Baby Myers: 36 Weeks

36 weeks, only 4 weeks to go...maybe!

How Baby is Doing:

Caleb has finally flipped. He is head down and ready to go! In his ultrasound this week, his little hands were pushing his eye brows down, almost as if he was thinking really hard about something. Maybe planning his grand entrance!?! He weighs 6 pounds 14 ounces with a heart beat of 143. He is growing a week ahead of me, meaning I'm 36 weeks but he is measuring 37 weeks. So needless to say he's a chunk!  He gets the hick-ups all the time, and it's so cute. When he moves around, my whole tummy moves with him. The first time felt so strange, but now I love it! He is still very active, but has longer spans off time where he likes to sleep and be lazy.

He's still a little stinker and usually stops moving when someone other than me or Paul touches my belly to feel him.  Caleb really enjoys it when we sing to him or when I read my books out loud.

Caleb is no longer waking me up at strange times, in fact we love to sleep!

How Mommy is Doing:

I really feel 36 weeks pregnant! My belly is getting so BIG! My feet and hands are swollen all the time, and nothing really seems to make the swelling go down. I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions for the past two weeks or so. They have been more annoying than painful. There was only one night that they were really uncomfortable, which may have been the night that I dilated 1 centimeter.

I'm getting so excited for Caleb to be here! I cant wait to feed him and love on him. However giving birth to him is becoming a little scary. It's not so much the pain that scares me, but the things that could go wrong. I just want him to be safe. I know that its not in my hands, which is very reassuring.

How Daddy is Doing:

Much like the time leading up to our wedding, I'm not really feeling a lot of nerves about this whole thing. I'm thinking it will probably hit me when I get the phone call to come home from work or something like that. I guess I'm just staying so busy with work and everything else that I don't have much time to think about it.

It almost hit me the other day though. Last Thursday, Amanda texted me when I was about to leave work and said she was having some pains that felt like contractions. In that moment, it started to sink in a little for the first time. This could be it. The baby could be here today. What if? A very interesting feeling, indeed. But it wasn't as nerve-wracking as I would have expected. I felt excited and ready. Turns out that her contractions were Braxton-Hicks (the early, get-you-ready, this-is-a-test kind of contractions), but I think it was a good test for me too. Hopefully when I'm driving to the hospital on that upcoming day I will feel that calm.

Fun Times While We Wait:

We decided to celebrate our one year anniversary early in case Caleb decided to surprise us with an October birthday. We had a great dinner at The Cheesecake Factory followed by a movie at home. Paul was fighting a cold so our evening was romantic but relaxed.

 We stopped in to say hey to my in laws before our date, Paul's dad was nice enough to be our photographer.

One of the best things at Cheesecake Factory around fall time is the pumpkin cheesecake! I could have eaten it for dinner. 

Baby Myers: 34 Weeks

34 weeks, the end is in site!

How Baby is Doing:

Caleb is still loving the right side of my belly. He moves around all the time now. It's so fun because I can really feel and see him moving. As I'm typing it feels like he is trying to push himself out of my belly. He loves to run his body right up to my skin. I think its because he is very social and wants to hear everyones conversation (he gets that from his mommy). His favorite thing to do is wait for Paul to put his head on my belly and then Caleb will kick him.

He is very healthy. The doctor said he has a big head and abdomen just like his daddy when he was a baby!

Caleb still wakes me up around 8:30 to 9:00am every morning. But there are some days like today when he wakes me up at 5:00am because he was being a busy body and I thought it was too sweet to try and sleep through.

How Mommy is Doing:

I'm moving much slower these past few weeks! I have been doing a lot of laundry for our little guy. I have been making mental notes of certain outfits I can't wait to put on him. My belly is starting to hurt a little more because its stretching so much. I still have a lot of heartburn, but its getting better. I now understand what women mean when they talk about going to the bathroom every 5 seconds - I think Caleb likes to sit on my bladder. Oh well, it's been giving me a lot of exercise!

It's starting to hit me that our little guy will be here in about 6 weeks! I cant wait to meet him, but will miss feeling him in my belly.

How Daddy is Doing:

I feel odd talking about how I'm doing when Amanda is the pregnant one. I just watch her lug her little pregnant self around and it's motivating. I guess the biggest thing I can speak to is the more emotional, mental side of the pregnancy.

I'm feeling pressure - that's for sure - but it's not stress. I am too happy to consider what I feel stress. This whole thing is kind of motivating though. Knowing Caleb is coming motivates me to wake up; motivates me to go to work; and motivates me to get things done around the house...even when I'm exhausted. I'm starting to get used to this business and pressure though...becoming a dad. That's right, a dad. I'm getting used to that thought now. I haven't even met Caleb yet and every sappy Country or Christian song about being a parent gets me all emotional. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when he's actually here.

I'm looking forward to it. That's for sure.