Sofi's Eve

Hello my dear family and friends. I am beyond excited to write today's post! Sofi and I have made it to the finish line. Tomorrow is a big day, as she will finally be gracing us with her presence. Words cannot describe the happiness my heart is feeling.

3 years ago I met my husband, and shortly after we started dreaming up the perfect life together...we would get married, move to Dallas to be close to my family, and have a baby girl that we would name Sofia. I sit here today feeling like the luckiest woman alive, because not only do I get to see my dreams become a reality, but because my life has unfolded even more perfectly than I could have ever imagined. My role as a wife has fulfilled me in more ways than anyone deserves, and now I'm about to begin the biggest role yet, being a mom. Yes, I am nervous, as I know the journey us just beginning, but I am determined to bottle the memory of the way I felt on this very day. Dreams do come true. What a blessing!

One last belly pic!!!

WK 37

Only 2 more weeks! Boy, am I feeling it! As of yesterday my feet have officially started to ache, perhaps even swell up a bit. My belly is super itchy, and my dizziness comes and goes. However, the craziest part about this week is the amount of deep blue veins appearing all over my belly and chest! I seriously hope those are not here to stay, or worse, turn into stretch markssss! I have been cautiously trying to avoid the potentially unavoidable...so only time will tell. For now, I'm going to continue to lather on my coconut oil, and say a little prayer. :)

About week 37, according to Baby Center: Sofi is now considered full term!! If I was to go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to adjust to life outside the womb. She should weigh around 6 1/3 lbs. and measure a bit over 19 inches. Most babies will be born with a full head of hair, with locks from 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches long. This will certainly be the case for Sofi, as she was already showing an inch of hair on her 35 week sono!!!

The baby shower last week was so beautiful! My BFF's outdid themselves with the gorgeous decor. Thank you to everyone who was able to come and celebrate such a special event. A few highlights....

Week 36

Week 36, only 3 more weeks to go! In just two more days I will celebrate my third and final baby shower, and begin to officially prepare for my new life as a mommy. Sofi has been such a trooper! She's hung in there tight and has been a delightful little guest of honor! :) We are so excited to welcome our princess into the world!!

About Week 36: According to Baby Center, Sofia is still packing on the pounds- at the rate of one ounce a day. She should weigh somewhere around 6 lbs. and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. At the end of this week, she will be considered full term. She should be in head down position, however, we recently learned that our stubborn little girl is still completely breech! I just hope she's not uncomfortable... :(

Week 35

This week my mom hosted a beautiful baby shower for us! Me, Sofi, and Daddy were surrounded by so much love and support. I couldn't believe all of the people that came out to celebrate this special occasion with us! Now I'm getting ready for baby shower #3 this weekend. Boy, am I a lucky girl or what?! Love my friends and family so much. I couldn't possibly ask for a better support system! 

How I'm feeling: While the shower was a success, and I was able to squeeze myself into my pre-pregnancy dress from H&M (which I'm not complaining about!), things haven't been always been roses and lilac water. I still have terrible sinuses, I feel more and more tired every day, and I'm starting to feel major cramps/Braxton Hicks Contractions. I've had a wonderful pregnancy, and I'm so thankful for that, but I'm definitely feeling very pregnant at this point. I'm so out of breath and all I want to do is lay in bed and eat Cheetos and Fruit Loops! Needless to say, at this point I am ready for this baby Sofi to prepare for take off! Just a few more weeks!!! 

  

Week 33

We're getting close! I have a huge belly right now and Sofi's running out of room to move around. I feel every kick, every turn...everything! But, the festivities are just getting started, so she needs to hold tight for just 6 more weeks. I have 3 baby showers planned over the next 3 weeks, please, please don't come early!  

