Tuesday, February 26, 2013

38 Weeks


How far along? 38 weeks & 2 days!  
How big is baby estimated to be? The size of a pumpkin! Hehe, my little pumpkin baby! :D 
Total weight gain: Officially, I have gained 19 pounds. Yes, that is all. And yes, I eat NONSTOP. For real. I weighed in at 144lbs a few weeks ago, then I went down to 143.8lbs, then 143lbs even, and now I'm at 143.2lbs. I know the differences aren't big but my weight keeps lingering right around that 19lbs gained mark. I asked my doctor about it today and she said that 19lbs is acceptable. It's on the low side but she said that Camden is/has been growing like he should so it isn't a concern. She also told me to get used to eating a lot because I'm going to be one of those women who has to eat practically nonstop to keep up with breastfeeding, haha. She was like "you're going to lose so much weight when he's born, you'll have to eat a lot to keep up!" Fine by me! As long as CJ is healthy I am one happy mama!
Wearing maternity clothes? Some! Gosh, I feel like that's all I ever say, haha. I really am glad that I didn't invest in a lot of maternity clothes. This bump of mine just hasn't gotten big enough to demand only maternity clothes! It's nice, though. I like being able to wear a lot of my regular clothes- especially hoodies, tank tops, and t-shirts! But at the same time I'm trying to wear all my maternity stuff before he's born and I really have no need for it.
Symptoms this week: Still getting sharp pains and cramps in my hips/hip flexors. They've been pretty bad a couple times this week! Camden must be pinching off nerves because it's such a sudden pain. It's weird. Usually it goes away pretty quickly but I had some linger the other day. I'm dealing with it, though. I also had some nausea the other day. But that didn't linger, thank goodness. I'm still feeling good! Sleep has been rather elusive this week, which is strange. Last week all I wanted to do was sleep sleep sleep! This week, my body seems to be boycotting sleep. Or at least not letting me get more than 5-7 hours a night (whereas I was sleeping 10-12 a night last week!). It's strange, though. I'll fall asleep just fine, stay asleep for 20-45 minutes then suddenly find myself wiiiide awake. Then I don't fall back asleep until about 4am. Weird. Hopefully I'm able to shake this odd insomnia soon and get plenty of extra rest before CJ decides to arrive! Everything else is great and I still love being pregnant!
Food cravings: I was dyinggg for hard boiled eggs a couple nights ago! And I had to have Wawa coffee and a chargrilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A while I was in Delaware, haha. I can't think of anything else other than that. My taste buds are definitely gearing up for my birthday dinner, though ;] My parents are making me lobster (my favorite!) then we're going to Wholly Cannoli for dessert. Such a win meal, I'm excited. 
Food aversions: None.
Any movement from baby? Oh yeah! Little man is getting so big- I feel him move all over my stomach all the time! While I was driving home from PA the other day he kept pushing his little foot against my side and making my stomach bulge out. I'd pinch it or gently push it back in to my stomach and he'd move it to another spot and push again! It was like he was playing with me! It was SO CUTE. He did it to my mom, too, when she pressed back against his foot. He kept this up for over an hour! Haha. I love it. Another thing- I've noticed that Camden reacts to Jacob's voice. It's so sweet it could really make me cry. We don't get to talk to Jake everyday (we usually Skype once or twice a week) but I have a Build-A-Bear with a recording from Jake in it that I sleep with (don't judge me!). Every night I squeeze Berry's hand (the bear) and listen to the sweet little message from Jake, then I put my hand on my tummy and tell Camden that his Daddy loves him. This has been part of my nightly routine since Jacob left (oh so many days ago). Lately I've noticed that Camden gets really active and wiggly for a couple minutes after I do this! His activity doesn't usually last very long- just a few minutes- but I swear it's because he recognizes Jake's voice. Say what you want, but I truly believe that Camden know his Daddy's voice and likes hearing it just as much as I do! Gosh, I'm going to be so incredible happy when I finally have both my guys in my arms! 
Gender: Little man <3 
Emotions and experiences this week: It ended up being a busier week than I expected, but it was good! My mom and I took a trip down to Delaware and Pennsylvania for a couple days. I needed to drop Jake's car off at his base so he has a way of getting home after his deployment in case I can't make it down there with the baby. Obviously we didn't leave a car to begin with since I dropped him off but for whatever reason I didn't think about him needing a car until this past week, haha. So my mom drove his car down and I drove mine. We spent one night in DE and one night in PA. It was a really nice little getaway!! It was great to be back in that area- I miss it a lot! But it was bittersweet at the same time since I miss my hubby... The trip was good, though! I got permission from my doctor and tried to take it easy. I'm not gonna lie, the trip was a little more exhausting than I expected it to be! I felt rather crappy once I got back home on Saturday night. I don't know why, I just felt gross. Too much time in the car, I suppose. But the trip was worth it! Other than that, my stomach has started to drop a little this week! I haven't had the full "lightening" thing happen yet but I can feel my stomach moving down. And with that comes the whole Camden pinching off nerves in my hips thing. It's all good, though ;] I'm glad that Camden and my body are getting ready for birth. I'm still nervous about it and I'm still really hoping to have him late... but I am getting more and more excited to hold my little man! I had a prenatal appointment this morning and found out that I am 1 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced! I know that doesn't mean much since I could stay at 1cm for weeks or suddenly dilate really fast, but it's still nice to know that my body is doing what it's supposed to do! At the same time it's hard to believe that I'm actually getting ready to have this baby!! It's crazy. CRAZY. I'm super excited but it feels surreal! Gosh. So much to process, haha.
Looking forward to: My birthday tomorrow!! I'm getting my nails done and my hair chopped off! Plus, I get to have lobster and a cannoli! It's going to be a lot of fun. It's the first birthday I haven't spent with my hubby in 5 years, so that'll be sad... but I'll just add it to the list of things to celebrate together once he gets home! Other than that it's the same story- I'm looking forward to our countdowns shrinking! My baby boy will be here so soon!! Then I'll get my hubby back!! These next couple months are going to be so busy, challenging, emotional, and overall amazing! Looking forward, I'm pretty excited and happy :]

