38 weeks

how far along? 38 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a pumpkin

weight gain/loss? +30-ish lbs

stretch marks? all over my hips, but none on my bump (strange)

maternity clothes? yes, and I'm so sick of wearing the same 6 shirts over and over and over and over again...

sleep? still sleeping in the guest room; John installed a new ceiling fan in there and it's so cool and comfortable, plus I love having a big bed to myself

food cravings? popsicles, ice cream, and anything frozen

symptoms? swollen feet and ankles, sciatic nerve pain, heavy breathing, a slight waddle

signs of labor? cervix is still getting shorter, but no dilation or effacement

sex of baby? girl

movement? rolling, pushing, and one big flip (see below)

belly button? it's out!

what I'm worrying about: well, we received some interesting news at our most recent appointment - after several weeks of being confirmed in the head-down position, baby is now breech. My OB gave us two options: try an external version (manipulating from the outside to try and get the baby to turn) or schedule a c-section. Given that it's late in the pregnancy and baby will only be getting bigger by the week, it's going to be harder to get her to turn, plus the risks of doing an external version are pretty scary and the success rate isn't awesome (only around 58%). Plus, there's always a chance she could flip back after the procedure and I'd end up having to have a c-section anyways. Although it's definitely not my first choice of how to give birth, I decided to schedule a c-section for Monday, June 24 when I'll be 39 weeks. There is still a small possibility that she could turn in the next week (we'll know for sure at our appointment next Friday), but my OB isn't optimistic. So, on top of feeling anxious about having a baby in general, now I'm feeling anxious about going through major surgery and dealing with a more complicated recovery. I keep reminding myself that I'm doing what's best to ensure a healthy baby, but the truth is that I'm really scared.

what I'm loving: the nursery is done and it's adorable!

best moment this week? nesting is in full force and we tackled some major house projects - washing windows and blinds, re-painting the front door, hanging a new house number plaque, and buying a new rug for the living room

37 weeks

how far along? 37 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a winter melon

weight gain/loss? +30-ish lbs

stretch marks? still a few on each hip

maternity clothes? absolutely

sleep? now I'm the one who's camping out in the guest room; it's much easier to shove a pillow between my knees and flop over like a beached whale when I'm not sharing a bed (we'll see if this lasts throughout the rest of the pregnancy)

food cravings? popsicles and ice cream

symptoms? swollen feet and ankles, sciatic nerve and tailbone pain, heavy breathing

signs of labor? I had my first internal exam last week and my doctor commented that my cervix is shortening, but not at all dilated or effaced

sex of baby? girl

movement? plenty of rolls and pushes

belly button? starting to pop out!

what I'm worrying about: how much longer I'm going to be pregnant; I have an ominous feeling that I'm going to go waaaaaaaay overdue...

what I'm loving: finishing our birth classes, buying the few remaining items off our registries, and knocking out a few baby-related projects (starting a baby book, hanging IKEA spice racks as forward-facing bookshelves in the nursery)

best moment this week? putting the dock in at our cabin = a sure sign of summer!

36 weeks

how far along? 36 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a honeydew melon

weight gain/loss? most likely still around 30 lbs

stretch marks? I always assumed that stretch marks would show up on your belly during pregnancy, so I'm surprised to only see 3-4 dark stretch marks on each hip; I wish I had known this and put more lotion on my hips than on my bump - c'est la vie.

maternity clothes? yes - the tunic in the photo below is one of my favorite maternity pieces - very Tory Burch-esque, and it's only from Old Navy

sleep? decent, although I don't think my husband agrees. I woke up one morning to an empty bed; evidently John had moved into the guest room at 3:00 am when my snoring became too much to handle!

food cravings? BLT sandwiches

symptoms? holy swollen feet and ankles! I've also experiencing more round ligament pain and sciatica

signs of labor? none

sex of baby? girl

movement? still rolling and pushing around in there

belly button?

what I'm worrying about: the usual fears about labor and delivery

what I'm loving: feeling celebrated and gifted at my work baby shower, as well as another smaller shower thrown by our dinner party friends

best moment this week? I had a cocktail party for work on Tuesday evening and received many compliments from people I hadn't seen in a while; one woman told me I look lovely and another told me I was "carrying well" (whatever that means). At least people aren't commenting on how big I've gotten (ahem, father-in-law).

