31 weeks!

So I am 31 weeks and 1 day along! I can't believe I only have 9 weeks to go in this adventure. And then it's a whole new chapter in life for me!

I think I am most excited to see what we will have! Boy or girl! Most of the people in my daily life says a girl (something about where the baby carries on me), but there are a few boy comments as well. I honestly don't care, so long as baby L is happy and healthy!

Ben and I completed our birthing and newborn classes, Ben still has the "daddy boot camp" class this Saturday, then we are all done! I have to admit, going through the classes, is probably one of the better things I have done. I feel a bit more prepared for what's going to happen, but as with most things in life, you can only plan and prepare so much. A lot of things in life just happen. Especially when it comes to birth and having children. Learning to go with the flow has been tough for me, but Ben is really great at it and I've learned lots from being with him.

Our baby shower is this weekend! I am excited to see my family and friends and help me celebrate this new chapter in my life. I am so very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family around me.

Overall, health wise, I seem to be doing ok, everything seems to be tracking very normal. Well, in my case, in the baby's case, Baby L is going to be a big baby. I have been measuring ahead for the last month. I am measuring  4 weeks ahead, so my doctor wanted to do an ultrasound to check the baby to see if it's a big baby or a big uterus. Well, Baby L is looking like a big baby! Thankfully not 4 weeks ahead, more so like 8 days. Given how much my due date has shifted around, I guess it's likely to happen. Also I was a big baby (9 pounds) and so was my brother (10 pounds 15 ounces). So the doctor seems to think that I just may be built to have big babies. Let's just hope its more on my end of the spectrum and not my brother's end.

Again the doctor's didn't seem too concerned with the size of the baby and said that everything that I want as of now, can still happen. Which is reassuring news to me. They commented that they'd probably like to do another ultrasound at 36 or 38 weeks just to check in again, but that as of now, things look fine.

According to my scale at home I am up 26 pounds overall, I am ok with this number, I've gotten better about gaining so much weight, knowing that things are ok with Baby L and I am handling things ok, I am good. This has also given me incentive to lose the weight after baby is born so that a) I can keep up with baby L and b) when we want to try for baby #2, I won't be as uncomfortable with weight and what not.

Baby L is moving a lot. It's been reassuring to me, more movements, mean healthy baby. Ben has been able to see more than he can feel. Something about his hand whether it's the heat or the pressure in his hands, the baby doesn't like and usually stops moving when he places a hand on my stomach.

I also feel like this summer has been the hottest and most humid summer ever, of course I know that's not true, but that's what I feel like it's been. I have been very thankful for the A/C that I have access to.

Sunday Thoughts

I've been enjoying spending time with my cousin while she's been in town on vacation. She's been staying at my parents and just relaxing and enjoying her time here.

My parents took her up to North Conway on Thursday of this week, I had baby classes on Wednesday and Thursday, so I wasn't able to join them until Friday. But we had such a relaxing time up there, even if it was a quick visit.

We had a great time showing Amy the north country, Saturday her and I went up the Mount Washington Auto Road, it's something that is quite unique and it's pretty amazing to do. Unfortunately it was a bit hazy and it impacted the view a bit, but we were still able to see quite a bit. It was 78* at the bottom and 59* at the top, it made for a pleasant trip, but it was VERY windy.

And this was only about halfway up! 

 

 

Good thing I didn't really bother doing my hair that morning....

My cousin is like my sister, her and I can talk freely and about anything. I have never felt the need to sensor myself around her.

One thing I noticed that really impacted me, was the altitude. And how much I got winded just from walking around. Being 29 weeks pregnant and having all that extra fluid and blood in my body and having to circulate that fluid/blood, takes a lot of effort normally. Add the thinner air on the top of the mountain and I got winded easily. We took our time walking around. All in all it was a fun trip up the mountain and to North Conway.

My cousin heads home tomorrow morning. And gosh I am going to miss her! We are getting together for dinner tonight with the family, I am sure it's bound to be a fun time.

As my cousin heads home, my friends' wedding is this coming Saturday and I can't wait to share in their special day. I stole a peek at the forecast and it's looking like the weather is going to be phenomenal.

On the baby front, things seem to be progressing, I felt as if the baby was taking a vacation while we were in North Conway, as there wasn't much movement, and of course the second I go to work the baby picks up with the movement, and even now the baby continues to move around. My cousin really would like to see/feel the baby, but every time we are around each other the baby seems to not want to move around. Or at least big movements that can be easily seen/felt from the outside. Most of the movements are smaller or quite low.

I have my next OB appointment on Friday which will include an ultrasound to check the size of the baby. Since I am measuring large, the doctor just wants to check in with the size.

Enjoy your week!

Life moves quickly...

You know if I blogged more I can break up all these things that are going on, but it just seems like life gets away from me.

Well I had my appointment last week, baby is still measuring large, so they scheduled an ultrasound for my next visit (July 20th) to check the size of the baby. My doctor didn't seem overly concerned, but just wanted to check. I guess it's fairly common. I am happy to get another look at the baby, I just hope things are ok. So far (according to the doctor's office) I am only up 11 pounds. By my scale at home I am up 20 pounds, that tends to fluctuate day to day, but ranges from like 18-22 pounds. I am hovering right around the 348-350 mark. I never thought I'd see those numbers, but I also know that right now, I can't be so concerned with the numbers, more so making sure I have a healthy baby. 

I also had my lab work done, and I got the results on Thursday. No gestational diabetes and I'm not anemic! Of course, this is the best possible news for me (and for my baby). I am very happy not to have be concerned with that.

The baby is moving a lot. I am now at the point where I am supposed to keep track of kicks/movements, at least 10 movements every 2 hours. I haven't been keeping track, but I know the baby is moving enough! Holy cow, there have been several occasions where the baby kicks and it ricochets off my ribs or something!  Takes my breath away! I enjoy feeling the movements, knowing they are special to me.

My cousin, Amy is in town for 2 weeks, I miss that girl so much when she's not here... but we have such a great time together. We went to the drive in and saw Ted on Tuesday night, and then last night we saw Magic Mike. I've been to the movies more in the last week than I have in the last 2 months! Also there are some great movies that are coming out in the near future. Her and I have also seen some of our family while they are in town as well, it's been really a great time. I have been enjoying my summer, as much as I can.

I've been working a lot of extra shifts at work, it's summer, so it's busy but also covering vacations, I've taken on some extra shifts. I'll be happy when I can be on maternity leave and get a break (but not really! LOL).

I had a wonderful Fourth, Ben and I had some time off and we went to visit with friends in Mass. It was great spending time with them and their children, especially where I had never met their youngest child and she's now 2!

We also bought baby furniture! Holy cow, things are getting real for us! It should be here in 6-8 weeks! Just in time for Ben to be cleaning out our guest bedroom and reconfiguring it into a nursery.

Life moves quickly...