34 Weeks & 1 Day!

6 weeks left. Under 50 days. It's absolutely mind boggling how fast this is going! While the 3rd trimester hasn't been my favorite, compared to what I've heard from other Mama's it's really not that bad. I've been so blessed to have an "easy" pregnancy, and between the minor aches and pains I'm really trying to savor this time. I've heard that no two pregnancies are the same, and with the few minor hiccups, this one has been a breeze. If I ever decided to have another* it would definitely be different with me being older, juggling an older child, not necessarily having the time or energy to do the pregnancy things I love now like prenatal yoga or relaxing to my hypnobirthing tapes. It would still be just as special and magical but different, just by default.

34 weeks on 7/9/13
You can see all the fun renovations going on around me

With that said, I did tell Bill last night how I'm really starting to understand the women who've reached their due date and beyond and can't WAIT for the baby to come out. It feels like I have no more room and mango is moving around constantly. I really do wonder when this baby sleeps as I feel B from the moment I wake to basically going to bed. If I get up in the middle of the night I can guarantee some movement and I've noticed lately even in times when B had been quiet, like when I take a shower, baby is up and moving around. I love it, but the kicks and punches are so strong now, I'm usually having to re-position in all kinds of ways to make room for the little one. My belly feels stretched to the limit and I also noticed this morning that my belly-button is a full outie now.

We had a baby appointment last Friday, with Bill in attendance too since we both had the day off. Guess who's back to being head down again?!? Dr. Kecia says by the next appointment if B is still in that position we should be good to go. B is the size of a butternut squash, weighing in at approx 4.4 pounds. We (well, I did at least) saw the lips moving (baby talk?) and while I'm still not gaining any weight the Dr. wasn't concerned. My blood pressure is higher than normal but still definitely within a normal range. B can now recognize simple songs (according to the pregnancy websites at least) so I've tried to play some favorite tunes of ours. I've also realized how poor my recollection of any lullabies was too... so I need to memorize some good ones quick!

One ok baby pic. B was being smushed by the placenta here though.

For the 4th we had a nice brunch, then saw This Is The End (hilarious) and then hung out at my friend, Preethi's rooftop for a BBQ. It was nice and chill, though I could've done without the heat. On Saturday I hiked up to the UWS to meet my friend Melissa for some yoga, then headed back downtown to meet Bill's sister Chrissy, her husband Steve and their son, Charlie. They were really lovely people and Charlie was a riot. Such a happy, energetic and fearless child! We took them all to our favorite Chinatown spot, Joe's Shanghai, for some soup dumplings and Charlie was a big fan. They also brought us their infant car seat, a Chicco Keyfit, that fits with our UPPABaby Vista and some gently used clothing from Charlie. The car seat has also been Hux approved for comfort (I forgot to put a spray bottle in it to deter him).

Last night we also had our meet and greet with the pediatrician, Dr. Mindy Gallagher from Tribeca Pediatrics. We both came away liking her and the philosophy of the practice in general. They are very open to different parenting styles but will definitely give their advice and opinions when asked. They also aren't so quick to medicate, focusing first on finding other holistic ways to help the issue, which is something I like now (though you can ask me this again the first time B gets sick). They have a great support system, with classes for everything from breastfeeding to support groups for new Moms and Dads to classes to discuss various toddler and older kiddo issues too. Additionally, contacting and communicating seemed to be a seamless process there. We're actually taking their Infant CPR and Baby Essentials class through them. And the best part, they're right down the street from us.

Upcoming:

• A quiet weekend for us. My Mom's birthday is on Friday and Teresa and I got her a really cute gift (I can't say now since I know she's all over this blog).
• Cabinets arrive on Friday, appliances sometime next week. Other than that I'm totally over these renovations.
• Our infant CPR class is on Monday. They'll also go over car seat and traveling safety, something I'm especially curious about, living in NYC without a car.
• Getting ready for our BABYMOON!!!! I've been looking forward to this for months now and cannot wait to rock my maternity tankini out in the ocean, eat some delicious seafood, see Bon Jovi with Bill and his sister, and of course, relax, enjoy the scenery and have fun with Bill on our last vacation before becoming parents.

*Just to clarify, this is absolutely 100% not even on the table for discussion. #2 is not even a consideration. Strictly thinking out loud here...