40 weeks

How far along? 40 weeks
Sleep? Same sleep difficulties. I've gotten a couple of nights of okay sleep, but as the baby gets bigger and contractions are more frequent, I have not been getting much rest.
Symptoms? Contractions and labor signs are my main symptoms now, but that's good since labor should be soon!
Food cravings? Food in general. I've been really hungry lately.
Food aversions? Still yes to the heartburn and avoiding spicy food.
Labor signs? Contractions, some have been more intense than in previous weeks. Also having more that come in time segments, but not close enough to be the real deal yet!
Belly button in or out? Even farther out than last week, which I didn't know was possible.
What I miss? Not getting up a billion times each night to use the restroom.
What I'm looking forward to? I'm still anxious to know if this baby is a boy or girl, and also when he or she will arrive!
Milestones? This is the farthest I've gone in a pregnancy. Can't believe I'm already past 40 weeks!
High? Finishing up work for maternity leave was a really good feeling!
Low? The exhaustion is setting in.
Bump? Things are really crowded in my belly right now. At my appt today, the midwife said she could tell that it was very cramped.

40 weeks

We got a lot done over the past weekend. I was able to finish everything for work and officially start my maternity leave. We ran quite a few errands and took Gideon to a local museum and train show. It's been nice to have some extra time with Gideon! We are definitely getting excited about meeting little brother or sister, but life also goes on. Lots to do with an active two year old in the house. We have a fairly mild schedule planned for the rest of the week, and I'm hoping to get as much down time as possible as we await the grand entrance of our newest family member!

39 weeks

How far along? 39 weeks
Sleep? It has only gotten more difficult. Last night, I was up until 3am with mild, irregular contractions and general pain/discomfort.
Symptoms? Sinus congestion isn't as bad (whoohoo!), but definitely waddling and lots of pains/pressures from baby being down low and getting bigger!
Food cravings? Water.
Food aversions? Still yes to the heartburn and avoiding spicy food.
Labor signs? More and more BH contractions, lots of "zingers" and leg pains/numbness. Same here. Having contractions that I can feel/more intense, but nothing too intense or regular at all.
Belly button in or out? All the way out.
What I miss? Being able to eat a full meal, not having heartburn from most food/drinks, and being able to fall asleep without pain.
What I'm looking forward to? Finding out if we are having a prince or princess!
Milestones? Making it to full term!
High? I'm feeling pretty optimistic about where I'm at in pregnancy right now. I feel ready to have the baby any day, but also no pressure to have the baby tomorrow.
Low? Still feeling really exhausted. Sleeping when I can, but whenever I lay down, I either have rib pain or random, mild contractions that keep me up.
Bump? Feeling very full!

39 weeks

As my pregnancy winds down, so does my energy level. Gideon finally seemed ready to start using the potty, so we embarked on potty training 101 three days ago. He's not telling us when he needs to go yet, but he's doing a good job of staying dry and hasn't had too many accidents. I'm also kind of wondering what we've gotten ourselves into at this point in pregnancy, ha! Hopefully finishing up my to do list in the next couple of days. Of course, there will always be more, but the list of "important stuff" is almost done! Now the waiting game really begins. Gideon came at 39+4, when will this baby make his/her grand entrance?!

38 weeks

How far along? 38 weeks
Sleep? Sleep is elusive at term. When I can get somewhat comfortable, I can sleep for short stretches in between bathroom breaks.
Symptoms? Lots! Aches and pains, sinus congestion, waddling (ha!).
Food cravings? Protein, especially nut butters! Still this.
Food aversions? Heartburn has picked up again, so I'm avoiding anything spicy.
Labor signs? More and more BH contractions, lots of "zingers" and leg pains/numbness.
Belly button in or out? All the way out.
What I miss? Not being so exhausted. Oh wait, that won't change for a few months.
What I'm looking forward to? We are finally wrapping up the last few "must dos" on the to do list this week. It will be nice to have the bulk of really important stuff out of the way.
Milestones? Baby is really low and engaged. Could mean absolutely nothing, but seems exciting nonetheless!
High? I'm feeling so much better after being sick and have had a burst of energy and gotten quite a bit accomplished over the past couple of days.
Low? I'm so exhausted and whenever I take some time to rest, it just never seems to refresh me enough.
Bump? I have dropped!

