37 weeks

I've made it to 37 weeks! This means that Kaden is a term baby (full term is 40 weeks) and can come whenever he feels like it. It also means that I'm now qualified to go to the Birthing Center rather than the hospital to deliver. It's Labor Day weekend and I'm optimistic that there might be a chance that Kaden will come soon. I do know that he'll come when he's good and ready - and not a moment before.

Week 37 to Delivery: At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.

36 Week Appt

I had my first weekly doctor's appointment yesterday. Everything is going smoothly along the right track. I only gained 2 pounds over the last two weeks for a total of 24 pounds. Not too shabby. The doctor is happy with that weight too and it's nice to think that 9 - 13 of those pounds account for Kaden and his cushy home.

The doctor also thinks that I have 4 more weeks left before I deliver. Granted I'm 37 weeks on Saturday, but I don't think that Kaden plans on sticking around that long! We'll see what his plans are. Dad's guess in the baby pool is coming up in 3 days. Could Labor Day weekend have a new meaning for my house?

Kaden's Room

If you want to see the unofficial baby pool bets, scroll down to look at the previous post or look at the post on the right.

As I had posted earlier, we finally got furniture in Kaden's room. Here's a quick peek of what we have setup so far. The theme of his room is rainforest/jungle (which explains the mint green paint). We have a lot of the Fisher Price Rainforest collection (crib set, high chair, blanket, music thingy) and of course lots of stuffed animals and decorations to go with the theme.

Mike and Ruthie - you probably can't tell from the size of the picture, but the Jackhorn has established his home in the top shelf of the bookshelf next to his book!

The crib is convertible to a day bed and then a full or twin bed (I don't remember which). Kiel, Ryan's younger brother, is also going to help us put real bamboo in the corners of the room to make it look even better. It's so nice to be able to walk into his room and see everything setup, ready and waiting for his first day.

Very soon (27 days or less) life will change for the better. There will be no more "quick trips" to the store or good night's sleep for a while. Travel plans will include "Did you pack the stroller?" No more going to a restaurant and asking for a table for two (unless it's date night). Our house will go from the Happy Couple to the Happy Family and I can't wait!

9 months!

Today marks my 36th week of pregnancy. I have made it to 9 months and in one more week I'll be considered term (full term being 40 weeks). I've felt more tired today than days past and it feels like I'm wearing down energy wise quicker each day. Kaden's room is nearly complete - we have a crib, dresser and a book shelf (that's full of books, toys and blankets). His car seat and diaper bag are sitting by the door. I haven't packed a hospital bag of my own yet, but I think I may do that Sunday.

Here's a rundown of possible dates from family and friends when Kaden will arrive. (Let me know if I got your date wrong or if I missed you!)

• August 31st - Dad
• September 1 - Uncle Dave
• September 3 - Aunt Colleen
• September 4 - Mom, Lori
• September 5 - Evan
• September 7 - Shawn, Devon
• September 9 - Amanda
• September 14 - Jenn F.

I have had some people guess that he would come last week. That didn't happen. :0) The doctor said as long as I make it to 37 weeks, it shouldn't matter when I deliver. That's exactly one week from today. We'll see who guessed the closest to his birthday! I can't wait to meet my baby boy.

Last box!

I usually check my favorite blogs in the morning before I head off to work. It's my little bit of peace and quite while I eat breakfast (Lucky Charms today). I looked at my ticker at the top of my blog and, unless I'm seeing things, I'm in the last box! Yay!

Ryan and I went on a tour of the Wesley Birthcare Center last night. I'll have to make it to at least August 30th (37 weeks) to be "eligible" to deliver there. It's getting closer and closer.

New delivery date guesses in the baby pool include September 4th, 6th and 7th. We'll see who gets closest. I have a feeling it might be within a week of Labor day.

Full moon, still no baby

I had quite a few relatives (as well as an Eagle photographer) predict that Kaden would arrive last week.  Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but that little bun is still in the oven.  I have at least 2 weeks until September 1st (Labor Day, ironically) which is the minimum date the doctor would like me to make it to.  Any predictions as to which date Kaden will get here?

I did buy some baby detergent and fabric softener this weekend.  It's actually just free of perfume and clear of dyes (which means a whopping $7 cheaper than the "baby" detergent).  I've washed about half of Kaden's clothes today and will be finishing the other half along with some receiving blankets and bedding this week.

34 (35th) week Dr. Appointment

I had my 34th week doctor's appointment yesterday and I hit 35 weeks today. My weight gain is right on target and Kaden had dropped a few times. I'm measuring a week ahead - the doctor attributed that to me measuring ahead for the past few appointments. I've only measured ahead 1 out of the last 3 appts actually, but who's keeping track. The doctor did say that it'll be fine if Kaden gets here early, just as long as I make it to September 1st (37 weeks or term; 40 weeks is full term).

There's a full moon tonight and the next one is September 15th. At this point, I don't think it will have any effect on when Kaden does decide to arrive, but we'll see what happens.

40 Days and Counting!

There's only 40 days left! It really hasn't hit me yet that I'll be a mommy next month but it does feel like my pregnancy is coming to an end. I've loosely packed Kaden's diaper bag. I still need to wash the three outfits I've picked out, but at least I have them in the bag with diapers, wipes and burp clothes. Saturday was Amanda's wedding - which went off without a hitch. Check out Lori's blog for a play-by-play rundown. It also marked 34 weeks or 8.5 months. Time for another fruit!

Month 8: Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.


It did feel like Kaden dropped a bit on August 1st (at Ryan's high school reunion). Compared to a few days ago, I can tell there's a bit more breathing room. I personally think that the picture just makes me look huge and I feel much smaller (and am carrying lower) in person. I've had a contraction or two over the past week, but nothing to complain about just yet.

My next appointment is Friday - which is also Ryan's 29th birthday. He has to work, so I schedule a late afternoon appointment so we can at least squeeze in a birthday dinner and maybe ice cream from his favorite bakery Cameo Cakes (vanilla flavored cake of course!).

I'm going to drag my tired body to bed now. I can't believe there was actually a time when I could stand staying up late and getting up early. I guess I need to get all the sleep I can get while I can!

Almost forgot!

Ryan and I went to his high school reunion this past weekend. We had a good time hanging out with some old friends and those he hadn't seen in a while.

The interesting part is that I think Kaden dropped a bit! It happened at 10 pm Friday night and boy howdy it was a noticable difference. I'll try to post a picture soon so there will be something to compare the bumps to.

My little sister is also getting married this weekend. Family is coming in from all over and I'm sure she's starting to get nervous. Only a few more days and the last sister will be off the market!

There's something in the water!

There must be something in the water where we live. Ryan and I visited with our neighbors Joel and Ryan yesterday night. Wednesday nights have become a tailgait hangout at our neighbor Ryan's house. We didn't go over for dinner, but caught up with them afterwards.

Ryan (the next door neighbor, not my husband) and his wife Amy are expecting! They just found out and Amy is about 7 weeks along and is due in March sometime.

Joel and his wife Crystal (who live across the street and we hardly ever see since he works 2nd shift Sherriff department) are also expecting. Crystal is about 5 months along and is due in December.

It sounds like Kaden will have some company coming in the next few months!