33 weeks: Baby Shower, Birthing Class and Vegas :)

How far along? 33 weeks. I have kind of "lost track" to be honest. Yesterday I hit 34 weeks, so..... I am technically embarking on my 35th week, right? Why is this so confusing?!

Anyways... I will simply recap week 33 (34th week?) here:

Baby's size and development ? Littly weighs about 4.5 pounds (as much as a grownup duck or a nice big pineapple) and is approximately 17.5 in long. He is busy concentrating on weight gain and throughout the remainder of my pregnancy. The amniotic fluid may be at its highest level this week. Littly's brain is busy maturing and increasing in size, and his skin will soon start changing from red to pink as fat begins to accumulate beneath its surface. I can also tell that he is getting so alert, and so responsive to the outside world. When he is resting, all I have to do is start talking to him and he will give a firm nudge :) Every morning when I wake up, he wakes up right with me. It is the cutest. I always play him one or two songs while laying in bed in the morning, and he loves it. He starts dancing and moving to the rhythm of the music... his daddy should be so proud :D I hope he will get Seth's amazing musical talents!

Changes in me? The dreaded swelling has begun... I am sure the week in Las Vegas -constantly on my feet- helped that along. It is truthfully not too bad yet, but I can definitely label my ankles as kankles and my fingers as mini sausages! ;) I wonder if the wedding band will have to come off within the next 6 weeks....

My body is definitely getting ready for having this miracle, I can tell. My hips are so loose, they pop at the slightest movement. I also started waddling, very attractive. And the nesting, oh the nesting! Seth and I cleaned the entire house -head to toe- this weekend.. he called it spring cleaning, but I know what it really was! ;)

I stocked his changing table with diapers, wipes, creams, and powders and am also in the process of washing the first few loads of his laundry today!!! OHHHHMYGOSH! this is getting real :)

I am still gaining weight rapidly now, and after seeing pictures of me in Vegas as well as at my baby shower (which was yesterday!! EEK :) I am quite shocked at how much weight I have truly put on. In "real life" I honestly don't feel too huge, but if the images speak the truth?... oy.... I am by far the heaviest I have ever been in my entire life, and hopefully ever will be. I am still determined to loose it ALL plus some!!! Once again, I am aware it's all for the greatest of all causes, and I will happily gain more until little bit gets here if that means he is going to be healthy and happy in the end!

Sleep? You know, not too bad at all! I think I am finally in sync with having to get up a few times a night to pee. And sleeping on my side has become rather comfortable, I don't even remember what it feels like to sleep on my belly ;) I am SO READY for little guy to be here, and getting up at night to see his sweet face... if it was up to me, I would never sleep again -just so I could stare at him and soak him in every single second of every day!

Best moment this past week? Non baby related, the week in Las Vegas was pretty grand. I handled it much better than I though I/ my body would! It was so lovely to spend time with V like we have these past 1.5 yrs traveling the globe... and in a way it was the last for a little while! I know I will miss this so very much, and can not wait to get back full force once little guy is a bit older! I adore my job, and I adore my business partner and KNOW how lucky I am to have both!

We also attended our second child birthing class and, as the first, it was super informative! I suggest that any first time parent take this class! :) This time we covered all interventions, drugs, and other awful things they "offer" at the hospital, and my plan to birth naturally was only reaffirmed! I am thankful to have a supportive spouse, and I know Seth will be my advocate!

And of course our baby shower yesterday! Oh, it truly melted my heart to see all the people in our lives that mean the most to us come together to celebrate this little miracle that is about to enter this world!

Lennon will be SO loved, so spoiled.. I can not wait to introduce him to everyone. I will do a separate post with pictures galore on this (as well as his nursery reveal :)

Movement? He is definitely running out of room. His movements are so fluid and easy these days. I am really REALLY enjoying them! I can not remember what it felt like without him inhabiting my belly, and will miss this so very much! I bet it will feel empty :( Can you hear 19 kids and counting?!?!;)

I am pretty sure he is finally head down, as I am feel little feet under my ribs at all hours of the day! Occasionally he gets a really good kick in there that takes my breath away and makes me cringe.... I still have to smile though! He is SO REAL!!!!! I want to hold him now! :D

Symptoms? That awful cold I mentioned last week? Yup, STILL plaguing me... I finally went to the Dr. and had him prescribe me medicine. Almost 2 weeks later?... it is finally getting better! I have never harbored a cold this long in my entire life. I can definitely attest to the fact that a woman's immune system is compromised for the duration of pregnancy. In other news, my breasts are still making no signs of wanting to feed this child.. I hope they will get the memo soon ;) All in all I feel tremendously great! Everyone always asks me how I am feeling (assuming that the third trimester is so awful and wreaking havoc) but my truthful reply is always: If I did not have this basketball strapped to my belly, I would hardly know that I am pregnant. I am so very fortunate and thankful that this has been so easy and seemingly natural for me! I do hope that I will continue on this path until the very end, when I hold my precious prince in my arms!

