38 weeks

This weeks' weight gain/loss: +2lbs

Total weight gain/loss: +7lbs

Size of Baby: We're officially a watermelon!!! The last fruit!!!

Biggest challenges: Everything is a challenge at this point lol I'm getting large and uncomfortable, which makes doing everyday things very difficult - sitting down, getting up, sleeping, picking things up, moving around, standing for long periods of time, etc. etc. etc.

Cravings: Getting this child out lol no, but seriously... I honestly am not really into food right now, I'm simply eating because I know that I have to at this point. I am much more focused on tying up the last minute loose ends at work in preparation for my leave, and nesting.

Gender: it's a BOY!!! Owen Richard W*****

Movement: We had an NST yesterday, and Owen did not like that one bit. He was bouncing all over the place during the test and then continued to do so for the rest of the day after that. So apparently he has not completely run out of room in there yet!

Sleep: We've officially moved out of the nursery and onto the futon in the spare bedroom *sigh* It's a less than ideal situation, but we're making it work. I'm just happy to have the nursery completely done and ready to go. But working from home and getting to sleep in most mornings, is really helping to keep me rested for the most part.

What I Miss: I am starting to think it will always be my feet and ankles lol I am soooooooo over swelling and looking like a stuffed sausage! I want to see my feet again, the feet that I know actually belong to me and not ones that I have to do a double take on.

Emotions: I'm getting stressed out over our remodel (which still isn't done - grrrrrrrr) and trying to keep things in check because of it. I just want our room done and us moved into it - my house is a wreck and that's really putting a damper on my nesting urges lately.

Best moment this week: Finally completely finishing the nursery!!! 

Any baby related purchases: I think we're pretty much set at this point.

Milestones: 2 more weeks!!!

37 weeks - Full Term!!!

This weeks' weight gain/loss: +1lbs

Total weight gain/loss: +5lbs

Size of Baby: We're officially a watermelon!!! The last fruit!!!

Biggest challenges: Bending over is pretty much out of the question at this point lol Bryan has to do a lot of the floor level stuff for me. I've resorted strictly to flip flops now (not that I could tie a tennis shoe around my inflated feet at this point anyway) and some interesting contortion moves to get pants on lol

Cravings: I finally had my Mexican fix and boy was it gooooood :o) Nice and spicy, hopefully that will give Owen some incentive to make his appearance soon. Other than that, I would really love a turkey sub from Subway lol and that's now my first request for food once he's out. 

Gender: it's a BOY!!! Owen Richard W*****

Movement: I can definitely tell that he's running out of room in there - movements have turned into these dramatic turning motions, as opposed to the old kicks and punches. I'm waiting to feel him drop into my pelvis and was told that movements would change again once that happens.

Sleep: Still slightly better this week than it has been the past month or so. I continue to toss and turn from one side to the other, but there is more actual sleep being had lately. Hopefully that is in preparation for Owen to finally be here!

What I Miss: I am starting to think it will always be my feet and ankles lol I am soooooooo over swelling and looking like a stuffed sausage! I want to see my feet again, the feet that I know actually belong to me and not ones that I have to do a double take on.

Emotions: I've actually been ok this week - no major freak outs or melt downs. I don't think that it's all actually hit me yet, and I'm honestly not sure when it will. Right now, we're trying all of the labor inducing techniques that we can and so I think that's given me something to focus on.

Best moment this week: Officially full term!!! And I've finished washing all of Owen's laundry, so there's really not a ton left for me to do in the way of getting ready for him. 

Any baby related purchases: Went to Babies R Us to use our completion coupon and got the last few things we needed - bottles, safety gates, toys, etc. Other than that, no - we are pretty much done in the baby related purchases department. At this point we really have everything that we need (and then some) for him.

Milestones: Full term!!!

He Flipped!

We had our follow-up ultrasound yesterday, after the doc heard that he was breech or transverse, and I am happy to report that Owen has flipped into the head down position on his own!!! I was honestly surprised, I could have sworn he was still breech based on where I thought I was feeling movement. But he's officially head down and ready to go!

However, my doc warned me that we're not out of the woods yet. Apparently because he did flip so late, that means that he still has some room in there, which means that he could flip again. So she would like to continue with monitoring via ultrasound until the end, just to be sure that he doesn't decide to turn himself around again. She also told me that when I do go into labor and head to L&D, to let them know that he just recently flipped and to request an ultrasound at the hospital so that we can be sure he didn't flip back to breech. She doesn't want me going through hours of labor, only to find out that he did flip again and will end up needing an emergency c-section anyway (thanks doc!).

