35 Week Pregnancy Update

35 weeks down. 5 to go.
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Overall I have been feeling great during the day. I have no aches or pains, no heartburn during the day. Generally I find I have enough energy to make it through a busy work day and still stay awake until about 9:30 or 10.

Nighttime however, is a different story. Climbing into bed is really difficult; it takes me several minutes to actually get in and get comfortable. Heartburn rages at night so I take Tums before going to bed and usually get up once during the night for more. Because of the heartburn I can't lay down flat, so I sleep propped up on 3 pillows. My tailbone aches at night, but my hips feel like someone is punching them so I can't find a comfortable position and end up tossing and turning all night. I get up at least twice to pee, and sometimes just to walk around or lay on the couch for a while to give my hips a break. There's really not much sleeping on and according to the husband when I do sleep, I snore so loudly that he is left wide awake.

Some of my maternity clothes are now too small. All of my dresses, a few pairs of pants won't stay up anymore, and a few shirts are just too tight. I refuse to buy more clothes now that I am so close to being done so I am trying to make do with what I have.

We are beginning to get very excited about baby's arrival. What I am most anxious about this time around is that the baby is healthy. We had a very unique first trimester; I had a miscarriage at 8 or 9 weeks along and didn't suspect that I was still pregnant until I was 14 weeks along...(I know that sounds crazy, but after a miscarriage you just don't think it's a possibility. Doctors say I most likely lost a twin or it was only a threatened miscarriage but I have had a miscarriage in the past and it was exactly the same.) During that time period where I didn't know I was still pregnant I wasn't taking my vitamins and I had a few drinks on my birthday. My doctor says not to worry and that the baby will be fine, but in the back of my mind I am still carrying a lot of guilt over that. This week I have had 3 different people tell me about babies born recently with Down's Syndrome which of course in my crazy hormonal brain has me thinking that this is a sign our baby is going to have it and God is trying to prepare me for it.

When worries about the baby being healthy start to creep in, I try to stop them immediately and pray. Pray for the baby's health and for me to be calm and trusting, pray for a safe delivery and again over and over . . .a healthy baby. I think that when it's born, before I want to know what sex it is I will want to know that it looks normal and healthy. I've been carrying such guilt and I want to be able to finally let it go and just rejoice in our little miracle.