Week 32!

Prep Time Begins!

I can't believe we hit 32 weeks today!  Time is flying (thank goodness) and I really cannot wait to meet my first child.  It still feels extremely surreal.  Have any other first time moms felt this?  Almost like it's not really happening?  Maybe that sounds crazy, but that's just how it's been feeling lately.  That I can't believe I have to get a small human to come out of my body, and then he's in my life forever.  We take our weekly bump picture tonight, so here's two from the past couple of weeks!

My big guy is in there!  Weeks 30, 31, and 32 will be up soon!

Anyway!  I haven't been reading too much about what will happen, what I should do once he's here, etc.  We have a childbirth class on the 29th of this month, and I know a lot of my insecurities and fears will be addressed there.  Right now, I've just been reading advice (or hearing it) from other moms I know, of what to do once we hit 32 weeks.  Since we hit it today, by our doctor's calendar, full nesting and prep mode has kicked in for me! 

Major Important To-Do's:

1. Meal Prep - I'm actually starting this at the beginning of November.  Reason being, the ones that I have found only allow freezing up to three months, so I would like to have the food prepped as close to D-Day as possible.  I created this massive binder of both beef/pork/chicken recipes that you just throw all of the ingredients into a plastic gallon-sized zip-loc bag, freeze, and then all you do is dump it into the Crock-Pot, and voila!  Meal for 2-4 in a few hours, hands and dishes free.

2. Hospital Bag - This one is a big one.  I actually have an entire list for both myself and my husband (all of these lists of mine are in a binder, by the way) and I read some really good advice: have your partner pack the bag!  How genius.  I'll be so busy in pain/in a bed/etc. and if I need something from the bag, I don't want him to have to rifle through it, not knowing where it is.  This way, if he packs it, he'll remember where things are, making it easy to locate anything he/I may need.  Here's a peek into our bag and diaper bag:

Items for Mom:

- Birth Plan (jury is still out on this one)

- Pillow

- Contacts

- Glasses

- Hair ties

- Tennis ball (for massages)
- Deck of cards

- iPad

- Goodie Bags for the nurses (I'll type these out, too!) 

- Book

- Cell phone charger

- Headphones

- Pregnancy journal

- Toothbrush/Toothpaste

- Gummy bears/granola bars

- Maxi Pads

- Hairbrush/hair essentials

- Shampoo/Conditioner

- Bar of soap

- Makeup

- 5 pairs of underwear

- PJs

- Robe

- Socks (with sticky bottoms)

- Slippers

- Going home outfit (comfy pants, loose tee, nursing bra(s))

- Deoderant

Items for Baby:

- A few diapers

- Diaper Bag

- Going Home outfit (we have 2-3 of these depending on his size)

- Warm receiving blanket

- Hats

Items for Dad:

- SNACKS, SNACKS, SNACKS

- Couple changes of clothes

- PJs

- Pillow

- Headphones

- Lots of quarters (vending machines!)

- Advil

- Toothbrush/Toothpaste

- Water bottle

- Book

- Sneakers

- Slippers

- Deodorant

- Phone Charger

- Old T-shirt (for during birth)

- Spare blanket

- Cash

- Baseball (for baby hand print)

- Face Wipes

3. Car Seat - Back in September we went to a Baby Prepping class, and learned something I never knew!  Almost all of the police departments around us offer to install your car seat for you so that it's 100% safe.  Interesting statistic: over 90% of all car seats are installed incorrectly.  I'm very happy that they offer this service and we're having it installed this coming Friday!  How strange and cool at the same time.  We went with the Peg Perego 4-35.

4. Hospital Pre-Authorization - So this one... I have no idea how this works, so I'm hoping that calling a month in advance will be okay.  It notes I need to pre-authorize the day before, but honestly, who the heck knows when they're going into labor?!  So I'm just going to call and find out.  Or if anyone has any advice that'd be awesome, too!

5. Pediatrician - Yes, I know, we're super behind on this one.  I have a number to call and am hoping it shouldn't be too big of a hassle.  Around here, it can take up to 8 months just to get a primary physician for an adult.  So dumb, but what can you do?

Symptoms!

On to the next... symptoms these last couple weeks have SUCKED.  Women were not kidding that Third Trimester is the hardest!  I can feel him move almost all day, but I also feel like he's running out of room.  Because I feel HUGE.  My skin across my abdomen feels so stretched all the time and it's becoming very uncomfortable, albeit even painful.  I hope this subsides with all the lotion I've been using, but it doesn't seem that way.  My skin has never stretched like this so I'm not surprised it's uncomfortable either.  I think the only thing that makes me okay with it is knowing that my little guy is growing and stretching!

Maternity Pictures

These ended up being a major bust two weeks ago!  We woke up and it was DOWNPOURING.  What a bummer!  Luckily our photographer was flexible with us and we rescheduled to this weekend.  Fingers crossed that it doesn't rain and we can get some really good pictures of the two of us and the bump!  The last professional pictures we have are from our wedding, and then my brother's wedding this past June.  It'll be nice to see some casual ones that still look really nice.

Our Wedding! (07/18/2015)

At my brother's wedding! (06/18/2016)

That's it for Week 32!  Welcome to any new readers and I hope you keep checking back!  Always feel free to send me comments/praises/criticisms/advice/etc.!  I love it all!