Thanksgiving week has been an exciting one, to say the least. On Wednesday, I had my 34 week check-up.  Everything is still going well! According to the nurse, I only gained 1 pound since my last appointment (two weeks ago). She was also very impressed with my blood pressure (122/70). YAY! 

My CNM chatted with me for a bit about my progress and what to expect in the next few weeks. In the process, she revealed to me that she is pregnant (I knew it!!). I remember from my first visit with her that she mentioned that she and her husband were trying to conceive. I'm so happy that it finally happened for her! Anyway, the funny thing is that both her mother and mother-in-law have been extra bossy about her nutrition, telling her what she should and should not be eating. Hello, she is a CNM and a major health nut, so leave her alone! 

Anyway, we heard his heartbeat again (140bpm) and she felt my tummy to see what position he is in. He is head down with his tiny bottom pointing towards the right side of my belly. Its a relief knowing that he's gotten into the birthing position as well as knowing what round part of his body is constantly "butting" out when he moves!  

My next appointment is two weeks from now. We are going to see one last ultrasound of him before we meet him in the flesh!

After my appointment, my sister and I spent the day cooking up Thanksgiving sides and a small turkey. That evening, Allen, Lisa, and I enjoyed an intimate Thanksgiving dinner together. Yummy!  The next day, we had a light lunch with Allen's parents. Later on, we went over to my sister -in-law's house to eat Thanksgiving dinner with her, her husband, and her (and Allen's) parents. Delicious!

This coming Sunday, Allen and I will attend the first half of our childbirth preparation course at Northside Hospital. Im so excited to attend this class. Then on Tuesday night, we'll be attending a breastfeeding class. Im really looking forward to learning all the techniques of successful nursing as well as meet other couples who are interested in breastfeeding their infants.

 In other news, this is the last week of month 8th. Next week begins the final month of pregnancy and we couldn't be more excited! On that note, we would like to invite friends and family to enter their guesses on Little Lamb's birthday stats on our baby pool page on expectnet.com. (This diary website doesn't allow links to be written in here, so just type expectnet.com in your search engine to pull up the page). Once you have expectnet.com up, enter Little_Lamb  as the "game name" in the text box located in the upper left corner of the webpage.  You should be able to enter your guesses without having to create an account with the website. Please be a good sport and identify yourself when entering in your guesses! Good luck!

Symptoms:

fatigue, lower pelvic pain, upper and lower back pain, frequent bathroom breaks, major acid reflux, stuffy nose, frequent sneezing, joint pain, difficulty getting comfortable (sitting/laying), difficulty sleeping (waking up at 3am and not being able to fall back asleep for 1-2 hours), nausea after eating too much, Braxton-Hicks contractions, cravings (Thanksgiving foods, Starbucks, ice cold fruits, ice), aversions ( I finally got sick of gorging on chocolate, ice  cream, and various other desserts!), water rentention, extreme thirst, and very frequent and powerful baby movements (squirming, bucking, kicking, punching, turning head, hiccups).  

Total weight gained: 35 lbs

My birthday weekend was amazing! After a half day of work on Friday, we drove up to Blue Ridge, GA. We got checked into our beautiful luxurious cabin around 4:30pm.  The view from our "Panoramic Grace" cabin was spectacular with endless views of colorful mountains and clear blue sky filling every single cabin window. Absolutely stunning!

Over the weekend, we enjoyed tons of homecooked meals, played lots of boardgames, watched college football, roamed downtown Blue Ridge, admired the gorgeous mountain sunsets and sunrises, and got caught up with everyone's busy lives. A few of my friends were lucky enough to enjoy a marvelous hike up and down the Aska Trails (which Allen and I thoroughly enjoyed a year ago!). I wish I could have gone with them, but decided that it would be best for me and baby that I skip out on traveling up and down the steep and slippery trails.

Friends and family in attendance were: Lisa, Allen, Hollea, Kevin, Rachel, Nick, Tiffany and  Brent.  

