39 weeks

How far along? 39 weeks

Total weight gain:

34 pounds- up one from last week most likely due to my mindset of eat everything and anything now because once he is here I won't be eating like this!

Maternity clothes? 

Yes.

Stretch marks? 

Nope! 

Sleep: 

Waking up every 1-2 hours- sometimes I sleep really well in between

Best moment this week: 

Getting a new camera!!! And the doctor's appointment

Miss Anything? 

Working out, sleeping, no aches and pains, wearing normal clothes..

Movement: 

He’s been pretty quiet but still moving around! To put it in perspective- he used to move 10x's in 2 minutes now it is 10x's in 15 minutes- and the doctor said she wants him to move 10x's in 1-2 HOURS hahah I laughed at her. 

Food cravings: 

Nothing really. To be honest I'm ready to eat normally again.

Anything making you queasy or sick: 

Depends on the day

Gender: 

BOY!

Labor Signs:

Irregular contractions still.

Symptoms: 

Woah swelling! Woke up one morning and was already swollen...grrr. Contractions, joint pain, uncomfortable, feeling very big and completely over it. My hair won’t do anything and those little baby hairs that grew are stuck at an awful length.. I can keep going... This week was ROUGH

Belly Button in or out? 

Yes

Wedding rings on or off? 

Off 

Happy or Moody most of the time: 

VENT: Irritable. I’m sick of everything- I mean if one more person tells me how BIG my stomach is I really might lose it. And it’s just plain mean to tell a very pregnant woman that she won’t have her baby until 10+ days after her due date- why do people (WOMEN) love to say that?! Besides selfish reasons I NEED Jackson to be born on his due date so he can meet my grandfather- so people quit wishing bad thoughts. And the doctor said I will be induced 7 days after my due date...  I was really lucky I’ve had a pretty easy pregnancy until now. I am def. not one of those people that feel great until the end. 

-That was my vent before my doctor's appointment but now I know that it was worth feeling bad... see details below

Looking forward to: 

Meeting Jackson!!!  

Workout:

Walking everyday at least 1x. Taking those stairs as much as possible. Bouncing on my exercise ball every chance I get. My legs are SORE. 

Furry Babies:

Random my camera has a button that detects cat faces and will take the picture without pressing a button. How cool is that?!

To dos:

• Done: Bought a camera, checked out more library books on my kindle, eating a bunch of junk food because I won’t be doing this after he arrives, enjoying date nights with the hubby
• Left: HAVE A BABY!

Dr Appointment:

I am 3-4 CM dilated!!!!!!! She said it was the same as last week but that's not what the other doctor said so I think I've made progress. She said my cervix is very favorable! Still no prediction on when he will be born. But I think feeling bad all last week was because of all that progress I was making! :) YAY! Don't worry I am fully aware that I could still go past my due date even though I am 3-4 CM dilated. 

1 more week (2 weeks MAX)!!

Jackson is FULL TERM!!

Any day now..

In my previous posts I have mentioned that I am ready to get this show on the road so I have been trying some natural induction techniques. I have many reasons for trying them 1. I really don't want a medical induction which a lot of first time mothers need 2. I have been having prelabor for weeks now 3. I am very uncomfortable 4. From what I read he will come out when he's ready so I even if I try these things I'm not making him arrive too soon. But here is what I found and how it's worked:

From: I like the little chart (most websites say the same thing this one just has the visual)
http://wrylilt.hubpages.com/hub/Ways-to-induce-Labour-Naturally

37 weeks: take long walks~ I am walking my booty off! I walk around the lake a million times everyday. I'm not sure it's helping anything but I enjoy walking and it's suppose to help with back pain too.

38 weeks: induction foods
                 Balsamic Vinegar- I haven't tried this yet
                 Bananas- Ate one yesterday I did have some cramping but that was it
                 Chinese Food- Not a huge fan of chinese food but I might get desperate
                 Eggplant- I love eggplant normally but right now it sounds awful..
                 Pineapple- I'm going to go buy some
                 Spicy Food- I eat spicy food ALL the time. I even put hot sauce on my pizza but it hasn't                done anything

40 weeks: try everything

Other techniques:
Acupressure- probably won't try this one
Bumpy car ride- I drive on a bumpy road everyday but I can make a couple laps
Dancing- Haven't done this one yet but I will!
Massage- Ohhh yes I need one!
Squats- I occasionally do them but I can amp this up
Walking up and down stairs- I live on the third floor but I could do some laps
Yoga- ew I gave this up but I might just start it back up

Here's to helping little baby Jackson arrive on time (or early)!!

