36 Weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along - 36 Weeks and 3 days

Size of Baby - Watermelon  (about 17.5 inches and 5.5 pounds)

Development - His liver, kidneys, circulation and immune systems are in working order.  He can almost breathe on his own.

Weight Gain - I was up to +15 pounds from my start weight, but I think some of that was swelling.  Now my swelling is gone, I'm back down to about +12 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes - Since I've been on bed rest, I mainly wearing pajamas and lounge wear.  I wear my maternity clothes when I go to the doctor.

Sleep -  I'm still a little restless at night, but take naps during the day too!  

Cravings - Mainly Mexican food and sweets!  A few specific things I love are chocolate milk in the morning, mozzarella sticks from Sonic and their drinks of course!  I love the blue coconut cherry sprite and a cherry or strawberry limeade. 

Miss Anything - Having energy, being able to breathe normal and being able to walk around and not feel so tired and sore.

Gender - It's a boy!  Ellis Jack!

Symptoms - Occasional leg cramps, tightness and pressure in belly, his body is pushing up into my ribs and lungs making it difficult to eat and breathe, and just general weakness.

Favorite thing - Feeling & seeing baby boy move and kick!

Recent doctor's appointment - If you keep up with my Facebook, then you know I'm on bed rest.  My blood pressure was going up and a couple weekends ago it was around 130/90 all weekend.  I called Monday and she told me to come in after school.  Well, after working all day I had the nurse at school take it and it was 150/98!  I went to the doctor and it was still high and my feet, ankles and legs were swollen.  They sent me to the hospital to get monitored.  Fortunately I didn't have preeclampsia, but I did have gestational hypertension.  I also had a liver enzyme that was high, so they kept me overnight.  The next day my blood pressure had gone down some, but was still high.  My liver enzyme level was lower, but still not great.  My swelling had also gone down some.  After bring there about 24 hours, we finally were allowed to go home, but I was placed on bed rest.  I went later that week to test my blood again and my liver enzyme was normal and all my swelling was gone!  She kept me on bed rest and decided to plan an induction on May 19.  I'm now going to the doctor twice a week, they are doing ultrasounds and this stress/responsive test, and I'm also checking 

my blood pressure about 3 times a day.  Even on bed rest it's still hovering around 130/95, but I have no swelling and everything at the doctor has looked good.  So, we will keep doing this and meet our sweet boy on May 19!  I will be 38 weeks then and I think he will be a good size and the doctor acted like he would be healthy and able to go home!  It's nice to have a plan and know when he's coming.  

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and hopefully everything will go smoothly and we'll have a happy and healthy boy in a couple of weeks!  

Here are his ultrasound pictures at 36 weeks!  I love his sweet and chubby face!