34 weeks

How far along: 34 weeks!  

Size of baby:  A butternut squash...I'm guessing he is headed towards 6 lbs now. 

Total weight gain/loss:  I think I'm over this question! haha Went to the doctor today and I've gained 3 more lovely pounds. 

Maternity clothes: Yesss 

Gender: Sweet baby boy! James Austin Green!

Movement:  Lots of movement...not so much kicks and jabs but more body rolls and large movements. They are so cool, feels like a wave going through my belly. 

Sleep:   Sleep was a little better last week. I had a few nights of "oh my gosh will I ever sleep well again" but then I had about 4 awesome nights in a row. Whew.

What I miss: I just miss being able to get around easily and do simple things. I shaved my legs today and literally almost passed out when I stood up. haha. And I feel like a turtle stuck on it's back when I'm in bed and have to roll over. Good times! 

Cravings: Still loving milk and OJ, and looooving chocolate covered pretzels. Eating tons of chips and salsa lately too!  

Best moment this past week:  Probably working. We had an engagement shoot last weekend and it felt so good to have a camera in my hands...it had been almost 2 months!  

Symptoms: Dare I say the carpel tunnel might be slightly better? It is still there everyday but I haven't had shooting screaming pains in the middle of the night for the past week. ThankyouGod. All the other stuff is still the same - swollen ankles, soreness, peeing all the time, waddling around, and lots and lots of burps. 

What I'm looking forward to: Our damn glider coming in. UGH. Killing me! I'm also excited to set everything up downstairs in the next few weeks...pack in play, swing, bouncer, install the car seat etc. FUN! 

Milestones: Baby is peeing about a pint a day! whoa. I also keep reading that he can recognize simple songs I sing to him and will recognize them after he is born too. Guess I better start singing to that sweet boy! 

Mood: Starting to get nervous and anxious about labor and delivery, and still emotional and needy.  

Labor Signs: Nope. But feeling a lot more pressure down there. 

Wedding rings on or off: On...but I wonder if I should take them off soon so I don't get to the point where they won't come off. 

So I had my 34 week appt today and everything was great. My BP was good, baby's HR was good, etc etc. She said I was still measuring big so they are going to do another ultrasound at 36 weeks to check my fluid level. This made me happy - another chance to see baby boy!! She said he was still in the head down position and all was well in that category. I go back May 25th for the ultrasound and 36 week appt. 

At first I cropped this photo but then decided against it. I want to remember this time like it was - so please enjoy my cankles. Also, can we talk about this thick hair? Thank youuuu pregnancy! +1 for thick hair and +2 for big boobs! WooWoo!

33 Weeks

How far along: 33 weeks!  

Size of baby:  A durian. Ooook thebump.com. What up with all these weird fruits lately? 

Total weight gain/loss: Around 35 lbs

Maternity clothes: Yesss 

Gender: Sweet baby boy! James Austin Green!

Movement:  Lots of movement and his butt and legs keep moving up under my ribs. Owww.  

Sleep:   Sleep is ok, not much different from last week. I have good nights and bad, and when my hand isn't a pain in my ass things are much much better.  

What I miss: Well I'm sick right now with a cough do cold so everything is miserable. I can't breathe through my nose, can't taste food, my throat hurts, my nose is raw from blowing it so much etc etc. Being 8 months preggo and sick is NOT a fun combo. So currently, I just miss being well. 

Cravings: Love sweets, love milk, and LOVE water! I am thirsty all the time! I drink water so fast I legit almost choke myself. 

Best moment this past week:  Had another relaxing weekend at home with Aus. Loving all these free weekends to spend time sleeping in and hang out just the two of us. Life is about to get super crazy...a newborn + 8 weddings in James's first 3 months of life = crazy mama! Who wants to babysit? :) 

Symptoms: Same stuff, crazy awful no good carpel tunnel, sore all over if I stay in one position too long, swollen ankles, waddling like a moo cow, burping uncontrollably and being super needy for Austin!  

What I'm looking forward to: meeting little baby bean! One week closer!! 

Milestones: Baby keeps his eyes open while he is awake now. All I keep thinking about is the movie Look Who's Talking when the babies are chilling out in the womb! 

Mood: Over being sick currently. And dreading going to work tomorrow. :( 

Labor Signs: Nope. Not even any BH contractions the past few days. 

Wedding rings on or off: On

It was super bright and I look squinty and scared haha

Here it is...the 8 month preggo belly real deal. 

Hooked up the baby monitor and it looks great! I love that we can move the camera all around the crib and zoom in on him, and talk back to him over the monitor. Get back in yo bed, boy!

32 weeks!

How far along: 32 weeks!  

Size of baby: A squash...or a head of lettuce depending on the website. We had a growth ultrasound today and found out he weighs 4 lbs 12 oz...which is in the 65th percentile. The dr said he is on track to be around 8 pounds at delivery. 

Total weight gain/loss: Around 35 lbs now. 

Maternity clothes: Yeppp and I need some new warm weather ones soon. 

Gender: Sweet baby boy! James Austin Green!

Movement:  Lots of movement and little hiccups too! 

Sleep:   Sleep is ok. I'm still sleeping pretty well I just toss and turn all night to get comfortable. I have been able to sleep in a bit later on my days off which is nice. Waking up around 10am is glorious! 

What I miss: Some of these pregnancy symptoms are getting oldddd, but I hate to complain, I know I'm going to miss this once it's over. 

Cravings: Anything. Everything. I am hungry all the damn time! I love diary...milk, yogurt, frozen yogurt, ice cream, etc. 

Best moment this past week:  Today! Today was a perfect great awesome lovely day! I'm going to write more about this down below. 

