36 Weeks as a Pregnant Lady

I think it's weird that they say a woman is pregnant for nine months. I mean, 36 weeks is nine months, right? But, technically I have four more weeks to go. So why don't we just say 10 months and not get everyone's hopes up!
 

Can you tell I am getting a little tired of being pregnant? Honestly, I can't complain too much. I have had a good pregnancy in that Quinn has been super healthy and there haven't been any weird complications. My health has been a little crazy, but as long as Baby Q is okay, I can deal.
 

I am getting very, VERY excited to meet Quinn. I think the bigger she has gotten, the more I can feel her and the closer I feel to her. I can't wait to hold her and see what she looks like and love her to pieces!
 

36 Week Update
 

Amazing:
 

-Quinn feels like a "for real" baby moving around in my belly. I don't think of her as a fetus anymore...she's legitimately a baby that probably weighs about 5.5 or 6lbs. Sometimes in bed, I hold my tummy like I am holding her. She still kicks and moves a lot and it's fun now to play "Guess that Body Part" when something random sticks out and makes my belly all caddywompus. I am so glad she's active...I think I would be paranoid if I didn't feel her move a lot.
 

-Shout out to Jeremy again. He cleans my messes (I am getting really clumsy; see below), does all our chores, takes care of the dogs, took care of me when I was sick (again, see below), always asks if I need anything, buys me flowers, indulges in junk food with me and goes to the grocery store. He's funny about the grocery store. He hates going when there are a jillion people, so his newest thing is to go at like 6:30am on Sundays. He's a morning person, so he's up and I guess he figures, why not.
 

-Shopping for a baby girl is WAY fun! I might be getting a little out of control, but I love all the cute, girly stuff!! I waited until after we had all our showers to shop and now I can't stop. Jeremy gave in the other day and got Quinn something too. Here are a few of our purchases:
 

 "Q" in sign language
 

 Jeremy's purchase.

Headbands from Etsy. Freakin' Etsy...I can't stay away!

 -Knock on wood I have not gotten: swollen feet and ankles or stretch marks too badly. Again, let's  knock on wood because I have four weeks to go. My belly button hasn't popped out yet either. I think if (when) it does, it will be weird!
 

-For a while my favorite dessert was the Homemade Vanilla Blue Bell/Mint Oreo combo. Well, I have a new one and it is the most amazing creation by Blue Bell yet: Butter Crunch Ice Cream! Jeremy has decided it has crack in it because it's just SO GOOD and you can't stop eating it. It sort of tastes like a Butterfinger Blizzard, but better because it's made with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla. Go get some and thank me later!

  

-I think Autumn might finally be coming to Austin. There have been some morning lows in the 50s and 60s and it's starting to stay in the 80s and 90s during the day. I actually busted out a 3/4 length shirt to wear the other day.
 

-We are starting to check things off the list. We have taken a birthing class, infant care class and a CPR class. We also have Quinn's room pretty much ready to go, my hospital bag packed and some laundry done so Quinn has clean stuff to wear when she gets here.

-Jeremy has started making Quinn a music playlist. It's really sweet. It has songs like Loudon Wainwright III's  "Daughter" the Beatles "Blackbird", Nickel Creek's "When You Come Back Down" and  Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." It's a pretty long play list, and I can't wait to hear him sing to Quinn. He has also started downloading children's songs. Not the cheesy Barney-type albums, but children's songs sung by normal people like Elizabeth Mitchell and Lisa Loeb. We listened to a little "Frog Went A Courtin'" this morning before we left for church.

-I have not had to buy maternity clothes for any other seasons. It is still warm enough that I can wear flip-flops, capris and skirts! Some of my tops have gotten pretty snug, but I have started to raid Jeremy's t-shirt drawer and that works for me!

-Baby Quinn hiccups! It's so cute how she gets all mad and starts squirming when she has them.
 

Not So Amazing

-A couple of weeks ago Jeremy and I both got a stomach bug. Jeremy never threw up and his wasn't too bad, but I was a mess. I woke up feeling achy and thinking "man these pregnancy aches came on fast." Well, it got worse and worse and I ended up going home from work at lunch. I walked in our door and went straight to the restroom to hurl. (sorry...TMI) Throwing up while you are preggo has to be one of the worst things ever. I was so worried about staying hydrated that I would drink between each time I threw up and then just throw up what I drank. I finally called the doctor and he said to stop drinking anything because it was just upsetting my tummy. He said not to worry about dehydration yet, and just try to settle my tummy. That actually worked and I didn't throw up after that, but I was definitely out the next day feeling awful. Thank goodness it was a 24-hr. bug and I was feeling a little better after a few days. UGH. I am glad that is over.

-My hands are swelling like crazy and they hurt. It's so bizarre that they are swollen but my feet aren't (yet). It feels like I can't work my hands like a normal person and I keep breaking things, dropping things and making messes. Jeremy has taken away my right to use glasses...I have to use plastic cups. I have heard this happens toward the end of pregnancy and it feels like carpal tunnel. I guess working at a computer all day doesn't help. 

-Quinn has created her own little schedule of moving around. Even though I love feeling her move, she has decided the middle of the night is the best time. It keeps me up sometimes, and then my brain starts going thinking about her arrival, things I need to take care of at work before I leave, cleaning our house, etc. I guess this is God's way of preparing me for lack of sleep. :)

-I am large. Very large. I don't want to talk about how much weight I have gained, but I did notice the other day that I weigh more than some college quarterbacks. Oh dear. 

-Aches have arrived: hands, feet, hips, back, neck, shoulders and round ligaments (around my stretching belly). 

-HEARTBURN! Man oh man. I think I have said it before, but Quinn must have a lot of hair if the old wives tale is true. I can't eat a lot at a time because I can't digest things very fast and if I eat anything remotely spicy I pay for it later. I have been taking two Zantac a day (which the doc said is fine) and that has helped. I have also learned the most boring foods I can eat and I try not to eat too close to bed time. 

-Walking in the mornings has gotten harder. I get home from walking (which is about 2 miles now), eat breakfast and get dressed for work and I am ready to go back to bed. It wears me out! I have still been doing yoga on Monday evenings and that has been really good.

-Each day around 3:30pm I want to crawl under my desk and go to sleep. I zone out and I can't think straight. Hopefully I am still doing good work, but I have said some dumb stuff in e-mails where I have to retract and remind people that Quinn is sucking away all of my brain juice right now.

-The other day Jeremy sort of jokingly said "I am tired of you being pregnant!" Um , yeah, join the club!
 

Well, this may or may not be the last update while I am preggo. At the end of next week I will be "full term" and Quinn could come any time. We go this week to have our big sonogram and see how big the doctors thing Baby Q will be and if she is head down and ready to go.
 

I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET THIS PRECIOUS BABY GIRL!!

Stay tuned. Next week Jeremy is going to do a guest blog on his feelings about becoming a Daddy!

The ever-growing belly.

36-Week Belly

(notice I have taken to wearing Jeremy's t-shirts)