Part of me knows that I’ll miss being pregnant and feeling those beautiful baby kicks. But the other part of me is just so excited to meet the baby I want it to hurry up. I’m trying to remind myself to slow down and enjoy it (which I am), but we’re so close, it’s hard to do!

I’ve also had a really tough time sleeping these past couple of nights. I’m completely exhausted (which makes me nervous that I might not ever be able to catch up once the baby is here!) My sciatica is bothering me and I just can’t get comfortable (and when I do, it’s time to use the bathroom again!) I actually broke down last night for the first time in a while. I was just so tired and frustrated and it just felt so good to let it out. haha Poor Irving. He rubbed my back and told me he couldn’t wait to have his wife back. (What, you don’t like cranky, hormonal pregnant ladies crying on your shoulder? lol)

I’ve been drinking Raspberry Tea and going on walks. Maybe that will help? I also had lunch at Caioti Pizza in Los Angeles yesterday. Supposedly, there is something in the dressing that induces labor!

All the pregnant ladies who order it sign a guestbook too. There were two other pregnant women in the restaurant at the same time. All of us hoping that the magic will work!

Can’t say that it worked for me, but it was another thing checked off my pregnancy bucket list. =)

For now, I’m trying to relax and enjoy these last moments with the baby inside. I’m savoring each little wiggle knowing it will be coming to an end soon. Baby is the one calling the shots, it’s a great lesson in patience. Stay in there as long as you want, baby. Everyone tells me you will grow up so fast, so I’m happy you are comfortable and taking your time. I love you!

I saw a bunch of pictures on Pinterest and Etsy of these pendant flags and I decided to try my luck at making my own.
 
 
[sources: One, Two, Three, Four]

So I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics armed with lots of coupons and picked out four fabrics that match the sage/brown colors of the baby’s room.

I love the wood-looking one! Matches the deer!

I had some girls over for craft night, and I dusted off my sewing machine and hoped for the best using this tutorial (only I didn’t do my two-sided).

I have to say, they came out pretty amazing. I LOVE them! It definitely fills the wall and blends in the colors together!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

They are pretty when they blow in the wind when the fan is on too. I have enough cut triangles to make one more strand of them, but I’m not sure it needs it. What do you think?

And extra-special thanks to the husband for hanging them up for me!
“A little higher up. No.. too high. Down a little. Left just a smidge. PERFECT!”

He’s such a great guy. =) He’s seriously going to be the BEST dad!

~~~~~~~

Psst! I had leftover fabric and embarked on another sewing project too! I’ll share that with you this week as well!

How I’m feeling: I’m on high-alert for any twinges, aches or pains that might be considered labor. Since I have no idea what it will actually feel like, anything out of the ordinary is suspect =) I’ve had quite a bit of lower back pain (Saturday night, it actually woke me up at night because it was so painful and radiating down my legs a little bit). I also have a bunch of little cramps that come and go. (Moms, what was your first early sign of labor??)

My yoga teacher always says “you get the birth you get”, but I’m really hoping I go into labor before my water breaks so I have time to labor at home without the urgency to get to the hospital. My fear is that my water breaks first and that they’ll put me on Pitocin to start the contractions. If it happens, it happens…. but I just really hope it doesn’t.

Weeks along: 38 Weeks 
 
Pounds Gained: 17.5 Total

Pregnancy Woes:

• Having trouble sleeping this week again. I just flip flop from side to side and nothing feels comfortable. I also think I might have a bit of sciatic pain again because I can’t keep my legs still at night. I try to do a little yoga and stretch to make my legs relax, but sometimes it just doesn’t help.
• The baby dropped last week, but I really noticed it around Wednesday. I can feel the pressure of the baby on my pelvis and hips and I definitely waddle when I walk now because I feel like the baby is just going to come out. My belly all of a sudden feels really heavy and I feel like I have to hold it up sometimes.

Pregnancy Loves:

• As some of you know, I had cancer 12 years ago, and as a result of some of the chemotherapy drugs, my heart could potentially be a little weaker than most. My doctors have been telling me for over a decade that when/if I ever got pregnant, I’d need to be monitored as a high-risk patient. Throughout my pregnancy, I’ve been seeing a cardiologist and I just found out that all of my ECHO and EKG scans have come back totally normal. (YAY!) This means that I don’t need any special monitoring during delivery and that I’m not at any higher risk than any other healthy woman. <—- So relieved!!

Highlights of the week:

• Craft night with the girls! I made a cute decoration for the baby’s room that Irving is going to hang up for me today! Can’t wait to show you!
• Learning that we could be just days away from meeting our son/daughter!
• Getting kicked so hard in Costco that I yelled “Holy Crap” out loud in the frozen chicken aisle. Baby’s got some muscle!
• Buying (and eating) an entire large watermelon… by myself.
• Going on twice-daily walks around the block (4-5 miles/day).
• The cookie dough ice cream my neighbor brought over. (Oh, man! That was Good!)
• Stocked our freezer with meals for after the baby comes.
• Irving and I took TWO naps this weekend. We really enjoyed our weekend together since it could be the last one before the baby comes!

Goal for this week:

• Have a Baby!!!

Previous Baby Updates:

17.5 Weeks
19 Weeks
20 Weeks
21 Weeks
22 Weeks
23 Weeks
24 Weeks
25 Weeks
26 Weeks
27 Weeks
28 Weeks
29 Weeks
30 Weeks
31 Weeks
32 Weeks
33 Weeks
34 Weeks
35 Weeks
36 Weeks
37 Weeks

Even though there are still 2 weeks til our due date, the doctor said it could really be any day now! We are SO excited to meet the baby!!!

Today, I walked 5 miles in hopes it might jumpstart the process… but no such luck. Baby will come when he/she is ready!

The countdown is on!

But when we found out we were having a baby, we got to work transforming it into something the baby could hang out in too! And now, it’s finally done and we are so in love with our new space.

BEFORE:

DURING:

AFTER:

We can’t even believe it’s the same room. We love the bright sage walls, the big open floor and the cute little deer!
When you walk into the room, to the left is a closet (half baby/half storage), some shelves and the crib.

To the right of the crib is the changing table/dresser.

All stocked and ready to go! (The teacher of our Newborn Class recommended using Viva Paper Towels and water instead of wipes to avoid diaper rash… so we’re going to give that a try!)

Inside the drawers are all the cute baby clothes, socks and blankets. I am not sure if I like how it’s organized yet, I’m sure that will be a work in progress.

The Diaper Genie and extra diapers are to the right of the changing table.

Next to that, is the matching lamp. We switched out the bulb to be dimmable so we can turn it on at night without waking the baby.

Right under the window is the pull-out sofa for sleepy parents and guests.

And the right side of the room is what’s left of our ‘office’. Paired down to one desk and one shelf. (Used to be two HUGE L-Shaped desks and four sets of shelves!)

We still have our printer and some computer parts that spilled over onto the baby’s book shelf, but for now, it still works.

The only thing left to do in the room is hang some decorations above the crib/changing table. It looks a little bare at the moment, but I have big plans. I’ll unveil as soon as it’s done!

For the first 2-3 months, the baby will be sleeping in our room in a pack & play.

Also stocked with diapers and wipes!

Technically, we have 15 days until the due date, but my doctor doesn’t think I’ll make it that long. We’ll see!!!

———————

To see our time lapse video of the office transformation, click here!