So right now, we're in good shape!

Unfortunately, as of this morning I am not dilated at all :o( My cervix is nice and soft, so we're on our way, but not quite making any progress just yet. I will admit that I was hoping for a little something, but oh well... there's always next week, right?! ;o)

36 weeks

This weeks' weight gain/loss: +1lbs

Total weight gain/loss: +4lbs

Size of Baby: Last week as a honeydew! Only one more fruit left to go!

Biggest challenges: Getting comfortable anytime of the day and in any position - nothing feels good or even ok anymore. Sleeping is of course still an ongoing battle, but now the daytime hours bring their own challenges.

Cravings: As I mentioned last week, I have been in the mood for Mexican (spicy foods - sign of labor, right? ;o). And we have plans to go to a new Mexican restaurant this Friday with our group of friends, so I'm hoping that satisfies my craving.

Gender: it's a BOY!!! Owen Richard W*****

Movement: Very active little man this week and I am loving it! Although I am pretty sure he's still sitting breech/transverse, because I can still feel his movements on the sides of my belly *sigh*

Sleep: Still slightly better this week than it has been the past month or so. I continue to toss and turn from one side to the other, but there is more actual sleep being had lately. Hopefully that is in preparation for Owen to finally be here!

What I Miss: I am starting to think it will always be my feet and ankles lol I am soooooooo over swelling and looking like a stuffed sausage! I want to see my feet again, the feet that I know actually belong to me and not ones that I have to do a double take on.

Emotions: Slowly getting a little rocky, as I get more and more uncomfortable. But again, I am trying my best to keep things in check. I am really trying to stay positive and grateful for everything, no matter what.

Best moment this week: We had our second shower this weekend and it was wonderful. My mother-in-law did a fabulous job throwing us a Hey Diddle Diddle nursery rhyme themed shower. So many wonderful family and friends came out to welcome Owen. And again, we are so blessed and lucky - Owen got some great stuff! 

Any baby related purchases: TONS of stuff from our second shower and then we went to do our registry completion, which thanks to our amazing family and friends didn't leave us much more that needed to be bought - lots of little things, we only spent about $150 to get the rest of his stuff. We also had a few duplicate returns and some cash gifts, that we used to purchase our last big ticket item the swing!

Milestones: Next week we are full term!!!

Shower #2

Owen had another amazing shower this past weekend :o)

He is so loved and we are so blessed with the best family and friends!

Bryan's mom threw us a beautiful Hey Diddle Diddle nursery rhyme themed shower this past Saturday - she really outdid herself, it was gorgeous! She was very adamant about doing everything herself and now I can see why - she had a vision and she went alllllllllllllll out with it! Every little detail was on theme and so friggin cute!

Everything was just wonderful, she did an absolutely amazing job!

And of course Owen was completely spoiled yet again - I still cannot believe how much stuff he has already! Now that our showers are over, I was going through our list to try and figure out what we even still need before he arrives and let me tell you, that list is minimal. We are so lucky!

Nursery Reveal

I will soon have a progress post of our work on the master bedroom remodel to share with you all - it's slowly but surely coming along (baby steps ;o). Although we are making remarkable strides lately and my father (and Bryan) swears it will be done by the time Owen arrives, I am not holding my breath. I am sure that it will be done soon, but probably not within the next month.

Luckily - as I've reported in previous posts - we have gotten most of the work done in the nursery (which is still currently acting as our bedroom until the remodel is finished). I am so glad that we did get so much done, especially now that is looks as though the remodel may be taking longer than originally planned... I cannot imagine painting and finishing a nursery this pregnant or with a newborn.

I've given you guys some "sneak peeks" of the nursery progress and even shared our original design plans with you... although we're not quite ready for an official reveal just yet, I'm also not sure when we will ever be. So in the mean time I did want to share some pictures with you guys :o)

Note: please excuse the tight angled shots and our bed poking into some of them - unfortunately our bed does take up a majority of the room and so it's difficult to get good pictures with such a complicated setup.

 The quote plaque hung on his nursery door.
It's from Winnie the Pooh, and it reads:
"sometimes the smallest things, take up the most room in your heart"

 The piece de resistance - the accent wall - LoVe how this turned out!

Also seen on the left is the changing table with Winnie the Pooh art prints hung over top.

 A better shot of the Winnie the Pooh art prints, hung over the changing table.

Below are some shots of his full drawers in the changing table...

