Week 38 update

How far along: 38 weeks

Total weight gain: 40lbs... and I can't wait to see the scale drop instead of increase week after week.

Maternity clothes: Still wearing a mix of maternity and pre-pregnancy clothes (mainly only pre-preg maxi skirts and some dresses.) My pre-pregnancy maxi dresses are now too short. I'm starting to hate getting dressed and sick of rotating between my few outfits.

Stretch marks: No, and hoping it stays that way. I'm alternating between using Palmer's cocoa butter, Mustela, and bio oil twice a day.

Sleep: Sleep is very uncomfortable these days. Between the horrible hip pain that wakes me up at night to the tossing & turning with a giant belly, sleep is no longer enjoyable. I'm still waking up several times a night to go to the bathroom and I get insomnia 1-2 times a week where I can't fall back asleep for hours.

Miss anything? I miss being comfortable and being thin. Everything is harder now especially getting dressed and putting shoes on. I don't even try to pick up anything on the ground anymore, Andrew has been a huge help with that. I also miss raw sushi, especially tuna. I could also go for a mimosa, maybe because its football season.

Exercise: I go to the gym for cardio a few times a week (I do the elliptical or walk on the treadmill for at least 2 miles), do my pregnancy workout DVD a few times a week, and we take Lily on walks a few days a week. I've stopped going to my step/weight class because its too hard now but I've been pretty good at sticking to doing something active five days a week. Lately I've been going to the mall to walk around for a change, I used an app and its 1.3 miles to walk the whole mall... not bad. I can't wait to get back to my pre-pregnancy workouts.

Movement: He's pretty cramped now so the movements have turned into a lot of pushing and poking. He gets the hiccups a few times a day too, in fact he has them right now as I type this.

Food cravings: Nothing really, still loving sweets as always. I went to Sprinkles Ice Cream and got the animal cookie flavor, wow it was so good. Its not as big as it looks, its only one scoop. My rule is and always has been everything in moderation.

Anything make you queasy/sick? Car sickness.

Have you started to show yet: Definitely. I'm so sick of strangers asking when I'm due and what I'm having... and of course I'm sick of their comments. People are so rude. If I could stay home all day everyday I would to avoid it.

Gender: Boy! Our friends Josh & Anna just went to Pittsburgh (Josh is from there) and came home with these Steelers onesies for the baby (I'm a Steeler fan). I love them and can't wait for him to wear them on game days! Thank you again, I love that they came from Steeler Country!

Belly button in or out: In, borderline flat.

Wedding rings on or off: On, but they're hard to get off at times. I've been wearing my engagement ring with only one wedding band instead of two.

Symptoms: Menstrual cramps, lower back pain, and I have a lot of pressure on my bladder lately because he has dropped. I feel uncomfortable all the time. I have a faint line down my belly aka the linea nigra. Also have "pregnancy mask"- I have a dark patch on my right cheek and forehead and have been wearing spf 30 everyday hoping it doesn't get worse. I'm waking up with hip pain. Also I have sciatica back pain, its only on my left side but is so painful. I've been super tired and needing a 1-2 hour nap every day and would sleep more if I could. Also my feet have started to swell. On a positive note my hair is long and full and I get tan quickly.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy... and anxious, nervous, excited, scared, etc.

Looking forward to: Meeting our baby! It feels like I have been pregnant forever, but at the same time these last few months have flown by. He will be here before we know it! (I hope.)

 

Labor signs: Baby has dropped and is engaged in my pelvis and I'm 50% effaced, no dilation just yet. I've had a few pains of what I think are contractions, but nothing consistent or too painful. I have weekly checkups now.