38 weeks... 9 1/2 months!

     About 2 weeks left! I have to try to not think about it too much, because I get so excited about Cupcake being here!

     The swelling has remained very minimal (and maybe even gone down), which is great! I was worried that it would just keep getting worse. It seems like I had a case of heartburn last night, though. I was just sitting on the couch and felt like I had swallowed a penny that got stuck in my chest. Ugh. I think it was heartburn, but who knows (I've never had it before). I've had some sinus congestion/possible allergies the last few days, so that's been making sleeping (and breathing) even more uncomfortable. I feel like I'm getting better and should be fine in the next day or two.

    We have a lot of plans in the next week or so! On Thursday, Chris and I are hoping for nice weather so we can go to the Tulip Festival in Woodburn (our first year!). From the pictures I've seen online, there's a ton of color out there (thanks to the few days of sun we've had), so it'll be nice to go out and see it in person (and hopefully get some good pictures). On Saturday, we're going to the Superheroes party thrown by Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital (where I work). It's for all the dogs in the blood donor program! Macchiato's been a blood donor since 2004 and he's donated over 30 units of blood (he's in the 30 Plus club, which a lot of dogs don't make it to). I'm so proud of him! :)  I was unable to go last year (I had to work), so I was determined to go this year. I was kind of thinking it might be his last year to donate (he turned 9 in February), but now I know that it will be his last. When Chris took him up to Friday Harbor last month for a teeth cleaning and to have some bumps removed (Chris' aunt is a vet!), one of the biopsies on the bumps looks like it might be early stage melanoma. Ugh... I'll have to keep an eye on any other bumps that show up and have them removed. I'm not too worried though, I know he's going to live to be at least 15, bouncing off the walls like the crazy puppy he is. Anyway, after the Superheroes party, I have a henna tattoo appointment to have my belly done up in henna! I'm really excited about it! I had kind of come to the conclusion that I didn't really want to have maternity photos done, but with the henna, I think I might want at least a few shots... we'll see. Next week, I have Bunco and it's my last week of work! Whoo hoo!

                                                              38 weeks (9 1/2 months)

   

37 weeks... full-term and size of a watermelon!

   We've hit the "full-term" point! At 37 weeks, pregnant women and their babies are considered to be full-term, meaning that if the baby is born at any point during or after this week, the babies are able to survive just fine!

    37 weeks also means the little Cupcake is about the size of a watermelon! Most babies measure around 18.9-20.9 inches in length and weigh anywhere between 6.2 and 9.2 pounds. My midwives still think she's on the smaller to medium size side, so she's maybe around 6 or 7 pounds. Despite how big I look (it's not my fault I have a short torso!), neither of my midwives think she's going to be a huge baby, which is good to  know (especially since I've had more than a few people ask if I'm having twins).

     Everything is packed and ready to go for the water birth center (except for a handful of things that I use daily, but those can easily be grabbed and thrown into the suitcase)! I still haven't gotten to the point of being "done" (aka sick and tired of being pregnant), but I am excited to finally meet her and see her little face! I still don't think it's completely hit me that I get a little baby of my own (well, she's not ALL mine... I guess I have to share her with Chris).

     I did start to notice a slight bit of swelling around Friday last week. Not too much, but when I went to put my socks on one morning before work, I noticed my ankles looking different. I picked up some cheap Croc-like slip on shoes to wear around in case the swelling increases and to keep compression off my feet (I usually wear cross-trainer style sneakers/gym shoes). So far, the swelling hasn't increased and when I'm home, I try to keep them elevated. Still walking around at work and doing an occasional dog walk here and there with Chris just to keep blood from pooling, but taking it easy.

    We went and picked up an Arm and Hammer Diaper Pail last week, so the baby's room is pretty much complete! It's even got a dirty diaper in there already, courtesy of Icen :)

    And the best thing about last week? Chris created a home-made Moby type wrap! It's even got a little cupcake patch on it! I tried it on and I think it's going to work really well (I tried to use Java, our smaller cat, as a model, but he wasn't super cooperative about it). I should have thrown it on today and put Icen in it just to get a picture. Oh well, maybe next week (he wouldn't have fit in it so well anyway with Ayla taking up all the belly room) :)

36 weeks (9 months)!

    I sat down to type up this week's post and got distracted with wanting to move the furniture here in the office/animal room/baby's room. I've moved a couple things to a couple different spots and haven't decided on anything, so I'm taking a break.
  
