7 days till eviction

How far along: 38 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: loss of 20 lbs

Sleep: restless

Best moment this week: The fear/relief knowing that for sure Odin will be here next week.

Movement: Some, I think he's pretty much run out of space.

Food Cravings: Ice water, lots of ice water, and I really want some candy hearts since those are all over the place, but I can't have any :-(

Food Aversions: I have no idea, it just depends on the day and time.

Gender: boy

Labor Signs: Yes, Sunday I had to go to the hospital due to contractions every 5-7 minutes apart for 2 hours. Started dilating, but after an hour in the hospital if slowed down.

Belly Button in or out: still an innie

What I miss: being comfortable

What I'm looking forward to: Not having to worry about blood sugar stuffs.

Weekly Wisdom: Breathe and make lists, they will help you feel more prepared.

Milestones: Odin is over 6 lbs 8 oz right now (that's how he was measuring at last week's sonogram, and is about the size of a leek

It feels more like he's the size of these leeks though:

All in all Odin's organs are mature and ready for the real world. Now we just need to wait till next week at 8pm! 

Miscarriages

No, before anyone freaks out, I have not had one, Odin is still doing just fine.

The one I want to talk about happened in 2009, a way long time ago it feels like, but sometimes it feels like yesterday.
It was my first pregnancy, I had found out and told everyone, Husband and I were so happy, I was working as a CMA and enjoying my job, everything looked like it was going our way. Then I started spotting, the doctor did a sonogram, and it looked like the placenta hadn't attached all the way. They never came out and said I would loose the baby, and even if they had I don't think I would have heard it, I was too excited to be pregnant.
A week or so later it started getting worse, I was getting cramps and pain, enough to where they sent me home from work. The next day I called in to work and talked to my doctor. They confirmed what was happening. I was in shock. The next two days flew by in a haze. Until I got a call from work, telling me I was fired due to absences. I had been sent home one day and called in sick the next, but evidently they didn't care that I had a doctor's note. It was horrible. It seemed like my whole life just stopped at that moment, I'd never been fired before.

Now you may be asking why I'm bringing this up now, when I'm set to deliver in just over 2 weeks.

The pain of the loss never leaves you, no matter how far along you are when you loose your little one. I've been hearing recently from people talking about pregnant women not being appreciative of what's happening to them, about how they should be grateful they can even carry a child.
I have read articles saying that it's as common for 1 in 4 women to have had a miscarriage. But I haven't been able to find a solid medical source for that statistic. However, I can only name one woman I know of that has kids that did not have at least one miscarriage somewhere in her life.
So if you hear me complaining about how uncomfortable I am, or how much I wish it was over, be careful about making the snap judgement that I'm ungrateful for being able to carry a child.
For the first months before I could feel Odin moving I was terrified, I still am terrified if he's still for too long. You can ask Husband, I worried and fretted all the time. (He'd probably laugh if he ever heard anyone say I'm not worrying about something) I would even say this goes for most women, miscarriage is not talked about very often, it seems like most people treat it like a dirty secret to have lost a child, like that somehow meant they weren't good enough.

Now I've kind of lost my focus, sorry, it happens often. I guess all I'm saying is be kind to one another, we've almost all suffered a loss before, we know how it hurts, especially when everyone seems to get pregnant as soon as your precious one is gone. (that one hurts the most, seeing other people so happy while you are suffering and in pain)

'heads' are rolling and stretching in my womb (yes that was my attempt at a witty joke.....no I'm not mad if you didn't laugh at it.)

How far along: 36 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: loss of 20 lbs

Sleep: very restless, full of odd and vivid dreams

Best moment this week:

Movement: yup, Odin's big on trying to stretch in space where there is none left.

Food Cravings: Ice water, lots of ice water. And honeycrisp apples....I think I've eaten like 3 in the past two days.

Food Aversions: eggs, don't like the smell.

Gender: boy

Labor Signs: braxton hicks, but no real contractions yet.

Belly Button in or out: still an innie

What I miss: uninterrupted sleep.

What I'm looking forward to: Not sure much more than actually getting to hold Odin

Weekly Wisdom: planning is so important before hand because all plans fall apart after the birth.

Milestones: Odin is now about 6 lbs and around 18 1/2 inches long, which is about the size of a head of romaine lettuce.

Odin should now be facing 'head down' and by the end of this week will be considered 'early term' (which used to be full term when I was preggers with Loki, but they have new research and studies to say that the majority of the really good brain development happens in the last few weeks, so they try to keep the babies in as close to the 40 weeks as possible now)

Long overdue update

How far along: 35 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: 24 lbs lost, so far as I know.

Sleep: a little tossing and turning, laying on one side for to long makes my hips hurt.

