Maternity Pictures

We got our maternity pictures in the mail today (we bought the rights to all of them) and I am so pleased with the way they turned out.  Chloe was definitely not easy to photograph; it was the first nice day in a long time and all she wanted to do was run free.  But the photographers managed to capture some great shots and I can't wait to add some to the nursery (once we start on the nursery that is...yeah, we still haven't done that yet).  Here is a small sample of them, and then a link at the bottom will take you to all of them.  There are nearly 100 pictures!

 Click here to see the rest of the pictures.  Then click on "proofing" and the password is "maternity." I'm not sure how long these will be on the website, but I know they are there now.

35 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 35 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby J is the size of a honeydew; over 18 inches long; 5 1/4 pounds

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 21+ lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Yep, with a few regular shirts and pants here and there.

Gender: Boy!

Movement: He still likes to kick my right ribs.  I often feel a slow, hard push up high between my ribs, I’m guessing it’s his butt.  That is a weird sensation.  Also have felt more pressure in my own butt (tmi, haha) when he moves and also against my bladder.  For the most part his movements are slowing down but occasionally I’ll get a quick kick.

Sleep: Not good.  The acid reflux hasn’t been an issue anymore which has helped, but I have been getting up to go to the bathroom every few nights when I’m awake anyway and most likely heading into the guest bedroom.

What I miss: Sleep and feeling useful.  There are things I want to do around the house, yard work for instance and I cant without feeling like shit afterwards.  We mowed the grass and cut back the roses on Sunday and that evening I felt the worse I’ve felt this entire pregnancy.  I was so worried that I was going into labor that’s how uncomfortable I was, and of course JJ was getting ready to go to work leaving me at home alone with Chloe.

Cravings: Ice, sweets, almonds

Symptoms: Fatigue is back, running out of breath easier, and I am convinced now that I am having BH contractions.  Luckily Sunday night when they were at their worst, if I would lay down, everything would calm down.  Still trying to get some exercise on the days when the weather has actually been decent, but we don’t go quite as far and I don’t walk nearly as fast as everyone else.  Same dry throat and pressure week after week.

Best Moment this week: I need to take this one off, I feel like we are at a standstill right now as far as getting the house prepared.  We are doing some major cleaning later this week and weekend though so I hope to finally move furniture into the nursery after that.  The crib has come in and we got to see the rest of our maternity photos!  That was probably the best moment!

Side note:  Well I went in for my weekly appointment today, but after waiting an hour and still not seeing the doctor, I left.  That buys me another week for the Group B Strep test as Josey commented on last week, and I didn’t have to endure a “check.”  My appointment did start off with an ultrasound though so at least I got to see the babe.  He is measuring right on track at 35w1d and weighing 5 lbs, 7 ounces.  He is still head down (yay!) and I hope he stays that way.

34 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 34 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby J is the size of an average cantaloupe; almost 18 inches long; 4 ¾ pounds

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 21 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, with a few regular clothes thrown in here and there.

Gender: Boy!

Movement: This little one is following in his big sister’s footsteps.  Instead of it being a butt that’s digging into my right ribcage, it’s his feet.  And boy does he like to kick!  It amazes me how much room he has access to, especially my right side.  I’ll look down and see where he’s kicking and it looks like it’s coming out of my back it’s so far around!  (Not really, but I forget that he’s not just hanging out in the front).  His movements are constant, doesn’t really seem to favor one time of the day right now.  Hiccups are becoming fairly regular.

Sleep: A new demon to battle this week is acid reflux.  And when looking back on my weekly update with Chloe, this is the same week it started with her also.  I usually eat a cup of ice before bed.  The first night it was just ice, the second night it was ice and a bowl of cereal.  Both nights I had bad acid reflux, and the second night was so bad I ended up sleeping sitting up on the couch.  I took some Tums before bed last night and seemed to do better, but it’s just one more thing to add to my list of why I’m not sleeping well.  I’m also getting hot at night and have started getting up to go to the bathroom.  I probably don’t ‘have’ to, but I’m up and usually moving into the other room anyway, so I might as well go.

What I miss: Having a good night sleep and being able to walk fair distances without pain.

Cravings: Ice, sweets, funnel cake after smelling them at the STL Zoo last week.  Mmmmm!!

Symptoms: Starting to get worn out easier.  Lunch time is a good time to just sit and relax, and take a little snooze if I didn’t have to go back to work.  When I get home, sitting on the couch sounds like the best thing right now.  The pressure is still there, although it’s either not as bad or I’m just getting used to it now.  I couldn’t believe how slow I had to walk at the zoo this past weekend, but then at the Bud.weiser tour I seemed to do better.  The acid reflux is just starting.

Best Moment this week: We finally settled on a name!  Yay!!  I thought this kid was gonna be here before we decided, but after going round and round with two we liked, we have picked our son’s name.

