Baby Weight

One thing I've been obsessed with these past 9 months is the size of our baby. At first it was pretty boring, apple seed boring. Then as the weeks and months went by it got better, I'm talking eggplant, squash and melon better. 

Now at 36 weeks our not so little guy is maxed out in the height department, and focusing on packing on the pounds before making his grand entrance into the world. Knowing that his growth will be in one area my attention has turned from overall size, to weight - and the reality that this baby wiggling around inside of me will eventually need to come out is hitting hard.

As if there wasn't enough shit going on to freak you out I decided to watch a video of a woman giving birth. Bad decision, horrible decision. I was better off thinking it was like the movies, you push and scream 3 times and out pops a baby. There is a lot the movies don't show you, and it's for a very good reason. 

I'm honestly not sure how anyone survives that, mother, baby and any innocent person who may be watching included. And with my own due date less than 30 days away, I can't help but put my face on that poor woman's body and imagine what it must be like to have to push a melon (which at one point seemed really awesome to be growing inside of me) out a very, very small opening.

Yesterday I decided to stop my own guessing game, and ask my Doctor how much she thought the baby weighted. After taking my measurements, and looking at my own weight gain she's putting our guy at 5 lb - 5 1/2 lbs. Considering most babies gain about 1/2 a pound each week the last month that would put him at around 7 lbs come birth. I know it's just a guess, but I can live with those numbers. Those are nice numbers, numbers that don't make me want to squeeze my legs closed and tell this baby that he needs to find an alternative route out.

A continued sign of this baby's growth is my expanding belly. Latest shot at 35 weeks and 5 days  : )

Done.

It happened, the baby's room is officially done! God it feels great saying that... The two things remaining were both on Drew's "Baby Do" check list, which he happily checked off this weekend by putting up shelves in the baby's closet, and hanging another shelf above the bookcase.

I'm so happy with how this room has turned out, and decorating it for the past 2 months has been so much fun. Here are some pictures of the finished product. Less than 5 weeks until there's a baby in here!

I Get It.

Last night I was browsing the handful of blogs I follow and came across this one, and it is hysterical. I started following this woman back in March when a link to her blog made its way to an infertility forum that I was obsessed with at the time. She and I had a similar pasts, with a history of over exercising and restrictive eating. However despite all odds she had become pregnant naturally, and with our first (and thankfully only) IUI right around the corner she gave me hope that getting pregnant wasn't impossible.

Fast forward 7 months I'm still following her blog, and enjoying every post she makes from trying to wear spanx, to the most recent one about getting organized. What made this even funnier (to me) was that I'm doing the exact same thing, putting away baby clothes, arranging everything by size, organizing and re-organizing the dresser... the list never ends.

Here is what I've got left to tackle over the next few weeks, hopefully with Drew off Saturday we can start to make a dent on more of the handy-man related items (aka the closet).

To Do:

• Wash all of his clothes, or at least the ones he will be wearing the first couple of months. Now washing new clothes sounds ridiculous to me, but apparently if you don't do it your kids skin will fall off, or something. 
• Wash all of his sheets, again - crazy, but apparently necessary.
• Organize baby's closet, this task requires a trip to Home Depot and Drew, both of which I'd like to get done this weekend so I can stop obsessing over the fact the closet is getting widely out of control. 
• Organize all the things I've picked up to help me get organized. We've got more over the door hangy things and boxes then I can count. Yet they are all empty, and I have no clue what I want to put in them. I should figure this out, soon.
• Figure out what's missing and buy it, because I'm crazy I started an excel sheet to help me keep track of what baby inventory we have. It's titled "Baby Stuff" and has a column for "got it" and a second for "need it", pretty self explanatory, but still overwhelming.
• Pack hospital bag. No comment needed.
• Find a pediatrician - this is a big one, and Google isn't really helping at all.

Those are the big things left on the list, besides you know, have a baby... : )

Running Out of Room

My how quickly times have changed. No sooner do I write about how much I'm enjoying being pregnant do things start to become very, very uncomfortable. It could just be a bad couple of days, or that he's in some crazy position, but honestly I think this feeling that has come over me is directly related to the fact that this baby is slowly running out of room inside my belly, and it hurts.

Here's what I've noticed:

1. He moves all day long, and we're not talking about the little taps that I used to get, but full on rolls and kicks that leave me feeling like I've been in a boxing match with Mike Tyson.
2. I have to pee 95 times a day. Okay, 95 times may be a slight exaggeration, but the number of times I pee in 1 day is getting out of control. We may have to look into adult diapers.
3. I can't sleep, and I like sleep, I like 8 hours of sleep. But does my body realize this is the last time in probably forever that I'll be able to enjoy a full nights rest? No. Instead I wake up every 2 hours and can't fall back asleep because my mind starts racing with all the things we need, like onesies. For some reason I'm really worried about onesies. Do I have enough onesies, and how many onesies do we even need. Should I just get white ones, and where should I put them? In the top drawer, or find some other space to store them. Yeah...onesies.
4. Bending over is impossible. From putting on socks and tying my shoe laces, to trying to get out of bed, I can no longer make a 90 degree angel with my body to save my life - and it's humiliating, in a way Drew finds hysterical.

Those are probably the top 4 things on my "Okay, I think I'm done being pregnant" list. Really not too bad now that I'm look at everything written down, but just enough to make me a bit nervous about the 6 weeks to come. According to my What to Expect Ap our little guy is around 4-5 lbs and could double in weight over the next 6 weeks. Excuse me, but where is another 4-5 lbs of baby supposed to go!??