Best moment this week: lots of movement after Odin being stationary enough to get me a little worried.

Movement: yes, very much so in the last few days especially.

Symptoms: well it's pretty obvious if you look at me now, which is kinda nice.

Symptoms I don't have: I never really know how to answer this question to where it's 'right'

Food Cravings: ice water, or cold beverages, also honey crisp apples...I could eat those all day long, they're just so good!!!

Food Aversions: the smell of eggs

Gender: boy

Labor Signs: lots of braxton hicks lately, which is so not painless like all the information on them says.

Belly Button in or out: still an innie

What I miss: sleeping on my stomach

What I'm looking forward to: my doctor apt on Wednesday, yay for finally having insurance!

Weekly Wisdom: enjoy sleep while you can. Also I think I need to stock up on lanolin.

Milestones: Odin no longer has much room to move (although he hasn't quite figured that out yet goodness gracious) he's over 18 inches long and is weighing in around 5 1/4 lbs which is around the size of a honeydew melon (yummy)

Only 7 weeks left!

How far along: 33 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: a net loss of 24 lbs

Sleep: some days better than others.

Best moment this week: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, just all around awesome.

Movement: yes, although walking and moving around at work seems to rock Odin to sleep, he's not really active unless I sit down.

Symptoms: Still some early morning nausea, oddly caused by brushing my teeth...(it's getting irritating)

Symptoms I don't have:  I'm skipping this one...I'm tired of answering it.

Food Cravings: oh my gosh yes! Mostly sweets (which I've cut down on majorly) and ice water.

Food Aversions: 3 bites and I'm finished

Gender: boy

Labor Signs: not yet

Belly Button in or out: still an innie

What I miss: not feeling like my hips are going to fall off from soreness when I get up in the mornings.

What I'm looking forward to: Not sure right now...I suppose mostly D giving birth. (my best friend is about a month and a half further along than I am

Weekly Wisdom: I'm not feeling very wise today so all I will say is, love one another, you idiots.

Milestones: Odin is now over 17 inches long and weighs 4 lbs (which is around the size of a pineapple)

Maternity Pictures!

Courtesy of my lovely mother, who stood out in the cold with me and took very beautiful pictures and then later took the time to make sure each of them looked awesome and had the 'right coloring'

Love all the snow/ice in these two pictures! I just love the winter (so long as I don't have to drive) 

Ber was trying to show Loki how to give Victor a kiss. It didn't quite work out very well, Loki was more interested in trying to play in the snow

She did pause her running around to give me a kiss

Loki giving Odin some sibling love

So many updates we're practically giving them away!

Before we get to the pregnancy update today I have good news! I passed the (worrisome) test and am now a Fidelity Employee! Technically I have been since Monday when I started training, but I was waiting until I got through the test and passed before I really let myself get excited. So yay! That's going good for me.

Also, (less world shaking and more house shaking) I got so much folding and putting away for stuff for Loki! I also got to get creative with my own clothing (and a few extras courtesy of Jem, D and the Goodwill) So I had fun pairing things together in order to have business type clothing, which is not easy when all you can wear is a few maternity pants and very few shirts that are appropriate. But As I said, Jem and D helped me find two cute pullovers that I can match with all sorts of things to help give me lots more options (plus they'll work well after Odin's born as well!)

And now for your regularly scheduled updated:

How far along: 32 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: still at a 24 lb loss I believe

Sleep: waking up about once a night, sometimes it's easy to fall back asleep, but not always.

Best moment this week: starting my new job (yes I know that's not really baby related, but still exciting)

Movement: had the first really painful kick today

Symptoms: Someone is not only taking up all the space my bladder normally holds, he's now moving around and taking up lung space and making it harder for me to breathe!

Symptoms I don't have: I'm tired of this question....

Food Cravings: SODA! which I'm trying very hard to stay away from (no more than one can a day, if that)

Food Aversions: anything spicy, the smell is bothering me lately.

Gender: boy

Labor Signs: not yet

Belly Button in or out: still an innie

What I miss: being able to slouch and still breathe.

What I'm looking forward to: cute maternity pictures, also I really enjoy when Odin gets the hiccups

Weekly Wisdom: There is a time and a place for everything, and if you have to think about it, this is probably not the correct time and place.

Milestones: Odin is now around 3 3/4 lbs and 16.7 in long, which is about the size of a large jicama (I had no idea what this was, so I looked it up)

the crisp, white-fleshed, edible tuber of a Central American climbing plant of the pea family ( Pachyrhizus erosus, family Leguminosae ), cultivated since pre-Columbian times and used esp. in Mexican cooking.

Odin is now gaining around half a pound a week, so he's starting to get nice and plump to be ready to come into the world. His fingernails and toenails are formed and he's starting to grow hair (hopefully red!)