38 weeks

I can't believe that we are just a few days away from being full term with this baby. I'm definitely uncomfortable and feeling more pregnancy related pains than I did when I was pregnant with Gideon. But, as excited as I am about meeting this new little one, I have a different perspective on the changes that will come after birth. So, I'm also enjoying the last few days before our world is turned upside down again. Sometimes the waiting and anticipation are what makes the event itself even more special.

37 weeks

How far along? 37 weeks
Sleep? Sleep has been a struggle between the discomfort of positioning and having a sick house over the past few weeks.
Symptoms? Continued discomfort on my sides, leg cramps including a couple that wouldn't relax for 10-15 minutes and left me with sore calves for a week, and beginning labor signs. I've gotten to the point that it's pretty painful to carry Gideon around, which is hard because it's gotten cold outside and we still have plenty of errands and activities to get to.
Food cravings? Protein, especially nut butters!
Food aversions? Not really, heartburn doesn't seem to be as bad as it has been.
Labor signs? More and more BH contractions, lots of "zingers."
Belly button in or out? It's even visible in my bump photo now, ha!
What I miss? Getting comfortable in bed at night. I need pillow support, but then it seems like I feel too insulated and get overheated.
What I'm looking forward to? Christmas break was a lot of fun (and we got a lot done!), but I'm ready to get back into our normal routine for a while before baby arrives and we have a completely new normal.
Milestones? We are now officially in week to week midwife appointments, AND to the month that baby is due to arrive!
High? Despite the craziness of the holiday season, we really enjoyed Christmas with Gideon. He understood it much more than last year, and it was wonderful to see it all through his eyes.
Low? Although we had a wonderful Christmas, I had a cold the week preceding Christmas and we have all been sick for about the past week. We are all exhausted.
Bump? Not going anywhere yet.

37 weeks

Now that we are at term, it's all starting to sink in. We worked very hard over Christmas and the new year holiday to get things sorted out. We still have a decent list, but I feel like most of the necessities are ready if baby arrives earlier than I expect. It's definitely much more difficult to keep up with a busy toddler around. At this point, we're praying for good health and rest before the wonderfully exhausting first few weeks (or months) with a newborn. Grant mentioned that he can tell I've been nesting lately, ha! I will say that our house is looking much more organized that it has in months!

34 weeks

How far along? 34 weeks
Sleep? Not as good as it was. I've been having quite a bit of rib pain when I lay on either side.
Symptoms? Continued back pain and ribs out of place. Tired.
Food cravings? Still water, it seems like I can never get enough.
Food aversions? Still spicy foods, just because of heartburn.
Labor signs? I haven't had any more contractions, thank goodness! Nothing major as far as labor signs, which I am completely okay with. I'd like to wait at least a couple of weeks before anything starts kicking in.
Belly button in or out? It's popped!
What I miss? Being able to eat a normal sized meal without feeling sick. It seems like I'm always hungry!
What I'm looking forward to? Christmas is next week! It's my favorite time of year and Gideon has been enjoying our Christmas tree and all of the fun festivities. I'm just waiting for life to slow down next week so we can savor some of those peaceful moments.
Milestones? I think I've officially surpassed my total weight gain with Gideon. Yikes!
High? We had our maternity photos taken today and it was a lot of fun. It was a bit chilly, but honestly perfect weather for the middle of December! It was the most peaceful and fun photoshoot I've ever had.
Low? I've been really aware of "symptoms" over the past couple of weeks. Nothing amounts to anything, but it's had me concerned from time to time. Looks like everything is progressing on track, though.
Bump? Of course!