Any other great ideas I'll take them!

38 Weeks~ 9 1/2 months

Size of a pumpkin!

How far along? 38 weeks

Total weight gain:

33 pounds- yep lost one. I read that some people start loosing weight towards the end but I really think it’s all the walking and having an upset stomach all the time. 

Maternity clothes? 

Yes.

Stretch marks? 

Nope! 

Sleep: 

It’s good every other night. I have woken up with either an upset stomach or really bad back pain. Nights I do sleep I’m up every two hours. It is always consistent times which is funny.

Best moment this week: 

Hearing I am progressing and getting closer to the due date!!  And getting to a hold a sweet little newborn she was so cute! We were pretty proud of ourselves that she didn’t cry at all.. she’s probably just a really awesome baby though..

Miss Anything? 

Wearing my real wedding/engagement rings.

Movement: 

He’s not moving as much but when he does ow! That little booty is painful. He has def. moved down lower which is pretty uncomfortable.

Food cravings: 

Butter. Yep butter.

Anything making you queasy or sick: 

BBQ, fish, a lot of things these days. I’ve been sticking to carbs (with butter) they seem to be safer on the stomach

Gender: 

BOY!

Labor Signs:

Contractions and then nothing. Super frustrating. Especially when you are up all night and then they stop right around the time you have to get up. 

Symptoms: 

Back pain, contractions, not sleeping

Belly Button in or out? 

Yes

Wedding rings on or off? 

Off 

Happy or Moody most of the time: 

Well I think for 90% of my pregnancy I have been pretty good until now.. I am very irritable. I would rather still feel good then to have a million contractions that lead to nothing! I’m ready for him to be here!! Poor Jamie I really do feel bad. Of course he said his ideal time for Jackson to arrive would be next week and I about head butted him.. but really next week would be perfect for everyone so I can’t really argue. 

Looking forward to: 

Meeting Jackson!!!  

Workout:

Walking everyday at least 1x. Taking those stairs as much as possible. Considering squats while holding Oscar :)

Furry Babies:

I swear they are getting more and more cuddly everyday. We are smashed like sardines in the bed every night. 

To dos:

• Done: Made our last Cosco run, made another freeze meal, got my hair cut, found more library books for my kindle (I’m going to start averaging one a day here pretty soon), Jamie has kindly let me take over the netflix so I am watching sappy love movies and crying through when he’s not home of course :) The Vow really got me! I also organized the pantry, cleaned the laundry room, and cleaned out half of the fridge (I hate cleaning the fridge).. trying to pace myself of the cleaning I can’t run out of things to do! 
• Left: HAVE A BABY!

Dr Appointment:

Went great! Love the doctor I saw she thinks just like me. I am 1 cm dilated and very very soft she said. Things are progressing! She said I could go into labor tomorrow or in two weeks, they really have no way of predicting. She also told me that they will let you go only 1 week over due which is good to hear. I told her I really don’t want to be induced but I really want him out.. and she laughed saying she knew just how I felt. She also said he is a very good size not too big or too small. Overall, very good appointment and encouraging. I’m going to keep on walking! 

2 more weeks (3 weeks max)!!

Jackson is FULL TERM!!

3rd Trimester Must Haves

I'll will probably forget all about this post once the baby is here so I thought I would finish it early. Here are my 3rd trimester must haves:

1. Ice Packs! As your body starts to swell or as every body part starts to hurt ice packs will be your best friend! This is a great way to cool off too. I iced ankles, feet, knees, and my back.. I will admit I attempted to ice my ribs but Jackson didn't like that so... don't try that one.

2. Humidifer: Must must must for the third trimester. At night my nose would get really stuffy and this really seemed to help.

3. Batteries! As you start putting together all that great baby stuff you will quickly realize you need tons of C and D batteries so start stocking up now. We made the mistake of telling the lady at Buy Buy Baby uh we have tons of batteries at home we don't need any... that was until we realized we needed C batteries. Who uses C batteries?!

4. Massage: Whether it's your husband or a professional you will need lots of back and foot massages! I did get two professional massages and the one during the 3rd trimester was AMAZING. I felt great! I would highly recommend it. I went to massage heights which was reasonable and they were really good.

