I suppose it's the heat but wow, what a morning! I am REALLY feeling SUPER pregnant today! Ha!

Wes got to work from home today (totally jealous) so he got to sleep in, which I thought would be great because I could sleep in too and just take my time getting ready. Nope, I slept HORRIBLE last night thanks to some heartburn that I haven't seen in days...and to top it off, I was wide awake at 5:30AM! Of course now, I am completely exhausted though haha.

It's going to be really warm today and I could tell early because my fingers and feet were swollen almost immediately this morning.

Anyway...here are some of the latest fun pregnancy facts!

1. I can no longer use the emergency break in our car because I can't bend down to release it.
2. I couldn't not waddle, if my life depended on it (thanks to the giant watermelon that is slowly descending into my pelvis).
3. I now have to get up a minimum of three times a night to use the restroom because Emma is so low and likes to use my bladder as a pillow.
4. Emma has an incredible ability to completely deform my belly when she moves now. Sometimes, I think she stretches both feet and both hands out at the same time, turning Mommy's tummy into a complete square (which is a little awkward in the middle of a meeting).
5. Wes had to roll up the bottom of my jeans this morning because I can no longer reach that far down.
6. Despite all of the above, I am still feeling pretty good! Exhausted...but pretty good!

Weekly Update - 38 Weeks!

WOWZA!!! 38 Weeks!!! Wes and I can't believe how time has absolutely flown by with our first pregnancy and that Emma will be here, in our arms, in two weeks! Although there are definitely days that don't exactly "fly by" for Mommy haha, the overall 10 months has gone by really fast. It seems so long ago that we were just finding out that we were expecting and rushing off to the store to find something cute to give our parents and families to tell them the exciting news. It seem so long ago that I was bent over the toilet at work in San Diego with morning sickness and constantly eating candy canes on my ride home in an attempt not to have to pull over to the side of traffic haha...ewwww. Side note: to this day I can not even look at a candy cane without feeling ill!

In between contractions and wishful thinking that each day is "The" day, I find myself really thinking about what Emma already means to Wes and I, and how we have no idea how our lives are about to change. I tend to get a lot of comments about not knowing how things are going to change and not knowing how tired I am going to be, etc...and I absolutely agree! We don't have any idea! But the one thing we do know is that our lives are about to change greatly and it will all be for the better. I prayed for two years that Wes and I would get pregnant and have a baby and each month was heartbroken, until last November. Now that Emma is almost here and just days away from being in our arms, it makes it all worth it. The food aversions, the being constantly tired, the extra weight, the swelling, the dry heaving, the aches and pains, etc...it is all worth it.

I also want to really thank our parents and family and friends for being so supportive of us and helping us in ways you will never know. It's incredible to have so many people so excited for us and wishing us well and just knowing that should anything happen, we have an incredible support system behind us.

Can you tell I am a little emotional today!! Anyway...onto our regular weekly update!!

How is Emma Growing?

Emma has really plumped up! According to the Internet, she weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which we'll soon be able to test when we hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Are you wondering what color your Emma's eyes will be? We may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue.

We will certainly keep everyone posted on how things are moving...next doctors appointment is on Monday!!

Just Like I Thought...Still Here!! Ha!!

Well, just like I thought...no luck last night! Although, there were a couple of times that I think both Wes and I were convinced that last night could have been the night. I don't know what happened, maybe it was just another night of my body getting ready but she has definitely dropped more, which has been causing some new aches and pains for sure! Although the heartburn is pretty much non-existent right now and I can actually breathe!

I ended up having contractions on and off pretty much since the moment I came home from my appointment yesterday. I think the last one that I had, or at least the last BIG one, was about 8:00PM last night right as we were finishing dinner. I didn't eat much but wanted to eat a little something just in case, and just as Wes had made his last Taco of the night, wowza! The contraction lasted for a full minute, if not longer, which was pretty much the biggest one I have had to date, and definitely the most painful. I think Wes was done eating his Taco and had half the food put away before the contraction started haha!

