35 weeks.

Happy Lunar New Year to those who are celebrating! How exciting that my daughter will be a Horse!

And oh my goodness, today has that really good Friday feeling that sticks around until Saturday morning {logically}; the one where it is so amazing to think about how there are two full mornings with no alarm clocks ahead of use {I realize that our own un-turn-off-able alarm clock will be making her appearance before long but let me relish in this for now please!} and I can do whatever I want tonight and not rush to get stuff done and be in bed at a reasonable hour. Not that we stay up or go out ever…but still.

It was frigid here again this week and we even got some good snow over one night {and a delayed start the next morning – thank you weather gods for those extra two hours!!!!}. Today warmed up a bit and even though it’s slated to get cool again and maybe even snow some here, it’s nothing like the teens and single digits we’ve had several times in January.

Aaaaaaand…we made it to end of blah-u-ary. Yea. Even though my birthday is in this month and it’s a great time to reflect on the past year/look ahead to the next, it’s my least favorite month. I try not to grump too much about it but…it’s still dark and cold and I can’t even say that “next month” brings the good tidings of spring because next month is still winter. But February! In a matter hours, next month will bring a new season both literally and figuratively. Wow. Tonight I’m feeling so excited and happy about things to come.

In other news, be glad I’m not in dingy house clothes for the picture; my photographer came home earlier than I had thought he would and I was already out of my jeans {we had a glorious dress-down day at work today} but it was early enough that I felt some oomph to squeeze back into them. The legs fit fine, actually, but it’s the darned “belly panel”, this stretchy spandexy area attached to the waistline {if you can call it that} that no longer fits over my belly.

So let’s move on to the update.

How far along: 35 weeks

Symptoms:

·      Trying to stay alive at work? I’m still working a ton. Even though I’ve been teaching since 2006, this is a new school and textbook so for some of my classes I’m really creating a lot as we go along. Plus even if I’m using material from co-workers {THANK YOU SO MUCH COWORKERS!}, I’m making new plans because the pacing is different from what I had done for so long.

·      Also not really a symptom but I’m trying to get those substitute plans in order. Slowly but surely, though that surely needs to come quickly the later it gets.

·      Baby is pressing on my bladder…it’s such a weird feeling. It’s as though I need to go to the bathroom but different.

·      Upper back pain is still here and it’s aggravated by the seats in our car; I possibly mentioned this last week but don’t feel like looking at the last post I made to figure it out.

·      It’s hard to stand up? Like, after I’ve been sitting or lying down for a while, getting up just hurts. It must be the muscle strain and those relaxed muscles I’ve mentioned.

·      As has been the case throughout this pregnancy, I’m hungry! And thirsty. I’ve been eating lots of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches {on toasted bread, natch} and downing tons of water.

Wait gain: 167; I’ve gained a pound in two weeks. The midwife didn’t seem concerned and actually even told me that the baby is measuring big {a week ahead} so I think this is OK.

Size of baby: a coconut or a honeydew melon.

Exercise: not much walking at all; it was so cold! But I did have a fleeting desire this week to swim; I think the idea of being weightless sounds wonderful actually so maybe it was a not-so-fleeting yen. I might look into any indoor pools open. But the problem is that I’m a horrible swimmer {too much coordination}…I might give it a try anyway though because it just seems like it would feel so good.

Milestones: I don’t think there’s anything…little Miss Melamed is apparently head down and that makes me one happy mama but it ain’t a milestone so…

What I miss: lying on my tummy. I just wanted to flop on my bed and read junky stuff online this afternoon and had to make-do with laying on my side and alternating when my arm would get tired.

Sex: one girl, coming up soon!

Movement: she’s going at it still. There have been some big rolling movements and I love it.

Thoughts/questions/concerns: car sear car seat car seat! And we need to get our birth center consent forms filled out. Even though the midwife told me that our daughter is a bit big, I'm more happy than worried; I'm just glad to know that she's on her way to being big and healthy. I may change my mind when go-time gets here but for now, I'm at peace with it.

Sleep: I’m up every two to three hours for the bathroom and to drink water because I’m thirsty. It’s a vicious cycle. I also need to flip over because my hips start to hurt.

Goals: wash clothes, get cars eat in, build bassinet.

Random: I have some work to do this weekend, beyond just baby stuff, and I’m so excited to get it done and then laze around watching the superbowl…I’m pretty easy to please!!!

34 weeks.

