Baby Mim - 33 Weeks

For the last four weeks, I've been meaning to sit down and write this post and then all of a sudden, another week has slipped by.  I honestly can't believe how quickly we're flying through this pregnancy.  As of tomorrow I will be 33 weeks and our little lady will be here in approximately 40 days.  40 DAYS!  That blows my mind.  

How far along (how big is baby)?

33 weeks.  Baby is a little over 4 pounds and is about the size of a pineapple.  I'm still wondering how she'll possibly fit inside me if she doubles in weight.  Crazy.  

How am I feeling?

Surprisingly, pretty good most days.  I get exhausted very early in the day (I'm dead tired by 3:00) and I struggle to stay up until Mac's bedtime each night.  I get winded by simple things like walking up the stairs, putting shoes on or even talking.  I've had some mild random cramping here and there, but no real contractions.  Sleep seems to be hit or miss these days.  I can fall asleep pretty easily, but if I wake up to go to the bathroom anytime after 4:00 a.m., I struggle to get back to sleep.  That is an absolutely unacceptable wake up time.  It's also getting difficult to get comfortable in bed and get in and out of bed.  I'm almost to the point where I'm just going to start leaving things I accidentally drop on the ground because bending over is tough.  All of a sudden, Mim seems to have grown a ton and possibly dropped even further, so my belly feels stretched to the max.  My skin and muscles ache from the pressure sometimes.  As of last week's OB appointment I'm up 18 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight, with little/no swelling yet.  I'll take it.  I gained 60+ pounds with Mac (and had tons of swelling), so this is a very pleasant surprise...although I know I still have weeks to go.

How's Mim?

She seems to be doing pretty good.  She's still kicking away in there, but not quite as active over the past week as she has been the last few.  I think she's getting a little cramped.  A few weeks ago she was moving around so much in the evenings that the bed would shake, which was awesome.  Most of the kicks and punches come on the right hand side of my belly button.  She's so much lower than Mac was - his kicks were either in my rib cage or lungs.  She's really wiggly too and likes to get herself into strange positions where by belly is all lopsided or flat.  A few times a day I'll get these weird protrusions like some body part is trying to push through my stomach to escape.  It hurts.  She's also very low and occasionally head butts my cervix or bladder, which makes me jump (or pee) a little.   She's still very playful with me, in that every time I am reading and rest my book on my belly, she kicks it off.  I love that.  Actually, I love all her moves.  I can't wait until she's here, but I am so going to miss feeling her inside me and having her with me all the time.  We have one last ultrasound scheduled for late June and I'm really excited to see her on the screen and moving around again. 

How's nursery planning and nesting going?

We are slowly getting things done.  Ryan is being patient with me regarding all the requests for spray painting things and manual labor.  I finally got some things up on the walls in her room and hung the curtains.  The crib, the bookcase and dresser are all assembled and ready.  I'm planning on moving the glider from Mac's room in there soon, but there's no rush on that.  I'm still working on building up her wardrobe and accessory collection.  Still trying to decide on a few other decorative items for the shelves/walls and whether or not to get a mobile.  We're also having a ceiling fan installed on Friday.  Hopefully the room will be close to ready when she gets here next month.  I can't wait for it to be finished so I can  stop worrying about it (and blog about it, of course). 

Am I ready?
Yes and no.  Mim still doesn't have a full name yet.  I think we've figured out the first name, but the middle name is still up in the air.  My c-section is scheduled, but I've yet to register at the hospital.  I wanted to enroll Mac in a sibling class, but have so far failed to do that.  I've got clothes for her, but nothing's washed or ready.  I bought a box of Size 1 diapers but no newborn diapers (that's what the hospital is for, right?).  I bought a double stroller (which is still in the box), but still need a double video monitor.  I haven't pulled out any of our other newborn stuff from storage (bassinet, toys, nursing stuff, etc.).  We haven't installed the bases of our infant car seats in the cars yet. I also need to talk to our HR department about my maternity leave, fill out all the insurance paperwork and wrap up my work projects before I leave.  There's still a lot to do, but mentally, I'm ready for her and know we could be prepared right now if we needed to be.

What am I looking forward to?

Mim's arrival, I guess!  I think the next few weeks are only going to get harder and more uncomfortable (not to mention HOT) for me, so I'm really looking forward to having this baby in my arms and being on maternity leave with her and Mac.  Work has been kicking my butt lately and while I like what I do, I can't say that I'm not excited about the prospect of not doing it for three months. I'm excited to spend more time with Mac and do some fun things with him this summer.  And I'm excited to do this whole newborn thing again with Mim.  I really hope this experience will be better/easier this time around, now that I kinda know what to expect and just how little I'll be sleeping.  I think (hope) I'll be more relaxed this time around and be able to appreciate my time off a bit more.  

How's Mac? 

Ornery.  Demanding.  Dramatic.  Exhausting.  Basically, he's TWO.  At times he is very sweet to me and the baby and wants to "see" her and hug/kiss my belly.  Other times, he has no problem kicking me in the stomach or jumping off a chair onto my lap.  As much as Mim's already been abused by Mac, she's either going to come out very tolerant or with her dukes up and swinging.  I still don't think Mac really gets the concept that we're talking about a real baby and that one will be coming home to live with us soon.  But, then again, he hasn't referred to the baby as a goat in a while, so I think we're making progress.

Differences in pregnancies?

As I mentioned, I had a lot of swelling and a lot more weight gain when I was pregnant with Mac, so I'm feeling much better and more active this time around.  I remember being very lazy and getting lots of rest those last few weeks with Mac, whereas I don't have that kind of luxury this time around.  Weekends are busy and my husband is constantly lecturing me about slowing down and listening to my body.  I know he's right, but it's so hard for me not to try to get things (all the things!) done or be active with Mac.  I definitely do not want to have this baby early though, so I've vowed to take it easier these next couple weeks.  As I did towards the end of my pregnancy with Mac, I've been craving burgers and very dark beer.  With him I also craved chocolate milk and ice cream, whereas I have no desire for either of those things this time around.  Of course, I wouldn't say no if you offered them to me, but I'd much rather have an iced decaf coffee or a lemonade.  Heartburn and indigestion are happening significantly less this time around too.  Not sure if that's because I'm carrying her so much lower or eating quite a bit less this time (because she's low and I get full quickly) and earlier in the evening.  Either way, I'll take it.