Weekly Update: 36 Weeks!

WEEK: 36

MONTH: 9!!!! And the count down begins!

TRIMESTER: 3

GENDER: Girl!

THIS WEEK THE BABY IS: Baby you are still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. You now weigh almost 6 pounds!!! Yay and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. You are shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered your little body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protecting your skin during your nine-month amniotic bath in my belly! Baby girl you will swallow both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of you first bowel movement. Don't worry we will make daddy clean it up! At the end of this week, lil baby you will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks) Most likely you are in a head-down position. But if your are not the doctor may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying he'll try to coax your body into a head-down position by manipulating you from the outside of my belly.

SYMPTOMS: I feel terrible. I am tired, I feel like I have the flu without being sick. All I want to do is lay in bed all day. So for the most part I do.

CURRENT MOOD: Anxious and excited!!!!

CURRENT CRAVING: none this week... nothing sounds good.

CURRENT WORRY: How much longer do I have?! Is it bad that a part of me wants her here at 37 weeks and another part of me doesn't want her to come till Jan 5th so that I know she has completely cooked and ready? I know that 100% my comfort and wants are second to what is best for her so despite that we all want her here early and want to see her precious face now, I will keep praying for a Jan 5th baby and that she stays nice and snug in my belly till then! But ultimately she will come when she is ready!!! So we wait :)

Belly Photo:

My first...

This is my first, first snow season ever! As in I have never been around when the snow falls for the first time in a winter season! So its official ya'll (gag) I am living in a winter wonderland. The only thing that would make this perfect would be to have Mr. G by my side. But I guess I can't have everything I want...or can I?

So, I am at my parents house for the weekend (a condition of Mr. G being away) and now I am not even sure I will be headed back to the stixs anytime soon if this white stuff doesn't stop falling and clear up from the road! You see I have NO experience driving in the snow or in any icy weather and the fact that I am going to be 9 months pregnant on Wednesday it does not seem like this is the appropriate time to start learning. So! I am here for a bit! I may have my dad take me to Target (darn) to buy somethings to hold me over considering I only packed for 2 nights lol. But we will take it a day at a time!

Here is a video and some photos of this winder wonderland!


The house...



(Call me crazy, but I had to have a snow belly! Payton's first!)



The dogs first snow... as you can see neither one is phased by the snow and Sherman just tries to eat it the whole time.

Weird things in my belly

This is just weird to me...you can clearly see that the baby has the hiccups (big jerking movements) but the little pulses in between I don't get it! It is like a little too fast for my heart beat, not kicks, or the hiccups, but like a pulse...anyways enjoy the weirdness.

Weekly Update: 35

WEEK: 35!!!

MONTH: 8

TRIMESTER: 3

GENDER: Girl!

THIS WEEK THE BABY IS: Lilttle baby you don't have much room to maneuver now that you over 18 inches long and tip the scales at 5 1/4 pounds. Because it's so snug in mommy's womb, you are not likely to be doing somersaults anymore (but you do from time to time still), but the number of times you kicks have remained about the same. Your little itty bitty kidneys are now fully developed, and your liver can process some waste products. Most of your basic physical development is now complete — now little girl you will spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

SYMPTOMS: I actually felt pretty good this week. I have started to let my self sleep until I wake on my own and that seems to work wonders on my mood :)

CURRENT MOOD: Excited!!!!

CURRENT CRAVING: APPLE CIDER! YUMMY!!! I can't get enough of it still!

CURRENT WORRY: How much bigger will I get! My belly grew an 1 inch and half in 1 month!!! I usually only grow about an inch! And my belly button is smoothing out! I definitely did not think it would! And baby girl is FINALLY head down! Yay!




BELLY PHOTO HERE:

Pumpkin Cake

So as part of my thanksgiving contribution I made a pumpkin cake!

It is nothing fancy or difficult to make. But I figure I have not done a food post about something I have made in a while (and lets me honest cooking has not been my thing lately)

Anyways here we go:

The ingredients!

