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

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

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

34 Weeks

How far along? 34 weeks & 2 days!
How big is baby estimated to be? He should be about the size of a butternut squash or a large cantaloupe! From what I've read, he should be done growing lengthwise and just be putting on fat now. It's so cool to think that little man might be as long now as he'll be at birth! It's hard to believe we're getting so close to meeting him! :D

Total weight gain: I think I'm still around 17lbs gained... I have a prenatal appointment tomorrow so I guess we'll find out the doctor's official count then :] I doubt I've gained much but I feel like I eat nonstop! I'll tell you what, gaining weight the healthy way is difficult!
Wearing maternity clothes? Yep! Still mixing in my regular clothes but I'm finally starting to fill out more of my maternity shirts so I've been wearing those lately, too. I'm also utilizing Jacob's wardrobe more and more these days ;] Not only are his clothes super comfy they also remind me of him and that makes me smile. 

Symptoms this week: Had some random dizzy spells this week. They didn't make me pass out or anything but they did take me a little off guard. Working out is getting a little more difficult, too, since I get winded easier and I'm losing my range of motion as my bump grows. Oh and I'm still having a little insomnia. I'm not uncomfortable or anything, I just have a hard time falling asleep. But that's really it... I'm still feel great! I really can't complain. Being pregnant is amazing!

Food cravings: I can't get enough yogurt! I'm a big fan of yogurt in general, especially Greek, but lately it's a daily addiction. Especially with fresh strawberries and a little low-fat granola! YUM. I usually only eat fat-free but lately I've been eating regular from time to time. I figure I can use the extra calories and healthy fats. I've also been eating a lot of homemade oatmeal with peaches for breakfast- very yummy! I can't think of anything other than that... I have a huge appetite lately! There isn't much I don't like, haha. 

Food aversions: None! I like food.

Any movement from baby? Oh yes! He's still a very active baby! I feel him wiggle all the time. He makes my stomach bulge in funny ways and I love watching it! I have to admit, though, I'm a little sad to not be getting those sweet little kicks like when he was smaller. I still feel him kick- mostly in my ribs- but it isn't like it was before. It feels more like he's trying to stretch out rather than kick. But I do like that I feel him move so often these days! With him being head down I have a pretty good idea of which body parts are causing my tummy bulges so that's neat. I like to try to pinch his little limbs when he pushes out, haha. It's easiest to catch his little feet since those are ALWAYS up by my ribs on the right side. His movements are getting stronger everyday. A couple days ago, CJ was moving all over the place and actually kept me awake from 2:30-3:30am! He seemed to be having a really good time attacking my bladder, haha. I couldn't fall back asleep! Luckily I love feeling him move so I couldn't be upset over the lack of sleep. He still gets the hiccups all the time. And it still makes me chuckle. I'm really going to miss feeling CJ's movements after he's born! 

Gender: Little man! :D

Emotions and experiences this week: Another relatively uneventful week... Still doing a lot of stuff to get ready for baby... Almost done my birth plan, started reading a new book, found a doula! I am very excited to have a doula for my l&d! I think she will be really helpful and supportive! I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed with everything that still needs to be done before CJ arrives but I'm handling it one thing at a time. It's just a bit daunting to think about how soon Camden will be here and how different life will be! I'm still super excited! It's just becoming more of a reality. And I miss my husband something fierce. All of that paired with my overabundance of hormones has made me a little bit of a hot mess lately. Or at least that's how I feel. For example: I was working out the other day and five minutes into my routine I just started bawling my eyes out. I'm talking complete water works and snot galore. Yeah, it wasn't a pretty sight! Luckily no one was around so I grabbed a tissue and kept working out, aha. But for real, hot mess status over here. I try to remind myself that I'm not going crazy and this is normal (I guess) but I do feel crazy. It's rough. I wish I could just snuggle with my hubby and have him tell me that everything will be okay. That always makes me feel better. But that isn't an option so I need to find the strength to push through it all alone. I'll just keep taking it one day at a time. Overall it was a good week. My mom and I have been getting a lot done for my baby shower! That's fun. I've been enjoying having the Bruins back! It's always fun to kick back and watch a good hockey game! And the B's have been on fire so far this season so that's a huge plus! I hope they can keep it up! Other than thaaaat, we had a family party this week, which was fun. It was nice to see my relatives, especially since I hadn't seen a lot of them in awhile! Hmm, what else... that's all I can think of for the highlights. Another week down!

Looking forward to: My ultrasound TOMORROW! I'm very excited to see little man! I also have a prenatal appointment before the ultrasound so that should be good too. Other than that, I'm looking forward to my baby shower in a few weeks! It'll be a lot of fun to celebrate Camden's upcoming arrival with family and friends. And as always, I'm looking forward to watching the days tick by as we get closer and closer to Camden's arrival and Jacob's homecoming!

33 Weeks

How far along? 33 weeks!
How big is baby estimated to be? Somewhere around the size of a honeydew melon! He should be like 4-5 pounds and 19ish inches long! Those are just estimates, though, and I have a feeling Camden is going to be on the smaller side... I'm curious to find out how much he weighs at my next ultrasound! I know they aren't always accurate but I'm assuming it'll be more accurate than generic estimates.

Total weight gain: Up 17lbs! I weighed in at 141 at my appointment on Thursday. My weight gain is on the lower side but slow and steady is supposed to be the healthiest way to put it on.
Wearing maternity clothes? Mostly regular clothes this week, to be honest. A few of my shirts don't quite fit anymore, including my favorite workout shirt, but a lot of them still do fit so I'm making those work. I wear maternity jeans more often than regular jeans but I've been wearing lots of sweats/leggings this week. I also found my hubby's Puma pants in his closet this week so I've been rocking those :D they're so big and comfy on me. And I just like wearing his clothes while he's gone. 

Symptoms this week: Nothing worth complaining about! I had a few Braxton Hicks but they didn't hurt. I can feel my energy level slowly starting to diminish. I'm not exhausted yet but I can definitely sleep longer at night. I've been nesting but since I don't have my own house and CJ doesn't have his own room here there isn't much I can do... so that's kind of annoying. But I'm feeling good! :] My muscles are sore but that's from working out a lot this week. And I like it, haha. 

Food cravings: French toast! I had to have that a few days ago. That's about it. I feel like my appetite has been ridiculous the past couple weeks! I eat nonstopppp. But I make healthy choices so luckily it isn't leading to copious weight gain. And I get full fast so I eat small portions. 

Food aversions: Nothing I can think of... But every time my little brother cooks turkey bacon (which is like twice a day) the smell makes me nauseous. Weird. 

Any movement from baby? Bunches!! I love my little wiggle bug!! The doctor told me this week that he's head down so that explains all the rib kicks I've been getting lately, haha. He still moves a lot it just feels different than it did weeks ago. It's definitely stronger now that he's bigger. I caught his little foot the other day! He was kicking and kicking in the same spot so I pinched the bulge and could feel his little foot :D It was sooo cute! He let me hold it for a second then he wiggled it away. Gosh, I can't wait to see those precious tiny baby feet!!

Gender: Beautiful baby boy!

