35 weeks down

It seems insane that we have 5 weeks left to go - that's 35 days till due date!  I have 2.5 weeks left at work before I take 2 weeks vacation, and then start my mat. leave on the due date.

I am hoping that LO will arrive around a week before the due date, that way I have some time to become used to a newborn before my parents visit.  They have flights booked for a week after the due date, I'm a little worried baby will hang out till they arrive... which I am sure my mum will love!

Today we had our u/s and NST.  He did great as usual, completing all the actions required for the NST in the first 9 minutes.  I noted to the nurse that he's been quieter than usual, and rather than kicks I've been feeling more "smooshy" movements, which I attribute to the space being reduced.  She confirmed that's most likely, and at the end of the test, we counted LO's movements and he had 26 in 20 minutes - she joked that's not bad since all they want is 6 in an hour...

Onto the u/s - DH and I were trying to guess the babies weight before the test, I figured he'd be about 5lb 4oz and DH reckoned 6lbs - which I thought was ridiculous - esp as at the last scan (4 wks ago) he was only 3lb 12oz.  Well baby measured in at a whopping 5lb 10oz today!  He's sitting at the 50% mark for his growth, and the tech pretty much confirmed he has a huge head...

Our doctor mentioned a large head a few weeks ago, and today I asked the tech to give us an estimate.  He laughed and said well it's not above 90% - but the way he said it makes me think it's probably pretty close - around 85%..  Ah well baby has to come out regardless :)

He also let us see the baby in 3D - it was amazing, and although not allowed to he let us take a picture of the 3D image on our phones!  Baby has DH's nose so I am happy :)  He's gorgeous - we have very few decent ultrasound pictures - they are all blurry or half skeletal as the baby is so active, so this one is truly cherished!

Sleep wise I have good days and bad, most nights I have about an hour to an hour and a half then I wake in pain, or need to go to the bathroom, last night I only woke twice - it was heavenly.  I feel very rested.  The cold is finally starting to go away, and it's getting easier to breathe, but I'm still a little congested and that does make it harder to sleep.

The swelling continues, my left ankle is pretty much the size of an elephants come night time, I try to walk around during the day but being sat at a desk hinders it slightly.

No real contractions as yet, Saturday night we got some painful ones, but I attribute that to a long day on my feet walking and not enough water, DH got all excited and wanted to use his contraction timer app... *sigh*  I'm quite happy for baby to hang out safely inside me for another 3 weeks, I'm sure at 38 weeks I will be quite happy to have him in my arms!

The nursery is coming along swimmingly, the cloth diapers have all been washed and I'm waiting on the last batch drying before they can be put away.  The room makes me feel giddy inside, once LO arrives I will put up a picture - I think the only things left to do is make the mobile, and buy the medications/grooming stuff (nail clippers, hairbrush, vitamin D drops etc, nipple pads). Anything else I am missing?  Any recommendations on the med stuffs?

I am excited this month and the coming month, as so many of the bloggers I know are reaching the end of their pregnancy/adoption journeys and becoming mums.  It makes me smile inside and out as I read the stories and see the photos.  My heart breaks for some as they receive devastating news, and it brings back the grief and memories of our own losses and how hard this journey can be, I can only hope with all my heart that they achieve their dreams too.  I recall how hard the IF journey is, and how overcome with emotions I was during medicated cycles, and I know how strong each and every one of you are for continuing to push through to achieve your dreams.