month 9 {september}

scared? or excited? a little bit of both, really ;)

How Far Along: 38 weeks, 3 days

Size: A Pomeranian dog or a spaghetti squash. Or perhaps something much bigger, since she's measuring so big!

Gender: It's a girl! :) though I'm still pretty paranoid that she'll come out a boy and her nursery will be all wrong! Haha :)

Name: Ada Charlotte :) 

Movement: Miss Ada is definitely running out of womb ;) while I certainly still feel many kicks and movements, she also puts a lot of pressure into specific parts of my stomach at different times, which is quite uncomfortable. Those pressurized times are the times when I'm most anxious for her to come out of there haha. My favorite times are when I'm watching TV or a movie and I just rest my hands on my bare stomach, waiting for any kicks or movements that come. I love to feel those and think about holding her hands or feet when she's on the outside. I'm just so excited to see our tiny little human :)

I was also recently informed that the odd-shaped pressure thing that Ada does that sometimes gives me stomach aches is actually Braxton Hicks. So apparently I've been having those for several months now without even knowing that's what they were! 

Fun Fact: Ummm I'm having a baby tomorrow! :D

Sleep: Sleep is pretty crappy. I'm up going to the bathroom every 5 minutes (it feels like) and my hips hurt like crazy and my stomach is heavy to lift to turn over onto the other side. It got even more difficult this month, so that's been a bit frustrating. Not only do I wake up to go to the bathroom or turn over, but I've also been experiencing a lot of (often painful) pressure in my stomach -- enough to wake me up. Lately, I give up on sleep between 4:30 & 5:30am because it is just too frustrating. It's a rough part of late pregnancy, no doubt, but I'll live through it. I'm sure the reward will be worth the lost sleep :)

Weight Gain: Well it looks like I'll at least be making my goal of not breaking a certain very high number! Haha I didn't really set weight gain goals in the beginning because I didn't know what to expect. Perhaps I will set more specific goals next time so I don't gain as much, but we'll see. My weight stayed pretty consistent this month, though, bringing my final weight gain to about 41.2 pounds.

Symptoms: Feet have been quite swollen off and on this month. I asked a doctor if there was anything I could do to relieve the swelling, and she said, "Have the baby!" Haha well alrighty, then. They don't really hurt like they did after my flight back in July, but they sure look like they're going to explode, so they just kind of worry me! I'm mostly wearing flip flops and slippers these days. 

A lot more pelvic pain (low) and hip pain (sides) this month. Guess my body is preparing for a body to exit or something! ;)

The problem of being either constantly full or hungry has gone away and has been replaced with the need to use the bathroom two or three times each night instead of one . . . Guess that's because baby girl has dropped lower!

Also, I don't think I've ever mentioned it, but I kinda get a bloody nose sometimes. Not really, I've only had one actual bloody nose, but I frequently have bloody snot or blood in my throat that I need to spit out. #yum

Diabetes: I didn't get another diabetes appointment this month because they're usually at the very end of a month, so no new a1c to report. However, I was low a lot more frequently this month due to the changes the perinatologist wanted be to make. He kinda irritates me. He tells me my sugars are too high when I think they're pretty stellar, and he doesn't listen when I tell him that changing a rate in that way will make me low all the time. Glad to be done with those appointments til my next pregnancy! 

Cravings/Aversions: Nope. Well, maybe ice cream and shakes. I like those things, but usually if I'm getting dessert I prefer baked goods. However, lately I have really just wanted ice cream and shakes, and it's not THAT hot anymore, so maybe, maybe it's a craving. 

Also, I've been craving a hot tub. I already know it feels great to be in a pool, but now that it's cooler in the mornings and I'm taking hotter showers, I find myself wishing I could feel the buoyancy of a pool in the temperature of a hot tub :)

Missing Most: At this point it's pretty much sleep and comfort.

Nursery: Feels so close but yet so far. We finally got the curtain rod installed and some drapes chosen. I also made some cute floral curtain tie backs and did a bit more decorating of all the shelves. However, I've still got a few key things to do to finish it up. Good thing Miss Ada will be sleeping in a cradle in our room in the beginning! :)

Daddy: So I've said before that pregnancy hormones haven't been a huge thing for me, so when they do happen, it's so weird! One day, when Russ got home from work, I was just like inexplicably sad, and I told him that. When he asked why, I legit started crying and said, "I just want to be able to hug you with our full bodies touching!" So he suggested we go cuddle in bed and he was just really sweet even though I was acting kinda crazy haha. I'm grateful for the way he puts up with the times when I do have pregnancy hormones. 

