Family Friday: 36 Weeks

Warning: Family Friday posts are an open and honest update of our pregnancy.  There will be references to lady parts, internal organs, and bodily functions.  There will also be photos of baby bumps and ultrasounds.  If any of this bothers you, please stop reading now.

36 Weeks

THE BABY:

 -  is packing on about an ounce of weight a day!

 -  should weigh about 6 lbs and be close to her birth length

 -  is getting closer to being able to breathe on her own

WEIGHT:  + 20.5 pounds total.  I gained one pound this week.

BODY:  My waist is now at +8 inches, my lower belly is now at +7 inches, and my hips are still at +2 inches.  My belly definitely grew this week and is feeling HUGE!  Suddenly all the tops I've been wearing are too short which means my wardrobe has greatly diminished :/  Thank goodness I only have 4 weeks left!  I wonder daily how much bigger my belly is going to get...

THE GOOD:  1) Movement.  Although it can be uncomfortable, I still look forward to feeling Baby G moving and stretching.  2) No Stretchmarks.  Still none (knock on wood) and hopefully it stays that way despite my belly being stretched to the max!

THE BAD:  1) Heartburn.  I've never had so much heartburn in my life, but I'm glad it's still mild enough to be fixed with Tums.  2)  Braxton Hicks.  These are sporadic uterine contractions often called "practice contractions."  I've actually been feeling this occasional tightening since the end of the first trimester so my uterus has been getting plenty of practice for the big day!  Now that my belly is so large, they're getting a little uncomfortable.

FOOD:  This week I had a head cold that thankfully only lasted a few days.  My amazing husband made me a huge pot of chicken noodle soup that really hit the spot :)  It was certainly my favorite thing to eat this week!

EXERCISE:  I went to my favorite Power Pump class twice this week, riding my bicycle to and from the gym.  I feel surprisingly good working out and I'm thankful that I'm still able to!

OTHER NOTES:  I must say that we are blessed to live in the most amazing neighborhood full of wonderful people :)  Last weekend, my neighbors threw me a baby shower!  It had an "Afternoon Tea Party" theme and was so sweet!  Living so far from our families, I am so incredibly grateful to be surrounded by such caring people and so glad that Baby G will spend her first years growing up here.

*******

"In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we

give birth to new possibilities within ourselves."

~Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn

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