It is hard to write about my joy in the midst of the sorrow that a nation has felt since Friday. I place my hand on my stomach and wish that Gwendolyn would be born into a peaceful world where all children were safe and their greatest worry was what kind of mudpie they would make that day. But since the beginning of mankind, there has been this thing called sin and this thing called choice. And we make the choice to sin and that sin can devastate people's lives whether it is by telling a lie or murdering innocent people.
So, 35 weeks. I am at the point where my sister-in-law was at when she was induced with Jackson due to high blood pressure. If I were her, Gwendolyn would make her grande entrance tomorrow. I have a scheduled ultrasound tomorrow because I am measuring a little small. At 34 weeks, I was only measuring 32 weeks, so tomorrow is to make sure that Gwen is growing well and that I have plenty of amniotic fluid. My best guess is that Gwendolyn has decided to take up residence more in the inside of my body than on the outside, which would explain the small measurement. Either way, I get to see my little girl tomorrow and that excites me!
In other news, Joseph and I had our maternity photos taken last week. We met with Christy Gantt of Studio 9 photography located near Sumter, SC. We met at a beautiful red barn near sundown to capture some pics before moving on to a Christmas tree farm. Christy was fun to work with and made our photo shoot relaxed and easy by letting us improvise but also gently directing us.
How far along? 35 weeks
Total weight gain/loss? 18 pounds! So we will see my grand total of weight gain during tomorrow's appointment.
Maternity clothes? What else is there?
Stretch marks? None yet...but I am sure they are coming and I heard that sometimes they occur overnight.
Sleep? Sleep has been better as I have gotten the acid reflux under control. Though I find myself waking up 4-5 times a night to pee or just to toss and turn.
Best moment last week? Just watching Gwen roll around in my belly. Sometimes it feels like she is sliding into home plate. She goes from one side of my tummy to the other like a flash of lightening! Joseph and I also worked on the nursery and it is coming along quite well.
Movement? She is always moving around and has been having the cutest hiccups! At first I thought it was just an intense heartbeat but then I realized what it was and I melted!
Food cravings? None. Sometimes eggrolls.
Gender? She is still a she and forever a she shall she be.
Labor signs? Maybe? I am new to the pregnancy thing. Someitmes it feels as if my uterus gets tight but there is no pain associated with it, so maybe it is a Braxton-Hicks? Who knows...
Belly button in/out? Completely in. Though I can roll it out a little and it looks like an outie! I am hoping it stays an innie though...outies freak me out.
What I miss: Seeing my toes.
What I am looking forward to: Gwendolyn's arrival! I am ready to start my life with her in it.
Funny Story: I had my first "sneeze and pee" session. That was interesting.
