36 Weeks

We are officially one month away from D-Day...or you could actually say 13 days away :)  I have really been thinking about my original due date, which was June 13th.  If you don't remember, at our 20 week ultrasound it was decided that the baby's due date would be moved to July 1st.  At the time, it didn't really bother me as we were just getting into our journey of pregnancy.  I can honestly say this week, I am hanging on to the fact that I believe June 13th is my due date.  Dan keeps reminding me that I am not in control of this situation and the baby will come when he/she is ready.  Due to the fact that I can be strong willed at times, June 13th would be a great day to have a baby and then a part of me would want to say..I knew it!  I knew it!  I know that isn't the right attitude and overall, I want the baby to be healthy and well.  If that means we have to wait until July 1st or July 8th, I will pray that God will give me the patience I need to make it to that day with minimal complaining!  The exciting part about being one month away (or less), the baby could arrive at any time! 

At 36 weeks, the baby has grown from a poppy seed to the size of a honeydew melon.  WOW...isn't that amazing!  The baby's kidneys and liver are in working order now and the baby's circulatory and immune system are also in working order. I can tell that we are getting closer to the delivery date because the baby has been dropping more and more each day.  I don't have the ache or bruised rib feeling that the baby typically leaves me with at the end of the day.   I never really had the feeling of not being able to breath due to the baby squishing my lungs, but I can definitely tell my stomach has limited space.  Also, more foods have been causing acid reflex and heartburn.

Nesting continues to be in fully swing at the Walstra house!  The carpets were cleaned at the beginning of the week, and I was able to vacuum and dust the baseboards in each room as well.  Vents, fans, and windows were also cleaned this week in preparation for the baby.  Dan is also catching on to the fact that I want to keep everything EXTRA clean for when the baby arrives.  Dan has been wrapping up a few projects around the house and helping me by dusting the ceiling fans. 
I also started a list of items I would like to have in the freezer before the baby comes.  I am going to wait until next week to start tackling that list.

Bags are packed and ready to go...

 

 I thought I would highlight Dan for Week 36.  He has done a lot of work to get the Nursery ready.  Here he is working on a very important item... the crib.

 

 

 

 

35 Weeks & Counting...

Wow...Where has the time gone.  Obviously I have not been very good at keeping up to date with my weeks.  I am almost 3 weeks behind...YIKES!  So...what do you do when you are 38 weeks pregnant and awake at 2AM in the morning?  I am catching up on what the past few weeks have been like.

Overall, I have been feeling great, almost too good as I would put it.  Doesn't the baby and me have to get a little uncomfortable so the baby and my body work together for delivery? These past few weeks, I have been sleeping through the night (FINALLY) with the exception of one bathroom break.  In the mornings, I would wake up in astonishment that my alarm was going off.  I actually got more than five hours of sleep!  I didn't show up for my cheerios and OJ date with baby at 4:30 in the morning, but the baby wasn't asking for them either. The past 4 months, I have been woken up by the baby around 4/4:30AM with a nice gymnastics routine in my stomach!  I am thinking that baby doesn't have enough room anymore to perform the somersaults, two touches, and flips anymore.

At 35 weeks, the baby is growing, growing, and growing.  Also, I can still feel and tell that I am growing, growing, and growing yet.  How can this be?  I don't think my stomach can get any bigger!  For the most part, the baby is more than likely the length he/she is going to be at birth.  I am convinced that this baby is going to be tall because the baby has been living in my rib and using my bladder for a pillow.  This week and the weeks to come, the baby is focusing on gaining weight.  The baby should put on a pound of fat before birth. Also, a neat little fact I found about 35 weeks.  The average woman's uterus has grown about 1000 times it original size...WOW! 

Week 35 ended wonderfully with a prenatal massage.  Dan got this for me back in February for Valentine's Day, and I decided to wait until I was closer to my due date to use it.  The massage really felt amazing.  I had been having trouble with my sciatic nerve and lower back aches.  Two days after my massage, I hardly had any pain. I should have gone earlier than to deal with the pain. Also, at the beginning of the week, I went to the Chiropractor to get my hips aligned and to see if there was anything they could do for my sciatic nerve.  The chiropractor did mention to me that getting my hips aligned and doing some basic stretches would help take pressure off the nerve and potentially help aid with delivery (I may need to go back when I get closer to my due date).  I believe this also contributed to my lower back feeling much better by the end of the week. 

Next week:

• Carpets in the house get cleaned
• New vehicle that Dan and the baby can fit in :)
• Finish up the nursery
• Dan and I find the time to spend our last weekends just him and me :)