38 Week Update

Well, any day now we will be expecting the arrival of our little man! I have gotten so much done here in the past few weeks because I knew that really once I hit 36 weeks, it was possible our son could make an early debut. At that point I started getting very serious about getting the final touches done in the nursery, ordering last minute things, and packing my hospital bag. We also fit in our maternity pictures with Shelby Lynn Photography which I still can’t get over, they are so perfect!

Side note: You have to see them all in my previous blog post!

Lately I have had so much energy thanks to my iron infusions, which makes all these sometimes-tedious tasks a lot easier to handle! I feel like I have been going nonstop because I want to feel as prepared as possible when the big day (or night) comes. The only thing left to take care of is some final touches to my lesson plans for work. I have a feeling I will make it through the rest of this week at work, but next week I just don’t know! However, I do have a feeling about the 23rd. That would get me through the end of the school year, so my fingers are crossed!

I think Brett is probably wondering how many more Amazon packages he can expect at the door with how many last-minute baby purchases I have been making (whoops). Some items are ones that I have been meaning to purchase for a while and others are items that my sister told me I will need since she has recently welcomed her own little son into the world and knows the ropes!

We currently have a swing/bouncer that I purchased from a friend (SCORE) that we have in the nursery right now, but I knew I would need a bouncer or rocking seat to be a little more handy and portable so I found a cute one on Amazon. It looks really cute in our living room which makes me happy! I would also like to add that I put it together by myself. 😉 I will use it to put him in while I am cooking, showering, doing laundry etc. so I can keep a close eye on him.

That same day, the final 2 panels of curtains I have been searching for for far too long finally arrived from Target! Once Brett put them up, the nursery was finally complete. I am in love with it and I just want to spend all my time in there! I guess I am also waiting on the ottoman that goes along with my rocking chair. It will be well worth the wait though because it is adorable. I am sure I will be spending lots of time in that chair, so it will be nice to kick back and relax for a while – like 8 times a day… *nervous laughter* #breastfeedingprobs

Another purchase I made was a caddy to keep diapers, wipes, extra onesies, etc. in while in the truck. I am calling it the RAM Caddy! A friend mentioned putting an extra shirt in there for myself – genius! This was another Amazon purchase for $20.

I had been searching for the longest time for a dress to wear home from the hospital. I was looking for something darker-colored, long enough for long tall body, loose, and good for nursing. I don’t think such a dress exists! I found one that will work well other than the easy-to-nurse-in part. Oh well, I will probably want to get straight back into my robe once we get home anyway!

What is even harder than picking out my own outfit, is picking out Baby H’s! His little dipaer backpack is full of different options because I am so indecisive. The other day, his blanket with his first and middle name arrived from Etsy and just today came a onesie with his name on it. So many options! I think I will just decide at the hospital. It has been so fun to lay out all the outfits to see the options!

I was relieved when my breast pump arrived in plenty of time before the baby does. I was so focused on getting the pump in time that I did not think about buying something to carry it in. Honestly, I didn’t think I would need to take it places because I am such a homebody anyway, but after talking to my sister I decided I had better get one. I found this one on Amazon and it even has a cooler in the bottom of it! Plus it’s super cute.

Basically, we are ready to roll! Brett doesn’t have his bag totally packed yet, but I am not too worried. All he needs is underwear and snacks, right? 😉

When it comes to how I am feeling at 38 weeks pregnant, I feel very blessed to say I feel great! My feet hurt sometimes as well as my back, but that’s partly from being on my feet all day as a teacher. The biggest struggle lately has been putting on my strappy Steve Madden shoes, so I try to have Brett help me put them on before he leaves for work! Haha

Like I said before, I probably have more energy right now than I did before pregnancy. Thank goodness for that iron! I am able to work all day and still have the energy to do dishes, laundry, and cook supper most nights. Luckily I have an amazing husband who helps out when he can though, even without me asking for it.

I am still stretching every morning and especially paying attention to the stretches and exercises that will benefit me when it comes time for labor & delivery. I have had a little bit of sciatic pain in the last day or so, but with my stretching, I think I am doing all that I can to keep that pain away.

Although I didn’t realize it at first, I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions all. the. time. They are not painful, but are definitely noticeable now. At my appointment the other day, the nurse practitioner said that even though they are not real labor contractions, they help to dilate the cervix. She was impressed with my progress so far as a first-time mom!

During this “waiting time,” I will be finishing up sub plans just in case they are needed, spending time with Brett and the dogs, and taking pictures of the nursery to include in another blog post now that it is totally complete!

Paige