I was so blown away by all of the thoughtful and sweet comments on my last pregnancy update post—thank you so much to all of you who took the time to leave a comment or email me about your breastfeeding experience. It was so nice to hear from mommas in similar situations to me and I’m so glad to have gotten so much encouragement and support from so many of you. A million thanks!
I’m two weeks out from my due date today and emotionally I’m in a place where it all feels really surreal. The birth of the baby still feels far away (it’s not!) and for some reason it’s so hard for me to picture this beautiful life growing inside of me actually being in my arms soon.
I think that if you’ve always wanted to be a mom, you kind of picture what your life might be like with a baby but now that it’s so close, it’s hard to actually imagine the moment where I’ll first see her face and hold her tiny little body. I am so excited and have so much anticipation for that incredible, life-changing moment, but like I said, it feels very surreal. It doesn’t help that I was watching Holly Madison’s E Special about the birth of her baby while writing this post…definitely teared up a little when the doctor placed her baby on her chest after birth.
In terms of being prepared for our little arrival, the nursery is done, but I’m going to post the photos after her arrival because her name is in there. Speaking of the name—I’ve gotten a lot of questions about it. What I can tell you is that we’ve had her name picked out for about four years now. I’ve kept a list of baby names we love on my iPhone for a long time and when we found out it was a girl we knew immediately the name we were going to choose. We’ve been calling her by her name since we found out she’s a she and we already have about 17 nicknames for her (yep, we’re those people!)
All of the newborn and 0-3 size clothing is washed and most of the essentials have arrived at our doorstep (thanks, Amazon!) We’ve assembled the pack n’ play, swing, bouncer, etc and our carseat is being installed this weekend. It feels good to have most of the major items taken care of.
Also…how cute is this hat? (from The Tiny Toppers on Etsy.com) I bought it for her newborn photos!
I still haven’t fully packed my hospital bag but it should be done soon…usually I’m so prepared for everything but I guess the whole “so surreal” feeling has kept me from having a strong sense of urgency. I figure if I went into labor early I could just toss most of what I need into my hospital bag and go.
In terms of how I’m feeling these days…it is what it is, ha. My hands and feet have swollen up a bit, my back hurts, almost all positions are uncomfortable to sit in and I’m still feeling a lot of pressure down low—but hey, two weeks out, I can’t really expect anything else.
I’ll find out at my OB appointment on Thursday if I’ve made any progress—last week the baby was low and my cervix was softening. My OB won’t let me go past 41 weeks so I will definitely have the baby sometime before June 5th.
How far along? 37 weeks (I do these a week behind as a recap of the previous week, so I’m actually 38 weeks today).
Total weight gain/loss: I’ve gained about 27 pounds now.
Maternity clothes? I am still wearing non-maternity tops (aside from the Liz Lange tanks) and maxi dresses and my GAP skinny maternity pants. Ladies who are thinking of becoming pregnant one day—hang on to all of those looser tops and tunics you bought because they will get you through your entire pregnancy.
Stretch marks? Still none. I’m using Belli’s Elasticity Belly Oil and Mustela double-action stretch mark cream in rotation.
Symptoms: Pretty much what I mentioned above. Overall general discomfort. The other night I woke up a lot and had cramps that radiated down through my thigs and legs. It was awful.
Sleep: It’s been okay. During the work week I tend to sleep better than on weekends.
Best moment this week: Feeling like things were getting done for the baby. Everything is ordered and organized. It’s all coming together and that’s a good feeling. I also had a good NST test so positives all around.
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? Being comfortable
Movement: She has been pretty active lately. It’s so tight in there though. Hopefully she will see the running out of space as a cue to let us welcome her into the world 🙂
Food cravings: Subway, candy, ice cream
Anything making you queasy or sick: Just eating large portions, so I’m trying to eat small portions very often
Have you started to show yet: All people ask these days is when I’m due.
Baby is a: Girl!
Belly Button in or out? Out
Wedding rings on or off? I finally stopped wearing them this week. I just wear a thin, faux band now.
Happy or Moody most of the time: I feel emotional but overall happy.
Looking forward to: My OB appointments, seeing my maternity photos, meeting our baby SOON!
Thank you for reading and for all of my pregnant readers, please feel free to check in below as well and let me know how your pregnancy is going 🙂 I also welcome everyone’s advice and comments about pregnancy!
Hannah @ Just Call Me HaHa says
I'm so excited for you these next couple weeks and anxiously awaiting her arrival! My nephew was born in Feb and similar to what you recently realized, she had gotten so many 6mo+ clothes that when he was born at 6lb, she barely had any clothes that fit him immediately. Good thing to stock up! Wishing you a wonderful two weeks!
Cortney says
I know exactly how you feel about being uncomfortable. I'm 35 weeks with our second baby and I'm ready to be done.
This might be a silly questions, but how did you get all the baby clothes on the hangers? I have lots of onesies where the neck or the whole outfit is just to small to fit.
