38 weeks!

How Far Along?: 38 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: +25.5lbs
Maternity clothes: Still lots of maxi skirts.  The bands on my maternity pants put too much pressure on my stomach.  
Stretch Marks: Nope.  The doctor actually told me I have great skin.  What a relief!
Sleep:  Not too bad.  Initially I am very uncomfortable but I seem to settle in after an hour or so.
Best Moment This Week: Another doctor agreed this week that she would be "shocked" if I actually made it to my due date.  I'm already 1/3 of the way there in terms of being dilated.  Woo hoo!  She said my labor will be easy.  I'll believe that when I see it.
Miss Anything:  Sipping an adult beverage in the sun maybe.  
Movement:  She is still surprisingly very active.  The doctor said babies tend to slow down late in the 3rd trimester due to a lack of amniotic fluid.  More movement is just a sign of increased fluid which she also stressed was a very good thing.  Let's hope so.
Food Cravings: Fruit.  Anything fresh really.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  My protein bars in the morning have made me a little queasy lately.  They're starting to taste like chalk :(
Gender: Girl!
Labor Signs:  Increased pressure and more frequent BH contractions.
Belly Button: I can see it through my shirts now so I guess that's out?
Wedding Rings on or off: On with some minor swelling when I walk a lot.
Happy or Moody: Moody.  I'm just anxious to meet her but she seems to be on her own schedule :)
Looking forward to: D Day!

Final Weekends Before D-Day :)

We've been trying to cram a lot in these last few weekends before Taylor's arrival.  The weather has been beautiful so we've been trying to spend a lot of time outside to soak it all in.

Last weekend Kendall participated in a half marathon that she's been training for the past several months.  Craig and I made it to the finish line right after she finished thanks to several blocked roads :(.  We were still very excited to be there to support her in such a huge accomplishment.  Our friend Melissa also decided on a whim the night before to run so we were able to see her as well.

This last weekend Craig, Kendall and I took the dogs to Crowder's Mountain for a 5 mile hike.  I have to admit that I MAY have been trying to induce labor :).  Sadly..it didn't work.  It was still fun to catch up with Kendall and let Bentley get some exercise.

We also went to the Whitewater Center to see Courtney and Bill at TuckFest.  There were a ton of people there and the weather couldn't have been better.  I can't wait to spend some weekends there this summer enjoying the people watching and live music.

I hope to get my act together this week with another pregnancy update.  Maybe tomorrow!

36 Weeks! Full Term!

This post is a bit delayed as tomorrow I will be 37 weeks.  I just didn't really have any time to upload the picture or do any blogging with my crazy work schedule this week.  Luckily I am back in the office today and can catch my breath!

How Far Along?: 36 weeks 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: +25.4lbs
Maternity clothes:  The weather has finally warmed up so now I am able to expand my wardrobe into maxi skirts and dresses which helps a lot.
Stretch Marks: I thought I saw some last weekend but I think it was just an indentation from the waistband of my pants.  I almost had a meltdown.
Sleep:  The past two nights have actually been wonderful.  I am not the most comfortable when I first lay down but I think the change in the weather has helped with the dry air or something.  I am also so exhausted by the time that I finally lay down that nothing keeps me awake for too long.
Best Moment This Week: I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday and he estimated that Taylor is about 7 lbs and he would guess that she will make her big appearance BEFORE her due date!  Yay!
Have you told Family and Friends: Yes, I love talking about her :)
Miss Anything:  The 5 pairs of jeans hanging in my closet :(
Movement:  Yep. She slides her foot back and forth across my stomach all the time.  I love it.
Food Cravings: Not really.  Indigestion and swelling have pretty much ruined my appetite.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  Sometimes I feel nauseated on the way to work but nothing other than that.
Have you started to show yet: Yep
Labor Signs:  I wouldn't classify them as Labor Signs, but according to my doctor she has dropped and I'm showing definite signs of progression.  I won't go into too much detail but things are looking good!
Belly Button: Flat
Wedding Rings on or off: On but my hands are starting to swell a little.  Probably more due to the heat than anything else.
Happy or Moody: Happy and very excited to be in the final weeks!
Looking forward to: My next appointment on Monday to see if we've progressed any further!

