March

How far along? 36 weeks - baby weighs in at 5 pounds 10 ounces

Total weight gain: +43 pounds
Maternity clothes? I have one pair of maternity jeans I wear and a couple maternity shirts.  Most of the time I wear my t-shirts or stretch my normal shirts over my belly :) 
Stretch marks? Yep, luckily they are really low and no one will ever see them but me and Preston, I never wore bikinis before I had a baby and I doubt I'll start after ha ha! 
Sleep: That term seems like a distant memory.  Tylenol PM keeps me awake, and I wake up half a dozen times each night to switch from one aching side to the next, I end up almost all the way on my belly sometimes which hurts so I have to move back to my side. Poor Preston, he has to deal with me frolicking around half the night haha! 
Best moment this week: I'd have to say celebrating my baby shower, it was so much fun and my sister did a great job 
Miss Anything? Just sleep, and being able to wear my old clothes. 
Movement: Now that he is finally head down I feel him rolling around a lot more and kicking my ribs and stomach, I'll be sitting and out of the corner of my eye see a big ripple in my belly or jolt once in a while and it's pretty cool :) 
Food cravings: Nachos from Maverik... mmmmmm.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I can't eat much without feeling unpleasantly full, I have been more and more nauseated the last week or so, my doc says it's because his feet are up by my belly. Here's to the next 4 weeks! 
Labor Signs: Nope
Symptoms: Lower back pain like no other, and the increased nausea. 
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? Off because of my paranoia.  My fingers don't look swollen to me and I don't feel swollen, but my ring is a lot tighter than normal. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy :) 
Looking forward to: Going to my ultrasounds weekly so I can see him and hopefully get a good shot of his face since he doesn't like to cooperate anymore! 

I can’t believe I have 28 days left! Where did the time go? I seriously can’t even believe it.  I was starting to get worried about him being breech, and of course the nurses at work kept telling me to plan for a C-section but I was just focusing on not stressing out about it until my doctor did. Have I mentioned how much I just love her! Karen is such an awesome lady and I couldn’t have picked anyone better.  At my 35 week appointment I told her I was so relieved he wasn’t breech, and that people were freaking me out about it and she just laughed and said who is telling you that? Tell them not to be mean.  When I told her it was nurses she said oh well they are the worst, I can only say that because I am one haha!  I also told her my mom is convinced I’ll go a week over and she told me to tell her if she can’t say anything nice not to say anything at all because that’s just mean ;) ha!  I really don’t want to have him share a birthday with anyone else in the family, and she said Ogden Regional is better about inductions than McKay and she will work with me on it, which made me feel a lot better!

His femur is measuring pretty much right on my due date, but his head and belly are measuring smaller.  She’s not concerned but she just said he will be a “petite” baby.  She did see in the ultrasound that he has a good amount of hair, which makes me super excited!

Last week after my baby shower Kate came over and helped me organize the nursery and go through all the clothes I have. I washed all of my newborn-3 month stuff and I can’t wait to start dressing him up in all of it, everything is so darling! 

I was at work on the 19^th when my boss and the manager over admissions/reception called me into her office and mentioned that a couple girls up front were planning week long vacations back to back and asked me if I’d be interested in working up there until my due date.  I just looked at them and wanted to cry.  All I can say is Heavenly Father has been watching over me, because just when I was getting to the point when I honestly didn’t know how I was going to make it to my due date, he gave me this amazing break.  It’s been harder and harder with each week and I had a countdown going of how many shifts I had left because I was so exhausted and sore at the end of each day I worked, but I didn’t want to complain or call in sick because I felt crappy and tired, so I had every intention to tough it out.  I’m not one of those to pull the sympathy card by any means, and I pride myself on being a dedicated employee and a hard worker.  I am so grateful, and while I am definitely not built for a 5 day a week job, it’s been so nice to have a “break” from the normal job.  My legs aren’t as achy and swollen, and being able to actually sit down has been a lot easier on my back for sure.

As for my baby shower, it was so much fun! My mom and sister hosted it for me on February 24th at my sisters house and it was so great to see so many of my friends and people from my moms neighborhood I haven't seen in a while.  My sister did such a great job planning everything!  She had a “sign in” photo frame where everyone used their thumb prints and picked an animal/design out of a book to stamp on the frame and wrote their name next to it.  It turned out so darling and I love that I have that to hang in his room and show him when he’s older, I especially love the frame my mom painted for it!

She also had a scrapbook station where everyone made a page for a scrapbook album and signed their name on the back and I can fill it with pictures when he gets here and I love the way it turned out!

It was an open house so people just came whenever and she had a bingo game people played as I opened presents later in the evening, everyone wrote down in their bingo spaces things you’d need for a baby and if I got that as a gift they crossed it off.  It was really fun and didn’t take long for people to start winning! 

I got so many great gifts and SO many clothes.  My sister definitely spoiled me and got me so much stuff!  His grandma got me the jogging stroller I wanted so badly and I am so excited to use that! A few other things I got that I’m excited for are the Aden and Anais Muslin blankets, a moby baby carrier wrap, and a noise machine and crib soother. 