First aid and grooming kits, diapers and wipes.

Organizer with socks, booties, binkies, hats and mittens, swaddle and receiving blankets.

Hooded bath towels, washcloths, burpies and bibs.

The other side of the room...

  Dresser with his name hung above and glider with paper lanterns hung above.
(the dresser is currently housing our clothes lol but all of Owen's pants, various other layette
and bigger sized clothes will eventually go in there instead)

 And of course the infamous baby closet!
(you can see all of his pants, various other layette and bigger sized clothes
sitting on top of the shelves, waiting for their space in the dresser lol)

There are obviously a lot of things still missing from this nursery (most obviously the crib lol), most of which are currently being housed in our other spare bedroom slash home office. But they are all larger items (pack 'n play, bassinet, bouncer, jumperoo, swing, stroller(s), etc.) that really have no place else to go until our remodel is complete. So there they will sit, until that day comes (hopefully very soon ;o).

35/35

We are officially 35/35 this week!!!

For those of you not down with the pregnancy lingo - when you hit the 35 week mark, you also happen to have only 35 days left until your due date... hence making it the 35/35. I know it's kind of silly, but it's a cool milestone and I cannot believe that we're here already!

This weeks' weight gain/loss: 0lbs

Total weight gain/loss: +3lbs

Size of Baby: Honeydew!!! Only one more fruit left to go! 

Biggest challenges: Getting up from a sitting or laying down position - Bryan has become my new pulley system lol I think he can get me out of any position at this point.

Cravings: Right now I'm really in the mood for Mexican :o) Nice and spicy, hopefully that's a subtle sign of things to come (they do say that spicy foods induce labor after all ;o) So Hopefully I will be going to get my Mexican fix this Friday, although I am missing my margaritas at this point haha.

Gender: it's a BOY!!! Owen Richard W*****

Movement: He must have sense my nerves from last week, because he's been kickin up a storm in there this past week. Although he still hasn't moved from his breech position *sigh* Hopefully he gets it done in the next week, otherwise my OB is going to start calling the shots for him!

Sleep: Or lack there of... it's been slightly better recently, but nothing solid. I usually do ok until around midnight or shortly after Bryan leaves for work and then it's back to tossing and turning for the rest of the night. It's getting really difficult to swing that belly back and forth!

What I Miss: Still my feet and ankles lol I had (what will probably be) my last pedicure last night and even the nail tech could tell how swollen I was. Luckily she did a fantastic job and the whole experience was just amazing! Exactly what I needed right now!

Emotions: Still trying my hardest not to be irritable, but this week I just had not patience. Everyone and everything was just driving me nuts lol Aside from that, I've also been very anxious - now that we're not sure what's going to happen in the next couple of weeks, the uncertainty is just killing me!

Best moment this week: We got a lot of work done on our remodel this weekend, which means we're that much close to being out of his nursery!!! I am soooooo ready for this.

Any baby related purchases: We returned a few more things from our first shower and we able to purchase our upgraded video/sound/movement monitor AND our extra car seat base for Bryan's car!!! We are so lucky to have such generous family and friends, Owen has pretty much everything he needs thanks to them :o)

Milestones: 35/35 today!!!! Woot woot!!!

Breech

So we had our growth ultrasound this past Friday, where we discovered that little Owen is in the breech position.

The perinatologist who does our ultrasounds, said that there is still a chance he will flip on his own. But my regular OB called on Monday morning (they had just gotten the ultrasound results) and she was not happy that he was still breech at over 34 weeks *sigh* So she is sending us for a follow-up ultrasound next week, when he will be 36 weeks, to see if he has flipped on his own yet. If he hasn't, then we will begin discussing our options at my regular prenatal appointment the following day on Thursday.

I'm honestly not really sure how I feel about all this yet - I guess I just sort of assumed that we had gotten this far without any complications, now the rest would go smoothly and be easy ::: insert side-eye stare and sarcastic snort at self ::: But of course, nothing can be that easy... especially not for me. I'm trying my hardest not to jump to any conclusions just yet. We still have a week before we know anything for sure, and I don't even know what my OB will suggest.

There are some methods for getting the baby to turn on their own:

- External Version; where the doctor physically tries to rotate the baby by pushing on and manipulating your stomach.

- Breech Tilt; where you lay on your back, in a downward angled position, with your feet and hips elevated.

- Music and Light; using baby's sound and sigh to draw them into the head down position.

- Chiropractic and Acupuncture; of course preformed by a trained professional.