What I miss? I miss being able to be as active and fit as I used to be! I would love to be able to go on hour long hikes with Seth. Nature has always been one thing we have in common, and both of us adore being outside. I think it was hard going through this pregnancy in the winter, as this is always a trialing period on our marriage. We both despise the cold and are tremendously affected by it. I am not proud of this, and as much as we try to not let it affect us, it always does. But I am thankful that this little person will arrive just in time for our very favorite time of year, and it will aid in a healthy and blissful start to our family of 3. The next step is to move somewhere where there is constantly summer ;)

What I'm looking forward to? I truly look forward to my mom arriving! She will get here 4 days before the due date, and I truly hope that her and I get some one on one time before Lennon makes his big entrance. I miss her so very much.

32 weeks: "Dear One"

**remember Kona's first picture with Lennon? Today, Kahlua had her turn :)

Oh "dear one", how is it possible that our time together -just you and I sharing one body- will be over in just a few weeks? I constantly marvel over the fact of how the days all seem a blur and that I have know about you for only 32 weeks, yet feel like I have loved and known you for a lifetime.

I often find myself quietly sitting in your room, dreaming of the beautiful baby boy that is about to enter this world. It is where I will read to you, snuggle you, soothe you, feed you, tell and teach you about this beautiful world, bond with you, simply adore and love you......

I am fully and wholly enjoying every day of this pregnancy and I do not wish a single day to go by to quickly. But the time has come where I get more anxious to meet you with each passing day.

I vow to never forget this amazing feeling. I know for a fact that I will miss being pregnant with you terribly, but I also know that so much more is in store: feelings I can yet barely comprehend. My love for you is already all consuming and I just can not wait to welcome you into this world.

How far along? 32 weeks.

Baby's size and development ? By now, sweetness weighs approximately 4lbs and is about 17 inches long. He is taking up a lot of space and both of us are putting on some serious weight at this point. I will probably gain about a pound a week for the next 7 or so weeks, with half of that poundage bulking up littly.

Changes in me? Speaking of weight gain, I have been somewhat ignoring this "little bit" of information for the past... oh 15 weeks? Last time I updated, I was about 20 weeks and up about 10 lbs? Well... at 32 weeks, I have gained a whooping 24 lbs. EEEK! My legs have never resembled an orange this much in my life, and I hope never will again!!!

I am ok with it though, really. As long as it will all come back down and all go back to "normal". I have high goals of joining the YMCA, swimming at our neighborhood pool every morning once it warms up, and walking/ running every day (oh, I can so picture it: Little bit snuggled to my chest in a wrap while the dogs lead the way. swoon) As I mention over and over though, I adore being pregnant -with all its ups and downs. I welcome the weight gain, the body changes; because I know that it is all for him. I would gladly gain 300 lbs, grow a mustache and a third big toe to have him in the end.

Maternity clothes? It is pretty obvious by know what my stance on this is. I am now 8 months pregnant and embarking on the home stretch, obviously there is maternity wear involved. I am going to take this out as well... my list of topics is slowly diminishing ;)

Sleep? It is still hard to get and I am at a point where I am absolutely fine with it. I do not even require mid day naps anymore. :)

I take a bath every night before bed, and this really helps tremendously... plus, I take any bit of R&R I can get right now, as I am sure it will be hard to come by in a few weeks from now!

Best moment this past week? We went to our first childbirth class yesterday and I truly loved it. The instructor is super fun and has a ton of great information. I think Seth really enjoyed it as well! Yesterday covered the entire birthing experience and I must truly say: even the hardcore, non-sugar coated truth about it did not scare me a bit. I was also surprise as to how many of the fellow mamas have the same goal as me: go natural. This is of course a topic in itself and I will cover this, my birthplan etc. in a future post. :)

So, this may be bad, since the majority of people really put great thought and effort into naming their child.... but for us coming up with Lennon's name was so very easy and natural, it just felt right. I never once googled his name (it is obvious of course what i would predominantly find ;) nor looked up the actual meaning of his name. Well, I did so today and was absolutely, 100% mesmerized, smitten and awed at how perfect it is!!!

