I am tired and cranky and have nothing else pregnancy related to write about except complaints and whines. So how about some cute pictures of Lily for this week?

Above is Lily wearing her new ThunderShirt. It’s like the infomercial, supposed to calm dogs in thunderstorms and act like a hug for them. It’s cute on her, but the thunder still wins. We’ve had a lot of rain recently which has meant a lot of sleepless nights.

On sunny days, she loves to sit on the balcony or look out the door. It’s so cute and she gets so calm!

She is just so cute. Even when she is scruffy in need of a bath.

And cute when she’s tired and tucked into bed.

And cute basking in the sun watching the birds and trees and cars and people.

Well around now, you may be coming here on Thursdays to see if I’m still here! I am, but my belly sure feels like it doesn’t have too much longer to go.

This week, BabyCenter says the baby is the size of a crenshaw melon (I have no idea what that is) and about 6 pounds pounds and over 18 inches. I actually go to the doctor weekly now, and today I have an ultrasound to see exactly how much the baby weighs and how long it is, and other important things like making sure it’s in the right position. I’ll try to update the post later today.

The theme of this week has been being uncomfortable! My belly is so big, it is hard to sit in a chair and eat meals or sit at my desk. It’s more uncomfortable than hard. But it feels like I’m squishing the baby, when it is more comfortable to lay on a couch or on the bed reclining. It is also less comfortable to sleep, harder to get out of bed, and I’m a slower walker. My few shirts that fit are getting shorter too. Doesn’t this sound like fun? I sound like I’m 90.

Luckily, there is an end in site, and I really can’t wait to have normal energy again and my body back soon.

This week we also finished our classes at the hospital. We ended up signing up for four and attending three. Not bad when one of us was dragging our feet at all of them! We ended up going to Infant CPR, Prepared Childbirth and Infant Care. We skipped Breastfeeding, but I spent that day doing research and asking friends far too personal questions!

Here are some doctor stats and other random facts:

• Weight gained at 35 weeks: 23.5 pounds
• Weeks until full term: ONE
• Number of weeks until we move: THREE
• Odds we will move before baby arrives: I say unlikely
• Blood pressure: Still really good averaging below 120/80
• Baby’s heart rate: Always between 140-160
• Fundal length at 35 weeks: 35 centimeters (these should match to show you’re growing on schedule)
• Random food interests: oranges, Pop Chips, homemade banana bread (I made it twice) and a strawberry bread once
• Number of failed trips to find a Dairy Queen for a blizzard: 1 (we ended up at Amy’s Ice Creams instead)
• Number of “workouts” in the last week: two at the gym plus one full lap of the mall and countless walks around the block and laps up and down three flights of stairs chasing Lily

That is it for this week. I have also been trying to finish up as much as I can of things I want to get before the baby arrives, and start packing a hospital bag or at least deciding what I’ll need. It would have been nice to spend this time on the baby’s room, but those things will come together quickly when we move in.

See you next week!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Not a holiday we really do much acknowledging around here, we will probably pick up dinner and have a normal Tuesday! I might get some chocolate covered strawberries from Central Market. Did you know their roses are $3/stem?! That seems not worth it to me.

Today’s pregnancy related post is about slowing down. Usually, I have a to-do list and like checking it off, my day gets started with exercise, and I am pretty scheduled all day. But in late pregnancy, I’ve just been not doing those things.

Some mornings, I wake up around 7 a.m., eat breakfast, and get back in bed. That used to be unheard of, but not anymore. I feel part guilty for being lazy, and part ok with it for savoring the quiet time with my puppy and taking it easy. I used to be out the door at 5:40 a.m. for exercise! That seems so long ago.

I have actually completed most of my “before baby comes” list the best we can without actually being in our new house yet. While it would have been nice to have a nursery ready, have the furniture delivered, and put clothes away in the dresser, it’s probably not going to happen. We are scheduled to move on March 7…when I’m 39 weeks pregnant. I am confident that the baby will have a place to sleep and clothes to wear no matter what house it goes home to. We’re just trusting that it will all work out.

I have also almost stopped exercising. While not a big deal to most probably, exercise is a big part of my daily life. Before pregnancy, I would work out 6-7 times a week and I enjoyed it. I am telling myself that this is temporary and I’m doing what feels right. This past weekend, I walked twice on the treadmill for 35 minutes, and did light stretching. Everyday activities are more of an exercise than they used to, like walking the mall, running errands and climbing the stairs.

