Pregnancy: 36 Weeks & Birth Plans

How far along? 36 Weeks 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: 40+ pounds... Workouts will begin again once moose is here!
Maternity clothes? Let's face it... I have two pairs of pants that are acceptable to wear in public & two skirts to wear.  How anyone manages to not feel like a hippo at this point is beyond me!

Stretch Marks? Fingers crossed that we are staying good!

Sleep: I toss and turn, and I wake up about every hour.  Comfort is seriously overrated.  Between having to pee and the heartburn, I will probably get good sleep again in a couple years. (when Moose goes for sleeepovers, haha!)

Best moment(s) this week: My sweet cheerleaders and their moms had a baby shower for me this week! I cannot explain how truly blessed we are.  We also finished our English state testing! Woohoo! I am so relieved. :)

Miss Anything? I miss doing things myself so much! I cannot bend over comfortably, which severely limits my abilities.  The doctor is also on me to rest, so I feel like a slug.  I want to do so many things... hello nesting! Eesh.

Movement:Yes oh yes.

Food cravings: Pop Tarts. I had a dream about pop tarts. This is very sad, and I realize how awful they are for you... But I can't help it.  I think of pop tarts lol!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Oh gosh. I almost threw up kale this week.  Awful, no good.  It was slimy and feet tasting. Bad news bears.

Gender:Moose Boy!

Labor Signs: The time is officially drawing nearer! Braxton Hicks & nesting for sure! Less than 1cm dilated, and I think he is starting to drop a little bit.
Symptoms:  My mood is all over the place! I have the worst pregnancy brain... so bad that I actually forgot to take my own car to school for my doctor's appointment Friday. My mom had to come pick me up and take me. Whoops! Heartburn is a beast, but it really only happens when I lay down now (aka bed time).  My knees are a little unhappy from my extra weight.  Still having some darkening in a few spots on my face and neck.  Retaining water like a crazy lady. Pregnancy is sort of crazy.
Belly Button in or out? I am not sure I really have one.  It is a flat flat button.
Wedding rings on or off? Off. Sad, sad momma! I love my ring!
Happy or Moody most of the time? I'm a roller coaster of emotion.
Looking forward to:  This week the teachers are having a baby shower for Sam and I at school.  I am so excited.  I also am excited to be seeing the doctor every week now.  It keeps my mind at ease, since I know that she will be able to help "warn" me when this baby is coming. (Well, at least she might be able to, haha!)  I am looking forward to my moose.  I cannot believe he will be here so soon!

Doctor's Appt & Our Birth Plan.: April 5, 2013
This trip to the doctor was a little different than the most recent ones.  This time the doctor actually checked my cervix to see how things were progressing.  I am less than 1cm dilated, so we are headed in the right direction. She wasn't concerned about things progressing quickly at this point.  I am (as she continues to say) textbook.  I am measuring spot on for 36 weeks, and my progression towards labor is exactly what she wants to see.  She hopes that next week I will be at a 1 and the following week a 2.

My blood pressure is slightly elevated, but some of that is to be expected this late in pregnancy.  She is just encouraging me to rest as much as possible.  She didn't have any other ideas of when this little dude might show up. :)

We talked briefly about my birth plan... which is mostly full of "game day decisions".  The doctor and I agree the less of the plan the better! We are on the same page about things, so all is good.  She won't do a C-section unless it becomes medically necessary.  She won't induce unless I go a week over. (The moose has to be here by May 10th.. doctor's orders, haha) No pitocin unless we have to induce.  Sam is going to cut the cord, if everything is ok with baby.  I guess I thought I would be one of those uber-controlling gals with a specific game plan, but I just can't be.  The burning question everyone asks is about an epidural.  Half of the folks you talk to tell you, "There's no way to do it without one!" The other half say, "You'll just have to see how you feel!"  I am going to wait and decide once I have all my information, which means once I am labor.  Call me crazy if you want, but that's just how we are doing this... Though I don't want any IV pain meds that would drug the Moose.

The only thing that is vital for me is having Sam there.  I want our labor experience to be personal and private.  I watched many of those videos in our birthing class, and I just couldn't get over these women in labor with all these people in the room! (Sam kept joking that he was going to invite everyone we knew in the Labor & Delivery room... my tears, however, squashed that joke pretty quickly.  Now, he assures me that he is the L&D bouncer. No one gets in without ID haha! What a wonderful husband I have.)

Anyways, I am far too modest for all that, but also I want it to be a special quiet experience.  It's the very first time our family will be "our family" in that sense.  With all that being said, I am so so excited for everyone to meet our handsome boy! And when we get up to our room, I know that we will be blessed with lots of visitors to going crazy to meet our little dude.  (Thank goodness lent is over because I have a feeling I will need some caffeine to keep me going at that point!)

My hospital bag is ready... so I guess now we just watch me like a hawk. Question every little hiccup, bump, movement, cramp, & contraction and wonder when it will happen.  I cannot believe that for sure in less than 5 weeks time I will be someone's mom.  Weird stuff. Weird, weird stuff.

Lots of Love!
The Rileys & MOOSE