Thirty-Three Weeks

The most noteworthy thing about 33 weeks is that we are only four weeks away from being full-term!! That feels pretty real, though the odds that we'll go that early are rather low.

With every day that passes I get a bit rounder and a bit more tired and a lot more ready to meet our daughter. I've been trying to take it rather easy and get plenty of rest, which is becoming increasingly challenging as comfort is extremely elusive. All of that said, life is going to change a lot in a few weeks, so I'm working hard to stay in the moment and enjoy this period for what it is.

How about some highlights?

• Never Say Never: I thought I was done traveling at the beginning of October, but R and I flew home to Michigan this weekend for his grandmother's visitation and memorial service. The flight to Michigan is considerably shorter and more manageable than the flights I was taking to the west coast, and my edema didn't act up too much. It was a sad occasion for getting together, but it was so good to be able to be there with R's whole family (including our favorite nephew, E). Speaking of our sweet little nephew, I got to spend some solo time babysitting him this weekend. During our play time, I confided in him the name we're pretty sure to use for our little girl. Luckily, he's sure to stay mum, as he's less than six months old. :) Arriving home on Sunday was a relief, as now I really am done traveling. It's time to feather our nest! 
• Giving Thanks: Speaking of our (baby's) nest, we received some really sweet gifts for our little girl from family this weekend. Baby's Aunt D & Uncle J gave her an adorable pair of marigold felted wool shoes:

Aunt K and PV had a gift that was really more for R and me than for the baby:  a special ham ("a frozen ham in a cooler for your bun in the oven") that will come in mighty handy this Christmas! My stomach just growled at the very thought! A friend of mine from work left a thoughtful gift at my desk over the weekend as well: a bottle of soothing bath salts to use when trying to ease my edema:

Finally, Mom and Dad B found a really sweet little lovey for the baby in perfect nursery colors:

We're so appreciative of our thoughtful family. We couldn't ask for a better group of individuals for Baby to call her own.

• Doctor, Doctor: Prior to taking the trip this weekend, we went to my 33 week OB appointment. We're still moving right along! My blood pressure is rock star, my weight gain remains slow and steady, and my belly is measuring right on track. A quick check confirmed that Baby is head-down, though not dropped, and shows no signs of trying to make her big appearance yet. We snagged a copy of my medical records to take with us on the plane (and had fun reading back through the history of this pregnancy). I think that our next appointment is my last bi-weekly before starting to go weekly. That must mean we really are close now!

And with that, I'm falling asleep in the easy chair, so it's time to go to sleep! Here's the tracker:

Week: 33

Weight: +26 pounds (as of Week 33; +3 pounds vs. the Week 31 appointment) 

Baby is the Size of a(n): pineapple (just over 4 pounds)

Symptoms: still pretty hungry, round ligament and general "growing" pains, really achy pelvis (SPD), extreme shortness of breath, outrageously swollen feet (took my shoes off at my desk one day this week in order to prop my feet up and they promptly swelled up so badly I couldn't get my shoes back on!), mental lapses, wacky dreams (dreamed I had the baby and it was really easy! Let's hope this one comes true!), trouble sleeping comfortably through the night, the beginnings of nesting, and general moodiness

Current Obsession: granola, red meat, all the vegetables from our farm share (especially squash and potatoes), apples, cinnamon applesauce, peanut butter, MILK (is there anything more delicious?!), vanilla almond milk, and the Signature Latte from our local coffee shop

Current Aversion: not much!

Thinking About: who our little girl will take after; seeing the actual little elbows, knees, hands and feet she's using to poke and jab at me; finishing up the nursery and layette; securing a pediatrician; taking maternity photos and getting newborn photos scheduled; having our car seat installation checked for safety; pre-registering at the hospital; and starting to try the baby's name on for size...

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