Emotions and experiences this week: It was a pretty good week. Nothing really exciting. I had a prenatal appointment on Thursday and it went really well! My OB was on vacation so I saw a different doctor (my gynecologist, actually). She answered a few questions for me, which was nice. She also thought my weight gain was a little low and told me to go eat ice cream and french fries, lol. It made me laugh. She was like "You've only gained 17 pounds! I don't care what you're eating, just eat more of it! Or go eat some ice cream! Real ice cream. And you could stand to eat some french fries, too. You need to gain some weight." Hahaha! I prefer to put weight on the healthy way so I think I'll ignore that advice. I'll just add more healthy foods to my diet. I'm thinking more healthy fats will be good- peanut butter, nuts, avocado, full fat Greek yogurt... I'll tell you what, it's hard to gain weight the healthy way! I asked the doctor about my due date, too. Since it was changed once (from the 2nd to the 10th) and I'm still really small, I was wondering if my date of the 10th is still accurate. She said it should be but agreed that I have been measuring small all along so she had me schedule an ultrasound! I'm really excited about that!! My OB told me that I should have one more ultrasound but I hadn't scheduled it yet so it was nice to get the orders to schedule it (I can't schedule one without a doctor's written orders to do so). I'll get another sneak peak at Camden on the 30th! :D I can't wait to see him again! My last ultrasound was on October 16th so it's been awhile... I can't wait to see how much he's grown! And it's CRAZY to think that this ultrasound will (or should) be the last time I see CJ before he's born! Woah!! I can't even wrap my head around that yet! I'm super anxious to meet babyboy but to be honest, I'm really hoping I'm due later or have him late. I know, I know, everyone says I'll be singing a different tune when my due date is closer... but I really want to have him later. The way I look at it, the later he's born, the younger he'll be when he meets his Daddy! I don't want Jake to miss out on a whole month of Camden's life so I'll be perfectly happy having him late. I'm so excited to have CJ here and Jacob back home. I say it all the time but I just know it is going to be amazing. I get emotional just thinking about seeing Jake holding Camden. I can't imagine how truly incredible it will be to have them both here with me! My heart will overflow with love and joy! That's about it for all the exciting stuff... Oh besides the Bruins being back!!! I was thrilled to finally watch some hockey!! I missed it so much. It's about time we have the B's back! CJ seemed to enjoy the game a bit to and was wiggling quite a bit! Maybe he could sense my excitement, haha. Other than all that, I'm still trying to figure out insurance/pediatrician stuff. Still reading a lot. Still working on my birth plan. Talking to doulas/labor coaches to help me through the birth. A lot going on! It's a little overwhelming to think about all that needs to get accomplished in the next 7 weeks but at the same time it's very exciting! 

Looking forward to: My ultrasound on the 30th! I'm very excited to see little man! I also have a prenatal appointment before the ultrasound so that should be good too. Other than that, I'm looking forward to my baby shower in a few weeks! It'll be a lot of fun to celebrate Camden's upcoming arrival with family and friends. And as always, I'm looking forward to watching the days tick by as we get closer and closer to Camden's arrival and Jacob's homecoming! 

32 Weeks

How far along? 32 weeks & 2 days!
How big is baby estimated to be? I don't know anymore! Haha. The size of a really big head of lettuce or a squash? I don't know... He should be around 17-19 inches and 3.5-4ish pounds now! :D

Total weight gain: Still at 16lbs gained; weighing in around 140lbs these days. I have another prenatal appointment this week so we'll see if I weigh-in higher there!
Wearing maternity clothes? Still a mixture of maternity and regular clothes. I decided to try on my favorite pre-preg skinny jeans this week and was rather delighted to discover that they still fit comfortably!! I have been wearing maternity jeans simply for the comfort of the sexy panel (ha!) so I hadn't bothered to put on regular jeans in awhile. It was nice to find out that they still fit!

Symptoms this week: I've been feeling really good this week! I'm almost completely over my chest cold, aside from a little lingering cough. I was finally able to get back into my workouts after taking five days off, which made me verrrry happy! Nothing is bothering me pregnancy-wise. A little short of breath at times, it's getting a little harder to put my boots on, some Braxton Hicks... But it's nothing that gets to me. I'm still feeling wonderful! I fully believe that staying so active has been a total lifesaver during my pregnancy. I've worked out consistently the whole time. I've always been an active person and I'm so glad I was able to carry that on throughout my pregnancy. I also think that doing P90X and some Insanity before I got pregnant really primed my body, so to speak. I was, without a doubt, in the best shape of my life when I got pregnant. So it makes sense that my body has adapted well to being pregnant. My muscles are all strong enough to support my growing and changing body/belly. I also credit P90X and mainly Ab Ripper X for my stomach being so small and it taking forever for me to really show. Plus, that ab work definitely made my entire core really strong so I haven't had any back pain. And even if I do get aches and pains, my body is used to being sore from working out so those little aches don't bother me at all. I actually love being sore from working out, haha. It makes me feel so accomplished. So the little pregnancy aches and pains are nothing. So far, haha. I'm sure the after pains of labor will be a different story! Hopefully my fitness habit will work in my favor post-pregnancy, too! I'm not going to lie, I'm looking forward to doing P90X again after CJ is born! Working out has and always will be my out and I'm very thankful that it's been so helpful during my pregnancy! Okay, fitspo rant over, haha.

