I know…I am behind, but here ya go!

How far along? 36 weeks & 1 day!
How am I feeling? Exhausted. I have never rested so much but been so exhausted in my life. And if I hear “just wait until baby comes” one more time I might scream. I know, but I can also guess with a high certainty that it will be a different type of exhaustion.
Total weight gain/loss: 22lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes.
Stretch marks? Yes. Same ones I have had. They have gotten slightly bigger, but I have been quite surprised I don’t have more.
Sleep: It comes and goes. Some nights are definitely better than others.
Exercise: Nada. I am on pretty strict rest orders. More on that below.
Best moment this week/since last update: Definitely having Daddy home!! Yes, since my last update, we welcomed Dan home from a 6 month deployment. You guys, this man has absolutely blown me away with how he has jumped right in. He has been the best husband and most loving father already.
Movement: All the time. Although this little guy likes to take long naps and worry Mama at times. Movement is different now. It’s more of a roll, stretch, or bulging of his butt than kicks.
Food cravings: Nothing particular. Fruit if I had to say something.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Night time? I have been getting pretty nauseous again. Starts in the middle of the night and goes until about noon or so the next day.
Have you started to show yet: We are way past that.
Labor Signs: Too many. I started having braxton hicks around 28/29 weeks I think? They were very random. But at 33 weeks they started coming daily. Then hourly. Then they turned into full blown contractions. I’ve been put on house arrest pretty much with the orders to lay down as soon as I hit 4 within an hour. Well, let’s just say that doesn’t take long. I’m just so glad to be reaching “term” (here term is considered 37 weeks) and this little guy is showing positive signs of breathing, so if he comes now, he shouldn’t have any premie related complications.
Belly Button in or out? It’s still kinda weird and in an in-between stage.
What I miss? Feeling normal. That’s the best way to describe it. I am exhausted. And not in the sense that I haven’t had sleep, but my body is just really tired. My heart has been in overdrive for quite a while and the constant feeling of my heart racing and shortness of breath is really taxing. BUTTTTT we are in the home-stretch and this little man has remained healthy through it all, so I cannot complain!
What I’m loving? Our life. As hard as this pregnancy has been, I get little glimpses of what our life is going to be like when Caden arrives and I couldn’t be more excited.
What I am looking forward to? Do you even have to ask?
Wedding rings on or off? Still off. The swelling is just too much.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time. Frustrated some of the time. And a complete mess a small percentage of the time. Let me tell you, seeing only the inside of your house, your car, or the doctor’s office for a month will make a person want to go crazy. And yes, I know that it could be much worse. I’ve been reminded of that many times…but hello, it’s still not fun. At least the Olympics were on though! 🙂
Weekly Wisdom: Hmm…don’t think I have anything today.
Milestones: almost term!

Other updates:

Caden is doing really well!! We started NST’s (non stress tests where they monitor his movements and heart rate) at 32 weeks. I go twice a week and during one of the appointments I also have an ultrasound to check his fluid and breathing.  For the most part he has done well. I have had to stay for extended monitoring a few times because his heart rate was all over the place. We had quite the scare one appointment but after a couple hours things settled down and all was well. He likes to keeps us on our toes, that’s for sure!

We also had his 36 week growth scan and he is measuring 10 days ahead (although, we are arguing that’s his actual due date and have from the beginning, but the doctor’s aren’t chaining it) and weights just at 6lbs (53rd percentile). But…the poor boys head is measuring 39 weeks. Ouch!

Me: I posted briefly on FB a couple weeks ago that there was a mix-up with my heart medication. That was not so fun to find out, but I am thankful my cardiologist caught it when she did. For about 3-4 weeks I was on half the dosage and my rates were going higher and higher. After a few days, I was back to my pregnancy normal. It still spikes at times, but between that and the contractions, I rest a lot anyways. I am also having some higher blood pressures and actually having to go through a pre-eclampsia workout right now. The did all the tests today so I am waiting on results. In the mean time I get to drive to Madigan for the next 5 days for blood pressure checks. I literally live at that place. I will be there 6/7 days this week and 3/7 at least next week. I should probably just pitch a tent until Caden arrives. Prayers that those tests would come back negative are much appreciated!

Dan: First, I just have to brag on this man. I didn’t give him nearly enough credit. He has been the most amazing husband and Daddy since the minute he stepped off the plane from deployment. I am planning to do another blog post on this at another time. For now, several have asked about what’s next for Dan so I figured I would do a quick update. First, he is home (knock on wood), until Caden comes. There have been two trips he was assigned to but thankfully his squadron leadership has done everything in their power to keep him home. I am so incredibly thankful to them for that. After Caden arrives, Dan will get 10-14 days of paternity leave and then he is eligible to leave after that, which we expect to happen. He has also been given dates for IP school that will come shortly after but I don’t want to share those details on here. As for the always asked question, “When you are guys moving?” We don’t know. It could be next spring, it could be 2018 (this is what Dan is aiming for). When we know, we will let you know! Otherwise, Dan has done well adjusting back to the swing of things after deployment. He is flying a lot and getting recurrent from not flying for 6 months.

That’s a lot of info! But honestly, as crazy as this has been and as crazy as this week has gotten with potential blood pressure issues, the end is near and that means we get to hold this precious boy in our arms so so soon! As always, we are so thankful for your support and your prayers!

Ohh….and because I haven’t taken a single photo in a couple of months, here are a few from our maternity session! I was 31 weeks during these photos. I am so thankful to my sweet friend, Tiffany Burke with Tiffany Burke Photography for taking these photos for us before the craziness began! I look up to Tiffany as a photographer and a human – seriously, there is not a person more selfless or more full of life than her. Tiffany, thank you for capturing this season of life for us. We will treasure these photos forever. We love you and cannot wait for you to take Caden’s newborn photos!