 

How I'm feeling: Over the past few weeks I've had an awful case of sinuses. I've tried everything under the sun to get rid of this agony, but nothing has really worked! I have gotten myself a humidifier, tried all kinds of medicines, multiple nasal sprays, and I'm even sleeping sitting straight up...why isn't this going away?! As if that wasn't bad enough, now I'm feeling really weak and experiencing suddent waves of hot flashes. Oh, and don't even get me started on the constant heartburn. I've never just randomly burped so much! I feel like I'm insulting everyone around me, but I can't help it. Ahhh!! Please don't judge...this stuff is real, people! :) 

 

About Week 33 (According to Baby Center): Baby Sofi is weighing about 4 lbs., that's as much as a pineapple! Her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap. This makes it easier for her to move through the birth canal. Thes bones will continue to harden and mature through adulthood.  

 

 

Week 31

How I feel: This week I've experienced a case of extreme mood swings. Between my long commute to work, the constant stress of getting things wrapped up in the office before my maternity leave, and the anxiety of the next few weeks ahead, I think anyone would feel a little exhausted and out of their element too.  Luckily, my husband and sweet mom have been the there along the way to help me get through the highs and lows. I've been a bit of a hormonal monster, but they've been nothing but supportive and extremely forgiving. Every preggy should have a strong support system, so thank you mom and hubby!

 

How I'm preparing: I have to be honest, due to the limited amount of "free-time" I have, it's been difficult for me to catch up on reading or attend as many classes as I would like. The classes are extremely time consuming, lasting anywhere between 3-5 hours. I just don't have that kind of time! So, I've resorted to the next best thing...online videos. I've found Baby Center and You Tube to be particularly resourceful. Another fantastic resource has been Babies R Us. Do you know that they offer parenting classes every other Wednesday of the month?! The best part? They are FREE and only last about an hour! On the 27th I will be attending the first class on breast feeding! So, if you're strapped on time and/or cash, this may be a good alternative. I'll keep you posted.  

 

About Week 31: Baby Sofia measures over 16 inches long and weighs about 3 lbs. (Baby Center compares it to carrying 4 naval oranges). She can now turn her head from side to side, and her little body is starting to plump out. She's extremely active and seems like she's developing as expected. Only 8 more weeks until her arrival! Hooray!

 

Week 30

30 Weeks today! Can you believe it?! Exactly 9 weeks from today I will be holding my sweet baby girl in my arms! And yes, I said 9 weeks. To fill you in, I have decided to schedule my C-section for Week 39, April 12th. I know it may seem unnatural but during the early stages of my pregnancy my doctor discovered a very large cyst on my ovary. Luckily it is not cancerous, but it must come out! After much consideration I spoke to my doctor and decided to schedule my C-section and cyst operation at the same time. Since we're already going to cut me open, might as well take care of everything at once! I am scared of the surgery, but I trust my doctor very much and I trust that I am making a good decision for myself and my baby. So, unless she decides to comes early...on April 12th she will be making her first grand appearance!

About week 30: Baby Sofia weighs anywhere between 2.75-3lbs, about the size of a head of cabbage. I have gained approximately 12 lbs, and should continue to average +1 pound a week. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it is not very keen- 20/400 vision (normal adult vision is 20/20).

How I am preparing: For the past several weeks I have been working on getting the nursery ready, finalizing my registries, and tying up any lose ends at my job before my leave. With less than 10 weeks to go I still have so much ahead! I haven't registered for any birth classes, but I did manage to squeeze in 2 birthing videos (which I'm still dreading!). Just a helpful tip for any preggies out there, stay away from youtube videos about birth. If you missed that day in anatomy class, this isn't the time to catch up on reproduction. What they show on these videos is graphic and scary. I think I cried for one solid hour after watching. Both options (c-section and vaginal) are very intimidating (to put it nicely) and can make anyone question WTH they've gotten themselves into. Luckily I've had some great family and friends who have more than reassured me that everything will be just fine and it will all be worth it once I'm holding Sweet Sofia in my arms. :) Happy Friday!