37 Weeks!

How far along? 37 weeks! Full-term! Baby Rivera is pretty much done growing length wise (she is probably still around 20 inches), and somewhere between 6-7 pounds!

Total weight gain/loss? 22 pounds!

Feeling Sick/Signs of Labor? It was unusually hot in San Diego today, so today kind of sucked (this was one reason I avoided being 9 months pregnant in the summer time, but obviously I could not avoid that, as it is 80 degrees here in January.) I am definitely contracting, some are painful and some are not, but I am definitely tracking them and looking for regularity, but nothing that stands out yet.

Clothing? I am running out of things to wear! Especially in this warm weather we are having. All of my cute sundresses I was able to wear in the summer are now to short in the front (due to my big belly). Bummer. I am pretty sure I can manage through the next couple of weeks though. I am anxiously awaiting the day I get my body back and can buy a whole new post-baby wardrobe.

Stretch Marks? Nope.

Sleep? As long as I don’t have horrendous heartburn, I am sleeping decently through the night. I have noticed that I am now waking up every morning at 7am. Not my ideal time to wakeup, but I guess it is my body’s way of teaching me that sleeping in will be a thing of the past.

Movement? Lots!!!

Cravings? I am obsessed with chewing ice. It is very strange, but crushed ice is my new best friend.

Gender? I am getting more and more excited to meet Princess Rivera. This week I painted my toenails hot pink and put hot pink streaks in my hair in her honor.

What I miss? Not having a baby in my ribs. She must love short ribs because she is constantly in mine. She definitely makes it hard for her mommy to breathe sometimes.

Upcoming Events? So.many.appointments. I am trying to squeeze everything in before this baby gets here, so I feel like I have a different appointment everyday.

Best moment of the week? I had my first NST on Monday and was able to hear 40 minutes of her little heart beating. She sounds amazing. I also had a really nice dinner and dessert party with my girlfriends. It was a great week!

36 Weeks!

How far along? 36 weeks! Baby Rivera is roughly 20 inches from head to toe, and about 6 pounds!

Total weight gain/loss? 21 pounds!

Feeling Sick/Signs of Labor? I am feeling great now that I am on maternity leave. I have had more time to relax. I continue to contract daily; some are feeling more painful then others. The doctor told me on Thursday that I am 0.5 cm, 50 percent effaced and that she is really low. I could stay this way for the next few weeks or this could be the start to something. Bring it on!

Clothing? Well at least I don’t have to wear my scrubs anymore. I wouldn’t have lasted another week wearing them. I continue to strut around in my camisoles and stretchy pants, not sexy at all, but comfortable. My mom and I went shopping for hospital attire today and also looked at some cute things to wear once I get my pre-pregnancy body back. I can’t wait.

Stretch Marks? Nope.

Sleep? HAHAHA. I dream about sleeping through the night.

Movement? Wiggle worm! I still love her movements, except for the kicks to my bladder. Those don’t feel so good.

Cravings? I love lemon treats. Lemon bars, lemon cake, lemoncello crème torte from Cheesecake factory. YUM!

Gender? I can’t stop saying “my daughter.” It’s so strange to think I will have a daughter in just a few short weeks.

What I miss? I saw the cutest sequin shorts today at Forever 21 and wanted to try them on, and then I remembered that I have a BIG belly. Not so hot. I miss my little belly and can’t wait to get back in to my little clothes (of course mom appropriate now).

Upcoming Events? I start my weekly non-stress tests this week, as well as, my weekly OB appointments. I also have my third baby shower on Friday.

Best moment of the week? This week has been a bit overwhelming, but I would have to say that hearing my little girl’s heartbeat made all of my other feelings seem minuscule.

35 Weeks!

How far along? 35 weeks! Baby Rivera is roughly 20 inches from head to toe, and somewhere between 5.5 and 6 pounds!

Total weight gain/loss? 21 pounds!

Feeling Sick/Signs of Labor? I had last week off so I actually felt good most of the week. The last few nights I experienced a few painful contractions (ones that felt very different compared to my usual Braxton Hicks). They were painful enough that they woke me up out of my sleep, and John woke up as well due to my heavy breathing. Some water and a gentle back massage seemed to fix the issue.

Clothing? I am still extremely excited that I have not had to wear full panel maternity pants, actually, I haven’t had to wear many maternity items at all. I continue to love my stretchy pants and camisoles, and when I am home, I prefer to run around in the least amount of clothing as possible and snuggle up in my robe.

Stretch Marks? Nope.