5. Flipflops: For those swelling feet. Ouch! I gave up on any other shoes a long time ago.

6. Body of water...ocean/pool: To float in. The ocean was the best option for me- it's a little cold and you can float in the waves -love it! The pool water was too hot for me. The water helps your back/feet and being hot! Plus it is super relaxing. And if you doggy paddle around that counts as exercise :)

7. Bigger maternity clothes: Boo. Like I mentioned before I only bought a couple more things to get me through the last month. And I steel Jamie's t-shirts when we are hanging out at home. I also wear the same workout outfit everyday.. don't worry I wash it.

8. A good book or tv series: To keep you off your feet and for those times when you are exhausted but can't sleep. The Olympics came at the perfect time! In fact I wish it was longer!

37 Weeks~FULL TERM!!!

How far along? 37 weeks

Total weight gain:

34 pounds

Maternity clothes? 

Yes.

Stretch marks? 

Nope! 

Sleep: 

I sleep really great for the first 2-3 hours and then I’m up every two hours (preparing for those late night feedings blah blah blah I hate that because once he is here I can have coffee so it’s completely different). Also having bad dream mostly not about the baby but I did have one- they wouldn't let me hold him after he was born so I was furious and demanding it. Then Jamie and I got stuck on an elevator and couldn't get to Jackson.. it was terrible. 

Best moment this week: 

Getting closer to the due date! Date night at the movies!

Miss Anything? 

Moving around easily.

Movement: 

Woah he is stretching in there! My belly has been in a lot of weird shapes lately. He is really running out of room. I have felt him in my ribs for the first time- I think he's really long but who knows.

Food cravings: 

Nothing really but I have been staring at the Kerig for a lot this week.

Anything making you queasy or sick: 

Apparently everything my stomach has been upset this week. Nausea and reflux are back.

Gender: 

BOY!

Labor Signs:

Holy moly warm up contractions! They were so bad during the movies that I thought we were going to have to leave. But once we left they stopped. It’s been a lot of that lately- contractions for a couple hours then nothing.. which gets frustrating because I get all excited and then nothing. ugh! And this could go on for WEEKS. 

Symptoms: 

Swelling, less sleep, getting uncomfortable, contractions, not as much back pain, upset stomach, reflux

Belly Button in or out? 

Yes

Wedding rings on or off? 

Off 

Happy or Moody most of the time: 

Getting antsy!! I’m trying to keep myself busy but I am so impatient. I even finally finished our unofficial wedding album (our official one has been made since last October). But I wanted one with ALL the pictures we liked which was an insane amount.   I still have a box of wedding stuff I need to do stuff with so maybe that will be this weeks projects.

I'm also getting more irritated. I'm done being pregnant. Whoever decided 40 weeks was a good idea well it's not! And yes I know that most first time moms go past 40 weeks thanks for reminding me. ~Irritation at it's finest :)

Looking forward to: 

Meeting Jackson!!!  

Workout:

Oh I am walking! We walked everyday this weekend and I walked during the week. At this point I’m going to try to walk everyday. I got some weird looks at the gym walking but I wanted to say Hey I am 9 months pregnant let me waddle away! It would be bad if my water broke on the treadmill...

Furry Babies:

Sweet fur babies are in for a rude awakening. We did start them on a new diet this week (for Oscar's sake) all the food is put up a night... he does not like that! He cries and cries especially if you get up in the middle of the night. And now he has to sleep in between us in the bed with his head on my pillow. If I quit petting him he gives me a big paw to the face or a big wet kiss. This hope this helps him lose the LBS.

To dos:

• Done: Car seat inspected, made another freezer meal, figured out how to check library books out on my kindle, made wedding album...
• Left: HAVE A BABY!

Dr Appointment:

So disappointing. I thought today they would check for progress... nope not until next week. GRR Jackson's heartbeat is great! I am measuring right on track. No other news. 

3 more weeks!!

Jackson is FULL TERM!!

Happy Engagement Anniversary!!

2 years ago today we got engaged! This was (and will always be) the BEST run of my life! I have never been so happy and excited as I was that day.. until our wedding of course. I spent the rest of my run bouncing up and down and staring at my ring. I really didn't know what to do with myself. I was so excited to know that I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. I am so lucky that I found my soul mate. I truly believe that we were made for each other. I won't go into the whole engagement story because everyone has heard it a million times but here are the pictures:

Popping the question!

Of course I said "YES!"

Some happy tears!

My beautiful ring! 

Car Seat Time

I may have mentioned that a couple weekends ago we spent our Saturday morning reading and Youtubing the car seat instructions- 9 out of 10 parents install carseats incorrectly (insane but true). We thought we did a pretty good job in fact Jamie said, "why are we getting them checked it's so easy."