35 weeks

how far along? 35 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a coconut

weight gain/loss? I stopped counting after my depressing visit to the doctor last week, although if I had to guess, I would say around 30 lbs (ugh)

stretch marks? still some faint ones around the sides of my hips

maternity clothes? you betcha

sleep? I actually slept in our guest bedroom a few nights this past week - more room for me to flop around like a whale (and less disturbances for my slumbering husband)

food cravings? fresh, summery foods - salad, watermelon, iced tea

symptoms? my feet and ankles have officially begun to swell; on top of that, I've been having lots of round ligament pain and sciatic nerve pain as well

signs of labor? none

sex of baby? girl

movement? plenty of rolls, pushes and hiccups

belly button? just a tiny divot left

what I'm worrying about: a better question would be what am I not worried about? I'm still freaked about labor and delivery, frustrated with a house that needs spring cleaning, and just feeling very anxious about everything these days.

what I'm loving: getting lots of great gifts at my shower (bouncer, diaper bag, rock 'n play, activity gym, and lots of smaller items, too. The checklist of items is getting smaller!

best moment this week? celebrating John's birthday with a fantastic night out including lobster, pork belly, scallops, short ribs, a wicked strong manhattan (for him), live jazz, and homemade rhubarb crisp (courtesy of my mom)

34 weeks

how far along? 34 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a butternut squash

weight gain/loss? well, the shit officially hit the fan this week. According to the scale at my doctor's office, I gained 7 lbs. since my last appointment two weeks ago. My doctor said that it's most likely water weight, and that I need to keep an eye on my salt intake and general diet from now on. Awesome. 

stretch marks? maybe some faint ones around the sides of my hips

maternity clothes? yes, and I had to pick up a few more tees and tanks for summer

sleep? rolling over has become a challenge

food cravings? still fruit - watermelon has been a favorite this week

symptoms? round ligament pain, achy hips, sore feet

signs of labor? none

sex of baby? girl

movement? pushing and hiccuping away

belly button? the bottom is completely flat and the top is close behind...

what I'm worrying about: my shower on Saturday

what I'm loving: still enjoying prenatal yoga and how it makes me feel: strong, calm and confident in my body

best moment this week? we took our hospital tour on Tuesday night!

33 weeks

how far along? 33 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a durian fruit (what?)

weight gain/loss? +20 pounds

stretch marks? maybe some faint ones around the sides of my hips

maternity clothes? definitely

sleep? totally hit or miss; some nights are great and I sleep all the way through without waking up or feeling uncomfortable, and others I toss and turn for what seems like forever

food cravings? juicy fruit, especially pineapple and watermelon

symptoms? still a little heartburn and loosening ligaments in my hips/pelvis

signs of labor? none

sex of baby? girl

movement? lots of pushes, rolls and hiccups - so fun to feel her moving around!

belly button? hanging in there...barely

what I'm worrying about: the list of house projects to knock out before this kid arrives

what I'm loving: prenatal yoga! I signed up for a Sunday night class on a whim and was shocked by how much I truly enjoyed it. I felt so calm and connected with the baby and my body, and am going to try and make it a weekly ritual.

best moment this week? see above

32 weeks

how far along? 32 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a squash

weight gain/loss? +18 pounds

stretch marks? maybe some faint ones around the sides of my hips

maternity clothes? oh yes

sleep? this was not a great week for sleep. I woke up at 4:45 am on Tuesday morning and could not go back to sleep so I got out of bed, watched an episode of Mad Men, baked some muffins, took my sweet time getting ready and still got into work nearly an hour before I normally do. Ugh...I was like a zombie the rest of the day.

food cravings? chocolate chip cookies and milk

symptoms? heartburn and loosening ligaments in my hips/pelvis

signs of labor? none

sex of baby? girl

movement? I finally SAW movement from the outside this week - so crazy!

belly button? incredibly shallow

what I'm worrying about: random things like being unable to breastfeed, or the carseat not fitting in my car

what I'm loving: I've been registry stalking and things are being purchased for my shower next weekend

best moment this week? a fabulous prenatal massage - it was so great to lay on my stomach!