Bumpday – 34 weeks (contest!)

You have to read this whole post in order to get to the contest part. (Or, I suppose you can just scroll to the end.) Six weeks from tomorrow will be my absolute last day of work! And, if there is no baby then, there soon will be! Six weeks is not very long, is it?

I have decided that pregnancy is like a marathon. I have not completely worked through this metaphor, but I can tell you that I am totally at mile 20 & hitting the wall. I mean, I’m close enough to the end that I know I’ll make it at this point, but holy hell, I know that the next six miles (weeks?) are going to be the most painful/uncomfortable/tiring.

Baby size: Alvie is the size of a durian! At less than two months to go, he weighs in at between 4.2 pounds to 5.8 pounds and measures about between 7.2 to 18.7 inches.

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I’m feeling: Tired, although pretty good today, actually. I know that sleep will be fleeting for the first few weeks/months post-partum, but I am looking forward to it not hurting to roll over anymore!

Physical changes: Alvie is starting to drop a bit, which is making breathing a LOT easier, but is making peeing a LOT more frequent. The last couple of nights, I was up 6 & 5 times respectively. I can’t even count how many times during the day. I am also extremely thirsty ALL THE TIME. Oh – and the heartburn that hasn’t been bothering me much this whole pregnancy? It has arrived. With a vengeance.

Baby stuff: He is just packing on the pounds now. Also, according to my weekly fetus update, he’s peeing about a pint a day at this point! I am so glad that I can share that kind of information with you!

Body Image: Fine – as long as I don’t think about weight. I am starting to get a few stretchmarks, but since I already had so many from when I got fat, I don’t think it will make a huge difference in the long run.

Food stuff: Food aversions are starting to return. The other night, I was going to have a sip of the architect’s Ft. George Vortex IPA (i.e. one of my favorite IPAs), and I couldn’t do it. The smell…gag. And last night, I didn’t even want cheese. Also, no onions, raw cucumbers, raw tomatoes, or mayo.

Things I miss: Walking up two flights of stairs without needing a recovery period.

Prep Work (Things to do between now & Alvie Bean Day)

January: Find a pediatrician, lock down a daycare (one last tour scheduled!), recycle all the old electronics in the office, get the carpet cleaning appointment made, find a maid service for quarterly deep cleans, finalize shower list for shower giver! Find a new doula!

February: Attend childbirth class, take babymoon (canceled SAD), make sure all essentials are purchased (diapers and carseat at this point!), pack hospital bag

March: Attend breastfeeding & newborn care class; install carseat, finish getting less essential essentials (rocking chair, crib, changing table, other random stuff), make a plan for freezer meals, finish getting nursery ready, sign up for FMLA

In conclusion: I know the next six-ish weeks will go both quickly and slowly. I think I will be ready. I am planning on working from home one day/week for the next few weeks and resting as much as possible. I am just trying to maintain my 2-3 hrs of exercise/week at this point, with exercise now be classified as yoga & slow swimming.

 

I don’t have a new bump pic (AGAIN!) this week, but I do have a picture that I think perfectly expresses how I feel about pancakes.

So much joy. Also, please note my “speedy” shirt (size XXL in men’s, btw) that perfectly describes me these days. Yay for pancakes & bacon!

photo credit: emily

Happy week! (Today is my last day of work this week! Yay!) Birthday weekend starts tomorrow!

 

CONTEST!

I love giving away stuff. And I love it when things are all about me! So – I am going to combine those two loves with this contest.

This is the “guess the day I give birth” contest. In the comments, enter the day you think I’ll deliver, and whoever is closest wins a prize! My actual due date is 4/2/12, so you have a starting point.

The prize: two movie passes to a Regal Entertainment Group theater, a Starbucks gift card ($20 value), and a couple of other surprises (which will depend on your location & whether or not this will be shipped or hand-delivered). If more than one person guesses the same day, the first person to guess that day will win the main prize, the second person will win 2nd place, and everyone else will be SOL.

This contest will close on 3/24/12.

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