ThankGivens: Baby G2 Belly

Disclaimer: I missed week 36 due to Christmas, New Year's, my last weeks of work before baby and a cold,.oh and life in general. But let's get back on that wagon!

How far along? 38 Weeks

Baby size? Baby weighs about 6.8 pounds and is over 19 1/2 inches long.

What's going on with the baby? S/he has a firm grasp, which I'll soon be able to test when I hold that little hand for the first time! Baby's organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Maternity clothes? I've reached a whole new level of maternity clothes. It's a good thing it's cold out and I need to stay warm because otherwise I'd probably just walk around naked. Yikes!

Stretch marks? I think the fateful day has arrived. 1.8 pregnancies later and I'm starting to see my first belly stretch marks! WAHHHH!!! Nothing major, but I've got some stretching going on where my belly button ring used to be. Not a comfortable feeling physically OR emotionally!

Sleep: Only getting 3 hour stretches at a time now max from the hip pain and whatnot keeping me up... on the plus side, there is a chance I'll get better sleep once I actually have this baby haha!

Best moments this week: Well since it's been a whole FOUR weeks since my last post.. there are a BUNCH!

Christmas! The Givens family came over on Christmas Eve and we had a BLAST opening presents, eating food and spending time together. Christmas Day we stayed home and had family come over for more visits and present opening. Hailey was in heaven. We even had one final Christmas gathering a week later with my brother's family so Trent could join in the fun. (Yes, there was a them this year, I'm too huge and our toddler is too crazy for us want to leave the house, so everyone came to us, hehe) We are so blessed to be surrounded with so much love. Makes me want to cry with happiness about the family that Baby G2 gets to be surrounded with.

New Year's Eve! - I ended up getting a cold and we stayed in, but Joe made it amazing and picked up pizza, california rolls and pad thai (in true Givens form) plus Trinette dropped off a stash of delicious food including reggo-friendly cookie dough!!! Life-Changing! Hailey stayed up to about 9pm and by some miracle Joe and I stayed awake to midnight after some fun movie watching. After the countdown, we hugged & kissed and this baby gave the BIGGEST punt to say hi to daddy (or kick him away). Both of us cracked up, it was a great start to the new year!!!

Craziest dream this week: Ha! Dreams require sleep. Good one.

Miss anything? Wine. And raw fish. And Costco hotdogs. And sleep. And walking.. not waddling.

Movement: Baby G2 is still a major mover, but as it's getting more and more crammed in there, the movements aren't quite as crazy as they used to be.

Food cravings: Still mainly chocolate milk and red meat. Once in a while I'll get a fast food craving but let's be honest, who DOESN'T need a crunch wrap supreme every once in a while?! But in general, the major cravings are getting less and less.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not getting nauseas these days, but definitely feeling the effects of a shrinking stomach as baby grows. Don't worry though, I'm powering through it ;-)

Gender prediction: BOY. no GIRL. or boy. girl? AHHH I dunno. SO excited to find out! And we've got two pretty strong names picked out (one for each gender) so it's getting extra exciting!!!

Labor signs: Yeah. Fake contractions come and go, but not the real thing and the more I rest, the less they come. Unfortunately I can't use this as an excuse to sit down on the couch every day and binge-watch Netflix.

Belly button in or out? OUT. Because this bird if cooked!

Wedding rings on or off? On... but only because I found a cheap blingy ring that fits my swollen finger. Not the real thing, but I like having something on that finger :)

Happy or moody most of the time? Goes in waves, but with all of the family love, friend support and holiday cheer I've got a WHOLE lot to smile about, despite the general pregnancy discomforts and hormones.

Looking forward to: Maternity Leave! Starting NOW!!! I've been a little nervous that baby might come early (no problems, I'm just being a worry wort) and that I wouldn't have time to get my baby prep in! Working full time and partying it up over the holidays hasn't left a whole lot of time to "nest" so the couple of weeks I'm off work before this baby is due is going to be devoted to cooking freezer meals, cleaning, organizing, washing baby clothes and general baby prep. If I get my act together I might even finish Hailey's baby book before this next baby! OK, that may be wishful thinking haha ;-)

Plus, next weekend (I'll be about 39 weeks) our friends Heather & Bob are hosting their annual Black Tie party. Joe's got a Tux rented and I somehow found a fabulous dress that fits, so I keep telling Baby G2 to stay cooking past that night, because this could be our last fancy night out in a WHILE. However, if baby feels an urgency to meet us, I'd be OK showing up to the hospital in our finest attire that night.

Oh and also looking forward to MEETING THIS BABY! Home Stretch!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!