Food cravings: Greek yogurt. Protein shakes with frozen banana, peanut butter and spinach. Yaki Soba. Guacamole. Oranges. I've had quite a few random cravings this week and a few strong preferences that have stuck around for a couple weeks now.

Food aversions: Nada. My appetite disappeared last week while I was sick. It was difficult to force myself to eat for Camden's sake but I did it anyways. I didn't have aversions just no appetite. But now my appetite is back in full force! CamJam is definitely having a growth spurt because I have been one hungry mama bear! Haha :]

Any movement from baby? Yes!! Some of his movements startle me now! He seems to enjoy being under my ribs on the right side, haha. That can be a little uncomfortable but I can usually get him to move by changing my position. I can tell that he's starting to get cramped up in there because his movements feel tighter, if that makes sense. It feels more like he's pushing against me trying to make space for himself, haha. I love feeling all of his movements, though. Even the startling and slightly painful ones ;] A few days ago, CJ got the hiccups at like 4am and actually woke me up! I must've been sleeping very lightly... but man, did it make me laugh! I'm sure this is just the first of many MANY predawn wake up calls from my sweet boy! I doubt the rest of said wake ups will be quite as amusing so I tried to enjoy this one, aha. Yesterday, I was texting with Jacob and CJ had the hiccups. Once they went away, little man decided to throw a victory dance party! Not even kidding! I sat there for like 5 minutes recording my belly so Jake could see all the crazy movements (side note- thank God for iPhones and the ability to text/picture & video message my hubby from thousands of miles away!!). Once Camden finally stopped dancing and decided to settle down, he got the hiccups AGAIN! Oh man, I was cracking up!! My crazy little baby bear! He makes me smile on a daily basis. I cannot wait to see what all these little wiggles and movements look like when he's out of my tummy. I swear I'm just going to stare at him ALL the time! 

Gender: BOY <3 <3 <3

Emotions and experiences this week: This week felt pretty "blah" to me. I started the week off with a pretty nasty chest cold. No fun. So I rested and drank tons and tons andddd tons of water! Plus some decaf tea with honey, yum. That helped to flush it out of my system, I think. I started feeling better on Wednesday and now I'm basically 100% minus a little lingering cough. The tail end of my week was great! I got to spend some time with two great friends, bake cake pops and have an IHOP date. It was much needed! Then I went out to dinner with a new friend on Friday and that was wonderful as well! I've been feeling especially thankful for all of my supportive friends lately. I couldn't get through everything I have going on right now without my amazing friends who have really stepped up to be there and encourage me. You all know who you are and I hope you know how much I appreciate each and every one of you! Other than all that mushiness... I am in FULL baby mode! I've been nesting and doing so much to get ready for baby bear's arrival! I've read a lottt about labor and delivery and I'm finally feeling pretty good about that. I'm working on my birth plan and I'm in the process of looking for a doula. I know what I want my birthing experience to be like and I'm praying that it all works out. I've read so much that I have a really good idea of what to expect, barring some sort of crazy unpredictable and rare emergency. I've read about regular/medicated births, natural/drug free births, C-sections... I've just been trying to learn as much as I possibly can. That has helped me feel good about my decision and a lot less nervous about the whole birthing experience. Also, I spent a day this week going through all the baby clothes I have for CJ- sorting, washing, drying and reorganizing them. It feels good to have all his clothes ready to go! But, in the process of doing this, I realized that I only had one newborn sized outfit! I mostly bought bigger stuff in case the newborn things wouldn't fit but my OB thinks that Camden will be a little baby- like 6 pounds- so he's probably going to need some smaller clothes... Needless to say, that was the perfect excuse for me to buy him a few absolutely adorable newborn sleep and plays! Hehe. I didn't buy much because I know he'll probably outgrow them fast but I also know that I'm going to want some easy one-piece outfits for his first few days. I also started packing my hospital bag this week! I did a lot of research on what nurses and moms recommend bringing and formed my own list based on that research. My mom bought me a beautiful Vera Bradley bag that I'm going to use as a baby/diaper/hospital bag. I'll probably do a blog on my hospital bag once it's all packed and set to go. I have a lot of it ready, I just haven't packed my clothes yet and I need to pick up a few travel size toiletries for convenience. But it feels good to be prepared a little more in that area. I'm working on getting insurance and a pediatrician figured out for babyboy, too. That's a little more stressful. I do wish Jake was here to help me with some of this stuff, but he has been amazingly supportive! I'm so thankful that he's there to listen to me rant and think out loud and just talk about all this baby stuff. He truly is my rock! Even from so very far away! So, like I said, I'm feeling pretty good about this whole l&d thing! I'm ready. I feel ready. I want to soak up the rest of my pregnancy because I'm sure I'll miss it but at the same time I'm very ready for Camden to arrive!

