Calm before the storm???

35 weeks

This week started off a little rough. I over-did it this weekend - planting flowers and throwing a baby shower on Saturday. Then Princess Diana exhibit (lots of walking) and a walk Sunday night. I went to bed Sunday night with terrible cramping right under my stomach and in my lower back. It was so bad I could barely move in bed and standing up was near impossible. I came to work Monday in lots of pain. I was fine sitting down, but standing up was very difficult and walking was kept to a minimum. Luckily, I had a doctor's appointment already scheduled for that day. What I was feeling was 'round ligament pain' and my doctor said it is very common for this stage, especially with everything I had done over the weekend. NOTE TO SELF - she said with any following pregnancies, this may start earlier than this point!

Everything else with the baby checked out fine. Somehow I managed to gain 5 more pounds since our last appointment - didn't know there was any room left!! My belly is getting BEYOND massive at this point. I was so uncomfortable this entire weekend that I was just ready to get this baby out! Then, a miracle happened...I've gotten 2 FULL nights of sleep with little to no pain and feel great!! I was getting to a point where I didn't think I could make it much longer, but this much needed break has made me think I can get at least through the end of this month :)

Baby B is still moving around a lot! I'll get a little foot or leg. I can tell he's starting to get cramped because there will be times I can feel him from right under my ribs all the way down in my pelvis! I just hope he's in the right position and that the doctor won't have to flip him around before birth!

We watched 'the birth video' last week in birthing class. I was having a very 'scared' day that day and everything about the birth was freaking me out. I was so scared to watch the video and kept my hands over my eyes in case I need to block the view. I missed the 'crowning' part (thank God), but then the baby came out. And she was beautiful and crying and mom and dad were so happy and it just sort of melted away all my fears. As cliche and cheesy as it sounds, seeing that baby just reminded me that there IS a light at the end of this tunnel. I've gotten so used to being pregnant and just 'talking' about the baby. It reminds me of planning a wedding - it's all you talk about, think about, dream about, but it's just an 'idea'. Something that's so far away - no matter how close it may be. And then BAM, the day comes and it goes by so fast and this event that consumed your whole life suddenly becomes a thing of the past. While the baby will never be a 'thing of the past', the day I give birth will be and I just hope to enjoy as much of it as possible because I know it will go so fast.

We had our Baptism class last night and ran into a girl from our high school, Mary, her husband and their ADORABLE little boy Connor. The class was sort of pointless - we just watched a video talking about the significance of Baptism, but it was good to see Mary and meet little Connor. I also went to get pre-registered at the hospital yesterday afternoon. Luckily they have you come in and fill that out beforehand because there was so much paperwork! It took about a good hour to get it all completed! I had to write the baby's name down on a bunch of different forms and it was so strange seeing it in writing. We have been so careful not to say it even at home to avoid any 'slipping' to family members before he's here. Seeing it made it very real. I recently came up with a 'back up' name in case he doesn't look like the name we already have picked out for him and so yesterday I was going back and forth between the 2 names. Nick doesn't like the back up name or even the idea of having one, so I doubt I'll get very far if I think we need it!

At Tracy's baby shower over the weekend, her mother in law gave me some hope! She said she carried her oldest son Steve (who I've known since 4th grade) much like I'm carrying now. She thinks Baby B has dropped with how low he is, but I've been carrying him low for most of the pregnancy. She had a lot of fluid as well and according to her, she lots 25 pounds of fluid at his birth. I'm not holding my breath that I'll lose QUITE that much, but I'd be so happy if that were the case! She said she gives me 3 more weeks and she thinks the baby will come! I hope so! We just want to get through the end of April and then I'm ready to meet my little man! I just want to hold him and kiss him and hug him and stare at him! Poor guy...he doesn't know what's about to hit him!

We have another sonogram next week to get another weight/size measurement and I'm hoping he's not too huge! I've been extra hungry the past week or so I don't know if he's going through a growth spurt or what. I just hope the doctor gives us SOMETHING in terms of when she thinks he'll come. The thought of going all the way to May 20th just seems so impossible. It's probably my own fault, but Nick and I both have been pretty sure that he's going to come early. All of my friends had their babies early and now I'm afraid I'll be the one who goes all the way up to, if not PAST the due date. I'm giving it until the first week or so of May and then I'm doing whatever I can to help speed the process along!