Baby BOY: Weeks 33-36

Time for another monthly baby bumpdate.

Week 33 – papaya – February 22:

I’m having weird dreams and some trouble sleeping.  I dreamed we took our cats on a road trip and they escaped at a gas station when we stopped to get gas.  I ended up chasing them all over the parking lot, got both of them back and woke up exhausted.

My belly button seems stretched to the max.  Fletcher is moving like crazy.  He’s rolling around, kicking and my belly is lopsided all the time.  It’s funny to watch and strange to feel.  Olive hasn’t felt him move yet, but Kevin has for a while now.  She mostly just doesn't understand she's got to sit and wait for him to move.

I’m eating all the sweets and Easter candy.  Must be making up for lost time since sweets didn’t sound great at the beginning of my pregnancy.  Cereal and fruit still sound delicious and I’m craving smoothies, lemonade and fruity drinks.

We had a big doctor’s visit this week to measure baby boy and check in with the doctor.  My blood pressure was good high but low for me, I weighed in the same as two weeks ago which I consider a huge win and we started talking about birth plans.  We had a big anatomy scan/measure and I should have known something was up with the questions the tech was asking – do you have gestational diabetes?  Were you measuring ahead at your last scan?  No and no.  Turns out they’re estimating Fletcher is already 6lbs 6oz and measuring on track with a baby at 37 weeks.  I’m wrapping up my 33^rd week so that scared me a bit!  My baby is a giant.  My parents were both ten pound babies and my sister’s first was a 10lber.  Ouch!  I have to go in for the three hour glucose test next week just confirm that I don’t have hidden gestational diabetes.    I passed my one hour test around Christmas time, but since baby boy is so big they just want to rule that out.  I’m hoping I pass and we can just continue to monitor things.

Week 34 – big cantaloupe – February 29:

We headed home for a baby sprinkle in our honor.  It was great to visit with family and friends.  I loved seeing everyone and felt really spoiled to get such fun little boy things for Fletcher.  We got lots of great things for his nursery, little boy outfits and fun toys.  Sitting in the car for a few hours is getting a little uncomfortable with bathroom breaks and my hips being sore.  Fletcher is moving a TON.  Kevin said my belly looks like one of those shiatzu massaging chairs with the rolling ball massagers when Fletcher moves.  He doesn’t kick me in the ribs like Olive did, but he moves a ton and my belly is often lopsided.

We stuck close to home this week and took it easy.  My belly is feeling heavier and I’m having some lower back pain that I haven’t had before.  Fletcher is definitely low and Kevin keeps saying he’s getting lower and lower.  That’s true as my keeps poking out of the bottom of my shirt.  My hair is looking and feeling great - one of the PERKS of pregnancy :)

I went in for my 3 hour glucose test this week.  The worst part of the whole thing was having to fast for 12 hours.  I was STARVING, but managed to make it through okay.  My blood pressure was low high for me and Fletcher looked great on the ultrasound.  He’s still big, great heart beat and moving a lot.  I’ve loved having a doctor this time around that does a quick ultrasound with me every time I come into the office.  It’s so fun to check in on the baby regularly.  I was not looking forward to drinking the super sugary drink – twice as sugary as the one hour test drink – and choked it down.  I had to do four blood draws that left my arms really sore - a baseline one and then one every hour for the next three hours.  I sat in the waiting room the whole time and brought a bag full of things to work on during my wait.  Kevin stayed home from work to be with Olive because I couldn’t imagine making her sit in the waiting room with me for that long.  I wrapped up my tests, scarfed down a granola bar and headed home.  Now I wait for the results and am hoping I pass it.

I’m in nesting mode and cleaning things like crazy.  I did our big area rugs this week in addition to general cleaning.  I started packing Fletcher’s hospital bag and have started thinking about mine.  I’m craving sweets, cereal and Easter candy with no real interest in meat like I was craving early on in my pregnancy.  

Week 35 – melon – March 7:

Cereal is sounding delicious as well as all citrus and sour things.  I’ve been drinking OJ, eating rainbow sherbet and sour patch kids.

