36

I didn't post last week! Feeling like a bad mama. Things were hectic with the holidays, but we had a lovely Christmas with our families. Happy Birthday Jesus! 
Today (well, yesterday, since it's now past midnight) marks 36 weeks! Squeeeeeeeeee! 
At this point Poppy is about 6 pounds and over 18 inches long. Baby is gaining about 1/2 a pound a week...wow! Chub up, Pops! I will have another ultrasound next week to check Poppy's size, and make sure he/she is not too big to fit through my pelvis. Mama has breedin' hips, so I think we'll be OK even if this little one has a huge head like Daddy did when he was born. I had a rather large noggin too :)
I have this entire week off for Winter Break, and I cannot freakin believe tomorrow is Friday...how the hail did that happen?! I have a long list of things I wanted to get done around the house over break, and just started on them today. So far I have washed and prepped all of our beautiful cloth diapers. Yay! So we've got your butt covered, Poppy. I also worked on getting ahead on my own laundry (this is always a challenge for me). I put all of the christmas decorations and gifts away, washed and set up the swing we are borrowing (thank you Sarah and Louie!) and cleaned out the spare bedroom. Hoping to do the following in the next 4 days:
Clean out bathroom, hallway, and foyer closets. Must make room for baby stuff. Lots of baby stuff. 
Clean out dresser in spare bedroom. More baby stuff. 
Clean out and scrub down fridge. Just cuz it's gross.
Detail my car and install carseat. (Interior of my car is pretty gross too). (Andy)
Finish packing hopital bag (almost done!)
Assemble Pack n Play
Make returns/exchanges at Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby
Clean out loft and replace light fixture
Dust everything
Mop all floors (Andy)
Scrub Bathrooms (Andy)


Le Sigh. I feel like if I don't get it all done before I go back to work Tuesday, it will never get done. Speaking of work, yes...I am working up until my due date. That totals 17 more work days. I am praying for at least 1-2 snow days in the mix. I mean it has to snow eventually, right?! Work is becoming more and more challenging. I have so little patience left for my poor, sweet students. And my body hates me for being on my feet all day. I literally have to drag myself around and end up swollen and exhausted by the time I get home. BUT, the longer I work the more time I will have home with my sweet baby. So work I shall! I found an excellent long-term sub, so I am stoked about that. I now have the task of writing up lesson plans for her for 12 weeks. Bleh. 
So, some people say 37 weeks is "full term", but my doc says it's 36 weeks! Which means Poppy is full grown and ready to come out any time now! I must admit, when I first found out I was pregnant and read everything I could get my hands on, I learned that it's best for baby to stay inside as long as possible. I just knew I'd be patient, knowing my baby was doing his or her last 4 weeks of growing safe inside me. Ha. And now that I'm 'full term' I am so ready to meet this little poppy seed. I know myself, and I know that for the next however many days I will be obessessing over every possibel sign of labor. Where the hell is that mucous plug?! Was that a gas pain or a contraction? Is my water breaking or did I just pee myself a little (again). Do I have the poops from the White Castle I ate for snack, or because my body is prepping for labor? I thought not knowing Poppy's sex was going to be the greatest surprise, but now I am realizing not knowing Poppy's bithday is equally exciting in a similarly torturous way. Whenever this little one decides to arrive is truly fine with me, just please pray for him or her to come quickly and safely. It's all a great mystery at this point, and we have to trust in God that everything will go according to his plan. I just hope he has a kind plan for us ;)

34 weeks 2 days, which means...

40 days until our due date! That's just under 6 weeks. I am praying this little one does not want to hide in mommy's ute past his/her due date. Not because of the discomfort, but because I want to meet this baby! It's killing me!! Boy, girl, bald, hairy, fat, skinnny, stubborn like daddy or perfect like mommy (ha!). Seriously, the curiosity is getting to be overwhelming. 

Newest symptoms: swelling and severe heartburn. and hot flashes. i've had them before but not to this extent. I really shouldn't complain about the swelling, it's not too grotesque and not consistent. But when it happend by hands and feet burn like a mutha. I am still able to wear my wedding and engagement rings comfortably, but I did finally take the sizer off the engagement ring (which made it about a half size smaller). I purposely didn't have it sized down even though it's a bit large for the purpose of being able to wear it throughout my pregnancy (and after). We'll see how things go for the next 6 weeks :)

So everything I've read says I would probably feel decreased movement beginning about last week. Um, no. I feel it more than ever. Poppy has moved up and booty pops me right in the sternum all.day.long. Thanks for the love, Pops. Not sure (s)he is still in transverse position, as I am feeling huccups way up high under my right boob. I'm baffaled. Please don't be breech, baby. Pretty please?!

I have now gained 30 pounds, and I really only want to gain about 5 more. Seeing as how Pops is probably going to gain at least another 3-5 pounds in the next 6 weeks, this is going to be a challenge. Being in your last few weeks of pregnancy during the holidays is cruel. Nomnomnomnomnom. 

Here are few of the pics from my maternity photo shoot with cousin Ken. He did a wonderful job, especially considering this was his first time doing maternity pics (besdies for his beautiful wife, of course!)

33 down, 7 to go

Ahhhh, I love Sundays. Soup's on the stove, sun shining in the window, and I can put my feet up without feeling guilty. 


33 weeks and 3 days pregnant today. Hopefully Poppy will be here in less than 7 weeks. Can't wait to meet this little person. Today my cousin Ken came over and took some maternity pics for me! He is super talented and I can't wait to see them :)


It has been a week since our lovely shower, and the basement is packed with baby stuff. SO much baby stuff. We are forever grateful. On Friday I put together the bouncer and we took the carseat out...it was fully assembled, yay! It's sitting on the dining room table and it's gorgeous and I love it. Pretty soon we'll install it in the backseat of the car! Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

Sideways

32 Weeks down, 8 to go. Baby is about the size of a honeydew, around 17 inches long and 4-4 1/2 pounds. 
Our ultrasound last week confirmed that poppy is in transverse position, which basically means (s)he is hanging out sideways in my ute. I was so excited when the ultrasound tech told us poppy's position, because I already knew exactly how baby was hanging out. I felt like such a proud mommy for knowing my baby's butt from his/her head in utero. Visual aide:

Poppy's legs are not curled up like in this picture though. Oh no. They are stretched out and those little feet are getting plenty of exercise kicking mommy in the ribs. Hard. It's all good. Poppy also likes to booty pop and rump shake quite often, making for an interesting show from the outside as my belly pops and shakes. Boy or girl, this child takes after mama...Baby Got Back. 

So I am now convinced that Poppy is a boy. Don't ask why, I just have a 'feeling'. I had a dream that is was so, and in my dream I was really sad because I had my heart set on a girl (in my DREAM I felt that way). Ever since I woke up from that dream, I've felt certain there's a penis in my belly. We'll know soon!

In other news, I discovered my first stretch marks this week. On my breasteses. Yippee. They're utterly beautiful...

Today was our shower and it was a lovely day. I'll post on it later this week, with pics. In the meantime, mama has some leftover cupcakes to 'put away' and some maxin and chillaxin to do. Ciao for now!