36 weeks - one more month til d-day!

Yesterday marked 36 weeks, which means we are now one month away from my due date! I can't believe how close we are, and there is still so much going on! I still need to work on baby boy's quilt (yeah . . . I'm not as motivated as I was when I started it, so it's been a project I keep putting off haha), and we still have baby stuff all over the house that needs to get organized and put away. I sort of have a hospital bag packed . . . so I need to add to that in the coming weeks. In our birthing class they said ideally you want your bag packed by 36 weeks, so I'll start working on that soon. There are a few baby items I still need to purchase, and then we need to install the car seat base so we're ready to go once I go into labor. I still don't think I've had any braxton hicks so far, so it's hard to imagine what it will be like when I do start experiencing contractions. This past thursday in birthing class, to practice relaxing & breathing through pain, the teacher had us hold ice in our hands for the length of a contraction. I didn't really like it, and I told Martin that contractions are going to be in a totally different area, so I thought it was just mean to torture pregnant ladies, haha. However it was distracting to have to focus on my breathing and focus on a single object in the room while holding the ice. I still knew that I was holding ice and that it hurt, but it wasn't thinking "OW WHY AM I DOING THIS!?". ;)
I'm wanting to research ways to alleviate pain in labor. I'm bringing a birthing ball to the hospital since I've heard good things about that, and have been thinking about getting lavender oil or some other oil that would be soothing to rub on my belly during contractions. Did anyone have any good distraction/pain relief techniques they liked during labor? I'm curious to hear about them!

How far along: 36 weeks 

Fruit/Vegetable comparison: A honeydew melon! About 5-5.8 pounds, and 17.2-18.7 inches in length. 

Total weight gain: 31 pounds

Baby's new developments: Baby's liver and kidneys are now fully functioning, and baby's born at 36 weeks typically are able to breathe on their own. 

Sleep: Bathroom breaks are common, but I think I'm still sleeping well over all. I go to bed pretty early, since I'm pretty fatigued right now. Sometimes I wake up because the baby starts moving around, or I'm uncomfortable in the position I'm sleeping in, but I fall back asleep pretty quickly. 

Best moment of the week: I still love going to the pool and swimming around. The heat was not fun this week, being upwards of 99 and 100 degrees a couple of days, so the pool was my favorite place to go after work! 

Miss anything?: Not really this week. Sometimes I think about how I'll never sleep in again, and that's a little depressing, haha! But then again, I'm not doing much sleeping in these days anyways. 

Movement: He's still an active little guy, but he doesn't kick around so much as roll and stretch. He's running out of room! 

Food cravings: Jersey Mike's sandwiches (this has probably been my most consistent craving, I've wanted a sandwich there pretty much once a week since the beginning), and nectarines! There are FINALLY nectarines at the grocery store!!  

Symptoms: Shortness of breath, hot flashes, occasional nausea, occasional back aches, fatigue, minor aches and cramps when the baby moves into an uncomfortable position. Those symptoms aren't constant, though. Just come and go throughout the day. 

Looking forward to: My friend Sam had her baby this weekend, and I'm looking forward to hearing how she's doing! Her husband sent a text after Carson was born saying that mom and baby were doing great, so I'm glad to hear she had a good labor and delivery. 

35 Weeks

We've got about 5 weeks left until we meet our little guy, and I can't believe how soon that is! We've been taking birthing class at Los Robles hospital, and it's been fun to meet other soon-to-be parents and learn about what we can expect to experience in the different stages of labor. This last thursday we got to watch the birth video, and everyone in the room had such different reactions, it was pretty entertaining. Martin handled it just fine, since he's actually seen the video of his own birth (yes, you read that right. According to him, it's like Inception), and I teared up because it still amazes me to see babies being born. There were other people in the class, however, who were not as prepared for seeing how babies come into the world. My favorite was the shocked "OH MY GOSH" from one of the moms in the class when they showed the birth.
Maybe I'm naive, but I'm looking forward to labor and delivery. At the end of each birthing class, I feel more informed and better prepared for what to expect. I feel confident in the staff at the hospital, and trust that the nurses really do want to help us have the best experience possible. I know that labor will be painful, but we've been learning relaxation techniques in class, and I know that I always have the option of the epidural if I want it. At the end of it all, I know we will get to finally meet our sweet little man, and that's what makes me the most excited when I think about my upcoming labor and delivery. He will finally be here! I keep wondering what he will look like, what it will feel like to finally hold him, to kiss his little face. I can't wait!