Sunday, February 17, 2013

37 Weeks



How far along? 37 weeks! Full term! 
How big is baby estimated to be? Uhhh, he's the size of a small baby ;] lol. I guess he's about the size of a watermelon. The Bump says the size of a wintermelon, whatever that is! I'm assuming he's close to 6lbs now... 
Total weight gain: I'm still hanging right around 20lbs gained- up to 144lbs. I'll get a new official count at my prenatal appointment this week.
Wearing maternity clothes? Yet again, as always, a mix of maternity and regular clothes. Mostly maternity pants at this point, although my regular jeans still fit since I haven't dropped yet. But I'm wearing a lot of regular tops these days. I've found that if I buy tops in just a size larger than I usually wear, they fit my baby bump quite well! Then I can wear them postpartum as trendy slouchy shirts. Right? I've also been taking advantage of Jake's clothes for bumming around the house :]
Symptoms this week: Feeling good still! The only discomfort is that Camden has learned how to pinch a nerve in my left hip and give me this nasty Charlie horse-like cramp/pain. That isn't too fun. But at the same time it's not awful. And it gives me a chance to learn what makes it feel better and cope with the pain. So I can't really complain. Other than that, I've been having more Braxton Hicks contractions. And they're stronger! Not really painful but I did have one that startled me this week. I'm glad my body is practicing. What else... oh, I'm pretty sure my hormones have reached max capacity, haha. I have cried so much this week! It's ridiculous. I have been feeling a little stressed/overwhelmed with things- having Jacob away has been really tough recently. It's hard to figure out all this stuff to get ready for CJ on my own. I know if he was home he would be super involved in everything because that's the kind of guy he is. So it's hard on both of us that he's deployed right now and not really able to actively participate in everything. So a lot of my tears shed have been over that, which is understandable I guess. But other than that, sometimes I just start crying out of nowhere! And I couldn't even explain why I'm crying! It's weird, aha. That's about it for the pregnancy symptoms, though! Besides some fatigue. I'm starting to feel pretty exhausted and in need of extra sleep. But I still feel great in general!
Food cravings: I didn't have any strong craving this week either... Aside from coffee, haha. But that's just because I've been feeling that third trimester fatigue. And don't worry, I just drink decaf or half caf. And I don't do more than two cups a day. I can't think of any strong cravings otherwise.
Food aversions: Nothing!
Any movement from baby? Yes! He's still an active little guy! Lots of wiggles, funny bulges, and rib kicks. His movements feel different now that he's bigger and cramped but I still feel him moving around quite a bit! 
Gender: Perfect baby boy! <3 
Emotions and experiences this week: This week was somewhat busy and a little emotional for me (thank you, pregnancy hormones!). Like I mentioned in my previous post, I had a breastfeeding class, meeting with my doula, and prenatal appointment over the past week. Plus the adventure to track down my glider... Other than that stuff, my mom and I spent some time out and about running errands and picking up the last few things I needed for Camden. We didn't get a carseat/stroller set or a pack and play so I had to pick those things up. Then there were a few smaller things I wanted/we needed- some receiving blankets, burp clothes, diaper pail refills, more diapers and wipes... I was stressing a little about making sure we have everything we need but now I feel sooo much better! I was able to get a really nice carseat and stroller set at Babies R Us with a 20% off coupon! It's a Chicco. Although it wasn't the Chicco pattern Jake and I had wanted it was cheaper so that's good. I also got the base installed in my car! That was pretty exciting :D And I got the pack and play put together and some more laundry washed for baby boy. It was a productive week! But at the same time, getting all these things ready made me face the fact that Camden is going to be here so soon and Jake isn't. It's rough. Hence the emotional aspect of this week. Overall it was a good week, though! I'm happy that little man is coming soon, I really am! I'm so excited to hold him and see his perfect little face... but it's overwhelming at the same time! And still kind of surreal to me. But I'm very blessed so I can't really complain. 
Looking forward to: My birthday next week! And just continuing to lessen our countdown. We're down to the wire now! :D

