Category: Pictures

Today I’m medically considered full-term.  Full being the operative word.

I’m just plain full.  I fill up any seat upon which I put my behind.  I fill up the bed at night.  I fill up any walkway in which I might be standing to the point that it becomes impassable to others.  My bladder appears full to the breaking point at all times, regardless of my hydration status.  I am completely and utterly filled to the brim with being finished with this whole thing.  On with the pictures.

Week 37 in my pregnancy with Liam:

Wow.

Bonus shot of us with the Williams Family Bassinet:

Week 37 in this pregnancy with Baby Girl:

Bonus shot:

Fully finished.

I’m told I’m in the home stretch.  I’m battling the feeling that almost every pregnant woman battles: the idea that this may never end and I might just be pregnant for the rest of my life.  The fact that I’ve experienced this before and it resulted in a real, live baby doesn’t do anything to shake the feeling.  What do I know, really?  The fact that my midwives have assured me that I will not be allowed to go overdue this time doesn’t do anything to shake the feeling.  What do they know, really?  It’s just par for the course.

The other overwhelming issue over the past week is the sharp increase in frequency, duration, and discomfort of my Braxton Hicks contractions.  I’m trying to tell myself that this is my body preparing itself for labor, but based on previous experiences, I can’t be sure that it’s not just my body putting me through hell for absolutely no reason.  I’m still not convinced that my body actually knows how to go into labor on its own.  For that matter, I’m not convinced that my body knows that milk production is important to the survival of the species.  It’s abundantly clear that my body never got the memo that a pregnant woman doesn’t need to match the weight of your average linebacker in order to create a baby.  My body knows nothing.

In addition to feeling like I’ll be pregnant forever and the almost constant contractions for no good reason, exhaustion is my only other major issue.  I can’t be sure if that’s related to carrying around all this extra weight, doing so while caring for a toddler, traveling far too many miles in far too short a time span, waking up 25 times per night to turn over, or if it’s hormonally based.  I guess it doesn’t matter, it just is.

Alright, enough with the kvetching, here are the pictures:

Week 36 in my pregnancy with Liam (These were taken after an unexpected trip to L&D after my blood pressure wasn’t where my doctor wanted it to be, so I’m going to refrain from making negative comments about the state of my being except to say:  Wow.  That was getting really impressive.)

This last shot was taken to commemorate the beginning of my doctor-ordered bedrest.  Ugh.

Week 36 in this pregnancy with Baby Girl (This is what it looks like when I’ve reached the point that drying my hair is too exhausting an endeavor to undertake.  One day I’ll stop being amazed by what a difference it makes to take those 5 minutes to blow it dry.  For now I’m just too hot and too tired to care.  I’m also still in awe of the comparison between my belly last time, when I thought there was no way for it to ever be any bigger, and this time.  There’s a reason that my skin goes numb from being stretched to its absolute limit.  At least this time I know I’ll never be this big again.  Because after this is over?  No.  More.  Children.)

That’s all she wrote (literally).

This week has been brought to you by the Eisenhower Interstate System (and a “Future Interstate” or two).  We’ve only got one more long drive ahead of us before we meet Baby Girl (fingers crossed) as we head out from Virginia tomorrow morning.  I have learned a few things about myself traveling while massively pregnant:

1)  I will swell.  Period.  End of story.  Water intake doesn’t stop it.  Getting out of the car to walk every two hours doesn’t stop it.  It’s happening.  Get over it.

2)  My tailbone will feel like it’s breaking in two after several hours on the road.  The only thing that helps this is leaning forward and since this is very difficult to do while riding safely in a van, it’s just another thing to get over.

3)  Having a “wait and see” attitude about my next meal is no longer an option for me.  The result is a (literally) paralyzing hunger that leads to me spending four hours in a hotel room with a broken television remote and 2 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups while slowly developing the shakes and a massive headache and waiting for Matt to come home and save me.  This is not advisable (and necessitates two plates of food at the meal that follows).