Lennon means "lover" or "dear one" in Gaelic. Hooray for my dear little love baby!

Movement? He's moving and grooving all day all night. I just love his little jabs :)

Symptoms? I have had an awful cold for the past 2-3 days. I was so proud to be able to say that I have not gotten sick throughout my pregnancy thus far (not even during the "harsh" winter months, where everyone had the flu and some sort of awful cold) BUT, I jinxed myself somehow and caught a bug. It is really not that bad at all, I had a sore throat for a night/day and now a terrible cough that makes me sound like an old man. I am feeling much better already, and truly hope that this is the one and only time I have to battle illness while pregnant. I couldn't imagine being seriously ill.... because I refuse to medicate myself with any type of drug -pregnant or not. I usually tend to deal with it, unless it is truly needed.

What I miss? Today, nothing at all. I am happy as a fish..... in water? (I am bad at idioms....)

What I'm looking forward to? Seeing my baby for the first time :)

31 Weeks: The tale of Braxton Hicks

*Happy Valentine's Day, Littly*

How far along? 31 weeks. Single digits guys: 9 weeks left!

(actually only 7, since today I am 32 weeks+ a few days along, I am a bit behind on updates and am desperately trying to catch up.... )

Baby's size and development ? Little bit was about the size of a four navel oranges last week ( ~16 inches, ~3.5 lbs) -baby is quickly approaching his birth length — though he's got to pack on another three to five pounds before D-day. Also developing at an impressive clip: baby's brain connections (he's got to make trillions of them!). He's now processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all five senses.

Changes in me? Oh, same old same old. I feel like I never have anything new to report as far as physical changes etc.

Last week was adventurous though, and we had quite the scare. Vania and I were supposed to go on a business trip to Michigan. That morning I woke up with cramping and pain that increased with each hour. At first I simply brushed it of as normal braxton hicks contractions -which I have had rather frequently for weeks now. These were definitely different though, in that they came much more often and HURT! yes, they felt like period cramps that you have to medicate with Tylenol. I was hoping they'd go away, because this trip was rather important. Once we were sitting at the gate 15 minutes from boarding (keep in mind, the contractions have been bothering me for a good 3 hrs by then) I finally started to freak out. Worse case scenarios were running through my mind and I finally caved in, called my Dr. and was immediately prompted to come in and get checked out.... After an hr at the office and countless of prods, measurements, and questions the Dr came to the conclusion that, yes, they were indeed braxton hicks contractions. I was dehydrated and needed to simply rest and drink a ton of fluids. Once back home and safely tucked into bed, they eventually did subside... but left me rather shaken and feeling fortunate. Lesson learned: Listen to your body! It is so very important!

I had a follow up appointment two days later, and found out a few interesting bits of info:

1. I have been off with my due date this entire time, apparently they have me measuring for an expected due date of April 10th, instead of April 14th as I believed it to be all this time. No idea where I got that date, honestly... I think it may have been the one they gave me at the very first visit. Regardless, I have been off almost an entire week, putting me "behind" on my weekly updates. This is my 31 week updated, yet I will be 33 weeks in 3 days :)

2. According to my Dr., frequent braxton hicks contractions as I have had them (the "normal ones", the ones I have about 6+ times a day, at random times) are a sign of short and easy labor! I am so going to take his word on that!! :D

3. He made me feel tremendously awesome about myself and about the fact that I have no stretch marks on my belly :D (keeping fingers crossed)

Maternity clothes? Still mixing it up. I can tell though that most "normal" clothes definitely don't look right anymore. I ordered a gorgeous dress for our upcoming trip this weekend to Las Vegas. It is a non maternity, long maxi dress... well, the front of it lifts about 2 inches off the ground, and I am pretty sure it's not supposed to ;)

Sleep? I finally am used to sleeping on my side, with my "boyfriend" wedged between my knees. meet the "boyfriend": my ever trusty, very supportive body pillow ;)

Now that can finally sleep somewhat comfortably, Lennon is beginning to be the culprit of sleep deprivation... I try to simply smile and take it as a sign of things to come. But goodness, that little guy is ACTIVE at night.........