    I can't believe we're starting the last month! It's finally here, yay! It seems like it's been a long time coming, even though I've really had a super easy pregnancy. Let's hope it carries over into the labor! :)

   It sounds like the little Cupcake should be about 5 1/2 or 6 pounds this week (and adding about 1/2 a pound a week until she's here). Everything should be fully developed and functioning with the exception of the lungs and maybe the brain. But each day she gets closer to have fully developed lungs and the brain... well, that will keep developing for years, so I'm not too worried about that part!

    We have a prenatal appointment tomorrow at the Tualatin location (we've been there for one of our appointments a few months back and I really liked the lavender room. We want to go back a couple more times to get comfortable with both locations so that when the time comes, we'll have one or two rooms at each location that we like). Starting tomorrow, we'll have an appointment every week until labor (I think we're scheduled out until week 41... hopefully she's here by then!). Chris was unable to make the last two appointments (the only two he's missed and he was bummed about it), so I know he's happy to make it to the rest. My last appointment was pretty short anyway because Katherine had a woman coming in who was in labor. We did everything that we usually do (urine test, listened to the heart beat, felt baby and did some measuring), we just didn't have the full hour to talk, which was fine (I didn't have any questions or anything).

    I went to the chiropractor (finally) today because my hips are still hurting a little bit every now and then. My midwives suggested that I see someone just to make sure that everything's aligned okay (anything that will help make the labor and birth easier!). The doctor thinks everything looks and feels pretty good, but that I'm probably just sore from my tendons/ligaments loosening and my muscles trying to over-compensate for it. He suggested that I use a heating pad to help keep the muscles loose (I've been doing that anyway). I have another appointment next week.

   I started getting everything together for my trip to the water birth center so I don't have to run around last minute gathering things in between contractions. I have everything for Ayla all ready to go and in my car (car seat, diaper bag with diapers and wipes, an outfit or two for her, breast pump just in case--I'll have a lactation consultant before we go home--stroller, blankets, etc). I have most of my stuff ready to go, but not completely packed yet. I have a list and a spot where I have most of it ready for myself or Chris to grab if we need it. Some of it I can't really pack until last minute anyway (robe, glasses, contacts, mp3 player, etc).

                                                   36 weeks (9 months)! About 4 weeks to go!

                              Despite the watermelon I'm growing, the star tattoo is holding up really well!

                                                 My baby Cupcake is growing like she should!

35 weeks!!

    About 5 weeks left (2 weeks until she's considered full-term)! So I suppose it could be anywhere from 2 to 7 weeks left! Still the size of a honey dew, weighing about 5 pounds and measuring about 18 inches in length.

    We got a changing table off craigslist for fairly cheap and have it mostly organized with supplies on the two shelves (still need to get more disposable diapers). Initially, I was going to get a pack n' play yard with a removable changing area attached to it, but that part only goes up to 15 pounds and I didn't want to have that in our room with Chris trying to change her when I'm trying to sleep (we're planning on having her sleep in our room for at least the first few weeks to make those multiple nightly feedings easier). So I completely nixed the play yard idea (we already have a crib in the other room and there's always the bouncy seat or car seat or swing or our bed that she can sleep in...) and decided to get an actual changing table. We also found a cheap, gently used wipe warmer on craigslist. It'll be nice to have the first few months, especially for those late night/early morning diaper changes. I realize that we will have to change her in other places and won't have a wipe warmer to use then (they do make cheap travel warmers....) but I'm mostly concerned with the first few months (and month 1, we'll mostly be at home, not traveling around a lot). I also got a stroller off craigslist that looks like it hasn't  been used at all. I was going to wait a few months to get that (considering we'll mostly be at home and can transport her around in either the car seat, a wrap or our arms), but I found the exact stroller I wanted for $30 cheaper than it's selling for in the store, so I figured, 'why not just get it now'? It matches our diaper bag and car seat (I'm not typically one of "those" people that have to have matching things, it just sort of worked out that way. Plus, the design is super cute. Brown and green with elephants). The car seat snaps right onto the stroller, which is a huge bonus.

     I feel like we have pretty much everything set and ready to go. Some diapers, clothes, crib, car seat, stroller, changing table, breast pump, wipe warmer, diaper bag, glider chair with ottoman... we're just so ready for our little Cupcake!