39 weeks

Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day Friends! Baby K has a little Irish on both sides of the family. We weren't really festive this year but maybe next year we'll do a festive corned beef meal. Can almost one year olds eat corned beef? I'm clueless! Babies make holidays more fun even if he won't have any idea about what is going on for awhile. I'm already getting excited for his very first holiday, Easter!

I wrote most of this update last Wednesday, on my 39th week-iversary but I updated it some since I will be 40 weeks tomorrow! Time is just flying which I guess is preparing us for how I hear time flies once baby arrives.

Every day I wake up and wonder if this is going to be the day we have a baby...

How far along: 39 weeks 3.18.15! It is crazy to think that this could be my last update because he could come at any time. Or that I will be FORTY weeks pregnant tomorrow. Or he could be late...the uncertainty is overwhelming! 
Gender: Boy
Baby size: Watermelon. According to The Bump App, he could be ranging 18 - 21 inches and 6 - 9 lbs. It is still surreal that there is a baby in my belly! 
Total weight gain/loss: 26-27 lbs from my first prenatal appointment. 
Maternity clothes: My maternity pants are starting to cut into my lower stomach when I sit which is not so comfortable on the bump. Now that I have been home this week, I have been stealing my Hubby's basketball shorts which looks pretty darn hi-larious but it is so much better! Ha!
Stretch marks: Remarkably, my stomach still appears mark free however I think I might have a couple tiny ones starting to appear on my hips over the last week. I am monitoring the situation! ;)
Sleep: As to be expected, comfortable sleep positions have been harder to come by lately but it's mainly that the hip I'm laying on gets sore and the whole process to turn over to the other side is definitely more complicated than it used to be.
Best moment this week: It has been exciting ordering prints & receiving nursery items including the ottoman, changing pad & cover, etc. It has been like Christmas around here the last week or two as we have really gotten serious with the last minute prep. I really enjoy decorating {I almost made a career out of it} but I have really struggled with actually making purchases. I could literally search for a changing pad cover for an hour and still not be ready to commit. I kept thinking that I would buy something and then find something better so I wasn't buying anything. Hence why he will most likely be here before his nursery is complete but that's okay.
Movement: Movements are starting to become somewhat uncomfortable at times due to him having less space. There seems to be more pressure even though I still love it when he moves around. Hiccups are still fun...and gentle!

It cracks me up that he leans to the right all the time. Big Sister Lola being cute in the background.

Food cravings: I gave into my Pop Tart cravings and bought the strawberry frosted and brown sugar cinnamon ones. I deserve them ;) And for the little bit of ball busting that Bri was teasing me with about how I have to have organic milk, meats, produce, etc; don't you know that he has been enjoying my pop tarts purchase too! Ha! Yeah, I think they will end up on the shopping list again this week! I've also been on a milkshake kick especially mint chip. I'm really looking forward to a combo of my two faves - mint chip & cookies and cream! I don't know if it's the warmer temps or what. I've also had a pretty steady gummy craving throughout my pregnancy. Every once in awhile I'd pick up Sour Patch Kids or gummy bears. The other day I found sour gummy bears which was pretty exciting! They are as good as I imagined they would be.
Labor signs: No labor signs which I'm totally cool with. Bri's guess/hope is that he'll come March 27 which I previously mentioned is because Easter would fall on Baby K's first birthday just like Daddy's ;) I really don't have a guess other than I feel like I will make it to 40 weeks and possibly beyond. Although, I've also had a lingering thought that my due date is so close to the end of the month that while we've been planning for a March baby, he just may be an April baby. He could be an April Fool's baby!
Belly button in or out: It is officially it out but it is not nearly as I imagined it would be when it popped. It doesn't always show through my shirts or seem very predominant.

3.24.15 I am trying to get as many belly pictures of Baby K as possible before this sweet time comes to a close and a new adventure begins. I don't think I will be showing my belly anytime soon after he arrives. Haha! But who knows, I never imagined I'd want to share pictures of my big pregnant belly either. Also, here's hoping baby boy can tan like his daddy!!!!! Pale girl problems!

Wedding rings on or off: Wedding rings are officially off but when I go out I wear usually wear the first ring Bri ever gave me. I was wearing my wedding band majority of the time however the last week or two I started noticing that if I waited to take it off right before bed then I would have to use soap or lotion to get it off.
Mood: Pretty much still always in good spirits. I am not walking around miserable or saying "Get this baby out of me!" but I am having more moments of anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. A decent amount of the anxiety is about labor & delivery, sometimes about becoming a mom and having a tiny baby relying on us, you know, for survival. No pressure ;)  A lot of anxiety about my recovery after the whole birthing process. This is graphic but at this time, I am more concerned/scared about my first bowel movement after delivery than I am about labor/delivery. For as long as I have known about how babies come into this world, I have had as much of an idea about how painful labor & delivery could be for someone who has never experienced it. I can only imagine the pain. I made my peace that I will be in pain until the meds kick in hopefully! It did not even cross my mind until I was pregnant about the recovery portion. So afraid of that part now! Fortunately, a lot of the overwhelming feelings have lessened now that I finished the online courses I need to become a licensed marriage and family therapist. I got that done this week with a huge sigh of relief. Of course, there will always be a to-do list but at least the most pressing things are done or getting done.
Looking forward to: Bri's 30th birthday! It is my mission to make sure his golden birthday gets the celebration he deserves. He turns 30 on the 30th! It's kind of exciting to wonder if he'll leave his 20s with a baby or start his 30s as a daddy. Of course, I'm looking forward to meeting our little lovebug. I'm excited to see what color hair he has {if he has any} since mine is so light and Bri's hair is dark. I was a tow head but apparently Bri's hair was light growing up. I wonder if he'll have blue eyes because we have practically the same shade of blue so that would be neat. I'm looking forward to all of Baby K's firsts and our firsts as parents and as a family of three. It is so strange to say that! Kozell, party of three! AND looking forward to his nursery coming together. I shared this picture on my Instagram the other day. It is so nice to see some progress. Bri did a great job hanging things up and you know, I'm a great director ;)

