Well, it's getting to be crunch time. I feel like I've been saying that for a few weeks but seriously, it's getting to be crunch time! 3 more weeks and we will be a family of 5. I went to the doctor today and everything looked great. I think with every appointment I become more and more confident with my doctor. We did the typical run through of "How you feeling?" "Any concerns?" yada yada yada. He checked my cervix and said it is still long and hasn't softened at all. I told him I felt like the baby is transverse because I'm feeling what feels like a big ol' noggin in my ribs on the left along with lots of hard jabs to my ribs on the right side and down near my bladder. When he checked my cervix he said he felt what felt like his head but that he's not engaged at all so that's good. About a month, maybe 6 weeks ago I was getting a little nervous feeling like I may not make it to my 39 week date just because I was so uncomfortable and was having so much pain and pressure down low. But over the last week or so, I think he has repositioned and I feel a lot more comfortable so hopefully I can make it to 39 weeks which is when my doctor wants to deliver me. At first I was a bit unsure about delivering almost a whole week early but after talking to my doctor, he feels that a repeat c-section is in my best interest and he doesn't want to risk me going into spontaneous labor. Soooo, 39 weeks it is. See ya in 3 weeks Bud!
36 Weeks
How big is baby? BabyCenter says he weighs "almost 6lbs and is more than 18 1/2 inches (about the size of a head of romaine lettuce)". My fundal height is still measuring about 2 weeks ahead. At 37 weeks, the boys were born at 7lbs10oz and 6lbs15oz so I feel pretty good saying that he is most likely bigger than that now. I guess we'll know for sure in a few weeks.
Total weight gain? I weighed a couple of days ago and it said 44lbs total. When I went to the doctor today their scale said I hadn't gained any weight since my appointment two weeks ago. I don't know how that happened because, as embarrassing as it is, I ate a double cheeseburger combo with a large strawberry lemonade for lunch today. **Side note: if you haven't tried their strawberry lemonade, you're missing out! That stuff MUST have been sent down from Heaven** Even though the calories hadn't had time to metabolize, just the sheer volume was enough to add 10lbs. I guess we'll see how much I've gained in a couple of days lol.
What is baby up to? Still active in there. He's been making those jabs really count a lot lately. Occasionally it'll be so rough it startles me and I can't help but holler a little lol. I'm sure I sound like an idiot. Today I was sitting on the couch kind of leaning to one side with my legs up beside me. I was doing something on my phone when out of the corner of my eye I saw my belly jump. I put my phone down and sure enough, he did it again. My belly literally jumped a good 2 inches out. Those hard intense jabs are the coolest. The ones I'm not a huge fan of is when he goes to town on my bladder and I think I'm going to pee myself.
Started showing yet? The belly is huge! I'm just glad when someone says something to me about being ready to pop, I can finally tell them something like "Yep. Just a couple more weeks." But I am so tired of people seeing us out with the boys and saying "It's not twins again is it?!" Like, so what if it is? I think it'd be pretty awesome!
Maternity clothes? Most of my shirts are driving me nuts because they're not as long as I like for them to be so I have to pull them down a little tighter. It's really making me feel massive lol.
Stretch marks? Don't think there's any new ones.
Sleep? Some nights I sleep like a dream and other nights I have trouble falling asleep, wake up a lot, and have trouble falling asleep again when I wake up in the middle of the night. I'm having to get up several times a night to pee so that makes it harder to fall back to sleep too.
Best moment this week? This week has been a weird one. Zach's job is winding down meaning he is working even longer and more unpredictable hours. It has left me and the boys at home to fend for ourselves most evenings which can get a little frustrating when you already feel a little isolated. But Friday night he got to come home early, we took the boys to the splash pad, then went to dinner (at Bob Evans…yumm!), then went to Best Buy and walked around for a little while. It doesn't sound like much but it was a nice evening. Then Sunday we drove to Naples (about an hour south) and met up with some of our Texas family, Moe and Sherry. They were our Sunday School teachers at our church in Texas but they really made us feel like we were part of their family. Their family was a major reason why we fell so in love with the Houston area and made us feel so at home there. We got to eat lunch together and then we went back to the house they've been staying at all week to catch up on what's been going on the last 5 months since we moved to Florida. Then, today, I had my 36 week check up. It's always fun to check on how baby is doing and a good report makes it even better. My doctor is always really encouraging and I always leave feeling really good about everything and excited for what is to come.