I have been attempting the Breech Tilt on my own at home, but it is very very difficult to do at almost 35 weeks pregnant. Gravity basically pushes everything into your chest, making it even more difficult to breathe (as if that were possible) and of course all of the blood rushes to your head = lovely vertigo and headache :o( And I've been coupling that with Music and Light, trying to draw him into a head down position.

So if he is still breech next week, it wont be for a lack of my trying - that's for sure!

I will be interested to see what my OB recommends. I have heard that External Version is not pleasant, painful in fact, and can cause your water to break. Even if she were to recommend it, I'm not sure that I would outright accept it.

And of course there's always a Cesarean Section, which is a popular remedy for breech babies.

I suppose that the c-section option is what I am most concerned about. Obviously that's the last resort and I am trying mentally to slowly begin preparing myself for that, just in case. I've been going over the pros and cons in my head, but I honestly can't decide how I feel about the possibility.

Pros: we'll know exactly when he's coming, we can be fully prepared, no "negative effect(s)" on my "private area(s)", less chance for complications...

Cons: major surgery, longer recovery time, less anticipation and excitement without the element of surprise, not having and the possibility of never being able to have a traditional vaginal birth...

I guess when it comes down to it, my major concern(s) revolve around my personal feelings. I don't want to be disappointed or feel like a failure as a woman because I didn't have a "traditional" vaginal birth. All of my girlfriends (none have had a c-section) share stories and talk about their birth experiences - I feel like I would be sad to be left out of all that.

I'd love to hear thoughts from my readers :o)

Anyone with personal experience in any of these areas?

34 weeks

This weeks' weight gain/loss: +2lbs

Total weight gain/loss: +3lbs

Size of Baby: Honeydew!!! Only one more fruit left to go! 

Biggest challenges: Sleeping :o( I am tossing and turning alllllllllllll night long. Since the left or right side are my only two options at this point, it's becoming increasingly difficult to get and stay comfortable. I'll start out on one side and when that side falls asleep (within half an hour, tops), then it's time to roll over... this process goes on until my alarm goes off in the morning *sigh*

Cravings: Nausea, gagging, heartburn and indigestion are all back full force and so food has once again lost it's appeal. I'm still super thirsty all of the time, especially at night and so water is my go-to consumption right now.

Gender: it's a BOY!!! Owen Richard W*****

Movement: Still really active, except for today :o( I did some kick counts this morning, because he's making me nervous, which were fine. But I definitely prefer the days when he's more active, even if he keeps me up at night.

Sleep: I think I pretty much covered my complaints for this topic up above... I miss sleep :o(

What I Miss: Being able to see my ankles lol the swelling is awful! My doctor has run every single precautionary test and they've all come back normal, so at this point it's just being deemed as normal pregnancy swelling.

Emotions: I've been very very tired and trying my hardest not to be irritable because of it. So far I like to think that I'm doing a pretty good job, hopefully that continues through these last few weeks.

Best moment this week: We went camping with friends this weekend, which was a lot of fun - it was nice to just get away and not have any commitments. Owen was super active all weekend, so I think he enjoyed himself.

Any baby related purchases: Yesterday we returned some more items from our first shower and were able to purchase our video/sound/movement monitor and extra car seat base with the store credits!

Milestones: 3 more weeks until we're full term! Whoa!

This month or next!!!

Whoa - I cannot believe I am saying that...

Owen could possibly be here this month, and will definitely be here next month!!!!

Where has the time gone? July felt like it flew by!

In light of this realization, I have definitely been bitten by the nesting bug! All I want to do is spend time preparing for his arrival - this pretty much reinforces the fact, that I am now officially useless at work (sorry guys!) lol

We went camping with friends this past weekend, which was nice and relaxing - our best friends are also expecting their first due in November and so there was an ample amount of baby talk. But overall it was just nice to have no schedule and/or commitments for the entire weekend. Saturday was gorgeous and us ladies spent the afternoon sunbathing in the water = HeAvEn!

But needless to say, after a nice relaxing weekend... when we arrived home on Sunday afternoon, I was in full force nesting mode! And despite being dirty, exhausted and having a TON of laundry to do (all of which I remedied as soon as we walked in the door) I did manage to get Owen's closet completely organized!

(apologies for the SUPER crappy iPhone picture quality)

We still have another shower coming up in a couple of weeks, so I can't officially declare anything "finished" until after that. Plus, we'll still have to go shopping to pick up the remaining items on our registry as well. But I feel like we're in good shape and pretty much ready for him to be here!