Pregnancy Update Week 36.5

Hello! I feel a little bad that I don’t give you all the update RIGHT on my due day-of-the-week which is Tuesday. But Fridays work better for me and we know it’s all about me right now, right?

Okay so lots of fun baby stuff to update you on!

(Sorry this photo is not super-sharp—the self timer and I were at war.)

What’s going on with baby?

Well she has dropped—whoop, whoop! Of course this is exciting because she is all ready to go and not breech. It also means I’ve been having some fun cramping because she’s  basically sitting on my cervix and I also have to pee with even more frequency. But having her time of arrival that much closer is definitely worth it! The midwife told us today she did not thing she will be a big baby—maybe 7-8 pounds when it is all said and done. (Good job, baby girl!) I have been extra hungry this week so I think she is in a final growth spurt. I had my first “midnight feed” where I woke up STARVING at like 3 AM so a bowl of cereal it was! I also have been dreaming a lot about food. Ha!

What’s going on with mom?

Well I’m definitely excited for our little girl to join us! I’ve been having a bit of cramping, but not really true Braxton Hicks contractions—at least I don’t think. It’s all kind of an adventure. We also had a great chat with our midwife this week about our birth plan and expectations. It was good to talk through some things, but it also left me feeling like perhaps I don’t have enough expectations? I have a very “roll with it” type of attitude about the birth—all I want is the baby out and healthy! I feel fairly confident that I can deliver without meds—I have a pretty high pain tolerance and I like the idea of being able to move around and be in different birthing positions during labor instead of tied to a bed, plus I know forgoing an epidural lengthens your pushing and labor time so yeah, I’d prefer fast and furious, but, of course, there are no guarantees. I also don’t want to feel like a “failure” if I do end up in the thick of labor and want an epidural. It doesn’t make me less of a woman or our baby’s birth less “magical” or “real” or “natural”. So yeah…I’m just going to roll with it.

(This is my “magical” and “real” face)

I also have not been killing it in the workout department. Slow walks are the name of the game right now. I have been doing some squats too and the occasional triceps dips to keep up some of my arm strength, but nowadays just washing the dishes and fixing supper feels like a workout! I’m also back to my afternoon/post-work naps. I am exhausted without them!

How we got a free crib. (Not an advised way to acquire one)

Moving on to some other news—yes, we literally got a free crib! Here’s how: My parents bought us a crib off of our registry which is on Amazon.com. It came a week and a half ago. When Nate and his buddy went to set it up the next day we noticed it was missing a large chunk from one of the slats on the back rail. (You can see it on the below photo on the top middle slat.) This was not in a location that could be ignored or patched. So I contacted the seller through Amazon with a firm, but respectful email. I may have used the terms “unsafe for our baby” and “defective”. I was nervous though about our success rate with returning it. Well, 2-3 days later I got an email back from the fulfilling company saying that they were refunding the amount of the crib in full and we were to dispose of the crib. We were welcome to purchase the same crib again or take our business elsewhere which they would understand. But, the crib is perfectly good except for the broken piece! So I then contacted the crib manufacturer who after some emails, phone calls, and photos determined that the broken crib piece was covered by their warranty and they are shipping us a new part! So yes, it turned out to be a HUGE blessing in disguise! Even though it is still not set up and ready we were basically given a free crib! Crazy!

Other Thrilling News

I have ordered my breast pump from our insurance company (a mandatory provision, if you didn’t already know that) and it should be here in a week. It is a double electric Medela version so according to the reviews it should be nice? It’s hard to pick out something you have no way of testing or trying.

I also have another baby shower this weekend and one last one next week. Our little lady is certainly loved! Her “love” is currently spread all over our dining room until we get her space set up when the crib piece arrives. Just wanted to keep it real with you guys! This is not a perfect world we’re living in!

So I guess that is all the baby news…wow…glad I have a blog so I can over-share to my heart’s content with all of you! Hope you have a great Friday and are staying warm wherever you are!

P.S. It is also National Peanut Butter Day! If you want to take your peanut butter to a new level this frigid weekend check out my Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate recipe!