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