Symptoms:  Let's see...carpel tunnel is still intense and I am OVER it. Occasional back pain, swollen feet, burping (like CRAZY, it is so out of control) hungry all the time, boobs are a growing!! and this new waddle I have going on, it's hot.  

What I'm looking forward to: meeting our sweet baby!! Our doctor said we welcome him  anytime after 37 weeks! So soon!! I'm also looking forward to getting our glider in.

Milestones: We confirmed today baby is in the head down position! 

Mood: So excited!!! Can't believe I am about to be a mama to a real life baby boy! 

Labor Signs: Nothing real just these annoying BH contractions. I have had some pretty painful ones the past few days. On Sunday I was having a lot of pain - back pain and stabbing/shooting pains in my belly. It must of just been his position or stretching or something...I woke up the next morning feeling a ton better thank goodness. 

Wedding rings on or off: On

Today was a GREAT day. We started this morning with all of Austin's appointments and got great news. His CT scan showed no new cancer and everything was all clear. His labs looked beautiful and he got all good reports all around. He doesn't have to go back for 6 months! We are VERY blessed. 

This afternoon we went to our OB for a growth ultrasound of baby James. He was sooo cute! I could of started at the screen for hours. We saw his whole body and face and checked him over. He weighs 4 lbs and 12 ounces right now, which is a little bigger than normal, but I think "normal" is based on about a 7 pound baby at 40 weeks. Our doctor said he is predicting James will weight 8-8.5 pounds, which is what I've thought all along. His heart rate was 141 and that is always a sweet sound to hear! We saw his little lip quivering and it was sooo cute! He does have some chubby cheeks too, cute thing! The ultrasound also showed that he was in the head down position and our doctor said he will probably stay that way until delivery. Also, my fluid levels were a bit high.  He said I am measuring big because of the extra fluid but it wasn't too concerning...he just said he has a big swimming pool in there! 

Baby Essentials - My Picks

There are so many awesome baby products out there and when I first started this huge research phase I was completely overwhelmed. They make 4,000 models and versions of every possible product out there so they don't make it easy when narrowing down and figuring out what is the best product for your lifestyle. I am a research and question asker queen so I did a lot of both before picking these products for baby James. I love blogging and LOVE finding blogs on product reviews and hearing about what other moms are buying and using for their kiddos, so I thought I'd share what I've purchased! 

My favorite baby products we have in place to use when James comes home:

Peg Perego Car Seat - Most important thing to me - safety. This car seat had extremely high safety ratings and was also compatible with the Bob stroller. I've read that it is a bit heavier than some car seats but thats ok. I also love that Baby James will be sitting and strolling in all black!

The Mommy Hook - Clips on the back of the stroller to hold your diaper bag and mall purchases. Perfect! 

BOB Revolution SE Stroller - I am in no way a jogger but this stroller was still super appealing to us because of how it easy it was to drive and turn corners. I love the two step break down process and think It's going to be super easy get in and out of the car. (We also got the Peg Perego car seat adapter so I can sit his car seat right in the Bob without having to awake/transport him.) 

Baby Trend Snap 'N Go Stroller - We got the snap 'n go stroller for quick in and out Target runs when we don't want to mess with the Bob. Again, you just snap the car seat onto the frame and you're good to stroll. 

Mortola Monitor -I did a TON of research on our monitor. Austin and I are both a bit tech-geeky so we wanted the best we could buy. With this monitor we have the ability to talk back to baby while monitoring him from anywhere in the house. The reviews on this are extremely high and I feel like we are going to be really pleased with the video streaming quality.  

MamaRoo Swing- Probably my most favorite "baby gear" item to try out. The mamaroo swing seems to be the next big thing, I mean alllll the celebs are raving over it! ;) The swing mimics a car ride, ocean waves, bouncing on your lap, etc. The quiet and sleek design was super appealing to me too since it's going to be sitting front and center in our den. My plan is for him to nap in this during the day and sleep in the Newborn Rock N' Play at night (not pictured.) 

Wubanub - Every baby I know loves their Wubanub so I'm hoping James will too. Since I'm going to breast feed I don't plan on introducing paci's to him the first weeks of his little life but once it's time this will be his first treat! 

Mustela - Want your baby to smell amazing? I do! Every time I go into James' nursery I am already rubbing this lotion on my skin. It smells amazing and has great ratings for keeping dry skin away and baby smelling fresh all day long. 

Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets - Swaddle, swaddle, swaddle. Just about all you hear when the conversation of newborns and sleep is on the tongue. These Aden and Anais blankets are super thin and soft and have the highest ratings of any swaddle blankets out there. 

Naturepedic Organic Cotton Mattress - We spent quiet a bit on James' mattress after researching growth and development while baby sleeps. They spend so many hours laying on this thing so I wanted the best we could get for him. This mattress is all completely organic (which I'm not particular into) but was made without glues, springs and metal materials. It's also extremely firm which is mega important. 

Puj Tub - this tub is super soft and light. I love that it's compact and I have it hanging on the back of the bathroom door to take up zero closet/cabinet space. 

Lawn Drying Rack + Twig & Flower - How cute is this? Bottle and nipple drying rack. I'm not going to lie - I had to get this 100% based on it's cuteness! I have 2 flowers and a twig to decorate the grass a bit.

Little Green Pouch - Brilliant! Little pouches that hold food and have a removable/washable spoon. Just squeeze the food on to the spoon and wala baby eats! Minimal mess and great for travel too. 

I will be back with more great baby products, as this is just the beginning! Hope this was helpful to some!

A few Maternity Pickchas!

While we were down in Savannah a few weeks ago Aus took some photos of me at Wormsloe Plantation. How awesome is this place?!? We just wanted a few quick shots of me + the belly and thats exactly what we got! 

Thanks Aus, for making me feel beautiful...always.