34 Weeks

34 Weeks is here and almost gone! 38 Days away from my due date :)  At 34 weeks Baby Girl is the size of a butternut squash she weighs between 4.2 and 5.8lbs and measures about 17.2 to 18.7 inches. 

34 Weeks

We had our 34 week Dr. appoitment on Wednesday which I was really looking forward to because I had a few questions for my Dr. First off everything is looking good!! They quickly reminded me that moving forward you could make your debut at any time so don't count on 8/6! We also addressed the trouble I've been having with my hands, specifically the numbness.  Turns out your mommy has carpal tunnel syndrome which is common in pregnancy because of the swelling in your hands. The down side is that I get to wear really stylish wrist guards at night, but they definitely help so that's all that matters. We also found out that both mommy and daddy and all your grandparents will need to get whopping cough shots, it's very important that anyone around you a lot is vaccinated.     

It was a quite week for us, I got to see our dear friend Lorin and her Mom for lunch Friday afternoon which was wonderful to catch up with them.  I wish Addy and Aaron could have joined us but I guess it was just meant to be the the Mommies.  Friday night we had dinner with our friends Thomas and Caroline who are back from Singapore. It's hard to believe that they were gone for 3 years but happy to have them back.  Caroline is due a month after me so it was fun to hear about her expierences with her Dr.s in Singapore and Germany before coming back to the states, and what are the chances that she would have the same Dr. as me, small world. 

Saturday was all about CPR class, learning for both infant and children.  I feel better just knowing the proper way to perform CPR and didn't realize that they had changed how to perform it in the last few years, 30 compression's two breaths five times! Got it. That night we just hung out and made dinner and enjoyed a relaxing night at home doing nothing.  We figure we should soak up the downtime now since life about to change.

Sunday I headed up to Barrington to have lunch with some of the girls, Britini, Kelley and Colleen.  It was great to catch up with Colls since she lives in Tampa we don't get to see her that often so lots of fun hearing what's new with her Nick and their son TJ.  The not so great surprise though was coming home to a leaking washing mashing, literally water pouring out of the door.  Not happy, good news is someone is coming to fix it this week! The only thing we both said was at least it happen now and not when Baby Girl just arrived and we needed that sucker all the time.  

How far along? 34 Weeks

How Big Is Baby this week? She is the size of a butternut squash

Total weight gain/loss: 30+

Latest purchase: Got a few things off our registry that are must have's before she arrives; bassinet stand, some nursing items for me and some basic onezies although i'm sure we can always have more onezies. 

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Finally have some relief now that I have my wrist guards, however i'm now sweating A LOT which is waking me up. 

Best moment this week: Spending time with just me and your Daddy and diagnosing my hands and getting some relief

Funniest moment this week: Watching Brisco help me open gifts as they arrive, he loves tearing through the plastic

Miss anything? Wearing my wedding rings.... I feel like i'm missing a piece of me, since it's been four years with a ring on that finger. 

Movement: Lots as usual, although she's moved down a lot so feeling her lower

Food cravings: Not so much, trying to keep it in check so I don't gain to much weight. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

How Big is the belly: 35cm 

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: No

Anything swollen? ME!!! You can see it in that picture i have no ankles :(

Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody, this just gets more and more uncomfortable. 

Looking forward to:  4th of July Fireworks, BBQ's and spending time relaxing and organizing. 

33 Weeks

Week 33 is here!! Holy moly I found myself telling people all weekend there's 6 1/2 weeks left, THAT'S IT!!!! Exciting, scary, relieved so many emotions come to mind when I think about the pending arrival of our little girl.  At 33 weeks Baby Girl is the size of a Durian Fruit.... pretty sure not many people know what that is but it's a weird looking fruit. 

33 Weeks

We spent the whole week anticipating the weekend!  Friday night your Daddy and I headed over to Greek town.  We haven't been in so long so we thought it would be fun to change it up.  We went to Athena's and sat on their amazing patio which has a really great water fall.  So relaxing to be outside on a summer night. 

Saturday we headed up to Barrington to spend some time with my family that came in from out of town.  We got up to my parents house and got to hang out with my Godfather Bob and his wife Barb for a little bit while we waited for my Aunt Jane to arrive, although her flight was delayed bc of a serious monsoon coming through Chicago.  Once she got to the house we all headed out to have dinner at Carlos and Carlos.  We had a fabulous time at dinner catching up, it had been over a year since i'd seen Bob and Barb and since Christmas since I last saw my Aunt Jane. 

Sunday morning, we all got dressed up and ready to go celebrate baby girl with a shower your Nana and her dear friend Pam through for me.  It was such a beautiful day and we are so lucky that so many dear friends came to share in our excitement and shower us with such generosity.  The theme of the day was Storks and the hostesses did a fantastic job with all the decor.  My mom had saved all the vases she received when she was in the hospital after delivering me and used those are the centerpieces and accents on all the tables.  It was such a fantastic idea, I'm already planning to save them for you Baby Girl and they'll really be vintage when we have your shower! Here are some photos from the great day. 

