Baby bump - 35 weeks

Can barely keep my eyes open today. The last couple of nights I've been averaging about 5 hours of (unrestful) sleep a night and I'm just dragging at work. If this continues I'll take my doctor's advice about the Tylenol PM and pop one next week. I feel like a barely-functioning zombie.

Yesterday I felt a tiny bit of cramping on and off in my abdomen, which isn't anything to worry about according to my doc. Just the body getting ready to push the peanut out. Some twinges in my lower back too. My belly is also getting less squishy and harder to the touch. My balance is off too since my center of gravity is out of whack. It takes a huge effort to put on socks, pants or anything below the belt!

And the bigger the baby gets, the more he presses on my bladder so I am in the restroom CONSTANTLY. It seems like all I do is drink water and spend time in the bathroom. :-) He kicked me so hard in the ribs earlier this week that it took my breath away. Painful. Increasingly I can feel his limbs pressing up against my belly - little arms, legs, feet, etc. It's neat when D can feel them too.

Being a compulsive list-maker, I created a comprehensive one for items to bring in our hospital bag. I'm starting to get that together and can't wait to get the nursery finished! D's out of town job is winding down after next week or so he'll be home for a while. Perfect timing because Risha is moving into her new place next week.

Starting in about 10 days I'll see my doctor every week since we'll be in the home stretch. BabyCenter stats say the little guy is around the size of a honeydew melon and between 5.5 and 6 pounds, but we'll get a better idea of his stats during next Thursday's ultrasound.

Been trying to wrap things up at work and make sure my duties and projects/events will be covered to my boss' satisfaction. The process a little stressful since there are things that only I do and no one has been cross-trained.

34 week appointment

I'm 34 and 1/2 weeks today. Here are the stats from this morning's appointment:

 * blood pressure was 133/76 (a little higher than normal but I had climbed 3 flights of stairs so that may account for it)
 * baby's heartbeat was 150
 * belly measurement was 36
 * weight - gained less than a pound since last appointment!

One of my ANP's wants to see another ultrasound so we scheduled that for next Thursday, January 12. She would like one last look at the baby's heart. There were a couple small shadows on it at 20 weeks, which shrank down to just one spot at 28 weeks. While I'm excited to have one last look at the peanut, I hope this problem has totally resolved itself.

My belly is getting heavier and starting to protrude like an heirloom tomato. My internal temperature is running very warm so any sort of activity during the day has me working up a sweat and at night I am boiling. This hasn't been a huge issue since the weather has been very cold lately. This morning it was 8 below at our house!

Baby bump - 34 weeks

I hit 34 weeks this past Friday and had the day off from work so I scheduled a 50-minute prenatal massage at a local day spa, a gift courtesy of my sweet husband. It was fantastic! I just wish it could have been longer, but apparently a long massage can induce labor. Another friend had gifted me a massage at another day spa so I will try and schedule that in the next couple weeks. I'm so looking forward to that too - it is pure heaven to have the kinks and knots worked out of my sore back and hips.

Before Christmas I visited Target for a few essentials and ended up purchasing a maternity wool coat for my growing belly. It's a black pea coat and goes well with most of my clothes so I'm glad to finally have something that fits! I finished writing thank-you notes from my first baby shower and am looking forward to the next one on January 18, which will be hosted by some work friends.

Risha finally found a place to rent - a duplex less than a mile from our house, so she'll be moving out this week. Once she and her cats have settled in the new place, D and I will thoroughly clean her old room and start the transformation into our peanut's nursery. I'm so excited to set up the crib and finally make that space ready for baby!