Week 35

How far along: 35 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Bunch of carrots (19 inches, 5.5 pounds)

Milestones: BB's skeletal development is nearly complete, and hopefully, by now, he is rotated into the right position for birth (still seems like it, I can feel him hiccuping in my lower belly right now as I type!). Within the next couple weeks, he should drop lower in my pelvis, known as "lightening," which will take some pressure off of my stomach and lungs... and place it on my bladder. Mostly, at this point, BB is refining his abilities, growing stronger, and gaining his last pounds of weight.

Best Moment This Week: It blows my mind to look back at the eight week ultrasound picture and know that my little peanut is a nearly fully grown little baby! I don't think I'll ever cease to be amazed by this whole process and the miracle of life. As this week comes to a close, I'm getting butterflies knowing that BB will be here in no more than four short weeks! Even though Leif and I have plenty of anxiety going into this, we're both experiencing the same level of warm fuzzies and inexpressible love for our BB.

What I’m Looking Forward To: We ended up splurging a little and getting a changing table, which we didn't originally plan on buying. After learning how much recovery time I'll need, especially if I end up needing a c-section, we felt like it was a good investment. Plus, this changing table will work as shelving for BB's room after he doesn't need it for changing anymore, and it was fun picking out a whale-themed cover for the changing pad. However, it's definitely been like a game of Tetris making everything fit in our bedroom. Thank you to Leif for building all of the furniture! 

What I Miss The Most: So far, reducing my carb choices at each meal has helped stabilize my sugars for the most part. Only failed one test this week! I don't have to do nearly as much exercise to pass my tests, so unless things change, I'm crossing my fingers that I can make it through the last few weeks without insulin. The new diet and exercise have continued improving my energy levels and health issues I was experiencing, so it makes me miss my old ways less and less! I plan to hold onto a lot of the new dietary and exercise changes I've made during this time, but it'll be nice to have some more flexibility with meal timing and food choices again.

Symptoms: The added weight of my belly is causing more and more wear and tear on my body. Earlier this week, after taking a walk, my foot started hurting a lot and I noticed that I had a big bruise developing near my ankle. After a few days of little improvement, I had it checked out and my doctor thinks it's a case of tendinitis, so I'm trying to balance getting enough activity in with giving it time to heal. I already experience a lot of strain when I get on my feet in the morning, so now it's a lot worse with my foot muscles being out of whack. I've also had a few days of pretty extreme fatigue this week, which is battling my compulsion to clean, organize, and get everything I can ready for BB! Other than those things, I've been well.

Cravings: Found a white chocolate chip protein cookie that I can have as a snack, so that's been a nice indulgence. Been eating a lot of the same foods otherwise - just meat, veggies, a little rice, fruit, cheese and crackers, milk, lots of peanut butter sandwiches, and cheesy popcorn.