From L to R: Aunt Barb, Me and your Great Aunt Jane

Siri and I

Me and Madison Campbell

Allyson Campbell, Me and Madison 

From L to R: Janice, Linda, Barb, Sue and Me

From L to R: Nancy, Susan, Siri, Pam, Jane, Heather and Amy

From L to R: Jane, Gail, Eleanor, Barb, Barb, Pat and Diane

Nana and I with the stork

From L to R: Daine, Gail and Amy Wickstrom and me

Janice and Madison Campbell and me

Daddy and I getting practice with Madison

How far along? 33 Weeks

How Big Is Baby this week? She is the size of a durian fruit

Total weight gain/loss: 27+

Latest purchase: Hospital bag must haves

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Nope - waking up with lots of numbness in my hands 

Best moment this week: Having family in town and celebrating baby shower number 2

Funniest moment this week: Laughing with my family all weekend

Miss anything? Feeling my hands, they're so numb

Movement: Big mover and shaker in there

Food cravings: Not really

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

How Big is the belly: We'll find out this week 

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: No

Anything swollen? ME!!!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Tired :(

Looking forward to:  Framing the artwork and unpacking all of our new goodies. My 34 week Dr Appointment this week, our great friend Lorin coming to visit this Thursday and hopefully Aaron too!!

32 Weeks - Happy Father's Day

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!! This weeks blog which I know is late, is dedicated to Dad's!! A bit about Baby Girl though, we are 32 weeks along, which means 8 months down 8 weeks to go! It was a very productive mommy and daddy to be week for us this week.  We began with a 32 week Dr. appointment where we found out that Baby Girl has been growing up a storm, my belly is now 34 cm and I've gained about 5 lbs since my last visit.  Her heartbeat sounded great and my blood pressure was normal. 

At 32 weeks Baby Girl is about the size of a squash ranging from 2.5-3.8 pounds and measure between 15.2-16.7 inches.  As for me i'm not fairing as well as she is.... I'm more and more swollen, I think I remember what my ankles used to look like, but they are long gone as of today.  Rings are no longer happening, I can squeeze my engagement ring on but my hands hurt so much I'm not even bothering. 

32 Weeks

We also started to educate ourselves, especially when Dave told me he had never changed a diaper! First up was Newborn basics, we learned different ways to hold the baby, change a diaper, cord care, bathing, swaddling, and signs of illness.  It was a very educational and helpful class and we are both so glad we attended.  Second glass we went to was this weekend, Great Expectations.  Holy overwhelming, I swear if they required people to take this class before getting pregnant I think many would think twice.  This was an all day class that was devoted to labor and delivery.  Learning the three stages of labor, different ways to deliver and everything in between including very graphic videos.  We also got a good list of what's provided to us at the hospital as well as a tour of the three different areas we will be, triage, labor/delivery and then recovery. I'm very excited to be delivering at the same hospital that I was born at, they've since remodeled but it's a beautiful hospital and I at least feel like I will be well taken care of. 

I also am in super nesting mode so on Friday afternoon I took on building our new bookshelf and it looks Fab!! Very proud of my handy skills!! 

That night Dave enjoyed the World Cup while I went out and met up with friends for Wells Street Festival.  We enjoyed a BBQ on Jessica's rooftop and avoided the crowd for most of the afternoon.  I had a ton of fun, your Auntie Jenny and I ended up in the same jacket that night! Great friends have great taste!!

From L to R: Nick, Jenny and Me

Father's Day is here! As a father to be I wanted to Dave to enjoy his day as much as possible so I sent him out with his buddy to play a round of golf for the day while I continued to nest.  While he was gone I made his favorite dessert, pecan pie! I also wanted to make him a very nice dinner; steaks, corn and potatoes - all grilled up!  As a Daddy to be he also got some goodies, a new golf shift, workout shirt and an adorable book! We couldn't be with either of our Dad's this year but we made sure to call and wish them a very happy Father's Day! 

How far along? 32 Weeks

How Big Is Baby this week? She is the size of a squash

Total weight gain/loss: 27+

Latest purchase: Nursing clothes, time to get prepared

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Nope - waking up with lots of numbness in my hands 

Best moment this week: Having a great dr's appoitment

Funniest moment this week: Dog sitting for my parents and watching Brisco and Abby play, they are so cute together. 

Miss anything? Just being comfortable

Movement: I think we have a future pommie! Baby girl loves to listen to music at night and it certainly feels like she's dancing around. 