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

36 Weeks



How far along? 36 weeks & 3 days!
How big is baby estimated to be? He's about the size of a large cantaloupe or a watermelon! He should be getting closer to the 6 pound mark now, but it's hard to be sure. My OB said he looks perfect and is growing just like he should! 
Total weight gain: I have gained 20lbs total so far. My weigh-in this week was exactly the same as my weigh-in two weeks ago at my appointment- 143.8lbs. So they round it up to 144lbs which means I've gained 20lbs. I'm surprised I didn't gain anything in these past two weeks because I feel like all I do is eat!! And aside from the piece- okay, okay, two pieces- of cake I had at my baby shower I make healthy choices. But I guess there's nothing to worry about if Camden is growing like he should!
Wearing maternity clothes? Yeah. Still some regular clothes mixed in, too. I'm glad I didn't buy tons of maternity clothes because they totally never would've been worn! If I buy anything new these days I just buy it a size bigger. That has been nice for a lot of super cheap clearance finds! 
Symptoms this week: Still feeling great! Still have a little bit of pregnancy insomnia but it isn't too terrible. I just sleep later to compensate. I'm also having stronger Braxton Hicks contractions these days. They aren't regular or anything but they are a little more intense... I'm also getting some of the shortness of breath and exhaustion that is to be expected at this point. But seriously, I feel SO good! I need a little extra sleep and smaller meals but nothing is bad enough to really complain about. Little man is treating this mama well! :D
Food cravings: I can't recall any strong cravings this week... then again, baby brain might be getting the best of me ;] haha.
Food aversions: Umm, I ate a hard boiled egg and it made me gag this week! That was strange. But I've eaten a few hard boiled eggs since then without a problem so I guess it was a fluke thing. 
Any movement from baby? Lots and lots! He was SUPER active on Sunday after I ate those two pieces of cake at my baby shower, haha. He must've been like "wow, mom never gives me this much sugar! I like it!" Lol. He was moving and moving for three hours. Practically nonstop! It was awesome. He's still very active and I'm paying more attention to his movements to make sure he stays that way. Still getting lots of rib kicks and funny bulges. I'm definitely going to miss this feeling!
Gender: BOY!! <3 
Emotions and experiences this week: It was a pretty busy week in my little world. Lots of prep for my baby shower, then all the craziness of having to move my baby shower to Sunday because of the snow storm... It was just full of things to do! The baby shower was a lot of fun, though! Quite a few people couldn't make it because of the snow so that was disappointing. But a lot of people braved the roads to come! I'm super thankful for everyone who was able to come and celebrate with me and my mom! And all the wonderful generous gifts are much appreciated!! Other than that, I took a breastfeeding class this week, which was great! I learned a lot of helpful, practical information. I'm glad I went because I feel a lot more confident and comfortable with breastfeeding now. I also had another meeting with my doula and my weekly prenatal appointment. As far as the appointment went, everything looks great! My doctor said that we're just waiting for me to go into labor at this point, which could happen any day! It's so crazy to hear that!! She didn't say that she thinks I'll have him early just that I'm set to go anytime now! It's still surreal to me that our little Camden Jacob will be here so soon! I can hardly believe it. I had my group b strep test today so I guess I'll get those results next week. Gosh, just a few short weeks until CJ's due date!! I have my hospital bag all set to go- finally picked up the last couple things for it. I have all Camden's stuff ready- all of his clothes and such have been washed with Ivory for his delicate skin, I made space on top of my dresser for the changing pad... My birth plan is finished and I'm really happy with it... Both mine and Jake's diaper bags are pretty much all set... Oh and I finally tracked down a big cushy glider!! Jake and I both wanted an upholstered style glider instead of a wooden one. Problem is, they're usually super expensive. But I found one on clearance on Babies R Us' website and, after quite a hassle and multiple phone calls, I found a store an hour and a half away that had one left in stock! So my daddy and I made the 3+ hour trip to pick it up. And I'll tell ya what, it was totally worth it! We got it for over 50% off and they let me use a 20% off coupon on top of that! Such a steal. I was able to order the matching ottoman online so I'm just waiting for that to come in. I'm so happy to finally have a comfy glider for all the upcoming late-night feedings! I'm actually sitting in it right now :] I like to rock and read stories to my little Camden bump. Thanks to my mom, this little guy has quite the library going already! The only thing I need to order now in a carseat and we'll be set to go! Ahhh! It's all so crazy! I'm ridiculously excited!! I'm still hoping he stays put until at least his due date- I don't really want to go early. But it's all just so exciting to think about! I guess overall this has been a really good week. Staying busy is making the time go by faster, which I do appreciate. I'm trying to soak up the last bit of my pregnancy, especially since I'm not uncomfortable yet. But I am getting more and more ready to hold this little man in my arms and welcome my husband home! I wish those two things could be in reverse but I know that we'll make up for all the time lost once he's home again. For now, I'm just trying to make sure I have all my little duckies in a row as we get closer and closer to Camden's due date!
Looking forward to: Hmm... Well, my daddy recently started pastoring a church and he's having a commissioning service this Sunday so I'm looking forward to that! I'm really happy for him! Other than that, my birthday is in two weeks! I'm not sure what I'm doing for it this year but I definitely think a good meal and either a piece of tiramisu or a cannoli is in order, haha. And as always I'm excited to get closer to CJ's arrival and hubby's return! :D

