36 Weeks

• How Many Weeks: 36 weeks 1 days

• Weight Gain: Well, it has not been pretty...I am waiting for the fluctuation to stop. At one point this past week, I was a pound over my 40 week goal...erg.
  

• How big is baby?: well according to Baby Center "Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement."

• Maternity clothes?: I need to go buy some nursing tank tops from Target, but other than that...I will not be buying anything else.
  

• Stretch marks?: They are ugly and they are traveling higher and higher and I hate it. Some have made it to 3 inches above my belly button. My poor skin.
  

• Sleep?: My hips still hurt, but I am sleeping in 3-4 hour increments (when I am actually able to sleep). Towards the end of this past week, I have been having a lot of contractions, so those keep me up at night.
  

• Movement?: Hiccups are still common 'round these parts. I love them and I hate them. They are so cute and I love feeling her in my tummy, but at the same time, they get annoying after a while. She wiggles all the time too. She manages to put her feet on my sides, Think a capital letter "I", so her legs are bear-hugging me. When I lay on my side, I can feel her wiggle her feet out from under me. I always feel so bad when that happens. She knees me, elbows me, kicks me, punches me. She is a strong little baby and I cannot wait to see all these little limbs that are beating me up inside very soon.
  

• Food cravings?: Well, I had a major craving for a Jersey Mike's #13 Sub last week, and on Sunday afternoon, mom and dad came down to visit, so we went there and it was so yummy. My dad loved it and he rarely likes anything. He said he will be back for sure. Minley liked it too. The day prior, I had a minor meltdown when Justin asked me what I wanted for dinner...we ended up with California Pizza Kitchen...but stopped at Ralphs for hot fudge, mint chip ice cream and virgin margarita mix. That mama-margarita was divine, let me tell you. I have been enjoying black grapes, croissants, and corn dogs this week too.
  

• Labor Signs: Contractions happen regularly now. Real ones, not Braxton Hicks contractions. They do not hurt (that much), so I do not really time them, but they sure do happen a lot. Today at the doctors office I found out that I was 1-2 cm dilated and 75% effaced, so we are on our way. The internal exam hurt like no other, some swear words slipped and I ended up bleeding for a few hours afterwards. Ack. I am not looking forward to one once a week until Min gets here.
  

• Belly button in or out?: Flatter than it has even been and at some points, pops out just a wee bit.
  

• What I miss: Not hurting. I did not know how good I had it pre-pregnancy.
  

• What I'm looking forward to: I am really just looking forward to closing the "pregnancy" chapter of my life. I am really, really sick and tired of being sick and tired. I am looking forward to meeting our little girl, but at the same time I am terrified of her. I do not want to break her or hurt her. A lot of responsibility comes the day she becomes my outside baby.
  

• Milestone: Less than 4 weeks to go! The end is so close.

I would provide a picture, but the daddy fell asleep and I did not get a picture taken, so I will add one later this week.