It was a pretty bad night of sleep though. I was awake every half hour either wondering if my water had broken of if I just had a contraction or frankly because I had to go to the bathroom. Ha. There was a clear difference between the night before when she was higher and last night. The number of bathroom trips nearly quadrupled! So needless to say I am trying to take it easy today and work from home, but since I got up earlier then normal and immediately started cleaning, I don't know how "easy" the day will be. Can someone say "Nesting"?!?!?!

So here we are back on the waiting game. It could be hours, days or even weeks before she arrives! It's the not knowing that absolutely drives me crazy!!

Making Progress & Wishful Thinking!

Well, we got good news at my doctor's appointment today...we are making progress!! Emma is still head down (she has been ready for months I think haha) and has definitely dropped in preparation. I am also 1 Centimeter dilated!!! My cervix (stop here if this is TMI for you haha) is starting to shorten and to thin out as well! So it seems like those random contractions I have been having are actually doing something! Yeah Emma!

This very well may be just wishful thinking but I haven't exactly been feeling "normal" today. Last night was a typical night of limited sleep and I felt okay until I got to work this morning. I was really warm all morning until I headed out to the doctors. I didn't really think much of it since my temperature is always all over the place these days ha! But on the way home from my appointment, I got really, really tired and just felt really "off". I got home and I will spare you all the unpleasant details, but just wasn't feeling well. I thought a warm bath might help so I jumped in (okay...not really jumped but more like waddled and then awkwardly tried to lower myself into the tub haha). Sitting in the tub I had a bit of a shock because I could REALLY tell that Emma had dropped, in what seemed to be a matter of minutes! I tried to relax for a little while and got out to yet again be amazed at how low she was when I stood up. I am talking like 3 inches lower then she was this morning! I don't know whether this means anything or not (probably not) but of course I immediately convinced myself tonight will be the night that I will go into labor. Ha! Yeah right...like I said, wishful thinking.

I can't wait for Wes to get home and see me in my complete panic! Ha! Be sure to tune into my post tomorrow, when I will still pregnant and most likely laughing at myself for being so convinced that today was the day!!

Yup....Still Pregnant....

As you can probably tell by the title of this post...Mommy is ready!! Ha!! Daddy still tends to give me the :::side-eyes::: whenever I talk about wanting to have Emma any day now. He still thinks Emma should wait as long as possible. Of course, this is coming from a man who has NOT been caring around this child for the last 9 months...ha. But unfortunately, no matter what Mommy or Daddy says, it's up to baby Emma!

We had a pretty good weekend, Saturday we ran some errands and got some cleaning done, a pretty low key day. The weather was pretty bad here (rainy) so all in all not a crazy day. Sunday we had a good time with the family for Father's Day! Wes and I had a little cookout to celebrate Father's Day and most likely our last little get together before Emma is with us! It was great to see everyone and really shocking to think that the next time we will see them we will most likely be in the hospital holding our baby!

Mommy is REALLY ready to get things moving! Everyone keeps telling me that I may change my mind as soon as I realize I am in labor but I don't think so. Emma has definitely dropped which has made it about 1,000 times more uncomfortable to do everything! Sleeping is quite the challenge, just sitting at my desk now tends to hurt, basically any type of movement what so ever haha. My weekly doctor's appointment got rescheduled from my regular Fridays to this afternoon so I am really curious as to what Dr. P says. Hopefully he will say that SOMETHING is happening...but who knows! Emma will be 38 Weeks on Wednesday!!

We hope everyone had a great weekend, and Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there...even the soon-to-be ones!!

37 Weeks!! Officially Full Term!!

WOW!!! We are officially full term!!! Emma turns 37 Weeks today and is officially now a Watermelon! Ha! I cannot believe that she will be here in three weeks! According to Dr. "P", I will not be pregnant on my due date so looks like she will be here before we know it!

I have been feeling "super pregnant" this week as Emma continues to get bigger and the belly continues to get tighter. I have been having contractions every now and then a couple times a day which is kind of interesting. I have also found my new best friend...low acid orange juice. I have been craving it like it is my job!! My feet are getting better though, they are still swollen and I am still stuck with flip flops but having something to prop my feet up under my desk has really been helping. Here is a recent belly picture from this morning!

