33 weeks [praying for Judah]

Development Prayers:
This week Judah weighs a little over 4 pounds and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. Pray that he is still getting all the nutrients he needs, his body and mind are functioning as they should, and that he is growing into a strong boy.

Symptoms:

• aches and pains--oh me oh my, all this extra weight in putting some serious pressure on my joints and muscles.  The scale keeps climbing and getting out of bed doesn't get any easier.  :)  In fact, I dread even changing positions in bed because the effort it takes pretty much wakes me up.
• bathroom besties--it never fails, every morning at 3:30 am I have to get up and go to the bathroom. Now, I'm finding myself there 1-3 times a night/morning--which means lots of getting in and out of bed (see first bullet)
• dresses, dresses, and more dresses--I avoid pants now at all costs.  I don't like the restriction and dresses are my choice of wear these days.  I'm having to get creative and pull some from my non-maternity wear and layer--but it gets the job done.  
• sweets--I crave sweets now for the first time in my pregnancy.  I know I'm getting plenty of fat and sugar in my diet, so I don't know what that's about.  Maybe my sweet tooth just couldn't be suppressed any longer? :)
• checking things off the list--(1) We now have our daycare all taken care of!  Joel actually took care of this one, and I could not be more relieved.  There was a 3-month gap between me going back to work and when our daycare could take Judah, so we needed a temporary solution for those few months.  Our good friends use a lady in our neighborhood (family friend) to watch their baby boy, and she agreed to take on Judah for that time--praise God! (2) I went on a hospital tour recently and got all my questions answered.  I was definitely "that girl" on the tour asking tons of questions, but since we're wanting to go natural, I needed to know! (3) Speaking of, I also finished my birth plan, which is another relief.  So much research goes into it and its really just a guide of your wishes that you pray and hope the nurses will stick to.  The hospital where we're delivering is pretty natural friendly, so that's half the battle--I don't need ANY negativity on the matter, so that was comforting to know. (4) I got my pre-registration form all filled out and ready to go and we'll be turning that in this weekend.  Joel didn't get to go on the tour because he had to work, so we'll drop that off and then I'll show him where he needs to drive and lead me once that time comes. (5) I called our insurance and got all that straightened out--so thankful to be on a good insurance plan where we won't be spending a dime whether I am able to go natural or have to have a c-section--again, so thankful for my job. (6) I turned in my maternity leave! I'm planning on just working until I can't anymore, so I can get more time with Judah.  Thankfully, my job doesn't require a lot of movement and my work chair (plus the pillow I have now) is super comfortable. I even close my door and window sometimes and do the stretches I need to do.  (7) the last thing on our list is to nail down a pediatrician.  We have a short list, but we want to drive by their offices before making our decision. Whew!  Now, I have a few design projects I am trying my best to finish up, but I just can't work at the pace I'm accustomed to, so it's taking me FOREVER to get them done.  And our nursery still needs a few finishing touches--it should be done by the end of the month since I'm waiting on a couple things to be complete. Oh and I have to wash all Judah's clothes that we'll need once he gets here, and organize the closet somewhat (this may be wishful thinking, but I feel like I could knock it out in a weekend).