Sarah @ Life, Love & Dinner says
What an exciting time! It must be crazy to know how close you are to meeting your baby girl! Love seeing those teeny little outfits!
natasha {schue love} says
Gosh, I remember being SO close and getting so excited about everything that was about to happen! I say, enjoy these last few weeks of being just the two of you. Go on a couple dates, see a couple movies, take a spontaneous trip to the mall! It will all change once little miss gets here!! Everyone told me that and I didn't really believe them! But now I know!! Enjoy it and take it all in!! XO
chic Saturday by Kelly says
Oh my goodness, Veronika, she's already a mini you! Her closet is fabulous, love it!! I have to say that I can definitely see myself doing the same 🙂 I am so excited and happy for you. And, as for the name/nickname thing, I do completely understand! Bless you all, can't wait for news of her arrival!!
xo,
Kelly from chic Saturday
Laura says
You are in the home stretch now! Go out to dinner a lot with your hubby, do NOTHING on the weekends and take as much "me" time as you possibly can. I also recommend stocking up on stamps and thank you cards because you get so many gifts and don't want to have to think about having to run to the store for thank yous. Prepare as much as you can, cleaning, stocking up with food, etc, but also really enjoy these last couple of weeks just a twosome!
Nicole says
So exciting! Everything looks wonderful, and you look adorable. I agree that you should definitely have some newborn size clothing- I thought my baby would be huge and we would go right to 0-3, but she ended up in newborn for at least 8 weeks!
Good luck with the end of your pregnancy- can't wait to "meet" her!
Lynn says
Hi Veronica! I read all your posts and am soooo excited for your daughter to arrive. You are looking lovely.
Love~ Radha
Rachel says
You look great! Can't wait to hear the name you picked for her! I can't believe you got through your pregnancy with hardly any maternity clothes! I'm jealous!:) I needed maternity pants at 10 weeks and I gained 40 pounds by the time it was all said and done! 🙂
For what it's worth, Audrey spent most of her newborn days in onesies…we hardly ever dressed her in real clothes…too much work! Haha:)
Elizabeth Kate says
Hang in there! She could come at any time, you never know 🙂 We welcomed our sweet baby three weeks early on Mother's Day… everyone is doing well! We are so shocked that she came already, but we couldn't have asked for a smoother delivery or a better Mother's Day gift. Good luck these last few weeks!
Amy Eden says
It seems like just yesterday you announced that you guys were expecting.. The times gone by so fast! I'm so excited for you!
Loveglampeonies.blogspot.com
Vee says
Such an exciting time! We had our first baby girl two weeks ago. Let me tell you something, sometimes it's still surreal even now! take in every moment when you're in labor. It's only been two weeks but it feels like it was years ago. I will never forget the exact moment they out her on my chest. I didnt know what to feel because I had so many emotions running through my mind! Best day if my life so far, hands down. I'm sure it will be yours too. Good luck and enjoy the last couple weeks of quiet and sleep!
Jennifer says
WHOO HOO! I feel like it was only a month or so ago you told us all you were pregnant!
I was having Emma by the end of this week for you. It was crazy. She came two weeks early.
So jealous of how tiny you are for being full term. I was a house.
Rebecca @ Thats So Pearl says
I remember having that surreal feeling too. I also didn't have my bag packed when I went into labor two weeks early! 🙂 I made the mistake of bringing a 0-3 month outfit to the hospital for her to come home in and she ended up being only 5 lbs and way too small for even newborn clothes! I'd suggest bringing a couple outfits for her.
Try to write your birth story down the next day or while you're still in the hospital. A week later you won't remember the little details and after that it will become even more fuzzy!
Good luck with everything and I can't wait to see more updates from you!
catiaspi says
i know it probably feels good/prepared to buy newborn onesies but your baby is full term. they fit their bodies good but getting them over the head, especially if you need to change a poopy/wet exploding diaper while the baby is asleep with out waking her is annoying. i just put my son in 3-6months at 2-3 weeks old cause it was easier to get his clothes off and on.
glad you feel better this week. he was 7 pounds
Colleen says
Nursery looks beautiful! Thank you for posting throughout your pregnancy; I've bookmarked these posts for future reference 🙂 I think it's safe to say that for all of your readers, you've been a great example of how to be pregnant with style and sophistication! So happy for you and hubby xoxo
Skylette from Sequins & Stilettos says
Oh so exciting… I never made it past 37 weeks with three of my pregnancies so it could be any day now! I have a sister that will be 40 weeks as of tomorrow so we are all trying to give her "pointers" to try to get that baby here. I'm not sure if it is helping or discouraging. 😉
You seem so prepared; her room is perfect… can't wait to learn what you name her!
May M says
So happy for you!!! Can't wait to see your little girl. I'm sure she'll be as pretty as her mommy! Love that sweet little bunny hat. All the best for the delivery and the days and weeks afterwards!! x
Jenn says
so exciting! I look forward to hearing her name and seeing the room. You look fabulous. My twins (boys) are 4.5 and I also have twin (girls) that are 4.5 months…I swear to you it steal feels surreal that they all belong to me and I am someone's mom! I will never, ever forget the exact moment I met all of them. Their birthdays were hands down the best days of my life. I could replay meeting them all in my head a million times. take it all in. It is amazingly special. Best wishes to you and your hubby! http://www.twobytwomom.com
Todd says
You have such a NICE baby belly Veronika and I find your jutting(outie) bellybutton WAY COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!