35 weeks.

Happy Lunar New Year to those who are celebrating! How exciting that my daughter will be a Horse!

And oh my goodness, today has that really good Friday feeling that sticks around until Saturday morning {logically}; the one where it is so amazing to think about how there are two full mornings with no alarm clocks ahead of use {I realize that our own un-turn-off-able alarm clock will be making her appearance before long but let me relish in this for now please!} and I can do whatever I want tonight and not rush to get stuff done and be in bed at a reasonable hour. Not that we stay up or go out ever…but still.

It was frigid here again this week and we even got some good snow over one night {and a delayed start the next morning – thank you weather gods for those extra two hours!!!!}. Today warmed up a bit and even though it’s slated to get cool again and maybe even snow some here, it’s nothing like the teens and single digits we’ve had several times in January.

Aaaaaaand…we made it to end of blah-u-ary. Yea. Even though my birthday is in this month and it’s a great time to reflect on the past year/look ahead to the next, it’s my least favorite month. I try not to grump too much about it but…it’s still dark and cold and I can’t even say that “next month” brings the good tidings of spring because next month is still winter. But February! In a matter hours, next month will bring a new season both literally and figuratively. Wow. Tonight I’m feeling so excited and happy about things to come.

In other news, be glad I’m not in dingy house clothes for the picture; my photographer came home earlier than I had thought he would and I was already out of my jeans {we had a glorious dress-down day at work today} but it was early enough that I felt some oomph to squeeze back into them. The legs fit fine, actually, but it’s the darned “belly panel”, this stretchy spandexy area attached to the waistline {if you can call it that} that no longer fits over my belly.

So let’s move on to the update.

How far along: 35 weeks

Symptoms:

·      Trying to stay alive at work? I’m still working a ton. Even though I’ve been teaching since 2006, this is a new school and textbook so for some of my classes I’m really creating a lot as we go along. Plus even if I’m using material from co-workers {THANK YOU SO MUCH COWORKERS!}, I’m making new plans because the pacing is different from what I had done for so long.

·      Also not really a symptom but I’m trying to get those substitute plans in order. Slowly but surely, though that surely needs to come quickly the later it gets.

·      Baby is pressing on my bladder…it’s such a weird feeling. It’s as though I need to go to the bathroom but different.

·      Upper back pain is still here and it’s aggravated by the seats in our car; I possibly mentioned this last week but don’t feel like looking at the last post I made to figure it out.

·      It’s hard to stand up? Like, after I’ve been sitting or lying down for a while, getting up just hurts. It must be the muscle strain and those relaxed muscles I’ve mentioned.

·      As has been the case throughout this pregnancy, I’m hungry! And thirsty. I’ve been eating lots of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches {on toasted bread, natch} and downing tons of water.

Wait gain: 167; I’ve gained a pound in two weeks. The midwife didn’t seem concerned and actually even told me that the baby is measuring big {a week ahead} so I think this is OK.

Size of baby: a coconut or a honeydew melon.

Exercise: not much walking at all; it was so cold! But I did have a fleeting desire this week to swim; I think the idea of being weightless sounds wonderful actually so maybe it was a not-so-fleeting yen. I might look into any indoor pools open. But the problem is that I’m a horrible swimmer {too much coordination}…I might give it a try anyway though because it just seems like it would feel so good.

Milestones: I don’t think there’s anything…little Miss Melamed is apparently head down and that makes me one happy mama but it ain’t a milestone so…

What I miss: lying on my tummy. I just wanted to flop on my bed and read junky stuff online this afternoon and had to make-do with laying on my side and alternating when my arm would get tired.

Sex: one girl, coming up soon!

Movement: she’s going at it still. There have been some big rolling movements and I love it.

Thoughts/questions/concerns: car sear car seat car seat! And we need to get our birth center consent forms filled out. Even though the midwife told me that our daughter is a bit big, I'm more happy than worried; I'm just glad to know that she's on her way to being big and healthy. I may change my mind when go-time gets here but for now, I'm at peace with it.

Sleep: I’m up every two to three hours for the bathroom and to drink water because I’m thirsty. It’s a vicious cycle. I also need to flip over because my hips start to hurt.

Goals: wash clothes, get cars eat in, build bassinet.

Random: I have some work to do this weekend, beyond just baby stuff, and I’m so excited to get it done and then laze around watching the superbowl…I’m pretty easy to please!!!

xoxo, natty ♥