Looking forward to: Pretty much the same as I said last week- Bruins games and my baby shower. I have a prenatal appointment this week so I'm looking forward to that, too! It should be uneventful but I love hearing his heartbeat and being reassured that everything is on track. Of course I'm also looking forward to Camden's arrival and Jacob's return home!! I can't wait to have both my guys with me! :D

31 Weeks

How far along? 31 weeks & 1 day!
How big is baby estimated to be? According to my What to Expect When You're Expecting app, he is now the size of a head of lettuce! But he should be around 18 inches so that is one biiiiig lettuce! Haha. The Bump says he's the size of a pineapple! I like that comparison better ;]

Total weight gain: My official weigh-in at my prenatal appointment this week has me at 16 pounds gained. I'm up to 140lbs. Eeeeek! Seeing that number on the scale is so weird for me!! But I'm gaining well and still right on track so I can't complain. I only gained 2lbs this month, so I'm staying on the lower end of gaining during pregnancy. Which makes me happy. And my doctor still has no concerns with my weight gain so I'm not concerned either. Just trying to stay active and healthy for my little boy!
Wearing maternity clothes? Some! I'm fitting into a few more maternity shirts now! I like that :]

Symptoms this week: I feel fabulous, really!! Well, aside from the lovely chest cold I came down with... I tried so hard to stay healthy but with my family spewing their germs all over the house and not sanitizing, it was impossible. Ugh. Other than that, I got a little nesting spurt this week! That was fun. I did a lot of cleaning and straightening out. I felt very accomplished but it made me hungry and tired, haha. So far my energy level in my third trimester has been just as good as my second trimester. Luckily! I'm waiting to hit that wall and be really tired and uncomfortable but so far so good! I still absolutely love being pregnant! Oh, I'm still having some random Braxton Hicks, too.

Food cravings: Baked macaroni and cheese!! Homemade by me, of course. I like to make a light cheese sauce (with fat free cream cheese and skim milk) to toss the elbows in before layering them with some reduced fat cheddar cheese and topping it with fat free cheese slices. YUM. It's so good! Lucky for my mom, mac 'n cheese is one of her favorite meals so she's enjoying this craving too, haha. Other than that, I'm addicted to Yaki Soba from a local Japanese restaurant. It's like lo mein but with whole wheat noodles and no saucey stuff on it. Man, I could eat it everyday!! And seeing how I just found out that the restaurant I like does carry out, I very well might eat it everyday now, hahaha. Other than those two deliciously carb heavy meals, I'm eating lots of veggies. Not so much fruit since all the good stuff is out of season. Besides bananas. I eat a lot of those. Still trying to keep up with plenty of produce. Snap peas are one of my favorites as of late. And spaghetti squash. Camden is definitely growing a lot lately because my appetite has increased quite a bit! And it seems as though he does not like raw broccoli. I got some icky indigestion after eating raw broccoli this week.

Food aversions: Nothing at all! Well, I probably won't be eating raw broccoli after above account but it isn't really an aversion.

Any movement from baby? Ohhhh yes!! Little man loves to make my belly dance! He's been all over the place. My OB said that my uterus looks like it's positioned more on the right side of my stomach so that explains why I've been feeling more movement over there. I feel him all over the place but it is concentrated more on the right side. Silly boy ;] I also feel him get the hiccups almost everyday, sometimes twice a day! I love it. It makes me chuckle. I was FINALLY able to capture a really good video of Camden moving to send to Jacob! I was so excited about it! It's so cool to see his movements so clear and strong. His movements feel more squirmy these days than kicking. I can feel him roll around and push against my belly a lot more. I still get kicks and jabs but it's mostly wiggles as space gets tighter for him. Nonetheless, it's cute and I love it!

