Week 39

This week has flown for me! I have allowed myself to not feel pressure to deliver this baby girl and to trust that my body and our little princess know what to do and she will come when she is ready! Nick and I have been making the most if our time as a little family of 2 and spending quality time together relaxing. My parents are here too and we have spent some time exploring Adelaide with them. We took the dogs for a massive 6km walk along the beach and we went to the Maggie Beer Farm in the Barossa.

Hopefully this is my last bump photo..... But maybe not since only 5% of babies are born on their due date!

What is the baby up to this week? She is fully developed! Her brain is now about 30% bigger than what it was just a few weeks ago which means she has had the best chance to fully develop her brain cells in there! She has shed most of her vernix and the amniotic would be creamy white now ready for my waters to break!

Stretch marks? So far so good! None! But the further past my due date I go the more she packs on the weight and stretches my belly out!

Sleep: I still get up about 5 times a night but don't have trouble falling asleep! 

Best moment this week: we had another midwife appointment to make sure my belly had grown.... And it has! So Baby girl is growing perfectly in there!

 

Miss Anything? Being able to think about anything other than meeting our daughter! 

Movement: so much and so painful! She is running out of room and I find myself wincing in pain as she jams her heels under my ribs or punches her little fists into my bladder!

Food cravings: ice cream! My first unhealthy craving that has been satisfied by dessert most nights!

Anything making you queasy or sick: the heat and just general nausea. 

Have you started to show yet: I am one big Mumma!

Gender prediction: no longer a prediction.... Sweet baby GIRL!!!!

Labor Signs: nothing to signal labour is close although I really don't know what to expect. My Braxton hick contractions are now a very regular thing a and cause a lot of pressure in my lower abdomen and pelvic region. Baby girl hasn't dropped any lower but it is likely that she will drop down during labour. My belly feels like it has dropped these last 2 days so she is hopefully settling in ready for birth!

Belly Button in or out? Out!! !

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! I was very emotional at work the other day when they attempted to force me to take my leave before she is born! It us crazy how people think they can pass judgment on my body and how active I have been during this pregnancy! I am pregnant.... Not disabled! I have decided to finally let the stress and pressure from people who ask why I haven't given birth yet and I feel much better! Baby girl is not fully cooked until Tuesday so after Tuesday I can understand why others would be impatient. I am so proud of my body for carrying her until her due date and allowing her body and brain to fully develop!

Looking forward to: contractions and labour pains and the joy of meeting our creation!

Well that is all for this week! 

Love from us (all 3 of us) xxoo 

Week 38

This last week has been by far the most uncomfortable and tedious week of the entire pregnancy! Nick and I are so impatient and ready to meet our baby girl. I am still working which is a great distraction from the waiting game we are playing! 

I think my bump has pretty much reached its limit and since she has dropped down lower into my pelvis it probably won't get too much bigger.. Hopefully!!! We had our midwife appointment last Tuesday (my first day of the 39th week so exactly 38 weeks) and my bump was measuring a bit smaller then they expected so we have an appointment this Wednesday which the midwife made a comment about us not making due to having our baby by then.... Since it's Monday night already I am pretty confident we will be at our 39 week appointment! But HOPEFULLY not!

Since we don't know when I will go into labour I decided to take a bare belly photo for this week just to remember it by! I love that you can see where my 'old' stomach used to be with the lines down the side! 

What is the baby up to this week? She weighs an about 3kg and is nearly 50cm long (about the length of a leek)! She has a firm grasp now and would likely be practicing holding onto her umbilical cord or her feet! 

Stretch marks? Not yet although I have read most people get them in the last 2 weeks so hoping I pop soon and avoid them!

Sleep: very VERY hard to sleep now. I can't close my knees when I lay on my side so have to wedge my maternity pillow between my legs while having it under my belly. Laying on my back makes it impossible to breathe! I get up about 4-5 times a night to wee. I spend my nights dreaming about having contractions and I wake up only to realise I actually need to pee really badly! 

Best moment this week: Nicks and my Sunday spent together! We went to our favourite breakfast spot and ordered 'the usual'. Java Hut is our nearly weekly breakfast spot and everybody there knows us and feels like they have been tracking my pregnancy too! Crazy to think that next time we go in there we may have our baby girl with us! 

Later that day Nick and I hiked up the Mt Lofty Summit in the Adelaide Hills. It was a 8km return trip with half it spent going straight UP from Waterfall Gully to Mt Lofty. It was suprisingly not as difficult as I had imagined and although I kept getting some strange looks (and some encouraging comments by passers by) it was so satisfying to get to the top and then back down in the rain! 

AT THE END!! WE WERE SOAKED!! 