My days are quite different than before–Besides going to work, I try to accomplish one errand a day, take time to rest in the afternoons, and am falling asleep by 9:30 each night. It’s nice to take the end of pregnancy to slow down and remember it will never be like this again, and it is still very strange that we know our lives will be changing so soon.

Week 35 is big time! That means this baby is about 95% cooked! Can you believe it? 37 weeks is considered full term, and safe for arrival. We are still hoping for baby to make its debut sometime on schedule because we scheduled our move on Week 39. Can someone relay that message to baby? It really is hard to believe that it’s almost safe for the baby to come anytime now.

Backing up a bit, BabyCenter says the baby is the size of a honeydew this week. It is over 18 inches long and 5.25 pounds. Also around now, BabyCenter starts to become inaccurate in its size guesses since full term babies range in weight from 6-8ish pounds and varying lengths. But it’s still nice to know what it looks like inside.

This past weekend we had a lot of family in town for my baby shower. I got some cute gifts, along with many practical and necessary ones that we’ll need for the first days at home and beyond. It’s nice to feel a little more equipped. My mom and I also did a Babies R’ Us run and got some other necessary items like newborn pacifiers, wipes, diapers, and velcro swaddle wraps.

I have a few odds and ends I’d like to get before the baby arrives, and I try to tackle a few things a week but not all at once.

Sleep–This has been very touch and go lately. If I have a bad night of a few hours where I can’t sleep one night, I’ll be tired all day and then sleep great the next night. It’s not ideal, but I appreciate the good nights more, and know most of my future sleep will be broken up into few hour stretches.

Exercise–Last weekend was probably the first weekend in all of my pregnancy where I didn’t have any real gym exercise. We had family here and my shower and I wanted to be rested, and also, I just didn’t feel much like it. I’ve gotten much slower and more tired, and I took the time to rest. I think exercise may be on hiatus besides everyday things like walking the dog and chasing her up and down the stairs.

Eating–I am still baking and taking my breakfast and lunch to work, and trying to cook something at home each week. Hoping to keep that up a little. Having Jeffrey as the sous chef on the weekends helps too! However, it’s hard to know when I’m full because I always look gigantic. It is true that you eat less but more often.

Kicks–This baby is definitely an active one. Especially at night or after a meal, I feel the baby moving all over. We can see it kicking and moving around, and new this week is a lot of movement on my left side. I hope it’s still head down! I think it is elbows or feet or something on the sides.

I have lots of to-do lists going all week long, have computer spreadsheets and long reminders ready of things I need to do before the baby arrives and right after, and still doing various research on things that come up.

That’s about it for this week. Starting today, I go to the doctor every week!

This past weekend was my one and only baby shower. We had so many family members in town from my side and Jeffrey’s. It was great to all be together for a low-key weekend getting ready for baby.

Below are Jeffrey’s sister, my sister, me, and my two cousins. We all live in different cities! Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, LA, Austin.

There were Crave Cupcakes on  Friday night. Strawberry is still my favorite flavor of them all!

Then on Saturday afternoon, it was my shower. I got a haircut too! I think it is a little too short, but luckily my hair has been growing like weeds and it will be longer in no time.

Since we don’t know what the sex of the baby is, there were lovely yellow and white flowers and colored cookie party favors. Just my style!

We had a cute tea party at Neiman Marcus hosted by about a dozen of my friends. It was so fun and so me.

My sister and Jeffrey’s sister played a little game where they asked me questions that Jeffrey already answered to see if we match. Like “who will change more diapers?” Very cute. We did pretty good.

I got very practical and necessary gifts like the car seat, stroller, and video monitor. And some fun ones like this.

Then there was another family dinner so the boys and Lily could come too.

And finally, some time to relax for the pregnant lady to put her feet up!

That’s it for this week!

I am almost to the point where I’m wondering how much longer this will go on. I obviously want to go to full term (37 weeks and beyond), but I also am feeling like I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I’m excited for this to end. People who say they LOVE being pregnant? I don’t know about them…

First things first, BabyCenter says I am the size of a CANTALOUPE and the baby weighs 4.75 pounds and is 18 inches long. Whoaaa baby is what I say to that. This week I have felt the baby moving a lot and I can definitely tell it is spreading out. I feel and see it on the sides of my belly too! I am getting a wider belly.

It is almost hard to believe I am so far along (but sometimes my previous body seems so far in the past!), and still so bazarre to think there is a human inside of me with a heart and 10 toes and everything. Believe me, I feel those toes, or elbows or knees or something. Pregnancy is a crazy phenomenon. I think we are also really antsy to know if it’s a girl or a boy! I am still 110% glad we didn’t find out. It definitely makes the end more exciting.

