FULL-TERM!

I am late posting an update. I usually do it once a month, which would have been 36 weeks, but life was too busy so I thought I’d wait until “full-term” at 37 weeks. I’m still a few days late, but here it is! Finally. :)

Writing down all these feelings and emotions I am experiencing as I sit here *full-term* pregnant with my baby girl has been overwhelming. So to help me get started I decided to do one of those pregnancy “surveys”. Here we go!

How Far Along: 37 weeks 5 days

Size of Baby: Um, my iPhone app says the size of a watermelon, nearly 7 pounds. Oh my goodness!

Maternity Clothes: I’ve actually grown OUT of some of my maternity clothes. I can get into them, but around my middle kind-of feels like a sausage stuffed into a casing. ;)

Weight Gain: Hard to say. It fluctuates so dramatically from appointment to appointment. I would say just over 30 pounds total.

Belly: It feels pretty big! Well, to me anyway. Practically daily I am told that I don’t look as far along as I am. I try to think of that as a blessing, that I don’t look TOO huge and miserable yet. And the doctor assures me I am still in the “normal” range, just on the small-end of normal. But from the side, I can look pretty dang pregnant, especially when I wear certain items! Like stripes! See picture below.

Stretch Marks: I finally got some about a week ago or so. They aren’t on my belly though; they are actually on my hips. I have about three small pink ones on each side.

Sleep: I now consider a night’s sleep more of a cluster of naps. It is easier to come to terms with it that way. Sometimes, I am only up 5 minutes between my “naps” and other times it could be an hour or more. I thank my acid reflux for that. I now sleep sitting straight up on the couch most nights. My standard for a “good night sleep” has been lowered quite a bit. If I go through a whole night without waking up suddenly with my mouth, nose, lungs, and even *ears* one time, full of stomach acid, I call that a good night!

Best Moments since last update: Finding out Katelyn was head down. Making some progress on the nursery. Attending newborn / childbirth classes.

Movement: She loves to shift her bum side to side making my tummy look like a waterbed. She also likes to push out her feet which feel like hard little lumps. When she sticks out a body part, I love to pat it back in. It’s our fun little game.

Symptoms: The acid reflux and the swelling are really my only big symptoms. I mean, I have backaches, a sore pelvis, my feet hurt, bloody nose bleeds, etc etc but, hello? I am carting around 7 pounds of baby! That’s to be expected.

Food Cravings: No specific cravings, although I am still eating meat like crazy!

What I Miss: I don't really miss anything. I am looking forward to being more mobile again, like standing up and walking without pausing to check my balance and if I am stable. I am a bit like the rusty tin man when I first stand up.

What I'm Looking Forward to: As of my last doctor's appointment (2 days ago), I haven't dilated at all, so I am looking forward to hearing when I am dilating. Not that I am trying to rush the delivery, but I would just love to hear that my body knows what to do. Infertility makes you feel "broken" physically, and I still deal with that a lot. So hearing I am experiencing normal symptoms and events always makes me feel good.

Weekly Wisdom: I have none. Just talking it one day at a time!

Milestones: Two words: FULL-TERM

Emotions: Excited, nervous, emotional, thankful.