Week by Week: Week 35

Gonzalito is the size of a honeydew melon  

35 weeks! This week has gone by pretty quickly, and has been spent preparing for the birth! Even though we (most likely) have several weeks left, we need to get things ready just in case our little Gonzalito decides he is done cooking. At work, that has meant starting the school year with a balance of meeting new students and supporting teachers in classrooms, along with time at my desk documenting and planning for when I'll be out in the fall. At home, that has meant organizing and buying all of the materials that we need for the home birth. We have a home visit scheduled from our birth assistant during week 36, and she will check to make we have everything that we need, so that Gonzalito can come whenever he is ready, and we'll be ready. Although it's great to feel prepared (at least, with the supplies), it is a little stressful to be prepping everything at once! Luckily Julián has been wonderfully supporting of my stress :) 

How Far Along?  35 weeks!

Maternity Clothes? Definitely.

Stretch Marks? Still no! Belly is pretty tight though. 

Sleep? Very good, with vivid dreams. This last week, I dreamt that I had the baby (who had very long legs, most likely because he has been kicking my ribs recently- he's running out of room!), and a horrible dream in which a flying, venomous snake attacked Julian, and I had to carry him to safety with the snake following us. It was not a good dream :(

Best Moment of the Week? Hmmm.. Lots of little moments! Gonzalito's kicking has been fun and wonderful, other than the rib kicking. Getting things ready has been nice, too, as it's becoming much more real. Also folding the freshly washed baby socks and onesies is very fun! I'm sure a moment will come when the laundry is less fun, but for now it is wonderful. 

Movement? Yes!

What I miss? Nothing major- I was bummed when I couldn't play an active game (Kan Jam) at a BBQ this past weekend, and had to just sit and cheer people on. But it's a small sacrifice.

Symptoms: Same as before, but with more back and side pain than before. Baby is running out of room, and getting up under my ribs. If I stretch out to one side, it helps a bit usually, so standing up or laying down is more comfortable than sitting, at times.

What I’m looking forward to? A healthy 36 week visit, and a positive home visit from our birth assistant.

Milestones: Baby G is the size of a honeydew :)

Emotions: Feeling anxious and excited to meet our little one.

Check out my bump:

Seriously, check it out! 

Woah- that baby belly is BIG (and cozy, I think)

Week by Week: Week 34

Gonzalito is the size of a cantaloupe  

This week has been a big one. We had a midwife appointment- Gonzalito is still doing well, and is growing nicely.  I measured 2 cm short again, but that is within the "normal" limits, so they said not to worry about it. We were reminded of all of the things that we need to prepare and have ready for our 36 week home visit from our birth assistant. So we did some ordering, and still have more supplies to purchase for the home birth preparations! It's crazy to think that we need to be ready to go in just a couple of weeks. Where did the time go??

Also this week, we were very blessed by two baby showers. One was a surprise at work, and the other was thrown for us by mom. Both were wonderful celebrations of our little one, with great friends and family around us. I am so thankful for the graciousness of others in preparing the showers and hosting us!  

Boy oh boy! With the grand master of baby showers, Mimi!

With good friend, JaRonda

With the other ladies at the shower: mom/Mimi, Janett, me, and Zara!

With our lovely host, Asa

The favors from the baby shower at work: it was themed from the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and If You Give a Moose a Muffin. Naturally, we ate cookies and muffins! hehe

How Far Along?  34 weeks!

Maternity Clothes? Definitely.

Stretch Marks? No

Sleep? Still very good, which is such a blessing!

Best Moment of the Week? Baby Showers! My coworkers threw us a surprise baby shower on Friday (with an "If you give a mouse a cookie" theme) which was such a fun and lovely surprise. Then on Saturday, mom threw us a baby shower for some good friends. It was great to see everyone, and made us feel that much more prepared for Gonzalito's arrival! 

Movement? Yes, every day!

What I miss? Nothing.

Symptoms: Same as before- this last week my back was more sore than usual. A combination of working longer hours to gear up for the start of the school year, and not making it to the gym to swim as often as usual, I think. 

What I’m looking forward to? Getting things organized. 

Milestones: Baby G is the size of a cantaloupe :)

Emotions: Feeling very blessed.

Week by Week: Week 33

Gonzalito is the size of a pineapple 

Eeee! How has another week passed already?!? We've been enjoying our little pineapple this week. He has a set schedule now. Around 8:00 he really gets moving, and around 10:00 pm he has a little dance party. He plays and wiggles throughout the day, but those are the times that he can consistently be found (and seen) moving around. :) So fun! This week my back started to get a little achey from sitting so much at work (we had training), and from missing a pool day... walking and stretching just doesn't make my body feel the same as after swimming. It is the best! We've been arranging our schedules to go 3x a week, or every other day. It is one of my favorite things, and I think one of Gonzalito's favorite things, too! We have been trying to practice our relaxation techniques and continue reading... and planning for our family to come and be with us through the first few months! We are so fortunate to have loving family who are willing (and excited) to come and help us as we journey into parenthood. We are feeling very blessed!

How Far Along?  33 weeks!

Maternity Clothes? Yessir.

Stretch Marks? No

Sleep? Very good!

Best Moment of the Week? Getting to talk about Gonzalito a lot. Our staff training started, so many of my coworkers who had the summer off have been asking about when he will come and how he is going. It's a lot of fun to chat about! 

Movement? Yep! Love the wiggles.

What I miss? Nothing!

Symptoms: Same as before, with just one addition. I had my first nighttime leg cramps last night. It was very painful, but thankfully didn't last too long after I got up and stretched. I hope there won't be many repeats of that!