Baby Shower #2!

We had our second baby shower this past Saturday at Jumpin Java in Fort Mill, hosted by my mother-in-law, Rachel, and siser-in-law, Season.  We had a great group of friends and family and stocked up on lots of essential baby gear for Taylor.

 

They had a tea party theme with adorable little tea bags and silver spoons as the favor.  The tea bags are printed with "Taylor's Tea" on the front.  So cute!  They also had a very nice spread of tea sandwiches and scones.

 

 

Several of Craig's first and second cousins were able to make it, along with Rachel's coworkers, lots of extended family, Season's mother, my mother and my two sisters.  We have had such an amazing amount of support over the past nine months and can't wait for everyone to meet our little girl!



 I know Craig probably felt a little out of place (being the only male there), but he was a trooper.  Daddies don't usually get to experience all the fun and excitement of baby showers so it was fun for him to be included.  I didn't manage to get a very good picture of the two of us together, but this one isn't so bad :)

 



Hard Work Pays Off

Lately I've been frustrated with people telling me how "small I am" or how "lucky I am" that I haven't gained a lot of weight during my pregnancy.  News Flash:  I'm not lucky, I bust my @$$.

I have tried very hard to keep up my normal fitness routine, which believe it or not is recommended by every doctor out there.  I was very active before I got pregnant, and I have made a valiant effort to stay that way for the past nine months.  I have continued going to the gym and running a few times a week.  Until a month ago, I was also still sitting on my fitness ball at work everyday and peddling on the bike under my desk.  I still use the bike, but I have a habit of rolling over staples or other unknown sharp objects on the ball, so after popping the last two, I have given up until I return from leave.

After we moved in December, the gym became a bit of a challenge during the week since it is now a 15 minute drive from the house, and not right up the street.  Luckily, our new house had an existing workout room.  We bought a treadmill, installed a TV and have several sets of weights.

 

I know my limits and I don't overdo it, but "luck" definitely doesn't play into my weight gain or how "easy" this pregnancy has been.  Trust me, when I have ice cream and cupcakes, the scale reflects that.  The extra weight and constant fatigue hasn't made it easy, but I know in the long run it will definitely pay off when I (hopefully) bounce back pretty quickly after delivery.

35 Weeks!

How Far Along?: 35 weeks 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: +25lbs
Maternity clothes:  Pants yes, shirts no.  As you can see from the above, I have squeezed myself into a lot of my normal shirts.  The horizontal stripes are clearly not flattering.
Stretch Marks: Nope, thanks to lots and lots of lotion.
Sleep:  Sleep has been miserable.  I hurt whether I'm on my back or side and the body pillow isn't helping :(
Best Moment This Week: Hearing from the doctor that Baby Taylor is in the perfect position for delivery.  He said the likelihood of her flipping at this point would be slim to none, so yay!  No breech baby here!
Have you told Family and Friends:  I tell everyone :)  I'm way too excited to meet this little girl
Miss Anything:  Sleeping, eating meals that aren't followed by severe heartburn..
Movement:  Yes, a TON.  I swear I may end up with some broken ribs before this is all over.
Food Cravings: Still loving fresh fruit and vegetables.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  I am always the first one to arrive at the office every morning and I have always been the one to make the coffee.  As of last week I hate it.  It tasted so awful yesterday that I almost cried.  Pathetic, I know.
Have you started to show yet: Yep
Labor Signs:  Still just the BH contractions.  She has a few more weeks to go :)
Belly Button: Flat
Wedding Rings on or off: On and still a little loose.
Happy or Moody: Happy but very emotional.  I can cry at the drop of a hat.  I'm fragile :)
Looking forward to: My second baby shower this weekend!