Food cravings: Not really

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

How Big is the belly: 34 cm - getting bigger :)

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: No

Anything swollen? Dear fee  t, please come back!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Tired :(

Looking forward to:  Framing the artwork, Shower number two is this coming weekend, it will be so nice to be with family and friends. 

10 Things You Have to Do Before You Go Into Labor

According to TheBump.com these are the 10 Things that Dave and I have to do Before I go into Labor, let's take a look and see what they suggest and how we match up:

1 of 10

Take a childbirth class

You can brush up on labor basics in advance, but it’s worth it to practicebreathing and relaxation techniques with someone who knows what they’re talking about. Plus, you probably have some personal questions you’ve been dying to have answered. Sure, humankind existed for hundreds of thousands of years beforeLamaze and Bradley, but pushing out the head (and shoulders!) was probably a whole lot more traumatic back then.

CHECK! We are taking a newborn class this Thursday and a labor and delivery class this Saturday.  I also singed us up for infant CPR and am deciding if i'm going to do breastfeeding or not. 

2 of 10

See a movie

Heck, see as many as you can before this kid makes his appearance. After he’s born, it could be months (or years!) until you see a new release in the theaters.

There's certainly a lot of movies I want to see, and with less and less plans maybe we'll actually go see one, although getting Dave to a theater is a challenge. 

3 of 10

Know the breastfeeding basics

Don’t expect baby to just latch on and start feeding. For both of you, it will be a learning process -- and some new moms have trouble. Head off problems as much as you can by learning the basics before you give birth.

CHECK! I've read most of Baby Wise which has been very informative as well as What To Expect, planning on meeting with a lactation consultant at the hospital after delivery too. 

4 of 10

Pack your hospital bag

Make sure you have all the essentials before you head to the hospital. Check out our packing list and the extras moms couldn’t live without.

NEED TO DO STILL! But I have been shopping, and my good friend Lorin gave me an excellent starter list of all the things she recommends as well as some great blogs to read up on. 

5 of 10

Program important numbers into your phone -- and your partner’s phone

If you’re like us, you don’t have any phone numbers memorized (which is why Google is so wonderful). But now’s the time to program the numbers for your hospital, doctor, parents, best friends and any other important contacts into your phone. And don’t forget your partner’s phone too. Come labor day, he’ll probably be making a lot of calls on your behalf.

I feel like this list was made prior to 2014... who doesn't have all their numbers in their phone?

6 of 10

Freeze some meals, or round up takeout menus

Before your due date, it’s a good idea to stock your fridge -- similar to the way people do before a very big storm (oh, yeah, an eight-pound storm’s a comin’!) -- with delicious, nutritious stuff. Some high-achieving moms-to-be bake and freeze casseroles and lasagnas, so they haveeasy-to-warm meals for those hectic first weeks with baby. But if you’re busy enough already, we think it’s okay to just update your collection of menus from restaurants that deliver.

I'm not sure how to tackle this one, i'm not a leftovers eater, nor do i partake in casseroles.  I'm thinking we stock up on pasta's and easy to make items. Maybe i'll make some yummy sauces and soups. 

7 of 10

Get a crib and wash the sheet

Every baby needs to have a safe place to sleep. And you don’t want to do laundry while you’re recovering from childbirth. So make sure to set up the crib or bassinetcompletely, and wash baby’s crib sheet and put it on, so all you’ve got to do is pop her in.

HALF CHECK! We have the crib but don't have the mattress yet, we have one more shower so i'm holding off on buying stuff till after that.  We do have all our sheets so I can start washing at least. 

8 of 10

Install the car seat

Once you go into labor, both you and your partner will be too nervous to read step-by-step instructions carefully or to think clearly enough to know the car seat is installed correctly. So do it early. (Or ask him to, of course.)

NEED THIS! Waiting on our second shower before we get the car seat, in two weeks we'll have a better idea of what we still need to buy. 

9 of 10

Make a labor playlist

Some moms swear that listening to calming -- or just really great -- music during labor helped them through. It’s certainly worth a shot to assemble a music playlist of some of your favorite songs if you think it could make the whole thing easier. Just remember to pack the portable speakers.

Well we know if i leave this for Dave to take care of I'll end up with all Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre and Tupac.  Even though we aren't big music listeners other than when we are in the car, I'll prob download some new tunes.  But I dont' think this is that important. More so that I have my ipad with me. 

10 of 10

Read a novel

That thing we said about movies? Same goes for a long, detailed novel. Pick up 50 Shades of Grey while you still can.

Do baby books count? BC if so I've read like four. I can't say that this is remotely going to happen, so we'll just take this off the list and call it the 9 things I need to do. :)

All and all i'd say we are in pretty good shape, according to this list at least :) I definitely have my own list of god knows how many things to do before I deliver.  The good news is after catching up with some of my friends and their experiences I feel less pressured and less anxious so I think that's the biggest win.