38 Weeks

38 Weeks: Baby O is the length of a leek.

He weighs 6.8 pounds and is over 19.5 inches long.  This week he has really plumped up, his organs have fully matured for the real world, and he has a strong grasp to get ready and hold our hands.

How far along? 38 Weeks

Total weight gain?  30 pounds
Maternity clothes? Still the same- mixing maternity and non-maternity

Stretch marks? Still none so far... 14 days to go... cross your fingers for me!

Sleep? Ehhh... I'm up to about 3 potty breaks a night so that definitely interrupts my slumber.  I'd better get used to it!
Best moment this week? 1.  Getting everything completely ready for my maternity sub at school.  I could go into labor tonight and not have to worry about a single thing!  2. Planning out a surprise date night on Saturday with my baby daddy.  3. Feeling what we think were baby farts today in my tummy.  Can they do that?!  I went to have lunch at Trent's work today and after lunch I was sitting in his office talking when I kept feeling these bubbly type sensations on my left side where his butt is.  Trent felt several of them too and we cracked up.  If that's what they were it's no surprise... he IS Trent's son after all ;) 4. I'm super happy that I have spring break this week which means I can get in some much needed rest after reading state assessments!
Miss anything? Nada! Although, I'm sure I'll miss my belly and all his movements once he's here.  But I'd still rather have him here :)
Food cravings? Thirsty as a cactus for any cold liquids.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nada

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? A couple Braxton Hicks but nothing major.  We have our weekly appointment tomorrow and I'm hoping we've made some progress so I don't have to go back to work after spring break ;)  Baby O and I have had a talk and I told him that anytime in the next week is fine with me if it's good with him!
Symptoms? I'm pretty sure I've reached maximum capacity for this little man cause I'm basically at that uncomfortable stage where I'm moving a lot slower than I have been.  I've also been having cramping, hip pains (which suck by the way), and my nemesis heartburn.

Belly button in or out? Out 99% of the time.

Wedding rings on or off? Off :( I am quite puffy so there's no way the ring is coming back on yet.

Happy or moody? Tired... but sooo happy!!!!  Let's hope the next 2ish weeks don't lead to any moodiness or meltdowns.

Looking forward to? Seeing him!!!!  I'm getting impatient and just want to meet him already.

Daddy moment?   I had fun planning out a date night just for Trent with his favorite things this last weekend.  He is my favorite person in the whole wide world and I can't wait to see him with our handsome boy!

 Shield your eyes... the cankles made their debut last Tuesday at our doctor's appointment.  When I took my jeans off we were SHOCKED because they weren't like that at all that morning!

 Bentley getting in some last snuggles as the baby of the house.

 2 years ago Trent and I spent a year taking turns planning out a "surprise" date night for the other person once a month.  Some of my favorite dates have been from that year so we brought it back one more time before Baby O arrives.  I planned last weekend and Trent is planning this weekend... if the baby doesn't come before then!

Our first stop was at the indoor Naskart racing track.  But Trent felt guilty racing without me so he requested we go back after the baby is born.  What a guy :)  So we left the go cart track and headed straight to dinner... New York Dawg Pound.  If you haven't been there yet you are missing something in your life.  They have the most amazing gourmet (crazy flavors and mixtures) hotdogs.  I usually get the Yankee Poodle but branched out and got the Cheezy Cheeto hotdog this time while Trent went with the Butkus.

 Stop #3 was to pickup Cheesecake Factory for dessert to take home and enjoy with a movie.  We both have a weakness for their cheesecake.  It seriously doesn't get better than that!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 Patty's wasn't nearly the same this year since I couldn't enjoy our usual green beers.  Instead we celebrated the fun holiday with green pancakes. Baby O definitely enjoyed them!

37 Weeks

37 Weeks: Baby O is the length of a stalk of Swiss chard.

He weighs 6 1/3 pounds and is a bit over 19 inches head to heel. This week he must just be hanging out and packing on an ounce per day until D-day because my baby app didn't say anything new about his development.