How far along: 35 weeks 

Fruit/Vegetable comparison: A coconut! About 5-5.8 pounds, and 17.2-18.7 inches in length. 

Total weight gain: 29 pounds

Baby's new developments: Baby's hearing is fully developed, which Martin and I have been testing his response to different music! Currently we're listening to the Beatles and he seems to be enjoying the Blue Album. :)

Sleep: Pretty much getting up every night to use the restroom. Other than that I'm falling asleep pretty quickly still. It's just hard to get in and out of bed. 

Best moment of the week: I've been enjoying time at the pool in our condo complex. It's my favorite form of exercise now. Plus, no one uses the pool, so I have the place all to myself to swim, float, and just hang out. 

Miss anything?: I miss my pre-pregnancy self: as in, not feeling nauseous and over-heated, and getting tired and feeling winded over basic activities. 

Movement: I keep trying to get his movement on video, because you can see my belly move so often when he does it! But baby doesn't like to perform. I'm pretty sure he knows whenever I get my camera out. 

Food cravings: Jersey Mike's sandwiches, Izze sparkling juice, and berries. Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries. All delicious. 

Symptoms: Shortness of breath, hot flashes, occasional nausea, occasional back aches, fatigue, minor aches and cramps when the baby moves into an uncomfortable position. I was talking to my friend Caitlin and she shared with me her last trimester she just felt sick and tired the majority of the time. I can sympathize! 

Looking forward to: We have two more sessions in birthing class, and then it's the final countdown to meeting our little man! 

34 Weeks

With 6 weeks left to go (give or take) I'm really starting to feel like I'm ready for this pregnancy to be over. I still don't want him to come early by any means, but I am getting to the point where I just can't seem to get comfortable these days. My maternity clothes feel tight, breathing is difficult, and no matter what I'm doing -sitting, standing, or laying down- I need to move again shortly after because I just don't feel comfortable for long. The heat the last week has been especially rough. Quite often throughout the week I would just suddenly feel SO hot and overheated, bringing with it a wave of nausea and wooziness. I imagine menopause feels something like this, haha! My sea-bands and I are once again becoming well acquainted, as a result. All I want to do when it hits me is sit in a freezer. I settled for the pool a couple of times, which was refreshing in more than just bringing my body temperature down. Being in the pool feels so nice! I almost forget that I'm pregnant and swim around and float, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness for the moment. The pool is my new favorite place, and no one uses the pool in our condo complex, so I pretty much have it to myself when I go swimming.

How far along: 34 Weeks

Fruit/Vegetable comparison: A butternut squash: He probably weighs about 5 pounds, and measures around 17.2-18.5 inches in length.  

Total weight gain: 28.5 pounds

Baby's new developments: Baby can recognize songs now! I need to start testing this out and see if he moves around to some more than others. 

Sleep: Rolling over is pretty much a thing of the past; it's too much effort and not really worth it when I finally make it over to the other side. I'm usually waking up once or twice a night to use the restroom. Other than that, not too bad. 

Best moment of the week: We started birthing class on Thursday and it was a great class! We talked about relaxation techniques, early labor and signs of pre-term labor, and discussed how birth partners will support moms during labor. Martin said the class was very helpful for him, so I'm glad we will be taking it for the next few weeks! 

Miss anything?: Normal breathing . . . and probably still sangria, haha. 

Movement: Sometimes I don't enjoy how much he moves, because his sudden movements can be painful, but it's good to remember all of that movement is important and I really should be thankful he's so active. If he wasn't, that could be concerning. So I'll take his crazy, quick movements for the next couple of weeks!

