34 weeks...feeling like a very slow, waddling, front-humped whale!!!

Your pregnancy: 34 weeks
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How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.See what your baby looks like this week.Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.If you notice itchy red bumps or welts on your belly and possibly your thighs and buttocks as well, you may have a condition called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP for short). Up to one percent of pregnant women develop PUPPP, which is harmless but can be quite uncomfortable. See your practitioner so she can make sure it's not a more serious problem, provide treatment to make you more comfortable, and refer you to a dermatologist if necessary. Also be sure to call her if you feel intense itchiness all over your body, even if you don't have a rash. It could signal a liver problem.

Baby Shower!!

GREAT shower yesterday!!!!! Loved it, loved it, loved it! Had a blast! DeDe (Sadie's Godmother and Shower-thrower) had everyone decorate burp cloths with puff paint. We played a cute little game...turned out to be hilarious! The food and decaf coffee was fabulous. I had 3 friends from 3 phases of my life there...it was so cool! My high school best friend, Bonnie was there...SO excited to see her! My college roomie, Andria was there...always love seeing her even though we live 25 minutes from each other. All my newest and greatest friends from church were there...
Mother-in-law, Aunt-in-law, Mom, Sister Vaughna, Sister-in-law Tracy, and two sweet nieces Alex and Abby were there.

It was GREAT to see everyone. Sadie got the CUTEST clothes ever...she's going to be very well dressed! Better than mommy.

Got a lot of great stuff...only have to take back a few things...but that's not THEIR fault - Target and Babies 'R' Us are not doing a very good job of taking things off of the registry.

It was such a cool day (besides getting lost on the way...it's okay to be late to your own party, right?)

Thanks to everyone who came and to those who didn't but sent gifts!!! You are all wonderful and sweet people and I'm so blessed to have you in my life.

LAST week's shower was very intimate...my old teaching buddies Dee and Shelle threw it for me in Waxahachie. It was small, but so much fun. Great food (again) and great gifts. We decorated onesies with puff paint. Sadie is going to be puff painted all over the place. Thanks girls for throwing that for me. I loved every minute of it.

33 weeks pic

So, I'm thinking after we're done taking prego pictures, after the baby is born, we'll take "on our way to skinny" pictures. HA!

Here are my swollen ankles...and my flip flop tan. At least my toes are done... :)

Soooo ready... Miss Sadie at 33 weeks

It's as if the Baby Center people are writing about ME personally!! I had a really rough night last night trying to get comfortable and get to sleep. I just finally broke down (hormones, I'm sure) from frustration. Sadly, standing the the most comfortable position for me right now. She crushes my organs and moves every time I breathe in or out...obviously b/c my lungs are moving her out of the way.

I saw a side shot of me at church singing yesterday...can we say MOOOOOO.... seriously. Singing is getting difficult, talking for any amount of time (teaching) is getting hard...I can't breathe right now.

Yesterday was the worst I've felt since I first got pregnant. The pain down below is 10 times worse than it was. I realized as I turned over in bed a few nights ago, it's taking all my leg strength to get me turned over at night...so the muscles being used are muscles I've never felt before... therefore, that feeling like I fell on the bar of a boy bike is horrible. I'd feel much better if there were a real explanation for it, like I got kicked in between the legs or actually fell on a boy bike. But the "stretching" and new muscle use thing...just seems unreal.

I come home overwhelmingly tired and worn out. School, church, the store... it all takes a toll right now.

I know that when this is ALL over, I'm going to look back and wonder where the time went. I think the only reason I'm complaining so much right now is because up until now, it's been so easy. God's just getting me ready for the hardships of parenthood... Baby Bootcamp. I'm already trained on the waking up for 2 - 3 hours in the middle of the night... I have the lack of sleep thing down. The stresses of being a mommy...well, that will come later. I guess being a teacher of 22 little turkeys is pretty good training, but I get to give them back to their parents! :)

Okay, I'm done complaining. Pictures coming soon. Here's what the experts say:

Your pregnancy: 33 weeks
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How your baby's growing:This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.See what your baby looks like this week.Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.
How your life's changing:As your baby fills out even more of your belly, lots of things might start to change: Whereas before you were sashaying, you may find yourself waddling. Finding an easy position to sit in — let alone sleep — is becoming more of a challenge. And bumping into chairs and counters is par for the course.You may be feeling some achiness and even numbness in your fingers, wrists, and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can retain fluid, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist. Nerves that run through this "tunnel" may end up pinched, creating numbness; tingling, shooting or burning pain; or a dull ache. Try wearing a splint to stabilize your wrist or propping your arm up with a pillow when you sleep. If your work requires repetitive hand movements (at a keyboard or on an assembly line, for instance), remember to stretch your hands when you take breaks — which should be frequently.Many women are still feeling sexy at this stage — and their partners often agree. You may need to make some adjustments, but for most women, sex during pregnancy is fine right up until their water breaks or their labor starts.

