The home stretch!!!! 36 weeks!

Happy 1 year anniverseary from Perdido Key and our official last vacation before the nugget!

I was 36 weeks yesterday and am feeling every single bit of it. I weighed in at 155 yesterday, giving me an exact 20 pound weight gain so far. I know my 25 pound weight gain for the entire pregnancy is realistic now being that I only have about 3 weeks left... how much damage could we really do in 3 weeks, right!? Fingers crossed!!!
Zach and I went out of town this weekend- back to the condo in Perdido for one last vacation before I cant travel anymore! It was a great weekend just being away, but I started having a lot of back pain when I woke up Saturday and here it is Tuesday and its still lingering! It hurts to cough, sneeze, laugh, tie my shoes...the list just goes on. Back pain in the third trimestester is a fucking bitch!!!
I was in so much pain yesterday that I went in to see my doctor... I am 1 cm dilated and my cervix is at a 1.8. My stiches come out tomorrow morning. I am hoping I just go ahead and dilate and have this baby!! He is weighing in at 6 pounds 10 ounces... sounds plenty big to me! Surely he is cooked enough to come on out! We did my first cervical check yesterday- it wasnt bad, but I did cramp and contract throughout the night! It seemed to intensify my back and stomach pain. We timed contractions for about an hour and they were anywhere from 7-14 minutes apart, but never got stronger or consistent so I went on to sleep. I woke up still having random contractions- I am sure they are just the Braxton Hicks contractions, but they are becoming a bit uncomfortable!
Basically, I am done with being pregnant. I ve had it. I am feeling defeated lately and that seems to be an odd emotion because this isnt a race or a game.. I still need to be pregnant for a few more weeks, but everything just hurts and defeat is really the only word I can come up with to describe my feelings lately.
I guess I need to just chill out and relax because either way, we really dont have THAT much longer to wait.I go in for my cerclage removal tomorrow morning at 5 am and really anything can happen from there! My prediction is a christmas baby, a new years baby, or a baby that is 2 weeks past his due date!!! I am really hoping for my first two guesses!
Finley, baby, please please please dont linger past your due date, ok? Early would be great..on time would be ok, but late will just be unacceptable! I love you and am ready to play!


9 months..yep, bikini and all!



week 35



my big ole foot.. 34 w 3 days! weighing in at 5lbs 12 ounces


Week 35 was uneventful. I was tired from the long weekend that we had and really just did a lot of laying around all weekend! Friday night zach and I got a dozen doughnuts from Krispy Creme and laid on the couch watching movies! I literally slept until 12:30 on Saturday, which I havent done in months! Heartburn still sucks and I am getting tired again mid day. We had our doctor appointment on 12/5 and Finley is weighing in at 5 pounds 12 ounces! Healthy little thing! I am weighing in at 153 and just pounds away from hitting the 20 pound mark!!! BREATHE!
lately, I have found a new obsession that has helped pass my time and pregnancy blues... dressing Jose up in Finleys clothes and placing him in his crib and bassinet for photo sessions! It makes me so happy and I laugh so hard I typically pee my pants! Jose is so funny and really doesnt mind it at all! He even started to doze off in the bassinet! Hilarious! I promise to wash and clean everything before Finley arrives!!!!

hello from the womb! nice and cozy!

cutest thing ever!!!!!

week 34

baby shower! 35 weeks!

                                                          

Week 34 was so busy and kind of rough! I have been having a lot of sciatic nerve pain! Finley sits right on that nerve that causes my leg to get the sharp pains! On top of that, I have gotten my first case of swelling! I came home from work and after running around the house, my calves in both of my legs were so swollen and gross! They looked like elephant legs! After a hot bath, laying on my left side, and 2 huge glasses of water..the swelling went down! Heartburn is still worse than ever and I cannot wait until the days when I dont suffer from it anymore!!! I am still peeing on myself when I cough, laugh, sneeze and its actually gotten worse!!! Probably the worst thing so far was throwing up and peeing on myself at the same time. haha..oh well at least I was home!!!!
My appetite has really decreased this week..I get full so fast now! A few bites of something and I am DONE! So I am really focusing on eating healthy snacks every few hours to keep my blood sugar and energy levels up and make sure Finley is getting enough nutrients! I weighed 152.8 this morning. Less than a pound weight gain this week, but thats ok!
Zach and I had a wonderful weekend! We had a wedding in New Orleans on Saturday and stayed at the Ritz. I really overdid it walking around that day and by the time we got to the hotel my legs were swollen and sore! The wedding was a beautiful black tie event and although I was very pregnant, it felt really good to get out all dressed up and socialize.
We drove to Biloxi Sunday morning for our baby shower. We had a wonderful turn out and got so many wonderful gifts for Finley! I managed to squeeze my fat ass into a size 6 vera wang couture dress. My pregnancy is now complete and I give myself full permission to gain the rest of my baby weight! I got into the dress, though tight, got some pictures, but had to unzip it to open gifts!!!! Luckily everyone there understood my pain and gladly accomodated me!!