Food cravings: I could still eat Jersey Mike's sandwiches every day. I don't . . . but if I did, I don't think I'd get sick of them. Also, probably the weird pregnancy craving I've had recently is oatmeal. Normally I really do NOT like oatmeal. But this week it was the only thing I wanted in the mornings! 

Symptoms: Shortness of breath, hot flashes, nausea, occasional back aches, fatigue, minor aches and cramps when the baby moves into an uncomfortable position. At least this will only be going on for a few more weeks, right?

Looking forward to: Birthing class for the next few weeks, and the reality that with each passing week, we are that much closer to the arrival of our baby boy! 

33 Weeks

This morning Martin and I had a tour of the maternity ward at Los Robles hospital, where our labor and delivery will take place. It was crazy to see so many pregnant ladies all in the same place, I kept thinking what if someone goes in to labor right now?! I guess it's the perfect place, but being surrounded by 15-20 other pregnant women and their spouses was such a weird experience. I don't see that many other preggos very often!
We both really enjoyed the tour and I felt especially reassured about having our baby at Los Robles. The nurse who did our orientation was so kind, and kept reassuring us the goal of the hospital is for mom's and dad's to have a great experience. She was very reassuring that the nurses and staff are on our side. Whatever the mom wants her birth experience to be like, they will do their best to accommodate, so long as mom and baby are doing well. We got to see some precious newborns, see how nice the post part-um rooms are (I was especially excited about the showers!), and even learned all the nurses know which restaurants in the area deliver to the hospital for my post-birth meal ;) All in all, the orientation and tour was very encouraging to me and I felt even more excited to be having a baby in just a few more weeks!

How far along: 33 Weeks

Fruit/Vegetable comparison: A durian fruit: about 17.2-18.7 inches in length, and 4.2-5.8 lbs.  

Total weight gain: 27 pounds

Baby's new developments: Baby can now keep his eyes open while awake, and bones are continuing to harden. 

Sleep: Starting to get a little uncomfortable. I've had to get up to use the restroom a few times this week. And my belly is getting pretty heavy so I have to keep the snoogle pillow under my belly while I sleep. Rolling over is pretty much not worth it anymore ;) 

Best moment of the week: Definitely enjoyed the maternity tour and orientation this morning! I'm really looking forward to having this baby. As weird as that may sound, I mean it! I can't wait to have our little guy here with us! 

Miss anything?: Breathing normally (Everything simple suddenly feels like I was just running a marathon), Not feeling smooshed (I just don't have much space left in my torso!) and I miss sangria lately haha. 

Movement: Still an active little guy. It's fun to watch my belly move, hopefully one day I can actually get it on video!  

Food cravings: Quesadillas were pretty much my go-to food this week. 

Symptoms: Shortness of breath, occasional back aches, fatigue, minor aches and cramps when they baby moves into an uncomfortable position. 

Looking forward to: Birthing class starts on thursday! 

32 Weeks

This weekend was a busy one! From trying to get things organized around the house to make room for baby, to a full day of Easter celebrations on Sunday, updating the blog was pretty low priority on my list of things-to-do. So sorry to all of our friends and family who have been waiting for an update, hopefully I didn't keep you waiting too long by being just a couple days behind!
Now that there are only 2 months left (give or take!), the reality that we will have our little guy with us in weeks rather than months is pretty exciting and nerve-wrecking all at the same time. To think that the crib in the corner of our room will soon hold our son, and the clothes in his little dresser will soon be worn, is quite overwhelming. Both in a good way and in a "oh my goodness everything is changing and it's happening way too soon" kind of way. I'm definitely excited for our son, and look forward to being a parent. But I can't deny that there is still so much that I don't know and can't quite grasp of just how much our lives will change. I wonder what kind of parent I'll be, and what personalities our kids will have. One of the ladies I volunteer with in the nursery shared with me why they chose to have a big family, saying "children are the only thing that matter in light of eternity". And really, that's the beauty of raising children: these are people who we have been entrusted with to teach what it means to follow Jesus, and to hope that they will love Him and serve Him and know Him as we do. So in light of all that I don't know and certainly will be learning along the way, I am thankful for the hope of Jesus, and His grace and guidance when it comes to being a parent. We will not be doing this on our own, thank the Lord!

