Pregnancy Update: 36 weeks

We just finished up week 36 of this pregnancy and have moved into week 37.  I had a sigh of relief on Monday when we rounded that corner knowing we have reached "full term".  Granted, it would be best if this little lady hung in there for a few more weeks.  For now, it seems like she is pretty content to be rolling around and sticking her rear straight out the top of my stomach.  During our midwife appointment, they were trying to measure my stomach and check the fundal height.  Little miss didn't make it easy for them to get an accurate measurement.  As soon as I laid back her little bum was sticking straight out, so it created a bit of an extra bump for them to measure over.  Needless to say, at 36 weeks and 3 days, I was measuring at 37 weeks.  

Week 36 was the all important group strep b test at our midwife appointment.  It was also the first time they checked to see if there was any progress toward labor and delivery.  No news yet on the test results, which I'm saying is a good thing.  Of course, they probably figure I will be back this week, so no point in calling to tell me something they can just tell me when they see me in a few days.  In good news, baby is very firmly head down and is right where she needs to be for a good delivery.  That's not to say she wont squirm around between now and delivery, but hopefully she at least keeps her head down.  All signs point in the right direction, now we just play the waiting game.  I told Andrew I feel like a ticking time bomb these days.  Throughout week 36 I noticed more braxton hicks, which haven't really been significant up until last week.  Early in the week, I felt them off and on throughout the day over the course of several days.  Work has become increasingly stressful as I try and get everything done before the big day arrives, and I have noticed I have more "contractions" as my stress level increases.  It's hard to work when your deadline is "unknown" and you feel like you might have to drop whatever it is you are doing at any given moment.  At least at this point, I know we have five more weeks at the absolute max.  Anything beyond that would be past the 42 weeks we are allowed to go without being induced.

During week 36, we had our final baby class, which was a breastfeeding class.  Breastfeeding is something I'm quite anxious about.  I really hope to be able to have good success with it.  Luckily, I know several mamas who have had great success and I will be looking to them for tips, tricks and encouragement.  We did pick up a few helpful pointers from the class, so I'm glad we attended.

And, for your entertainment, here is the growing bump from week 36

Just to compare over the the past several months:

week 31 to week 36 may not look like that much of a change, but it sure feels like it! 

And just the past few weeks: 

This past weekend was our big meal prep weekend.  We busted out 20+ meals on Saturday.  Needless to say, our freezer is now well stocked.  Between Andrew and I as well as my mother in law, we made a day of it and busted everything out.  It took us about nine hours from start to finish, but we had a good time doing it (maybe I speak only for myself on this one).  It is a huge relief knowing we have a stockpile in the freezer so we wont have to worry so much about food once our little lady arrives and makes things chaotic for a while.  I tried to put together a combination of casseroles and crock pot meals.  Some of the meals we made were: taco pasta bake,  southwestern chicken and rice, creamy chicken taquitos,breakfast burritos,  lasagna roll ups, baked ravioli, maple dijon chicken, beef and broccoli, potato soup, chunky beef chili, beef bean and cheese burritos, Tuscan chicken, and goulash.  I found all the recipes on pinterest.

all of our ingredients ready to go

Meal prep shot our Saturday, and when Sunday rolled around we didn't really have a ton of energy for projects.  Needless to say, the nursery still needs finishing touches.  I did manage to get our hospital bag put together, so we can now check that off the list.  There are a few last minute items we will need throw in, but all the important stuff is now in a bag.  The diaper bag, complete with a "coming home" outfit has been packed for a few weeks now.  The highlight of my Sunday was watching the Green Bay Packers season opener.  It was a total bonus that they won the game, and even better that the game was actually an interesting one to watch!  I'm beyond excited for the return of football season.  Cool temperatures have also started to roll in finally, and the trees are starting to change in our neighborhood.  I used to say spring was my favorite time of year with all the flowers blooming after a long winter.  However, the older I get, the more I tend to favor fall.

Going into week 37, we have our midwife appointment on Thursday this week.  We are also both pretty busy with work stuff as we try to wrap up things on our desks.  This weekend I'm looking forward to a last minute pedicure with a good friend who has been a huge help throughout my pregnancy.  She just had her first in May, so I have relied on her a ton for advice.  Sunday we take the dogs for their annual check up with the vet.  I know they are both SUPER thrilled... not!  We wanted to get this out of the way before baby arrived so I'm glad it looks like we are still on track to be able to make it to their appointment on Sunday.  I'm anxious for them to see how well Buddy is doing after all of his issues in the spring.  He has his final adjustment before baby arrive this coming Monday.  I really believe the periodic adjustments will help him from having another episode like he did this year.  We will likely go back one more time this year and continue going every three to four months moving forward.