Movement? Lots! She must be getting long since she wedges herself up in my ribs often making it so hard for me to breath!

Food cravings? Chicken wings! lol Paul took me out last night for them :) 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nothing! 

Have you started to show yet? hahaha.
Gender: Girl!

Symptoms: fatigue, sore back and my boobs are starting to get sore again. ugh!

Happy or moody most of the time? happy this week!

Labour Signs: No, but my braxton hicks are often and getting a bit painful! They often wake me up at night. 

Belly Button in or out? Out, but it sometimes becomes a slight innie now (more like a crater lo)! Weird!!!
Looking forward to: Christmas and then meeting our baby girl!!!!! Also, we have another maternity photo shoot this weekend that I won! Hopefully we will have some snow for that!

33 Weeks!

How far along? 33 Weeks and 6 days

Total weight gain: 22 lbs

Maternity Clothes? Yes, everyday it seems like another maternity shirt gets too short. Yikes!

Stretch Marks? Still none thankfully!

Sleep? still awful, not so thankful for that.

Best moment this week: Getting our glider! As soon as I sat down in it, baby girl started jumping!  

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Miss anything? Not being completely exhausted. I HAVE to nap daily now, which is quite difficult and makes me feel lazy! Paul is always sure to remind me that I am growing a baby after all. 

Movement? lots this week, baby girl seems to be getting into more of a routine now. She will sleep for a few hours and then kick and jump and twist all around for about 25 mins. It's great. I'm trying to enjoy every movement, even those kicks to the ribs, since I know my weeks are starting to be numbered now. 

Food cravings? Nothing crazy this week, although I do have to eat every few hours or I get shaky. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nothing! :)

Have you started to show yet? I don't know how much more my skin can stretch. :|
Gender: Girl!

Symptoms: So sleepy! 

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy this week! :)

Labour Signs: No!

Belly Button in or out? way out!
Looking forward to: Christmas!!!!