Final Stretch

I've reached the point in my pregnancy where if I go into labor, the doctors won't stop it, so technically I could have this baby any day. However, after my last doctor's appointment, it doesn't look like he will be coming any time soon. That's fine with me. I want him to grow and develop until he is good and ready to enter this world. It's still crazy though that we are most likely less than a month away from meeting this baby we have been talking about, and praying and planning for for the last 8 months, and really before that even. Here are a few updates on my pregnancy in the last few weeks.

Symptoms:

Fatigue has definitely returned. It's different than the first trimester fatigue when I just couldn't keep my eyes open and neededt o sleep. This fatigue is just plain exhaustion. My whole body is tired at the end of the day. Naps have increased some but usually only on the weekends. It's hard to be productive in the evenings, because I just want to lie around or take a bath. That can be frustrating because there is a lot that needs to get done before he arrives, and a lot of the time I just don't have the energy to do much. I also want to take advantage of the last couple of weeks I have just with Matt, but I'm too tired to do much especially in the evenings after work.

My lower back hurts occasionally. Usually I notice it in the afternoons and evenings after I've been at work all day. It comes and goes, and isn't constant which is something to be thankful for.

Sleep has actually still been good. I’ve had a lot of people tell me that the last few weeks of pregnancy are terrible for sleeping, but I haven’t had too many problems. I get up 2-3 times per night to go to the bathroom, but most of the time I can get back to sleep pretty quickly.

I’ve noticed some swelling. On the days that it’s warm outside I swell up really fast during walks with Rhapsody. I’ve been trying to drink a lot of water to keep the swelling down, and I think it has been helping. My wedding ring still fits as well as all my shoes, so I guess that’s a good sign. I don’t like to be outside for long periods of time in the warm weather, and I’m really glad Nathan will be here before the summer heat comes in full force.

Maternity Clothes:

About 95% of my current wardrobe is maternity. I have a couple of t-shirts I can still wear, but they are getting tight. I’ll be ready to get back in my regular clothes again. Crossing my fingers it won’t be too long after he’s born.

Movement:

Feeling Nathan kick still has not gotten old, and he hasn’t slowed down much. I still usually feel him kick mostly at night or when I’m sitting down. I think when I’m up moving around I put him to sleep. I can tell he’s getting bigger because his kicks are much stronger than they used to be. Matt still tells me every once in awhile that he was kicking like crazy during the night or early morning. We’re going to work on getting his days and nights straight once he gets here.

Favorite Moments:

Matt and I have been spending a lot of time working on the nursery and it’s almost finished. We’ll add a few things after he’s born, but we’re getting close to ready for his arrival. We’ve each had our own projects that we’ve worked on in his room, and it’s been fun and sort of a bonding experience for Matt and me to decorate the nursery together. I walk in there sometimes just to look at it and think about how all we’re missing is a cuddly little newborn.

My baby showers have been really special times. Sometimes I tell Matt, that I just don’t get why people are so generous and buy us presents just because we are having a baby. We are so thankful for our family and friends who have been super sweet to us in giving us gifts and sharing in our excitement. Through this pregnancy we have realized all the blessings we have besides the blessing of a baby on the way. We have been reminded of the importance of our support system and have enjoyed celebrating with so many of the people who are close to us.

In the last few weeks, Matt and I have also enjoyed some special dates that we’ve really enjoyed. Our weekend getaway to Kansas City, Beauty and the Beast at the PAC and our Melting Pot date have been fun times for us, and I’ve been reminded to be intentional in ensuring we still have quality alone time after Nathan arrives. Thank goodness my parents are just a few miles away and they’ve already informed us they are more than willing to babysit at any time.

Baby Bump Pictures:

28 weeks

33 weeks

34 weeks

36 weeks