Meals and treats that we enjoyed were: my homemade turkey chili with a side of jalapeno cornbread, my sweet potato pancakes with brown sugar syrup, my pumpkin bread, Tiffany's chocolate chip banana bread, Hollea's almond cherry granola bars and Triple Layer Mud Pie, grilled hamburgers and bratwursts with french fries and Rachel's carrot casserole, deli sandwiches, and an old fashioned country breakfast of:  scrambled eggs, bacon, cheese grits, hashbrowns, and plain cornbread.

Needless to say, due to the lack of activity and plethora of yummy foods, my weekly weight gain was much higher than usual. Oh well. Thankfully, I only have a few more weeks until I get to start losing weight again!

In other news, the weather is cooling off quite a bit. I've been getting away with shortsleeves, layering, and light jackets but Im sure I will need more appropriate attire for winter soon. I'm actually sick of shopping for maternity clothes, but I guess I don't have a choice because I do not want to freeze during the last few weeks of my pregnancy! Thank goodness for consignment boutiques!

Baby boy Lamb is doing well.  He is currently 5 pounds, 18 inches long and is continuing to gain about 1/2 lb of fat per week.  He's still quite active with a bunch of powerful squirming, kicking, punching, and hiccuping. So cute! My belly seems to be growing bigger over the past two weeks and is constantly rolling and popping out in sync with all of baby's dance moves. And just this week, I felt tiny little bumps at the top of my belly. I think those bumps are his little toes or fingers poking through. Amazing!!

This weekend will be a busy one. On Sunday, we will be attending an Infant CPR class at Northside Hospital. I'm hoping what we will learn will not be needed, but it is better to be prepared than not. Also this weekend, we will do some major cleaning and organization of the house to prepare for our son's arrival. In addition, we will buy a few more essentials that our baby will need once he's here. And sometime over the weekend, we will be putting up Christmas decorations since we won't have time to do it when we normally do - Thanksgiving Day! 

This year, Thanksgiving dinner is taking place at Aunt KK's and Uncle Chris's house (Allen's sister and brother-in-law). I've been told several times not to worry about making anything, but I want to anyway. I have the energy and stamina, so I may as well contribute! Plus, I have a few essential holiday sidedishes that I look forward to preparing and eating each Thanksgiving and Christmas. And since the baby is arriving around Christmas time, this will be my only chance to enjoy them this year! I can not live a whole year without my savory sourdough bread stuffing, cheesy mac and cheese, and my devine sweet potato casserole!!   

Symptoms:

slight fatigue, lower back pain, lower pelvic pain, joint pain, Braxton-Hicks contractions, sciatic nerve pain (right side), frequent potty breaks, acid reflux, nausea (feeling baby squirm and sitting/laying incorrectly), difficulty finding a comfortable way to sit/lay, frequent sneezing, stuffy nose, cravings galore (chocolate, coffee, ice cream, french fries, salad, ice cold fruit, ice, carbohydrates, cottage cheese, Italian food, guacomole), strong aversion to water, bizzare dreams about weightloss/fighting with family & friends/old friendships. 

Total Weight Gained: 35 lbs! (previous weigh-in was 9 days ago, on my birthday)

32 weeks, 5 days along and all is well!

The night before Halloween, I was notified by a co-worker that the office was throwing a Halloween party the next day. Basically, the co-worker requested that I bring a bag of candy to share with the office. I thought this last minute party thing was kinda bizzarre, especially since we've never celebrated Halloween in the past. But, I went along with it anyway.

I dressed up all in black and painted my nails black to get into the spirit of Halloween. I almost put on some black eyeshadow and lipstick, but decided against it. Thank goodness, because it turned out that my office was really throwing me a surprise baby shower! Boy, they fooled me! They provided some lovely foods, snacks, and drinks as well as a cake and lots of cute decorations. At the conclusion of the party, they presented me with a gift of a blue teddy bear with a Babies R' Us gift card attached to its hands. I was very touched by the thoughtfulness of my co-workers!

Yesterday, we had our 32 week check-up. My blood pressure was perfect at 100/66. The nurse was quite impressed with that! They didnt complain about my weight either, so that made me very happy. However, the highlight of this visit was having the 3D/4D ultrasound done! We got to see our boy in action for little over 30 minutes as well as hear his heartbeat (a perfect 135bpm!).

