35 Weeks

I can't believe I'm already at 35 weeks!! That is crazy!! I am definitely feeling like things are getting real. Yesterday, we had the car seat installed and inspected. Driving around with an empty car seat is kind of surreal!! At multiple times throughout the day, I find myself praying. Awaiting this baby is definitely causing me to rely on God! I am growing daily. I just looked at pictures from the beginning of my pregnancy, and I can't fathom being that skinny. Sigh. Sometimes at the end of the day, Brent claims that my belly is bigger and harder than it was in the morning! Yep, true.

Fun Stuff:

• I feel her moving ALL the time.  I'm supposed to do kick counts for my doctor each day.  I'm supposed to feel at least 4 kicks in an hour.  Every time I lie down to do my counts, I get 4 within five or ten minutes!
• I like being pregnant.  There is really nothing I have to complain about at all!
• I am loving the nursery so much.  Sometimes I just go in there and sit in the glider and look around.  Sometimes Brent stands there and looks at it while brushing his teeth.  Blazer seems to think we made the whole room just for him, and the rug is his new favorite play spot.  Ooops... sorry, buddy.
• I'm trying to walk 45 minutes a day every other day, sometimes every day.  This does not sound like a lot (and it's not), but it feels like an accomplishment for me.  I'm feeling good on my walks, but I can not go longer than 45 minutes without having to rush back to the bathroom (bummer), and if I walk longer, I will pay the price with sore pelvic bones for the next 24 hours.

Symptoms:  

• It just plain hurts to get off the couch and turn over in bed.  I make some sort of groaning noise every time like an old lady.  It's necessary.  
• I'm having a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions - at least 5-10 a day.  They are very noticeable.  
• I'm pretty sure I have pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome.  I wake up multiple times each night due to the fact that my entire right arm from bicep to fingertips is completely numb.  Plus, my wrists and hands are sore all day.  
• I'm feeling some fatigue and shortness of breath.  Sometimes just sitting in a chair is too much and I feel the urge to lay down on my side.  I feel the return of first trimester fatigue and spend some quality time each day lying down reading or playing with my phone.  But truly, these things are not a big deal, and I continue to be grateful for an easy pregnancy!

Cravings:

• My newest craving is biscuits.  It's so random, but I could eat a biscuit (or two or three) every day.  I don't discriminate - biscuits out, biscuits from Whole Foods... I even made homemade buttermilk biscuits the other Saturday, and they were SO GOOD.  (And pretty easy, too!)  
• I'm still loving sweets, so my Christmas cookie tin gets a few visits each day.  
• I'm also still on the Italian food kick I've had since early pregnancy.  If it has red sauce and cheese, I'm in.  
• Finally, I am drinking a ton of water and Gatorade.  I am so thirsty all the time.  When I wake up in the morning, I have to drink Gatorade.  Then I'm always drinking something all day.  I am definitely eating less because I'm drinking more and my stomach fills up faster - so thirsty!!

Getting Ready:  

• The nursery is coming together nicely and only needs final touches.  I will post the finished product semi-soon, but the last piece we ordered won't be in for about 4 weeks, so you'll have to be patient.
• We are oh-so-close to deciding on a name.  For reals.  I thought I would have a name when I was like 2 weeks pregnant.  I had no idea it would be so hard to commit!
• We took two classes at the hospital - "Baby Care" and "Prepared Childbirth".  Both were good but not amazingly informative.  I feel like we learned a few things, though, and are more prepared in general.
• Life has been crazy, so we are both looking forward to slowing down over the Christmas break.  We plan to get some final things off our registry, finish a few baby books, clean the house, pack the hospital bag, possibly make some freezer meals, go to our favorite restaurants, and hang out waiting for little miss!  We are staying in Durham for the duration of the holidays since I can't really travel at this point.
• I have a lot of emotions about having a baby.  Some days I'm totally freaked out and cry and feel very anxious.  Some days I am really excited and think about what fun it will be to have an actual baby that is mine!  When I see my friends' babies, that's what gets me excited!