Pearls and Perfection Problems: 34 Weeks

How far along? 34 weeks

Baby size: Honeydew, 4.73 lb, 17.72 in (crown to heel)

Total weight gain/loss: I went to the doctor this past Thursday, and I think this is the first time I have not gained weight : ) I was actually down 3 oz. Total weight gain as of right now is 25 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Yes! And some of them are beginning to get tight. I do not know what happened from Friday to Saturday, but I woke up with my stomach sticking out much farther than normal. It is crazy how much my stomach has changed over time. It's been high, it's been low... it's been wide, it's been narrow and I am sure it is only going to continue to change as we get closer to her arrival.
Stretch marks? Nope, but I have been staring in the mirror this weekend to make sure because I feel like my skin is going to tear it is so tight. Praying the stretch marks stay away until the end!!
Sleep: Sleep has been as good as it can be at 34 weeks pregnant. I have had to wake up once a night (usually around 2:30) this week to go to the bathroom. This is something new.
Best moment this week: We had lots of great moments, so I will try to keep it as short as I can. Tuesday, we went to tour Spartanburg Regional. We have now toured both Regional and Mary Black. I have heard great things about both, so we have been back and forth about which to choose. People have said that Mary Black is personalized and you receive more special attention because it is not as busy. Also, everything is on the same floor (nursery, labor room, and after delivery room). People have told me that Regional is very busy and you will have multiple nurses in and out, but on the plus side, Regional has a higher level NICU in case there is a need, larger waiting rooms for our large families, and there is an anesthesiologist there at all times (at Mary Black they have to call them in, so my epidural could be delayed... and no I am not trying to be super woman like my mom and deliver all natural, give me the drugs). SO, we still have the decision as to which hospital to deliver at. We are up for any other suggestions from people who have had experiences. I am leaning a little more towards Regional today...
Wednesday, was our 3 year wedding anniversary. We both had to work and then went to our small group Bible studies after work because we decided to celebrate Friday instead. On our way home from church we had a great time talking in the car about HOW MUCH God has blessed our marriage in such a short time through our families, home, church family, growth in Christ as a couple and individually, jobs, memories we've made, and our precious baby girl that is on her way. Looking back, we are amazed at how God can and will do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine when we surrender our lives into His hands.
Thursday, we had a doctor's appointment and ultrasound. I was a little sad because our favorite ultra sound tech was on vacation, but I stayed positive and enjoyed seeing our baby girl. They measured her and said she was weighing in at 4 pounds 10 ounces. They said this ranked her in the 23%ile for weight, which kind of worried me, but the doctor said that was completely fine as long as they did not get below the 10%ile. They also said her legs were measuring in the 18%ile which seems crazy to me because Daniel and I both have long legs, and her head is measuring in the 64%ile. Not sure how accurate all this really is, but the doctor seemed to think everything looked great. Her heart beat was 173 bpm, which is much higher than it has been. It has been staying in the 140s-50s. We joked and said she can feel the stress of the beginning of the school year : ) They also said she was practicing to breathe on her own which was great. Sadly, the lady was unable to get any good profile pictures, but I posted a few below. I go back in 2 weeks just for a doctor visit, no ultrasound.
Friday, we had a date night in Greenville for our anniversary which included Tupelo Honey for dinner and Marble Slab for dessert : ) Then of course we had to make a stop in at Buy Buy Baby and Destination Maternity because that's what expecting parents do on their anniversary right!!
Today, our sweet Sunday School class gave us a baby shower. We got some wonderful things including lots of diapers and wipes, which we were thrilled about! We have heard we can never have too many of those : ) We are so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful group.
Miss Anything? Breathing normally, and I never thought I would say this, but I am ready for summer to be over. I am normally the person who cannot wait for the first day it is warm enough to lay out in the sun in spring, and then I want to cry when the first frost hits. Pregnancy has changed this! I told Daniel today that I am ready for 70 degrees and nothing warmer.
Movement: She is very active these days, and she has had hiccups several times this week. Daniel tried to yell at my belly one night when she had them... he said he was trying to "scare" the hiccups away for her. Oh my!
Food cravings: Cereal every morning for breakfast with a peach or banana mixed in, and I have had an apple every day for lunch with usually sandwiches since we teachers have to eat so fast!! I do have to limit myself on potato chips (especially salt and vinegar) and fries, and of course pickles are always welcome!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Really just the same things that I know to avoid. For example, daddy had hash Saturday night for Momom's birthday, and though I normally LOVE hash, I knew better than to eat it because the onions would mess with my stomach.
Have you started to show yet: Yes
Gender: It's a Girl!!
Symptoms: I felt pretty good all throughout the work week, but this weekend has been a different story. As I stated above, my stomach magically popped out further from Friday to Saturday, and this weekend I have struggled to catch my breath worse than normal. It was so bad today at church that I had to finally get up and leave. If I am the least bit over heated it makes it harder to breathe. I almost feel like I am going to pass out if I cannot get enough breath. I have been a bit whiny this weekend, but I apologized to Daniel today in advance for any whining I do between now and delivery.
Belly Button in or out? In but barely :(
Wedding rings on or off? On, but they are beginning to make a red ring around my finger.
Looking forward to: We have our final showers this week. My work is giving me a shower Wednesday, and then we have a friends shower Saturday night and family shower Sunday. After Sunday, we will know more what we are still missing and need to go purchase before she arrives. In the next two weeks, I want to take care of getting everything organized and ready in case she decides to surprise us early. I also have not packed my hospital bag, so I plan to do that in the next few weeks.