Chubby: 38 Weeks

How far along: 38.0 Weeks!!

How big is baby: The size of a pumpkin

Weight: 157. Not sure if it's the scale at the other clinic or if I'm in the losing weight phase. I was 160 last Thursday.

Sleep: I've started hitting walls where I'm just done, exhausted, can't keep my eyes open. This happens in the afternoon. I took naps every.day. with Lincoln's pregnancy and this time we're so busy I just keep going and going until I can't go anymore. Then I perk up enough to stay up until midnight and sleep all night save for noises in the dark, bathroom breaks, or Bella in my face. 

Clothes: The good thing about being busy is the unpacking reveals all sorts of clothing goodies. We (me and Lincoln) pretty much just don't wear pants at home. Too much work. So I do enjoy a good day out (like today we went to Luke AFB) and I get dressed up. 

Food cravings/aversions: Nothing special. Pretty normal appetite. I do like chicken salad sandwiches right now though. We are preparing ourselves though with freezer meals from Mama & Baby Love. We really like the french dip beef stew and the lentil.  We've only tried a few others and love them all. The great thing about this cookbook is that it makes two freezer meals from each recipe, so you do the prep once and get two bags out of it (which feeds us for a few days each time) and they're SO easy and SO delicious. Crock pot saves the day!

Symptoms: Emotional. Easily overwhelmed. Nesty - like going to Babies R Us and spending 30 minutes (probably) in the checkout line making sure my two separate transactions went over $150 so I could get the Great Giveaway's video monitor. (totally worked). LEG CRAMPS!! OUUUUCH!!! Wrong kind of muscle cramps, body! 

Gender: Joe talked to a few people who casually said "girl" this week. Our apartment complex's leasing office girl said "Oh, I didn't know you didn't know, I just always thought it was a girl."

My sister-in-law, Staci, also said "I'm going with family tradition" which refers to the GG: Pt 3 and the Wagner brothers (3 of the 5) who have have more than one child with the same woman. Each woman had a boy first and a girl second. I would make a 4th woman of a 4th brother and therefore Chubby could be a girl.

I talked to Kristina this week. She said "I think you'll have another. Either way... I think 3 is your number." - does that scream BOY or is that just misleading information??? Oh, the overworking of the mind that's reaching for answers.
At Joann's a lady asked Lincoln "are you going to have a baby brother?"

And finally, at the commissary yesterday I was pushing Lincoln in one of those crazy car carts (totally worth it, it really helped entertain him "driving") and I was approached by a 77 year old woman who asked when I was due and if I knew what I was having. She was really excited when I said I didn't know, but as everyone does, she offered her prediction (which I would have asked for anyway because she was so pleasant) and she said BOY. Why? because I am pointing right out front. She had 3 of them herself. She also said she wished she'd had a daughter as much as she loved all 3 of her sons. That kind of settled on me in a sad way because Chubby is increasingly more likely going to be our last baby. At least our last planned baby and I am feeling a little bit of loss at there being a chance I may not have a daughter.

Movement: Lots still, just getting a lot lower (definitely, definitely lower) and a lot bigger. Chubby is filling up more space. I have funny bumps from feet that stick out randomly and there are little hands that push on my butt now (which is just a weird feeling).

Belly Button: I have another stretch mark that appeared and mutated the playboy bunny into something more like the rays of the sun. I'll take it! 

Signs of Labor: Nothing exciting. I think it'll surprise me when it does happen. I maybe have a few spontaneous braxton hicks throughout the day and nothing that is supposed to start them does. I went to Dr. Oland today (which is why the post published today) and I am 3cm/70%/"very low" - (as compared to 1-2cm/"thin"/"low" 6 days ago).

Best moment of the week: Getting the master bedroom painted!! I wish we'd been able to plow through to the bathroom as well, but I guess I'll survive for awhile. 

What I’m looking forward to: meeting Chubby and seeing his/her face. I had a dream while I was snoozing a few days ago and I was holding a little boy with straight fuzzy brown hair that stuck up in the front. He had a McCulloch nose and a pouty bottom lip. I'm ready to hold a baby. 

What I miss: rolling over easily. Lincoln has started kicking me out of his bed because I take up too much room!!! "move. mama move." and he pushes me. I can't even just scoot, he PUSHED ME OUT! 

Next appt: Next Thursday the 12th... "if I don't see you at the hospital before then". Haha. That's what you said last time.