nine months (week 36)

We are nine months pregnant.  Are we there yet?

Weight: I am losing track, but I know I was up another 2 pounds from the last appointment.  It's just water weight, right?

Eat: I don't have that much of an appetite, but I feel weak like I need to eat.  I have been nauseous and having cramps, so it's distracting.

Sweat: I'm hot.  My hands and feet feel hot and sweaty and swelly.  I haven't exercised this week, but now that I am finished with work I plan to walk a little bit every day.

Sleep:  I've napped twice this week.  I am not a napper.

I have been nesting by washing clothes and sheets and blankets and hats and socks and anything else this baby girl might touch.  I really want this little tiny baby to get here so I can put her in all these little tiny clothes and wrap her in little tiny blankets. 

xoxo,

ricki

5 more weeks= week 35

This was an exciting week.  I was showered at work by my wonderful co-workers and showered at home by our friends and family.  We are so fortunate to be surrounded by amazing and supportive people.

We also had a doctor appointment this week, which included an ultrasound.  Here are the stats:

Jade weighs about 6 pounds and we are 80% effaced.  All good signs for an on-time early delivery!  I want her to be healthy and ready to come, but I won't be sad if she decides to exit the building around week 38.

Weight:
Good news is that I only gained 1 pound in between my appointments!

Eat:
Still there isn't much room for food.  Breakfast is the only meal I am actually hungry for.  The rest of the day is a toss up.  I'm trying to keep a balances diet, but sometimes eating 2 pounds of strawberries is the only thing that satisfies me. 

Sweat:
I am trying to stay active, but it hurts.  Walking hurts, sitting hurts, breathing hurts.  I think I'm just going to meditate and visualize from now on.  I do plan to walk around the block a few times next week during the full moon though.

Sleep:
I feel heavy, which makes rolling around in bed difficult.  Most people can toss and turn without actually waking up, but it is such a process to roll from one side to the other that I am wide awake before I complete the shift.  Also, I've been having cramping and back pain and tightness in my belly on and off the past few days.  Maybe braxton-hicks?

xoxo,

howell family

thirty four weeks

Another week came and went really fast.  In less than two months, we should be holding our baby girl.  Hopefully she won't have the hiccups that she can't seem to rid of lately. 

We had our hospital tour and our first birthing class this week.  February is going to be B.U.S.Y.  The hospital tour was wonderful.  Being in the labor and delivery room actually got me EXCITED about laboring and delivering.  I know I am easily sold as I almost always buy something from the shelf in line at the grocery store, but who know I'd be buying into wanting to labor and deliver.  Some days I am terrified, but mostly I am excited to see what giving birth feels like to me.  I can't wait to have this experience with Geoff and Jaden. 

Our birthing class was okay.  I didn't feel like I was learning anything new, but maybe that's a good thing, right?  Between my Mindful Birthing book and yoga, I feel prepared with pain management and expectations of what may happen.  Mostly, I understand that I cannot plan this or control this.  My body and Jade will work together to do what needs to be done.  Complications happen and sometimes events take place that are out of our control.  Geoff and I plan to be as informed, but as open-minded as possible to allow our birth to unfold naturally, whatever that ends up meaning to us.

Weight:  At my last doctor appointment I officially reached the 30lb. mark.  I have gained thirty pounds. 

Eat:  There is just no room for food and the baby.  Baby wins.

Sweat:  Yoga and walking are my favorite things to do.  Walking is becoming uncomfortable and sometimes I cut off my air supply by trying to touch my toes in yoga, but I think it's all going to pay off.   

Sleep:  I am so exhausted all the time.  In fact, today I am even cranky.  I can easily pass out at 7pm, but then my nights are restless and full of tossing, turning, peeing, burping, dreaming, baby kicking, and other fun night time activities. 

one stroller...two stroller...three stroller...four?  Okay so we have 3 strollers and only 1 baby.

xoxo,

r&g

WEEK 33

From what I read, pregnancy being 9 months is a big fat lie.  Apparently 40 weeks really adds up to more than 9 months, WHAT?!  Either way, I don't really know if we are in our 7th month or 8th month, so I am just focusing on approximately 7 weeks to go.  (and keeping my fingers crossed for like 6 weeks to go)

I spent some time in Jade's room this past weekend.  It was really nice and peaceful.  Our glider arrived, which was the push I needed to go through the pile of clothes that our friends and family have so generously given us thus far.  I plan to wash everything before she arrives, but for now I just separated and folded it.  Here is what I found:

- she needs something to sleep in as a newborn
- i don't know the difference between a sleeper and some other sleeper-like clothing
- she doesn't have any pants until she is 9 months

We are going to choose a crib soon, which gets me excited about buying bedding.  Then, I realized that bedding=sheet.  I've read mixed opinions on the crib bumper...something about suffocating.  I don't want to suffocate my baby, but a crib with just a sheet sounds boring and bare.  I am also wondering if all crib mattresses are the same size?  Or can we get Jade a nice Cal King crib mattress?

My mind has been racing lately, so much so that I feel a bit frozen.  I feel like we have a list of things to do that out-number the days left before she arrives.  I feel really excited, but then I also get waves of...sadness?  It's really confusing, but I hope it passes soon.  There is no reason to feel anything but pure joy right now, amiright?  Is this nesting?

Eat

Cravings include fruits, but other than that nothing sounds appetizing.  Recently Jade has begun punching me in the stomach as I try and eat...so that's fun.  Oh, and I am really really thirsty all the time.  It's barely 9:30AM and I've already downed 3.5 bottles of water.