Just another sign of this growing little guy is my ever expanding belly at 33 weeks and 5 days.

About Being Pregnant

Here's the thing (as my Mom would say), despite all the crazy sh*t that happens to your body, and that I no longer have a waist line, I've really enjoyed being pregnant.

I'll be the first to admit that it took me a while to get to this point. At first I was so scared something was going to go wrong that I had a hard time enjoying the simple fact that we had created a life. That fear, plus the relentless "morning" sickness made for a rough 3 months. But then came the 2nd trimester, and with that a new calm that this was really happening, and everything was going to be fine.

Now that I'm in the middle of my 3rd trimester and getting closer to my due date, I've realized that I'm actually going to miss being pregnant. Granted it hasn't been all roses and sunshine, but overall it's been an amazing experience. From the first ultrasound, to those first little kicks - I wouldn't trade these past 8 months for the world.

One of the best things about being pregnant is that for the first time in god knows how many years I'm not focused on all my imperfections. I'm not worried about waking up at 5:00 am so that I can fit in a 6 mile run and 45 gym workout everyday before work. I'm not passing on that chocolate chip cookie (instead I'm having two) and buttered bread before dinner. And if I miss a day of working out, it's okay, turns out the world still goes on and there is always tomorrow.

I think the biggest thing I've enjoyed is that I'm looking at my body, and appreciating it for what it is, instead of looking for what I need to work on at the gym. My body, with all it's flaws, is doing an amazing thing. My body, with all it's flaws, is growing our baby - and doing a damn good job at it if I do say so myself. So how can I be mad that my butt isn't as perky as I'd like, and my arms (despite my efforts) will never be toned like Cameron Diaz.

I'll never forget the moment I found out that we were pregnant, standing alone in the middle of the kitchen trying to remind myself to breath. I had no idea what the next 38 weeks would bring, and am happy to say that when people ask me how I feel, I'm not lying when I say "I feel great".

Latest belly shot below, 32 weeks and 4 days pregnant. Baby and belly are growing! 7 weeks and 2 days to go!

Baby Shower

This weekend Drew, Maggie and I made the trip to Long Island for my Baby Shower. I arrived at my parents house Thursday night and settled in for what I knew was going to be a wonderful weekend.

Friday was the perfect day off. I took Maggie for a long walk in the trails, met my Mom to get our nails done and walked along the LI Sound while Drew hunted for beach glass, and Maggie went for a swim. Later that night our Delaware family (Lisa, Jenn and Rory) arrived, and after celebratory ice cream cake for Rory's birthday, we said goodnight and went to bed.

Saturday was the day of the shower, and despite being the middle of Fall it felt like an early spring day. The sun was shinning and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. My parents had a full house of girls, which made for a lot of fun getting ready in the morning. It felt like college all over again, and made me realize that you're never too old for a sleep over.

My mom had spent the past 2 months planning the shower, and ended up picking a local restaurant near their house in Miller Place to have it. The day she planned was absolutely perfect. From the timing of the food, and having the whole place to ourselves, to my closest family and friends being there to celebrate - I couldn't have asked for anything more.

After eating a delicious piece of salmon for lunch I sat down in the designated "chair" and stated to make my way through the table of presents that was laid out before me. By the end of the day I had opened more gifts than imaginable, and was touched by how generous everyone had been. Baby C is one lucky little guy, and spoiled rotten already.

Sunday was another beautiful day, and after another long walk in the trails with my Mom and Maggie, we packed up and headed back to PA. By the time I got to the L.I.E. 20 minutes later I was an emotional mess. As I replayed the events of the weekend in my head I couldn't help but cry, realizing once again how lucky we are, and what a miracle this is.

Throughout this entire pregnancy there has always been something else to focus on, from registering, to finishing the nursery, to picking out a day care. But now I find that I'm focused on what it's going to be like to actually go to the hospital and HAVE a baby, and see him for the first time, and watch Drew hold him in his arms.

I can't pretend that the realization we could have a baby in just 7 short weeks isn't a scary one, but at the same time I can't wait. I'm ready to meet our little man.

Here are some pictures from my Baby Shower, a perfect day that I will always remember. Nice work Mama <3

Boobies and Bellies

This weekend, despite Drew's protest, we attended a breastfeeding class. There is less than 9 weeks until our little guy gets here, and I'm starting to feel overwhelmed with the amount of basic baby care that we still need to "learn".

So - I signed up for a BF class, and after a last minute schedule change opened up his weekend, told Drew he was coming with me. Thankfully he wasn't the only man in the class, which consisted of fake nipples, a serious power point and numerous video clips of huge, bare, boobies. Lots and lots of boobies. I can't even pretend like I wasn't holding back giggles throughout the entire 2 hours. It was just so much boob, which I guess I should have expected in a class about breastfeeding.

Overall it was pretty informative, and covered some basic BF tips that were helpful to hear in person. I'm hoping that by getting informed early I'll be able to BF successfully. However I'm aware of how challenging it is, and that despite best efforts it doesn't always work out. I'm 100% committed to giving it my all for as long as I can, but trying to be realistic at the same time.

In other news, I feel like my belly exploded this week and I love it. I am finally embracing the bulge and wearing clothes that are more form fitting. My total weight gain at 31 weeks is 18 lbs, which would put me just under 30lbs total if I continue to gain at the rate I've been going. I've decided I can live with that. 25lb would have been awesome, but the bacon every weekend and ice cream sundaes every night have been worth it.

Here is my 31 and 2 day belly shot, take while shopping at "Pea in the Pod" this afternoon.