How far along: 32 weeks and 2 days 

Fruit/Vegetable comparison: A squash! My app says he should be around 2.5-3.8 pounds right now, but I would say he's bigger since our last ultrasound he was weighing in just under 4 pounds. He's about 15.2 to 16.7 inches in length. 

Total weight gain: I didn't weigh myself this week, but I would guess I'm at about 27 to 28 pounds gained, based on how I've gained weight over the last few weeks :) 

Baby's new developments: Baby's head is down, preparing for delivery! Hopefully he stays that way for another 8 weeks! He's also running out of space, and probably feels pretty cramped in there. 

Sleep: Still sleeping fairly well through the night, waking up every now and then for bathroom visits. I can't roll over comfortably, so I tend to stay on my left side while sleeping. My body pillow keeps my belly comfortable while sleeping, it doesn't feel as heavy, so I definitely love my snoogle! Martin calls it "the great wall of China" though, because it wraps around my back and he can't snuggle me ;) Although I get pretty hot in the middle of the night, so I'm not much of a snuggler these days anyway.  

Best moment of the week: I drove out to Ventura with one of the girls I mentor, Haley, on Saturday to visit the Petunia Pickle Bottom boutique and got an adorable diaper bag from their sale section! We also spent the afternoon at the Harbor, walking around and watching seals. So that pretty much made my day :) 

Miss anything?: I feel like when I get into the car to drive lately I am so smooshed! I miss being able to easily maneuver in and out of the car. 

Movement: He moves so much! He makes my whole belly move sometimes, and I can see when he's hanging out on one side or the other! 

Food cravings: I ate a lot of eggs this week. They were delicious! Other than that, I don't think I've been craving much. 

Symptoms: Shortness of breath, occasional back aches, and fatigue. 

Looking forward to: We have our maternity ward tour this Saturday. Getting closer to the big day! 

31 Weeks

I still can't believe we are only 9 weeks away from my due date. The days seem to go by so quickly lately, and our to do list seems impossible to complete! I know we will get it done, but since Martin and I only really have Sundays off together, it's hard to get much of it together. However, last weekend alone, Martin and his friend Sam rearranged our bedroom furniture while I supervised, we set up the crib, and found a compact changing table that fit perfectly in our room! We didn't think we would be able to house a changing table, since everything is going in the bedroom with us, but we were pleasantly surprised to find there was more space than we anticipated when all of the furniture was finally moved around. Our next big project is to build the toy/baby storage system that will go in our living room. Martin and his mom will be putting it together, and I'll paint it once it's all finished. We also have many small projects, but those will come together soon enough! :)

How far along: 31 weeks

Fruit/Vegetable comparison: A pineapple. My app says his weight would be around 3.5-3.8 pounds, but I estimate he's heavier since at our last ultrasound he was just under 4 pounds, and 15.2-16.7 inches in length. 

Total weight gain: 26 pounds

Baby's new developments: Baby's eyes can now react to light (crazy!) and all five of his senses are in working order. His bones are hardening, with the exception of his skull.

Sleep: Still sleeping well throughout the night, thankfully! Most nights the baby wiggles around for a bit, but he's typically calmed down by the time I fall asleep. 

Best moment of the week: I've really enjoyed seeing the baby's space come together in our bedroom, and getting things ready for him to join us. It feels all the more real to have his crib set up, and his clothes all washed and put away in his little dresser! 

Miss anything?: Not feeling like I'm missing out on much these days!  

Movement: He seems to constantly be moving, although I know that's an exaggeration. My mom said to count his kicks every 8 hours, but he moves much more frequently than that, so I haven't really started counting anything yet.  

