37 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 37 weeks...+ 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: +27 pounds

Maternity Clothes: uh.....yeah - except my shoes and undergarments!

Best moment this week: Going to the doctor today and hearing the heartbeat - we also preregistered at the hospital Monday and it is AMAZING!

Gender: It's a BOY - Merritt Jennings

Movement: everywhere....and I mean everywhere - I've got feet coming out of my far right side - I feel like he is wrapping himself around my back

Food cravings: chocolate;)

What I miss: bending over easily, walking around the neighborhood and up hills without feeling like I'm going to DIE, turning over in bed - its a turn-to-your-side, sit-up, flip-to-other-hip, lay-down, position-body-pillow-kind of maneuver.....takes a good 5 minutes at least!

Sleep: see above - although after I do all that I'm exhausted again so I easily fall back asleep

What I'm looking forward to: July 27th - 30th

Belly Button: it's almost flat

Symptoms: heartburn is popping up in the middle of the day now instead of just at night and lots of trips to the bathroom!

I wish I would have taken pictures of the new hospital - it's only been open just over a week and it is gorgeous inside. We asked for a tour of the labor and delivery department and luckily we got to go inside. The nurse showed us a room - which looks like the inside of an upscale hotel room - no wires, monitors, dull colors or that stale hospital smell. It is truly like a spa retreat. Everything needed for the mom and baby 'wire-wise' is tucked inside the wall behind a painted portrait. Everyone has their own private room with a full bath - complete with a bidet. There are beautiful sculptures everywhere and paintings throughout the hallways. There is a nourishment room supplied with snacks and drinks for the mom's - which will be especially helpful if you've delivered in the middle of the night when the cafeteria is closed. Everything is extremely quiet and EXTREMELY secure - you have to check in at 2 different security desks before you can get to the labor and delivery department and only 2 guests are allowed at a time - and they wear badges that have to be returned to the front desk before anyone else can go back. Nap time/quiet time is from 2-4 so there are no visitors allowed, which will be a nice break for taking a shower or nap. The only bad thing is any siblings under 16 are only allowed to visit for 30 minutes, one time a day. This is because of the swine flu outbreak but to me it's ridiculous. A complete bum can come visit me for 4 hours and spread any kind of sickness around but my own child can only see me for 30 minutes, who stays home with me all day everyday? Hopefully it'll only be for 2 days but that is still too long away from my first baby! The nurse did say she would see if he could come for 30 minutes in the am and 30 in the pm if they weren't busy - but there are only 6 rooms and when we got our tour there was only one person there, and she had just given birth. So anyway - I am so excited to be delivering in a brand new hospital with state of the art technology. Just 3 more weeks until I'm at 40 weeks and in one week I'm going to be doing whatever I can to get this baby here before July 30th!