Miss Sadie...making things a bit difficult!!

Happy things: I know Sadie will be here really soon!! I feel her move a lot and I love watching it. The Lord has blessed us with a large baby, I just know it.
Complaints: This ridiculous rash; This horrible pain down below that feels like I fell on a boy's bike; the leg cramps; the constant feeling that I need to pee and then nothing comes out b/c I just went 5 minutes ago; sleeping/turning over at night is painful.

Comments: While the complaints are outweighing the happy things, we are still so excited about this time. 8 weeks seems like a stretch...only God knows how long it will be. I think I'll have Craig take pics weekly now... if we can remember.

Your pregnancy: 32 weeks
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How your baby's growing:By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.
How your life's changing:To accommodate you and your baby's growing needs, your blood volume has increased 40 to 50 percent since you got pregnant. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and crowding your stomach, the consequences may be shortness of breath and heartburn. To help relieve your discomfort, try sleeping propped up with pillows and eating smaller meals more often.You may have lower-back pain as your pregnancy advances. If you do, let your caregiver know right away, particularly if you haven't had back pain before, since it can be a sign of preterm labor.Assuming it's not preterm labor that's ailing you, you can probably blame your growing uterus and hormonal changes for your aching back. Your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, changing your posture and putting a strain on your back. Hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things.

Baby Sadie - HUGE!!!!! and dropping!!!!

31 weeks!!!!!

Okay, here's the new pic! You can tell I've dropped quite a bit since the last time. There's a joke going on at school AND church - everyone's "Prepared to help me deliver and have brought all the supplies needed to help!" Hahahahaha!!! I have to admit, it's getting MUCH harder to NOT WADDLE!

Did I tell you about the RASH I have? Ugh!! It's red, itchy, and HOT! It burns so bad, but lures me in by itching. Then it starts stinging. Aloe Vera is just not everywhere it needs to be....I'm going to have to carry it around in a cooler. :)

My friend DeDe (our worship arts director at church) said she actually got a couple of e-mails from people after I sang on Sunday telling her they're not sure I should be up there singing... Did they not like our song?? Are you kidding me? I promise I'll let you all know when I CAN'T do it anymore. Gracious. What's funny, is it's the OLDER ladies... Did they not used to "plow the fields in 900 degree weather at 9 months and carried they're other 5 kids on their backs"? I could've sworn those were the stories we heard when we complained about something....and now they don't want me to sing b/c it looks like I'm about to go into labor... I need to show them pictures of my sisters and mom when they were prego. Granted, they have a few inches on me, but we just make big babies in our family!!!

I TOTALLY loved the attention a few months ago, when I was just starting to look pregnant. Now, it's getting old!

Miss Sadie just moves like crazy all the time!

Your pregnancy: 31 weeks
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How your baby's growing:This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Singing...

I sang my last special today for a long time. I have one more Sunday of Praise Team. And I'll get to sing with DeDe's band OneWill on Nov. 1 for Fall Festival. Super excited about that. I don't know how I'm going to be when I actually have to sit in the church seats with everyone else and sing from there... I always feel so ... well...like I'm missing out on a huge blessing. I LOVE to sing, and feel weird when I can't lead. I know the Praise Team will get along great without me, but I'll miss the rehearsals and all that stuff. I just love to sing for the Lord, and I'm so blessed to be able to birth His little miracle in 9 weeks. I'm just going to miss it all.

Yesterday morning, Craig and I drove to Waco to meet his dad and stepmom so they could give us our baby gifts that we didn't get to receive in Houston b/c of the hurricane. GREAT stuff!!! They were blown away at how much I had grown since July...big surprise. :)

Last night, we went to dinner with some very dear friends and asked them if they would be Sadie's Godparents. This was a VERY big deal for Craig, b/c of his Catholic/Italian upbringing and I thought it was a great idea. Jeff and DeDe Jones (our worship leader and her husband and two amazing people that we love so very, very much) will be GREAT Godparents and will love Sadie like she's their own.

2 showers coming up:
October 18th in Waxahachie - my old teacher buddies from years past.
October 25th in Trophy Club - DeDe's throwing me a shower for my family, Craig's family and our closest friends from church and around the area.
and in November, my 4th grade team will be throwing my school shower...

SO excited!

That's it for now! I'm off to write thank you notes!!! Picture coming this week!!!