How far along? 37 Week- Full Term!

Total weight gain?  28 pounds
Maternity clothes? Mix of maternity and normal clothes. I'm proud to say I lasted the whole pregnancy with only having to buy maternity clothes in: 3 pairs of jeans, 2 dress pants, 1 pencil skirt, 4 tanktops, 3 solid burnout tees, and 2 dressier tops.  Everything else I already owned and mixed and matched with cardigans, leggings, dresses, and scarves I already owned.  Trent should be grateful ;)

Stretch marks? Still none so far...

Sleep? I wake up an average of 5-10 times a night having to lift my belly and tuck my body pillow underneath to get comfy.
Best moment this week? Our doctor's appointment last week for sure.  It was our first pre-delivery exam and I was excited to hear if we had made any gains toward delivery .  Our doc told us that we were 1 cm dilated, 20% effaced, and he's basically as low as he can possibly go before delivery begins.  I could literally tell the day he dropped (Tuesday, March 5)- one day I just woke up and I could breathe again and felt like I really needed to use the bathroom every time I walked.  Needless to say, I've been trying really hard to not walk around my room and teach as much... but to a teacher who only sits at her desk at lunch and before/after school... it's been a bit of a challenge.  Thank heavens for my fabulous para who has started making me sit and is doing the walking around for me.  The other new highlight was seeing him breathing through my tummy.  I had my shirt up while we were watching him move around one night and we could see my tummy going up and down with his fast little breaths.  What a fast little breather he is!
Miss anything? Clear skin- I'm starting to break out again.  What the crap?!
Food cravings? All about sweets lately- but that's pretty normal for me on a usual basis anyway :)

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nada

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? A couple Braxton Hicks one night last week but it was just that one night.  We're ready though- nothing left on the to do list and the contraction app is downloaded to both of our phones for when the real action starts to happen!
Symptoms? I don't feel like I'm waddling... but I'm definitely moving slower.  Still have heartburn, back pain, and random hip pains every now and then. 

Belly button in or out? Out 95% of the time.

Wedding rings on or off? Off :( I have a cute ring with our initials that Trent got me off of Etsy that I'm wearing as my stand in right now.

Happy or moody? Ecstatic... I'm soooo ready to meet him!  I'm really not even nervous yet because I just want to see/hold him so bad.  Trying not to think of what I have to do in order for that to happen... I'm choosing to remain oblivious to the fun that awaits ;) 

Looking forward to? Meeting him in T minus 21 days-ish.  Also that I only have 8 more days at work (spring break next week!!)... if he goes exactly on his due date.  I'll be working right up until the last possible day I can to make sure my kids are good and ready for those lovely state assessments!

Daddy moment?   Trent's ready!  He got all of his last to do things done as well... now we can sit back and relax just the two of us for the last time ever!  Bring on the last of our pre-baby date nights!

Headed to work on one of the last days before he dropped.

 

There's the outtie!

 I've been taking a few naps here and there on the couch while waiting for Trent to get home.  Luckily I have some snuggle bugs willing to cuddle up with me.

If only he knew what's coming... this dog has been my baby and he knows it.

One more cause he's so ridiculous.

Where I spent my whole Saturday preparing things for my maternity sub.  Blah... I need to get over my OCD/control issues and just give in to the realization that someone else will be taking control of my classroom for the next 2 months and things will be just fine without me.

The best part of our weekend was our slumber party with JFe!  The last one just the diva, Tio, and Tia.  We celebrated with pizza and Madagascar 3.  She got in lots of practice with her babydolls for the arrival of her baby cousin!

She made sure Tio was in one too.

And then this pose happened.  5 seconds before, we had asked what she was doing and her response... "Pickin' a wedge."  LOL... that girl is the funniest person I know.

I know I'm crazy but I had to document the first time we could take advantage of this parking while we were running errands on Sunday.  VIP.

