Bumpdate: 36 weeks

36 weeks. As in, almost term. As in, my friend due just two weeks before me had her baby very early this morning, at 12:01 am on the 4th of July (We can't wait to meet you, little firecracker!)

Which means that these will be our last belly photos together, taken at her world-traveler themed baby shower at the end of May:

There's Baby E's momma on the right - they welcomed Baby Boy Z days after this photo was taken. And next is Han, who's baby was born first thing today! See who's next in line?
Just to recap, the two on the right: babies born.
Next in line: Me.

I have to admit, I'm starting to freak out a little.

Which means I spend a lot of time trying to get J freaked out, so that I can feel like the calm, rational one.

My last day of work was this past Saturday - I am now off for "Summer Leave" until out little man makes his appearance, and then my maternity leave starts. No more 12-hour shifts while giant pregnant - I am so thankful. Pregnancy-wise, I am still having the same sleeping troubles, achey legs and tossing and turning. I can tell that the Little Mister's days and nights are going to be confused when he comes out - he is SO BUSY all night long. But I love feeling and watching him move in my belly - it's so fascinating having someone along for my ride all the time. And as challenging as anything physical is right now, I am reminding myself that it's so much easier to care for him now while he's inside my belly, so enjoy the (relative) freedom. At my last appointment the doctor remarked, Wow, his head is really low, isn't it? Which explains the periods of intense pressure I definitely feel at times, especially when he gets really active. And I am still having lots of Braxton Hicks, especially when I bend forward to do something. She actually checked me at my last appointment (since she was doing some other investigating) and she said that my cervix is still very far back (it will come forward with more contractions).

I am so curious about what he will look like, and in what ways he and BB will be similar and different. BB talks about him all the time - his room, my belly, his car seat, his bouncy seat. He seems happy to relinquish all of his equipment to his baby brother (especially when we point out that he's a big boy with a big boy carseat and a big boy bed, etc.). I have been taking fish oil for a while now, recommended by my doctor to ward off any post-partum depression, and I have been feeling very emotionally stable since I started taking it, praise God.

The Gestational Diabetes update is that my weight plateued for a couple of weeks, and then I actually lost weight, but I am still measuring normally so they weren't concerned (although one doc did start to give me the anorexic pregnant girl tone of voice telling me "Weeeellll, we do want you to gain about 30 pounds...." and I quickly told her "Look, I had no problem gaining weight with my first pregnancy. I'm pretty sure it's the 1800 calorie limited carbohydrate diet you put me on for the Gestational Diabetes." Maybe I said it a little nicer. But not too much. Come on.) The next week, after reviewing my blood sugars and discussing the weight issue (I had gained no weight again that week) the doc said that I can eat more calories, and I gained 2 pounds the past week. Because yes, since 30 weeks I have seen the doctor every single week. I am so tired of it! I am not sick, my blood sugars actually tend to run low, I am completely "diet-controlled" - I am a healthy pregnant person! The upside is that because I am diet-controlled and they have now agreed that I am borderline Gestational Diabetic, I have not had to do any additional monitoring, which would mean even more appointments every week.

In an effort to "exercise" J and I have started taking family walks after dinner a few nights a week, and BB loves it. As soon as you mention a walk, he races to the garage door and waits. We also let him play at the parks in our neighborhood sometimes, since it's too hot to go any other time of day. We have been working on the nursery, and, after just last night mounting a shelf that J built, I just have a few finishing touches to go, projects I plan to work on in these last few weeks. I absolutely love his nursery, we all do, and have been spending time in there quite a bit. It will be hard to decide how to combine their rooms when they are a little older and it's time to share a room.

And now for the bump - a friend from college is starting up a photography business, and asked if we would be willing to do a maternity photoshoot to help build her portfolio - oh, and she would do it for FREE! Of course we said yes, and I am so, so happy with how the photos turned out. I can't wait to print and frame these - in our entry, our nursery, and a gallery wall I am hoping to do in the stairwell (a project I have wanted to do for years). These were taken just last Wednesday, when I was 35 weeks and 2 days pregnant.

Aaaaand our favoritest photo of the entire shoot: