34 Weeks - 42 Days to Go!

 Isn't that a lovely number? In 42 days, I get to meet my baby girl. In 42 days, I get to be a Mom instead of a Mom to be. In 42 days, I get to start a cycle of no sleep, with near constant baby puke in my hair, with a diet of saltine crackers or whatever else I can stuff in my face, and weeping out of sheer exhaustion, and none of it will matter because I'll love her so much.

I know that 42 is a rough estimate. I know that most first time moms go over their due dates by an average of 8 days. But it doesn't matter. It's a number and I'm holding on to that.

Here are some things that people don't tell you about pregnancy in your third trimester (or maybe they do, and I've chosen to ignore it)

*Disclaimer: some of this may be too much information but I don't care, it's my blog.*

• You can't reach while on the toilet. 
• You find yourself seriously questioning whether your baby is actually trying to escape out of your belly button. You even Google it to make sure it's never happened.
• You sometimes wonder if it's a baby or a facehugger from Alien.
• You can't put on pants/underwear/socks/shoes like a normal person.
• Shoes suddenly don't fit. But you squeeze into them anyway because you'll be damned if you are going to go buy fat shoes. 
• You completely forget entire conversations you had yesterday. Sometimes you even forget the names of people you work with.
• You will eat an entire box of cookies and secretly hope someone comments on how bad that is for you and baby, just so that you can flip out and possibly rip his or her head off.
• Shaving your legs suddenly takes twice as long, involves strategic belly placement, and usually results in the hot water running out before you are done.
• You learn about hemorrhoids. Oh yes.
• You discover that no matter how much expensive lotion you slather on, you still get stretch marks. Even though Jessica Simpson didn't and she was a whale.
• You can't wait to get back to the gym and do a grueling workout. 
• People will say the most outrageous things to your face about your body, size, shape, and how all of that means you will have a huge baby. Thanks, people.
• You have to pee right after you've peed. When you try to pee again, you can't.
• You discover what it feels like to have a head pressing down on your cervix at inopportune moments, like while walking at the dog park where there is no convenient place to pee/give birth.
• The maternity shirts you bought in your first trimester, the ones you were sure would last you, are now too small to cover your belly.
• Your belly can't possibly grow any larger, but it does.
• You feel like you've been pregnant for a million years. 
• You feel like you'll be pregnant for a million years. 

It's okay though. It's all worth it. And along with the not so sweet and beautiful things about pregnancy come a lot of sweet and beautiful things about pregnancy. Like the fact that you grew a human. Or the fact that you love her so much before you have even laid eyes on her or held her or heard her first words. Or the fact that this person is going to be an extension of your heart and soul for the rest of your life. Your life will change completely, and sometimes that's hard but mostly it's amazing.

42 days. I. Cannot. Wait.

How far along?: 34 weeks

Baby is the size of a(n): Butternut squash 

Total weight gain/loss:  25 lbs (I'd be totally okay with this trend continuing - baby can keep growing and I can keep losing body fat.)

The Bump: Growing - a lot. 

Symptoms/How I'm feeling: Heartburn, achy muscles, lightheaded, super itchy belly due to growth. More (new!) round ligament pain. I don't think I've felt any since early in my second trimester, but I guess that, coupled with stretch marks, probably means I've hit a growth spurt. I'm feeling pretty good though, considering. 

Food Cravings/Aversions: Nothing really strong, but ice cream sure is yummy. 

Sleep: Better than it has been, but I'm tossing and turning a lot - signs that I'm close to the end, apparently! I also have to hold onto my belly when I turn over (which is a lot) and I've been waking up with achy muscles. New: waking up in a panic and not being able to breathe. Not sure whether this is because my lungs are being squished or because I'm having an anxiety attack or something. 

Weddings Rings On or Off: On (I had a dream that I swelled up and couldn't get them off... not sure if that's signs of things to come.) I'm pretty sure that on D-day, if I get the epidural, I'll probably have to at least take them off then due to the fluids they'll be pumping into me. But yea, so far, no swelling. 

Exercise: Walking. Sometimes when I'm walking I can feel Baby pushing on my cervix... eep.

Any Names Picked Out Yet: Yes! TBA at birth.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Lots. She's definitely looking for more room. It hurts sometimes - she's strong! I'm starting to see little feet and hands too! So cute!

Maternity Clothes: 100% (besides yoga pants) 

Labor Signs: A little, actually. I think "things" are starting to shift and move around "down there," and that's as detailed as I'll go. But it does hurt. I'm trying not to be a sissy because I know it gets worse in labour. 

What I miss: Being able to put pants on like a normal person. You'll understand what I mean if you've ever been pregnant.

Best Moment of the Week: Getting the crib - finally! It's still in the box but I feel better just having it there now. The mattress is really nice too, actually.. it's covered with this soft, plushy fabric that makes me want to sleep in the crib too! I'm happy that she'll have a nice, soft, safe place to sleep.

What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Getting the baby room "babied up" before her arrival. Now that we have the necessities, minus the changing table (not too important currently, as really any surface will do as long as I have the changing pad) and the glider (I'd really like to get this before she comes, as I keep hearing how soothing swinging/rocking is for both mommy and baby while nursing) I would like to make it "her" room now; stuffies, wall decals, mobile, etc. I would like it to be a soothing place for her.