39 Weeks

Right now I'm experiencing a flood of emotions (I assume this is normal).  Not only am I experiencing the pregnancy hormones, but also the nervousness, the fear, and the anxiety about not knowing when this is going to happen.  Its miraculous to think that at ANY moment our life will change forever.  We will transition from our duo, to a full-on family.  I keep thinking that one week from today is my due date.  ONE WEEK.  It feels like it’s practically tomorrow in one sense (i.e., grand scheme of things, space-time continuum and all of that), but on the other hand it feels like it’s soooo far away (i.e., every twinge makes me wonder if labor might be starting, and I'm over analyzing EVERYTHING).  I know that she'll come when she's ready, in the mean time I just wish that I had a clue as to when that might be!  Below is my 39 week belly picture.

38 Weeks

Phew, ok.

So - I can't believe I'm saying this but, we are on to week 38.  I’m finding myself to be pretty emotional as the end of pregnancy draws closer.  Through all the ups and downs (there really haven't been many downs), I have truly loved being pregnant.  While I know I will love being a mother as well, it’s strange to think that this part of the journey is coming to an end.  It has been so long since I thought of myself as just “me” and I wonder what that will feel like again.  I’m also trying not to focus too much on my specific date, or drive myself crazy thinking “this could be the day!” as each one passes.  At our doctor's appointment this morning the ultrasound is showing that Lily is somewhere around or over the 6 pound mark at this point, which is great!  Below is my 38 week belly picture.

Puppy Love & Bumps

Freddy Fred loves Lily already!

37 Weeks

I'm starting to wonder how many more of these I will actually write!  Hopefully still a few more, but you never know.  I'm still feeling really good.  I don’t really feel like anything has changed, other than the fact that it feels great to officially be “full term” and through that milestone.  According to my doctor appointment this morning I am 1 cm dilated and 60% effaced (or thinned).  This doesn't mean much, except that there's at least something is happening in my body and we're having some progress.  I could easily still go to my due date (or beyond) though - stay tuned!  Below is my 37 week belly picture.

36 Weeks

Here we are – the last week until I am officially considered full term.  Hitting this milestone feels so good, because I’ll know that she’s (relatively) safe to come at any time.  I seem to have reached the stage of pregnancy where everyone assumes I can go into labor at any minute (which I suppose is true).  I found out yesterday that I am actually having some fairly strong contractions.  What  I thought was Lily pushing against my stomach is actually my uterus contracting.  That was a surprise!  At this point, I'm pretty sure that they're still "practice" contractions.  I hope so anyway, because we still want Lily to stay in and cook for a few more weeks so she can finish developing and pack on a little more weight!  Below is my 36 week belly picture.

35 Weeks

Fun fact: I have been pregnant since very late in November of last year.  That means I have been pregnant for the entire year of 2012 (plus a month prior).  You don’t realize just how long 40 weeks is until you are counting them down, but it's still gone by so quickly!  I had my second shower yesterday & it was great!  Now I'm having to face the reality that it's up to me to finish preparing for Lily's birth and it's coming up fast.  Kevin & I are definitely ready but it's still a little overwhelming to think about.  In just a month or so we will be meeting our little girl!  Below is my 35 week belly picture.

34 Weeks

I am definitely to the point where the weeks are starting to run together.  I remember back when I was like seven weeks pregnant, and I would hear women with giant bellies claim to not even remember how far along they were, I would think “how can you not remember?  THIS IS THE BIGGEST DEAL IN THE WORLD.”  Because back then every day felt like a week just waiting to get to the point where my pregnancy felt “safe” and real.  And while, at least in my personal world, it still is the biggest deal, it really is easy to lose track when you are counting forty-ish weeks.  But somehow, I have ended up at 34.  Check out the growth just 5 weeks apart at a time – this third trimester is NO joke

 This is at 19 weeks...

This is at 24 weeks...

This is at 29 weeks (start of the third trimester)...  And...

Now at 34 weeks - YOWZA!