36 Weeks

36 Weeks: Baby O is the weight of a crenshaw melon. 

He weighs almost 6 pounds and is putting on the weight at about an ounce per day.  He is more than 18.5 inches long. This week Baby O is shedding most of the downy hair and the waxy vernix that covered his body.  He swallows these substances for his first bowel movements- nasty.

How far along? 36 Weeks

Total weight gain?  28 pounds
Maternity clothes? Mix of maternity and normal clothes.  Happy that all of my dresses and leggings still fit so I can be comfy at work!

Stretch marks? None so far...

Sleep? Not so bad this last week but I did wake up a few nights with some hip pain.
Best moment this week? Definitely not our birthing class- didn't really walk away with a whole lot of knowledge that will come useful on D-day.  And biggest complaint- worst metal chairs EVER to make pregnant women sit in from 8:30-5.  What were they thinking?!?. We did enjoy the birthing center tour though.  Luckily, our maternity pictures yesterday more than made up for it.  We LOVED our session with our friend Erin!!
Miss anything? The Ruscos are about to arrive here in a bit to have a drink on their way through town.  Guess I'll enjoy some grape koolaid while they enjoy their beverages.
Food cravings? Just as thirsty as a camel- no matter what it is I gulp it down without breathing.  Trent has really been making fun of me for this.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nada

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? None and that's how I like it!  I want to hold out till his April 1st due date or after.
Symptoms? Same as last week- being slow, heartburn, back pain, getting hot, puffy feet and face, super thirsty, hip pain.  But I'm not complaining because none of it is really all that bad- it comes and goes. 

Belly button in or out? Out 90% of the time.
Wedding rings on or off? As of yesterday I officially took them off for the remainder of the pregnancy.  Erin wanted to use them for a shot at the maternity pictures and I was worried it wasn't going to happen... once we got them off they stayed off :(
Happy or moody? I had a hard day at work last week after enjoying my 4 snow days... but other than that I've been SO happy finishing up all the final things to get ready for the little man's arrival! 
Looking forward to? Here's to hoping that our infant care class makes up for the birthing class this week!  I'm also excited for our last sleepover ever with just J-Fe this weekend.  It'll be her and "her" baby from here on out.  CRAZY.
Daddy moment?   Trent is such a good sport with me and our pictures.  He knows how important pictures are to me and actually enjoys participating in it to document this milestone in our life, I know not every husband would be up for this so I'm super thankful for that!  He has also been a huge help in finishing the nursery organization, house projects, etc.  We bought the last of the baby stuff this weekend from Babies-R-Us and only have 3 things left on the baby to do list: install car seat, install the Angelcare monitor system, and hook up the video monitor to the crib somehow with zip ties.  Then it's just waiting for our little mister while enjoying a few more date nights with just the 2 of us :)

 Our friend, Erin, is an awesome photographer out of Wichita (Erin Kata Photography) and eagerly agreed to do our maternity session for us.  We were so excited to see her work because she is so talented and would be a ton of fun to work with.  Our maternity session was everything we wanted and more!  We're pretty lucky to have such a good friend/photographer to call on :)  She posted this teaser yesterday on facebook and I feel in LOVE with it.  Love both of our hands on the baby belly!

On pinterest I saw a pin where a couple went back and took maternity pictures at the same spot where they took their wedding pictures.  I fell in love with the idea since we were meeting up with Erin in Emporia.  I knew that meant we could head back to our favorite spot at Peter Pan Park to do our pictures and luckily Erin was on board as well.  She then asked for a digital copy of our original wedding picture that was the inspiration behind the maternity picture.  Hands down this is my favorite so far- especially with the saying she put with them.  My how things have changed in five very short years!

Erin pointed out how cool it is that we were in the same spot with completely different seasons shown in the picture.  Couldn't be more true!

Seems only fitting that we got engaged in the snow and we'd be taking baby pictures in the snow.

 

Driving all over town we tried to find the best spot so Erin could get this silhouette shot.  Perfect way to end our fun session with her.  Thanks again Erin... we can't wait to see the rest!

