33 weeks & maternity photos!

Our friend Jeremy (jeremykanne.com) took some maternity photos for us. Enjoy some of my favorites!

jeremykanne.com

How far along? 33 weeks, 1 day. Mr. Henry and I had to go to bed early last night, so blogging got put off for a day. Sadly, going to bed early did not solve our sleep problems. More on that later...

Total weight gain/loss: I didn't weigh myself this week , but I'm sure I am pushing the 30 pound mark, if my pattern is consistent. 

Maternity clothes? Carrie - thank you for the giant tank tops. They are much comfier to wear around the house than Ben's t-shirts - which are beginning to get a bit snug.

Stretch marks? At this point, it may be time to stop looking for new ones :)

jeremykanne.com

Sleep:  Last night, I got so fed up with my sore hips and inability to sleep on my back that I broke down and tried the recliner around 3 am. I did manage to fall asleep, which is great, but I've got an awfully stiff neck. Still - that is much better than another sleepless night! Next time I can't sleep I'll try the chair sooner.

Best moment this week: We drove down to Southern IL for a baby shower graciously hosted by my sister-in-law. It was a lot of fun, and great to see everyone. We may go down for Ben's 10-year high school class reunion in a few weeks, but we will see. If not, this was the last time we'll make the trip down without the new baby!

Movement: A couple of nights ago, I told Ben that Henry wasn't kicking as hard - since he doesn't have as much room in there - he's been squirming a lot instead. Well, I think he heard me. Since then, his kicking has been harder than ever! Just wants to prove he's still in there :)

jeremykanne.com

Food cravings: Nothing in particular, but I have been waking up around 4 am starving to death. Thank goodness for bananas :)

Nursery: This week I went through our gifts and got the whole closet organized. I also reorganized half our kitchen cabinets, the bathroom, and the refrigerator. I think my nesting instinct has finally kicked in! About time...

Labor Signs: N0, but we did learn about them in painstaking detail at lamaze on Monday. Our first session was fairly boring - all about anatomy and other things we already know a lot about (especially Ben). But at the end we started some relaxation techniques and exercises, so that was nice. Next week we are taking a tour of the OB floor - where Ben works extensively, and I have visited many times. Hope the second half is more helpful for us!

jeremykanne.com

Belly Button in or out?  I don't think it has ever been so clean! 

What do we want to teach Henry about?  How to entertain himself. I love playing with kids, but I have a feeling the excitement might wane when I'm living with one... I love how my youngest sister has always been able to play by herself and be perfectly happy. And I'm sure my parents appreciate it!

What I miss: Being able to cook all day without feeling like I've just run a marathon. I've been trying to get a lot of baking done to fill up our freezer with breads and such, but it's wearing me out!

jeremykanne.com

What I am looking forward to: We're going to my parents house for another baby shower this weekend - and we will be seeing some friends we haven't seen in awhile. Can't wait!

Weekly Wisdom: It really does feel better to wake up to a clean sink. I've been letting dishes slide even more than usual since I've been pregnant, but I'm trying to break that habit!

Milestones: I read in one of the many baby e-mails I get each week that Henry is likely about 17 inches long now. I thought that was funny because I was that long at birth! He'll have me beat in no time. :)

jeremykanne.com

Daddy's Thoughts:

What a week!  From finishing my Gyne rotation, to the baby shower, to taking my Step 3 (a 2 day marathon of a test you take in residency) I am beat.  I think I need another week off just to recover from this one.  We got some great stuff for Henry at the Rathert baby shower, including books, diaper covers, and a king's ransom in blankets!

We're also getting bombarded with packages at the house, sent by people who couldn't make it.  Even our friend Erin Schafer in Colorado sent us something, very unexpected!  Perhaps my favorite so far, though, came from the Duensing family.  I explained to Nicki that all of my Duensing cousins went to U of I, and when I went, Aunt Pat and Uncle Will adopted me for a couple of years.  Well they sent us a TON of U of I gear for the little man in Nicki's tummy, and I couldn't be happier.  Plus a chief pillow pet.  Pretty cool guys.

We also decided that I didn't have enough daddy gear, so we went out and bought a proper grill.  This thing is awesome!  It's a Brinkman, propane, yadda yadda, but the price sure was right.  It's got some great features including burner covers (dad showed me the importance of those a few years back) and the main grill compartment actually has a temperature gauge.  Get me a beer, we're grillin' tonight!

Coulda done something like this I guess.

Tomorrow we head down to Buffalo for our next baby shower.  Exciting!  Plus we're going to see the Avengers on Saturday, so that'll be alright.

I'm hoping that passed my Step 3.  It was really tough and long and now that it's over I don't know if I feel good or bad about it.  I just hope I passed it, because if I did, I can start moonlighting and banking a little extra money.  All in good time, I guess.

This week we get our last sets of ultrasounds of Henry.  Hopefully Dr. Egley says his kidneys look a-ok, but I got that impression that even if they don't, they will be in the long run.

Big week ahead!