Great Expectations II: 34 and 35 weeks

How Far: 34 and 35 weeks

Weight/ Clothes: Pretty much maintaining my weight at this point, which is good because I feel plenty big...but thankfully I also feel like it's mostly baby and not as spread out all over.

I'm hanging in there with my wardrobe. I am all set in the dress department. I have something for pretty much any occasion from wedding coordinating to church to a possible polo match in early September. I'm also all set on shorts, capris, pants and nicer tops. I might pick up a couple more simple cotton maternity tees that will fit now and hopefully work after the baby comes for a bit because I definitely feel warmer most days and prefer a cotton tee if I have to head outside for anything. I've been super lucky with how mild a summer we're having, but I still get warm from pretty much the smallest amount of activity such as a quick stroll somewhere and cotton tees are so much more comfortable when I'm warm.

Cravings: Egg sandwiches. My mother in law makes the best egg sandwiches for breakfast, so I definitely enjoyed my fill while she stayed with us the two weeks that Adam was away in Colombia. The great thing about an egg sandwich is that it really fills me up and keeps me full...much longer than a bowl of cereal or pancakes since they don't have the protein component.

I've also been craving sweets a little more, but I've been trying to control this craving by eating more fruit rather than cake and ice cream, though there has been a little of that of course here and there.

Gender: I've been searching for the perfect take home outfit for this little guy. I am so bummed because the type of Ralph Lauren outfit I brought Levi home in was newborn size and they don't seem to make that particular style of clothes in such small sizes anymore. I've scoured the internet and stores to no avail. I would have loved to dress this little guy in the same type of outfit just in green this time rather than blue. I have a couple good back up outfits that will work for bringing him home from the hospital if I don't stumble upon exactly what I'm looking for at this point.

Movement: The baby had the hiccups for the first time. I don't remember really knowing with Levi when he had the hiccups, but I was very sure this time around. That rhythmic beating every few seconds or so is pretty crazy to feel.  Otherwise there's lots of kicking and squirming around especially at bedtime.

Symptoms: My rib pain is back...it is THE WORST!! I had some relief for a week or so and it seemed the heartburn medicine was taking care of it, but it came back this week. No fun because it is most bothersome when laying down and therefore trying to go to sleep. I have to switch sides from time to time to help alleviate the pain. I won't miss this pain once the baby is here that's for sure...of course it's worth it though.

I'm also having Braxton Hicks pretty regularly and man do they take my breath away. I remember having them with Levi, but not getting so winded from them. Every pregnancy is different.

Mental State: I was so THANKFUL to have Adam's parents visiting for the weekend and then his mom stayed with us the entire time Adam was away in Colombia. Since it's getting harder and harder to run around after Levi at this stage of the game, I was so glad I had other people around to do so with me.

Thankfully I'm still getting around okay for the most part, so coordinating a wedding this week wasn't a problem. Of course I was pretty whooped when it was all said and done, but I had the energy I needed.

It was a busy week trying to tie up loose ends with our condo in Peabody since my mom is now renting it. I met with carpet companies to get price quotes and then returned to have new carpet installed. Again it was so nice that Levi could hang with Grandma while I took care of things because the condo isn't yet child proof. It's going to be so nice once my mom has everything settled and her home away from home is ready for visits.

Robin and I also spent the week working on different projects to get ready for Jellybean to arrive..also known as NESTING...some major NESTING. It was mostly organizational stuff...We moved some artwork around in the nursery to make room for Jellybean's hand and footprints like the frame I have with Levi's. We organized the boys' closet and put the new baby's stuff in one place, so I can easily find it when I need it. We organized the boys' dressers to make room for Jellybean's clothes. Robin also made us some freezer meals as we were cooking dinners while she was here.We also picked up a big brother gift for Levi and it's in hiding waiting to go in my hospital bag. Our last project was to launder the newborn clothes, but we had trouble finding them and it wasn't until Adam got back and did a few rounds of searching that we finally found everything, which was a relief  because it had to be somewhere! I'm feeling good in terms of being ready for Jellybean's arrival...there are still a few things left on my to do list such as a hospital tour since we're delivering at a different hospital than last time and we need to figure out if our stroller adapter for the infant seat from last time will work on our new stroller or if we needed to order a different model, but we should be able to knock such things out in the next couple weeks for sure.

Appointment Updates: I'm having appointments every two weeks now and this week's appointment included the lovely TDap shot since this time around they give it every pregnancy to help guard against the Whooping Cough once the baby is born. My arm was pretty sore for a couple days from the shot.

Best Moment of the Week: Getting to see our maternity photos! They turned out beautifully! I could not have been happier! I just wish I had gotten to look through them with Adam for the first time, but he got to see them from Colombia too, so he didn't have to wait until he got home. Thanks again Amy of Amy Murgatroyd Photography for your gorgeous work! I'll definitely do a separate post with my faves like I did last time with Levi's maternity photos.