Speaking of hugging with our bodies fully touching, one morning I kinda tried to do that . . . Like I hugged him as much as I could and then rolled the rest of my body down to touch him, which resulted in a lot of laughter from both of us because it was just so weird! Haha :)

One day Russ sent me cute texts about how he was excited when a coworker asked him questions about Ada because then he got to talk about her :) the coworker just asked simple things, like her name and due date, but it was cute that he was happy to tell someone else :)

And he's just so excited for her to get here and it's so cute :) I can't wait to see him step into his new role as daddy :) :)

Highlights & Memories: 

• A lot of important people in my life have recently shared that they are pregnant! I'm not yet at liberty to say who all is pregnant, but I'm excited for Ada to have so many little friends who will be in her same grade :) One of those is my sister-in-law Anya, and she even just recently found out that her baby is a girl! Yay! 
• I had an ultrasound on September 1st. In the ultrasound, the tech told me that Ada has a lot of hair! I have been hoping she would, but had no clue you could see that on an ultrasound (because let's be honest, I can't see anything . . . ). The tech or doctor (can't remember which now) also told me that Ada was in the 85th percentile for size, and that she's on her way to being a 9 lb. baby. However, I had another ultrasound on September 22, where Ada measured at 10 lbs 4 oz. One of them is likely wrong, but it's impossible to know which, so my doctor recommended a c-section. I would rather be safe than sorry, so c-section it is. We'll just have to see how big she is when she comes out, I guess!
• I got in a pool this month, and it was as awesome as everyone says. So light and comfy! Getting out, on the other hand, is another story! When I tried to climb out, it was so hard! I had to try again because it was just too hard to lift all that weight.
• I also had two more baby showers this month -- a neighborhood/ward shower and a family shower. Both were great and really helped me get ready for Ada :)
• So since I am diabetic, I always knew that they wouldn't let me go full term. I knew they would induce at some point, but I never really knew when. At one point, I had a doctor recommend that I deliver between 38 and 39 weeks. I had my heart set on September 23rd because it was a Friday, which worked out great for Russ's work schedule, and it also worked out perfectly for my good friend/birth photographer to take pictures. She's in the middle of moving right now, and that was actually the only date that worked for her. So when my OB checked my cervix at 37 weeks and told me it was nowhere near ready for delivery, I was so sad because my plans for the 23rd seemed like they wouldn't come to fruition. He checked again at 38 weeks and said something similar. I couldn't handle it. When I went to the hospital for my regular non stress test that day, I just broke down in front of the nurse and just told her how I was so done with being pregnant and uncomfortable and I just wanted to have my little girl in my arms! I certainly had a heavy dose of hormones that day. But, as I mentioned earlier, plans have now completely changed to where I'll be having a c-section, so it turns out we'll have a baby on September 23 anyway! And while you can't get normal birth photography done with a c-section, Laynah will be around to take some fresh baby photos, so I'm super happy that worked out at least :)
• I don't think I've mentioned this before, but this entire month (and probably most of last month), I've pretty much been living with my belly uncovered. All the layers either itch or hurt or bug in some other way, so I just walk around the house belly-out whenever possible. Haha :) When I do wear clothes, it's mostly dresses or a pair of sweat shorts. I can still fit into my H&M maternity pants, but I've worn those very rarely these days -- like maybe once or twice in the last two months haha.
• Hadley saw my uncovered belly for the first time the other day . . . her response was so funny! It's like she didn't realize how big my belly really was until she saw it uncovered! Then she was obsessed with trying to feel the baby move on my bare stomach :) Annnndddd then she wanted me to uncover my stomach every time she saw me after that hahaha :)

Can't Wait For: Meeting my baby!!! I am ready to hold her in my arms and kiss her little face :) I also can't wait to see Russ meet our baby :) I'm also incredibly excited to be done with this giant bump so I can give my husband a proper hug, proper snuggles, and 6 weeks after delivery, proper . . . lovin' haha. 

**ashleynicole