Symptoms: Lightning crotch - how's that for the name of a symptom. When I read it, i literally laughed out loud because it's pretty accurate. According to The Bump App, it's the baby bumps nerves in my pelvis, I get a shooting sensation in my lady bits. Yeah...we'll mark this symptom down on the least favorite list ;) Heartburn has been better which is always good. Definitely feeling more tired. After going to the greenmarket with my mom last Saturday {3.14.15}, I ended up laying down for two hours. My lower back gets sore pretty most days by the end of the day but I've gotten used to it so it doesn't so much bother me as it just is part of my day. My feet are getting more swollen but I have noticed that since I stopped working, it is not nearly as bad. I also just feel better overall now that I'm on maternity leave. I have been debating on including this next part because it is most definitely TMI but really, nobody talks about the far less glamorous sides of pregnancy. I hope it comes across in my blog just how awesome I think my husband is. He has made me feel beautiful and so supported for almost 9 years now but especially over the past 9 months of going through the most monumental body change of my life. He has been great and laughed right along with me through out this crazy journey called pregnancy. He still finds me attractive even after I asked him to check for a hemorrhoid recently. Ha! Or when I asked him to trim my nose hairs because apparently those same prenatal vitamins/hormones that give you a great head of hair were also making my nose look like a hermit crab coming out of its shell - hahahaha! Recently, I kept feeling like a had something on my leg like a spider {always paranoid!} while walking around the house. I realized it was the "breeze" moving my leg hairs! I can't comfortably and maybe even safely shave my legs anymore. I've never been more grateful for my soft, blonde leg hairs but it was officially bothering me. My amazing hubby shaved his crazy pregnant wife's legs like a pro! Not one single nick or cut. Congratulations hubby, you've shaved your first pair of legs! Pregnancy is filled with so many firsts ;)
Thoughts/Random: I have remained 0 cm dilated & still about 20% effaced since basically 35 weeks. Apparently, my body and baby are both quite comfy with their current situation! At our most recent check up {3.20.15 - 39 weeks 2 days} the doctor confirmed that he had dropped some like I was thinking. I might have a little more of a pregnant waddle going on and need to use the bathroom more with more weight on my bladder but what I noticed was that the top of my stomach felt softer/squishier because he moved a little lower. So at this point, we have an appointment scheduled for next Friday, March 27th - "If you make it to Friday" per my doctor. They scheduled an ultrasound since I will be 40 weeks 2 days to check my fluids and that we are good to go longer. The doctor said they won't let me go more than a week past my due date. Funny enough, one week past my due date is April 1st. So if you have been paying attention, we have our next doctor's appointment on the day that Brian hopes we have a baby and if I do go a whole week over my due date, then we could potentially have an April baby like I started having a feeling could be possible a few months ago. Kind of a strange coincidence, right?! Maybe I am reading too much into it! Haha!

I couldn't help but share this hilarious picture of Bella and the bump from Sunday 3.22.15! I was picking up her and Lola from Doggie Daycare. Bella has to sit in the back when I drive. She loves to be on my lap any chance she gets but now she looks so squished while just makes me laugh. I feel like you can see the concerned look in her eyes!

We had a lot happening at the Kozell residence this past weekend as it is potentially the last weekend Bri, his dad and brother are working on the house. If I don't have the baby by this weekend, they are planning on doing more work at the house which kind of gives this pregnant nesting lady hives because every weekend the house turns into a construction disaster. The idea of cleaning up the construction at 40+ weeks does not sound fun but it may induce labor!! Haha! My due date is tomorrow so who knows what next weekend will hold! I have been wanting to take house progress pictures however the house has definitely been a bit of a disaster zone so maybe I'll find some time this week, you know if I don't have a baby first. OH-MY-GOODNESS Y'ALL!!!

My sweet mother-in-law brought us dinner tonight. It was very much appreciated even though she doesn't read this but we thanked her a lot while she was here! We took pictures on the phone but they didn't turn out very clear. 39 weeks and 6 days has certainly flown by.

Happy 40 Weeks Eve To My Baby's Daddy!

AMK

My St. Patrick's Day/Harry Potter themed chalkboard design this week. Those are my quick attempt at four leaf clovers. Anybody who has seen Harry Potter would know that they take Platform 9¾ at the train station. Since I took my picture so late into my 39th week, I thought it only appropriate to acknowledge it on my chalkboard. I'm a dork, I know!