Gift from Grandmom

I got a funny gift in the mail from my Grandmom today that I just had to share with you all. It's a pregnancy voodoo doll! I'm not exactly sure how it's supposed to be used, but I'm assuming that when you stick an area with the pin, it's supposed to take away that symptom? Or maybe if I'm using it against someone, I could stick the area with the pin and GIVE them that symptom? I wouldn't do that, though...

Front view:

Back view:

Pity party

I do not like being pregnant. There. I said it. If you do not want to hear the complaints of woman nearing the end of her pregnancy, then by all means, skip this post. Also, if you are newly pregnant and don't want to become depressed about what you may face in a few months, you may also want to skip this one.

Let me start by saying that I can name three things I've enjoyed with this pregnancy, but that's it.
1) The excitement of being pregnant and looking forward to having a baby
2) Viewing the first images of my baby via ultrasound
3) Feeling my baby's movements

I am now at a point where even feeling the baby move is not fun because she's so cramped in there, every movement causes some level of discomfort for me. Don't get me wrong...I am definitely glad she's moving because it would be a very bad sign if she wasn't, but when I have an elbow or a heel pushing into my belly from the inside out, it doesn't feel so great.

I am tired. Really, really tired. This is partly due to the fact that I don't sleep much lately. I have a very hard time just getting comfortable so falling asleep (or falling BACK asleep after I've gotten up in the night) is often difficult. Also, some nights, my skin gets really itchy. It's not everyday but I think when I have hormone spikes, it triggers the itchy skin. When it's bad, I am kept up most of the night due to all the scratching. In the last week or two, I usually feel the need to take a nap every afternoon...sometimes I am able to get one (and it's AWESOME when I do) , but sometimes it's hard to fit one in.

I do not have a pregnancy "glow". It's more like a pregnancy "sweat". I am noticeably warmer lately and Rey has even commented on it. He is usually the hot-natured one but in the last month or so, it's been ME who has wanted the temperature turned down or the fan turned on first. He has been loving it! Of course, it doesn't help things that I am at the end of my pregnancy during the hottest time of the year and I live in GA where the humidity level is sky-high. Our AC stopped working a couple weeks ago when the high outside was about 100 degrees and I thought I might have a breakdown. Thankfully, we were able to get it fixed the same day - crisis avoided!

Heartburn has become a constant thing for me...I get it everyday no matter what I eat. I try to keep the medicines I take to a minimum, so I often just deal with it until the evening and then I take something to get me through the night.

Probably the hardest thing for me has been the back pain and ligament pain I've had since the end of the second trimester. Ever since my belly really started to get big, it has really thrown everything else off. My lower back and hips are constantly sore and it makes it hard to do a lot of walking. Luckily, most of the time I ask for one, Rey will give me a back massage which helps me to relax a little. The ligament pain is on the underside of my belly and it causes this tightness and uncomfortable feeling particularly when I first stand up from a sitting or sleeping position. Also, I occasionally get what feels like bad menstrual cramps. The doctor tells me this is a good thing as it is my body just preparing for labor but it doesn't FEEL like a good thing when it's happening!

I know that things will not be easy when we first bring our baby girl home, but I am so ready to lose the pregnancy symptoms. And most of all I am really excited to meet her and see her for the first time. Everytime I think about holding her for the first time, it gets me teary-eyed. Rey and I have been looking forward to that moment for the last 9 months and we're hoping we won't have to wait too much longer! :-)

A big belly and a new stroller

I can't believe I'm posting this picture because I'm not feeling too pretty these days. My belly is super hard and unfortunately, we all know it's not muscle! I hit the 35 week mark yesterday and I look like I swallowed a basketball. Here it is for you all to see:

I'm pretty sure I actually felt Hadley's little toes in there the other day. I had my hand on my belly right up under my chest, and I felt a row of little bumps. Of course, at first I freaked out for a minute wondering what in the world was growing on my stomach, but after lifting my shirt and seeing that everything looked normal, I realized that it must have been my baby's toes!

Our new stroller arrived a few days ago and I know it sounds funny to be excited about a stroller, but this thing is so cool! It's so sleek-looking and it moves really well and it is just plain awesome if you ask me. Here is what it looks like with the normal stroller seat....and also with the adaptor that allows us to use our car seat while our baby's still too small for the regular seat.

Our lives they are a changin'

Everybody keeps telling me and Rey how much our lives are going to change once we have this baby....this video just might sum it up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4

Is this what we are going to become? :-)

Baby's room

We've been working on Hadley's room trying to get it ready for her and here are some pics of our progress:

We're planning on putting up a picture (or pictures) under the shelf....we just haven't found the right ones yet. We got the glider chair last week and it is SOOO comfortable. I could definitely fall asleep in it!

We found this cute little clock recently and it matches the wall border so well! You can't see the detail from this photo, but it has butterflies and flowers on it.

Right on track

I had my 34 week doctor's visit today and all was well. :-) I'm measuring at 34 weeks so my baby is growing at a normal pace. The doctor estimated that she would be 7 to 7-1/2 lbs. at birth (assuming I make it to her due date). He also confirmed that she's in the head-down position. My blood pressure was a little elevated when I came in, but they took it again at the end of the appointment and it was back down to normal. Now that I'm getting toward the end of the pregnancy, I will start seeing the doctor once a week from now until the baby arrives. I'm still hoping she'll come a week or two early, but we'll see!

I purchased a bassinet yesterday b/c I was starting to get nervous that we didn't have anywhere for her to sleep yet. We've had the crib for quite awhile, but we still don't have the crib mattress. Most women I've talked to said they kept the baby in their bedrooms for the first few months since they had to get up for feedings so often so I figured a bassinet would be helpful.

It's baaaaack!

I had thought I was finally done with all of that sinus congestion from the 2nd trimester because it had pretty much gone away for about a month. BUT...now it's back with a vengeance! This week I've had to go back to my decongestant/nose spray routine. Major bummer! Basically, I think my pregnancy has caused me to be allergic to something - like maybe I'm more sensitive to dust or maybe to my cats. Whatever it is, I really can't wait to be rid of this!

I have also started to get less sleep due to being uncomfortable, getting heartburn, having to pee 2 to 3 times a night and waking up with a runny/stuffy nose. Each week that goes by, it gets harder for me to get up from a low seat or a deep cushion. And just rolling over in bed can be quite uncomfortable. This belly gets heavy!

At my doctor's visit last week I was told that I was measuring right on schedule so it doesn't look like my baby is growing too big or not enough. At my appointment next week I'll be 34 weeks so I want to be sure and find out if they think she's head-down and I'm also curious as to about how much she weighs so far. As of now, there's no reason to think I won't be able to have a vaginal delivery, so I'm hoping she doesn't get TOO big! :-)