How Far Along: 37 weeks (Pictures coming soon)Fruit Size Comparison: winter melon
Weight/ Clothes: No new news in good news on this front. Gained under a pound this week and hopefully that wasn't me doing the actual gaining, but instead baby boy since from here out he'll pack on some extra cushion until his arrival.
I'm drawn to my comfy maternity clothing especially as I work on projects around the house. It's so fun to get together with our small group because they always gush about how I've "popped" more so than the last time we were together. I definitely have a big, round belly that will probably continue to get larger and rounder. I have NO problem filling out all my maternity clothes and to think back in the beginning it was so strange trying things on because they definitely did not fit properly without a pronounced bump. That is no longer an issue for sure!
Cravings: I'm obsessed with apple juice mixed with fizzy water!! Ever since I had my cold, I've been enjoying this new beverage. It's refreshing and I don't feel so guilty drinking the sugary juice because it's like a 3:1 ratio of water to juice like my own version of a spritzer. YUM! And according to my birth instructor, babies like cold, sweet things and it makes them more active. This is why she suggests eating or drinking something cold and sweet on the way to the hospital in labor so the heart monitor can pick up an active heart rate more quickly. I think this will be my beverage of choice for keeping hydrated.
Gender: We have been blessed by so many in terms of all the shower love we've received. I feel like so many people in our lives are almost as excited for Baby Herndon to arrive as we are and this has been communicated through loving words as well as sweet gifts and darling outfits. When I say Peanut is going to be one well dressed little man, I mean it!
The big news this week though is that I went out and bought Baby Herndon's coming home outfit. I love his little preppy outfits that we already have, but I wanted one in newborn size. So I picked up a Ralph Lauren blue and white striped polo pants outfit! It's SOOOO cute! Now I can pack out new diaper bag to take to the hospital with his outfit and cute newborn coat-like layer (I'm not sure what to call this piece of baby clothing, but they're super cute and seem pretty practical for bundling him up in the Boston cold.)
Movement: Peanut was very active at the doctor's today...in fact his heart rate was up because he was awake and moving around right when the midwife did the doppler. Also at small group he was moving around and you could literally see the baby's bottom move across my belly at one point...so fun and crazy!Symptoms: Eye...still twitching...heart...still burning...but onward to newer symptoms...I not have the occasional contraction (like a couple in a day very randomly timed), which is pretty cray cray! My pelvic floor is also pretty sore at times leaving me constantly wondering when the real event will actually begin. We'll see! This soreness also adds to the waddling. I think I look pretty special when walking around town at this point.
Mental State: I was feeling a little overwhelmed at the beginning of this week with everything I wanted to get done before Peanut arrives. This feeling was only compounded when I was barely marking things off my to do list the past few days even though I was keeping busy throughout the day working on things. I'm usually such a multi-tasker and I can usually knot out a TON of to-dos in no time at all...well that has not been the case, but thankfully as I write this entry I am feeling more and more accomplished.
The nursery is close to being completely complete! A friend came by today even to help me wrap up some projects I couldn't finish on my own. Big REVEAL coming soon!
I have what I think I need to pack for my hospital bag and the baby's. I've wrapped up projects around the house like a random photo/ shelf project I've had planned for the living room since we moved into our new place, which included ordering photos I'd taken around Boston.
Christmas is put away and the living room has been rearranged to make more room for life with Baby thanks to Adam on that front.
We only have a couple more items to get for the baby and they should be ordered and arriving any day now, but for the most part we are all set with what we need...and wow babies need a lot of things. Thank goodness for the village around us that have blessed us with so much of what we needed. We can't thank everyone enough!
I've wrapped up photography projects I needed to accomplish and I have all loose ends tied up for projects that are coming my way after Peanut's here including booking my flight to Virginia for the wedding I'm shooting in March and a details for a wedding I have later on in June.
I have a couple things to wrap up in planning for some of Anna's pre-wedding festivities this spring since I like to be ahead of the ball if at all possible.
So as you can see I've had a lot on my mind to do both baby and just life related before my mind is distracted with ALL sorts of new parenting experiences and lessons.
Appointment Updates: This week's appointment was very good. My blood pressure is nice and low. The baby is doing well. I tested negative for Strep B, which is great because I won't have to be on an IV antibiotic right when I get to the hospital. We have a pediatrician lined up based on a recommendation from one of our youth ministry parents who works in the field of pediatrics. The pediatrician is one of the best in the area, so we're feeling good on that front. We also finished our natural childbirth class this week, so we're feeling more and more prepared or at least as prepared as possible and we're in touch with a few student doulas trying to decide who would be a good fit to coach us through this new experience. I realize it's a little late in the game to be hiring someone, but there's still time so we're making a go at it and I'm hopeful we'll find the right person now that we have a few candidates to meet and interview. There is also a flu epidemic going on in Boston at the moment, so I've recieved a number of concerned messages from loving friends and family. I am happy to say Adam and I both have our flu shots and I have stopped substitute teaching at this point because I'm trying to get things done and I'm pretty tired when I'm not in "doing" mode. The other suggestion my midwife had for avoiding the flu was staying out of the hospital. She even suggested leaving as soon as possible after Peanut is born because the less time we're there the less people we'll come in contact with and therefore less potential to get sick. This seems to make good sense to me to the point that when asked by friends if we wanted visitors at the hospital I felt it wiser to have friends come visit us once we were back home since hopefully our hospital stay will be brief and that way both our friends and our family can stay healthier if possible.Best Moment of the Week: Our church community has been so encouraging to us...I've received wonderful words of wisdom from those who have gone before us in this whole labor/ parenting world, words of encouragement that we'll be good parents and words of support that all we need do is ask for help and our community will be there for us. I feel so blessed by the community God has provided in such a short time.
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