Our nursery is coming together really nicely! His crib, bedding, rug, dresser and rocking chair are in and set up. The walls and windows are still totally bare, but wont be for long and we have to order a bookshelf! I am just in love with all of his stuff and cannot wait to show him his little room! Its sweet and chic and totally peaceful! I am going to have one spoiled little man!

Work in progress!

Week 33

                                


Week 33 was pretty good! I got off of work a half day on Wednesday and was off the rest of the week for Thanksgiving..it was a nice break, but I started to get a little sad and stir crazy being in so much! Every year since Ive been like 15, thanksgiving break has been my favorite time to get out and see friends, catch up with people at the local bars (not at 15 more like 18 for bars), nurse my hangover, and then eat lots of food! I didnt realize how sad it would make me to not be able to get out and go to the bars this year!!! Its been a 10 year tradition that just didnt feel quite right missing this year ! Its not that I wanted to be out drinking, its the spirit of the holidays and seeing everyone out that I was really missing! Some people you see during the holidays that you dont see all year long! Needless to say, I was moping around feeling pretty sorry for myself! Zach was so sweet and only went out one night with his friends.. I was on the verge of tears when he left, but I knew I had to pull it together and let him enjoy the holiday bars even though I couldnt! I put up with one night of him going, but the mention of him going out a second night literally brought me to tears and he stayed in and watched Christmas Vacation with me-now thats a good husband!!

Thanksgiving itself was wonderful and thanks to phenegran I ate an entire plate of food and didnt feel bad at all!!!

My sister and her boyfriend came to town on Friday and we had a lazy, food filled weekend just hanging out and watching movies! It was perfect and just what I needed!

My heartburn is still awful and I keep reminding myself-just a few more weeks! Weeks sound like years though when you have an acid reflux attack in the middle of the night!

I was dreading weighing myself this week.. and proved to be for good reason... 152 pounds!!!! I gained a litle over 2  pounds last week!!!!! Its a good thing it was Thanksgiving so I kind of feel like I had an excuse!!! I have now gained a total of 17 pounds! I keep thinking that sounds like so much, but am forgetting that I am really nearing the end of my pregnancy! I have to keep in mind that a lot of third trimester weight is the baby growing so fast, too!

We have so much to look forward to in the next few weeks and I cant wait to start posting some pictures of little Finleys beautiful nursery! Its definitely going to be the nicest room in the house!!

8 Months and feeling it!

I am 8 months pregnant today! I feel so thankful to have made it this far given our little complications early on. Finley is doing great and was weighing in at 4 pounds 3 ounces at our doctor appointment on Thursday! He gained a full pound in two weeks! That seems to be about average for weight gain at this point and I have read that he will put on about a half a pound a week until delivery! We scheduled my cerclage removal for December 17.. meaning Finley could come anytime after that!! I think he will be born in December, but who knows! He may wait it out and not show up until late January!!! I would be ready to cut him out myself by then!

I have thought a lot about delivery. My first preference would be to let him come on his own and have a vaginal delivery. A highly medicated vaginal delivery.. I want as many drugs as my doctor can legally give me. I dont understand women who WANT to do it naturally. I have no doubt that my body could do it and I know God made us to give birth blah blah blah, but if I dont have to feel it then why would I want to!?!?!
Next, I REALLY dont want to be induced unless medically necessary. I think he will come when he is ready. I am willing to go one week past my due date..that would be  January 21..after that I know I will be threatening my doctors life if she doesnt induce me. And finally, a c section, I am totally not opposed, its just not my first option. I am hoping for option 1. My ideal situation would be that my stiches are removed and he comes naturally within 2 weeks. I get all doped up and deliver him vaginally and we go on our way in the next few days... oh and all the baby weight falls off during delivery!!! I can dream, right!?

All and all I am not nervous about delivery one bit- kind of excited! I had to have the spinal tap done for my cerclage and now I have nothing to fear so long as I get that magical shot during delivery. the shot itself didnt even hurt- which is what I was most concerned about to begin with. So bring on that long needle and numb all my pain!!!

The past week hasnt been so bad- I did go home from work with low blood sugar. I felt pretty bad on Thursday. I had gotten sick the last few nights in the middle of the night and I guess it finally took a toll on me! Rest, water, and a few high calorie meals had me feeling better by the next day. My heart burn has reached an all time level of awful. I didnt think it could get any worse, but oh it has! I wake up in the middle of the night so thirsty, but know I cant drink anything because of how bad the heartburn is! It kills! It has been whats made me sick the last few nights! I feel like I am puking fire. Gross, but true! I then have to sleep sitting straight up! Not ideal, but any position that helps the heartburn and lets me get a few hours of sleep is fine with me! I would probably try standing on my head if I heard that worked!!!

