36 Weeks

36 weeks

How Your Baby’s Growing (from Babycenter.com):
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long (about the size of a head of romaine lettuce). She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

How far along: 36 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

Food Cravings: pie, ice cream, smoothies, deli sandwiches, salty snacks

Food Aversions: not so much

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.  Typically I will fall asleep around 10:30 (too late, but I find myself sitting on the couch or getting a back rub from my husband, and I just can’t make myself go to bed!) and sleep for an hour or an hour and a half.  I pee, change positions in the bed, sleep another two to three hours, pee, change positions, and then wake/get up for good at about 7:00.  Sometimes I’m awake for awhile before that, but usually my bladder is empty enough that I don’t necessarily need to get up immediately.  Walking and moving at night is soooooo painful.

Measurement: 51.5cm around the widest part of the belly

Movement: Yup – lots!

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks contractions, cervix is dilating

What I miss: being able to do anything physically, goooood sleep

What I’m looking forward to: celebrating James’ 3rd birthday this week!, meeting and holding my babies!

Milestone: I very possibly had my last pregnancy ultrasound ever this morning.  And even though 36 weeks isn’t technically in the “full term” window, it seems pretty full term to me, especially as I’ve known of babies that were perfectly healthy born at 36 weeks.  That makes me feel very good!

Thoughts from the children: They are definitely ready to have their momma back.  :)  James told me this morning he wants to name one of the babies Thomas the Train.

Doctor’s visit: I will have an appointment with my doctor on Wednesday afternoon, but I did have an ultrasound today.  For whatever reason, we just couldn’t get them scheduled on the same day.  According to the ultrasound, the boys are both still head down (phew!), practicing breathing, moving around, and looking good.  Baby A is measuring 6lbs 9oz and Baby B is measuring 7lbs.  That puts them more the size of a 37 1/2 week fetus.  Yay!  They also apparently both have large heads.  :)

Here’s a shot of A’s face.  Baby B was buried too deeply for us to see his face.  :)

And to help you out, I’ve labeled the same picture so you can maybe possibly see what you’re looking at.

Ultrasounds get a little less exciting the bigger the babies get.  Mostly everything just looks like a blob.  :)

Other thoughts: I am sooooooo ready to have some babies.  I’m also of course happy to stick it out and wait until they’re ready, but I would love to meet them soon!  I am barely able to function as a momma these days, and even though I know caring for newborn twins is going to be a challenge (!!), I’m looking forward to the change.  For now, I’m just going to keep on keepin’ on at my snail’s pace, getting the little things done that I can and waiting for those boys!  The end is kind of fun.  Knowing they could come anytime is pretty exciting.

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.
• Print some preggo pictures and get them up on the wall!
• Have one last pedicure.  :)