38 Weeks! One more week!

Lord willing, we've still got one more weekly bump picture to take before our sweet little baby boy makes his arrival next week. When I woke up this morning and realized that today I am 38 weeks, I couldn't believe it. It's a week that I didn't see when I was pregnant with the boys. It's a number that I couldn't really fathom. It just seems a little odd to make it to 38 weeks but I am so thankful to still be carrying this boy in my belly. This pregnancy has been such a blessing and now we are so close to the finish line. Life has been a little crazy lately with Zach's job being so close to the end, not knowing where we will be in the next month or so, and with the boys being so active and aware of everything around them. They are so smart and inquisitive yet still so babyish  Or at least I like to think they are. Sometimes I find myself thinking "we're not ready" but then I think "We've got this! We've done this before!" It was crazy when the boys were born and we made it through. I mean heck, we we're living in New Jersey and had no idea where we would be living a month after they were born. The boys and I left NJ when they were 4 weeks old and stayed in Birmingham for a couple of weeks until Zach could get everything finished up in NJ and then get our stuff, vehicles, dogs, etc to Houston and find a house. Then the boys and I made our way west when they were about 6 weeks old. It was a crazy unpredictable time but we made it and I know it will all work out this time too. It always does. Sometimes I feel a little guilty because this pregnancy hasn't gotten the same attention that the last one did but that doesn't mean we're not equally as excited. I think that with your first pregnancy, there is so much preparation that goes into it that it seems the next one isn't as big of a deal. And in a way it's not which may sound awful but I keep reminding myself that even though there may not be as much pomp and circumstance going on, we are still super excited and love him so much already. It just means we don't have to buy a butt load of baby equipment and clothes but instead get to spend all of our money on the not so fun stuff such as diapers and wipes lol. This kid is going to be so loved and with each and every day that passes, I get even more excited about his arrival. I can't wait to meet him, to hold him, to kiss and hug him, to smell his baby smell. I can't wait to see his daddy with him. He has such an awesome daddy who works so hard to provide for his growing family and then comes home every day and loves on his boys like he's been waiting all day for that very moment. I am so blessed to have such an awesome partner in this thing called parenthood. I also can't wait to see Smith and Sanford with him. They're not going to know what hit them but I know that they will be great big brothers. I hope the three of them grow up to be the best of friends. I have a feeling that they will. It's hard to imagine us as a family of 5 but I can't wait to see what that looks like. Just a little over a week and it'll become a reality. What a crazy blessed life I lead!

38 Weeks

How big is baby? Baby Center says at 38 weeks he is about 6.8lbs and is over 19.5inches (about the size of a leek). I know fundal height can't really measure how big the actual baby is but at my 37 week appointment this past Tuesday, my belly was measuring 40 weeks already.

Total weight gain? At my appointment Tuesday I had gained another pound. So I think that makes it 46lbs total.

What is baby up to? Just making me more and more uncomfortable. What I assume is his head on my bladder and his feet in my ribs. He's still pretty active but has definitely slowed down. Instead of hard jabs, his movements feel more like stretching and shifting. My ribs are really starting to get sore and stretched out.

Started showing yet? When a random stranger lady yells across the Cracker Barrel parking lot "huge belly!", I'd say my belly is big (seriously! Who says that to a stranger!?". It is officially "Season" down here in SW Florida which means the 60+ population has at least doubled over the last few weeks. With all of these extra Snow Birds in town, there are a LOT more people who have things to say about how big my belly is and how close to popping I must be. 

Maternity clothes? Clothes are becoming less comfortable now so the less I can get away with wearing the better. Let's just say, pants aren't my favorite article of clothing at the moment lol. But don't worry, I don't leave the house without them.

Stretch marks? I've noticed a few that I'm not sure if they're new or leftovers from when I was expecting the boys. My skin definitely doesn't feel like it's stretched to the max like it did last time so that's good.

Sleep? Definitely getting more difficult. Its tough getting comfortable when you can only lay in one single position. My right side is probably flattened from me having to sleep on that side the entire pregnancy. I look forward to being able to sleep on my back and hopefully my sciatica will subside some pretty soon. I've dealt with constant sciatic pain for the last probably 10 years but pregnancy really magnifies it.

Best moment this week? Zach's job is nearing the end (Praise The Lord!!) which means he is having to work even more so family time is in very short supply. But he was able to get a little time off this afternoon so that we could take the boys to a pumpkin patch. It definitely wasn't anything like the pumpkin patches back home which was a bit disappointing but we had fun. Best part was it was pretty small so this big momma didn't have to do a lot of walking. Then we ate lunch at Cracker Barrel which is always good!

Miss anything? I enjoy being pregnant but lately I've been missing my "flat" stomach (and I use the term "flat" loosely).  It's really difficult to cuddle my boys in my lap when there is no lap. Sanford has had a few nights over the last week where he has had trouble going to sleep at night which means if we get Sanford up for cuddles, Smith insists on extra cuddles too. Its definitely not like them to not go straight to sleep when we put them into bed but honestly, I've loved all of the extra snuggles. But, its really tough for me to hold one of the boys (or both if they both insist on Mommy time at the same time) AND being able to breathe with almost 30lbs pressing on my belly. 

Feeling movement yet? Mostly doing a lot of shifting and stretching with an occasional jab here and there. 

Food cravings? Breakfast (eggs, grits, bacon, biscuits, pancakes, etc), strawberry lemonade. I'm pretty much always thirsty too. I think its safe to say I probably drink 150oz a day, most of that being water. I'm not sure I'll be able to survive the "nothing to drink after midnight" order the night before my c-section.

Food aversions? Nothing really.

Symptoms? Mostly just discomfort. I've had to really take it easy these last couple of weeks because when I'm up doing stuff, I pay for it for a few days. Just doing simple household chores wears me out and puts me out of commission for a couple of days. I end up being really sore and exhausted. Good thing I'm okay with "letting the house go" lol. The round ligament pain is fun too. Just something simple like getting out of the car or standing up from being seated can make those round ligaments cramp up and make it feel like I've got a charlie horse in the bottom of my belly. No fun!

Anything making me queasy or nauseous? Not that I can think of.

Signs of labor? Not that I can tell. At my doctor appointment last Tuesday, the doctor said "Now you know the signs of labor and when to come in, right?" I told him "I know what they are on paper but I've never experienced a single contraction or anything so I have no idea what it feels like." Hopefully I don't go into labor before my scheduled section next week. 

Rings, on or off? One ring on when I leave the house. Otherwise, nothing.

Mood? As far as I can tell, it's been pretty good. I have my emotional moments and definitely my impatient moments but my mood has definitely been more level than it was my last pregnancy.

Looking forward to anything? I can't wait to hold this sweet baby boy and see his brothers with him. They haven't really been around a baby in a long time. I know they will be great but I'm still curious to see their reaction.

37 Weeks vs. 38 Weeks

I can't decide if I'm carrying lower or if it's just the stripes.

Since I had the boys at 37 weeks, I don't have a Twins vs. Singleton comparison picture this week.

Daddy pulling the wagon. 

The weather was nice today. Overcast and cooler than usual (about 85*). They love riding around and people watching.

Fascinated by the pumpkins.

I'm looking rather awkward but glad we got a family picture. Those hay bales were a lot lower than they appear and momma can't fold up like that these days. I'm surprised I was able to get up without assistance.

Playing checkers at Cracker Barrel. These two are so full of joy. They just love doing things together. I pray that never changes.