35 Weeks

35 Weeks: Baby O is the weight of a honeydew melon. 

He weighs 5.25 pounds and is over 18 inches long.  This week his kidneys are fully developed and his liver can process some waste products.  His basic physical development is mostly complete- his main job now is to put on weight!

How far along? 35 Weeks

Total weight gain?  27 pounds
Maternity clothes? Mix of maternity and normal clothes

Stretch marks? None so far...

Sleep? So so... back pain was rough this last week so even lying down was semi uncomfortable.
Best moment this week? Too many to count!  2 snow days last week and 1 tomorrow, both of my AMAZING showers*, being in organizing heaven with all the little baby things to put away, ordering his Easter basket from Pottery Barn Kids in case he comes early and is an Easter baby, picking out his birth announcements so I don't have to when he's here, and feeling him move ALL the time.
Miss anything? One day last week was evidently National Margarita Day?! 1. Why didn't I know of this before this year? 2. Who puts that on facebook for preggo women to see and tease ;)
Food cravings? Sadly... the margarita sounded good!

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nada

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? None and that's how I like it!
Symptoms? Same as last week- being slow, heartburn, back pain, getting hot, puffy feet and face.

Belly button in or out? Out 90% of the time.
Wedding rings on or off? Still on, yay!
Happy or moody? Other than today I was feeling so joyful all week long.  Today was just an emotional day for some reason and the baby hormones took over.  It all started with Trent being told to get a hotel room for the next 2 nights/3 days up by the airport so he can attend some dumb convention stuff for work.  They wanted to make sure he wouldn't miss it due to weather so he had to pack his bag last night to leave right after work.  With the terrible storm and being just a month-ish out from the due date I did not like this news one bit.  Good thing I don't have a husband who has to travel/leave for work often because seeing him leave with his duffel bag today was not a pretty sight for this gal.  Stupid hormones!  It was downhill from there with the last minute changes of rescheduling doctor's appointments, hair appointments, AWFUL work stress with planning on how to make up 3 missed days with state assessments just 2 weeks away, crazy students, etc.  But a perfect doctor's appointment tonight (with Trent able to come before leaving for north KC) to hear our strong boy ended my day on a much better note.
Looking forward to? Our all day birthing class on Saturday- I'm sure this will make everything really real... and our maternity pictures on Sunday.  Also excited to get my hair done later this week cause I'm way overdue for my highlights!
Daddy moment?   My husband blows me away on helping other people.  He is such a selfless person that it still amazes me.  He left work early on the two snow days to snow-blow for 15 houses.  Houses that he wasn't getting paid for or even getting thanked for (some neighbors who didn't even thank him are now on my bad list, grrrr). Meanwhile, I'm inside in the warm house just living the dream being lazy.  He puts me to shame every time!

**My two incredible showers hosted by my co-workers, then Jobeth, Ashley, and Angie were so unbelievable that they deserve their own post when I get the pictures from Ashley.  To anyone who had anything to do with our showers- THANK YOU.  Words can't describe how fortunate we feel!

And pictures from the week...

 Flowers from my dad to brighten my snow days!

On the first snow day at about noon this is what our yard looked like.  NUTS that it all started just that morning.

 Backyard shot mainly to show that the snow went clear up to the top ring of our firepit.

 After being stranded on I-35 for 3.5 hours Trent immediately started in on his snow-blowing for our neighborhood.  The guy loves doing it though :)

 While Trent's outside I got this guy on my lap in front of the fireplace being my laundry folding helper.  He's cute, but he's not much help.

Jobeth and Kyle spent a long President's Day weekend in California and went to Disneyland.  They were thinking of Baby O in all their fun and brought this cute souvenir home!  Can't wait to see him wearing it when he's outside working with his Daddy :)

 Mom, this picture is for you.  See... you really can take good pictures!  Look at this one you got of Harlee girl!

