And, sure enough, it has been.
We are 37 weeks today, which means we are scheduled to deliver in two weeks! It seems crazy that it's this close, but still seems far away.
I'm really happy to be this far along, though, because seriously, I don't think I could hang on for another three weeks. I'm so glad, too, that my stamina winds down in proportion to the weeks I have left remaining. At 20 weeks, it's no big deal to say "yeah! 20 weeks left to go!" But now it's like "oh my goodness. I have just enough strength for two weeks and that's it." :)
So, here are my Week 37 stats:
How far along? 37 weeks today
Total weight gain/loss: +17lbs (Based on a weight check of last Thursday. I've chosen not to weigh myself at home anymore during this pregnancy). Last week when I went to the OB, the nurse let me go to the bathroom first and then she weighed me afterwards. I had lost a pound from the previous week. She noticed and commented and I said "that's what happens when I get to go to the bathroom first!" And I really believe that. These frequent bathroom trips in the third trimester are no joke!
Maternity clothes? Yes. My soon-to-be-five-year-old reminds me daily "You've almost grown out of that shirt! Avery's getting big!" So, I'm at the point where maternity clothes aren't really fitting very well anymore. That means the end is near! My maternity shorts are still fine, but I'm having trouble making sure dresses are still an appropriate length in the front since most of the dress is used up by covering over my big tummy. And my shirts don't always cover over my whole tummy anymore, but fortunately my shorts have the over-belly band on them that adds coverage.
Stretch marks? Yes, but I do feel like I haven’t gotten any additional ones since I’ve started lotioning my belly post-showers. Of course, I can only see what the mirror shows me, so I have no idea if I have additional stretch marks on the underside of my belly.
Sleep: It's relatively okay. We've had a lot of things going on recently (my summer term ending, Michael's meetings for kindergarten, etc), so I dream a whole lot at nighttime about all the things we have going on, but I have been able to sleep which is nice.
Best moment this week: Michael felt Avery move for the first time! Noah had caught a movement a few weeks ago and his face lit up and it was just the sweetest thing. Aaron has caught lots of movements and is always amazed by them. But little Michael hadn't actually felt Avery kick yet. So the other evening, we were on the couch watching a movie and he could see my belly rolling. I put his hand right on the center of my belly where I was feeling her the most and he felt her kick! His face lit up like the sun and I happened to catch a picture. It was so precious!
Have you told family and friends: Most definitely, and I don't think I can even go anywhere now without random strangers asking me how long I have left, or trying to guess the gender (only one person has been right), or telling me I'm about to pop. The joy of the American culture.
Miss Anything? Sweets. I've had such a huge sweet tooth this week and it's really hard to bypass the cravings, but I'm doing it. I also miss not worrying about my own blood sugar. I've been blindsided with some serious low blood sugars this week and that's been no fun.
Movement: She's a wiggle worm, that's for sure! I still feel her multiple times a day and that's so wonderful.
Food cravings: Oreos and cold milk. Walnut brownies from a box-- so weird!
Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of running water, and the smell of the air conditioner-- just like in first trimester.
Have you started to show yet: Oh yes, I'm carrying quite the watermelon.
Gender: GIRL!
Labor Signs: Not yet. I’ve had some Braxton Hicks contractions that were pretty intense and painful, but they eventually go away, so I know it's not the real thing.
Belly Button in or out? Out but kind of flattened now.
Wedding rings on or off? Off. :( Still so super sad about this.
Happy or Moody most of the time: My fasting blood sugar was 68 this morning (it should be in the 80s or 90s) and that definitely made me moody because I couldn't think right and kept dropping things as I made Aaron's lunch (after having some chocolate milk to start bringing up the low). Most of the time I think I'm happy because we're almost done and she's almost here! I didn't cry today when I dropped Michael off at kindergarten for his first day, so I think that's a major indication that I'm not totally moody. :)
Looking forward to: My OB appointment tomorrow. I'll have another NST and probably a pelvic exam (but I won't be surprised if I don't have a pelvic exam). I was supposed to have an ultrasound tomorrow to estimate Avery's weight, but the doctor wants to wait one more week to do so. He said that there was a study done for women who were within one day of delivery (either scheduled c-sections, or scheduled inductions), and they asked all the mothers to write down the weight that they thought they're babies would be at birth, then they had the doctors write down their guesses, and then each mom got an ultrasound where the babies weights were estimated. Once the babies were born, it turned out that the ultrasounds were the least accurate, then the doctors' guesses, and the mothers were pretty accurate. So, my doctor says he wants to wait as long as possible to do the ultrasound-- which will be next week on Thursday. He doesn't want to overestimate or underestimate her weight when we're still two weeks away from delivery. He says as soon as it's safe to get her out, he's getting her out-- and that will be the 23rd. He asked me if I thought she was bigger than my other babies, and I said I did. He agrees. So, we'll see. I was looking forward to an ultrasound tomorrow, but I supposed I can wait one more week. Next Friday (the 18th) is my last day of work before maternity leave, so I'm trying to hang in there and make myself work until then. :)
Until Next Time,
Much love, Reba
Until Next Time,
Much love, Reba
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