Pumpkin Cake Recipe

*This makes either two 9 inch square pans OR a 13 x 9 (+) a 5 x 9 pans. The one at the shower was a 13 x 9 and I got to keep the 5 x 9 cake at home :) Putting the batter in one 13 x 9 would be too much.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

1 TBL baking soda

1 TBL baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Sift all dry ingredients together in one bowl

In a separate bowl combine:

6 eggs

1 1/2 cup vegi oil

3 cups pumpkin puree (you can use the whole can. It's the bigger size can)

Add wet ingrediens to dry in a mixer

Spread into greased pans

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45min

Frosting:

1 - 8oz bar of cream cheese

1 cube margarine

1 lb powedered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients in mixer

*Note: Make sure the cake is completely cool before frosting. I usually bake the cakes the night before and make the frosting the next morning.

The final product!

I am thankful for...

Thanksgiving is tomorrow which means a day filled with meaningful time with friends, family and loved ones oh and food coma!!

I am so blessed to have so many things to be thankful for!!! This holiday is great reminder that when things seem bad they could always always be worse!

Here is my list of things I am thankful for:

10. "I'm grateful for the earth... I'm grateful for the stars and the sky..." no no I kid, I am grateful my life and health!

9. My car it seems silly, but honestly I am so thankful that I am able to have one and not walk everywhere. If anyone comes to visit me out here you will understand 100% what I mean.

8. My doggies. They are my constant companions and source of continued entertainment while I live in no mans land!

7. Technology. I know lame, but the internet, phones, movies etc. are amazing without it I couldn't post these blogs and keep friends and family who live far away updated on whats going on over here! Plus internet shopping is a life saver!

6. For football. Again a tad cheesy but honestly Mr. G would be miserable without it! He lives for coaching football and he just LOVES finding that special kid who was over looked to bring onto the field. Plus he pays the bills doing what he loves! He makes me proud.

5. Love. I love love.

4. My sister. She is my best friend. And she is awesome I could go on and on but I will let be known she rocks! She is going to be the best auntie ever!

3. My family. Both sides. They. Are. Awesome. Even at times when I seem annoyed or ungrateful, I am so thankful for them.

2. This precious miracle I am carrying. I am so in love with her and I haven't even met her yet.

1. Most importantly my husband... I am beyond thankful for him so I decided to write a little ditty about it...this is, therefore,

Ode To My Husband

Thank you for being you

For getting up early to go to work to support us

For wanting a partner, not a pseudo mother figure as a wife

For spending hours listening to me ramble about nothing important when you get home

For having such a vivid way of telling stories and keeping me updated on the "drama"

For loving me, even when I'm being selfish and tired

For thinking things through first and being a voice of reason when I get irrational and just being the rock in my life.

For doing all the man jobs.... like killing the bugs, chasing after the dogs, lifting heavy things etc.

We will have been together for 5 years and married 11 months next week, I am so blessed to have you

I am grateful for you!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Weekly Update: 34 Weeks

WEEK: 34!!! 6 more to go!

MONTH: 8

TRIMESTER: 3

GENDER: Girl!

THIS WEEK THE BABY IS: Precious baby girl you weigh about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and you are almost 18 inches long. You little itty bitty fat layers — which will help you regulate your body temperature once you are born — are filling you out yay, making you rounder. You beautiful skin is also smoother than ever. Your central nervous system is maturing and your lungs are continuing to mature as well. Mommy's not too nervous about preterm labor, but rest assure little one that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. You might need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, you will do as well as full-term babies, but again mommy's not nervous about that at all! You come when your ready little one :)

SYMPTOMS: Just general uncomfortableness... rolling over in bed sucks, getting out of bed sucks, sitting to standing up sucks, sitting down sucks lol you getting my flow here?

CURRENT MOOD: Excited but stressed

CURRENT CRAVING: APPLE CIDER! YUMMY!!! I can't get enough of it right now!

CURRENT WORRY: Will this little one get head down before the big day! As of last night she was head up!

BELLY PHOTO HERE: