- No Rest for the Weary: Sleep has become increasingly elusive in the past week. I fall asleep fairly easily, but sleep very lightly and am up multiple times throughout the night. Most mornings, I wake up between 3:00 and 5:00 and struggle to go back to sleep. I have been off work for five days and haven't slept in once... I just can't! I have been putting the early mornings to good work and getting things done, but I will admit to naps and dozing off on the sofa early in the evenings. Everyone keeps telling me this is nature's way of preparing me for the sleep deprivation that comes with a newborn. That's great, but I don't have a newborn yet, and I'd sure like to have a bit of energy when it comes time to actually deliver this baby! As such, I'm working on getting as much rest as possible when I can.
- The Incredible Expanding Lady: As my doctor so eloquently put it at my 36 week appointment on Friday, "Yeah, the weight gain is happening now, isn't it?!" Ouch. It's true, though! I eat so well, hardly ever losing control or eating empty calories, and I walk with R and the dogs every single night. It doesn't seem to matter, as I'm blowing the 1-2 pounds a week rule of thumb out of the water. In an effort to not completely freak out about the weight gain, I have two thoughts: 1) some amount of the weight gain is definitely due to water retention (remember my gigantic feet?) and 2) I'm not gaining weight in an unhealthy way, so it must be what my body and baby need. I'm eagerly looking forward to getting my body back in a few weeks and starting the work of becoming lean and mean again!
- Quilted Together: As we can't really travel far from home anymore, R and I will be home for all of this year's holidays. My parents, sister and her boyfriend joined us at our house for a Thanksgiving feast on Thursday. I had cleaned the house and prepared as much of the meal as possible the day before, so once they arrived Thursday (with DONUTS no less, sweet people!) I sat on a perch in the kitchen and relied on the expert help of everyone else to execute the meal to perfection. They were all pros in the kitchen and by early afternoon we had a delicious meal: perfectly roasted turkey, garlic smashed potatoes, sausage and bread stuffing, turkey gravy, whipped sweet potatoes, green beans with toasted almonds, cranberry chutney, deviled eggs, and warm rolls! For dessert we feasted on chocolate cake, apple tart, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream and vanilla bean ice cream. We took a family walk in the evening to ward off the impending food coma - it was such a beautiful evening to spend outside together! One of the highlights of the day, though, was receiving the baby quilt that Mom made! She and I had shopped for the fabric together, I sketched out an idea for what I thought the quilt could possibly look like, and she just ran with the plan. The finished product is adorable. Both R and I love it and were talking about the sweet moments our baby will spend on, under, and wrapped up in the quilt in the years to come - it's so special! (Note: It's been gloomy since Thanksgiving so we haven't had a chance to snap a nice photo of the quilt. Once we do, I'll post it here!)
- Date Night: R and I took in a movie this weekend: The Muppets! R said any movie we see now has two important criteria: possible for me to sit through without a bathroom break and unlikely to make me "ugly cry" (as I've said so many times, it takes very little to turn on the waterworks these days). We enjoyed the movie and caught a glimpse of our future: there were little kids everywhere in the theater, giggling, dancing, and talking along - it was adorable!
- Thankful: There have been a few times in my life where I feel with crystalline clarity how blessed I am and how much I have to be grateful for, and this Thanksgiving was one of those times. I have accomplished a fair amount so far in my life, but without question, I am most proud of and thankful for the life that R and I have created, nurtured, and will soon bring into the world. What's more, I have a husband so loving, supportive, protective and grounded that I know I can take on the challenges of being a mother. Our daughter will be so lucky to call him Dad! I love my little family and I am so excited to see what the future holds for us!
Because I'm sure you just can't stomach anymore of my sappy musings, let's jump to the tracker:
Week: 36
Weight: +35 pounds (as of Week 36... *sigh*)
Baby is the Size of a(n): about 5 grapefruit (just shy of 6 pounds - surprisingly heavy and awkward to hold with one arm, as you'll see in the funny way I'm standing in the photo!)
Symptoms: frequently hungry, heavy and full belly pains, really achy pelvis (SPD), extreme shortness of breath, outrageously swollen feet, mental lapses, wacky dreams, trouble sleeping comfortably through the night, general moodiness (ugh - I'm a total mess), and the start of really noticeable Braxton-Hicks contractions
Current Obsession: fruit and milk... that's pretty much it!
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; having our car seat installation checked for safety; writing up our birth plan and packing a hospital bag!
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