Pregnancy- 36 & 37 weeks

Pregnancy: 36 weeks AND 37 weeks. We never took a 35 week photo- oops :)

I know you're jealous of how awesome I look in this one...

Weight Gain: Right at 30 pounds right now. 

Sleep: Not great. Read the "feeling" section for more info.

Gender: Still a girl...

Name: We have chosen. We are not sharing.

Feeling: This section would have read very differently if I had filled it out 4 days ago. Basically, I am in pre-labor. I don't love pre-labor. Thursday, contractions started hot and heavy. I immediately started freaking out for multiple reasons. Number one, I was 36w6d... it just seemed too early (38 weeks is considered more normal). And number two, we were.not.ready. Bags were not packed. House was dirty. Nursery is not done. So the hyperventilating made the contractions worse. Once I finally got ahold of Chuck and he came home, I took a bath to try to calm down and relax. The contractions lessened but kept coming. I talked to my doula and she said to do what I needed to do to feel prepared to bring Baby home (pack bags, etc) and then to relax. That the baby could come that night and could come in 5 weeks. 


So... we ran around like crazy people, me having contractions the whole time. House was cleaned, bags were packed and then I went to sleep, not knowing if I would wake up in active labor or not. Well, I didn't. The contractions still have not stopped but they're not intense... they're more intense than braxton hicks (which I was having for weeks), but I now know that it's not early labor yet. Unfortunately, prelabor can last for weeks. This does not excite me because this is exhausting. Chuck was off yesterday for Veteran's Day, but when he goes back to work Monday I'm going to have a hard time. I might start doing everything I can to get baby girl to come, even though it's still fairly early. I'm just not sure if I can handle this for weeks and I know that she's completely healthy at this point.


Chuck is working in the nursery this weekend, and an awesome friend from church is going to come and finish the painting for us Monday, so that will be awesome. I will actually be able to put clothes away and such, which will help me to feel much more ready. This experience is teaching me over and over again that I am NOT in control. That God knows when this baby is going to come and what this baby needs, and a pretty nursery really isn't all that important. Chuck getting his Master's done so that he can be available when the baby is here is much more important than the nursery. Me being right with God and not trying to hold onto control is more important than a spotless house. I think God is using this as a teaching moment and I'm trying to learn what He's teaching me so that I can move on from this moment!! The contractions aren't painful per se, but they're certainly uncomfortable and annoying. Even holding Jade makes them worse so it's been a bit tough. 

Movement: I'm still feeling her consistently in-between all the contractions.

Next Appointment: Thursday. It'll be my first cervix check and although I know that I can not be dilated at all and then have the baby the next day, or be dilated to a 6 for a week, I really hope I'm dilated at least some. I want to know that these contractions are DOING something.


*I know that I have been a big slacker with the blog lately. I plan to remedy that soon, but if I have the baby instead that might not happen. So we'll see. I have lots of pictures to post (Jade as Pebbles, for one!), but we've just been super busy.