How Is Emma Growing?

Emma is full term! This means that if she arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though my due date is still three weeks away. Emma weighs about 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (according to the website). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long (we actually saw Emma's on her last sonogram)! But we shouldn't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as ours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Updated Nursery Pictures!

Here are a few updated nursery pictures! We still have a few things to do, but you will get the idea! Enjoy!

Catching Up! Been A While!

Well, I have definitely been slacking on the blogging this week! It has been an interesting few weeks to say the least. Between working until all hours of the night, not feeling so good and just overall been completely exhausted, I haven't had much to blog about!

Emma did turn 36 weeks last week (almost 37 by this point) and I can really tell now how big she is getting. We had our doctors appointment on Friday and things are still looking good. Weight was good, belly size was good, Emma's position was good, heartbeat was good...so we are still right on track. It's now MUCH harder to get through the day, especially because sleeping has been so tough. I am definitely into the non-fun part of pregnancy at this point. :) I am having contractions here and there, especially when I am really tired. Up until last week, I was really lucky and haven't really had much swelling, but boy did that change! Wes and I went to a work event on Friday, and I had to sleep in half my jewelry because it was stuck on! I can no longer wear my engagement ring, or any kind of bracelet, or pretty much any shoes other then flip flops! But, I know that it will all be worth it in just a few short weeks and I think back to all those months where Wes and I were heartbroken because we weren't pregnant. So...its nothing that Mommy and Emma can't get through! Poor Daddy, sure has his hands full now!!

Check out Mommy's poor swollen feet...and this was in the morning after much of the swelling had gone down!

How Is Emma Growing?

Emma 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. 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. Emma 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.

At the end of this week, Emma will be considered full-term!!

Exactly One Month From My Due Date!!

Wow, it really hit home this morning when I got to work and realized that it was June 8th, exactly one month until my due date, July 8th! OMG!

I feel surprisingly calm though, at least today ha! Even though I am not ready to leave work yet and still have several things to do (and am crazy busy), and even though the nursery is still somewhat of a mess and needs several more things...I feel ready! I think it is because we have all the necessary things done and know that even if I went into labor tomorrow, Emma would most likely be born happy and healthy. When Dr. "P" told me to "make sure I have everything done I want to get done" it made it so real, that we are so close to meeting Emma! I can't wait!

Emma my love....Mommy and Daddy can't wait to meet you and start our brand new family!!

Another Good Doctor's Appointment!

Well, I had my last 2-Week doctors appointment today (from now on my appointments will be every week) and it went really well. Dr. "P" said that the my weight was perfect, Emma's size was perfect, her position was perfect and the heartbeat was perfect...so all in all, a good start to the weekend!

From this point on, I think I will also be checked every week to see if we have started to make any progress (i.e. if Emma has dropped or if I have started to dilate) so maybe we will have some indication on when she will make her arrival! As of today, no progress (she is still high and no dilation) but at this point, it's still considered a good thing so I was happy to hear that news.

Dr. "P" said that the ideal time to deliver a baby is right around 39 weeks because after that the placenta can start to get a little "old". This came after a question I asked him about how long he would wait after my due date to induce, should I end up being like 2 weeks late! He said that wouldn't happen and that I "won't be pregnant after my due date"...which I am assuming means that he wants to talk induction as it gets closer. I'm not sure how I feel about that quite yet so we will see. I have always thought that I wanted to avoid induction unless there was a medical reason for it, because I wanted to leave it up to Emma and my body to tell me when she is ready to be born. Labor and delivery is hard enough already, so trying to force it to happen before my body is ready just doesn't seem to be to appealing to me. However, I have a feeling the closer I get to 40 weeks, the more and more tempting it will be to get induced because of being so uncomfortable! So I very well may change my tune ha!

Have a great weekend!

35 Weeks Done & 35 Days Left!

Today, baby Emma turned 35 Weeks, which means she only has 35 days left until her due date!! I can't believe how fast time is flying by! I haven't been feeling so hot lately, but I think that is pretty much standard for this late in the game. Her tiny little kicks have gone from being super cute, to pretty painful! We must have a soccer player on our hands! Ouch! We have our next doctors appointment on Friday and I think after this week we start going on a weekly basis, so I might as well just move in! Here is the latest belly picture from this morning...

