BUMPDATE // 36 Weeks

HOW FAR ALONG// 36 Weeks

BABY SIZE // About the size of a head of romaine lettuce.

Baby Hopper is still packing on the pounds at the rate of about an ounce a day. She weighs almost 6 lbs and is more than 18 1/2 inches long.
She is shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa (a waxy substance that protects the skin during its nine-month bath in the amniotic fluid. Your baby swallows these substances, along with other secretions, and they form a tar-like black substance called meconium, which she will pass in her first bowel movements.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered "early term". Full term is 39-40, babies born before 37 are pre-term, and 41 weeks is late term. Most likely she is in a head-down position. If not, your caregiver may suggest scheduling an external cephalic versions. That's a fancy way of saying that your caregiver will apply pressure to your abdomen to try to manipulate your baby into a head-down position.

MY SYMPTOMS // I had a Dr appt Monday, at this point I'll be going every week. My blood pressure was 120/64 and the nurse told me I had no weight gain in the past two weeks. I really don't know want to know weight so I step on the scale backwards and told the nurse I assumed that if I was in danger, they would let me know. Baby Hopper head is down and her heart beat was reading between 135-140. It sounded strong too and she was busy with her dance moves.
Shane has been out of town and a couple of nights this week, I got pretty worked up thinking that something was going to happen while he was gone.. I knew the doctor normally wouldn't check this early but I asked if they would since he was gone and for peace of mind, and because I am feeling a LOT of pressure on the left side in my southern parts. Like it can get really uncomfortable after awhile.
They did and O.M.G. I think I climbed up to Heaven when she did that. I have zero pain tolerance and just tried to breathe deep the whole time. I wasn't looking forward to the rest of the day because I was told I would cramp and spot, but I was totally fine and none of the above happened until Tuesday night. I had a pretty strong Braxton Hick's pain late in the night and that's the only one I felt. Yesterday, I didn't feel like I had period cramps but just a little achy. I guess almost what ovulation would feel like. Unless I feel any different than Monday, the NP told me Dr Elder probably wouldn't check me again Monday, but definitely would at 38 weeks.

I'm still using my oils for stretch marks and have none..
My rings are still on..
There isn't much room for big meals so I eat smaller portions..
I've been trying to drink even more water with it being so hot here..
Knock on wood, sleep has been pretty good, just a lot of potty breaks..
TMI, but I've really been working on kegals..
No swelling this week in my ankles, thank goodness..
The veins in my stomach are really showing. Its kinda freaky looking!!..
At times I've been getting some killer headaches..
My nose has been really stopped up more and its been hard to breathe. Sometimes its hard for me to catch my breath in conversations but it's not because I feel her in my ribs/lung area, I guess its because everything is squished and my stomach is just huge..
It seems like I can never get cooled off especially at night..

Last night, I had some stabbing pains where I've been feeling a lot of pressure. I think it's just how she is laying and its just beating my insides up..
I've recently had some issues with going #2 and not having a problem with this ever its been really frustrating..
I have one vein on my left leg that's pretty dark still but I don't think any new ones have popped up..

(I had most of this written yesterday, and woke up today, pretty uncomfortable and super tired to the point where I have felt like my eyes were never going to open all the way. I'm feeling a little better now)

MATERNITY CLOTHES // Yes, yes! And somehow I can still wear a couple of my maxi skirts which I'm glad because I need dresses long enough to cover these ugly compression tights. Although, I had to shed them at work Tuesday because I could NOT get cooled off.

SLEEP // Good, except for potty breaks.. wow at the amount of times I have to use the bathroom.

MOVEMENT // A good bit of the time! Just wish I could capture on video. She stops every time I get my camera out.

CRAVINGS // Just want really really really cold stuff.

GENDER // Sweet girl!

WHAT I MISS // Same as last week.. Normal clothes.. being able to easily pop out of bed.. being able to bend down.. This morning I woke up really uncomfortable, and as selfish as this sounds, I just really want my body back.

WORK OUTS // Sadly, none.