 

Miss Anything? Being able to walk without waddling! 

Movement: A ridiculous amount! I keep reading that she will slow down her movements at the end but so far no slowing down! She is a crazy mover in there! I love when she gets the hiccups too!

Food cravings: Nectarines and pasta! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: just a general feeling of queasiness at night but nothing specifically. 

Have you started to show yet: Ooohhhh yes!

Gender prediction: no longer a prediction.... Sweet baby GIRL!!!!

Labor Signs: my false contractions have definately increased and I have been getting a little bit of period pain and lower back pain a few times a day? I have also been getting terrible upper inner thigh cramps when Baby T pushes her head on one of the nerves in my pelvis. 

Belly Button in or out? Out!! !

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! And so impatient!

Looking forward to: going into labour and meeting our baby girl! I can't wait to tell everybody her name and the meaning behind her first and middle name!

Well that is all for this week! 

Love from us (all 3 of us) xxoo 

Week 37

Full term Baby!!!!!! I am officially 'full term' and Baby T can come anytime between now and January 24th (which puts me 10 days overdue but that's when they start inducing). This has all become very real and I am so so ready to meet out baby girl. Every little pain I get I keep thinking "is this it?" and my Braxton hick contractions are so often now I just keep waiting for them to get to be real painful contractions. I have been so emotional stable and not moody this pregnancy.... But I feel like I am about to crack. My ribs ache constantly, Braxton hicks take my breath away so I feel like I am only getting half the oxygen I need, little things at work set off the tears and I can stop finding things to clean. BUT I am so proud of myself and my body for supporting and carrying our daughter for nearly 9 months. I am so proud of Nick and how supportive he is even though I am a nut case most of the time.  I am trying to take each day as it comes but all of the comments about "haven't you had her yet?" And "oh you're still here!" are beginning to get on my nerves. Our baby girl will come when she is ready and I need to understand that. It still doesn't make me any less impatient. 

Lots of people have been taking guesses for her birthdate- I think the 4th or the 11th, Tanya wants the 8th as it's her birthday and Nick has said the 10th (since that's what his app told him before our very first ultrasound). 

This week was Christmas week too- we spent the day with our friends and their family and I wore exactly what I wore last Xmas so we could get a comparison photo one year later! 

I don't feel like I am getting any bigger bump wise- and I still get the daily comments about how small it is! 

What is the baby up to this week? She is full term so from her on out she just puts on about 200g of fat each week.  

Maternity clothes? Nothing new but on a totally unrelated topic we got a pram liner made for her pram and I love it!!

Stretch marks? Nope! And hoping to get away with none... Fingers crossed!

Sleep: afternoon naps are my best friend right now. I am getting up to go to the toilet 4-5 times a night and when I am busting to wee I get a lot more braxton hicks so end up laying in bed as my belly tightens and relaxes over and over.

Best moment this week: a very random story actually- we were watching a couple of movies we hadn't seen in ages and neither of us had ever thought anything of the characters until we heard our baby girls name in them BOTH!! it was freaky! But so nice to hear her name spoken by people other than us. And then we took the dogs to the beach for a long walk on Boxing Day and of all little girls on the beach they decided to play with one... Her Mum was taking photos of her playing with the dogs and then called out her name.... It was Baby T's name!!!!  since it is such an uncommon name it was simply crazy to hear it on a beach!

 
Miss Anything? Iced coffee!

Movement: No longer getting kicks and jabs and instead I can feel her stretching and pushing and rolling around in there. I get big golf ball sized protrusions out of the side of my belly and wonder "foot, heel, elbows, knee??"... Agh I just want to see her . 

Food cravings: green grapes!!

Anything making you queasy or sick: the heat!!  And letting myself get too hungry! We also went out for a date night to a Chocolate Cafe and ate waaaaayy to much chocolate- poor baby girl would have been having a sugar frenzy in there- safe to say I have steered clear of sugar since then. 

Have you started to show yet: Ooohhhh yes!

Gender prediction: no longer a prediction.... Sweet baby GIRL!!!!

Labor Signs: lots and lots of Braxton hicks and pressure in my groin! 

Belly Button in or out? Out!! !

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! Although getting hormonal and emotional!

Looking forward to: experiencing labour! I know it sounds silly but I really can't wait to know what it feels like and experience birth!  

Well that is all for this week! 

Love from us (all 3 of us) xxoo 

Week 36

Nursery is done! Monitor is set up! Capsule has been fitted in my car! 