The shower was so much fun and there were of course many yummy treats and food involved!  I am grateful to everyone who helped plan and contribute to making it special for me, especially my sister because I know how busy she is with a full time job and two kids to take care of! 

There was a bunch more food, just on the other counter, It was all so good!

 

I feel like I am more ready now for him to come, it's all sinking in and i'm getting so excited. It is still so surreal to me that I am going to be a mom and have someone else to be responsible for ;) I think it's starting to sink in for Preston too.  The other night we were laying in bed and I was almost asleep when he said hey guess what? In 4 weeks, there's going to be a baby in here with us, not in your belly...He's going to be such a great dad. I love him so much and our babe is lucky to have someone so great to look up to and learn from. 

How far along? 38 Weeks, baby weighs in at 6lb 8oz

Total weight gain: +43 pounds
Maternity clothes? Most definitely
Stretch marks? I don't think i've gotten any more, knock on wood! I do have more on my right side than my left, but he's always over there so it makes sense
Sleep: The last few nights have been hard, waking up every hour or two, but I just remind myself i'm almost done! 
Best moment this week: just soaking up every last bit of being pregnant ..laying around feeling him move all the time!
Miss Anything? so many things...but I know I will miss my baby belly more than all of them at this point!
Movement: Most definitely! He loves to stick his bum out into my ribs and I swear I can feel a foot on my right side once in a while too
Food cravings: Apples, pineapple, and salads! Yum :) 
Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of pork. Last week I made pulled pork enchiladas and I had to evacuate the house and hang out on the deck because the smell was so strong, but once they were done I ate some and it was the best thing i've ever cooked. SO good! 
Labor Signs: Nope, I get the idea he's pretty cozy in there. My doctor said to make sure and go on walks to pass the hint to him he's about to be evicted ;) 
Symptoms: lots of pain in my hips and pelvis from where his head moves around and when he sticks his bum/belly out I feel like my belly is going to explode from the pressure, I can't imagine him getting any bigger at this point! 
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? Off
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy & EXCITED to say the least! (mostly to be done being pregnant ha ha)
Looking forward to: Meeting our little boy! I am definitely counting down the days!

37 weeks on the left, 38 weeks on the right

Sticking out on my left side

I can't even wait to kiss those cheeks!

I have been feeling like such a complainer the last few days, and anyone that's had a baby just says welcome to the last month of being pregnant! So I just decided when people ask me how I am i'll tell them i'm hanging in there, because I don't want to tell them the long list of how I really feel. Ha ha!  I can't imagine him getting bigger than he already is, I feel like there is NO room left in my belly and when I have anything in my bladder, right after I eat, or when he stretches out I definitely feel it, it hurts! I know it will all be so worth it when I get to hold him for the first time, I can't wait!

Preston has been working away on his jeep. He's finished rebuilding the engine and it's on the frame which he's completely sandblasted and painted, new shocks and a bunch of other stuff I don't know anything about or understand, rebuilt the carburetor, and he's working on the body right now. He's definitely learned a ton and it's been nice to have my dad and my brother teach him so much stuff that they know as well, not to mention the fact that my dad has every tool known to man and he can weld anything Preston needs, which has come in handy! 

I think i've gotten the 'nesting' madness out of me finally. For weeks all I thought about and wanted to do on my days off was clean the house and organize everything! Most of the time I was too tired or would run out of steam way too fast, but last week I got it all done and I feel so much better about my life ha ha!  I went through pretty much every drawer/closet/cabinet/tote in the whole house and organized everything. I got rid of about 6 garbage bags worth of stuff to the DI, then went back and looked through everything again.. then I scrubbed down the house. I cleaned out the fireplace, scrubbed the floors, cleaned out the fridge and freezer and organized everything in there, made new meal planning lists, organized the pantry, pretty much everything except wiping down the walls and baseboards.. which I wanted to do by the way, I just don't have the energy ha!  

Then Preston helped me clean up the yard, we raked up 3 bags worth of dead plants and leaves leftover from last year, pulled weeds, swept the patio, organized the tool shed, cleaned out the garage, and found two dead mice and a dead squirrel courtesy of Charlie.. Gross.  I was so tired after all that work outside I thought I was going to die and just wanted to sleep for days.. I have yet to do the front flower beds because I was so exhausted.. but after those are done then I will be set!  It is so funny, this nesting business is real!  

My mom made a cool plaque out of Jeff's eagle scout stuff a long time ago when he got it, and I wanted to make one for all of Preston's stuff as well.  I got his badges and such together, and my mom made a frame out of some cool old wood she's had outside forever.  We (she) made a pretty good layout of all of the badges and pins and I glued them on to the board.  I'm going to hang it in our office and I love the way it turned out.  It's so much better than just letting it all sit in a tote somewhere! 

I have to show off one more project mom just finished. I seriously want to just be a furniture hoarder.. I can't even stand it, these all have turned out so darling! She's such a pro!