Sunday, February 3, 2013

35 Weeks


How far along? 35 weeks!
How big is baby estimated to be? Approximately the size of a coconut or a large cantaloupe... At my ultrasound last week I was told that he weighs about 5 pounds now! I know that isn't exact and they could be wrong but it's nice to know that he's growing like he should be! 
Total weight gain: Officially up to 19lbs gained. I weighed in at 143lbs at my prenatal appointment this week. Granted, I had just eaten three bowls of salad and one bowl of soup from Olive Garden then washed it down with 30oz of water... but that's my official weigh-in! Haha. I feel like my stomach is growing a lot these days but my weight isn't climbing too drastically. My OB told me that I'm small but I'm still right on track. It's nice to know that she isn't concerned about my weight after the friendly advice of my gyno at my last visit, haha.
Wearing maternity clothes? Still a mix. Gosh, I'm starting to think I'll never be fully dressing in maternity clothes! Regular shirts are getting more and more snug as my bump grows so I've been wearing maternity tops a little more. But I'm still carrying pretty high so my regular pants all still fit (don't hate!) and I'm taking full advantage of that, haha. I have a pair of Lucky Brand jeans that are my absolute favorite lately! They aren't too tight but they aren't saggy in the butt either (like my maternity pants tend to be after wearing them all day). I can button and zip them still (as I can with all my pants) but I've been doing the hair-tie trick to give myself a little extra room. If someone had told me 25 weeks ago that I would still be wearing so much of my "normal" stuff right now, I wouldn't have believed them. Seriously. I had no idea I'd get such little use out of maternity clothes! I'm glad I didn't buy much at all. My maternity leggings from the Gap were, by far, my best maternity clothes investment. I'm sure I'll wear those after Camden is here, too.
Symptoms this week: I think the third trimester fatigue is finally setting in. Sigh. I was doing so good for awhile! But this past week, I couldn't sleep enough. My mom and I spent allllll day on Wednesday out and about doing things- lunch at Olive Garden, both my appointments, and tons of errands to get ready for my baby shower- literally 11 hours! By the time we got home my feet were killing me and I was ready to crash! I'm talking zombie mode. I don't usually get like that after a long day! It's hard for me to slow down and realize that it's okay to sleep extra. I feel so lazy when I sleep so much! But if that's what Camden needs then I'll do it for him. Otherwise, I'm feeling good! Not uncomfortable yet. Finally sleeping better. Still having Braxton Hicks- and they seem to be getting a little stronger these days! But still very sporadic so I'm not concerned about them. Overall I am still feeling great and loving being pregnant!! (Am I that annoying peppy pregnant woman that all unhappy pregnant women want to slap now? Sorry!)
Food cravings: You know what, I didn't have any strong cravings this week! Still eating a lot of yogurt and oatmeal. Oh, I did take to eating applesauce this week. The natural stuff with no sugar and crap added. I sprinkle some cinnamon on top and heat it up in the microwave. Yum. I prefer real apples but they're all squishy now with peak apple season being over. 
Food aversions: Nothing! Camden and I like to eat, haha.
Any movement from baby? Yes!! He's still very active! He's still giving me lots of rib kicks, thanks to being head down. He doesn't get the hiccups quite as often lately but I still feel them from time to time. He likes to be on the right side of my stomach so I get a lot of movement over there... He likes to make this nice round bulge with his little knee. It looks so funny. Usually I press the bulge back in and he wiggles all over the place! Also, I'm pretty sure I've already made a country music fan out of him! :D Whenever I put my country music on loud, he wiggles. Yeah, he's going to be the cutest little dancing country boy. I'm soaking up all the movement I'm feeling because I know that he'll be here so soon and I'll miss all of this. 
Gender: Our perfect baby boy<3