What I’m looking forward to? Our next midwife checkup is in the coming week! 

Milestones: Baby G is the size of a pineapple :)

Emotions: Content.

Gonzalito wants to remind everyone to take time and smell the flowers!

Week by Week: Week 32

Gonzalito is the size of a jicama 

This week we had another checkup with our midwife. Baby G is growing right on schedule, and seems to be nice and healthy. He had a strong heartbeat (156), and has been moving nicely every day. And, he seems to be positioned nicely inside, with his head down. Go Gonzalito! We also had a "birth-day" meeting with the midwife practice, where they went through the details of what to expect from them through labor, delivery, and post-partum care. It was great to get information, but overwhelming to think that we are getting closer to that reality! It is making us really be good about practicing all of our exercises, and preparing for Baby's arrival.

How Far Along?  32 weeks!

Maternity Clothes? Yes, or dresses or leggings. I've been very fortunate to not need to buy many things. I was given a few things (thanks, Mom!) and bought a few staples from Goodwill. Other than that, I've been able to use my regular summer clothes!

Stretch Marks? No

Sleep? Very good- I've been sleeping very deeply. I think swimming regularly helps with that a lot.  

Best Moment of the Week? Hearing Gonzalito's heartbeat and feeling him move each day

Movement? Yes! He likes to wiggle around throughout the day. I am pretty sure he has a dance party at some point in the middle of the night, because I have been dreaming about him jumping around... But luckily, I don't wake up! (yet)

What I miss? Nothing!

Symptoms: Nothing new. I haven't had swollen ankles for awhile, and each day is a little different. Some days my back is very sore, and other days it feels fine. Yoga and swimming seem to help a lot with the aches. 

What I’m looking forward to? Continued growth and health!

Milestones: Baby G is the size of a jicama!

Emotions: Anxious and excited!

Week by Week: Week 31

Gonzalito is the size of a coconut

How Far Along?  31 weeks!

Maternity Clothes? Mainly regular dresses and leggings these past couple of weeks. I feel more comfortable using Julian's shirts because mine are consistently riding up and showing off the belly, unless they are extra long or maternity shirts!

Stretch Marks? No

Sleep? Still very good! 

Best Moment of the Week? Feeling Gonzalito's little kicks more constantly throughout the day. Sometimes he goes to town, even in the middle of the night!

Movement? Yes, see above :)

What I miss? Nothing major!

Symptoms: Nothing really new, although lately I haven't been eating as much. I'm not hungry as often as I used to be, and I get uncomfortable if I eat too much, or if I have to sit after eating. I'm running out of room for my stomach!

What I’m looking forward to? Getting everything ready! I want to organize and cook things, but it's still a little early to do more than I have already.. hopefully my motivation and energy will remain over the next month or so!

Milestones: Baby G is the size of a coconut!

Emotions: Very happy.

Week by Week: Week 30

Gonzalito is the size of a large cabbage

Gonzalito keeps growing! We went to a La Leche League meeting this last week, and learned a lot about breastfeeding. I think it will be a wonderful, supportive community to plug into. Gonzalito and I have been swimming a lot, which I think he likes! It is very relaxing to be in the water. Other than that, we are working on getting baby gear together, and organizing our little house! Some big and exciting news from the week is that Tia Moni got her visa, and will be coming this fall to meet Gonzalito and help me at home! We are very blessed to have a lot of family who will be able to travel and meet our little guy.

How Far Along?  30 weeks!

Maternity Clothes? Yes, and dresses.

Stretch Marks? No

Sleep? Still very good, although I had more crazy dreams this last week. 

Best Moment of the Week? Seeing my belly move more and more, and imagining what little Gonzalito is up to inside.

Movement? Yes, and it's more frequent now, which is so fun. Sometimes I get distracted at work, just watching my belly wiggle around.

What I miss? Nothing!

Symptoms: Nothing new... 

What I’m looking forward to? Getting our house together, and getting ready for Baby.

Milestones: Baby G is the size of a large cabbage!

Emotions: Content. :)

Gonzalito likes to sing and dance

Week by Week: Week 29

Gonzalito is the size of a butternut squash

This last week we had another midwife visit. We met a new midwife, who said everything looked very healthy. She also gave me tips on tweaks I can make to my diet (more protein, less fruit for snacks) to try and keep my weight gain moderate. Although people have been saying I look small for being 7 months pregnant, I have gained enough weight for the "average" gain for the entire pregnancy! The midwife suggested that my metabolism may be thrown off since I was running every day before getting pregnant. So this week I have been trying to focus on protein and dairy, since Gonzalito needs a lot of calcium now (his bones are hardening). We will see in another couple of weeks if it is helping!

How Far Along?  29 weeks!

Maternity Clothes? Yes! But my regular dresses are the best.

Stretch Marks? No

Sleep? Sleep has been very good! Some nights I don't get up, other nights I get up once. 

Best Moment of the Week? We got to hear Gonzalito's heartbeat at the midwife this week. When he moved, the heartbeat increased, which the midwife said was a sign of fetal well-being.

Movement? I feel more, and it is stronger than before. I am also starting to detect a schedule. Gonzalito is the busiest playing around 8-10 ish in the morning, and from 10-11:30 ish in the evening, although he moved around at other times too.

What I miss? Nothing, for now!

Symptoms: Nothing new... 

What I’m looking forward to? We are going to learn more about breastfeeding this week!

Milestones: Baby G is the size of a butternut squash!

Emotions: Happy! Trying to be wise and trust that Baby G is getting all of the nutrition he needs.