35 Weeks!

Today I'm 35 weeks pregnant!  I'm also done with work and have officially "retired", as Dave likes to say.  It was very bittersweet!  I've been ready for so long to move on from my job as a nanny, but the last few days brought a crazy mix of emotions.  It's so bizarre to think that I won't be going to their house every day anymore.  I'm incredibly excited for what's to come, but I can't help but be a little sad at what I'm leaving behind too, if that makes sense.  Here are a few pictures of the twins when they were much younger:

And this is from yesterday, my last day as their nanny:

We certainly had some rough times, and the job was not always perfect and definitely not glamorous, but overall it was such a great experience for me.  I've cared for those kids since they were 4 years old and now they are almost 14!  The family always treated me very well and compensated me extremely generously.  Every time I thought about leaving, I found so many more reasons to stay.  I really hope that they can continue to be part of my life and get to know Abby too.

Now, on to my 35 week picture!  Don't mind my weird half-smile, I took this in a huge hurry.

This week Abigail weighs as much as a honeydew melon!  She is running out of room as space is getting tight.  Most of her basic physical development is now complete and she just needs to spend the next few weeks fattening up!

This week I thought I would try out a different survey, since the weeks are dwindling down!

Age when you found out you were pregnant: 31

Did you experience any pregnancy symptoms?: Morning sickness and lots of it!

How far along were you when you found out?: 3 weeks and 3 days when I got my first + home test.  3 weeks and 5 days when the blood test confirmed.

Was your little one planned or a surprise?: Very much planned!

When is your EDD?: 1/25/13

How many weeks are you currently?: 35

Is this your first child? If not, how many do you have?: First!

What was your first reaction when you found out you were pregnant?: Complete shock and extreme happiness at the same time!

Who was the first person you told that you were pregnant?: Dave, followed by my sister.

How far along were you when you felt baby kick for the first time?: I started feeling flutters just shy of 14 weeks.

What month did you find out the sex of your baby?: August

Are you having a boy or girl?: GIRL!

What cravings have you had?: SWEETS.  Chocolate, ice cream, french toast with syrup, gummy worms...just lots and lots of sugar.

Have you/are you planning on attending any Lamaze classes?: No, but we took a child birth class.

Do you have a name picked out?: Yep!  Abigail Elizabeth Main

When did you decide on a name? Who picked it?: We had chosen Seth and Amelia for our two names...but my feelings that the baby was a girl were very strong.  Right before our elective 16 week gender scan, I realized that I wasn't in *love* with the name Amelia anymore.  I was visiting my sister in OH when I called Dave urgently and told him we needed to find a new name.  He wanted to wait until after we found out for sure what we were having, but in my heart I really just knew it was a girl and she needed to be named right that minute!  Abigail had been on our short list of girl names before, so he suggested it again.  I was leaning towards Leah, but couldn't get him on board.  I've always loved the name Abigail (and the nickname Abby), so we agreed on Abby.  We found out at the ultrasound that it was in fact a girl!  It was wonderful to be able to call her by her name right from the moment we knew that she was a little girl :)  Having her name picked out and sharing it with family and friends has helped me develop a really strong connection to her before her birth.

What kind of birth plan are you considering?: I would really like to have a vaginal birth, but I want an epidural if possible.  I don't need a gold star at the end of this, just for me and Abby to both be healthy!

What pregnancy discomforts have you experienced?: Morning sickness up until the third trimester was probably the worst of it.  It seems like a distant memory now though!  Carpal tunnel, plus back aches and body pains are my main discomforts.  I'm actually finally starting to really enjoy my pregnancy.  Go figure since it'll be over soon!

What pregnancy related books have you read/are you currently reading?: My sister gave me a huge stack of pregnancy and baby books that I've browsed throughout pregnancy.  The main book on my to-read list right now is "Happiest Baby On The Block", which came highly recommended by our childbirth class instructor as well as several blog moms I follow online.

Any weird pregnancy dreams?: Definitely.  None that I can recall right now though!

Who do you want in the delivery room with you?:  Just Dave.  I believe that child birth is something private that just he and I should share together.  In fact, we would prefer not to have any visitors for at least a couple of hours so that I can establish breastfeeding and we can both have ample skin-to-skin bonding time with Abby before other family members want to hold her.  Selfish, maybe, but we worked really hard to have her and I don't want to have to share her right away :)

Are you planning on breast feeding?: Yes.  I'm really nervous about it because sometimes women with my hormonal condition can have low supply issues.  I feel just about as prepared as I can be though, and I'm willing to do just about anything to make it work!

Do you plan on having any more little ones?: Yes, we would like one more!

We have a very busy few days coming up.  Today I have my weekly OB appointments all morning, and then this afternoon my sister and her family are coming to town for the weekend to celebrate Christmas with us.  I can't wait to see my niece and nephew!  Next week is Christmas already, which I can't even believe!  If I get any more ultrasound pictures or news from today's appointments I will be sure to update.  Until then, Happy Holidays!