Most ridiculous picture= Bentley trying out Lora's handiwork for one of Baby O's newborn picture outfits.  When you don't have a baby to test the size on... improvise and throw in your five pound dog.  He fit perfect for anybody curious ;)

34 Weeks

34 Weeks: Baby O is the weight of a cantaloupe. 

He weighs 4.75 pounds and is almost 18 inches long.  This week his fat layers are filling out, making him look rounder and his skin is smoother than ever.  His central nervous system and lungs are continuing to mature.

***No school today means no makeup and hair today either.  Just keeping it real :)

How far along? 34 Weeks

Total weight gain?  26 pounds
Maternity clothes? Mix of maternity and normal clothes

Stretch marks? None as of yet... cross those fingers!  I need to go buy bottle #3 of lotion.

Sleep? Sleep is still pretty great, I wake up for a nightly potty break between 3:30 and 4:30 and I usually wake myself up switching sides and having to readjust pillows.
Best moment this week? Having a four day weekend was awesome.  We also saw a foot stick out for the first time this week.  You could easily tell it was a foot kicking out on my left side and it blew us away.  He was being quite forceful this evening as well :)
Miss anything? My old clothes- dressing is becoming a bit boring since options are more limited.
Food cravings? I got my root beer float this weekend and it was delicious!

Anything making you queasy/sick? Not a thing, but I still gag sometimes when brushing the back of my teeth.  I hope this goes away eventually!

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? None this last week!
Symptoms? Being slow, heartburn, back pain, and getting hot since I'm normally freezing all the time.  I'm also noticing some puffiness, majorly in my face but also my feet.  Oh joy.

Belly button in or out? It's not out 100%  of the time but it's getting closer.
Wedding rings on or off? Still on and easily able to pull off.  I hope I can keep them on the whole time.
Happy or moody? HAPPY!  I packed our hospital bag this weekend and got so excited for what's to come in the next 6ish weeks!
Looking forward to? Both of our baby showers are this coming weekend!!!!  I have my school/coworker shower on Saturday and then our friends/family shower on Sunday.  So excited for a fun weekend ahead :)  Then the organizing party begins which thrills me to no end!!!!
Daddy moment?   Trent doesn't mind giving into me one bit especially when I say "his son" is wanting or needing something.  Works like a charm every time ;)  I have the best husband ever!

 

Having to spend Valentine's Day at parent/teacher conferences until 8 p.m. = LAME.  At least I got to spend the day of love with one of my boys.  Gotta love a school bathroom pic that we meant to send to Daddy... and then forgot... darn baby brain.

We usually don't make a huge deal out of Valentine's Day but Trent was extra sweet this year.  I got a plant so that "we're always in paradise" in Trent's words, tickets to Kenny Chesney in June*, and then a P.S. in my card that told me to look in the freezer for my favorite DQ treat.  Trent knows the best way to woo me is with sweets.
*Concert is June 15 and Trent got worried I wouldn't want to leave the baby yet.  I'm guessing I'll be fine for a night out by that point.  Who is calling first dibs on babysitting lol?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Friday night we hung out with Jeryn Fe at Jerad and Ashley's house and had a blast with Rapunzel.  She was even kind enough to share her wig.

 

Tio got to wear it too, but we think he looked more like Joe Dirt... hence why he's showing off his guns.  Have to see the movie to get it...

33 Weeks

 33 Weeks: Baby O is the weight of a pineapple. 

He weighs over 4 pounds and is just 17 inches long.  This week his skeleton is hardening, except for his skull plates which won't fuse together so he can fit through the birth canal.

How far along? 33 Weeks

Total weight gain?  25 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Mix of maternity and normal clothes

Stretch marks? None as of yet... cross those fingers!

Sleep? Sleep was wonderful this last week!
Best moment this week? So many to choose but probably celebrating Jeryn Fe's 3rd birthday!  Finishing the nursery was also squeal worthy :)
Miss anything? A Friday night happy hour with coworkers would be so nice with state assessment stress starting to hit.
Food cravings? One of my kids was talking to me about a root beer float today (random convo) and now that's allllll I'm thinking about.  Hint, hint... Trenton ;)

Anything making you queasy/sick? Not a thing

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? None this last week!
Symptoms? I'm starting to feel myself slowing down from my normal on the go speed.  Rolling over and bending over are chores that take longer than normal.

Belly button in or out? It can't make up its mind.  But I'd say more out than in these days.
Wedding rings on or off? Still on and easily able to pull off.  I hope I can keep them on the whole time.
Happy or moody? Even with a slight cold last week for a few days I still haven't been having any mood swings.  There's just too much to be excited about!!!!
Looking forward to? Even though I'll be pulling work days until 8 p.m. two nights this week (parent-teacher conferences) I'm pumped cause that means I have a 4 day weekend to look forward to.  Teachers get Friday off and then it's a holiday on Monday.  Score!  Plus, we have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and it's Valentine's Day this week :)
Daddy moment?   Trent scored some husband of the year points by enduring breastfeeding class with me this last week.

 Jingle with us at breastfeeding class on Tuesday.  We were told to bring a doll or stuffed animal and thanks to Jeryn Fe having Tio fix Jingle... her furry friend went with us.  Jingle will never be the same after what he watched and heard ;)

 Sneak peek of the bedding that Lora made!!!  I swear... this dog honestly thinks he's the one getting a new room.  He laid down in the crib and peeked through the bars and everything.  Ridiculous!

 Harlee needed some blog loving too.  She's our cuddly girl- she got in this position all on her own for some snuggling.  Bentley likes to be held whereas Harlee just wants to snuggle as close as she can. 

Our favorite little lady in the whole world at her birthday party on Sunday.  She pretty much celebrated her birthday all weekend long as true divas should. Tio, Tia, and her baby "Scooter" enjoyed every second!

Tio made her a Squinkie table- aka "Squinkyville"... after her birthday she now has 56 Squinkies.  Spoiled much? ;)

 Stole this picture from Ashley- she won't mind :)  I can't get over how beautiful/dang grown up she looks.  Some of my favorite quotes from J-Fe this birthday weekend:
-"I love everyone here!" at Austin's on Friday at dinner.
-"You're beautiful" She was on my lap at dinner and randomly turned around and said this.  Every preggo lady needs this girl around for the self esteem.
-"Everyone!  Can you feel that?!?  My heart is beeping!" said back at the house on Friday night while entertaining a room full of family.  She loves an audience!
-"Thank you for coming to my birthday!!" said on Friday... and Saturday... and Sunday...
-"I wish forrrr.... MORE squinkies!!!!" at her party after being told to make a wish before blowing out her candles.

32 Weeks

   32 Weeks: Baby O is the weight of a large jicama. 

He weighs 3.75 pounds and is about16.7 inches long.  This week he now has his toenails, fingernails, and real hair- even if it's just peach fuzz.  His skin is also becoming soft and smooth.

How far along? 32 Weeks

Total weight gain?  24 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Mix of maternity and normal clothes

Stretch marks? None as of yet... cross those fingers!

Sleep? Sleep was wonderful this last week!
Best moment this week? Working on some more nursery projects- I think I finally have all the wall decor figured out. 
Miss anything? Didn't miss anything this week.
Food cravings? Nothing new this week.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Not a thing

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? None this last week!
Symptoms? Back pain has eased up and heartburn isn't as intense.

Belly button in or out? In one second... out the next... it sticks out when I'm full, he moves, or I laugh too much. Trent and I could not stop laughing about it the other night which only made it stick out worse.  Still not a permanent "outtie" yet though!
Wedding rings on or off? Still on and easily able to pull off.
Happy or moody? No moodiness here... I'm pumped for these next 8ish weeks to fly by!!
Looking forward to? Getting to see the bedding that Lora made when she brings it up to KC this weekend.  The curtains my mom made are beyond perfect and I'm so ready to see the bedding bring everything together!  I'm also excited to celebrate Jeryn's birthday this weekend.  Can't believe the little diva is turning 3 :(
Daddy moment?   Trent has been busy building J-Fe's birthday present and I love hearing him talk about all of Baby O's projects he'll make the little man one day!