EMOTIONS // Besides me getting all worked up while Shane was gone, I've been OK. I have started thinking more about delivery and the unknown is making me nervous, but I'm trying to keep myself calm and not worry about that. I just need to hang some stuff in the nursery, I'm going this weekend to get the stuff I need for my hospital bag, I want to read a little more, and then I think I'll feel more at ease.. maybe.
I read this part later and realized it didn't make sense LOL so I updated)

DREAMS // Oh my I haven't told my SIL this yet, but I dreamt this week her house was on fire! I woke up in a panic.
Last night was crazy.. I started off realizing that after I got home from the hospital, I hadn't been stimulating/pumping for breastfeeding.. then I was at Mama Jane's, Baby Hopper was starving and I was trying to sterilize bottles and just couldn't get it done right. Then, Karen and I were trying to find a pottery place, found it, but kept driving by it numerous times. Then, my sweet, loving husbands alarm started going off at 5 something this morning and bless him I don't think he's learned how to actually turn it OFF instead of hitting snooze for 4 hours, so here I am, madder than a wet hen because I've been up tossing and turning ever since and he has been sawing logs. 

HUBBY'S THOUGHTS // He has been very attentive towards me, but his team lost the BCS championship game yesterday, so he's been a little upset. After putting his stuff down last night and saying hello to all his girls, his first stop was in the nursery.. He just looked around and I showed him how her clothes were set up in her dresser and he says, "Wow you have really been working." Yes, Coach. YES, I have. Every waking moment that I am not at work, running errands, making Babies R Us trips, taking care of the dogs, napping because I'm so tired, what else can I name? I have been hard at work. Time is running out quickly.

3 AMIGAS THOUGHTS // Last Saturday, Mara woke up with some kind of infection. I had no idea anything was wrong with her until I went to the back door, there was pee all in the floor and with blood. I took them all outside and figured out it was Mara, made a quick call to the vet, we made our way to the vet, and thank goodness now she seems much better.
Kyli has been in some skunk shenanigans. I don't know if she got sprayed or just rolled where one had sprayed but I really thought I was going to have to whip out the tomato juice. It was horrible. It made for quite an eventful weekend.
Sox had a standoff with a deer yesterday. OMG it was so funny to watch and I can now say I have officially heard a deer snort/blow whatever it's called. I think there is a baby out in the brush that hasn't been cut and she was protecting it. She was NOT backing down or running and that blowing was LOUD.
They still come in the nursery and smell and look at everything like, Oh this is new and this is new and I wonder what this is and what it's for?
Tuesday, Mara and Sox went flying to the road from the back yard and before I knew it, my 9 month preggo self was in a sprint to stop them. Yeah.. probably not so smart. My southern region really did hurt after that and I laid on the couch for the rest of the night.
And then Mara told me she was sorry...

BEST PREGNANCY MOMENT THIS WEEK //

Friday after work, I went and used our gift cards to pick up the crib mattress, mattress cover, changing table pad, diaper bag, and humidifier. I found a stroller/carseat set I liked. My phone was dead so I couldn't do much research in the store, so I did that night..  the next day Connie and Tracie and I went back to Babies R Us to pick up the dresser and the last stroller had been sold! They let me go ahead and order from the store (it was also 20% off) and it was delivered Tuesday morning!

Saturday evening, my Dad and Step Mom brought my toy box my Paw-Paw made me YEARS ago when I was little. I don't know how old I was but its beautiful and I am so glad to have it. I dusted it with some wood spray and I'm thinking about rubbing it down with Murphy's oil. Y'all will see it when I post about the nursery!
They ended up staying and getting the dresser together. Whoo hoo!

Last week, I added one of my clients at the last minute.. she informed she was trying to transition her daughter into her big girl bed and not rocking at night and asked me did I need a rocker/glider set. I said yes we do, can you send me a picture when you get home? (just because I wanted to see the condition it was in) She ended up already having one, and Y'all, its almost the exact same rocker we registered for. The only difference is this one doesn't have the option to recline and the other did. And, there isn't one single scratch or stain on it.

She gave it to us for F-R-E-E because all she was going to do was put it in her Mom's basement. The Lord is seriously taking care of us with everything. The only thing we have really had to come out of pocket on is the stroller/carseat and I'm thankful that was on sale for 20% off. I can't begin how to express how overwhelmed I am with everyone's love and generosity given to us in preparation for Baby Hopper coming. It just warms the soul and its been so amazing to see God work in every single detail and how everything has fallen into place.

God is good and all the time and all the time God is good!