31 weeks

Baby Girl is technically 31 weeks today.

But let's not forget that both her and I are measuring a little over a week ahead.

So, perhaps it's more like 32 weeks 1 day?

 

Anyhow, our sweet girl remains busy, busy, busy!

All of the books say she should be around 3 pounds or so and over 16 inches long. Apparently, our little over achiever has a mind of her own since she was 3 pounds, 10 ounces on Thursday. She is expected to gain about a half a pound from here on out.

 

Let's do a little math, shall we?

I'm (technically) 31 weeks.

If she continues to gain a half pound for the next 9 weeks or so, we're looking at 4.5 more pounds.

Give or take, obvi.

According to this equation, Eliana will weigh around 8 pounds or so at birth.

This is better than the 10 POUNDS my mother-in-law delivered with JP. Big babies run in his family, so it's to be expected. 8 pounds though; I (read: my lady parts) can (hopefully) deal.

 

Moving along.

Her immune system has significantly improved over the last few weeks and it continues to prepare for life outside the womb. However, breastfeeding will drastically improve her immune system over the first year. Which reminds me, I've had this reoccurring breastfeeding nightmare over the past couple of months. In my dream, Eliana (although she was a boy in last night's version) is here and we're super happy. Then all of a sudden an entire week goes by and I realize that I've forgotten to breastfeed her. She gets super sick all of a sudden because her horrible mother hasn't been feeding her. Since I didn't start breastfeeding right away, my milk dried up and I'm no longer able to breastfeed. The nightmare always ends there, but I seriously panic every time.
 Breastfeeding anxiety, ya think?

Her skull bones haven't fused together just yet and they are still soft. However, she DOES have hair, my friends. Great, great news!!  I didn't just read this in my baby books. We saw a nice good chunk of hair during the ultrasound on Thursday. Made JP's day, I tell ya.

 

Finally, we did learn that Eliana is in fact locked and loaded. She's headed down south my friends. Although, this is not to be confused with her being ready to go. She needs to finish baking! This is fantastic news though. If she were breech, c-section would be a good possibility, which I personally want to avoid at all costs.

How far along? 31 weeks

Baby's size? a pineapple. PINEAPPLE! You read this correctly. I know, it took me a minute too.

Total weight gain: 23.5 pounds! My appetite has been out. of. control. Therefore, I'm really not surprised by the 1.5 pound gain. Ellie is about go through a growth spurt (especially Thanksgiving day) as well, so I have a feeling I'll repeat this trend next week.
Maternity clothes? Yes! I really, really miss my wardrobe with the cooler temperatures though.
Sleep: Per my OB, I've been on antibiotics all week. Fortunately, they help me sleep. So, despite being super sick, I've actually slept better. I also took multiple naps each day this past week since I was home sick. I even slept for 8 hours STRAIGHT last night. True miracle, my friends. That hasn't happened in over 6 months.
Best moment(s) this past week:  Our detailed scan on Thursday definitely tops the list. While the extra fluid is still in Eliana's kidneys, we've realized that it IS going to be okay. She's healthy and growing. She's our sweet (BIG) little girl, with kidneys a little bigger than normal, not to be confused with abnormal. That's all. :)

Miss Anything? Being comfortable.
Movement: My little energizer bunny is still on the go. She of course slept pretty much the ENTIRE time during our ultrasound on Thursday. Later that night and every day since then, she's been back to her crazy self. Go figure.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Smells have become more intense and sometimes gross me out.
Cravings: Apple cider!! Have you ever had the Caramel Apple Spice (sans the whip) from Starbucks? I've been getting them for years, but this year, they're even better. I think I've had 1-2 each week for the past month, including this morning. I can't believe I'm about to admit this, but I woke up yesterday morning craving McDonald's breakfast. So, sure enough, we just had to stop during our house hunt yesterday morning. JP obviously wasn't complaining. Friends, I can't even tell you the last time I ate a McDonald's breakfast. 5 years? Maybe 10 years? High school? It reminds me of the once in a lifetime chance JP had to see me eat a cheeseburger back during 1st tri. So, the craving? A sausage biscuit, hashbrowns, and an orange juice. Worth every calorie.
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions have actually started this past week. The first time was last Sunday night and I've had them a couple more times since then. They're not really painful. My belly just gets super tight, it's hard to breath, and it feels like a super intense cramp for about 10, maybe 15 seconds or so. This isn't meant to be alarming, it's completely normal. My body is simply preparing!

Gender: GIRL!
Symptoms: Is all around uncomfortable considered a symptom? I feel large and in charge. Seriously, folks. I'm uncomfortable on and off all throughout the day. My belly is just SO big. I honestly can't imagine how much bigger it's going to get given the fact that I still have 2 more months to go. The leg cramps, BH contractions, and peeing every .025 seconds haven't gone anywhere either.

Belly Button in or out? It's not fully out, but getting there for sure. With a thin shirt on, it sort of looks like it's popping out all the way. In reality, the top part is popping out and the bottom part is still in. WEIRD.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Despite being sick and having my husband out of town on business most of the week, I'm still very happy and excited (and nervous). Oh, and EMOTIONAL:

 

I've been watching births online. Smartest idea? Probably not. However, I continue to get more and more nervous as we get closer to D-day. I'm not worried about being capable of taking care of a newborn. I'm more than ready and capable. However, labor and deliver absolutely terrify me, so this is my way of trying (keyword) to become more familiarized and "okay" with the process. Are the videos working? I'm not sure. However, I cry every. single. time.

Even though I should stop watching, I just can't.

Hi, my name is Brittany and I'm addicted to labor and delivery videos.

 

Looking forward to: My two-day work week. Granted, I only worked two days last week since I felt like I'd been run over a bus. Twice. However, it was really, really hard to make that decision because I've gotten the point where I HATE leaving my kids. I'm very selfish and protective over them. Unfortunately, subs just don't get the job done. So, I'm super excited for this week. I only work two days and my precious kiddos aren't being left with a crazy sub for the other three. I also may or may not be beyond excited to be pregnant on Thanksgiving.
 

31  weeks: Mama
I'm definitely 31 weeks - not 32. Baby Brain has gotten the best of me, AGAIN. Looks like JP will be photoshopping this one tomorrow. Again.

 

  

31 weeks: Ellie

This picture is actually very accurate according to Thursday's ultrasound. Ellie likes her hands up by her head when she sleeps (just like JP and I), she's head down, and her feet are crossed right up underneath my right ribs, which she never fails to let me forget.