NewMerfbaby is 36 weeks!
At my Ultrasound last week he’s clocking in at 7lbs. Yea – as my OB said, I grow ’em big. He’s not measuring ahead – just in the 90% of his growth range. Riley was the same at that point, so I’m expecting an almost 9lb baby. The best news – he’s BIG all over…head, torso, legs. Yay for giant babies!
How I’m Feeling: I’ll be honest. Rough. I’ve not been feeling well the past few days – or weeks really. Thus, the lack of chatter around here. For an “easy” pregnancy it’s still hard. Chasing a toddler and surviving this Valley heat is a challenge. I ended up calling the doctor last Thursday (after my Wednesday appointment) because I had major lower abdomen cramping. They told me it’s normal since he’s so super low and wedged in there. Thank goodness he’s in the right position! Then, we had Riley’s party on Saturday and I tired to take it easy, but still more than normal. I ended up having super sharp right side pain – like a side stitch from running? That settled down, but then Sunday night (after an easy day) I woke up twice in the middle of the night with pain in the upper ride side of my stomach, just under my bra strap. I could hear my OB’s voice in my ears…if you have upper right side pain, blurred vision, headache or vomiting those are signs of Preeclampsia. Ugh. I walked around for a bit at 3:30am, drank some lemonade and laid down to get the baby to wake up and move around. He moved and I felt better. I called my OB in the morning and they had me come in for a Blood Pressure check just to rule out the Pre-e. By that time everything had settled down. My BP was all good, but they told me I really need to slow down, and not lift/carry things. Um. Toddler? I’ve been trying to get him to lay down on the floor for diaper changes, and he’s always in his stroller if we’re going anywhere – just so I don’t have to carry him around. I was an emotional/hormonal hot mess yesterday morning and my stomach hurt. I had my normal OB appointment and she said everything looks great, and all my vitals are beyond perfect. It’s just normal stuff I’m experiencing. The thing is, I feel like a crazy pregnant lady. I was so laid back and easy when I was pregnant with Riley. I remember people asking me if I was miserable, and I always told them I felt great, and I did! This time around, I get it. But I don’t want to whine or complain, because I truly am lucky – this has been a very easy pregnancy. But I know I’m getting to the point where I’m done being pregnant – and ready to meet this baby.
Belly/Weight: Slowed down on the weight gain, which is good. Right around 40 gained for the pregnancy, which is the same for Riley. My stomach is rock hard a good portion of the day. I’ve been having Braxton Hicks and regular contractions off and on. I even had a contraction yesterday when my OB was listening to his heart. She commented that I was having a contraction right then…yes, yes I am. There’s also some new stretchmarks. Which bum be out a little, but aren’t a big deal. I know they’ll fade.
Life Changes: Slowed way down. Riley and I don’t get out of the house much on our own anymore. And I’ve started using vons.com for grocery delivery. It’s life-changing. It’s $10 for a delivery over $150, and free delivery if you order diapers or wipes. I’m sold. It’s the most amazing service ever. And I get all my normal discounts with the club card. I remember using the service when I worked at Disney – we would stock our department kitchen that way – so I knew it was legit. So glad to have that now. I’m writing this while sitting in the glider in the nursery. I did some more nesting today, and have pretty much everything ready. I need to grab a few things (and pack) for my hospital bag and we’ll probably put the carseat in this weekend.
Movement: Dude’s got moves. This morning I was sitting on the couch and scrolling through my phone with my hand over my belly and he was kicking it all over the place! I do get some sharp pangs every now and then, and I know he’s just running out of space.
Sleep: It’s OK. I’m going to bed around 9:30pm and getting up at 6:00am so it’s a pretty solid amount of sleep, it’s just not uninterrupted. I wake up once to go to the bathroom, and a few times to roll over. Thank goodness we have A/C, but I still kick the covers off every night.
Cravings: Ice cream! Mostly sweet stuff. Mexican. In N Out.
Exercise: After all the crazy cramps and pains I’ve finally concluded my weekly workouts. I’m sad, but I know that I need to start resting and really conserving my energy for labor. I had a realization the other day that if I went into labor at that point I was already exhausted, and labor is no easy task – it’s exhausting. Crossing my fingers I get to labor for a shorter amount of time….8 hours sounds nice :)
Favorite Pregnancy Moment this week: Nesting and getting ready. I found a super slick 4Moms Mamaroo for sale through a Mom FB group I’m on – and I’m super excited I got it! Our last swing didn’t make it since it had raised 2 kids even before Riley. I didn’t want to buy a new swing, knowing how expensive they are, and how quickly they outgrow them. But I know it’s vital for the early months. I’ll probably hand this one down to a friend when we’re done with it.
On My Mind: I’m starting to get my head wrapped around labor, and less about the logistics. Since I’ve been having all these funny cramps and I’m 36 weeks I know it could happen in theory at any time. I don’t think I’ll be super early, but I also don’t think I’ll be very overdue either. I’m not so concerned about when labor will start, like I have been in the past – I know it’ll happen when it’s supposed to. I’m thinking more about how I need to mentally prepare for labor, and start resting up for that.
The Merfett 