We’re in the middle of another polar vortex. Yippee skipee. And I’m now a 30 year-old woman; whoa! It’s been a great week of being at home and enjoying our apartment’s heater. I also caught Michael’s cold in the past two days And to give an update…

How far along: 34 weeks

Symptoms:

·      The nesting urge is still there but I’m working hard to funnel that energy into getting substitute plans ready which counts as nesting {right?}. But it was real hard to sit and work all during my two snow days this week instead of washing cute newborn outfits and putting together our pack n’ play.

·      A few cramps here and there but only if I don’t drink enough water.

·      I feel really uncomfortable anytime I get up off of the couch or out of a chair I’ve been sitting in for a while…I’m not quite sure if this is pregnancy related? But if my “condition” causes muscles and ligaments to relax, maybe it does.

·      Our daughter has been pressing on my bladder a lot; it could be that she’s getting bigger and there’s less space in there. Whatever the reason, it’s almost unbearable if I’ve been drinking a lot {of water!}, which I almost always am!

·      My upper back/shoulders hurt sooooooo bad. Laying down on my sides {is there any other way now?!} is the only thing that seems to help. Driving really exacerbates it. I was wondering maybe if it is le bébé pressing on a nerve but I think it’s the extra weight I’ve been lugging around for almost eight months.

·      That funny tingly feeling at the top of my rib cage has never gone away; though it’s been less frequent this week than before.

·      I have an outie belly button! I’ve had this situation going on for quite a while, I just never mentioned it!

Wait gain: 166…same as last week

Size of baby: a cantaloupe or a butternut squash.

Exercise: a bit of walking here and there; I ventured out several times during my snow days and also puttered around the mall for a while today…which I’m counting {my how times have changed}.

Milestones: I’m now the age I’ll be when we have our little one…that’s pretty cool to me. I

What I miss: nothing =)

Sex: there is one girl inside of me.

Movement: baby’s going around and around in there. I’m still feeling here in a sideways position, though not too often. I don’t think she dropped like I mentioned last week but she certainly is going at my bladder; when said organ is full it makes walking really uncomfortable!

Thoughts/questions/concerns: we did not get the car seat set up last week and we actually might wait a few more weeks since we drive people around here and there and the car seat takes up prime backseat real estate. I also want to make sure I feel like I have enough newborn clothing around. And the pack n’ play! Since that will be her bed, I feel an urge to get it going.

Sleep: though my pillow is still great, I’m waking up every two hours to use the bathroom and to flip over. And all that relaxin {hormone that causes muscles/ligaments to relax hence relaxin} makes for some gross mouth breathing. Boo.

Goals: get a couple of pieces of furniture at Ikea, continue working on my substitute plans for work, maybe start washing the newborn clothes, and perhaps get the pack n’ play started.

Random: I’m looking forward to this cold setting sail and the temperatures outside to creep up a bit higher than what they’re at. 

Also, I got a bit freaked out today when a coworker mentioned that in three weeks I'll be full term. Obviously we want our daughter to cook for the whole six weeks we've got left, but it's kind of intimidating to think that in half that time she'd be OK...it's true that she'd likely be very OK if she were to come now even but I also calculated how early I can go out at work and be able to stretch my leave through to the end of the school year and it's only two weeks prior to my due date {& even that's a stretch!} so she reallllllly needs to stay put!!

33 weeks.

January is half gone and our due date is, for all intents and purposes, the end of February...it's actually March 7th but I keep thinking about how all I have to do is get to the end of February. This means that we’re getting close {but not too close} to meeting this child of ours. In other news this week, we both stayed pretty really {think tuna melt and sandwich dinners} busy at work and I had another appointment with the midwife. And now, without further adieu, a bit of an update.

How far along: 33 weeks

Symptoms:

·      Nesting has set in but it’s at battle with some third trimester exhaustion that’s rearing its ugly head. I was never as bone-tired as I read I would be in my first trimester but I think I’m getting some of it now. It was actually worse last week and I forgot to write it down, and it could also have been from a really busy week right after getting back from break, but I’ve gotten some good sleep this week and these eyes still try to close when they need to be open.

·      Baby’s hiccupping which I can feel low down in my tummy, though they’re not too frequent.

·      I’m hungry hungry hungry!!!! And still craving protein.

·      The soles of my feet still hurt, as does my upper back/shoulder. It’s the worst when I’m driving, which I do almost two hours a day, so I end up doing some funny {but safe!} arm, shoulder, and neck stretches while I’m commuting.

