36 Weeks....& Other Stuff....

Okay, so today, I'm officially 36 weeks pregnant.
I feel every bit of 36 weeks pregnant, and I've decided that the third-trimester-pregnant-version of myself is not the best version of me....

Weekly Update:

How far along? 36 weeks exactly

Size of Baby: TheBump.com indicates that the baby is the size of a honeydew melon. {Oh, honeydew please come out!} WhatToExpect.com reads, "focus on your baby, who is now about six pounds and 20 inches long, with soft bones and cartilage to allow a safer journey through the exit door. Most of her systems (from circulatory to musculoskeletal) are ready for prime time, though her digestion system — which has done only practice runs so far — will kick into gear as she takes her first suckle at the breast or bottle."
Really? 6 pounds already? I don't know about all that. I mean, maaaaybe, and Lord knows I feel like this baby is huge, but I don't know that she's 6 pounds already. I'm just saying....

Baby Milestones: According to BabyCenter.com, "She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term." {Awwwww.....Hubby, she's making her first bowel movement for you! I distinctly remember you changing soooooo many diapers in the hospital when Gage was born. It was so cute and wonderful, and then when it was my turn, it was post-circumcision, and I was soooo nervous and scared....and he peed all over my face and up the wall, and I was clueless! I'm counting on you, Hubby!}

Maternity Clothes: Yes, but most of the tops are getting too short in the front. My saving grace? These long, inexpensive tank tops from Old Navy. They aren't maternity, just long. I bought 5-7 of them! I've got a few colors to choose from..... But, then I'm caught in the situation of having to layer clothes, and I've been so hot lately, so that's not super appealing to me as I get dressed daily. Hubby's tees are covering me quite nicely, though I'm sure it's a complete turn off to see little ol' me completely filling out his tee. (And by 'little,' I mean, short. Clearly I'm no longer little....)

Gender: Baby Girl on the way....

Belly Button In/Out: Neither. Flat.

Stretch Marks: Yes, on my upper hips.

Labor Signs: Inconsistent Braxton Hicks contractions. And I can tell that she's moving down lower because well.... Well, sometimes when I walk it feels like she's going to come right out!

Movement: Yes, and it's soooo much fun to watch my belly now contort and get uneven, and then watch that foot or feet puuuuuush out on my right side. That's the one thing I'm going to miss the most about this pregnancy. Everything else can go, but that, I'll miss that.

Sleep: Ugh. I just want to sleep on my belly! Is that so wrong???? I want to lift this belly off and set it to the side for just one night. I'd like to be able to turn from right to left without 5-6 grunty tries before I actually get rolled over. Getting up to use the bathroom frequently, and I'm waaaaay over that, but then I am usually thirsty at the same time, so I drink. I just perpetuate my own misery. I know it.

Cravings/Aversions: I still want unhealthy food all the time.... Like this...

(Yes, that's all for me. I had a craving....and I totally got a salad to make myself feel better about loading all of that CRAP food into my body. Yes, I totally went to Hooters by myself in the middle of the day because I HAD to HAVE Hooters hot wings....mild, all drums, with dressing...)

Symptoms: The feet swelling is getting crazy. Crazy to the point that we went out with friends the other evening. I wore a pair of flip flops that I haven't worn in a while, but they are flip flops, so they seemed rather accommodating to the big fat freaking feet I have. By the time we ended dinner, I couldn't even stand to have those shoes on my feet to walk to the car. I walked through the parking lot barefoot because THAT was more comfortable than squeezing my very round feet into those flip flops.... I'll have to do a separate swollen feet post at some point.

Feeling: Over it, and anxious. I'm grateful that I've gotten pregnant, and we've made it this far. ....but, I'm over it. I'm over the 3rd trimester normal pregnancy body changes and swelling, and just all of the unpleasantries. Couple that with the irrational fears that I have... I know about cord entanglement and cord accidents and then stillbirths with no other symptoms.... I've worked cases like that, and I'm just....until I hold this little girl in my arms, I won't feel like we're out of the woods, you know?  Mentally, it doesn't make sense for me to want her out of me preterm, but I think, we've gotten this far, let's just get her out to make sure she's safe and then I will feel like everything is okay! I know that's not in her best interest since everything seems to be going perfectly with her. I just can't help but feel that way. It's my anxiety that I'm putting on the whole situation...

What I Miss: Being comfortable. Ever.

What I am Looking Forward To: Our little girl being born, finally!!!!

Next Appointment: May 2nd.

What I haven't blogged about: Gage's "Big Brother Class." Well, that's what I called it. It was actually the "Sibling Class" offered at the hospital where we intend to deliver. Cost: $20. Time: 1 hour, or 1.5 hours. Worth it: No, not really.

Complaint 1: The craft for the big brothers & sisters was the first activity. There weren't any special craft supplies for the big brothers, but there were for the big sisters. For the big brothers, Gage got a Halloween paper plate, and he got to do his craft on the back of that. If you think my child didn't notice that the girls' papers looked like cool framed certificates, you're mistaken.

Complaint 2: The "babies" that the kiddos each got to use during class were like abstract babies. They were faceless, and reminded me more of bean-bags that baby dolls. Seriously, they were like bean-bags shaped like babies, and they'd been well used over the years, you could tell. All of these other kids were picking up their babies, and holding them all nicely and neatly. My son? He pinched at the skin and held it up by what would be the babies nipples so that he could announce to me how filthy he thought the dolls were. {Gage, you are soooooo your father's child!} Gage seriously didn't want to touch the filthy baby: 50% because it was dirty in his opinion, and 50% because it was a baby doll.

Complaint 3: Changing diapers. I thought that including this for a bunch of little kids learning how to be a big brother or sister was a waste, but I didn't feel strongly against it. All of the kids in the class that are going to be siblings are way too young to be changing diapers. Gage was the oldest in the class. Anyway.... Gage certainly would voice this portion as his #1 complaint. In fact, when the kids were circled on the floor with their babies, the instructor indicated that we'd be diapering next. Gage stood up, looked at me (and the other parents), and said, "Can we go now?" He was sooooo not having it. Turns out, he can't swaddle for sh*t, but he can change a diaper.... He didn't WANT to, but he kind of rocked it....

Complaint 4: We got a brief tour of L&D, the waiting room, the mother/baby unit....and the biggest part of that was a pitch to pay extra $$ for the upgraded rooms. Now, granted, I totally want the suite with the mini fridge and a table and chairs in the room, and better sleeping accommodations for Hubby..... On the other hand, I felt like that was the point of the class....like I was being pitched a time-share somewhere! Free room and 3 day stay if you come and listen to this 1 hour presentation... $20 sibling class if you come and listen to this 20 minute room comparison pitch???  {Dammit....they got me!}

Anyway.....Gage hated it. I still snapped a few pictures....

They concluded the class with a video....

Gage hated that too.
But, alas, he completed the class. Got his certificate of participation, and we got to leave. Not soon enough, he'd tell you! He doesn't like hospitals. He doesn't like medicine and blood, and any of the things that drew me to work in the hospital environment...the drama, the trauma, the rush.... He'll pass. You couple that environment with him getting a new sibling----it's all crappy in his mind!

He was happy that we got to go out to lunch afterward, though.... Just me and him. That's exactly how he wanted it to be....

That's about all for today's post. I'll post more later!