I have scrubbed the bathroom, toilet, kitchen from top to bottom. Nesting has definately kicked in.... It's like my eyes can see things that I was blind to before. I wiped down all the skirting boards and even wiped down the light switches! I am trying to keep the house clean and tidy just in case baby girl decides to come early. As of Christmas Eve we are full term and is in the 5 week window that most births happen in!!  Oh dear!!!! I am still working full time at the bakery which is keeping me busy and distracted from the daily countdown. It is also helping with the fluid retention (I think).... I don't really swell too much luckily! 

I feel HUGE but over and over I get comments about how small my bump is... I am just lucky I think!

What is the baby up to this week? I think from her on out she is basically just a small, medium and large watermelon.. So HUGE!!! She weighs about 2.7 kg and is pretty much at her birth length (around 50cm). She is shedding her downy hair that was covering her body and is losing the waxy layer of vernix that protects her skin. If she were to be born now she would not need help breathing and would have no major health issues. We had a midwife appointment this week and the midwife wasn't sure whether she had flipped around to be breech so we had to get another midwife to feel my belly- and she couldn't tell either! So we had to call a doctor in with an ultrasound machine to check.... She was a good girl and was head down! Turns out her butt feels a bit like a head ha ha! 

Maternity clothes? No new ones. Just wearing my pre pregnancy singlets that are long enough to cover my belly.

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep: getting harder and super uncomfortable but nothing worthy of complaining about... I love pregnancy and although I am VERY VERY excited for Baby T to arrive I know I am counting down the days that I am no longer and pregnant woman  !

Best moment this week: Packing the hospital bags... They are all packed and ready to go!!!!

 
Miss Anything? Nothing! 

Movement: She is definately a mover and a kicker! It is an indescribable feeling that still makes my heart beat a little faster when she pokes her little feet or knees out- it makes me so happy to know I have carried her for nearly 9 months and she is a healthy, kicking bub. 

Food cravings: green grapes!!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing this week

Have you started to show yet: Ooohhhh yes!

Gender prediction: no longer a prediction.... Sweet baby GIRL!!!!

Labor Signs: Plenty of Braxton hicks (sometimes up to 4 an hour) and lots of pressure in my lower belly and crotch from her head pushing town. 

Belly Button in or out? Out!! !

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: meeting our baby girl!

Well that is all for this week! 

Love from us (all 3 of us) xxoo 

Week 35

This week has marked the beginning of typical pregnancy symptoms for me- my feet and ankles are super swollen by the end of the day and I have acid reflux that burns my throat! My Braxton Hicks have increased too and I have about 15 a day which is a positive sign for a good labour apparently. My whole belly goes rock hard and you can see the perfect outline of her bottom and feet as it tightens and then as it relaxes again I get my nice rounded belly back. 

What is the baby up to this week? She weighs about 2.4kg and is 45cm long. Her kidneys are fully developed and her liver can process some waste products. She is busily putting in weight (which means I am too) and developing active/sleep cycles now that my belly is so stretched out that she can tell the difference between light and dark!

Maternity clothes? I was gifted a maternity shirt with stretchy sides and it is so comfortable! I bought a few nursing/feeding shirts this week too ready for when Baby T arrives in a few weeks. 

Stretch marks? Nope! I check daily and have had to get Nick to check under my belly button since I can't see that part of my belly anymore! 

Sleep: my pelvis is very sore of a night which makes sleeping on my side very painful and even worse is rolling over but with my maternity pillow between my knees I have been getting fairly good sleep! 

Best moment this week: THE NURSERY!!!!!! Oh it's beautiful... And colourful and I love it!! My favourite room in the house by far!  I can't wait to be able to use it! We got all of our prints in frames and hung up, the shelves put together and the change table organised! 

 

We picked up 2 prints from a a market a few months ago and framed them for her room...

My Nan and Pop bought me this canvas as an engagement gift and it fits perfectly into Baby T's room

And this amazing play blanket from Ben and Carly- it also matches perfectly!! 

We were originally going to get her name made out of a wooden cut out and painted to match the room but I fell in love with these initial frames.... Our little 'A' baby! 

Miss Anything? Nothing too much this week- although I would like to be able to bend over without grunting! 

Movement: so so much movement I feel like she is going to explode out of my skin sometimes she pushes so hard!

Food cravings: Watermelon!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing! 

Have you started to show yet: YES!!!!! 

Gender prediction: no longer a prediction.... Sweet baby GIRL!!!!

Labor Signs: No labour signs but Braxton hicks and having her head so low down in my pelvis is a good sign. I have also been getting occasional period like pains in my lower belly which is my body preparing for labour. Still a few weeks away though nothing to be worried about. 

Belly Button in or out? A squishy gross outie!  