34 weeks

Just chugging right along. I can't believe that in about two more weeks, it will already be January - the month we are due to meet this sweet new baby! It seems like time has been zooming by at lightning speed. We still have a lot to do in order to get ready for this new transition, and we are also trying to slow down a bit because we've been feeling really worn out. There's definitely a balance to life, and I'm sure that will be an important lesson as I adjust to life with a toddler and a newborn.

32 weeks

How far along? 32 weeks
Sleep? I finally found a body pillow that provides good support without causing me to overheat, yay!
Symptoms? Back pain and it's getting harder to move around. Heartburn isn't as bad as it has been.
Food cravings? Water, I'm always thirsty.
Food aversions? Still spicy foods, just because of heartburn.
Labor signs? I had some contractions over the weekend (32.5 weeks) for a couple of hours in the middle of the night. It's definitely getting more real! I've also been having "zingers" as my midwife likes to call them.
Belly button in or out? It's popped!
What I miss? Being able to move around and get up and down comfortably
What I'm looking forward to? We have so much going on, I'm looking forward to hopefully having some time to slow down and enjoy our little family of three, as well as the Christmas season.
Milestones? Having my first bout of contractions. Started doing kick counts as of 32 weeks.
High? Our 32 week appt showed that everything is doing well and right on track. My iron was low after our last appt and my energy level seems to have improved somewhat now that I'm taking an iron supplement.
Low? Continued exhaustion. We are being pulled in many directions right now with different urgent needs (and have been for a while). It's been draining in many ways. Praying for some rest before baby comes!
Bump? Growing and growing!

32 weeks

We moved Gid into his "big boy room" over the weekend. He's been resistant to the idea of not sleeping in his crib (converted into a toddler bed), so we ended up taking it down so that it was no longer an option. The transition went amazingly well! He did get up several times in the middle of the night and had a hard time falling asleep the first couple of naps and nights. Overall, though, we feel like it was a very smooth transition! I can finally begin work on the nursery, which looks to be a bit more work than I had anticipated. There are still quite a few remnants of Gid's stuff in there, and lots of totes to sort through. We are looking forward to celebrating the Christmas season with Gideon and have already been enjoying the sweet innocent joy that Christmas is for a two year old!

30 weeks

How far along? 30 weeks
Sleep? It's gotten more difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position.
Symptoms? Still about the same - some heartburn and back pain. Now that baby is getting bigger, I'm also experiencing more discomfort.
Food cravings? Water, pickles and banana peppers.
Food aversions? Spicy foods - indigestion/heartburn is much worse if I stray from bland foods.
Labor signs? More and more Braxton Hicks contractions and cramps when I move into/from certain positions.
Belly button in or out? It's popped!
What I miss? The ability to find a comfortable sleeping position.
What I'm looking forward to? This is always my favorite time of year and it's even more wonderful with a little baby dancing in my belly. I'm looking forward to time with our family and the excitement/anticipation of the little one joining soon!
Milestones? We passed the one year mark since our miscarriage. It was a bittersweet time. It is difficult to process the emotions of loss mixed with joy and ultimately trust in the One who gives life.
High? Even though it's more uncomfortable, I enjoy having my bump pop out because it signifies the dramatic growth that I experience every day.
Low? Exhaustion from pregnancy and several things going on and Gideon being overtired/not sleeping well from a combination of vacation/staying up late for festivities/time change.
Bump? Definitely showing more now! It's getting in the way a lot more.

Already 30 weeks!

Even though sleep has been hard to come by over the past month, we have been hard at work! We have been clearing out space, ordered and put up black out blinds in Gid's new room, bought and assembled some furniture in his room, and moved everything but books and a few toys into his room. He's not overly excited about moving into it and we've been waiting until he seems to be sleeping better to actually move him in. It looks like that will be after Thanksgiving sometime. Then, we can start working on the nursery more, but it shouldn't be too much work since we are leaving the decor. Things are slowly coming together and I'm starting to get excited!