34 Weeks, 42 Days to Go

Here we are at 34 weeks and the countdown continues....just 6ish weeks to go, and as the time draws closer and closer, it's harder and harder to believe it's almost here. I can't even imagine how I will feel with 1 or 2 weeks until our due date, should we make it that long (although I am definitely not counting on delivering early). However, according to my trusty pregnancy website, I have read that if I was worried about preterm labor, I'd be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine and are just as good as full term babies in the long run. But again! This in no way means that I am hoping for him to come early. Stay cookin' Baby D!! We want that November baby! My good friend, who is due November 1st, said she had a dream recently that I delivered before her and I'm really hoping this dream does not become a reality....right Les?? Right. :) As D Day draws near, I feel more and more anxiety about the unknown....when I will go into labor, where I will be, how long will labor last, etc. The not knowing aspect of it all is pretty intense!

This afternoon I have my 34 week checkup. I had previously been going to the doctor on Wednesdays, but at the last appointment they asked me to start scheduling on Fridays since that's my turnover day as far as weeks go...they wanted to get me all evened out. After today, I go again in 2 weeks at week 36, then it's weekly appointments until the end! I really hope they schedule a sonogram for my next appointment, so they can check to see if this little man is still measuring way ahead like he was at week 28 and also to see if he's head down (which I'm pretty certain he isn't yet). Plus, it's just another excuse to catch a glimpse of him one more time before we meet!

This weekend we're off to the State Fair of Texas. Usually we go multiple times each year, but we decided last year that we would only go once this year. It's just too darn expensive! So, I guess it's a good thing that concrete and long amounts of time on my feet are not my friend right now because that kept us from breaking that promise of only one trip. We plan to go immediately when it opens, and we've got our list of 'must have' fried foods handy. I'll happily devour those and then we'll be on our way before the crowds and/or heat start to irritate this mama-to-be! Other than that, we hope to relax a bit since we had such a big shopping filled previous weekend. On Sunday we have a Breastfeeding class at the hospital, which should be interesting. I wasn't initially planning to take one, but after a frightening conversation with my sister about some of the pains of breastfeeding, I figured I better educate myself a little bit. Unfortunately, one of the most natural things in the world seems to be pretty darn hard and painful in the beginning. I don't want to go into it completely blind, especially since I know I will be stressed out enough having a newborn baby to care for.



At 34 weeks, Baby D is said to be about 20 inches and 5 1/2 pounds (so who knows how big the bugger really is!), so most of his growth over the next few weeks before we meet will be in weight, not height (he's pretty much reached the in utero limit in that department). Accordingly, fat continues to accumulate at a rapid pace. Back in the middle of my pregnancy, baby's weight was made up of only 2% body fat. Now? That percentage has risen to 15% and could be upwards of 30% at full term. What a chunky monkey! This means those once skinny legs and arms are now getting quite plump! Baby is said to possibly start dropping this week into the pelvis, therefore making it a bit easier for me to breath....I sure hope so. But, that will also mean even more trips to the bathroom as he will be putting all that weight directly on the bladder. And speaking of bladder, Baby D is also now urinating about a pint a day! He's also said to be listening to conversations or songs that I might sing and may be comforted by those same songs after birth. Looks like a nice playlist and more singing on the way home in the afternoon is in order.

As for me, I'm going to admit - I'm getting pretty tired of working. Focusing on work is becoming more of a challenge, as I seem to just have baby on the brain these last few prep weeks. But, at that very same time, being at home on the couch or resting in bed is not as great as it sounds. In fact, it's the most miserable time of the day for me. It's beyond frustrating to be exhausted and needing to rest, but it's the most uncomfortable thing I can do these days. It puts some much pressure on my back and hips and causes a lot of pain. Walking, exercising or sitting in my office chair is honestly the most comfortable I am all day....so it's a bit of a catch 22 situation. I suppose I need to just suck it up and get my focus back because I have a LOT of work to do before I leave, plus I have to train the guy who will be performing most of my work while I'm out. Ahh, responsibilities!

I'll post a follow up to my checkup should anything interesting happen. Until then, have a great weekend!