Currently, he is "laying" on his back with his head settled on the right side of my tummy (probably using the placenta as a pillow). He seems to like his hands near his face so he can easily reach the umbilical cord that hangs near his head. He also seems to prefer to keep his legs crossed "Indian style", which explains why I always feel pressure on  both my ribcage and bladder at the same time.

We got quite a few pictures of his darling little face, perfect hands and feet, and unmistakable gender as well as some awesome videos of him breathing, yawning, sticking his tongue out, leaning his head back, and moving his hand.  Seeing him in such great detail was a wonderful birthday present for me! Anyway, I posted a few of my favorite images from our visit as well as two new progress pictures of me and my growing belly.

Our next visit is two weeks from now, the day before Thanksgiving. I'll be midway through the 34 week, less than two weeks shy from starting the 9th and final month!

This weekend, we will be going out of town to celebrate my 30th birthday.  My sister and a few friends of mine rented a luxury cabin in the Blue Ridge mountains in northern Georgia. We will be spending the weekend relaxing and catching up while enjoying some yummy homecooked meals and treats. Im really looking forward to escaping the city life for a few days! 

Symptoms:

Braxton-Hicks contractions, baby hiccupping (so cute!), baby stretching his body out and moving limbs constantly,  lower abdominal discomfort (feels like I'm being stretched to the max!), nausea, back pain, fatigue, frequent urge to urinate, upset tummy, out of breath doing simple stuff, heartburn, vision changes, slight dizziness, achy legs and knees, stuffy nose, nosebleeds, cravings (pumpkin flavored items, ice cream, beef, clementines, fruit salad, BBQ, french fries), aversions (cottage cheese, some salads, water, yogurt, soda).  

Total Weight Gained: 30 lbs

Well, here we are, less than 9 weeks away from my due date. Last Friday marked 31 weeks pregnant and the beginning of month 8. Time seems to be flying now...well, sometimes!

As mentioned in my previous entry, we were on our way to a family oriented baby shower at my in-laws house in Tennessee. We spent a lot of time talking, hanging out, and eating!  I literally gained 3 pounds from all the good eats! ;o) The shower went fantastically well - everyone was in good cheer and we were spoiled with tons of great food and gifts honoring our little guy. A great time was had by all!

The Monday after we got back in town, Allen and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. We gave each other brand new computers to fit our individual computing needs (his are more complicated than mine, since he is a software developer, while Im a mere Internet surfer, blogger, and emailer).  We enjoyed a nice tapas style dinner at Sugo. Yummy!

Thankfully, after all the food indulgences I got back on track with my weight by Friday. Hopefully, I will be a good girl and wont do too much damage during the upcoming holiday season!

Some big news is that Im now experiencing those infamous Braxton-Hicks contractions. They aren't painful (yet), but they seem quite uncomfy. The good thing is that I can get them to disappear if I change positions or walk around.

In other news, we did a tour of the Women's Care Center at Northside Hospital, which is the place where our son will be born. We visited a laboring/birthing room, which was quite nice - it was a cross between a hotel room and a huge private hospital room. We also got to see what the "post-partum" family room looks like. Its very similar to the first room but with less electronic equipment.  We also got to see the nursery, which had two sweet newborns with full heads of hair! The tourguide constantly expressed the importance of bonding time between parents and child, which means they prefer baby to room with mom and dad and limit their time in the nursery.  In other words, the nursery is just used to get daily weights, perform tests, and be examined by their pediatricians.  

After the tour was over, I felt at ease about the location of where our son is going to be born. It sounds like we will be in really good hands as well as have all our needs detailed in our birth plan met.

Symptoms:

Braxton-Hicks contractions, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, mood swings, hot and cold flashes, nosebleeds, fast growing nails, heartburn, back pain, leg cramps, frequent urination, upset tummy, cravings (still going nuts for pumpkin flavored things as well as eggs, sweets, bread, and junk food), aversions (water, oj, yogurt, cottage cheese).

Total weight gained: 29 lbs