Miss anything? I wouldn't say I "miss" not being pregnant because honestly, I love being pregnant. Carrying a child inside of you is absolutely the coolest thing but I do miss the freedom of not being pregnant. Not having to worry about what I eat (which let's be honest, I haven't done a very good job of that this pregnancy), worrying if I'm pushing myself too hard physically, worrying if I'm dehydrated, etc. I think my body will appreciate a break once this little buddy is out.
Feeling movement yet? I think he's slowed down a little since he's running out of room but he makes 'em count. He's pretty aggressive in there.
Food cravings? Nothing particular. Just food in general. I've really been in the mood for breakfast food. That was one of my cravings with my last pregnancy so I guess I'm not too surprised that I've wanted pancakes for every meal this time too. And even though I wouldn't say I crave it, Wendy's strawberry lemonade ALWAYS puts a smile on my face lol.
Food aversions? Nothing really.
Symptoms? Same as usual. I get tired really easily but its actually been a little better this last week. I guess I'm getting a little bit of energy before delivery. It's about time since both pregnancies I never felt like I got that 2nd trimester burst of energy that I always hear about. Just mopping the playroom the other day put me out of commission for a while. My whole body was aching afterwards lol. It's sad really. The other night, I starting having what I thought were mild contractions along with some tummy issues. It made me nervous because I wasn't sure if the cramping was just tummy troubles or if they were contractions. I was having some slight tightening in my belly too which made me nervous. I never had any contractions or any other signs of labor with the big boys so I'm a newbie when it comes to labor. Thankfully, it ended up just being a sour stomach and possibly some Braxton Hicks contractions mixed in there. It did get me thinking "What if I go into labor before my c-section? What will our plan be?" So, the very next day I packed the boys an emergency bag for just incase we have to run to the hospital in the middle of the night and they have to go too. We're hoping and praying we don't need it but hey, better safe than sorry I guess.
Anything making me queasy or nauseous? I've been more sensitive to stinky diapers. They usually don't bother me at all but lately, the boys have had some rotten ones and they are NOT fun right now.
Signs of labor? Just the possible BH contractions that I may or may not have had the other night. Other than that, nothing that I can tell.
Rings, on or off? I'm down to wearing just one ring at a time. I usually wear just my engagement ring since it has the most bling :)
Mood? This past week I've been a bit sensitive but it comes in waves. I feel like my already minimal patience has gotten even harder to come by. I have to try really hard not to get to impatient with Zach and boys.
Looking forward to anything? Meeting this
35 Weeks vs. 36 Weeks
36 Weeks (Twins) vs. 36 Weeks (Singleton)
(I think its safe to say I'm carrying lower this time)
I have been on Zach's case practically since I got pregnant telling him he HAD to get the flu and Tdap shots before the baby is born since he will be born right in the middle of flu season. Well, if you know my husband at all, you know that he has a serious needle phobia. Serious as in he would rather have his arm cut off than to have a tiny little needle poke it. Being married to someone who actually enjoys getting blood drawn, you can imagine he doesn't get much sympathy from me. I've tried really hard not to nag him about it but just occasionally mention it to him in hopes that I wouldn't have to physically drag his butt to the pharmacy to get them. So when I got a text Saturday telling me how much he hates me, it could only mean one thing. HE GOT THE SHOT!!! He even sent me this cute little selfie to document just how mad about it he was/is.
I feel like I've neglected my big boys by not putting them in the blog at all throughout all this pregnancy stuff so we decided to take a picture of me with all three of my little boys. How cute are they with their wild hair?
(Check out that massive belly. It looks so much bigger from the front!)