ERR WRONG. We went to a car seat safety check this morning and they had lots of corrections! We pretty much knew nothing. hahha Jamie's needed to be tightened and the "something or other" elevated.  Then she told us all the facts that we didn't know, for example the seat in front of the car seat should not touch the car seat. The car seat should move up and down but not side to side, etc.

In my car we did change the car seat to the middle which made me feel so much better. After seeing what the side airbags do in a car wreck I didn't want Jackson near the side airbags. The middle is the safest place for a car seat but you can put them on the sides depending on the car- Jamie's has to be on the side. Do not use the baby mirror it can suffocate them in a wreck. And you shouldn't use the seat protectors..bummer. However, our little soccer ball toy is OK!! YAY.

Then she showed us how to put the baby in and how to adjust all the straps... which I put the baby in wrong too but now I know just how to do it. They also gave us a little emergency sticker to put on his car seat if we get in an accident so that they wouldn't put him in child services first (scary thought). Great information! I am so glad we went. And I would recommend it to everyone!! People were bringing their convertible car seats to the check with their toddlers to make sure they were in right too- we will do that when we switch over.

To find your car seat inspection check- google it because they are all different. Ours was through the children's hospital but we could have gone to the police station too.

Where did you get that?!

Where did I get ___ ? I found that when people listed where they got XYZ on their blogs it was really helpful. If not you might spend countless hours searching the internet or stores.. you'll probably do that anyways BUT just in case here are my sources!

Curtains and Curtain rod- Pottery Barn Kids

Rocker- Target

 

Starfish and Seahorse pictures and frames- Michael's

Starfish- Michael's

J- Joann Fabrics (painted by yours truly)

Crib- A baby's dream

Mobile- Amazon

Sheets- Pottery Barn

Dust Ruffle- Joann fabrics (we made it)

Whale Decal- Etsy (and it's fabric one which is non toxic)

Mattress- Moonlight Slumber from Amazon

Whale Blanket and Pillow- pottery barn kids

Lamp- TJ Max

Nightstand- .....Walmart (I hate Walmart but I couldn't imagine spending $200-300 on a night stand)

Basket for Toys- A gift from my grandma! It even has his name on it

Hutch and Dresser- A Baby's Dream

Changing pad/cover- Pottery Barn Kids (changing pad is cheaper there than babys R us)

Diaper Caddy- Etsy

Picture, car, turtle- local shops at Neptune Beach

Shelves- Target

Frame- Marshall's

Frame- TJ Max

Seagull- local shop at Neptune Beach

Shells- from the beach!

Jar- left over from our wedding

Sand Globe- local shop at Neptune Beach

Love at first sight- I made it

Clear Plastic Jars- Bed, Bath, & Beyond

Bag on the top shelf- a gift

Basket on bottom shelf- a gift

Diaper Caddy- Etsy

36 weeks~9 months!

And so is my belly

How far along? 36 weeks

Total weight gain:

33 pounds

Maternity clothes? 

Yes.

Stretch marks? 

Nope! 

Sleep: 

When I’m sleeping it’s great! But I have been waking up 2-3 times a night. 

Best moment this week: 

Getting closer to the due date! We had a great weekend too ~ trying to enjoy our last few weeks of being a family of 2 or 4 if you include the fur balls :)

Miss Anything? 

MY FEET! And ankles! I didn’t realize how uncomfortable it is to walk with a very swollen right ankle and foot. 

Movement: 

Lots of hiccups! His movements are different now you can tell he’s running out of room. The doctor confirmed that I have correctly identified his butt :) That's the only part I got right.

Food cravings: 

S’mores, sweets, milk, fruit, mustard.. I’ve been slightly obsessed with mustard lately in fact my first “weird” food combination happened Sunday night.. I put mustard on my rice. hahah I also considered putting hot sauce in spinach dip.

Anything making you queasy or sick: 

Sometimes meat and back pain at times

Gender: 

BOY!

Labor Signs:

More Braxton hicks I don’t think I had anymore warm up contractions this week. So weird back pain on one side.

Symptoms: 

Swelling! Tired, going to the bathroom every 5 seconds, back pain..

Belly Button in or out? 

Are we still discussing this? Just look at it through my shirt.

Wedding rings on or off? 

Off 

Happy or Moody most of the time: 

HAPPY!! SO EXCITED! Learning to keep myself busy because I am READY!

