Bumpdate: 36 Weeks

As I’m writing this I’m 36 weeks and 4 days pregnant, which means little Pickles is due in less than a month. LESS than ONE month. Can we all just take a collective deep breath and let it out very, very slowly? I literally can’t wrap my head around the fact that she’ll be here soon. And more than that…I think we may be ready for her. Not “ready” in the sense that we know what we’re getting ourselves into, but “ready” as far as having the things we need for her all set up.

I can also officially deliver on base since I’m past 36 weeks, which is a ginormous relief. However, there are only three labor/delivery rooms, so I’m praying I don’t go into labor on the one day three other women do, because I will fight my way into that third bed. (There are 47 women due in February and March at this base.) I haven’t really talked about the hospital/birthing situation out here, because I don’t want to jinx it, so I’ll probably fill you in after I have her—the whole thing makes me very anxious, so I try not to think about it.  

How far along: 36 weeks (picture taken at 36 + 1; written today at 36 + 4)

Fun facts: She’s getting smooth and soft, her liver and kidneys are working, and her circulation and immune system are basically ready to go. Her lungs are still maturing, but I can actually feel her breathing some nights—it may be my favorite part of feeling her move. Apparently now she’s just working on plumping up!

How big is the baby: She’s gaining around an ounce A DAY,  weighs around 6 pounds (like a melon or honeydew), and is about 18 1/2 inches long.
 
Sleep: Taking naps during the day and falling asleep just fine. Still waking up anywhere between 2-4 times a night to use the bathroom. I’m pretty tired during the day; doing the smallest things just exhausts me.

Best moment of the week: Getting her room set up. She may not be in there much (we still don’t know when (or where) we’re moving, but the nesting part of me just feels relieved that she has her own little space. I also feel more relieved now that the car seat is in the car and the pack ‘n play is set up downstairs. We’ve been really busy over here. Actually, all credit for that goes to my husband, because all I did was make the honey-(please)-do list.

Food Cravings: Canned cheese. For real. I couldn’t even wait till I got home; I popped open that Easy Cheese lid, ripped open some Ritz and ate some in the car. Don’t judge—it was delicious.

Movement: Still moving! Sometimes the movements are so big and dramatic that they literally take my breath away or make me moan a little bit. She’s also still head-butting my bladder and possibly my cervix (sometimes that hurts and I almost yelp). Kenny gets a kick out of always seeing her move.

What I really miss: Sleeping on my back. Drinking beer. Eating ALL THE ITALIAN MEATS. I seriously can’t wait to dig into prosciutto, bresaola, and salami. I pretty much drool whenever I think about eating those again.

Most worried about: Labor. Not necessarily actual labor, but the beginning stages of it. I really hate being hooked up to things in hospitals (blood pressure cuff, oxygen/pulse monitor on my finger, the bands around my belly, an IV, etc.) and being confined to the bed. I’m not looking forward to all of that.

I’m looking forward to: Not calling her Pickles anymore in public or on here 🙂

Anything else? Car seat is in, crib and dressers are built, most of her clothes are washed and somewhat organized in drawers, pack ‘n play (with a bassinet) is ready for downstairs, and the rest of the stuff we need that this stupid base* doesn’t carry is on its way from Target and Amazon. *the base is fine and I’m thankful we can still get American items here, but when there are more than 300 women a year who give birth here, you’d think they’d have a decent baby section. Instead, it’s horrible. Sure, you can buy things in Italy, but the sizes for things (like mattresses and sheets) are different.