4)  Never go anywhere without at least 3x the number of snacks and beverages you anticipate needing.  You may not need any of it, but if you don’t have it with you you’ll definitely need it and the result is Bad News Bears.

5)  Going to a wedding full of thin, good-looking people while 35 weeks pregnant means that blending into the scenery isn’t an option.  Most people are very nice, but those girls who were afraid to sit next to you because you were taking up more than your allotted share of seated space, those girls you could do without.  Move your chair over a foot and get over it:  they’ll be more comfortable and so will you.

6)  When someone offers to bring you water or food:  take them up on the offer.  Immediately.

On with the pictures!

Week 35 in my pregnancy with Liam (apparently we like to play it fast-and-loose with the 36 week deadline for travel — these shots were taken at Big Canoe on our last pre-parenthood vacation):

Week 35 in this pregnancy with Baby Girl (It’s still amazing to me how much bigger my belly is this time.  At the time I never thought it could possibly stick out farther than it did last time, but clearly I was wrong…):

Bonus Shots:

Here’s what I look like after an afternoon on the road (34 weeks, 5 days):

This was taken with my college roommate Courtney also at 34 weeks, 5 days (The contrast between the tininess that is Courtney and the pregnantness that is me is kind of incredible, I think.):

This was taken tonight (35 weeks, exactly) after getting back from Ben’s wedding (a good example of what spending 6 hours outside does to my hair and my face — between the frizz and the puff we had a great time, believe it or not…):

And now it’s time for some shut-eye before another 8.5 hour drive tomorrow.  Three cheers for earplugs!

Being on vacation this week has been lovely.  Baby Girl’s newfound love of sitting directly on a nerve on my right side in an extremely painful manner is not so lovely.  Let’s put it this way:  I found myself lying down on the floor of the Ann Taylor dressing room in a futile attempt at getting her to shift over to my left side.  The perspective was interesting (the footwear choices of others are not something I necessarily look at in so much detail), but it’s not something I ever wish to do again.  There was also the squatting down in the aisle of The Granary and the time I spent in the Baby Gap dressing room sitting on a bench covered in Liam’s fall clothes while my mom brought me options for Baby Girl.  I can’t believe I still have 6 weeks to go.  On with the pictures.

Week 34 in my pregnancy with Liam (Slippers…ahh…how I miss slippers.):

Week 34 in this pregnancy with Baby Girl (My belly is definitely bigger this time around and as I mentioned earlier, I’m feeling it.  Big time.  Also–the shirt that I wear in all these pictures is very close to not meeting the waistband of the pants I wear in all these pictures.  Apparently y’all are about to get some midriff shots (which is what I know you’ve been aching to see…).  Other than that, the pictures speak for themselves.):

Bonus 34 Week shots (from this pregnancy):

Here’s what happens when Baby Girl sits on my last nerve and I run for the bed desperately seeking some relief (pillows thrown asunder, bedclothes everywhere, massive amounts of kvetching, etc.):

Does this dress make my bump look big?

6 more weeks?  Really?  Seriously?

This week has been epic.  Too many things to do and not enough time in which to do them apparently results in frequent painful contractions and many, many tears.  I’m still planning things as if I have the ability to push through the wall and continue to be productive.  I can’t.  Now when I hit the wall I bounce off and end up on my hiney in a puddle on the floor.  The good news is that we made it to Siesta Key (YAY!).  The bad news is that it took about 9.5 hours and resulted in massive amounts of swelling (which you’ll no doubt see in the pictures).  I just hope I can drink enough water to get myself back on track so that the swelling doesn’t continue.  I’m thinking that floating in a pool day after day will help.  I wish that floating in the pool with a Corona in my hand was an option, but they keep telling me about this FAS business…anyway, on with the pictures.

Week 33 in my pregnancy with Liam (It looks like I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve surpassed my former self when I compare these pictures.  I’d like to think that that’s related to 9.5 hours in the car with a pent up toddler, but I’m guessing that that’s not entirely true…):

Week 33 in this pregnancy with Baby Girl (I feel like the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man and it shows.  September can’t get here fast enough…):

Sweet dreams, y’all.