How Far along? 38 weeks (We're definitely in the home stretch!)

Movement? Claire continues to move a lot, especially at night. She's a night owl like her daddy :)
Cravings? I'm not craving anything in particular right now.

Weight gain: 21 pounds

Symptoms? fatigue, cramping and pressure, Braxton-Hicks

What I miss? I still miss being more mobile, but that'll change soon enough. I'm going to miss being pregnant--that I'm sure of.

Milestones? Trent packed his hospital bag last night! Also, as of last week's appointment, I'm one cm dilated and 60 percent effaced, which means progress is being made.

What I’m excited about? Woohoo! Claire could be born any day now!

Week 38 update from thebump.com:
Your baby's the size of a pumpkin! Baby is about 18.9 to 20.9 inches long and weighs about 6.2 to 9.2 pounds. Her head is now about the same circumference as her abdomen.

She may have about an inch or so of hair already (definitely in our case). She's slowly shedding that white goo on her skin (called vernix caseosa) but you might see some of it at birth.

38-week baby bump pics:

We're full-term!

How Far along? 37 weeks (We've officially made it to the full-term point!)

Movement? Claire is moving a lot, and she has hiccups an average of four times a day.
Cravings? I'm not craving anything in particular right now.

Weight gain: 21 pounds

Symptoms? fatigue, cramping and pressure, Braxton-Hicks, nesting

What I miss? I miss being more mobile, but I'm really going to miss my HUGE baby bump. It's so comforting knowing she's safe and sound.

Milestones? The nursery is ready. The bags are packed. The carseat is in the car. And I'm checking items off the work to-do list as quickly as I can.

We had a 36-week ultrasound last Wednesday, and Claire is head down and ready to go. She's measuring in at 6 pounds and 7 ounces, so she's already a good healthy size.
What I’m excited about? I'm so excited that we're in the safe zone, and Claire could be born any day now!

Week 37 update from thebump.com:
Your baby's the size of a winter melon!



Yay! Baby has reached full term. She likely measures around 18.9 to 20.9 inches and weighs about 6.2 to 9.2 pounds. She's gaining about 1/2 ounce each day.

Your baby at 37 weeks:
She's practicing some skills: inhaling, exhaling, sucking, gripping and blinking. She's getting his first sticky poop (called meconium) ready for her first diaper.

Claire's nursery

Claire's nursery is complete, and we couldn't be happier with the results!

We have a crib...



 a changing table (and going home outfit)...

a reading nook with lots of books, toys and a Snug-a-Bunny bouncer (and of course, a chandelier)...

diaper cakes and SC artist Ernest Lee (Chicken Man) paintings for our little Southern belle...

a dollhouse and a monogram wreath...

plus, lots and lots of clothes and several Boppy pillows.

Now, we just need our sweet baby Claire!

Week 35 update

How Far along? 35 weeks (5 weeks to go until due date)

Movement? Claire is moving constantly and she gets hiccups each day around 3 a.m.

Cravings?  I'm not craving anything in particular right now.

Weight gain: 20 pounds

Symptoms? fatigue, leg cramps, Braxton-Hicks, and unfortunately, nausea has returned

What I miss? I miss being able to easily get in and out of the car when it's parked in the garage. I got stuck the other day.

Milestones? The nursery is almost ready! We're just waiting on the name blocks and wall decals to arrive.

I also went swimming for the first time while pregnant Saturday, and it was awesome! It's such a cool sensation to feel pretty much weightless while 8.5 months pregnant.

What I’m excited about? I'm so excited that we'll soon be meeting sweet baby Claire!

Your baby at 35 weeks (from thebump.com):
Your baby's the size of a coconut! She's about 17.2 to 18.7 inches. From here on out, she won't get much longer, but she's plumping up. She's now about 4.2 to 5.8 pounds, and she'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth.

Week 35 belly bump photos:

Labor prediction quiz results

Here are the results from my labor prediction quiz from justmommies.com. I'll be curious to see how accurate this is :)


Get your bags packed early just in case you need them. Make sure your partner has a phone available when he's away because this baby just might come early. We predict your baby will come 2-3 weeks early. Your baby will most likely be born in the morning. Justmommies predicts that your baby will weigh approximately 6.5 pounds and that your labor will be about 13 hours long.

Week 33 update

Week 33 update:

How Far along? 33.5 weeks (6.5 weeks to go)

Movement? Claire is still moving nonstop these days :)

Cravings? My sweet tooth is back!

Weight gain: 20 pounds (holding steady despite the resurgence of my sweet tooth)

Symptoms? I've been so tired this week. I think the third trimester fatigue has finally taken over.

What I miss? I miss being more mobile. I really have to think through getting from point A to point B these days since my belly no longer fits in smaller spaces.

Milestones? The nursery is painted thanks to Trent, and it looks awesome! Also, we've started arranging furniture, but there's still a lot to do. Hopefully the glider and ottoman will arrive early next week.

What I’m excited about? I'm so excited that we'll soon be meeting sweet baby Claire!

Your baby at 33 weeks (from thebump.com):

Your baby's the size of a honeydew! She weighs about 4.2 to 5.8 pounds and measures about 17.2 to 18.7 inches. And she may grow up to a full inch this week--amazing.

• She's keeping her eyes open while awake.
• She's also starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing.
• Her bones are hardening.
• And she's going through (more) major brain development -- that's one smart baby!

Week 33 belly bump photos:

Special thanks to my dear friends Emily, Lauren and Mollie. They hosted a wonderful brunch for me Saturday morning, and it was such a special time to celebrate with a wonderful group of friends. These girls have been such a great support system to Trent and me, and we are incredibly grateful to share this exciting time with them.

Emily also spent the weekend with Trent and me, and we had so much fun catching up. It was the first time we've seen each other since January, so we were definitely overdue for some much-needed girl time.

Trent spent much of the weekend painting Claire's room, but he did join us for dinner Friday and Saturday night. Speaking of Claire's room, it looks so good painted pink! I know she's going to love it :)