It’s getting harder to get comfortable when I sleep.  I’m getting up frequently and seeming to toss and turn all night.  My back has been hurting a lot lately so you can find me icing it on the couch several times a day.  Olive insists that rest is best and wants to snuggle with me in bed watching cartoons.  Hard to turn that offer down.

Extra emotional this week.  Kevin went to hold my hand when we were saying our dinner prayers and remarked how puffy my hand was feeling.  He thought he was just making an observation (like awww you've hit the puffy stage...) and it made me cry.  Guess I was feeling sensitive because I cried at Peyton Manning’s retirement press conference and cried leaving the playground on a day when Olive was being extra difficult.  I had to carry a fit throwing, screaming toddler to the car which is never my favorite thing to do.  You know when people are giving you a mix of sympathy/empathy/are you kidnapping that kid side eye?? 

We had three days on our own this week when Kevin was at a conference in NYC.  It was a little stressful because my due date is quickly approaching and he was so far away.  Luckily we had a few really low key days planned and it worked out just fine.  I missed having his help in the evenings and Olive kept asking where daddy was.  I may have cried a time or two because we were both missing him.  She doesn’t understand time just yet, so we made sure to all him, send him pictures and voice memos regularly.  My favorite was her song… "Daddy come back.  I miss you so much."  He loved hearing her sweet little voice.  We did our first load of baby boy laundry this week!

Week 36 – honeydew – March 14:

I’ve been feeling extra puffy this week.  My hands, legs and feet are definitely swelling and my skin is feeling itchy.  I can really tell if I’ve been on my feet too much by the end of the day.  My back & tailbone have been sore and I don’t remember that happening with Olive.  Of course, I was not bending over chasing a toddler and picking up toys the first time around.  So I’ve been icing my back, sleeping with extra pillows and getting up 3 times a night to use the restroom (and eat an occasional snack :)

Fletcher is moving a ton and seems like he’s trying to push his way out of my right side.  He doesn’t kick me in the ribs like Olive did, but he seems to be laying low making my bladder and tailbone very aware of his location.  Olive talks to my belly and says hello to baby Fletcher.  This week she’s been lifting up my shirt saying, “Show me that baby!” and singing to him.   She also stuffed a towel under her shirt and said baby Fletcher was in her belly.  She’s so funny.  My belly seems to be outgrowing lots of my shirts to wear around the house.  If Olive seems my belly showing, she’ll come over and pull my shirt down saying, “Mama, you belly showing!”

I had two doctor visits this week and will continue twice a week appointments from here on out.  I’m thankful Kevin was on Spring break this week so he could stay home with Olive.  I had to do the non stress tests because my blood pressure was a little high and my blood sugar is high.  I failed my 3 hour glucose test from a few weeks ago, but since it’s so late in the pregnancy game, we are just monitoring things without any strict modifications.  Baby is still head down, looking great and my fluid levels are fine.  My doctor said we could start talking about being induced at 38 weeks so we’ll see how things go from here.  She did make me do a 24 hour urine collection to check protein levels to make sure my kidneys are doing okay.  I had to do these with Olive for the last month of pregnancy so I’m no stranger to them.

We had a busy week full of St. Patrick’s Day fun, time with friends, more time than usual with Kevin, buying a house and doing fun things around town.  I’ve almost finished packing our hospital bags and made tons of lists this week – olive’s schedule, olive’s favorites, must grab items when we head to the hospital, etc.  I definitely felt more prepared after writing all this stuff out.  I stocked up on groceries, snacks, freezer items, etc. so that we’ll have some easy dinner options ready to go after Fletcher arrives. 

Two different ladies said nice things to me this week about how pretty I was looking and it reminded me that compliments are so appreciated at this stage of a pregnancy.  I am not always feeling 100%, nor do I always feel like I’m glowing – unless you mean sweating – so it’s sweet to hear nice things.  Note to others: find something sweet to compliment super pregnant ladies on when you encounter them.

 Pregnancy with Olive:

Weeks 31-34

Weeks 35-38

 My 37th week of pregnancy is going well.  I have a couple of doctor visits this week and we're just keeping an eye on everything.  Seems like our life motto right now is hurry up and WAIT for something to happen.