34 Weeks

How far along:  34 weeks, 0 days

Days until due date:  42

Baby:  The size of a butternut squash and about the weight of a cantaloupe (4.75 lbs).  My doctor instructed me to start doing daily kick counts this week.  Turns out baby is an overachiever in this area and always hits the 10-kick goal WELL before the two hour limit.  He's a busy little boy!

Total weight gain:  16 lbs.  I feel that I am leaving the “cute” pregnancy stage behind and quickly entering the “I feel like a bloated cow overturned in a field” stage.

Total belly growth:  10".  My belly button is not quite an outie yet, but it’s perfectly flat and looks to be working on turning itself inside out.  So weird.

What I miss:  Having energy.  Naps are involuntary on my days off of work - my body just randomly shuts down into nap mode in the afternoon.  I do appreciate having the time for a nap, though, and know that won't last forever, so I'll take it when I can get it.

Cravings:  Fruit!  I just can’t stop eating once I start on fruit of any kind.  But by some stroke of good fortune, our local grocery store (which usually disappoints in the produce selection) sold me the sweetest pineapple I have ever tasted and the most delicious strawberries I have ever had all in one week.  And I finished off both in a matter of days.  Mmm, my mouth waters just thinking of them.

Symptoms:  I feel lucky that I haven’t gotten too swollen yet in this pregnancy, but now that the weather’s warming up, I find my wedding ring getting tighter and my feet getting puffier at the end of a long, warm day.  I’m so glad this little guy is scheduled to come out before the extreme heat of summer sets in! 

What Scott’s been up to:  Scott has been such a supportive partner throughout this whole pregnancy.  He has come to every birthing class; even one week with a bad cold.  And yesterday, he even attended a breastfeeding class with me on a beautiful Saturday morning when he could have been playing Ultimate Frisbee.  Needless to say, he learned way more about the practical function of boobs than he ever wanted to know.  But I have been so grateful to have him by my side for the past 8 months!  It hasn't been all hard work for Scott, though.  He did manage to fit in a couple of rounds of golf the past few weeks :-)