Gender: BOY <3 <3 <3

Emotions and experiences this week: This week was much better than last week. I'm so happy that the holidays are over. I never realized how depressing the holiday season would be without Jake. So I am VERY happy to say goodbye to 2012 and move into this new year full of possibilities! I had a lot of fun ringing in the New Year with some great friends. It was nice to just get out, goof around, laugh, and have an all-around wonderful time! Not having my hubby to kiss at the stroke of midnight was crappy but I know we're both saving that New Years kiss for each other. And all the laughs with my friends made the night so fun and a lot less lonely than I expected! Also, tt's nice to be able to say that Camden will be born AND Jacob will come home this year!! Yay for 2013! I just know it's going to be an incredible, life-changing year. I can't wait to see what it has in store for us! Other than that, I had a prenatal appointment this week! That went excellent! Like I said, I've gained 2lbs since my last appointment a month ago and my OB said I look "perfect!" (her word, not mine! Haha). Camden is growing and I'm measuring exactly where I should be! She said that the best indicator of how big CJ will be is how big I was at birth. I weighed in at a whopping 6lbs and some-odd ounces (my mom thinks 2-7oz), so it looks like he should be a pretty small baby! I'm very happy with that, haha. I mean obviously his health is my first concern but the smaller he is the easier it should be for me to deliver him. Should. We'll see ;] I also got to hand in my paperwork for Camden's birth certificate and my per-registration for labor and delivery at this appointment! Man, that makes things feel very real! And I talked to my OB about my desire to have a natural childbirth. She was extremely supportive and said that everything is up to me, pending no emergency. It's just very nice to know that my doctor is supportive of my decision and is on the same page as me. It gives me peace of mind. She said that since I'm young, healthy and fit, she doesn't see any reason why I wouldn't be able to have a natural birthing experience. Of course, it's impossible to predict what will happen with my labor but I'm happy to know that she's on board with my plan. I'm going to continue reading and educating myself as much as I can about natural birth and I might take a birthing class as well. It's crazy to think how quickly his due date is approaching! I'm praying that everything goes smoothly and that God guides my preparation for CJ's birth. I'm SO so excited but still nervous! I have bi-weekly prenatal appointments from now until mid-February and then we move into the weekly visits! Ahhhh! I can hardly believe it! Little man is going to be here so soon!! In the meantime, I plan to do as much as I can to prepare myself. I've been reading A LOT about natural birth, pain coping techniques, what to expect, etc. Educating myself is making me feel a lot less nervous about the whole labor and delivery experience. I think I'm going to take a birthing class soon, too. Hopefully that will be helpful. What else... I've been REALLY good with my workouts lately! I usually aim for 4-5 days a week but I've been doing more (*cough*everyday*cough*) since I've been feeling good and I love the new workout DVD I got for Christmas. It's so good. Working out has been a huge help throughout my pregnancy. It lends some semblance of normalcy to my otherwise drastically changing life. Working out is my catharsis, no doubt about it. I'm really hoping that I kick this cold fast so I can get back into those workouts! But for now I'm taking it easy with light pilates/stretching. Not being able to workout is seriously one of the worst parts of being sick for me! I'm dying to do my full hour long workout and I've only taken two days off! Wahhh.

Looking forward to: I guess the next big thing I'm looking forward to is my baby shower in February! I'm very excited to see some friends from out of town who will be coming up for it! And I just think the whole experience will be fun! I'm still looking forward to watching my bump grow even more :] I love it. And since I'm not uncomfortable yet I'm just soaking it all in! :D Oh!! I would be remiss to neglect to mention my sheer excitement over hockey season starting up again!!!!!!! Seriously, I am thrilled!! I've been missing my beloved Bruins way too much! I CAN'T wait to watch every game of this short season! It's better than nothing! Fear the bear!! CJ is totally going to be born a Bruins fan!