Side note:  At my doctor’s appointment today she asked when the last time was we did an ultrasound.  I told her we haven’t done one since we found out the gender around 19 weeks.  I was seeing flashbacks of Chloe though…she said I was measuring small and wanted to do an ultrasound at my next appointment to do a weight check.  When that happened with Chloe (granted I was further along) she was here two days later.  I sure hope this boy stays in a lot longer though because we are SO NOT READY!!  At 34 weeks they like to see me measuring between 32 and 36 and I was measuring 32.  We also will do the Group B strep test next week and she will start checking my cervix.  Already?!  Seems early, but I guess we are getting closer and closer to this little guy’s big day!

33 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 33 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby J is the size of a pineapple; over 17 inches long; over 4 pounds

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 19+ lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, and with the spike in temperatures, I’ve worn a few regular dresses and skirts.  Too bad it’s supposed to dip back into the 40s again after today though.

Gender: Boy!

Movement: A couple days the past week I’ve thought to myself “he hasn’t been very active today” and then he follows that up with a dance party a short time later.  He continues to get the hiccups, and will really kick me at certain points.  If I am laying down, the kicks to my side make me jump a bit.  Some of his movements are more fluid, kind of like the feeling you get on a roller coaster when you lose your stomach, other times he pushes on my bladder and instantly I have the urge to go to the bathroom.  I can tell he’s starting to run out of room.

Sleep: Last night I actually didn’t do too bad, but I have been moving into the guest bedroom a lot partway through the night.  I’ve also gotten up a few times to go to the bathroom, mainly because I’m eating ice before bed and drinking water through the night to help with my dry throat.

What I miss: Mr. Goodcents sure has been sounding good lately.  I craved Goodcents my entire pregnancy with Chloe and have a feeling it will be one of my first go-to meals after delivery.

Cravings: I’ve hit up QuikTrip a few times in the past week for ice, and learned that if you bring your own cup in, they don’t charge you!  Woohoo!  I have a feeling I will be taking advantage of that a lot more in the next several weeks.  I’m sure JJ gets annoyed with me always having a cup of ice that I’m chomping on.

Symptoms: One thing I keep forgetting to mention is that I am now a snorer.  Lovely symptom, right?  JJ has always been a snorer so I feel like it’s just a little payback.  He was nice enough to record me the other night to show me how bad I was actually snoring.  Thanks honey.  I blame it on the dry throat.  It’s also been a bit harder to go to the bathroom as of late, I think I need more fiber or something.  No swelling or heartburn to speak of yet, knock on wood.  The leg cramps spiked up again, mainly it’s cramps in my feet.

Best Moment this week: Is it bad I can't come up with one??  Nothing out of the ordinary happened.

32 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 32 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby J is the size of a large jicama; about 16.7 inches long; 3.75 pounds

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 19 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Yep, although I do have on a regular pair of pants today.

Gender: Boy!

Movement: His movements have gotten stronger and have hurt on a few occasions.  Something is pressing right up against my ribs, so when I’m sitting down and he moves, it’s not comfortable.  I took a few videos in the last week of my belly; once when he had the hiccups and once when he was just going crazy.  I swear, if people just watched my stomach for any length of time when he was going crazy they’d think I have an alien in me!

Sleep: Same 'ol.  I seem to be going to bed later and getting up earlier.  I just know I won’t get a good night’s sleep, so I have stopped trying.

What I miss: Sleeping through the night, being able to move around easy, and helping in general.  My dad moved last week and I just felt totally helpless not being able to do anything.

Cravings: Ice, sweets.

Symptoms: Back pain has gotten a bit worse, but it’s very hit and miss.  Dry throat has continued, I don’t think I’ve mentioned that for a few weeks.  The pressure/fullness is still there too.

Best Moment this week: Getting our maternity pictures taken!  I can’t wait to see how they all turn out, but it could take up to four weeks.  Boo.

Side note:  At my doctor’s appointment this week I asked about the fullness.  At first she said it was my pubic bone stretching and moving.  That the first pregnancy it’s nice and strong, supports the baby well, and any subsequent pregnancies it gets weaker and worse and the baby settles lower.  But when she pushed on my lower abdomen asking if that’s where I felt it, I told her no it was even lower, like on the outside.  And I mentioned that it’s kind of making me start to waddle some.  That’s when she said I bet it’s vulvar varicose veins.  It’s just what it sounds like – varicose veins in the vulva or labia which are dilated and cause the fullness.  She said most likely things will go back to normal after delivery, but it sounds like this symptom is something that’s here to stay until the end.

Side Note Two:  After looking at my full body shots week after week, I feel like he's definitely dropped since Week 30.  Either that and/or I got quite a bit bigger this week.  

(I had just scratched my back and stomach so it looks like I have stretch marks, but luckily - knock on wood - I don't have any...yet)