36 weeks!

How far along? 36 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: shockingly, no weight gain this week. :-) Hopefully he's gaining while I'm losing!
Maternity clothes? yes. sufficiently tired of them.
Stretch marks? Nope, thankfully!
Sleep: EEEEK. Still no sleep!
Best moment this week: Well, at week 35 the best moment was when Dr. Brandner told me there's no way I'll last until my due date. I was 1 cm dilated and baby's head is definitely low. Then week 36 came and Dr. Barefoot was far less promising... so you can guess which doctor I currently prefer. :)
Movement: yes but he is definitely finding that he is less room these days
Food cravings: none to speak of...
Gender: BOY. Yay!
Name: Elijah.... and his middle name is Dutch after my grandfather.
Labor Signs: 1 cm. 50 % effaced, head is low (not sure what the official number is in terms of stations)
Belly Button in or out? flat. neither in or out?
What I miss: shaving my legs with ease!
Milestones: Weeks 36-37 are considered "full-term." It's wonderful to know that he would be healthy and safe if I had him now. We do want him to get a bit fatter before he comes, though!

34 weeks!

Yesterday Tara, my experienced photographer friend that I've known since middle school, came over to the house to do maternity portraits, one of which she allowed me to post on my blog! We had a lot of fun, especially the part where I squeezed into my pre-partum jeans and nearly fainted from being short of breath... consider that to be one thing I miss: breathing! :-)


How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: a lot, considering that he weighs about the amount of a cantaloupe!
Maternity clothes? yes, and fortunately my dear friend Lydia supplied me with a few items that will prevent me from spending money unnecessarily on clothes that I never want to wear again!
Stretch marks? No stretch marks.
Sleep: Napping is becoming a much more desirable pastime than in the 2nd trimester.
Best moment this week: Since I'm covering two weeks, the best moment was traveling to Savannah for a mini-moon over the weekend. Well, the traveling part wasn't ideal, but spending a weekend away with my husband was much needed, and we enjoyed being there and walking around the beautiful city together. The highlight was stopping for afternoon tea on Saturday at The Tea Room. We enjoyed hot tea (a pot for each of us), scones, and clotted cream--all reminiscent of the time we spent in London!
Movement: yep; sometimes it's uncomfortable but usually I find it relieving to feel him move
Food cravings: Now that my stomach capacity is beginning to dwindle, I'm finding less and less that sounds appetizing.
Gender: BOY. Yay!
Name: Elijah.... and his middle name is Dutch after my grandfather.
Labor Signs: No, just lots of Braxton Hicks--another one of God's ways to prepare us for childbirth!
Belly Button in or out? IN but shrinking!
What I miss: The ability to see my feet.
Milestones: We began a Prepared Childbirth Class at Northeast Hospital 2 weeks ago--while my attendance has been perfect, Michael was out of town last week and missed week 2, which consequently centered on breathing techniques. I dragged Rebecca to the class, so there's a chance she might become my breathing coach if that becomes necessary (READ: if by some freak chance an epidural is not available). I've already learned a lot and kind of look forward to the remaining three weeks of the class!

32 weeks!

How far along? 32 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: 21 pounds. Should I be sharing this?
Maternity clothes? yep... no going back now!
Stretch marks? No stretch marks.
Sleep: Given that my sister (who has a 3 week old) is currently getting much less sleep than I am, I cannot complain.
Best moment this week: My sweet college friends Carrie and Ginny threw baby Elijah an exquisite shower, complete with *make your own cupcakes* and a time of expressing prayers and wishes for me and Michael as we begin parenthood. Each guest was so thoughtful and I felt overwhelmed at the support I was given. Thank you, all, for making my first baby shower so unforgettable.
Movement: yes... most noticeably on my right side. His feet must be aimed towards the right side of my tummy.
Food cravings: Umm.. doughnuts? Candy corn? Cookies? Oh, and everything healthy, too.
Gender: BOY. Yay!
Name: Elijah.... and his middle name is Dutch after my grandfather.
Labor Signs: No, thankfully.
Belly Button in or out? IN but shrinking!
What I miss: Enjoying a glass of Chianti with dinner.
Milestones: Apparently he is now the weight of a jicama--that's a vegetable, in case you didn't know. The brilliant people at Babycenter couldn't describe his weight in terms of gallons of ice cream or bottles of soda. Now THAT would help with visualization.