The Shape of Me and Other Stuff: Week 32

Week 32

She is loving on Jackson while I am doing an online class for work. She loves to snuggle up close to my belly whenever I sit down

Zach installing Jackson's fan:) He is such a good daddy already!!

So once again we had a crazy and very busy week. I am so happy to say that it is over!! Sunday the girls from my Gospel Community hosted a shower for me. It was a tea party and everything was beautiful and delicious! We had a great time and there were lots of friends there to celebrate Jackson’s upcoming arrival. Most of the women were friends from church but several others traveled to join us for the afternoon. Zach’s mom, grandmas, aunts, and cousin Addison came from Titusville and Amanda, Carlee, and Ariel came from Gainesville. It was so good to have them there and I was excited for them to meet our friends here. Once again Jackson was showered with gifts and surprises for when he decides to join us. I am so blessed to have found such wonderful friends. I can’t wait for their special days so I can return the favor! Monday after work we drove to Orlando to attend our breastfeeding class. It was very informative and makes me hopeful that I will be able to nurse Jackson successfully. I am very excited that we are able to learn as much as we can now to help us prepare for when he is here with us. We also met another couple there from Mt. Dora and they were able to point us in the direction of a potential pediatrician. On Tuesday after work it was back to Orlando for my doctor appointment. It was the usual routine- measure my ever growing belly, listen to his heartbeat, and question time. Everything was normal and he said I am doing well with my weight gain, which is always nice to hear when you feel like a huge balloon. Wednesday after work Zach and I headed up to Orlando for our last planned trip for the week. This time we went to Winnie Palmer, the hospital where I’ll be delivering, for pre-registration and a hospital tour. It was good to see all the different floors, get tips on how to make our stay more enjoyable, and the basics on how everything runs. Thursday our Gospel Community and several other GC’s met in Downtown Mt. Dora for the traveling food trucks. It was a great time of food and fellowship, and I even got my favorite cupcakes!! Friday was a bit more interesting. Starting Wednesday night Jackson had not been moving like he normally does but I figured it was just because he was tired of all the craziness. Thursday morning I still had not felt him move but was trying to not really stress about it and just wait for him to pick up his movements. We had a field trip to the science center that day so I was moving around all day and did not really have much time to try and wait for him to be moving. Once I got home that afternoon before we went out for dinner I was getting a bit nervous because everything I had been reading said he should have moved by now. I tried laying down, which normally he just starts moving like crazy, and still nothing. I told Zach and by this point we had both been praying and I had felt like one kick but nothing normal. After food trucks we swung by Garrett and Crystal’s to borrow their stethoscope to see if we could try and hear him. Once home it took me a good while but I was able to hear his heartbeat and it was such a huge relief. I thought for sure we would feel him move soon or at least in the morning. When I woke up Friday and still felt nothing I emailed my doctor about what was going on to see if this was normal or something I should be worried about. They called me back right when I arrived to work and told me to leave and head straight to the hospital. At this point I was really freaking out so I called Zach he met me and we headed to Winnie. Once there they hooked us up to a Fetal Movement Monitor and praise the Lord he had a strong heartbeat and was moving. I still could not feel his movement, which they do not understand, but I was so relieved to see that he was! They told me to track his movements from here on out and contact the doctor if we see a decrease again. The nurse was very helpful and told us its always better to be safe than to come later and have an emergency. Afterwards we told Jackson no more scares please. Saturday was an all around great day! We worked on the house, Jackson’s room, and the yard. Zach put up the fan/light fixture in Jackson’s room so now I can work in there in the evenings. He also put together our pack and play and put it in our room so we are ready for our little guy to come. We also bought our changing pad and cover and put them in the room. I am getting excited to see it all come together little by little. Saturday night we got all dressed up and went to an education benefit “Dancing with the Stars” where one of Zach’s colleagues danced to help raise money for local classrooms.

Jackson now weighs almost four pounds and still around 18 inches. We are now starting the 8^th month and have 50 days left until the due date! Growing isn’t the only thing he is doing right now, he is also prepping for his big day. In these last few weeks he is practicing all the skills he will need to survive outside the womb, from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. Another change this week is his skin, which is no longer see through but more opaque as more and more fat accumulates under the skin. He is also moving towards a permanent heads down decent. I am also starting to notice I cannot walk as fast, seem to run out of breath quicker, and in general tired more. Zach has really been a huge help lately around the house and just encouraging me to rest more and not worry about everything.