How Far Along: 37 weeks, 3 days
Size of Baby: weighs around 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches (about the size of a bunch of Swiss chard).....Dr said baby would only be around 6 1/2 pounds at full term so I'm not fully relying on the Babycenter measurements!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: +20 overall.....started at 114 so now up to 134. Didn't gain (but certainly didn't lose) any at my last two appointments these last two weeks.
Blood Pressure: Oct. 4 - 100/62, Nov. 1 - 110/60, Nov. 21 - 112/78, Dec. 30 - 120/78, Jan. 20 - 122/78, Feb. 6 - 116/72, Feb. 20 - 114/74, March 6 - 128/90, March 13 - 130/90, March 20 - 130/86
Heartbeat: 141 at March 13 appt., 156 at March 20 appt. - Heartbeat has always been in the low 140s so I was concerned that it was high last week. Dr assured me it was just because baby was moving around at that very moment so it was just like my heart rate going up when I run (haven't done that in years, but I'll take her word on the running thing). She was certainly active at that very moment! In fact, I had the dr point out various body parts as we were watching baby squirming all about!
Maternity Clothes: Maternity everything for the most part! Long sleeve maternity tees with cute cardigans (non-maternity) are my go-to outfits! I honestly rotate the same 4 shirts with different scarves/cardigans.
Gender: Baby SISTER.....Lauren Kelley Hendricks.
Movement: She is a definite little wiggle worm and seems to get the hiccups quite often! Night time is her time to party! If I lay on my left side she pushes against whatever I'm laying on and vice versa with my right. I have to change positions quite often so she'll change positions too!
Sleep: I sleep great until I wake up around 4:00 or so with MASSIVE-MAKE-ME-WANT-TO-PUKE heartburn! Then I'm up to pee and take some some Tums!
What I Miss: I miss not having heartburn! I can't go to bed without two Tums ready to go on the nightstand. I'm SOOOOOO over the heartburn!
Cravings: Still sweets! I have at least two venti vanilla bean frappuccinos and at least one shaken iced black teas sweetened from Starbucks per day! I CRAVE the vanilla bean frappuccinos like mad! I sent Luke to Starbucks for one Thursday night at 10 and sadly he returned home with nothing because they were closed! He usually gets me two at a time so I always have one waiting for me in the fridge (a very welcome treat first thing in the morning)!
Symptoms: The most exciting thing is I was dilated 1 cm and 60% effaced at my March 13 appt and 2 1/2 cm dilated (still 60% effaced) on Thursday (March 20)! Whoo hoo!!!! Just hoping she doesn't fall right out of me before I get to the hospital! Baby also dropped a few weeks back (confirmed at my March 6 appt). Heartburn, heartburn, HEARTBURN! I've offically lost sight of anything below the belly unless I kick my legs out in front of me. Bending down is out of the question and by the end of the day I'm a waddling duck. Luke has been having to roll the legs of my pants for me! When I was pregnant with Leah I got an intense burning sensation on the top right part of my belly. It's back! It kills me at the end of the day. The spot is basically numb but burns like none other. It's a pinched nerve I think from when I was pregnant before and there's not a thing in the world I can do about it! I don't remember it bothering me as bad when I was pregnant with Lane. It feels like someone is stabbing me and pulling the knife in and out of that one spot! I've also been having contractions off and on, some painful, some not. Some days I have a few, some days none. I also bid farewell to my mucus plug last Sunday and Monday. That was a first for me! I was also put on "rest" (not "bed rest", just "rest" with my feet up as much as possible) at my March 13 appointment since my BP was up. I had to do blood work which all came back fine (higher than normal but still in the okay range) so no induction yet! I was induced with Lane the day I turned 37 weeks so Lauren is getting a little more growing time than he did!
Best Moment This Week: Uncle Chris, Aunt Kylie and Caroline came to visit us on Tuesday so I got to celebrate my 33rd birthday with them (a full on Mardi Gras theme picked out by the little party planner of the house) and love on that sweet little niece of mine! Nursery is ready to go minus the curtains being hung (gotta special order the rods to fit over the shutters) and her closet being put back together after our "little" leak. Still waiting on a part for the pipe in the wall before that will be done. Thank goodness nothing is noticeable with her closet doors closed! My friend Christina surprised me with the sweetest thing today! She whisked me off and treated me to lunch at Ettore's today along with a pit stop at Starbucks for my beloved vanilla bean frappuccino! And that's not all! Christina threw both my baby shower for Leah and my "sprinkle" for Lane. Because this is my third pregnancy and I already have most of what I need, I didn't want another shower. Christina totally surprised me with a "baby shower in a bag" complete with decorations, party hats and horns to make it fun for the kids, invitations for Lauren's baby book and one of my very favorite cakes for dessert! I LOVE this girl so much!!!!!!
Looking Forward To: Enjoying these last few days as a family of four before our lives drastically change (for the better of course). Dr said with my BP being up they won't let me go past 39 weeks so looking at being induced April 2nd if nothing happens before then.
(35 weeks - March 5)
