33 & 34 Weeks

Well, hello! :) We have been going nonstop around here for the past week or so, and I decided to give myself a little pass on last week's blog. This week's post will cover the past two weeks!

Technically this picture is at 32 weeks 6 days, but I'm counting it as my 33 week photo! :-) Ryan and I have basically no pictures of the two of us together during my pregnancy, so I am treasuring this one.

My view at 34 weeks!! Sort of. I can't exactly see my feet unless I lean forward a little bit. ;)

Weeks: 34
Baby: Baby Owen is supposed to be the size of a small pumpkin, and somewhere between 4 and 5 pounds, according to my Sprout app (which I highly recommend)! According to me, though, all I know is this boy is a rib lover. Rib. Lover. He's hurt me twice in the past two days, and I think I might need some type of rib repair once Owen is out of there. 

Total weight gain: Last appointment it was 24 lbs, I think. I'll know an update this Thursday.

Maternity clothes? Mostly

Stretch marks? Not yet

Sleep: I've been sleeping well, but waking up super early. My body must be preparing for what's to come in the sleep department. Let me clarify that although I've been sleeping well, I require some pretty specific sleeping conditions these days. Loud fan must be on. Cozy, soft brown blanket must be between me and the sheet. I need my body pillow, a different pillow to hug, and my head pillow. This week the ceiling fan must also be on. I have to have my giant Tervis Tumbler full of ice water, right next to my bed. And I will not even try to sleep without taking Zantac (for reflux) and Doxylamine (a sedating antihistamine). 

Favorite moment of the week: Last Friday (the 7th) I spent four hours at the salon/spa, where I got a mani, pedi, pre-natal massage, and haircut. I enjoyed every single second of it! The next day we had an awesome baby shower in Fayetteville, and then on Sunday another one in our hometown. I want to write a separate post about those, though! We got back home Sunday night, and I immediately began working on sorting, organizing, washing, etc. I was so tired, but I'd been looking so forward to getting everything ready. All day every day last week was spent in the nursery. We got our glider in, and spent that evening and night rearranging furniture and hanging stuff on the walls. It isn't finished, but it's good enough! :) Another favorite moment was my Valentine's date to Landry's with Ryan on Saturday night. We haven't really gone out just the two of us in quite a while, and I enjoyed every second of my time with him!

Miss anything? Nah, I'm good!

Movement: I don't know everything, but from things I've read to people I've talked to, I'd say on a scale from 1-10, Owen is about a 6 on the active baby scale. It varies from day to day, of course, but I mostly enjoy his movements (except the rib attacking), which are neither too frequent nor too infrequent!

Cravings? Still nothing consistent, and still no strange combinations! 

Anything make you queasy or sick? These days I'm mostly ok... *crossing fingers*

Gender: BOY! 

Labor signs: I'm pretty sure it's not considered a labor sign, but I definitely experienced Braxton Hicks contractions in Wal Mart last week. It stopped as soon as I was able to sit down, which is what's supposed to happen. But no. No labor signs.
On that note: I'm sure I'll reach a point where I am miserable; however, facts are facts, and I really hope Owen stays put for the next 5 weeks.

 

Symptoms: Ha. I think I've experienced every symptom at some point in the past two weeks. And it's ok!

Belly button in or out? Out. 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Good

Looking forward to: Maternity pictures on Wednesday!! My friend Kelsey, who happens to be due 11 days before me, is an awesome photographer. I'm pumped!
My doctor's appointment Thursday. I think it will be my last normal one; I should start going every week starting next week, and that's when I'll have to start getting "checked." It's getting real! Ryan and I are spending our whole Saturday at a childbirth class (the weekday classes didn't jive with our schedules), and I'm going to a breastfeeding class next week. Here's to hoping I'm not the one who passes out in class! ;)

Freak-out moment of the week: I am working on my Master's in Counseling, but I took this semester off since I'm due in the middle of it. I am planning on starting back up this summer. However, I was looking at the course offerings for the fall semester and got really overwhelmed with how long a couple of my days would be--not because of me, but because of Owen. I started freaking out about childcare ("WHO can watch someone else's baby every single Thursday from 2-9:30 p.m.??!"). Luckily my calm and rational husband was able to somewhat cool my jets for the time being. 

Thankful for: 1) I'm thankful for every person who has helped us provide for Owen's needs. He is one loved baby boy! 2) Ok--I'll try my best to make sense here. I'm very, very modest. I'm also very sensitive to certain topics. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I began telling Ryan about all the changes that would take place with my body, even things that weren't very likely to happen, but were still possible. I just wanted both of us to be prepared and avoid anything shocking. Lately I've been learning more about post-partum bodies and everything that can (and probably will) entail. I know there are many crude things that could be said to a new mother regarding her body, breastfeeding, etc. We've probably all heard people make jokes, etc. While I have no doubt that some women can handle comments like a champ (and might even make jokes herself), I am not one of them. I say this to say that I'm extremely thankful to be married to a man who offers me protection and respect. I've told him in advance things that I know will bother me, and his basic response is "I would never!!" Again--different strokes for different folks, but this is so important to me, and I've found myself being expressively thankful for that multiple times this week. I'll have enough to worry about, ya know? Thanks, babe. :-)