36 Weeks and Still Kicking

(Yes, I was supposed to post this last Friday and didn't get around to it. Leave me alone, I'm 9 months pregnant. (I've been dying to use that excuse!) Just pretend it is Friday. I even changed the post date to make you believe that it's been here along.)

I am at the point where I should be getting uncomfortable. Just ask anyone around me. The "poor thing" looks are starting to hit me from left and right with a vengence. I also got a phone call from the head of security at my company telling me to just "say the word" when I'm ready for my handicapped parking spot back. Yes, I said back. This is possibly the longest amount of time I have gone without being on crutches since I started at my company 2 years ago. Oddly, pregnancy seems to have made me less clumsy, although it wouldn't surprise me or anyone around me if I were to show up to work on crutches next week. (We actually haven't put them away from the last time just to make them easier to grab and go for the next time.) But back to the point, I'm slightly uncomfortable, but not near what people are telling me I should be feeling. I still feel great (yes, I knock on wood every time I say that). I'm still at the gym lifting and doing cardio before work 3 times a week, we're out walking the dogs in the evenings, and we even painted our entry way last week which involved a lot of up and down the ladder and lying on the floor to edge the trim. So I'm doing really well! (That being said, if my doctor were to suggest bed rest for the next 4 weeks, I don't think I'd complain.)


Thursday was a big day for us. It was our ultrasound to tell us approximately how big Bob is! When we got into the ultrasound room, the tech asked me how big I thought he was. Naturally I was completely honest with her and said right around 25 pounds. She laughed. I didn't. Turns out, I was slightly off. He is measuring in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces right now. They're estimating him to be in the mid to upper 6s, possibly low 7s when I deliver. Woo hoo! I was starting to get slightly nervous about delivering a 25 pound baby. We were hoping to get some more good shots of him before he comes out, but as usual he was sleeping (or pretendng to) and kept his hand in front of his face the entire time. So again, we have NO good shots of his face. I can however pretty much fill a baby book with the shots of the "goods." The kid is NOT shy.


CHECKING IN - WEEK 36!

Due Date: November 12, 2010
Total weight gain: 32 pounds. That means I don't need to change my goal just yet. So we're still trying for staying under 35 for one more week. Yes, I am fully aware that I will be changing the goal next week. I've also heard horror stories of water retention in the last few weeks leading to 10+ pound weight gains. So if I do have to up my goal to staying under 60 40 pounds, at least we KNOW it's because of water retention and not because of the Taco Bell.
Next Appointment: Wednesday, October 20. I am in the weekly appointment stage now.
Maternity Clothes: I'm so ready to be back in normal clothes. The whole maternity pants and belly panel thing is for the birds. Mainly because the belly panel is worthless and doesn't do a damn thing to keep my pants up.
Labor Signs: Since I'm at the weekly appointments now, they're starting to monitor me more closely for signs of impending doom. I mean labor. As of my appointment yesterday I am 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced. Meaning nothing. I say that because even though my body is preparing to deliver, I could be 1 cm dilated for one more day, one more week, or one more month. Bob is still head down, as he's been for the entire pregnancy and is riding low. So I guess mom was right when she said I had dropped the baby.
Sleep: Sporadic at best. I go for a night or two when a freight train couldn't wake me up (although the sound of a dog puking will have me on my feet in under 2 seconds) then I have the nights where I feel like I never fall into a deep sleep. I'm sure it's not going to get much better any time soon.
Best moment this week: My showers! I had two last week. The first was the one thrown by my friends. It was an absolute blast. And yes, I am saying that an actual baby shower was a blast. Let's see, it involved a lot of liquor, beer margaritas, and hot tubbing. Not that I could actually partake in any of that. Instead I resigned myself to partaking of the cake which was a pretty close runner up to the beer margaritas. (Okay, it wasn't even close, but it's as close as I could get.) We stayed overnight at the host/hostesses house and I think the final guests left around midnight (I only lasted until 11:30) and my dear husband didn't stumble come to bed until around 3 am. I'm taking that to mean that the party was a success. My other shower was my work shower thrown by my boss and one of my friends. It was a lot of fun and they even surprised me by inviting Kevin. Which having an outsider inside these walls is pretty much unheard of in my company. I was afraid that they'd have to kill him at the end to protect our trade secrets (meaning I'd have to find someone else for the midnight feedings and diaper changes), but he managed to make it out alive. And since it was a work shower there was no alcohol, but there were Jimmy John's subs and cupcakes. I can't have the alcohol anyway, so I was perfectly happy with that. If I have to suffer, so does everyone else.
Movement: We found out his position at the ultrasound on Thursday. He is still head down and LOW. Like, the doctor could feel it kind of low. His butt is up under the right side of my ribs and his feet are sticking into the left side of my ribs. Sounds comfortable, huh? I am kind of relieved at his positioning though. The little cone shape my belly takes on when he's pushing on me is caused by his butt and not his head. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't sometimes wonder if I were smooshing his head whenever I pushed the lump back in.
Food cravings: So I'm still not having cravings, but I will suddenly think of something that sounds really good. For example, last week I was brushing my hair when I suddenly thought about how awesome pistachio pudding would be. It was completely out of the blue since I haven't even thought about pistachio pudding in probably a year. I was too lazy to go to the store and get some to make though (or even to send Kevin), so I don't think that counts as a true craving. Kevin would have been disappointed that I was sending him for pudding and not a Big Mac anyway.
Planning/Preparations: Well, since we're in the final 4 weeks, the time has come to buckle down and really get to work on putting the nursery together. So guess what that means we are doing this weekend??? If you said going to the Texans football game on Sunday, you're right! Maybe that nesting instinct will kick in next week instead.
Belly Button in or out: Still in. Barely. But it is almost completely flat. It might just make an appearance yet. When it pops, that means the baby is done cooking, right?
Stretch Marks: Nope.
What I miss: Conversations that begin with something other than "how are you feeling?"
What I am looking forward to: Finishing up the nursery! Now that the showers are done, we can take inventory and see what else we still need. Yes, I know I keep saying finishing up. As much as it doesn't seem like it, I am aware that in order to finish something you have to start it. We're working up to that point.
Milestones: Confirmation that the baby has dropped. Just ask my bladder.

36 Week shot: