Baby Download 92% Complete

Squirmy is now the size of a winter melon... whatever that may be! 6+ pounds now and focusing primarily on lung and brain development, although technically I'm term now and if I went into labor right this minute, my OB wouldn't try to keep me pregnant! I still don't see my body ejecting this kid before my due date (January 16), though.

At my most recent OB appointment, which took place on Christmas Eve, everything looked good -- blood pressure was great, belly is measuring to the day, Squirmy's heart rate was right where it should be (once they find it, anyway... Squirmy tends to be very wiggly during my appointments). The one change was that Squirmy was FINALLY head down! Of course, last night I could definitely feel a head under one side of my ribcage and a butt under the other side, so we'll see if this baby is breech or not next week. If there is any doubt, an ultrasound will be performed, which I wouldn't mind because of my worry that the butt and the head tend to feel rather similar.

I am enjoying having my husband home for the last couple of weeks of the year because of his leftover PTO. He has been doing things like assembling car seat bases and the stroller, as well as devoutly studying the baby book that I'm most of the way through myself. Our next two goals are to officially organize the baby's room and other stuff, and to clean our room which has become quite the pit. Seriously, I should post before pictures so the rest of you feel not-so-bad about your own messy rooms.

There is a co-sleeper bed, which is pretty much the piece of baby gear I wanted most aside from the car seat/stroller combo, in a box out in the living room. We will need to get that set up too so we can put it by the bed. If that's not motivation to clean our room, I don't know what is!

I am continuing to work out and will probably switch to mostly cardio, partially because the increasing pelvic pain I've had is making Pilates more difficult, but mainly because cardio seems to be the best antidote for the painful swelling in my hands and fingers, which has started this week. I should take before and after pictures of my fingers; before I work out I can't even put on my grandmother's ring, which is probably a size ten! Afterwards I can usually put my wedding ring back on, and that is a size 7.5. Not sure if I just sweat it out, or what, but that seems to work more efficiently than just lemon water and watching my sodium intake.

Sleeping is hard; I may spend the last two or three weeks of my pregnancy sleeping in the recliner. Both of my arms fall asleep if I sleep on my side, and my hips tend to hurt from lying on my side as well. I have a LOT of pelvic discomfort, from my hips to my groin, and this actually makes trying to move my legs up and down (e.g. putting on pants. yikes) or from side to side (e.g. every time I roll over in bed and use my legs to do it instead of my abs) a pretty painful experience (hence why I am laying off the Pilates). The elliptical is fine, however, and I usually feel more limber after that. After my cardio workouts I have been doing a yoga squat until my feet just can't handle it anymore, as well as cat/cow stretches which help ease my back out of that squatting position.

Sadly I don't think my workouts as of late will do much to deter the effects my chocolate consumption. It's the holidays, I guess, but on the other hand I'm not eating a whole lot because there's not a lot of room for food in my stomach. Maybe it will all balance out. ;)

No bump pic today, but I am getting my hair cut on Tuesday and will probably have hubby take a picture of me then when I don't feel so shaggy. I do have some baby furniture pics, though.

This is the beautiful crib that was gifted to us by some lovely people in our ward. You know who you are! Thank you! (Pardon the grocery bag and the baby book on the floor.)

This is the changing dresser we ordered with the help of a generous gift card from a friend. You also know who you are; thank you!

I would like to thank everyone and anyone who has been following my pregnancy journey. It means a great deal that you take the time to read or even just scan my entries.