Week 38

We took the Winnie Palmer Hospital tour last night. I would look forward to my stay there if I didn't have to go through the whole "mind-numbing pain" part. The rooms look like hotel rooms and the staff sounds very with-it. They are the #1 birthing hospital in Florida, #2 in the nation. SOO-- if anything goes wrong with labor and delivery, rest-assured, they've had lots of experience and tons of specialists!

I think that I may be coming down with a cold too. My nose has been running non-stop since Sunday and I have a teeny tiny sore throat. Fun times!!

As we were touring the Labor and Delivery Ward, I kept my hand on my stomach and told Violet, "Momma's ready sweetheart..."

Violet's Stroller and Diaper Bag

So what's the big deal? It's just a diaper bag...

Who knew that it would take me 8 loooong months to find the perfect diaper bag. As soon as I found out that we were expecting, I went crazy and researched for hours online trying to find the perfect diaper bag. After 8 long months of searching, I finally found it... on eBay of all places. So I found an eBay seller whose store is called Watermelon Wishes. This lady makes kick ass bags (mostly diaper bags) and will customize them to your unique specifications in a jiff! Not only was she nice and patient with my incessant requests, but she shipped the bag out fast too!

So now I have the crib, stroller, and diaper bag (oh yea, and Rock Band)... Still waiting on the baby.

Weekly Doctor Visits

My last appointment was on Thursday. I am happy to say that my pregnancy is progressing very well! I am already 1 cm dilated and the baby's head is still positioned downward. Hooray! I asked my doctor if there was any sign that indicated that Violet would arrive sooner. Statistically speaking, he said, most first time moms have their babies around their due dates. All well. I was hoping she might come a little earlier... I miss sleeping on my back and tummy. I miss having a non-swollen body as well.

Week 37

So she's finally starting to descend! Violet is dropping lower in my pelvis which means she's getting ready to enter the world :). I don't know if you can see the difference but my belly seems more effected by gravity. My stomach is drooping down more so than it had been my entire pregnancy.

Yesterday, at Kmart, the cashier asked me if I was having a boy. There is an old wives tale that believes if you're pregnant with a boy, you carry him in the lower part of your abdomen, while a girl is carried higher up. I simply smiled and told her, "No, I'm having a girl! She's actually just starting to drop!!" The cashier smiled at me and gave that all-knowing look that said, you're in for it lady. The baby is coming soon.

Lamaze Class Part 2

So Joe and I have officially graduated from Lamaze class. I highly recommend the class for people who have any sort of apprehensions about going to the hospital to deliver the baby. The class is very informative and tells you basically everything that you might need to know when your "moment" has come. They tell you what to expect, what they'll have you do, and how to cope with the pain. Overall, a positive experience.

With that said, this is pregnancy week 37. AHHH! Similar to the first trimester, these last few weeks seem to drag on and on and on. "Any day now," is what my Lamaze instructor told us. It could be today, tomorrow, next week, or next month. AHHH! The anticipation is overwhelming.

Lamaze Class Part 1

Out of the 7 couples in our Lamaze Class, 6 are expecting a little girl. The 7th couple want to keep it a surprise (girls everywhere!). Two couples want to have a "natural birth" (read: no epidurals or meds to help alleviate pain) and the youngest couple just adopted a puppy Weimaraner (what are they thinking?).

Joe and I went into our weekend long Lamaze class with low expectations-- so low that we had made a pact that we would "haul ass" if it turned out to be mind-numbing. Turns out, it depends on who is teaching your Lamaze class and her ability to crack jokes. Our Lamaze nurse said that every time you celebrate your child's birthday, all the good AND bad things that your husband/coach did on the day of delivery will repeat itself in story-telling form. For example, if the coach does something good, Mom will retell the stories and Coach gets "bonus points with interest." However on the flip side-- while in the midst of the strongest contractions, women like to blame men for "what he did" to her. Our Lamaze nurse suggested to the husbands that labor and delivery was not the time to remind her that it takes two to make a child.

More babies!

Carmelina and my cousin, Mildy, both had baby boys yesterday!! Congrats!!

Week 36

4 more weeks left. Holy Sh*#.

Baby Finn

Babies are coming out! April (my sister-in-law) had her baby on Sunday. He's so cute! Here is a picture of Baby Finn, his big brother Will, and Uncle Joe in the hospital room on the day that he was born. He's so precious!

Skooter Action Pictures!

Skooter LOVES this red tennis ball. He'll roll it, chase it, put it in his mouth, and then roll it around some more.

Violet's Crib

This is for you, Shayna.

About a month ago, I was on the phone with Shayna. Apparently, she was unaware that some women's belly buttons "pop out" when they are pregnant. Quite disgusted, I promised her that if it happened to me, I would post a picture of me for her on the blog. Well, as you can see, my belly button didn't pop out but it definitely stretched out a lot. Up to this point, I only was taking profile pictures. Last night, I had Joe take a picture of me from the front. I look ENORMOUS. Well, I feel enormous. So here I am at 35 weeks!

Weigh In

Finally, a normal weight gain.

Each time I go to the doctor for a check-up, they have to take my weight. I have been growing consistently bigger with each visit... but apparently at an eye-opening rate! The last visit, my doctor put me on a "no-salt" diet. I interpreted "no-salt" to mean-- don't add any extra salt and eat low sodium stuff. Soooo for the past two weeks (last weekend excluded, we went to Boca and I indulged in chicken mcnuggets and fries) I have been sticking to that regime. My swollen fingers and feet have gone down in size and I find that my back doesn't ache as much as it had been. Hooray!

I went to the doctor yesterday for a check-up and a sonogram. Of course, I had to weigh in and found that I had only gained 2 lbs in 2 weeks! Awesome!! Finally my weight gain is "normal." My total weight, however, is not. Now I weigh a whopping 180lbs and if I can keep my weight gain normal, I should be 185lb by the time Violet is born.

5 more weeks to go!