Looking forward to: 

Meeting Jackson!!! Seeing what he looks like! Getting to know his personality! 

Workout:

Eh.. 2x’s how to people walk with a big swollen foot in the heat? My tennis shoes hurt to put on. In fact most shoes do. If it would quit raining I might try the pool this week.

Furry Babies:

Oscar still thinks he’s the baby- sleeping in the crib, changing table, and he took off with Sofie the giraffe in his mouth!! Don’t worry I CLEAN everything. I would never let Jackson sleep on lay on cat hair, etc. They both must be sensing something because I am like an anti-axiety drug for Stella. I have never seen her so relaxed and cuddly! Oscar is also obsessed with being on me at all times especially at night.

To dos:

Done: Ceiling fan is up and looks great! Installed one carseat, made one casserole.

Left: Have baby. 

Dr Appointment:

Had to have that really fun finger prick- results were great! And then the other really fun strep B test... Ladies really it's not that bad- I heard horror stories and it was no big deal at all. I get those results back next week. Jackson is also head down (still) and ready to go! The doctor says he can come anytime and they won't stop him!! Very exciting! His heart beat is still great! My next appointment is next Wednesday- onto the weekly appointments!

4 more weeks!!

1 more week until he is full term!!

One month more or less!

We are at the less than one month mark!!! WEll unless he comes late.. I can't think about that. Jamie and I are enjoying this time of just being a family of two. Last weekend we drove to St. Augustine to go to Caps for lunch on the water, we try to go to the beach every weekend (unless it rains), and we are planning on going to the movies. Every weekend we spend most of our time doing things together so adding a baby might be a little challenging but we are READY! Most of our conversations already center around Jackson so.. and we can't wait for him to be here! 

I thought it would be fun to see the changes in the same outfit..

27 weeks and 35 weeks! Wow!

One month to go!

I'm going to miss this! I can't believe I'm saying that. My mom asked me this weekend what I was going to do when Jackson came and my response was, "snuggle with him?" haha my mom laughed no what are you going to do for yourself? After every week of posting what I miss I couldn't come up with anything! I finally said uh join a gym? Run? I don't know! Eat sushi and soft cheeses. And then I was stumped. I didn't even say COFFEE! Who am I?! Here is what I'm going to miss about being pregnant: 

1. Feeling Jackson move around! I love this! I say it every week but I will miss it. 

2. My belly- I think it's been fun dressing it up, I also love the comfy clothes

3. Eating! Not counting carbs, calories, sugar, and lots of it! 

For the last few weeks I am enjoying every bit of it: eating lots of yummy food, resting more (reading, watching the olympics with my feet up), not working out, loving on the kitties, sleeping as much as I can, and all the things Jamie and I have been doing! Really I'm trying to keep busy so I'm not just counting down the days :)

35 weeks

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight gain:

29 pounds

Maternity clothes? 

Yep! Now my big t-shirts are to small- Jamie’s work well though :)

Stretch marks? 

Nope! 

Sleep: 

I’m sleeping great! Just waking up more throughout the night.

Best moment this week: 

Swimming and floating in the waves! Knowing that baby Jackson is getting closer to arriving!

Miss Anything? 

Moving, not being tired, not being swollen or hot. 

Movement: 

Lots of hiccups! But he is always a wiggle worm.

Food cravings: 

I’ve been wanting s”mores for awhile now

Anything making you queasy or sick: 

Sometimes meat

Gender: 

BOY!

Labor Signs:

I was having some mild contractions every 20 minutes. Really awful back pain at times. I felt a few contractions a day and one a night waking me up. More Braxton Hicks. I won't know any more progress until my next appointment.

Symptoms: 

SO HOT! Swelling! More reflux. Just being uncomfortable

Belly Button in or out? 

Coming out even more! I told Jamie when it’s completely out that means Jackson’s fully cooked :)

Wedding rings on or off? 

Off 

Happy or Moody most of the time: 

HAPPY!! SO EXCITED! 

Looking forward to: 

Getting closer to full term! Meeting Jackson!

Workout:

This week was an off one I had a couple days of not feeling well. I managed one walking day and one day of swimming/walking at the beach.

Furry Babies:

Needing more and more attention.

To dos:

Done: Bought ceiling fan, washed everything, cleaned everything

Left: Put up the ceiling fan, buy conversion kit, install carseats, make casseroles to freeze

Dr Appointment:

Next week

5 more weeks!!

2 more weeks until he is full term!!