Sleep? I am convinced that I will never sleep well again. Luckily, I function pretty well on very little sleep. I have one more week of work left and not much to do except prep for this baby to arrive, so hopefully I can get back on a normal schedule and get a good nights rest before she arrives.

Movement? This little girl is preparing for Juilliard’s dance program right now! She is such a wiggler. She is perfecting her jazz hands.

Cravings? No cravings. I still have a strong desire for sweets. I eat them daily.

Gender? I had a formal growth ultrasound this past week, and once again, she showed her lady parts to Grammy, Daddy, and I.

What I miss? I am starting to really miss my pre-pregnancy body. I just feel bloated and swollen, and even though I love my stretchy pant and camisoles, they don’t do much in the sex appeal department.

Upcoming Events? It is my last week of work! YAY! I am going to start my weekly OB appointments, as well as, my weekly non-stress tests.

Best moment of the week? My Baby Shower! It turned out beautifully. I have such a great mommy and a great group of friends. Their hard work made the event truly amazing. I will post a blog update all about the special day.

34 Weeks!

How far along? 34 weeks! Baby Rivera is 19 inches from head to toe, and close to 5 pounds!

Total weight gain/loss? Still around 20 pounds!!

Feeling Sick/Signs of Labor? I am getting really tired and not sleeping well, but otherwise I feel pretty good. I am still contracting pretty regularly, but at this point I am not too concerned. At this point, very little intervention would be performed if she was born early.

Clothing? Stretchy pants and camisoles! My sense of style has been limited during this pregnancy, but who cares, I am all about comfort at this point. Thank goodness I only have a few shifts left at work because I definitely running out of scrubs that fit.

Stretch Marks? Nope.

Sleep? Horrible. I sleep a few hours here and a few hours there, I just sleep whenever I have a free chance. I am hoping when I stop working I can get back into a good sleep routine (at least until the baby gets here).

Movement? All. The. Time. This girl gets the hiccups constantly too. I love every kick, punch, and roll I feel.

Cravings? Not really craving much. I had a friend at work tell me that sprite helped her with her constant heartburn, so I have been drinking that more frequently.

Gender? I am so excited to be having a baby girl! I think about her constantly. I can’t wait to meet her.

What I miss? I miss sleeping!

Upcoming Events? The big baby shower is next weekend. I am really excited to celebrate this little girls upcoming arrival. My mom will also be back in town for an extended stay.

Best moment of the week? My 34 week OB appt. was great. The baby sounds great and I am measuring right on track.

33 Weeks!

How far along? 33 weeks! Baby Rivera is 19 inches from head to toe, and over 4 pounds in weight (She is actually measuring around 4 lbs. 12 ounces according to the ultrasound this week).

Total weight gain/loss? About 20 pounds!!

Feeling Sick/Signs of Labor? I am feeling tired more than anything. I could sleep all day long if I could. The contractions are still coming frequently, but I was reassured again this week that they aren’t doing anything. My cervix is still long and closed! Good.

Clothing? I love my Ugg boots that John bought me for Christmas. My shoes are getting snug and they fit me perfectly. Plus they keep my feet extremely warm. I am still very comfortable in my elastic waist pants and have not had to move on to full panel pants yet. Yay. I went out on Friday to shop for a few dresses for my upcoming showers and was shocked to find out that out of 6 dresses I tried on (all from forever 21, size small), 5 fit me perfectly. I just couldn’t pick which few I liked best so I bought 4 of them. I definitely have options for my baby showers.

Stretch Marks? Nope.

Sleep? I am sleeping well at night, except for when John is working. I seem to be more restless when I am trying to sleep in bed alone at night. What can I say, his snoring is soothing to me. I still am not sleeping great during the day, but I only have a few more weeks left of work and then I can get on a better schedule.

Movement? She is kicking me right now, and I am still giddy inside every time I feel her kick. It is such a great feeling.

Cravings? No new cravings. I am still enjoying all of the same things I have been for a while.

Gender? I am happy to say that she flashed us again on this weeks ultrasound.

What I miss? Not missing much this week. The year ended very well and I feel very loved. I am getting quite used to all of the annoyances in pregnancy so I am not going to complain about those things anymore because I am sure I will never feel “normal” again.

Upcoming Events? January is going to be crazy in the Elkins-Rivera house. I have another OB appt. on Friday, followed by the first of four baby showers. My mom is leaving next weekend to come down for an extended stay to help John and I prep for the baby.

Best moment of the week? The Holidays were fantastic. We had a great Christmas and New Years. Actually one of the nicest things this week was having several family members and friends rub my belly and tell me how beautiful I look. You don’t always feel pretty when you are 8 months pregnant, but it sure does feel nice to have people tell you that you do.