baby bump: 36 weeks

how far along? 36 weeks, due January 28th.  (Just a few weeks to go!)

how are you measuring? At some appointments, they tell me I’m measuring a little small.

size of baby: size of a winter melon, about 19 inches (head to toe) and 6 pounds

heartbeat: 145 bpm (last week).

total weight gain: + 29 lbs. Lots of Christmasy sweets around still… ;)

sleep: I’ve been waking up once or twice a night to use the bathroom, and sometimes I am wide awake for a while afterwards. I’m trying to sneak some naps in the afternoon with Nolan.

movement: He’s pretty active all day long.

food cravings: Pizza, hot chocolate, cookies, cereal, eggnog, oatmeal bread. I have challenged myself to drink something every hour—hard to remember, but I feel really good about doing it. (I have to go to the bathroom every hour as well… which seems like every 5 minutes.)

symptoms I have: Acid reflux when I lay down, painful veins in my legs, slightly bloody nose in the mornings, and a pain in my lower left back.

stretch marks: No new ones at this point.

belly button: Didn’t pop with Nolan, hasn’t popped yet.

doctor’s appointment: I’m meeting weekly now with the doctor/midwives/PA. Last week, the PA told me that she thinks the baby is in a transverse position—lying horizontally across my stomach as opposed to head-down. Everything checked out fine. I have my next appointment this afternoon, which will include the Group B Strep test and checking my cervix for the first time to see if I’ve dilated at all.

what I’m looking forward to: I still have a fairly long list of things I’d like to get done before the baby comes. I bought a couple tiny outfits for him (and received a few for Christmas) that I’m excited about. I want Steve to refinish a dresser we were given so that I can re-wash all the clothes and put them away. I have hopes of sewing a couple things for baby, too. It will be so amazing to meet this little guy—I can’t wait! I just hope that Nolan adjusts well, and is excited to have a baby brother. I will miss the times that he and I have had alone—and I’m sure I’ll miss how easy it is to leave the house with just one child. I pray that my heart is ready for all the expanding it’s about to do—I am going to be so in love with my three guys!