37.5 weeks

how far along? 37 and a half weeks. this once again terrible phone picture was taken at exactly 37. 

total weight gain: well, today at my appointment i found out that i lost 3 lbs. so i am back to what i was a few weeks ago. so that puts my total weight gain at 24lbs. i have been drinking water like crazy and still retaining some so i was surprised i didn't gain more water weight. i am happy though that drinking a billion ounces of water a day is sort of paying off. also though, i hear it's normal to sort of level off and even lose weight at this point as your body is preparing for labor.

maternity clothes? yes. and sean's sweatshirts. basically i wear the same thing everyday at this point.

stretch marks? still just under my chest. nothing new from the last update.

sleep: i am not too uncomfortable at night anymore. i think i have gotten used to it. i am always tired but have been getting so anxious to meet this little man that i am not sleeping as much as i should.

best moment this week: getting to spend time with friends and family! we had an awesome shower this week and got so incredibly spoiled.

miss anything? just the usual. i had a relative at my shower say to me "wow, you really got  the pregnant face going on now." that really upset me. i may or may not have went and cried in the bathroom for a minute. oh and don't worry, i let her know how kind that was of her. anyway, so i guess i miss my old, not pregnant unswollen face. i know it's swelled a little, so no need to have others mention it to me right? oh well. i got over it. sorta. i am about 9 months pregnant. what do you expect? most people say they don't notice a difference, but i can see it and feel it.  especially when i smile. these side profile belly pics obviously hide most of the swelling. oh well. life goes on! 

movement: still a lot of big moves. lots of hiccups. in fact he has them right now.

food cravings: today i really wanted cheddar biscuits from red lobster. so we went to red lobster. yum!

anything making you queasy or sick: no not really.

labor signs: i am still just dilated 1 cm and 80% effaced. 

symptoms: swelling, exhaustion, achy back. on my right side by my shoulder blade, i have had some intense pain. it sucks. but the heating pad helps a ton. also, lee gave me an awesome massage today and it helped so much!

belly button in or out? still partially in/out. more out this week.

wedding rings on or off? on, but i find i am not wearing it as much just in case i start to swell. 

happy or moody most of the time: i am still always all over the place. i have been pretty happy though. feeling so incredibly blessed.

looking forward to: meeting this baby in 2 and a half weeks! and i can't wait to sleep on my stomach again!

today i had my 37 week appointment. lost some weight but everything else was the same as last week. my GBS test came back negative, so i won't need antibiotics during labor. thank goodness, because i am allergic to penicillin and other antibiotics tend to make me sick. the doctor said i was still only 1 cm dilated but my cervix was very soft (still 80% effaced). she probably won't induce or do anything before 40 weeks unless i make more progress. come on baby blue! we are ready to meet you! i hope he gets moving soon. i don't want to still be pregnant in february. everyone in our family thinks i will have him this weekend.. but i am not getting my hopes up at all. i will just plan for february even though the thought devastates me. i have had so much pressure and tons of braxton hicks all week that i thought for sure i must have progressed a little bit. it was kind of sad to see nothing. oh well. he will be here soon enough and i still have so much to do to get ready! i don't think he has even dropped yet, so i should have known there wouldn't be much change. 

i was planning to work less this week but today i worked the whole day. we will see what the rest of the week brings. i still need to finish up some things at work. especially since i might only be going back one day a week after my maternity leave is up. i have to get HMDA submitted before i have the baby. but i also have a lot i need to do at home to get ready. i need to wash all the baby's clothes, get organized, finish reading baby wise, and write thank you cards to all our amazing friends and family. i wrote half for our wedding and never got them out, and i really want to be better this time. i feel so blessed and so grateful for all the many things we received. i will blog about that in another post. also, i need to go exchange some stuff at ikea and get our pantry stocked. i am hoping i will be able to work less this week so i can get some stuff done. if not, i will most likely have all next week to get ready, since i am not getting my hopes up about him coming early. a girl at my work just had her baby and i am so jealous! also, lots of people that i follow on instagram and in my baby apps who are just as far along as me have had their babies recently and it is making me super anxious! i can't wait! anyway... all is well! let's hope baby comes sooner, rather than later! 18 days to go!