35 weeks

Kenny and I had our local shower this weekend and thanks to our organizer and host extraordinaire, Audrey, it was a great little shindig. We got to hang out, snack, admire the flowers and fancy drinks and appetizers Audrey & Team had most-professionally put together, admire grill-master Kenny's achievement of steak perfection, stuff our faces with seconds and potentially thirds at the fajita buffet, enjoy the men's begrudging participation in the solitary shower game, coo at the unimaginably adorable baby clothes gifted to me, and, oh yes, eat more food when the dessert round approached (candy, double-chocolate cupcakes, cookie/berry pie with marshmallow-cream cheese icing, and peanut butter-chocolate rice krispie treats). It was great to get the friends together (and great to see those we hadn't seen since San Diego) and have a relaxing summer afternoon.

We're still taking stock of the gifts we've received thus far on the registry and I'm curious if/when an office-shower will materialize. I hope it happens soon if it's going to happen because Kenny and I will need to start putting in Amazon orders for the missing items, stat. I'm definitely anxious to get to the end now and we've got only five weeks longer to wait, but that means too that there's only five weeks to get all residual to-do items checked off, and acquiring all baby things is probably the biggest outstanding project. We did get the stroller/car seat travel system (thank you to mom Jacque and Grandma Rose!!) so we can now go and get those properly installed by the fire department and checked off the list. I also took my lactation course last week (let's hope baby knows what he's doing on that topic because I don't) and we can also cross the hospital tour off the list as well. It was even more valuable than I thought it was going to be just to see where to park and understand the whole process of admission and where to go and what to do. Glad we went!

This week's goal is the car seat installation, gift thank you cards and also getting my hospital bags packed. It seems a bit surreal that I'm going to be packing a labor bag - for some reason, that task alone is the resounding tip-off in my brain that this is very, very real. It's also extremely crazy to me that little KJ could technically come any day now, and be fine and healthy and look like a regular 'ol newborn. We'll hope he stays put because further incubation is best for his continued growth and development, and also partly because mom's a procrastinator and plans everything through the last minute and is just not ready yet...

KJ's doing well, as far as I can discern, and seems in constant motion. I was commenting off-handedly to Kenny the other night after a long day at work that KJ had been hitting me in the ribs and elsewhere nearly ALL day and it was a bit patience-wearing. As Kenny was resting his arm by his side, pressing against my stomach as we sat next to each other on the couch, he commented after 5-10 minutes or so that yes, he could see how that might be semi-irritating after getting a taste of the battery. He thought the baby was just being ornery, kicking his dad for being too close, but no, that's just what baby does...day in, day out. Yes, I do wish the incessant movement would let up more frequently, and especially at work when I'm just sitting at my desk and very much aware of how constantly the baby jabs at my ribs. Of course I'd be instantly concerned if it decreased, and am already sad that his movements may lessen in the next few weeks as he gets bigger and his limbs are more confined. I don't really know what I want because I'm a mixed-bag of contradictions at this point but honestly, it'd be nice to get a break from the rib-kicking. And that seems to be his favorite move...http://3dpregnancy.parentsconnect.com/calendar/35-weeks-pregnant.html

As for me, I was doing great for being this pregnant...up until yesterday. I've been dealing with the dull, aching of my groin for some time now, and had purchased my belly support band to help ease that. Yesterday, I exacerbated the groin pain with a mid-afternoon hustle (jog) to another building as I was extremely late to a meeting I was hosting at work. While the jog itself didn't pose any pain or discomfort (it actually felt rather nice), the aftermath was pretty painful and I had trouble walking the rest of the evening after that. The groin pain is just constant now, and I'm hoping it eases up, a bit, because it really does make walking/moving difficult. I don't think I can avoid the groin discomfort entirely; KJ's big, heavy head is probably settling into the lower part of my pelvis, adding to the weight of my belly which is already putting downward pressure on my pelvic region. My provider said I will just have to rely on my support band as frequently as possible and rest a lot more.

Rest? Eh. Who has time for that? And yes, I can guarantee that I will avoid running in the future (lack of judgment, yes), but I still have a lot to do. I've been avoiding the grocery store for a couple of days now because my groin hurts. I sort of need to continue to do grocery shopping through...It's really hard for my brain to all of a sudden come to terms with the fact that my 8-months-pregnant body may indeed have some physical limitations when my normal routines (general mobility, working out, energy level) have gone on thus far generally unchanged. To hit this "hard stop" where I'm having trouble even walking...that's a rather extreme and abrupt change. My groin is already aching less than yesterday and I hope it will ache less tomorrow too and that I can get back into a regular gait and not waddle like I've been riding a horse for too long. I will promise myself (and Kenny, and my provider) that I will take things a little easier and try to rest more, but I need to ease into it. I can't go from 100% regular activity level to 50% mobility. I don't have the patience! And I already miss the gym, mainly just because I don't have the option to go (like telling a kid not to touch something and then all they want to do is touch it).

As I sit here writing this, it's getting late and I should be making a commitment to get more rest... so off to bed I go. I have another doctor's appointment on Friday morning and will get my groin and belly and measurements all checked out then. I really hope the next five weeks go just as well (or nearly) as the first 35...I just need to remember I'm 8 months pregnant!