36 Weeks

I cannot believe it's May, the month Louis V is due to arrive in the world! I also cannot believe our countdown is at a very short 28 days. Whoa.

*Bump pic was taken last night because I had an early breakfast meeting this morning, I think three meals and snacks from the day make it look even bigger! Or maybe I just don't realize how big I am until I see myself in a photo. ;)

Baby Belby and I had a very eventful weekend/week, so we've got lots to report!

The weekend kicked off with a baby shower for two of his future best friends, the Geller twins, and their wonderful mama-to-be, Wendi.

The hostesses and the guest(s) of honor!

Bump crew photo:

All aboard the bump train!!

Stops for departure in May, June and August

(and probably July for the twins)

Stripes + Bumps.

What a fun party!!

Next up, it was time to switch gears from babies to brides! Saturday was a day filled with wedding festivities for the beautiful bride-to-be, Maggie.

Wedding shower fun for the woman in white. :)

Things got kicked up a notch as the shower turned into the bachelorette party. Louis V thoroughly enjoyed his first adventure on a party bus! :)

I love me a good sparkle theme, but unfortunately, they don't seem to make sequin dresses in my size these days...

I can't wait for the BIG day in a few short weeks! HOPEFULLY, the little man can wait and will stay put until my duties as a bridesmaid have been completed.

Congrats to Mrs. Boesen-to-be!

The weekend wasn't over yet though! On Sunday we headed to the Belbys' house to celebrate our nephew Carter's First Communion. I guess I was still half asleep from my WILD night out, because the only photos I have are of Ian and Jack playing baseball in the yard. They are really cute pics though!

I have a feeling there will be a lot of this in Ian's future. :)

We better keep an eye on this one, even in a shirt and tie he was throwing like a pro!

Monday I decided to go shopping for Ian's birthday present:

It didn't take me long to find the perfect gift...

He was already telling the baby how good of a big brother he would be...

And giving me kisses...

All smiles!

"Put a bow on me already and take me home!!!"

*Sadly, I had to walk away. Being homeless really puts a damper on getting a new pet. Such a bummer because this guy is AWESOME!!

Just in case anyone's wondering, my birthday is in two weeks and I would gladly accept this guy as my gift!! I'm sure I could figure out a living situation. Just sayin'...and I'm already working on this face:

Tuesday was Ian's birthday! In honor of that, and of the upcoming birth of Ian, Jr., I thought I'd share these photos:

Newborn Ian

Baby Ian

And now a little side-by-side comparison with photos of me:

(As Ian pointed out, even as a newborn I was trying really hard to smile! Smiling is my favorite!)

Conclusions:

1. Our baby probably won't have a ton of hair.

2. Our baby will probably be a chunky little monkey.

3. Our baby (once grown a little) probably DEFINITELY won't have a bowl/mushroom cut. :)

 It wouldn't be a birthday celebration without homemade carrot cake from Laura!

And while they couldn't celebrate together in person, we celebrated in spirit with Ian's birthday buddy, nephew Alden. Can't believe this little guy is 1 already! What a cutie. :)

Don't put away the candles just yet, Wednesday marked my big brother's birthday! It was another day of celebrating in spirit, although I'd much rather be in Vegas to celebrate in person instead of here in rainy, chilly Iowa. Happy birthday, Jason, best big brother ever!

So, as you can tell, it was a busy week for the Belbys and the bump! I still managed to bust out a few miles on the treadmill though...giving new meaning to the phrase "bump and run"!

The daily tip on Tuesday from my "What to Expect" app said that babies of pregnant exercisers tend to sleep through the night sooner, are less prone to colic and are better able to soothe themselves. Scientists attribute this to these babies being stimulated by their moms through changes in heart rate and oxygen levels, as well as the sounds and vibrations they experience in the womb during workouts. I've also heard numerous times that it should help with labor, so I'm hoping all of the above turn out to be true!!

I thought I had the blog ready to post until we saw this out the front window:

 Shelby and Wrigley must've wanted to say hi and wish us luck as we head into week 37 with Louis V. I hate the rain we've been having lately, but I love seeing rainbows and thinking of my buddies. They're always with us in spirit, I know it.

Thanks for sticking with me for this lengthy (but hopefully somewhat entertaining) post. Now I'll leave you with some Q&A to end the day:

 How far along: 36 weeks

Baby is the size of a: Honeydew. He's weighing in at almost 6 pounds...and gaining about an ounce a day. (Let's just hope he doesn't hit the 10 pound mark like his daddy did before birth, yikes!) He's now over 18.5 inches long (maybe more, after all, he does have some tall genes going for him) and he's shedding that body hair in anticipation of living outside the womb. Liver and kidneys are in working order now, too!

Weight gain: I'm going to guess 36lbs at this point, but my appointment to confirm isn't until tomorrow.

Maternity clothes: Still going back and forth. Two of the three dresses I wore for weekend festivities were non-maternity and work outfits vary.

Stretch marks: Nope, just scratch marks-- this belly is itchy!

Belly button in or out: No change, still weirdly an innie-outie.
Sleep: Getting more uncomfortable these days. When I lay on my side, I feel like everything is just getting smooshed, not a great feeling. Yesterday was really the first day I felt exhausted all day long. Even a yummy chai latte didn't do a ton to help me out! Guess I should go ahead and get used to this feeling, I don't see it getting better anytime soon! (Side note: Why does everyone say "Get your sleep while you can!" to someone in the home stretch of pregnancy? Between the lack of comfortable positions and the abundance of bathroom trips, it's definitely much easier said than done!!)

Best moment this week: Lots of great moments, it was a good week! Friends, family, birthdays, etc., lots to smile about. 

Worst moment this week: Still dealing with house/lot issues for building, so that sucks. And having to walk away from Dave the beagle at the shelter. :(

Miss anything: Breathing easily. Ian tells me I've been snoring lately, but between my smashed lungs and the dry air in the house (thanks to the heat STILL being on), I can't help it! I'm also not sure I believe him. ;)

Movement: He's a little party animal! My bump is always bouncing around from his antics.

Cravings: Not really, but I'm sure I'll crave Laura's carrot cake as soon as it's gone! It's heaven on a fork.

Queasy or sick: Nope!  
Baby items of the week: Ian got his most exciting birthday presents ever (insert sarcasm here) in the form of a baby backpack, diaper changing station, onesie and baby book about outer space, so I'll chalk those up as the items of the week. :) We also got a few more necessities at Babies R Us, so we're now pretty prepared for Louis V's debut!

Looking forward to: The big doctor's appointment tomorrow -- it's the first time they'll check to see if there are any signs of labor going on! Also, we're heading to Iowa City on Saturday to do some shopping for the new house, so that'll be fun. And my nephew Carson's birthday is tomorrow, I wish I could celebrate with him!