36 weeks

How Far Along: 36 weeks, 2 days

Size of the Baby: crenshaw melon (? Hans thinks they made this one up), 18.5 inches, ~6 lbs
Weight gain/loss: Will know at appointment Friday
Sleep:  Not going so hot. Can't stay asleep for very long, but so exhausted!! I went to bed early last night and still feel like I didn't sleep.
Best Moment of the Week: Friday night date night was so much fun - and kinda sad, as it sinks in that our spontaneous date nights are coming to an end. We went to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner, then we went to the mall to get baby clothes and buy baby's first gift from mommy and daddy - a teddy bear from Build-A-Bear! It was actually my doctor's idea... she suggested that we get the record your own sound thing, bring it in, and she'll record baby's heartbeat for us with the Doppler machine.

Movement: No change here. Still constant movement. I keep hearing that it should slow down, but that's just not true. Now it just looks like baby's constantly doing the wave... my stomach is always moving. Kick counts are averaging under 10 minutes and one this week took less than three. The bigger baby gets, the more painful the movement gets and my ribs are taking a beating. Whew.
Symptoms: Veerrrrry swollen. Mood swings. Tired. I think I had a growth spurt this week because I'm extra tired and extra hungry.
Food Cravings: Mostly thirsty, but this week all I want is S'mores! Oh, and Jimmy Johns. I miss Jimmy Johns and I think someone will have to bring me some in the hospital. Hint: I love the thinny chips.
Gender: Experiencing great doubt! Our friends Jeff and Erin were due this week with their surprise baby. Erin was convinced it was a girl and out popped their little boy. Makes me seriously doubt myself. I'd be fine either way, of course, but I'll feel like a terrible mother that I didn't even know what my child was!
Belly Button in or out: Even with the rest of my belly. It hasn't popped out, but it's definitely not in anymore. It just feels smooth (and soft, which is kinda weird!)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Labor Signs: A few Braxton Hicks, but I really don't get as many as I thought I would. And they don't hurt. They just cause a horrible urge to pee, but that goes away as soon as the contraction is over.
Wedding ring on or off: It happened. It's off. I woke up in the middle of the night last week because it hurt so stinking bad - it was just too tight! So it's off and I miss it. I worry about people giving me dirty looks (and I just *feel* weird without it) so we went to Dillards to get me something larger to wear until baby comes. I think it's a little too blingy, but Hans thought it would be fun for a few weeks :)

What I miss: Sleeeeeeeeeep.
What I am looking forward to: Baby. I'm very quickly reaching the point where I feel like I'm done with being pregnant and I just want to have that baby already. I am NOT looking forward to my first cervical check this week, or the GBS test :(
Nursery: I didn't do anything this week. Oops. I got distracted! We did, however, make Saturday a "baby prep" day and went to Babies R Us, Target, and Buy Buy Baby to pick up the things on our "baby essentials" list that we were still missing - changing pad covers, more bottles, sleep sacks, socks, mittens, hats, a few more onesies, a baby monitor, and a mattress. Whew! Thank goodness for gift cards and good sales.... I think we're all done now, as far as immediate essentials go. There's still a few items that would be nice, but I feel like we're ready to meet immediate needs. My goal for this week is to finally finish the frame gallery and do the mobile. And I need to find a stinkin' lamp! Anyone seen a cute teal/aqua table lamp anywhere? I've checked the usual suspects...
Emotions: Very moody. Short tempered. Anxious. Trying to stay positive, but having a hard time.
Stupid things I have done: As I mentioned, I think baby had a growth spurt this week and my belly grew quite a bit. I haven't adjusted to the new size and I keep bumping into things and slamming things into my belly. I was coming out of a bathroom stall while we were out shopping on Saturday and I actually yanked the door right into my belly. It hurt!