35 weeks

This week started off with a bang! I had a really upset stomach on saturday night and I have heard that's a symptom of early labor so I had my senses on hyper-alert for any other signs. My hips, low back and pelvis have been really sore and hurting lately and Henry was moving around like he was trying to bust out. I think honestly he was getting positioned to drop, which I'm pretty sure he did. I can feel his little booty and it used to be up in my ribs and now it's dropped down alot. Which I am ok with, he needs at least another week to cook but we are ready for him now (or just about) and I just want to meet him. That being said the further he goes, the healthier he will hopefully be and I think I have already proven that I will suck up the discomforts of pregnancy to do what is best for my baby. The tempting part is that I am getting so burnt out at work, it's so tiring for me to do 12 hours at a time now and I get sore and swollen and worn out and grouchy by the end of a shift these days. Plus all I want to do is be with Taylor lately and I can't do that at work. My hormones are going nuts again and I've been crying alot this week. Mostly from anxiety of getting things done. These potential signs of impending labor got me all worked up and nervous that I wasn't going to have anything done that had to be done before he comes, but we did.

I have big issues with scheduling, planning, organization, to-do lists etc. I think it's because for my entire life until I graduated college I had a ready made plan/schedule for me that was always set. I had split custody as a kid between my mom/stepdad and my dad/stepmom and the courts always made my schedule for me of where and when I would be at a certain family's house. I always knew what day I had to be a certain place and at what time. It sucked but it was predictable and organized and comforting to know what was coming when the rest of my world seemed kind of chaotic. So as an adult I have gone into overdrive trying to create a consistant schedule for myself or at least something where I am in control of what is happening and when, so I know what to expect and always have a plan. It's my one source of control and comfort since I didn't have the control when I was a kid. Now, that being said, it drives Taylor NUTS!!! He likes to be spontaneous and doesn't really ever have a plan. He just flies by the seat of his pants (and his influence has been good for me) but it also drives me crazy! I need to know what our plan it all the time so as you can imagine getting ready for this baby, I've had tons of plans. Plans on when to go to the doctor for appts, plans on when we will get things purchased, plans on how we will set up the nursery. PLANS, PLANS, PLANS.
This week was no exception. I had a to-do list that was literally an entire 8x10 sheet of paper with tiny writing. Things like "vaccuum the entire house" to "magic eraser smudges off the walls" and "organize Henry's dresser". So many things to do but the biggest things were to do our taxes, go to Sam's club to stock up bulk essentials like paper towels, trash bags, toilet paper, shampoo/conditioner. Get our house completely cleaned and spotless etc. Taylor didn't want to do any of that fri or saturday like we had planned so we had to push it all of until sunday. As you can imagine I about had a breakdown about these broken "plans" and honestly it didn't matter, it all got done and it got done well and with good attitudes but it just wasn't what I was thinking and that part makes me crazy. I need to learn to be more spontaneous. Henry is going to be good for me in that way. I don't want to make him a pyscho OCD type-A nut job like I am but I also want him to have a schedule and some consistancy. 

Anyshways, My mom and stepdad came over and had lunch and helped us completely clean our house. We organized everything in Henry's room to finish it up and bathroom and got it completely ready for him. All we need is his chair/ottoman and his shelf above his peg board to complete things, then I can hang his collection of old vintage car signs above the chair and Whallaa!!!  All of his clothes are washed and folded or hung and put away and his closet and entire room smell so good of baby everything. It just is so surreal to me STILL to sit in there and realize that I have a baby coming, my baby coming. I don't know why my mind can't grasp that fact. Am I the only one? Am I in some weird denial or something that I should be concerned about? It's kind of worrysome that it hasnt really hit me yet. I'm not sure it will until he gets here and even then I feel like I might just look at him and be like "really? this one is mine? he doesn't belong to someone else that just went home for the night?"

We got his carseat and stroller bought and put together and I topped it off with this very hungry caterpillar toy that I have been obsessing over for months now.

Tuesday morning Mr. grouch passed his BPP again this week but barely. He was just under the wire at 28 minutes (he gets 30 minutes to do his tricks). Little stinker wouldn't do his last 2 big body rolls.

He was sucking on his hand/arm here.

I can't get enough of this little face either. I'm not sure which is cuter, Cora wanting my ceral or grouchy Henry. Love them!!

