36 Weeks - The Final Countdown

Four weeks, baby, FOUR WEEKS! Just 4 weeks until our due date! Baby Emma is the size of a honeydew melon and me, well I'm the size of a house. Kidding...kinda. I'm definitely feeling large and quite uncomfortable but that's to be expected at this stage of the game. It could be really easy to let the exhaustion, swollen feet, heartburn and discomfort make me miserable right now and trust me, some days I cope better than others, but I'm really trying to focus on the excitement of what's next and spending a lot of time reflecting on the last 8 months. 

As of this week, we have the car seat in the car and I'm just about finished getting our hospital bag packed. I've been procrastinating on the hospital bag so I promised myself we wouldn't leave for my parents' house this weekend without having it completely packed and with us. I still have a few more items on our to do list than I'd like to have right now - I still need to sanitize bottles and whatnot and we haven't hung anything on the walls in the nursery yet so those are my priorities for next week. I have such high hopes of doing all the things after work but that is often not how my evenings turn out. Speaking of, next week is my last week of work and I'm really looking forward to having some time at home to relax and enjoy some downtime before Emma arrives. 

I'm really hoping at my appointment tomorrow the doctor can give me some insight on what's going on with baby right now or at least schedule an ultrasound for next week. I have no idea if she's dropped yet or anything and while I do feel like her movements have been different in the last day or so, I'm dying to know if she's at least in position yet. 

We're becoming more and more aware that one day very soon we'll be going about our business and next thing you know, we'll be heading to the hospital to have a baby. It's such a surreal feeling to know life is going to change so dramatically so very soon. We're really excited about what's to come but making sure we enjoy these last few weeks of peace and anticipation! 

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35 Weeks

Well, hello. I felt like it had been a lot longer than a month since I showed up here but nope, I popped in for a 31 week update back in May. It feels like it's been an eternity since 31 weeks, so maybe that's why. Time has sort of slowed down which isn't necessarily a bad thing aside from the fact that we are just getting more and more anxious for Emma's arrival. With just five weeks until our due date, I really am trying to slow down and enjoy this peaceful time before our lives are changed forever.

How far along: 35 weeks

Baby is the size of a: small spaghetti squash

Gender: Girl

Due date: July 26, 2016

Name: Emma Joy

Symptoms: My feet are swollen 90% of the time. Seriously, when I look down and I swear these are not my feet. I'm trying to make sure I am drinking plenty of water and putting my feet up when I get home but for now, it is what it is. Otherwise, I'm having some pretty significant pain in my upper back and heartburn is still a regular thing these days.

Sleep: This hasn't been going too well lately. The Snoogle helps a lot, but I'm waking up several times a night due to the pain in my back and having to switch positions and/or get up to use the bathroom. Falling asleep isn't an issue at all but waking up so many times a night is making me feel completely exhausted during the day. On the bright side, I'm getting used to running off of very little sleep which will come in handy when I have a newborn waking me up multiple times a night!

Speaking of the Snoogle, someone might even be enjoying it more than me...

Cravings: Gatorade in any flavor and water with a ton of ice

Feeling: Excited, anxious, overwhelmed, tired -- I'm feeling all the things right now. I left my 35 week appointment this afternoon and spent the 10 minute drive home crying for no particular reason at all. We're in the home stretch and that has me obviously feeling such a range of emotions I can't help but just cry sometimes.

Other updates: I have three more weeks of work until my maternity leave starts. My last day was originally going to be the 15th of July, but sitting at a desk all day with this back pain and honestly, this level of exhaustion, Jonathan and I re-evaluated and decided it was a good idea to move it up by a week.

We also completed our 'Prep for Birth' class through the hospital and took the tour last weekend. Touring the hospital felt surreal knowing we'd be back so soon for the real deal! I don't know that I could ever feel prepared for giving birth to my first child, but after the tour and the class, I definitely feel more prepared than I did before.

We're super close to being finished with the nursery and I couldn't be happier with how it's coming together. All we have left to do is hang a few things on the walls and find a place for a few items and we'll be good to go. It's been so fun to get the room set up and organize all of the sweet baby things. I come in here at least once a day even if I don't have anything to accomplish just so I can sit in the rocker and soak it all in. I can't wait to do the same thing with our beautiful baby girl in just a few weeks.

Looking forward to: Having another ultrasound around 37-38 weeks. We haven't had one since week 21 or so and I'm anxious to see if she's getting into position and whatnot. We also have a big family gathering this weekend and a visit to my parents during 4th of July weekend that I'm really looking forward to.

Just 5 weeks or less to go!