Best moment this past week? Hehe, I peeked at our baby registry and people are actually buying things for little bit :) Gets me giddy for the baby shower :)

Movement? He's very active, and has very regular periods of movement! (Every 20 or so minutes he will go crazy) I still can not tell 100% how he is laying most of the time, but I am certain that he still is changing positions all the time and is not yet locked into the head down position.

Symptoms? So, I have been throwing up at least every other day around noon. I think I eat too much to fit into my ever shrinking stomach and it all comes back up in no time... I am trying to watch my portions, but I still don't seem to be able to keep my lunch down. To my surprise, the 24/7 heartburn plague has gotten better though!! wahooo!

What I miss? Being able to shave. I can not see past my belly button..... definitely can not wait to see my feet again ;)

What I'm looking forward to? This weekend shall be epic, V and I are heading to Vegas for 5 days to do some work, and have lots of fun while doing it ;)

Funny thing... I see it as somewhat of a "babymoon".. minus the husband.

30 weeks

How far along? 30 weeks.

Baby's size and development ? Bitsy is still about 3 lbs and about 16 inches long! (or about the size of a head of lettuce :) He supposedly hasn't gained much weight or height this week, as most of his energy's been channeled to the brain. He is opening and closing his eyes at regular intervals (oh, how I wonder what his eye color will be) and all he has left to do now is to get chunky (supposedly they gain up to 0.5 lbs a week from now on) and let his lungs mature.

Changes in me? I spied my first stretch marks :( they are thankfully not on my stomach though (knock on wood a million times), but rather right on top of my hips. That is exactly the same place I had them in my teenage years, so I am not too surprised of their re-appearance now. I just hope that they stay put, and don't migrate any further. I have been a lot more tired lately as well, and I must finally admit, I can not wait to get back to my usual self -body and lifestyle included- I miss the times when I could walk my dogs without huffing and puffing after 5 minutes, get out of bed gracefully, eat a decent size meal without immediate heartburn, sleeping through the night.... oh wait, the latter is pretty much done and over with for forever, right? ;)

Stomach measurements: 43 in around.

Maternity clothes? Same old same old... I am wearing a bit here and there.. mainly when I am not leaving the house. Otherwise its one size larger shirts, lots of layering... and definitely all maternity pants (which are SO SHORT! and I am a short person.... I don't see how these don't look like capri's on regular sized ladies...?!)

Sleep? Has been utterly exhausting... I've been having vivid, bizarre, all-night lasting dreams. It feels like I am watching a tv marathon all night.... I wake up non-rested, pondering over and re-living these bizarre dreams. Thankfully they have not been nightmares, I just dream about very random things, made up stories, people, scenarios. Often times It's truly like watching a movie, I see myself in third person, and I am always pregnant ;)

Best moment this past week? This weekend was rather nice and relaxing, I really enjoyed spending the entire day with my love yesterday. It was much needed.

Movement? Little bit is running out of room in there. His movements have lessened in forcefulness, and are back to the comfortable rolling and rubbing. He has definite sleep and wake patterns now (right now he is in deep sleep :) and reacts to all kinds of stimuli from the outside. Yesterday, Kona was resting her head on my stomach (have I mentioned how much the pups -and even the cat- adore the tummy?) and Lennon gave her a big jab which startled her. I couldn't help laughing and telling her to better get used to it! ;)

Symptoms? I am leaving last weeks update up, because it is unchanging: Heartburn that does the fires in hell no comparison. Sleeplessness. Exhaustion. Oh, my fingernails are finally growing at rapid speeds. I may finally overcome biting my fingernails, it is impossible -they are so hard! :) It seems that after 26 years a pregnancy was needed to stop that nasty habit!! :D I wish my hair would grow right along with my nails, but to no avail. The lush, luxurious pregnancy hair so many swoon about? Yea, not happening for me.

What I miss? Restful sleep.

What I'm looking forward to? All in all: the end spurt.. and even-though I have a good bit to go, I am so utterly ready to hold this little boy and shower him with love and kisses!

Emotions: This one has been a rather constant update. I feel great. I seem to have my emotions very much under control... I do cry much more easily these days though -mainly at happy things, random happy things like my dogs cuddling my stomach, diaper commercials, pictures of my family in germany, oh -and just yesterday I cried in the movie theater after seeing the most magical speck of dust fluttering and glittering through the projection light. Very random.