Lastly- cravings! I still havent had any strong cravings like I cant live without a certain food, but I have traded in my cereal dinners for a can of broccli and cheese soup with extra cheese! I eat this for dinner most nights now and even writing about it makes me want it! Its light on my stomach and warms me up with these cold nights! I weighed in at 149.4 this morning!!! dreading seeing 150, but its inevitible! Especially with thanksgiving this week!

I am so happy to be nearing the end of my pregnancy and cannot believe our sweet Finley will be here so soon! I am so excited and have so much to be thankful for! I also cannot wait to chow down on all of the yummy thanksgiving meals this week!!! Pregnancy heaven!!!!!

31 wk 5 days..4lbs 3 ounces

week 31

                                       

Kind of a boring week for pregnancy! I weighed in at 148 this morning. giving me about a 13 pound weight gain so far! Its going to be cutting it VERY close trying to stay at a 20 pound weight gain. I have 9 weeks left, so I can safely figure 9 more pounds...22 pound weight gain isnt so bad! I swear I am all belly right now though.. and although a 13 pound weight gain doesnt sound like very much, its getting really heavy! It hasnt been distributed evenly so I feel like a bird!!! Big stomach and tiny little legs still! I feel I may tip over in a few weeks!!!

Zach and I have been really enjoying and taking advantage of the quiet time in our house. He has been working extra hard to make sure I am happy and comfortable these last few weeks. He has been a huge help to me! Zach took me out for a date night Friday.. dinner and a movie..bonefish and Flight...excellent movie..not so excellent meal! My mom came to town Saturday to get the guest bed out of Finleys room so we can set up his crib!!! I am so excited to get his room done!

I havent had too many new pregnancy symptoms lately.. still heartburn and fatigue. The extreme sleepiness seems to come out of nowehere and I swear it is such an intense tired that it almost gives me anxiety like there is something wrong with me!! My vision gets blurry, I feel a little disoriented, but its nothing more than the sandman! and within minutes I am sound asleep!!

I had some intense stomach and back pains Friday after our movie..so bad that I thought we were going to end up in the ER that night. I decided to try a hot bath and a big glass of ice water first.. sure enough the pain subsided and I got some sleep and havent been bothered since!

Zach and I are really looking forward to the next few weeks.. Finleys room will be just about finished by Thanksgiving, the Thanksgiving holiday itself is just a week and a half away! and then Carley is getting married the weekend after in New Orleans- which will be a nice trip for Zach and I..followed by our coast baby shower the next day in Biloxi! We have lots to do and lots to be thankful for! We cant believe Finley will be joining us so soon!!! We are both so ready for his arrival!

Babymooning. Week 30!

I am feeling good and getting so anxious now that I have hit the 30 weeks!! Zach and I took a little baby moon down to his condo in Perdido.. alothough, we were hoping to go further..get on a plane and spend 4 or 5 nights somewhere.. I am out of vacation time due to my hospital stay and my doctor will not let me fly due to the pressure anyway! SO.. We are very fortunate to have the condo and we had a wonderful weekend!

We got to Perdido late Friday and sat in the hot tub for about an hour..the breeze was perfect. By then, it was 9:30 and this momma was sooo sleepy!!! I slept like a small baby..best sleep Ive had in a REALY long time.

I got up early and sat outside by the pool and read and had breakfast until Zach got up. We hit the beach around 11 and stayed until 1. The weather was amazing.. the high that day was 84 with not a single cloud in the sky! We had lunch at Florabama..which was surprisingly soo good..hamburgers, hot dogs and oysters! Although we could have went somewhere better, the MSU game was on there! Not much of a game, but a fun atmosphere! No one even looks at you strange for ordering a beer while having a noticeable baby bump!! (disclaimer..I took about 3 sips before Zach finished it!!)

We had an excellent dinner at the Fishermans corner that literally put me in a come!!! We got home around 8:30 and I was asleep 10 minutes later!!

Our little getaway was just what I needed and I am feeling so refreshed and ready to finish out these next 2 months! We are hoping to sneak one more trip in during December..before our party of 2 becomes a party of 3!

Finley is doing good and is sooo active! He is starting to kick right underneath my ribs! I find myself gasping for air sometimes because of his placement! I was a little worried on friday when I started to bleed just a little bit, but my doctor assured me everything is just fine and its quite normal to have some spotting around this time in pregnancy..especially after a sonogram that can irritate the cervix!

I am getting nervous about his arrival. Not labor or delivery, but just being in charge of a person...forever!!! I know we will be great with him, it just seems so final and set in stone!! I think the feelings are normal, but they often wake me up in a bit of a panic!

Perdido Key November 3, 12

Zach at the beach!