My amazing cousin and her Momma/my Aunt who hosted my Feb. 4 baby shower!
How Far Along? 34 weeks

Week 34 Began: Friday, February 3

Size of Baby: a cantaloupe (18″, should be at 4.75 pounds)

Gender: A girl, Margaret

Weight Gain: Weight is still making itself up everyday. I vary in a 4-5 pound range so lets average it and say I’m up 14-18 pounds from my starting weight.

Maternity Clothes: I had my second baby shower – this one a family-oriented intimate gathering – on Saturday February 4, and I wore a shirt I got this summer VERY early on in my pregnancy. It is a really fun Lilly Pulitzer tunic top (Oasis tunic top in Dragonfruit pink toucan can) and I found it to be super comfortable to wear with just my go-to pregnancy leggings and a pair of black low-rise Chucks. It along with a comfy shelf bra top have been fantastic basics this entire pregnancy.

Nursery: Oh boy! We had a lot of fun things arrive this week and were presented to me at the baby shower on Saturday. Two showers, two weekends in a row, whoof! I don’t know what I was thinking, haha. LOTS of laundry that’s for sure. I had to do a bunch of cloth diaper liner and cloth diaper shell wash loads this weekend, as well as those baby clothes that were washable. So many fun things to put in dressers and hang up or put away for later use. Nursery continues to come together and be such a sweet oasis. Our recliner-glider no longer has a scent to it and so everything is really just… perfect!

Movement: As I type this post Margaret has stubbornly stuck an elbow, knee, hand or foot straight out on my tummy which is MOST awkward and uncomfortable as it definitely stretches the skin out…. that said I just push back gently and she tucked it away. Maybe she really is fattening up in there! She loves the night hours.

Symptoms: Tailbone pain is sucky but not AS bad as it was previously. The new thing is the abdominal soreness/itching/cramping. No other symptoms with it and it goes away when I sleep so I think things are just continuing to stretch out. I make sure to apply oil or lotion all the time to my abdominal area which seems to help. Gas is still awkwardly present. Insomnia as well.

Side Effects: Back pain, heart burn, needing to pee all the time… only get swelling if I push myself which is quite rare at this stage.

Sleep: Still fighting insomnia. One day this week I didn’t get to sleep until 5am. That sucked. So glad I’m not working a normal job anymore! The heartburn and the pelvic/stomach/abdominal pain was bad. Not contractions or spotting, so I think it may have been a digestive problem but not 100% sure to be honest! It hasn’t really happened again on that level of pain.

Cravings: Chocolate is still a top contender, especially chocolate and peanut butter together! And a newer one is sandwiches. Paninis, open-faced, toasted, all of the above seem extra delicious to me right now! I love melting cheese with some awesome avocado and roast beef or chicken… drool.

What I Miss: Honestly? Being able to reach to wipe. Being able to reach everything when I shower. Being able to easily put on sneakers or take off boots. Silly stuff like that which will be easy to do again soon-ish.

Best Moment This Week: Writing thank you notes from my baby shower on the 28th and having a wonderful baby shower on the 4th! Going to the Post Office to buy sweet “Love” themed Forever stamps for all of these notes I’ve been writing!

What I Learned This Week: Everyone’s pregnancy is different. Everyone’s labor is different. Don’t let negative people stress you out with their less-than-pleasant birth stories. That said, don’t ignore people who might have really good advice or input!

Looking Forward To: Finding out what the OB says at our ultrasound on Weds the 15th. Also curious as to what OB says at visit on the 10th (later on today).