35 Weeks

34 weeks

How Your Baby’s Growing (from Babycenter.com):
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (about the size of a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

How far along: 35 weeks

Pregnancy symptoms: heartburn; carpal tunnel syndrome; trouble sleeping; lower back pain; mega stretch marks; tiredness; hip, pelvic, pubic pain; anemia; swollen everything – feet, legs, hands, belly  :); constant need to pee; stretch marks

Food Cravings: chocolate, meat, ice, pastries

Food Aversions: oatmeal a little, but that’s due to my having thrown it up on Saturday (TMI?)

Sleep: I have found a couple of positions that, when perfectly executed, allow me to sleep relatively comfortably for as many as a few hours at a time.  Two of the last three nights though had me up for three hours in the wee hours just unable to go back to sleep.  I don’t really function well on five hours of sleep in the best of circumstances, so I’m really struggling today!

Measurement: I was weighed today but not paying close attention; I’m pretty sure it was nearly the same as last week though.

Movement: This week I’ve felt B more, though I’m still feeling A regularly as well.

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks contractions, some of which are doozies; 3 cm dilated!

What I miss: Feeling pretty normal, sleeping well (not that I’m expecting that to come back soon!), boots and scarves, being cold ever

What I’m looking forward to: holding my boys and taking their pictures; celebrating James’ 3rd birthday!

Milestone: My doctor said today that we wouldn’t try to stop labor at this point; I’ve started to dilate – wahoo!

Thoughts from the children: They are ready to meet their brothers!

Doctor’s visit: I had an NST today, which the boys did NOT want to cooperate for!  We ended up monitoring them one at at time, after fumbling with the sensor things for forever.  It took a long time!  Dr. Torres did the culture for strep and went ahead and checked me.  I’m 3cm dilated – yay!  (For the record, I didn’t go into labor with the others until the week after I was 4 or 5cm, so this doesn’t mean anything is imminent.)

Other thoughts: Last night I woke up at 11:45, having been asleep probably an hour and a half.  I went to the bathroom, but when I came back to bed I just couldn’t fall asleep.  I listened to Matt snore for 30 minutes or so before I started having pretty serious back spasms… and I was super hungry.  So I woke up the man and had him get me a snack and come rub my back.  It’s a little hard to get him going in the middle of the night, but he complied!  The rubbing wasn’t helping enough, and he could feel how tight my muscles were.  It almost felt like contractions in intensity, though it was pretty constant (and It didn’t actually feel like labor I’d had before).  I was having Braxton Hicks contractions on top of that though, so I started timing them.  (There’s an app for that!)  Matt got me a heating pad and held it in the right spot for me; it helped some.  I was having Braxton Hicks contractions pretty regularly, but they weren’t getting close or stronger.  At some point I got up, maybe to go to the bathroom again, and discovered I liked the walking.  I started putzing around the house – checking on my hospital bag, folding laundry, drinking water, watching television.  Eventually I felt tired again and managed almost four more hours of sleep.  So I was pretty excited to find out I was dilated a bit this morning – at least something’s happening!  I am now seriously suffering the lack of sleep.  Even though I really want caffeine, I’m not going to give in.  Each of the nights I had so much trouble sleeping I had some caffeine in the afternoon before.  It could be a fluke, but I’m not taking my chances.  I need sleep!

Baby-related projects:

• I’m putting this on the list kind of after the fact: Work on potty training James.  Hallelujah that boy is doing so so well!
• Clean up/organize the girls’ room to make space for eventual James.
• Go to IKEA.  Look at and possibly purchase the Kura low loft bed and shallow mattress for the girls.  **I’ve been putting this off since it is logistically hard, but we are ready to get this done!
• Move the majority of the toys into the main living area to make space for sleeping and clothes in the bedrooms. I still need to sort through and organize the books, which are in a giant pile on the floor.
• Do some research on the best sleeping arrangements for newborn twins.  *I’m currently planning to use a standard sized pack and play with the newborn “shelf” in it for our bedroom when they’re bitty.  If we discover they don’t sleep well with each other, we can always switch to two pack and plays or just use the cribs.
• Figure out number of diapers that would be ideal for the babies.  **I think at this point we’ll just get a few more newborn sized diapers and then wait and see what works when they come.
• Pick out infant car seats.
• Organize James’ closet.  (This is where the not-in-use clothes live as well as a lot of baby things, and it’s a super-pit.)
• Shop for a king sized bed.  We really really really really want one.  :)  But the logistics and expense may mean this isn’t the best time.
• Tinker with a baby registry.  We don’t need much, but I have started putting some things on an Amazon registry when I think about them
• Pull the baby boy clothes from the attic and take inventory.
• Possibly get some maternity/family pictures made. 
• Wash, dry, fold, put away the 0-3 months clothes.
• Pull the new infant car seats out of the boxes and make sure they are what we think they are and work as they should. **Done! And I’ve started stalking Joanna’s new car seat, waiting for a great price.  **We got Joanna’s new seat last week!  “We” have yet to put it in the car and make sure it’s going to work, but it’s here!
• Preregister at the hospital.
• Work on a birth plan (mainly just for us but also to bring up any questions I want to ask my doctor about this different kind of birth coming up!)
• Hospital bag lists – one for labor/delivery/right away, another of things I’d like to have if I stay a few days.
• Work on “decorating” the nursery.  **This may be more of an ongoing thing.  :)  The clothes are clean and organized as are the diaper supplies, so that’s good!  My mom is working on the bedding for the second crib, which isn’t here yet.  Anything that isn’t baby related has been pulled out of the room.  The one crib we have in there is full of baby things (bouncer, car seats, boppy pillows, etc.) that won’t move until the babies come.  Then they’ll be spread hither and yon through the house as needed.  :)
• Pack the hospital bags, including a list of things to add at the last minute. 
• Pick up the Arms Reach Co-sleeper from a friend and get bedding washed, master bedroom organized for the boys to sleep there.