36 weeks - It's getting close!

We're having a baby in (hopefully) less than a month!

There's a basketball under my shirt!

So much has happened in the past few weeks. We moved from Kansas to California, had a fun road trip in between, and now we're getting settled in our new house. Getting settled also means we've taken on a dozen projects, like re-landscaping our lawn, planting a vegetable garden, building a table for our new Big Green Egg grill, craigslist-ing old items and purchasing new ones, and solving interior design challenges in our new space. So much to do before our new baby gets here!

Second time around, the baby preparations are much different (and easier). We already have almost everything ready - car seat, mini crib, lots of tiny boy clothes, and swaddle blankets. We'll do mainly disposable diapers until Andrew fits into the cloth diapers we already have, but we do have a couple newborn-sized Tots Bots Teenyfit that we'll use as often as we can launder them! They're amazing. So fuzzy! And expensive.

There are a lot of things we don't really need as well. Pacifiers? Never used them. Bottles? On occasion. Breast pump? Personally, it's pretty uncomfortable and I'd rather hand-express a few ounces when needed.

When Zoie was a newborn, she spent most of her time being held by someone or worn in a carrier. I plan on holding and wearing Andrew as much as I can, but there are times he'll need to nap in some type of rocker/sleeper (hmm which to buy?). One of my biggest concerns is balancing my time with Zoie and Andrew. And what about when I'm nursing Andrew, will Zoie use the opportunity to become mischievous? Ideally I'll be involving her with tasks to help me, so she'll feel included and won't get jealous. I don't see any perfect solution, but every family makes it work.

Zoie has been exploding with development! She turned TWO last week, which she definitely enjoyed. She woke up to balloons, presents, a yummy breakfast, and a new tricycle! We had a cake and candles for her later that night with friends. Now anytime she sees either a cake or candles, she announces "Happy Bur-bay"!

It's been a great couple of weeks so far - Monterey is such a wonderful place to live! The weather is literally perfect every day. There's so much to do within a short drive that we've hardly filled our gas tanks. I love being on the west coast again, I feel so at home here. However, the drivers are a little aggressive... Four-way (even two-way) stops? It appears to be a race of who can jump on the gas petal the fastest. Lane-changing can be exciting too. But overall, I really like the people and the community here. And finally, when I present my own reusable bags when shopping, the clerk doesn't look for a price tag!! It's the normal, expected thing to do here! It's a tiny thing, but it makes me feel even more relaxed here.

How far along are you? 36 weeks as of Friday. Less than 4 weeks until our due date!
 
How big is Baby? At my appointment on Thursday, my doctor said he bets our baby is about 6lb already. He has no concerns about Andrew's size or growth rate, which is such a relief compared to my last pregnancy! He's probably at least 18 inches long. About the size of... a newborn!

Weight Gain? My weight fluctuates between 147-149 right now. Haven't gained much in the past few weeks, but my belly is getting bigger! My overall weight gain is 22-24lb.

Gender? BOY!

Maternity Clothes? Yes indeed. The bump can't handle any regular shirts these days.

Sleep? I've been having some insomnia lately, where I'll wake up at 3:30am for no reason and just lay in bed for an hour, trying to fall back asleep. It sucks - what a waste of precious sleep! It's like my body is prepping me for taking care of a newborn. Thanks but no thanks, body!

Movement? Rolls, kicks, body shifts, hiccups... I feel it all! Andrew likes to play footsie with my right ribcage. Pretty weird feeling.

Food Cravings? Salad. I could have salad for almost every meal and be a happy girl! It's so delicious and refreshing.

Labor Signs? Nothing yet. Andrew is head-down and ready to go, so now it's just the waiting game as Andrew gains weight in my womb and decides he's ready to make his entrance into this world!

Symptoms? Nothing new, luckily. My skin on my belly is starting to feel tight, but no stretch marks. I've been applying special almond oil with vitamin E daily, so I think that's been helping.

What I miss? Alcohol! The grocery stores here have great selections of beer, and there are lots of wineries I can't wait to visit for wine tasting.

Best moment(s) of the week? I had a prenatal massage on Friday... and my massage therapist happened to be a birth doula as well! It definitely helped my tight muscles relax, and I loved talking with her about birth. It made me even more excited for our upcoming birth experience - I'm ready!

What I am looking forward to? Finishing projects and getting things done. It's such a high to accomplish a huge list of things that make your life easier and more enjoyable! And in between working on projects, we're busy exploring our new city and community. There's so much to see and discover, and we're blessed to have friends here to share experiences with!

Cheers,

Martha