Almost 35 Weeks!

In two more days, Little Bit and I will be at 35 weeks of gestation. The fact that we are pregnant is a miracle, but the way this pregnancy has progressed well is one in and of itself.

So how am I feeling? Huge, uncomfortable and tired. :) Take a look at the belly growth from week 16 to week 33...



Even though I am more uncomfortable, I still find myself happy most days... to be pregnant, to have a super-active baby that brings me comfort with his movement, to still be healthier than anticipated, and to know that I am going to get to hold my little boy someday soon.

Everyone keeps asking me if he is active. Um... yes. He lets me know he is there, even in his quietest moments, at least once a half an hour. Typically I only have to wait 2-8 minutes to feel ten movements. The boy wiggles, jiggles and jerks non-stop. It is a very interesting sensation to see/feel my belly acting like a pot of boiling water. I don't know if I'll ever get used to it. Charlie finds it entertaining. Sometimes it makes me queasy, and I have lost whole nights of sleep because the movement is so intense. But, I am usually able to remember that it is a good thing that he is so active and I try to be glad that I have constant reminders.

We have had an interesting few weeks. Around week 32 I had some interesting (read: painful) contractions that were coming fairly often. This was on top of Braxton Hicks contractions, which I still get regularly. Luckily the painful contractions have subsided and it appears Little Bit is staying put. In week 33 I tore one of my round ligaments as I was getting out of bed in the middle of the night. Now that was painful. And just in time for that to heal, I started having pain in my upper right quadrant this week. Turns out that this little guy is putting some pressure on a gallstone that has developed. It's all part of the fun.

When I started developing the new pains this weekend, I called the doctor to talk to them about it. Similar pain is one of the things I was told to watch for with pre-eclampsia, as it could be a sign of liver problems. So, to be safe, they bumped up my 34 week appointment to today. So we got to see our baby a whole day early. The gallbladder and the liver are very close to each other when you are pregnant, so it was my gallbladder causing the pain... no harm to me or the baby. Now that I know he is alright, I can handle a little bit of pain.

Here are some of the pictures that we got today. He is a lot bigger and more squished now, so they look different than the past ones!

Here is his little foot with all five toes - right by my rib cage, just in case you were wondering.


I like this picture of his leg because it shows how much his bones have developed - and it's nice to see more chubbiness around the bone as well!


We also got five pictures of his face. Here are my two favorite. In every picture he was waving his arms back and forth. He also gave us another thumbs up today!



How is he positioned? He's head down but turned to the left... which means I have a very lopsided belly right now. It also means that he is putting constant pressure on my right rib cage, hence the gallstone bothering me, and battering me with his feet and hands on the left. At least he doesn't kick as hard any more, I don't think he can now that he has less room!

How big is he? It's only an estimate at this point, but they are saying 5 lbs, 6 ounces... which is right where he should be at this point. I, myself, am measuring about one week ahead. He should gain about a half pound every week until he is delivered.

When will he be here? I wish I knew! He'll be considered full term when we hit week 37, which is December 18th. He could make his appearance anytime between then and January 8th. If I do develop pre-eclampsia at any point after week 37, we expect him to be delivered right away. All three doctors we saw today said that they thought it would be sometime this month. I am good with that! But, of course, it's most important to Andy and I that he be healthy.

Are we ready for him to come home? Yes and no. We have most of the big things done that need to be done... but there are some interesting little things we haven't taken care of yet. We also need to finish packing bags for the hospital and for Charlie, as well as preparing for labor itself. I think, perhaps, I am slightly in denial about the impending labor. We have decided to work with a doula, and I'm feeling really good about that decision!

I just keep thinking about the moment that I'll get to see his little face and hold him in my arms... and the first time that I'll get to see Andy hold him. With my pregnancy hormones, it's enough to make me cry every time and decide that I can handle cysts, gallstones and labor. I just can't wait to meet him!