Happy or Moody most of the time: happy and impatient! I am so ready to have our baby girl here! I am ready to be a Mum and raise our baby girl with my wonderful husband! 

Looking forward to: our next midwife appointment to hear her heartbeat and see how engaged her head is.

Well that is all for this week! 

Love from us (all 3 of us) xxoo 

Week 34

Most of my week was spent back in NSW visiting family and friends! It was so wonderful to see everyone before Baby T is born and we recieved so many wonderful gifts for our baby girl and now that my family knows we are having a baby girl it was nice to have all of the pretty pink stuff out. I was exhausted by the end of the trip and loved crawling into my own bed and seeing my husband who I had missed terribly while I was away. I went back to work the next day and had a lot of people commenting on the fact that I had finally popped! Baby girl is so high I can feel her kick underneath my ribs and her feet click against my ribs when she gets excited in there! 

What is the baby up to this week? I think she has started to drop and engage in my pelvis- I have started to waddle because it feels like her head is just so low in my pelvis! She is basically just putting on fat until her due date and filling out her skin. 

Stretch marks? None! 

Sleep: Great actually! It is hard to fall asleep but once I am asleep it is a nice deep sleep and I feel rested in the morning (at 4:30am when I get up) but by the afternoon after work I am keen for a nap.

Best moment this week: I got all of her cloth diaper covers washed and dried and made a start on her nursery! 

Miss Anything? Exercise and not feeling ill!!

Movement: So so much sometimes it hurts! She goes absolutely crazy just after dinner time and it moves my belly around and makes me feel sea sick!

Food cravings: Grapes! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Her crazy movements and too much milk!! 

Have you started to show yet: Definatley!  

Gender prediction: no longer a prediction.... Sweet baby GIRL!!!!

Symptoms: This week has been the most uncomfortable so far- I have had a tonne of Braxton hicks (which is great according to the midwife as it means my labour should be strong and fast), some period pain cramps when I overdo it and sharp shooting pains in my pelvis when I walk! 

Belly Button in or out? OUT OUT it still rubs on my shirts and feels gross!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! Although today on my last day of the week I had a minor freak out when I realised there is only 35 days to go and I have so much to do around the house- my nesting instinct has kicked in I think!!!! 

Looking forward to: our next midwife appointment- our 34 week one went well- baby girl is in the perfect position and her heart rate was perfect (140bpm)!!!

Well that is all for this week! 

Love from us (all 3 of us) xxoo 

Week 33

Less than 50 days to go until we meet our little princess! This week has been very low key- just work and relaxing! My bump is of course bigger than ever but I do still get the "oh your belly is still so small' comments. 

What is the baby up to this week? According to our growth scan she is about 2.2kgs and they estimate she will be 3.6kgs by her due date. 

Stretch marks? None! I have been applying lotion regularly but from what I've read if I am going to get them it will happen in the next few weeks regardless of the amount of lotion I use.  

Sleep: I am taking advantage of my afternoon naps every few days to catch up and recharge my batteries when I have had a long day at work but other than that just sleep like usual. My right leg has begun to get bad cramps when I lay on my right hip and I wake up with shooting pains down my leg.

Best moment this week: our growth scan!! We got to see our baby girl again! It has made me so much more impatient to hurry up the next 6-7 weeks so we can meet her. She is measuring perfectly.. Just 3 days behind her gestational age and just below the average line which means she won't be too big or too small at birth. 

We think she looks just like me as a newborn- pouty sucked in bottom lip and a little pug nose. I can't wait to see what colour eyes she has and her hair colour of she isn't a bald baby. 

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my tummy although I would gladly give that and everything else up to keep our baby girl happy and healthy in there. 

Movement: Lots is definately and understatement! Nick sometimes catches it out of the corner of his eye as my belly rolls around and she stretches her little legs out. She must be so cramped in there. She pushes her little bottom out and pushes against my stomach with her legs! 

Food cravings: Still salads. And fruit. And cereal. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: chicken and too much cheese turns my stomach just at the thought of it. 

Have you started to show yet: silly question now... I am one big Mumma! 

Gender prediction: no longer a prediction.... Sweet baby GIRL!!!!

Symptoms: the dark line down my belly is starting to stretch upwards now, my boobs leak (which is gross.. But a GREAT sign that they work and will hopefully provide our baby girl with everything she needs)! 

Belly Button in or out? An OUTIE and it's squishy and gross and rubs on my shirts... I may need to start wearing a bandaid over it!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! And impatient! Only 42 days (and counting) until she is due! 

Looking forward to: hearing baby girls heartbeat at our midwife appointment on Friday and going home to see family and friends and show off my bump!!!

Well that is all for this week! 

Love from us (all 3 of us) xxoo