Healthy + Hapai–35 Weeks

[Alternate Title: My Poor Neglected Blog]

I apologize.  I literally haven’t had the motivation to get on and blog for two weeks.  What the heck is happening to me?? 

Being on break from grad school and fitness instructing is nice and all, but I’m having a hard time getting motivated to do much of anything now that I don’t have any set schedule.  Add to that the fact that Ben’s gone for 12 days and I’m seriously unmotivated. 

In any case, baby and I are growing like crazy lately!  Lots happening here!

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Baby

“Your baby doesn’t have much room to maneuver now that he’s over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds. Because it’s so snug in your womb, he isn’t likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he’ll spend the next few weeks putting on weight… If you could peek inside your womb, you’d see that there’s more baby than amniotic fluid in there now.” [Source.]

Now that we’re nearly in our ninth month [!!], we’re seeing our midwife every other week instead of once a month.  At last week’s check-up with our midwife she said that the baby is tall like his/her Daddy Ben but has the muscular stature of me.  Tina, our midwife, is always reassuring me that the baby is perfectly sized – one of the fears I expressed to her was that this baby’s going to be humungous – and that he/she seems very mellow.  I definitely agree… this baby’s energy is very soothing and loving, and I feel much more at peace with the world now, being pregnant, than I ever have.  Aside from that, Tina says baby is still hanging out head down and that there’s lots of healthy fluid surrounding him/her [I drink at least 3-4 liters of water a day, so that’s no surprise]. 

The other big thing that happened over the past couple weeks: we had our baby shower!  It was such a wonderful gathering of love and Ben and I were reminded again of just how much support we have as we bring this beautiful baby into the world.  Although we were completely overwhelmed with all the generous gifts, it feels really good to have most of the baby’s necessities ready now. 

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Momma

[11 Weeks / 23 Weeks / 35 Weeks]

Baby’s growth spurt has been amazing to experience!  As they say, the baby is over 5 lbs now, and I am feeling it.  He/she is taking up much more room in there and I feel the baby making big, sweeping movements across my belly.  I still wish I could figure out for myself just how he/she is positioned [I always think I can decipher his little booty, but I’m not positive]. 

As far as being almost nine months hapai goes, I’m feeling good.  Now that I’m no longer teaching fitness, I’ve been doing much more low-impact stuff like walking, lighter weights, and yoga.  I miss the high-intensity stuff, but my capabilities and endurance levels are definitely lower than before, and I’m sure to honor what my body – and the baby – needs right now.  Because labor is definitely, well… laborious [it’s a marathon!]… and I know I’ll do better if I keep my fitness levels up, I’m always sure to get out and move my body even on the days when I feel extra unmotivated.  I’ve been alternating prenatal yoga with a 2.5 mile walk around my hilly neighborhood, which feels perfect for now.  I’ve also been jumping in the ocean and aqua-jogging or just floating, which feels amazing.  As things continue to get harder [walking up my driveway with groceries used to be a breeze and now I’m winded!], I know I’m getting closer to the baby’s arrival, which is exciting!

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Quick facts for 35 Weeks:

• Emotional meltdowns this week: About three so far.  Ben left for vacation and the waves of missing him are pretty intense [we obviously don’t spend much time apart, but I’m usually much better at handling the emotions than this!].
• Big baby items we’ve gotten: Most everything, including the carseat, a cosleeper [on its way in the mail as we speak… hopefully], a breast-feeding pillow, and even a glider [which we found on craigslist for a third the price!]. 
• Items still needed: a breast pump [which I’m planning to get second-hand from a friend] and a few more cloth diapers. 
• Fun new developments: Aside from the crazy hormones… my feet have started to swell after my walks and I’ve been feeling light-headed more and more frequently.  I’ve also been waking up feeling a bit nauseous lately [maybe low blood sugar?]. 
• Learning curve: Our final childbirth class was this past week and they invited a few new families to share their experiences with us.  The births all went very differently from each other and it was great to hear all the perspectives!  One of the things I walked away with was that I should read up on breastfeeding before the baby comes, so that’s what I’ve been doing this week. 
• Weight gained so far: about 18 pounds up since conception and definitely missing the muscle.  The weight’s just been piling on in the past few weeks and I expect that trend to continue for the next five weeks or so as baby thickens up. 
• Cravings: All the yummy tropical fruits in season right now [lychee, mango, bananas, oranges, strawberries] and dark chocolate. 
• Overall feelings: I have a lot of friends due right around me who are feeling really crabby and ready for baby to come, but I’m really loving being pregnant and am still just so grateful and filled with awe that this is my reality right now.  Of course there are some nerves associated with childbirth – as it’s something completely new to me – but I actually feel confident in my body’s abilities and am looking forward to the journey. 
• Most excited for: Ben to come home in a week!  But I really am trying to enjoy what just might be the last time I’m truly alone for a loooong time. 

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I’m off to go for a walk on the beach and a float in the ocean.  

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