·      I’m smelling things really strongly. This has been one that has come and gone, or maybe I’ve noticed it at times and then not at others. I could smell tuna that had been eaten hours earlier in our apartment.

·      I’ve been HOT this week. I read somewhere that my metabolic rate is raging this week, hence the heat.

·      The baby might have dropped a bit; I thought I had felt it and then someone at work remarked on it but in looking at pictures and thinking about it, I think it’s just her position of the day that maybe makes me look like I’m carrying slightly higher or slightly lower. 

Wait gain: 166

Size of baby: a durian fruit {they’re the stinky ones, I’m pretty sure} or a pineapple.

Exercise: some walking and I got in a great trek around the mall last weekend.

Milestones: hitting 33 weeks and also getting some drawers filled with clothes for little girl. They all need to be washed still but I got them out of the suitcase and box {from travel since our showers [thank you SO MUCH friends and families]} and into drawers according to size.

What I miss: nothing =)

Sex: it’s a girl.

Movement: she’s still at it. I think she’s been in a good head-down position though I still feel her creeping over to my sides. Some days are a bit slower and others she’s more active, which is how she’s always been.

Thoughts/questions/concerns: getting everything washed/set up for her which means we need to haul out a bunch of our crud in our apartment. By “haul out” I mean clean and clear. There is very little storage in our spacious one bedroom {I’m not being facetious; it really does feel spacious because of an open floor plan and lots of windows}. There’s such little time during the work week, if any, so it’s down to weekends for us to get our act together. The pack n’ play should be set up too, and we need to get her cars eat put in…I think we might get the car cleaned and try to do that last task this weekend.

Sleep: not too shabby. I’ve really come to love my pregnancy pillow.

Goals: same as last week – drink water, walk more, keep working. And get some stuff in order at work for when I leave, or at least start to, and get that car seat ready.

Random: I have a birthday coming up; I get to turn the age I’ll be when I have my first child. And there’s a three-day weekend ahead of me, how lovely!

 xoxo, natty ♥

32 weeks.

We survived the Polar Vortex; way to go us. The week flew by which I knew it would since I went back to work. When vacation flies by no one likes it but it’s kind of nice when mundane and tiring workweeks zip on by. In other news, here’s the update!

How far along: 32 weeks

Symptoms:

·      My upper back/shoulders hurt SO bad and this week it’s been mostly while I’m driving; and that’s a total of two hours a day! I can’t figure out if it’s the extra weight on the front end of my body pulling on my back muscles or if it’s actually something nerve related, like the baby is pushing on something weird in there. I’m doubting the second idea I have since I’ve been feeling this since 16 weeks.

·      Bending/leaning over hurts my tummy.

·      My legs get a little restless when sitting on the couch.

Wait gain: 163

Size of baby: squash or a large jicama.

Exercise: Some walking around the mall and a quick one around the neighborhood before the polar vortex hit us.

Milestones: not anything this week I think.

What I miss: nothing =)

Sex: girl girl girl girl.

Movement: this baby is moving in some big ways. I’m still getting lots of little kicks and pokes, some really fast, but she’s obviously bigger because there are some huge roly-poly movements. Also, it feels like she might actually be moving around more, as in she’s no longer lodged in my right side. I even feel her in an upright position {head down hopefully} but no placement hs been permanent.

Thoughts/questions/concerns: I have 8 {I distinctly remember telling Michael’s parents when I was 8 weeks along and had 32 weeks left, not the other way around!} weeks left {eeeeeeeeeek!} and I really want our daughter to take her time in there. I also want to make sure that I have enough leave time at work and with my due date {March 7^th} to the end of the school year when I would go off my leave, I’m cutting it pretty close. 

Sleep: it’s been pretty ok this week; I’ve been EXHAUSTED so that helps.

Goals: drink water, walk more, keep working.

Random: going back to work has been very tiring but good. Whenever I’m gone from work for a period of time I get this feeling in the last few days that I’ve somehow lost my ability to do my job {I’m not the only one who feels this, I’ve asked around}. Then I go back on the first day and no matter how challenging it is, I realize I haven’t actually forgotten how to do anything and it’s such a relief.

31 weeks.

It’s 2014 – Happy New Year!!! We’re still on vacation and finishing up a wonderful time in Arizona. California was lovely and the Valley of the Sun has been too but we’re gearing up to go back and get at the day-to-day. 

