Dear Alex,

You are about 33 1/2 weeks along now (the size of something called a “durian” fruit apparently… NO clue what that is but you’re about 4 lbs. already!)…. less than 7 weeks to go til your due date! I am so glad that you’re growing & seem to be doing well in there, although the toll it is taking on my body is less than glamorous….

This is going to sound like a bitchy letter, haha, but I assure you it is not. Just want to remember all of this and make this blog reflect the whole experience! So here is what the past couple weeks have brought me:

• Lack of bladder control- I’ve already had to pee frequently since you love to hang out on my bladder, but I’m finding now that if I don’t address a full bladder quickly leaking will occur. Yuck!
• Difficulty moving around- particularly things like bending over, standing up & sitting down (especially on the toilet… this is TMI I suppose, but I’ve come to really appreciate the height of handicap toilets lately because they’re so much easier to get on & off of! LOL)
• Joint pain- especially my knees, hips, and hands (although the hands are more carpal tunnel related, which we already discussed). This is caused by extra fluid being retained in the joints as they become more pliable for birth.
• Muscle pain/stiffness- same deal about their getting prepared for the birth…. what I did NOT realize would happen because of this is the almost constant feeling of having been punched in the crotch! Ouch! Now I know why pregnant women waddle. Sad but true.
• SWELLING- oh man, this has been the absolute worst thing over the past week! My hands, wrists, feet and ankles are ridiculously swollen. As you can see in my picture above, my face has been getting more & more swollen too (where the heck did my neck go? Ugh).  I can no longer wear my wedding ring or watch (honestly I’d taken my wedding ring off over a month ago at the first sign of hand swelling anyway, but now the fit is not even close), most of my shoes are on the tight side, and when I’m on my feet for any length of time at all my feet/ankles look scarily like an elephant’s. All of this combines to something resembling Stay Puft, a marshmallow man character who will probably be ancient history by the time you read this:

Lovely huh? Haha. Anyway, since being on my feet exacerbates it, unfortunately my exercise routine has been suddenly and extremely limited. I’m trying not to worry too much about the excess weight gain that is sure to result from this, since it’s really out of my hands at this point. As long as you’re growing and getting the nutrients you need, I can worry about getting the weight off after you’re born.

So that is a glimpse into the not-so-fun side of pregnancy! Obviously I knew this wasn’t going to be a cake walk, but it’s definitely been… interesting… learning the hard way about all these little things they don’t tell you about pregnancy. Haha. Just keeping my eyes on the prize and counting down the days until you’re out of my belly & into my arms. 🙂

With time slipping by so quickly & your due date getting ever closer, we’ve continued to be in super baby prep mode. Last week we did the hospital tour and the childbirth class. Both were extremely helpful. I especially enjoyed the childbirth class because it helped me feel more confident, not just in myself but also in Dad as a partner/coach for this process. He did so well with everything we practiced in class, took it all very seriously & just did such a stellar job soaking all the info in & helping me figure out the techniques that would work best for us. Even just practicing/rehearsing the labor was an intimate affair to me, so I imagine the real thing will be much more so. For just this reason, we are planning for it to be just the two of us during the whole labor & birth, as well as for the first hour or so immediately afterward. Not sure how happy all your grandparents are with this arrangement, but my first priority from now on is always going to be doing what’s best for you & our little family!

Well, I suppose that’s enough for this week. Just remember that WE LOVE YOU so much & despite all the craziness going on with my body… I would not change a thing so far because it means that it’s almost time for your grand entrance! Until next week big guy. 🙂

All my love,
Mom