Week 33

December 9, 2011

Best Moment: We returned home from our Florida vaca during week 33 and then I spent most of the rest of the week stressing out about the fact that January is suddenly near and we don't have anything ready for our impending bundle of joy other than a freshly painted room, a crib, and a lot of frozen meals. After much hand wringing and brow furling, I made some progress on our ever present baby to-do list, including finalizing our pediatrician choice, ordering a set of shelving for his closet, and selecting a glider that my wonderful mother-in-law and sister-in-law are generously giving us.

Meanwhile, we had a scare last Tuesday when my latest ultrasound revealed that our little guy's head size is in the 99th percentile (excellent... looking forward to that...), while his abdomen is currently only in the 27th percentile. Due to the fact that he has a two-vessel umbilical cord (one artery and one vein instead of two arteries and one vein), my doctor was concerned that perhaps his blood flow is being limited and that he might be suffering from growth restriction. After a battery of tests and a trip to the perinatologist for yet another ultrasound, we were reassured that all is well and he is just kinda skinny with a really big head. Seeing as I myself have a huge head and they run in my family, this wasn't too surprising, but it added an unnecessary layer of stress to an already hectic week. As a result, the highlight of the week was skipping town again on Friday to head back to Portland for my baby shower. Pictures of that to come!

Symptoms: I definitely started feeling quite a bit of anxiety during week 33, meaning that in addition to waking up for multiple bathroom breaks each night, now I'm sometimes having trouble falling back asleep as numerous thoughts and worries race through my head in the pre-dawn hours. I'm not really worried about the delivery (although maybe I should be...), but I'm just anxious about dealing with the inevitable sleepless nights and challenges of the first 12 weeks as a I figure out this whole mom gig. Talking to my own mom and some of my new-mom friends at my shower provided some reassurance. The consensus seems to be that yeah, it's tough, but it's also fantastic, everyone goes through it, and, like countless women before me, I'll manage to do what needs to be done and figure it out along the way.

Cravings/Aversions: My appetite actually seems to be slowing down these final weeks. I've reached the point where I just don't have a lot of room in my stomach to take in big meals, so I think I'm eating less. (I actually lost one pound during week 33.) I still love me some dessert, but not quite the abundance of it that I've been enjoying throughout the pregnancy so far.

What I Miss: Not too much. I would say a good night of sleep, but I know that the sleep I'm getting right now is actually probably as good as it's going to get for the next few years.

What I Can't Wait For: I'm looking forward to enjoying Christmas with my family (fingers crossed we get the doctor's green light to fly) and getting most of the final baby stuff wrapped in the next few weeks so that I can relax a little bit before D-day.

Milestones: According to Baby Center, he's about the size of a pineapple and weighs in at 4 pounds, but my most recent ultrasound has him closer to 5 pounds. He is rapidly plumping up with baby fat, and his skeleton is beginning to harden.