How Is Emma Growing?

Emma doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (estimated, although she is probably a little less). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of Emma's basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

We have been doing a little bit here and there to try to finish the nursery, and last weekend I finally put most of her washed clothes away. It takes me forever because the little clothes are so cute, I have to stop and take pictures all the time...I mean, how can you resist these little tiny socks?!?!

Of course that picture was an extreme close up...this is how little they really look...

I wonder how long her drawers will stay this organized? Probably not very long! Ha!

Pregnant vs. Non Pregnant Life...

Lately I have started thinking about what life was like pre-Emma and what it will be like when Emma arrives. I guess since the big day is getting so close now, it makes my mind race. So I thought I would put together a list of the things I will not miss about being pregnant, and also the things that I will miss about being pregnant.

Things I will NOT miss about being pregnant:

1. Having to sleep sitting up because of heartburn.
2. The inability to easily put socks and shoes on.
3. Being able to shop at one store at the mall.
4. Being able to only wear flip flops because of swollen feet.
5. Having to sleep on my side (when not sitting up).
6. Having to go to bed when it is still light out because I am so tired.
7. Not being able to relax with a glass of red wine.
8. Getting the :::side-eyes::: look from strangers wondering if my coffee cup is filled with regular, or decaf.
9. Having strangers touch my belly or comment on the size of it, like I can help it.
10. Receiving more "advice" then I know what to do with.

Things I WILL miss about being pregnant:

1. Never being alone, always having Emma with me.
2. Feeling Emma get the hiccups.
3. Watching Wes rub the belly and talk to his daughter.
4. Being able to balance my cup and plate on my belly. :)
5. Knowing that Emma is safe right where she is.
6. Laying in bed just talking to Emma.
7. Being let into places to use the bathroom that isn't open to the public. Haha.
8. Being able to share such an amazing experience with my family and friends.
9. Being able to protect Emma 24/7.
10. Growing my relationship with Wes from Husband and Wife to Husband and Wife and Mommy and Daddy.

Can't.Keep.Eyes.Open...

I'm not sure what happened between last week and this week but little Emma has decided to give Mommy one WICKED case of heartburn every single night. It started a little last week with some mild heartburn here and there, nothing major, but either she decided to once again push my stomach even higher in my tummy, or just thought it would be funny to get Mommy ready for the sleepless nights to come. I have now started to have to sleep sitting up, which usually does not equate to very good sleep. So needless to say, I am doing what I can to not fall asleep at my desk today. :)

I have also started to have some pretty good Braxton Hicks contractions, well, at least I think they are Braxton Hicks. I haven't had too many, and they haven't been consistent, but they sure have been painful enough that I usually have to practice some of our breathing techniques and they pretty much stop me in my tracks. I can only imagine what the real contractions are going to feel like during labor!

Wes and I had a pretty low key weekend, which was good considering the lack of sleep that Mommy got. We headed over to my cousin Kim and Matt's house on Friday night and had a great time (thanks again Kim!!) and then spent Saturday morning just relaxing before one of our niece's, Allyson's, Birthday Party! Unfortunately, we ended up having to leave early because of the contractions I had been having so we headed home and Mommy rested for the remainder of the day. I also tried to take it easy on Sunday and we just hung around the house which was nice. The nursery is getting closer and closer to being done, but I still have to make a trip to Target for some curtains and a replacement piece for Emma's closet organizer. So far, her crib and dresser are set, complete with clean sheets and clean clothes in the drawers. Emma's changing pad is all clean and ready to go, along with her car seat, stroller and pack-n-play. We now have our glider and ottoman put together, along with a swing and all of her tiny bathing accessories are ready to be used with her bathtub. Her diaper bag is packed (with a few exceptions) with everything she will need at the hospital, and Mommy's bag is pretty much packed as well.

I think that is about it for now! Nothing too exciting to update you on from the weekend, stay tuned later this week for an updated belly picture and Emma's 35 Week Birthday!