I would say the past week has been a turning point where I feel I have grown again, and am really getting ready for the end more than before. Perhaps it’s mostly because I’ve had a very hard time sleeping at night, feel uncomfortable all day long, and get more looks of “how much longer?” than I used to. This week I had a few terrible nights of sleeplessness, and then a few great nights.

My exercise goal has been 3x/week, and walking is really all I can do anymore. I think my trips to the gym may be dwindling, but I’m still going and it feels good to move even if it’s very slow! Lily still keeps me busy chasing her up and down the stairs and going outside in the afternoons. I’m relying on her to make me move around too.

I really want this baby to stay put a few more weeks, so I’ve also been less active in the afternoons and try to be a couch potato if Lily allows it.

I also have an exciting weekend coming up–it’s my baby shower! We have a lot of family coming in on both sides and we are looking forward to celebrating with our friends and family.

That’s about it for this week. Starting next week, I go to the doctor every week! Can’t believe I’m almost to the weekly appointments.

Any requests or questions with just a few weeks left to go? I’m still writing on Tuesdays about something pregnancy related and on Thursdays about the weekly update. You can view all baby related posts on my special Pregnancy page.

Well it is Week 33 and I am just trucking along. January has been a crazy month, and it does seem to have gone by quickly. I can’t believe February will be our last month before some very major life changes! Originally, our February and March were left empty of plans to let the baby dictate what’s going on, and now we have lots happening and are curious when the baby will be making its appearance! And I think we are getting really excited to know if it’s a girl or boy!

Anyway, at Week 33, BabyCenter says the baby is over 4 pounds and 17 inches long and the size of a PINEAPPLE. While that sounds large, I know two fruits coming up that sound ridiculous–the pumpkin and watermelon. It really is amazing that a lentil can grow to a watermelon.

This week, I have been a little more uncomfortable, but I’ve still been sleeping pretty good (except for Tuesday night when I was pretty much up from 12-4 because Lily the dog sensed a storm brewing). I wake up every two hours or so, am sometimes awake for a long time in the middle of the night, but do go back to sleep. I still feel good during the day, and still have spent quality time in the kitchen. I am getting some major kicks and rolls, and they are actually the most profound while I’m sleeping. It wakes me and then I’m awake while the baby has a dance party. It’s pretty bazaar.

Last Saturday, we took our second baby prep class called Prepared Childbirth. It was the longest of all the classes–7 hours! It was educational and ended with a tour of the labor and delivery floor, and it was also nice to get a little more familiar with the hospital. I think we both have a better idea of the series of events of labor and delivery.

I also had a doctor’s appointment yesterday. Everything is looking good and sounding good, and I’ll be back again in two weeks, and then every week after that.

Here are a few notable stats:

• Total weight gain: 23 lbs
• Weeks to go: 4-7 (hopefully in that range!)
• Days until my shower: 9
• Baby furniture in the house: none, but it’s in Houston
• Average time I fall asleep: 9:30 p.m.
• Currently wondering: if it’s a girl or boy, and if we’ll get moved before the baby comes or not!

Here’s hoping that the final 4-7 weeks are as easy as the first 33!

Now that I am over the cute stage of pregnancy and into the “how much longer?” phase, I thought I’d write about how I dressed the last few months. Picking what to wear everyday was very important!

One thing I knew for sure was that I wouldn’t look shlumpy while pregnant. Putting 20-30 pounds onto my 5″2 frame made me worried I’d look round and pudgy for nine straight months…and that sounded like no fun. I was pleasantly surprised in many of the styles that I ended up liking best.

Trying on maternity clothes was not the most fun of shopping trips, but once I figured out what I liked, I ordered some things online too.

What definitely did not work for me were flowy tops, clothes with too much extra material, loose pants, or skirts. I never tried on one skirt, and actually don’t wear them at all when I’m not pregnant! I was surprised that the way I dressed before was actually what worked best for pregnancy too.

What did work were wrap dresses, fitted tops, tank tops with cardigans, leggings, and skinny pants (go figure).

Accessories became very important too! Scarves, arm jewelry, colored flat shoes and necklaces all helped plain tops and not being able to wear fabulous heels.

I started out buying maternity clothes early and decided I didn’t like the Belly Band so I skipped that stage. (That is a piece of material that lets you wear your pants unbuttoned to help you buy a few more weeks of wearing your old clothes. I just didn’t like it.) Luckily, I am still wearing the same pants I bought, which means they will hopefully last me the whole time.

I mentioned before that exercise clothes were very hard to find! Luckily, I wore my old tank tops, jackets and Lulu pants until about 20 weeks, and then had to switch pants, and eventually find different tops. And the jackets became unbuttoned.