There’s a certain niceness to that day-to-day PLUS we have something really big to look forward to now. I think we both had been looking forward to this break for so long but what’s great about it is that even though it’s just about over, we get to really soak in the last weeks of anticipating the arrival of our little babe. 

Anyway, on to the update!

This is what I call "Lounge Wear" chic.

How far along: 31 weeks

Symptoms: Some fun ones –

·      Sleep has been pretty crummy; I think I got up four or five times last night to use the facilities. Plus my hips/upper back get really sore when I sleep on just one side, which is what I’m supposed to be doing. Sometimes a few minutes of lying on my back, what I’m not supposed to be doing, is all that can make it better. Flipping over from one side to another is now a production. It feels as though this challenging sleep really just popped up starting last week. I find that keeping both of my sides propped up with blankets and pillows helps with that pain. My pregnancy pillow should be helpful once I get back to it but I think this isn’t pillow-related, I just think it’s big-belly-related.

·      There’s been some {gross} acid reflux that makes me bolt up in the middle of the night. It’s not an issue as long as I don’t eat dinner too late. The grapefruit juice faux cocktails I’ve been downing probably don’t help {pink grapefruit juice [from the back yard], sprite, and club soda = yum}.

·      I just noticed some swollen feet for the first time last night. They’re back tonight too. This is something I had been hoping to keep at bay – please let them go away!!!!!

·      There’s still that funny tingling feeling at the top of my ribcage, it sometimes has a cool sensation too.

·      Sometimes my heart feels like it’s racing a bit and my breath feels almost short but I’ve heard that’s par for the course.

·      Getting up off of soft/deep seats and out of cars has been challenging. Our car seats back in DC are a bit high up so it hadn’t been a problem up until this vacation.

·      If I need to lace up my shoes, Michael is the one to do it for me since leaning down/over is not comfortable.

·      I’ve been pretty ravenous the past few days. I read somewhere that there’s a growth spurt happening for baby this week so perhaps that’s where the hunger is coming from.

Wait gain: Still at 160, though I saw 161 yesterday. Is this OK to not really gain wait for almost a month this late? I guess maybe I’m eating a bit less than I do when I’m working so that could be it. We’ll see, then, next week if I pack on a pound or two.

Size of baby: coconut or pineapple – it’s a tropical week!

Exercise: Guinness and I have had some lovely and warm walks around the neighborhood here. We all also meandered around the Desert Botanical Gardens Monday evening to check out their holiday luminaria exhibit along with their lit-up Chihuly exhibit.

Milestones: Michael’s parents threw us a wonderful and special baby shower this week. It was co-ed and so much fun to see all of their family and friends I’ve come to know and love over the past seven years. The shower was a ton of fun, the Mexican food was delicious, and baby girl Melamed got some more adorable outfits and some good practical baby things. We are feeling so grateful and blessed and happy and we are so excited to share our little girl with all of these people in California and Arizona {& beyond!} who love her already.

What I miss: nothing =)

Sex: GIRL!

Movement: little bit is still rolling around and she’s still in an oblique/transverse position {sideways/diagonal} so I feel her a ton on either side. Her movements are starting to hurt just a wee bit {especially when she’s in a more vertical position and my ribs get some love taps from her} but I love every single one of them. Both sides of the family have gotten to feel her moving and kicking {& see her} which has been great since and how exciting that the next time they see me she’ll be on the outside!

Thoughts/questions/concerns: I hope I don’t swell up! Especially with a flight coming up. I also think I’m going to feel pretty pooped when I go back to work since I’ve spent two weeks relaxing off of my feet.

I’m also feeling anxious about getting everything at work wrapped up so that I can focus on being a mother. I know it’s going to be a really full and busy next nine {please don’t let it be much fewer than 9!!!} weeks but I’m just SO excited to meet this girl and start life as a mom.

I’m also feeling anxious/ready to get enough clothing cleaned and ready for our child’s arrival. We have some very cute outfits and an OK stock of plain onesies but we need to finish stocking up on diapers {we’re going to go for cloth but we’ll do disposables for the first few weeks} and get some more newborn things ready to go. Is this called “nesting”

Sleep: oh yes, how could I forget I have a whole category dedicated to this? Baby brain. See above!

Goals: continue drinking water like a fish, get all of us safely back to DC, get back to work {isn’t the first day back after a break always the hardest?}, and start some serious nesting back home.

Random: Arizona has been a WONDERFUL vacation for us and it will be sad to say adiós but, like I said, there’s a lot to look forward to in the next few months.