39 Weeks

How far along? 39 weeks - hopefully my last weekly update
Size: Watermelon - and I believe it. For the longest time I couldn't imagine there was an actual baby in there. This week, however, I am 100% positive there is a full grown baby that I will be delivering.  

Maternity clothes? Same stuff

He is more fun to dress these days

Symptoms: Very tired. I have stuff to do, but having a hard time getting it done. I am still waking up sick, so that has kept me in bed a little longer. Poor Cooper has been missing his morning walks.
Sleep: Great! I'm usually an anti-napper, but an afternoon nap is essential on most days. Instead of fighting it, I am listening to my body and taking advantage of the time I have to relax.
Best moment this week: Cramming in a ton of yoga and froyo dates. 

I was able to catch up with some coworkers at our favorite Indian restaurant - bring on the spices! 

Oh, and we finally got the car seat installed, major check off of our list.

Free valet parking when I go into labor - score!

Worst moment of the week: Sadly, my parents lost their lovely golden retriever, Abbie. She was my first puppy and the sweetest dog ever. She would give you the saddest puppy eyes that would melt your heart (even as a twelve year old!). We will miss her, but know she is better off now. 

Abbie as a puppy   -   Abbie last year

Also my family left for our annual trip to Lake Tahoe - we are sad that we won't be able to join this year, but looking forward to seeing all the pictures! Baby A will have to wait a year until he experiences his first alpine glow ;)

Miss anything? My energy! I am looking forward to any adrenaline I can get.

Movement: He is still moving around in there, but less than previous weeks. My doctor said he is really low and has run out of room - I'll take it.

Food cravings: Sweets. Roberts coworkers threw him a shower and bought cake from Everything Bundt Cakes, so we had some leftover. It didn't last long - it's so good!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Waking up.
Have you started to show yet: I am starting to get sympathy looks. It probably doesnt help that I usually have a puppy with me. People think we are crazy.

Labor signs: Same as last week - pressure and lots of contractions.

Belly Button in or out? Flatty-outtie

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am pretty moody these days. Sorry Robert!

Looking forward to: Meeting our baby.

What's the baby up to?

• The average baby is about 20 inches and weighs about 7.5 pounds.
• The baby has reached its final birth position.
• It will be cramped inside your uterus for much movement.
• Your baby will continue to punch and kick but lower in your abdomen, under your pelvis.

The average baby weighs in at over seven pounds, but can be as much as one or two pounds heavier or lighter. It can vary with each baby, and there is no cause for concern. Your pregnancy is considered full term now (between 37 and 42 weeks is full-term). At birth the umbilical cord will stop working when the child takes his first breaths of air outside of uterus. The child's breathing will trigger changes in the heart that will force all blood to go through the lungs. Baby is restricted in movement as there is no space left in the womb. You should be finding it easier to breathe now that the uterus is dropping away from the diaphragm.
You may be experiencing the nesting syndrome by attempting to clean, cook, shop and prepare for the new arrival. This is very common, just be careful that you do not wear yourself out. You need to conserve your energy for the hard work ahead in labor and birth (Earlier this week I moved around the family room furniture and decided I didn't like it. Now I don't have the energy to move it back. Grr).

Ultrasound #3

Today we met our new doctor who will be delivering the baby. We came to the appointment with lots of questions for him to make sure he was a good fit and it turns out that we both really like him.

We also got to see Baby A - best part of the appointment :)

Dancing upside down

 The doctor started the ultrasound and immediately pointed out the baby dancing like a maniac. It was so cool! I didn't realize the baby was moving so much at this point in the pregnancy. He also pointed out all of the baby's fingers, toes, legs, arms, and butt (the photo above isn't great quality, so you can't see much besides the shape of the baby). 

Then, he clicked a button and we could hear the heart beating - we didn't even know what to say - we just looked at each other with our jaws dropped. He said the heartbeat was 178 bpm which was great (and mentioned the baby was super active so next time it may not be that high). Baby is measuring a day ahead again, so the new due date is August 2nd.

Still, a few hours later I am shocked that there has been so much development in such a short amount of time. I told Robert when we walked out that I feel like I left the baby in the office because it's hard to believe what we had just seen was in my belly!

I am glad we were spoiled with these ultrasounds because we will only get to see the baby about three more times until I give birth: 13ish weeks, 20ish weeks, and 32ish weeks. The rest of our appointments will be listening to the baby's heartbeat and blood tests/urine samples for me. 

Off to celebrate with Robert's favorite dinner - homemade pizza!

Hi from Kenya. Wearing a onesie.