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| Hello, ugliest maternity picture known to man. 35 weeks 4 days |
Here is the update
Sleep-
As long as I have my candy cane pillow, I can make it through the night. I am averaging one pee break and one water break per night.
Swelling-
None. I am happy to report that I have not gotten kankles.
Indigestion-
This one is a bust. No heartburn but indigestion is a challenge on a nightly basis.
Cravings-
WATER. I find myself wanting water every second of every day. I cannot get enough. It is so refreshing and delicious that I would choose it over virtually any special treat right now. note to self: this is your body's way of saying that you need to hydrate more and not so much a craving
Emotions-
They seemed to have settled. I have reached a point where I just want to jump into labor and being a mom so that I can experience it for myself. I have read so many books and blogs and forums that my head is spinning with expectations. I want to figure out how to be Motorcycle's mom on my own, whether I am ready or not. I don't have my highs and lows like I did oh so recently. Now I will contradict myself. Two nights ago we watched What to Expect When You are Expecting. We thought it would be fun to watch a pregnancy comedy now that we are at the end of our pregnancy journey. Wrong. I got up and left the room twice because I was crying. There were some scenes that I couldn't handle. Consequently, I stayed up and read my labor and delivery book for several hours after the movie. Oops.
Braxton Hicks-
I have started having practice contractions somewhat regularly. I would say once a day is a fair gauge.
Physical Appearance-
On the days where I think I am offensively huge and round, it is hard to feel beautiful. Mostly I feel blessed. I look in the mirror and am amazed by my growing belly. I feel lucky that I have not gotten stretch marks. My weight gain seems to be localized in the belly and boobs area. Yes, my hips are a little bigger, but it is nothing worth noting.
Running and Working Out-
It is now a combination of walking and running. The truth is that I feel that I could continue to run for several miles with no complications or pain. However, I respect and trust the advice and cautions I get from my Love and my family. It is hard to listen to them when I want to just run. BUT, this pregnancy isn't all about me. It took me 8 months to learn that lesson. Now that I learned it, I am much more content to take good care of Motorcycle and myself for his sake. I enjoy walking for several miles with my mom, and I have been completing a walk/run interval on my treadmill. I am so excited to run again after Motorcycle comes. I feel like I have done a good job of keeping my physicality up during pregnancy. I hope this contributes to an easy delivery and speedy recovery.Yoga and swimming are still up there too.
Thoughts on Labor and Delivery-
I have reached a point where I feel like it could happen any day. I wake up every day with a wondering if this is the day. I am so curious to experience it. Will I be able to handle the pain? Will my natural birth goal become a reality? Will my running and fitness level really have prepared me for this experience? Will Motorcycle be okay? Two things that make me nervous are tearing and pooping.
Marriage-
From the second we read PREGNANT on the EPT test in August, our relationship has changed. As usual, Jason has been the constant in this journey. Always supportive, selfless, and giving, he continually puts my needs first. The main change I have seen in him as a husband is that he is much more inclined to suck it up and go to work. I would guess that it's the breadwinner mentality coming out in him. In hindsight each trimester seemed to bring on new emotions, love, feelings, and challenges. First trimester was characterized by a new found love and appreciation for each other. It was exciting to go about things knowing that we had a very important secret to ourselves. I loved that Motorcycle was a secret between only Jason and I. Second trimester was the roller coaster for me. Our lives picked up pace in work, school, finances, responsibilities, and the reality check of having a baby. There seemed to be more disagreements mostly because of my freak outs. Now we are in the third trimester, and I have noticed a paradigm shift. I can't explain it exactly, but my love for Jason has grown and changed. I have an overwhelming need to take care of him and show him love and support. I am grateful for these promptings because I know they are timely for the very soon change to our lives.
Motorcycle-
I just love him. My heart drops when I think of holding him. An ultrasound confirmed that he is down in the birthing position. Intuition tells me that I don't have much longer to wait.
He has a room full of things waiting for him.
My hospital bag is packed.