I have two pair of Gap pants that I exercise in, wore to work on casual days, traveled in, and wear as lounging pants. I think you can literally say I lived in them.

The other good find I had were two Rosie Pope maternity cocktail dresses. She is the person on Bravo’s Pregnant in Heels, and has a store in New York City with a big online presence too. I bought two dresses from her site for the five weddings we had between October and January! While more modest than what I used to wear to a wedding, they made me feel good and were actually pretty!

There were lots of solid colored long sleeved tops, horizontal striped tops, and tank tops with cardigans in my rotation for work and on the weekends.

I am really hoping I can continue to wear the same things for just a little longer!

Welcome to Week 32! If you’re counting in months, that makes it 8 months of 10. If you’re counting in weeks to full term, that makes it 5-8 to go. We have some kind of important and life changing things happening around March 1, so we’d appreciate if the baby came pretty much right on schedule.

This week, BabyCenter says the baby is the size of a jicama! It says it is 16.7 inches long and 3.75 pounds. That is a serious real baby. I feel it all day long. The site also says the baby has toenails, fingernails, and real hair. We are pretty sure this baby is going to have a lot of dark hair when it is born.

Most notable this week is that I am feeling very big and pregnant. I’ve been falling asleep early, feeling more uncomfortable, and feeling like my maternity clothes are getting more snug and aren’t as long on me as they were. I really don’t want to buy more clothes, so hopefully I can make them last! However, I think many people have two stages of clothes, one when they get really big at the end.

To see how I’ve grown, the third picture of this post is me at Week 26 wearing the same shirt. I’d say I have definitely expanded in six weeks.

Over the weekend, I walked at Memorial Park, a 3 mile loop, on Saturday. Pre-pregnancy, it used to take 40 minutes tops to walk it, and on Saturday, it took me an hour with one porta-potty break. I also felt very sore the next day! I really can’t wait to feel more fit again one day. On Sunday, I spectated the Houston Marathon and ended up not having a formal workout, but was on my feet a long time. And then on Monday, I went to the gym and walked the treadmill and did light upper body weights.

My weekday exercise has all but been forgotten. When I get home from work, I have been putting my feet up or running errands, and then taking it easy the rest of the day. Lily makes sure I get some exercise by making me chase her up and down the stairs a few dozen times, go on many walks each afternoon, and play with her and her toys. That’s going to have to be exercise enough probably until the end! I will still try to keep up weekend workouts.

(pic above, at 26 weeks, same shirt)

Also this week, we went to our first parenting prep class. This one was Infant CPR, and while we hope to never use the skills we learned, I think it is important to know what to do. We learned about CPR and choking. We have our second class this weekend, which is the big one. It’s called Prepared Childbirth and is all day Saturday and Monday night. Then there are two more we’re doing in early February (Breastfeeding and Infant Care).

That’s about all the highlights for this week in baby news!

Hello again, and welcome to Week 31. This last week was quite eventful! I had a birthday on Friday and we had a very busy and exciting/scary Sunday/Monday, but more on that when things are more final. One includes my car maybe being totaled from a flash food but that’s another story. Things calmed down a little by Tuesday!

This week, BabyCenter says the baby is the size of four navel oranges (that’s random). It says it’s about 3.3 pounds and 16 inches long.

I had a doctor’s appointment on Monday morning, which is always a fun time to see how the baby and I are doing. I love numbers, so taking note of my stats are interesting to me.

In later pregnancy, blood pressure (120/80), baby’s heart rate (141), weight gain (2 lbs in 3 weeks–including the holidays and my birthday!) and fundal length (29 cm) are all important numbers. I am very fortunate that all my numbers are really good, in safe ranges, and that I’m just trucking along. Although, BabyCenter says I’m headed into another growth spurt, so I guess the weight gain will increase again.

Also around this time in pregnancy, you hope that the baby is head down. This baby has been head down since the late teen weeks and I think has stayed that way. Today they could tell it is head down, its tush is on my right side and its feet are on my left. Just how it’s supposed to be! I hope it stays that way.

Still feeling and seeing lots of movements. The nurse said it sounded like this baby is “very happy.” Don’t know how she knows that!

I go back in two weeks!

Also this week, I caught a cold from my husband. Colds are no fun anytime, but when you’re pregnant and have enough to make you uncomfortable, a cold is really no good. You can’t really take any medicine except for Tylenol, and the cold sticks around longer. Luckily it’s just a cold, and didn’t turn into a sinus or ear infection or something like that.