Pregnancy Update at 38 weeks

I decided it's time for me to document some more of my pregnancy happenings seeing as we are getting down to the wire now! I'm 38 weeks along and feeling like I am so close to holding this baby in my arms.  Here are some thoughts with weekly photos interspersed:

^^31 weeks, just after church.

-I keep having dreams where I go in to labor and have the baby.  A couple of weeks ago I dreamt I was going into labor and then I got so excited to see the baby that I woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep for another hour.  During that hour, I made list after list in my mind of all that I needed to do before the baby comes.  Those dreams kicked me into high gear on baby prep mode.

^^I turned 33 weeks on Thanksgiving day and we walked the 5k Turkey Trot in Walnut Creek.  I couldn't believe that just 5 months before I ran a half marathon.  I wish I could say I ran my whole pregnancy but that would be a total lie. 

-My doctor visits are every week now.  The baby's head has been consistently down for the last ten weeks which means that those feet of hers were constantly attacking my rib cage.  While the kicks are adorable and exciting they became quite uncomfortable.  I never thought I'd be one to complain about the kicks because I love them so much, but they sure made sitting down difficult.

^^33 weeks outside the Good Samaritan Hospital, just after the tour

-We toured the hospital a couple of weeks ago (I was 33 weeks along) and it was really fun to waddle around that place with the eight other pregnant women.  I didn't realize how nice it would be to be around people who were just as big as me!  Aaron took the whole thing very seriously and had us time how long it took us to get to the hospital.  He even took notes during the tour.  It was nice to be able to visualize where I would be having the baby and what the recovery would be like.

^^8 months pregnant and wearing heals!  This was taken at 34 weeks, right after Aaron's work's Christmas Party.  I had no idea what to wear and there was no way I was going to go buy a fancy maternity dress.  I decided that all black with heels, a sparkly bracelet and curled hair was the fanciest I could do. 

-The headaches I would get through my first and second trimester have subsided and I don't have anything to complain of now other than back pain.  If I'm bending over a lot one day, I will really feel it that night in my lower back and sleep will be a struggle.  I have a body pillow that I keep between my knees, which helps.

^^35 weeks with my cousin Anna Marie, my Aunt Anita, Anna Marie's baby boy Andries, my Grandma Stewart, my Dad and my niece Eloise.  Just after the baby shower.  My belly was still so high and the kicks were really hurting my ribs.

-I had the sweetest baby shower in December put on by my cousin Anna Marie, sister in law Chelsea and family friend Miriam where we were blessed with so much kindness.  The group gift was a stroller, which is now set up in our living room.  The stroller makes it all so real!  I'll catch Aaron pushing the stroller back and forth, pretending that the baby is already here.  I can't wait to see him interact with her.

-I was finally able to substitute teach in December and worked primarily in the same 4th grade classroom.  The kids were about the same height as my belly, which was pretty funny.  They loved to give me baby name suggestions.  I was so beat at the end of each day but was glad I got to work a little.

^^36 weeks and serving at the Bishop's Storehouse in Riverside.  Not the greatest belly shot but it is practically the only picture of myself from this week. 

-We decided to drive down to Riverside to spend Christmas with Aaron's family even though I was already 36 1/2 weeks along.  We stopped every hour or so to let me stretch so the drive wasn't too bad.  I really enjoyed being with family and am so glad we went.  The baby didn't make a surprise early entrance in to the world either (thankfully!) but we were ready--we had brought my hospital bag, carseat and some baby essentials just in case.

-I told Aaron last weekend that may belly may drop lower soon and sure enough two days later (Dec. 23) my belly looked completely different (to me and Aaron at least). It was actually quite nice to have the baby drop down because it has taken pressure off my ribs and sitting is a lot easier now (I don't feel so compact).

^^37 weeks in Riverside, taken with my new Christmas tripod! I'm wearing a very similar outfit in this post when I was just 23 weeks and boy my belly looks bigger!

-At my 37 week doctor visit, the doctor (actually not my usual OBGYN) said I was measuring small according to her measuring tape.  She got this really serious look on her face, checked my charts and then pulled up the ultrasound to start taking measurements.  After trying to read her facial expressions and freaking out in my mind, she said that everything looks good according to the ultrasound and that there is no need to worry after all.  Of course, I still worry though (even though I have since read things online that it is normal to measure smaller once the baby's head drops).  This experience, coupled with the baby's change in movement (which is also normal because there is less room in there), has me constantly on guard that something could be wrong.  I'm constantly tracking kicks.  I just can't wait to hold her in my arms and see with my eyes that she is healthy.

-My doctor is out of town until January 5th and Aaron is taking a CPA test on January 6th so I'm telling the baby that she is not allowed to come until the 7th at the earliest.  We shall see though!

^^37 weeks and 6 days (so this counts as my 38 week picture right??).  We went to Santa Cruz on New Year's day and had a picnic. 

-We have everything we need at this point for the baby to arrive (baby gear, hospital bag, etc.) but I still don't feel totally ready.  I have a list of 37 things to do every day before the baby comes, but I can only manage accomplishing one, maybe two, of them.  I hate to pull the "I'm pregnant" card, but I really do feel tired at this point.  It doesn't help my motivation either when I read in all the pregnancy books that I should relax and lounge around the house so I'm rested for labor.  This baby will come whether I finish my to do list or not and it will all work out  :)

I can't wait to hold her!