Will this be the last update? …
- How far along? 38 weeks. Della was born 6 days from now; Lana was born 8 days from now.
- Total weight gain: Like 40 pounds. I was actually down 3 lbs. from last week’s visit at my appointment yesterday afternoon, so who knows what that’s all about. I’ll take it, though. Probably some swelling that had just gone down.
- Maternity clothes? I’ll just make this easy. Yes. I’m having a baby in a matter of days; of course I’m wearing maternity clothes.
- Stretch marks? Nope, not yet. And the third time around better not be when those suckers rear their ugly heads, either.
- Sleep: Terrible. I’m uncomfortable all the time. I did get one of those big curly pregnancy pillows, which isn’t bad. I’ve begun sleeping on top of all the covers with just a blanket on me, though, because trying to position that thing and roll over while under all the sheets and comforter was a battle that I’m done fighting. And now my fingers have begun to swell just enough so that my hands hurt all the time, especially at night. Yippee!
- Best moment this week: Finding out yesterday that there actually hasn’t been any more progression. Still 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. Just lets me know that some of the pains I’ve been feeling aren’t anything to worry about. Yet. And hearing that the baby looked great on the monitors at my first non-stress test yesterday before my actual appointment. They hook me up to the monitors you wear during labor to track the baby’s heartbeat and movement, and we passed with flying colors. They want to see 2 heartbeat accelerations due to the baby moving around in a half hour span (the most boring half hour ever, i may add), and we did just fine. And the long weekend we just had. It was so much fun. We really didn’t do much, but it was nice just being home all together for a couple days while we’re still 4. Ryan got the swing up on the girls’ new swing set, and they had an absolute blast on there.
- Miss anything? Being comfortable in my own body. I’ve reached that point, and unfortunately it arrived much earlier this time than I expected. Add to that being able to tie shoes comfortably, go for a walk without fear of peeing myself, and being able to stand up without feeling like my hips are going to give out on me because this kid is sitting right on them.
- Movement: Yes, since 1 day before week 15. That’s the earliest of all 3 – D was 20 weeks and L was around 16 weeks.
- Cravings: Not right now.
- Aversions: Now that the first trimester is over, again, not really anything. Those first couple weeks, though, wow – life in general was an aversion of mine. Scents are still stronger than normal, but nothing like when I was pregnant with D and my entire sense of smell got turned upside down.
- Gender: Did not find out. I’m still sure it’s a boy.
- Labor signs: Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. Wonderful. And the dilation progression. Obvs.
- Symptoms: Horrible daily heartburn, frequent pressure and tightening in my abdomen (the braxton hicks), my hair barely sheds at all when I brush and wash it, my stomach constantly “gets in the way” when I’m trying to do things like put on my socks and shoes, my back gets inordinately tired and hurts often, and there’s an almost constant stabbing pain in the back of my left sacroiliac joint. I literally get stuck getting out of a seated position it hurts so badly. My hands have also begun to swell just a tiny bit, which is resulting in constant aching. It’s not too noticeable when you look at them, but I can certainly feel it. I think the baby has dropped, too, because I get frequent shooting pains down the tops of my legs, which my doctor said are definitely coming from the baby’s head sitting right on my cervix. I know you wanted to hear that, didn’t you?
- Belly button in or out? It’s out and it’s gross.
- Wedding rings on or off? On. We’ll see for how much longer, though.
- Looking forward to: Maybe making it to my hair appointment on Saturday? Also, finding out if little #3 is a boy or a girl. Also again, I’m very curious as to when he/she is going to make an appearance. For as much as I’m ready to be done being pregnant, it would be nice to finish most of the school year without having a newborn in the mix. Della’s last day is June 11 and my due date is June 10, so it’s a total crap shoot at this point. I would love to just make it until June. Stay tuned!
Possibly the last comparison shot? We shall see. I didn’t bother with exact dates this time, but left is around 38 weeks and the last picture with Della; middle is around 38 weeks and the second-to-last picture with Lana; and right is today, 38 weeks exactly with #3. How many more will he/she get?