Food cravings: I ate quesadillas almost every day this week, but I think that was more because of what we had in the fridge than anything else :) A crepe sounds delicious right about now, but I have no idea where I would get one. 

Symptoms: The baby feels really heavy lately. Not that it's a symptom, but I'm starting to feel the weight in the front a lot more than before. Shortness of breath, and occasional backaches. 

Looking forward to: I have an "interview" set up with Dr.Brooks, who will most likely be our pediatrician this coming friday! I am really looking forward to being able to ask him questions and see if he is the right fit for our family. I have only heard good things about him, so I'm hoping we like him, too!

30 Weeks & Missions Assessment!

The last two and a half days Martin and I participated in Cornerstone's Global Ministry Missions Assessment. We both were not too sure what to expect, but excited for the chance to dialogue more about what we are pursuing with missions in Argentina and get insight into what steps to take next. We were both blown away by how God used the weekend to affirm our calling and our strengths, and encourage us through the wisdom and support of the assessor team. We were both able to identify our strengths as individuals, and how that works together in our marriage, as well as in ministry. We felt encouraged to focus on our strengths, and not apologize for how God has uniquely made us. This was huge for Martin and I, as we both struggle with feeling free to be ourselves sometimes: those who know us well, know that Martin is more of an introvert, quiet, and observant, while I am very extroverted, passionate, and vocal. Josh and Sarah, our assessors, encouraged us that this does not mean I "wear the pants" in our marriage, or that Martin's kindness is weakness. Martin said it was the first time he felt validated in his type B leadership, and that he didn't have to be the upfront type to lead well. Betty, one of the assessors who served with her husband in Papua New Guinea, told us we reminded her of herself and her husband Ace when they were first starting out, and that Martin was a Moses: Moses didn't see himself as they "type" to lead, but God confirmed that He would equip Him and use Him to lead the Israelites. We received so many words of encouragement and affirmation, it was so refreshing for both of us.
We also enjoyed getting to know the other missionaries going through the assessment. There were only a few of us, so we really had the time and opportunity to get to know each other. It was exciting to hear about each of their unique ministries God had called them to, and to see the missionaries currently serving, as well as those like us who were in the process of preparing to be sent out. One of the couples we were excited to meet and get to know where Jen and Matt Daniels, who are also missionaries with Encompass World Partners, our sending organization. We spent some time with them thursday afternoon after assessment and enjoyed talking through working with Encompass, finding out how many similarities we shared, and how Martin and Matt are pretty much cut from the same cloth. There were some very funny similarities, including the fact that the condo we currently rent is the exact same one they lived in a few years ago! They were both such a joy to get to know, and we joked that if we weren't set on Argentina, we might reconsider and join them in Japan. :)
God used assessment to bless us, encourage us, and give us direction in what steps to take next as we pursue missions in Argentina. We are both so thankful for the time of growth and reflection, and the friendships we made as a result of our weekend.

How far along: 30 weeks

Fruit/Vegetable comparison: A cucumber (I'm assuming he isn't as skinny as a cucumber, haha!) He's about 4 pounds, and 15.2-16.7 inches in length. 

Total weight gain: 25 pounds

Baby's new developments: Baby's brain tissue is continuing to develop, and is strong enough now to grasp a finger! How surreal is that?!

Sleep: Mostly sleeping through the night, I just have to stay to the same side. It's uncomfortable to try and roll over, and takes about 5 minutes, so it's too much effort haha. 

Best moment of the week: Definitely assessment, for the reasons listed above :) 

Miss anything?: Nothing comes to mind. 

Movement: He's still quite a squirmer, and sometimes now his jabs are a little painful! Not too bad, just when they happen all of a sudden. He's pretty strong, apparently!  

Food cravings: I can't think of anything I've really craved. I still love red meat, so that's probably been the most consistent craving throughout my pregnancy. 

Symptoms: Frequent bathroom breaks. Nothing too crazy this week. 

Looking forward to: We're trying to rearrange our bedroom this weekend to start setting up stuff for baby! I'm so excited to start putting things together and getting his space set up.