Sweat

I took Jaden for a swim last weekend and it was lovely.  I felt 27 lbs. lighter with less tension and pulling and stretching.   I've been sticking to yoga once a week with some light walking most days.  I'm hoping all this meditation and breathing I am practicing won't go out the window when that day comes. 

Sleep

I am so tired and exhausted all the time that it's frustrating.  I fall asleep instantly at night, but then my bladder or the cat or the heat or the baby or the youfillintheblank wakes me up.  My nights are usually 8 hours of interupted sleep, so I feel drowsy by 10AM.  I am not a very good napper, also, that's kind of frowned upon at work.

xoxo,

r

wrapping up week 32

it's going fast people.  so fast that i've nearly missed week 32.  i've planned to take photos, write a blog, and update our chalkboard all week, but with my 7pm bedtime, the days got away from me.  i'm so tired.  i know all you moms out there are mumbling "you don't know tired" and i believe you!  i am torn between my exhaustion just from trying to take a full breath and my sudden feeling of wehavesomuchtodo and iwanttotakeavacationandgetoutanddosomethingbeforeiamresponsiblefortakingcareofanotherhumanbeing.  Ya know?  it's almost february and during the shortest month of the year i have 4 baby showers to attend, including our own (yay!), 6 baby classes, and i guess get ready for Jade to arrive.  as exciting as all these events are, when will i sleep?  when will i nest?  when will we go on a babymoon?  why do we wait until the final months before we feel ready to face reality of the baby coming?  we have nine months, but yet we wait until the end when we are fat and tired.

since our schedule is filled with so many baby-things for the next month, i have recently started to feel...weird.  i can't exactly find the right word, but the first things that comes to mind are stuck or antsy.  i want to get out and do something.  i have no idea what that something is, but i want to do it.  i can see why a babymoon is encouraged.  the reality that in 7 short weeks i won't have as much freedom as i currently do is setting in and i need to run around and get some of this energy (that is only in my head) out.

enough about me, let's talk baby.  we got to see our little bean via 4d ultrasound last weekend.  she looks like...a baby.  family said she has my lips, but i'm most excited by all the hair on her head.  i think she gets that from her dad.  i believe at this point she is going to gain about a 1/2 a pound a week.  i'm up 27 pounds, so i am guessing we are about to have a growth spurt.  this will make putting on my shoes even more of an adventure every morning.

new this week- my engagement ring doesn't fit and my wedding band is rather snug.  yoga is helping to keep my body limber, while ace wishes i could walk faster when i take him out.  eating is becoming more of a challenge.  besides the heart burn, there is just no room for food.  i eat slow and fill up fast.  still not into meat, but love fruits like strawberries and oranges.

i gave my notice at work this week.  i am going to take off 3 weeks before our official due date.  this time will be for me. period.  just me.

 jaden maryjane howell @ 31 weeks with feet crossed in front of her face

 jaden maryjane howell @ 31 weeks

jaden maryjane howell @ 31 weeks

jaden maryjane howell @ 31 weeks

xoxo

week 31

nine more weeks to go.  that's like two months.  

belly is big.  this baby is trying to suffocate me.

right now i love yoga, deep breaths, and strawberries.

i want to buy baby things.  

 ace peeking past jade

xoxo,

ricki

ten more weeks!

Up until this point I've been counting up, 10 weeks, 20 weeks, and so on.  Now that we have reached thirty weeks, I find myself counting down.  Baby Jade will hopefully be here in March, which could be 8 weeks or it could be 11 weeks, only she will decide when her birthday will be.

details, fun facts, and photos

Weight

My weight is still 133lbs.  Although I feel like we are having a growth spurt.  My belly feels full and tight.  Most days I find it difficult to breathe.  I think she is crushing some very important breathing organs.  Last week at work 2 co-workers kindly pointed out how "big" I'm getting.  And how I am starting to look "bloated".   I know these words are not meant in a negative way, rather as encouragement like "hey, look at you!  you're pregnant and growing.  keep up the good work!"

    

Eat

heart burn, heart burn, heart burn.  no room for my food.  period.

Sweat

I've been keeping up a light routine of pilates and walking.  Some days feels great and others I am just too exhausted.  We did an 8 mile hike a week ago and I felt amazing the whole way.   Afterwards, I felt like I was having a heart attack for days.  Not being able to do everything I used to has been the biggest challenge for me throughout my pregnancy.  I am naturally a high energy person who truly enjoys exercise.  Maybe some people can continue their routine through their pregnancy, but I found I had to drastically change my workouts.   The good news is, I sweat all the time, even when I am not working out.  That's just the pregnancy glow, right?

Sleep

As if. 

I think the nesting thing is starting to kick in.  I haven't really acted on much, but I think about it on the weekends.  I think I am ready to start buying things and making a space for our baby.  We have the room pretty well furnished from items we already had.  There is no theme, rather it's colorful and inviting.  The furniture will be brown and white.  I found this fun rug with colorful circles throughout.  We chose a peaceful grey glider and my mom has crocheted striped and circled blankets to add some pop.  The finishing touch will be a white crib, peaceful warm bedding, and some of our wedding doilies framed on the wall.  I have imagined a calming baby space that Jade will sleep long long nights in.  A girl can dream, right?

ace is insisting i do more yoga

happy monday,

ricki