 

Wednesday I went to my regular doctor's appointment and the checked for Group B Strep, a common bacteria found in women that can make the baby sick during delivery (all it means if it's positive is that we get some antibiotics before delivery). She also checked me for dilation during that process and said that I'm just bearly starting to dilate. Yay!! She did tell me that Henry has definitely dropped and is now "engaged in the pelvis" and is at "-2 station". Station is a term used to determine and communicate how low the baby is in the pelvis and how close to delivery it is. You start at -4 station (baby is up high in the uterus in the abdomen) and as baby moves down further the numbers drop to 0 (where baby is at the same level as the pelvic opening) and then start counting up again to +2 station where baby is crowing. So we are making progress just as I thought.

 

This is where my week got amazing! Friday night my friend Ali and Audra came to town before my baby shower (this was a friends shower thrown by a few of my best friends from college and most of them live across the state of Kansas). They came to KC after work and stayed with us friday night. Also my Aunt and Uncle came to town from Colorado for the KU game so we had dinner with them which was great. We miss them dearly!

Saturday we got up early (Taylor went to work) and the girls and I went to starbucks for breakfast, and then the grocery/liquor store to get snacks and stuff for sangria for my baby shower. We got home and made an incredible spread of healthy food and a big batch of sangria.

 Here is the whole spread :)

 

 WE had fresh fruit, chocolate dipped strawberries, a yummy salsa dip with all sorts of veggies.

 We had a big tray of veggies and ranch dip.

 

 Crackers and cheese and amazingly cute cookies and cupcakes.

 Get a load of how cute these are! "H" cookies in his room colors, mustache and bowtie cupcakes and tie cookies. I can't get over how great these are and how yummy they tasted.

 The girls had everyone put a baby feet stamp on a calendar on the date they think baby Henry is going to come with their name. It will be fun to see who was right!

 

 They also had a basket of diapers and people could write fun notes or advice on them for middle of the night diaper changes. The things on them were HILARIOUS!

 

 Here is a cup of the sangria that I wanted sooooo bad. It had green apples, oranges, lemon, lime, raspberries, apple pucker, moscato, champagne, and peach wine. YUM! It smelled amazing.

 

 We got so many amazing gifts. But this one was by far the cutest! My friend Sarah made us a motorcycle out of diapers, bibs, scratch mittons, a bottle, play keys and a teddy bear. LOVE IT

After the shower the girls took me to get a mani/pedi. I got soft pink with a gold glitter accent nail on my fingers.

 

And pinkish red glitter on my little swollen sausage toes.

Here is my group of Emporia girls from my shower.

 

Chalkboard time!

 

How far along? 35 weeks, baby is the size of a coconut?! OMG this is getting ridiculous, I get these fruit/veggie size comparisons from my "the bump" app and I have never seen a 17-18inch, 5-6lb coconut. Try again the bump, you're drunk.

Total weight gain: 12 pounds total now.

Maternity clothes? keepin what I've got, some of maternity shirts are getting short though bc my belly is so big.

Sleep: I wake up all the time to go to the bathroom and I have to toss and turn because my hips hurt me but oh well, better sleep than I am sure I will get in a few weeks. 

Best moment this week: Getting the rest of our stuff for munchkin and getting his room and our house all organized! I LOVE ORGANIZATION! WOO HOOO

Miss Anything? Moving around without feeling like I'm going to fall apart.

Movement: He really isn't actually kicking much anymore, he just makes big rolling body movements.

Food cravings: Arby's roast beef sandwich, peppermint mochas again and of course orange juice.

Symptoms: My hips, pelvis and lower back are very sore, I think he is scooting down and getting ready. Out of breath all the time, lower energy level and some swelling in my legs.

Belly Button in or out? We will say flat-ish now. I don't think it's going to pop, I had a freakishly deep belly button to start.

Wedding rings on or off? still on but they get a little snug at the end of the day or if I walk with my hands down for a long time. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy now that things are done and we are ready for him but I had alot of anxiety this week about getting my massive to do list done so I cried alot.

Looking forward to: My baby shower on saturday! and hitting 36 weeks. That means he can go to full term nursery instead of the NICU if he is born after saturday and he is healthy enough. YAY! HUGE HUGE milestone.