37-38 Weeks

Merry Christmas to us! And Connor! We have been spoiled
yet again for Christmas by both my family and Brad's family. My mom and sister bought Connor a lot of really cute clothes! His closet is about full with of the clothes he has! Mom bought Connor a monogrammed pillow that I had been wanting and searching everywhere for. It's perfect! Brad and I have been wanting a really good DSLR camera for years, and now that we have Connor on the way it was the best time to put it on our Christmas list. So, on Christmas Eve, Brad's parents surprised us with a Canon Rebel T3i and his grandmother got us an extended lens and case! For Connor, "Santa" brought him a Pack N Play and Baby monitor! Those were the last 2 big items on our registry so finally feel like we have everything we need for Connor's arrival...I think? Guess we will find out in a few more weeks!  Can't believe Christmas has already come and gone and now we are about to be in January! Not much longer for Connor's arrival.

Due to it being Christmas week, my doctor's appointment kind of got split in the middle of weeks 37 and 38. Not much has changed since my last appointment, though. Still 1 cm dilated. Having some contractions (braxton hicks) but they are still off and on. Swelling is about the same..primarily in my hands and worst in the mornings. I can barely make a fist in the mornings with my left hand. Crazy. I have to soak my legs and feet at night because of restless leg kicking in. Seems like they just won't relax until I soak them in hot water for a few minutes! Once I soak them, I can go sound to sleep and sleep throughout most of the night with the exception of getting up once or twice to use the restroom. My back is feeling better for the most part as well. Overall, I really feel great for being 38 weeks pregnant. I kept hearing that the last month of pregnancy was terrible, but it hasn't been for me. I still have a lot of my energy and have definitely been "nesting" throughout the house. Brad never knows how the house is going to look when he gets home from work :) I can always tell when I over do it though, because my back will start getting achy and stiff feeling and feet start hurting. Brad has been very good about massaging my feet and back throughout the entire pregnancy. Even when he is tired and been on his feet all day, he will come home and rub mine. He is great! And I can't wait to see him as a father to Connor.

I go back to the doctor this Friday, Jan 4, and then again Jan 8. Connor's due date is Jan 9. I'm hoping he will come on his on by the 9th but if he doesn't we will induce. That's the plan as of now anyway :)

36 Weeks

36 weeks and 1 cm dilated! Whoo hoo! Connor is still very active with a heart rate of 170 BPM. It's kind of funny seeing Dr. Sessum's face every time she checks his heart rate. She can't believe how much he moves. He is obviously going to take after his daddy for having so much energy! :) He has dropped even more into the birth canal she said, too. I'm trying not to get my hopes up since I still have a few more weeks to go, but I sure am getting anxious about meeting Connor! I go back next week so we will see how he is doing then.

My braxton hicks contractions are still present but mainly in the afternoons. Still not too bad yet. My feet and hands are swelling some. I tend to prop my feet up and take my shoes off at work a lot without even realizing it. Ha! My left hand has been giving me trouble this week with achyness in the mornings and difficulty making a fist and squeezing anything. Last night I woke up around midnight with my entire left arm achy and numb. The achyness started from my arm pit down my tricep and elbow then to my wrist and hand. The numbness was primarily at my wrist and thumb, index, and middle fingers. I could not even bend my wrist for the pain it caused. I knew it was my median nerve being compressed but didn't know why? After about an hour of stretching and moving my arm around, the feeling came back and I was finally able to get back to sleep. I told Cindy at work when I got there and she said I was probably developing carpal tunnel due to the swelling and compressing of the median nerve. Great. My index finger still doesn't feel right. It's really tight and achy. So now I have a splint to sleep in and exercises to do for the my left arm. Hopefully this will disappear once I deliver! 4 more weeks to go! :)

35 Weeks

35 weeks pregnant..wow! Can't believe it is getting so close! We are so ready to meet Connor! We have pretty much gotten his nursery ready..at least all of the necessities anyway. There are a few other things I want to do but if I don't get to them it will okay too. Brad is planning to install the car seat this week so that the car will be ready. I have my hospital packed and Connor's bag packed. I absolutely love the little outfit I have for him to come home in!

My MD appt went really well this week. She checked his position and found that his head has dropped into the birth canal and was actually able to touch his head! That is still so strange to me but so happy he is not breached. She is estimating that he weighs approx 5 pounds right now. With only 4-5 weeks to go, he could def gain a few more. I'm hoping he will not be over 8 pounds by delivery though. His heart was a rapid 170 BPM! I told my MD that he was as ready as I am for him to come into the world! :) He is so active and constantly moving from one of my stomach to the other while kicking and punching me! I think I am going to miss those little moves. I'm beginning to have Braxton Hicks contractions, but really aren't that bad..yet. I had envisioned them to be a lot worse that what they are now. I'm sure its going to get worse though. Overall, I'm still feeling really good. Starting to have a little bit of swelling in my feet and hands still able to wear my wedding rings which I have heard is pretty amazing at this stage. I haven't been to the gym lately but really am not as tired as I thought I would be. Think I'm just getting lazy :) And Brad says I'm beginning to "nest" because after work I am constantly doing something to the house. I'm getting a little anxious about his arrival so asked when the earliest my doctor would induce. She said Jan 2, which is only 1 week early, but still haven't completely made up my mind. Even though I'm ready to meet him, I feel that he needs to come when he is ready. So we will see... Everyone tells me to enjoy my sleep and peacefulness while I can because its not going to last much longer :)

34 Weeks

I had my second baby shower this weekend in Hattiesburg! It was so great! I got so many cute clothes, blankets, and stuffed animals for Connor! I also got my Timi and Leslie diaper bag and Britax stroller! Whoo hoo! Love them both! 

My co workers also gave me a baby shower this week! We had a potluck during lunch and everyone brought gifts! It was so nice! I got a lot of my bottles I had registered for, the bumbo and tray, a boppy, and lots of diapers and wipes! It was a very "functional" shower and needed everything that I got! I am so grateful for such a caring and loving work family!

I am still feeling good..no swelling or achyness at this point. Starting to get a little more tired though. And hot! I have always been so cold natured but now I feel like I stay hot! I thought being pregnant in the winter would help, but of course in Mississippi the weather is crazy and its 70-80 degrees in November and December! I'm hoping it will cool off soon. 

My 34 week MD appointment went really good. My Dr. said that everything was going really well. Connor's heart beat was 148 BPM. She was able to feel where exactly he was and thank goodness he is facing the right way for delivery! I kind of thought that he was since I always feel kicks in my ribs and sides but getting her to check made me feel much better about his positioning. Especially since it is getting so close to delivery time! I really want to be able to have a natural delivery, but if for some reason I end up needing to have a c-section that will be okay too. Whatever is going to be best for Connor will be the ultimate decision. I start going every week starting next week until delivery. This is getting more real every day! I'm so ready to meet our little Connor! 

Here are a few pics from my Hattiesburg Baby Shower

My Hostesses 

Jennifer, Me, and Mom...my face is so red from being HOT! 

Me (34 Weeks) and Whitney (22 Weeks)

Aunt Taff, Nana D, Mrs. Wanda, Whitney, Me, Jennifer, and GiGi

Amanda and Me

My diaper bag! Love it!!

My Stroller!