Emotions and experiences this week: I had a prenatal appointment and (what should be) our final ultrasound this week!! The appointment went well. I had tons of questions for my OB since I've been reading so much lately. She's so awesome and answered them all. I'm so happy with my doctor! I really like her a lot. She's so laid back, she never rushes through my appointments, she takes time to actually sit down and connect with me and she answers all my questions, even the most silly ones. So that was a good appointment! Then on to my ultrasound! I was sooooo excited for that!! I hadn't seen little man since October so I was anxious to get another peak at him! He has grown so much!! He's head down and looks good. He was measuring accurate to my due date of March 10th so it looks like that is still my due date. He was being super active while I sat in the waiting room (for almost an hour!) but decided it was sleepy time when we finally got in there. He sleeps like his Daddy- with his hands up by his face :] So it was difficult to get a good view of his face. The ultrasound tech put the machine on 3D to try and get us a glimpse of CJ's face so having his hands in the way made that difficult. We were poking my belly, having me lay on my side, cough, go pee, basically anything we could to get him to move his hands! This little boy sure has liked showing us his hands! All along, we've seen his little hands in our ultrasounds, haha. We finally got him to move them for a minute and got one beautiful 3D shot of his perfect little face!! Oh my gosh, I can't even tell you how excited I was to see that picture!!! I could've stared at it for the rest of the day. I'm not even kidding. He looks a lot like Jacob!! I can't wait to see that beautiful face in person! But it was awesome to see it on the ultrasound! We got a few other pictures, too. In one of the pictures, CJ is sucking on the back of his hand! It's basically the cutest thing ever, lol. I know, I'm biased but I'm allowed to be. This little guy is definitely going to be a thumb sucker. Jake told me that he was a thumb sucker so I guess he really is going to be just like Daddy! In another picture he's sucking on his pointer finger, haha. So maybe he won't be a thumb sucker, per se, more like a hand sucker. Lol. Hopefully this means he'll be good at latching on! Mommy can hope, right? Haha. No matter what, my heart fills with more love for Camden every single day. I love being pregnant. I have thoroughly enjoyed carrying this amazing blessing. And as much as I know I'll miss this time, I really can't wait to hold my baby. The closer we get to his due date the more excited I am! It feels surreal that he's due so soon. Just 5 weeks!! It's crazy! But I'm so excited! I can't wait to love on my little boy. I can't wait to learn all about him and figure out how to be the best Mommy possible to him. I'm so excited for this new chapter!! I thought I would be more scared at this point but I honestly feel so ready to be a mom! I mean, I still have quite a few things to do before I'm really ready for him to be here, but I feel a lot more confident about it all then I expected I would. Not much longer now! 
Looking forward to: My baby shower on Saturday!! It's going to be SO FUN! My mom and I have been in full-on planning and preparation mode this week and it has made me that much more excited! Our menu is set, we have almost all the supplies, we've done a lot of cool DIY projects... It's going to be so fun! And I can't wait to see all my friends and family! Especially the ones I haven't seen in awhile. Of course, like always, I'm looking forward to our countdown getting smaller! I've been daydreaming a lot lately about how utterly amazing it's going to be to have my husband AND our baby here. Gosh, I think my heart might burst the first time I see my two guys together!! I'm not even kidding. Just picturing it in my head makes me smile so big and tear up! It's going to be perfect. This new chapter of our lives is going to be challenging and crazy but gosh, I can't imagine sharing this incredible experience with anyone else. I'm so blessed to have a husband who is truly my other half and who is constantly supportive and encouraging. He is going to be the best Daddy! And I can't wait to watch it happen! :D