Wine Down: Bumpdate {37 Weeks}

We are officially full term now, which means that Peyton could make her debut at any time! We are only 15 days away from my due date, so the countdown is really on now! Everything is done and ready for her arrival. Well, technically we are still putting a few finishing touches on the nursery so that's not completely ready yet...you'd think I'd be done with that by now considering I've had the last 9 months to work on it. However, all of the important and necessary stuff is done and ready to go: car seat installed, birth plan typed, hospital bag packed, etc. Now, we just wait.

Week 37: May 14 - May 20

Week 37 Milestones:

- Baby is the size of a winter melon or swiss chard this week! Seriously, who comes up with these food comparisons? Anywho, Peyton is already weighing a little larger than average so those comparisons don't even really apply to her anyways. We had an ultrasound on Friday (37 weeks and 2 days) and Peyton was measuring at an estimated weight of 7 pounds and 8 ounces. That's pretty big considering we still have 2 weeks to go! It's reassuring to know that even if I delivered right now that she would already be at a solid healthy birth weight. I can't wait to see how big she ends up being when she is born!

- My total pregnancy weight gain has now reached 45 pounds. This belly feels like it is getting larger and heavier by the day. Peyton has already maneuvered herself into the perfect position for delivery which has me feeling as if all the weight in my belly is constantly being pulled out and down, like my belly button is being pulled toward the ground. Darn gravity. I read that before I was pregnant my uterus weighed around 2 ounces and now it probably weighs around 2 and a half pounds. Add a bunch of fluid and a 7 and a half pound human being in there...no wonder my belly feels so heavy. However, we are still stretch mark free, yay! Thank you genetics.

- Peyton is still extremely active, punching, kicking and moving around like crazy in there. I have been told that babies typically calm down right before you go into labor so apparently we are not ready for that yet. I'll be on the look out for the calm before the storm here in the near future. She also seems to have discovered some nerves in my pelvis/cervix that I did not know existed before and when she puts pressure on these nerves (I'm guessing with her head) I get this sudden sharp pain that literally takes my breath away. Not a pleasant sensation. I can only imagine that it probably feels comparable to getting kicked in the groin for guys.

- I also read that my gigantic uterus has now forced my bladder to basically lie flat. I guess this explains why I can't go more than 20-30 minutes without going to the bathroom. Especially if I've been sitting down, as soon as I stand up and all the weight from my belly drops down...move out of the way people, I have got to go. I now have the joy of seeing every hour on the clock at night because I wake up at least once per hour (I can go a little longer at night than during the day because I'm laying down so the pressure isn't constantly on my bladder) to go to the bathroom throughout the night. My sweet little Lola pup gets up off her bed every time I get up during the night and comes to sit on the floor next to me while I go to the bathroom. Every single time. She likes to guard her mommy. Sadie and Jared manage to sleep through all of this. Good news is I haven't accidentally peed on anything this week! Small victories.

- Braxton Hicks contractions are still coming pretty regularly, especially at night. However, they aren't consistent or painful so I know they aren't real labor contractions yet.

- I am mostly just tired and uncomfortable all the time now. Growing a human being inside of you is hard work. It's no big deal, just inconvenient more than anything because I simply don't feel up to doing a whole lot at any given time. Luckily, I have ample opportunities to relax and nap when I need to so I am taking full advantage of that while I still have the freedom to do so.

- I have heard a lot about this whole "nesting" thing, but I have not experienced it at all. Poor Jared, I think he was really excited about the fact that I was going to get this uncontrollable urge to obsessively clean our house, but alas I have not. I feel like this probably should have happened by now, but I guess my hate for house work is so strong that it far outweighs any pregnancy hormones. Sorry Jared, but I can't say that I'm really surprised.

- Food preferences: Basically the same. Though I have really been on a huge strawberry kick lately. This week, I ate 6 pounds of strawberries by myself. Obviously not all in one sitting, just as my go to snack each day over the course of the week. I just can't get enough of those delicious strawberries.