34 weeks!!

WOO HOO!!!!  Big milestone alert: 34 weeks!!!

34 weeks!

We did it!  We reached one of the biggest milestones in this pregnancy.  At 34 weeks, Dr. B. would no longer stop labor (except for steroids, so 48 hours) and we'd meet this little guy with a good chance that he'd come home either with us or a few days later.  That's pretty awesome (not as awesome as full term, but still pretty awesome.). I only have TWO P17 shots left (tomorrow and next week) and then that part of the journey is done.

I've actually lost weight the last few days.  Total gained is (I'm kind of ashamed to admit this, but hey... here's for honesty) is a little under 40 pounds. I didn't want to gain that much but hey... He's healthy, I'm still healthy, so I'll take it.  Dr. B. estimated at my last appointment that I'd probably lose half of that relatively quickly and then, with breastfeeding and comfortable exercise in the early postpartum, the rest, he's speculating, wont be a big deal.  He still says that I'm measuring quite a bit smaller than he would have anticipated given my history (a funny story about 'small' later) and that Michael is a good size, so not to worry about my weight gain because he isn't, so, when my brain tries to give me a hard time, I try to remember that.  (The baby does, however, like Snickers bars.... In the last 2 months, I've had 3 of them...  Don't get me wrong- they are good; but prepregnancy, I maybe had one in a year?  (Reese's cups... that's another story...)  But right now?  It's like they have some sort of homing device that registers with my mouth.)

For my birthday, my in-laws got me a gift card to my favorite department store.  I had found this great dress there for Mother's Day and had bought the 'white paisley' one.  So, yesterday, I went in and was able to get two more!  (brown leaf and blue tropical).  The dress is cut such that I can still easily wear a medium and it falls nicely over my belly without becoming uber short (which has been my issue... I can still wear all of my prepregnancy dresses which are mediums and even small- the green one from my maternity pics is a small-  but for most of them, which hit just shy of the knee or knee before, they are wwwaaaayyyy too short now when you add in the additional belly space).  Once Michael is born, they can help camouflage the I-just-had-a-baby look and then, once that is (hopefully!) gone, they'll be just comfy summer dresses.  So, quite a bargain in my book!

While I was at the store, I ran into a friend from our old church.  We were chatting and she mentioned me being due at the end of.... September!  I laughed and said that it was actually mid-July and you should have seen the double take at my belly!  So, in that way, I guess it is nice measuring a bit on the smaller side!

Yesterday, Sarah and I went for our annual (and, if we are lucky, twice a year, but this year, alas, only once) birthday trip (her birthday in February had some nasty weather!).  We usually try to go on the birthday or a day close to, but my birthday stormed, so we went yesterday which, gulp, was my last non-OB Wednesday til this kiddo is born.  We had excellent weather which was beaten only by the kick-butt falafel place she introduced me to that is closer to her neck of the woods.  I've already told Peter we have to load the kids up and drive the forty five minutes to eat here because it was that good.  Didn't try to baklava, but the stuffed grape leaves were pretty awesome too.

All in all, I feel good still.  I have heartburn if I eat red sauces (but funny enough, "spicy" doesn't seem to do much.)  I still want lemonade like crazy, and now, mint tea (could be the explosion of mint in my garden...).  I've had some real contractions, which is quite interesting.  The Braxton Hicks variety don't hurt much at all, more of just an uncomfortable/annoying sensation, but the real ones?  Those bad boys are interesting.  No more than 3 in an hour thus far, and they seem to be associated with the weather (as in, it's going to storm and all the humidity/pressure is building up) or with an extra rough playtime with the kids.  I haven't had the concern of needing to call Dr. B. yet (I'd say last night was the closest call after Bobby woke me up when I dozed with a bit too much roughhousing), but so far, so good.  Laying on the left, hydrating, breathing, and Peter giving me a pressure point massage on my lower back have stopped them within the hour.  So, I'm happy about that.

I definitely feel like I'm slowing down.  It takes me longer to get up and to get things done because I'm just moving at a slower pace.  It's not bad... it's just different.  While I'm sad to give up running ~35 weeks, I think that I'm at the place where, mentally, it's just not doing it for me anymore even though my body is still capable.  I can't get into the zone anymore because I'm just too slow and too focused on am-I-breathing/hydrating-enough-for-baby to really get the relaxation from it.  So, it's still fun, I'm still super happy to be active, but once this race is done, I figure I might hit one or two more short mile or two jogs before I hit 35w next Thursday and then, call it a day.  I hope to be able to get in some walks in lieu of running (but walking really doesn't do it for me); since Dr. B. says yoga is still okay for me in solo practice (versus class/teaching), I plan to still keep my 2-20 minute daily practices up until it's either too much or I deliver.  But for now, it's good.  Being this active (and still being able to shave my legs and see my feet!) make me feel good inside and I'm so glad to be here, in June, and still able to say "I went for a run..." even if it is super slow. :)

39 days until July 22nd!  We are in the 30s!  That doesn't seem that far away at all...  Especially as I see the weeks in light of things we are doing, time seems to fly... My last race and Father's Day this weekend... Robert's birthday dinner next weekend... the Babymoon the following... and June is over.  How did the month fly by like that?  July has it's own big bang, since the kids will start their 3 morning/week summer camp and we hit full term on Independence Day.  Will things feel like the slow down once that huge "you-made-it-to-full-term" date hits?  Or will that just make things go faster?