38 Weeks

Dates: July 6- July 12

Baby is the Size of a: leek (approximate length and weight: 19 1/2 inches, 7 pounds)

How I'm Feeling: Pretty good, actually. Compared to this same time with my last pregnancy, I am much more physically able that I was. I'm still big and slow, but I can walk reasonable lengths without experiencing terrible pain. I'm suffering from a bit of insomnia, and I'm definitely ready for the baby to come, but things could be much worse.

How I'm Changing: It turns out the swelling in my hands was really just from the heat. Now that I'm spending less time commuting, my hands are back to a normal size and my rings still fit. Yay!

What I'm Eating: I generally eat pretty healthily, and I'm mostly sticking to that. But, at the same time, recognizing that it's my last few weeks of my last pregnancy, I am indulging a bit. My latest favorite is Dominion Root Beer. It uses local honey to sweeten the drink, which gives it a really nice sweet-but-not-too-sweet flavor. So delicious!

What the Baby is Doing: Baby's only job now is packing on the pounds. And he's doing a good job, averaging an ounce a day!

Read about my first pregnancy:
My Pregnancy
Week 38

Date Night!

Our good friends Dani and Brian very generously offered to watch Zahara for the night so Dan and I could have a date night. They are our emergency contacts for when baby Levin comes until my in-laws arrive next weekend, so this was a bit of a trial for how Z would do with them. I am happy to report that it was a success on all fronts!

We dropped Z off around 4:30 on Saturday and picked her back up at noon on Sunday. She had a blast playing with Bernadette, who is almost a year and a half. They played in the backyard, made colored pancakes for breakfast and read a million books.

Dan and I planned on dinner and a movie, but there wasn't anything we really wanted to see. Instead, went for smoothies at a coffee shop and a live comedy show at the Arlington Cinema and Draft House. I've never been there before, but it was a lot of fun. The show was good (the Sklar brothers headlined), and the nachos were delicious.

Afterwards, we met up with our friends Nick and Laura who happen to live nearby. It was nice seeing them and not having to rush home to relieve the babysitter.

All-in-all, it was a fun experience for everyone. And, as a bonus, Z had so much fun that she completely wore herself out. This was her at 6:30 on Sunday Night. Win!

Another Baby Pool Contest

UPDATE: Well, this is awkward...but I think I'm the winner of this baby pool. Asher was born on July 27th, weighing 9 pounds 8 ounces. No one, not even me, predicted what a giant baby he would be. But I did guess the right date. Thanks to everyone who played!

Just like I did last time, I'm running another contest to see when Baby Boy Levin will arrive. I'm currently 38 weeks and four days pregnant, meaning he will definitely come some time between now and August 3rd. My doctors will likely induce me sometime in that 41st week if he doesn't come on his own.

So who wants to play a fun game? Guess when baby Levin will arrive and how big he will be. Here is some background to help with your guesses: Zahara was born 9 days late, weighing 8 pounds, 0 ounces.

To sweeten the pot (literally), I'll provide the winner with a canister of freshly made candied almonds!

• PRIZE: One canister of homemade candied almonds
• TO ENTER: Comment on this post with your guess of when baby Levin will arrive (between July 10-August 3) AND how big you think he'll be (e.g. 7 pounds 3 ounces)
• NUMBER OF WINNERS: One
• PRIZE SHIPS: Anywhere in the world
• GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Thursday, August 4th or when Baby Levin arrives (whichever comes first)

The commenter with the closes guess wins. In case of multiple right guesses, one winner will be selected using random.org. Good luck!

37 Weeks

Dates: June 29- July 5

Baby is the Size of a: bunch of swiss chard (approximate length and weight: 19 inches, 6 1/3 pounds)

How I'm Feeling: I'm feeling pretty good, actually. As of this week I'm no longer commuting to the office, which is awesome! I'm looking forward to not having to be on the metro for more than an hour each way. I'm excited to not have to sit in an office chair for hours on end. I'm excited to use my own bathroom a hundred times a day instead of the office one. So much to look forward to. Ha!

How I'm Changing: Now my hands are starting to swell too. Bummer. I think I might have to take my rings off just in case the swelling gets worse. At my 37 week check up though my doctor said she was surprised "how skinny my wrists and ankles were for someone so pregnant in July." What a strange, lovely compliment.

What I'm Eating: Would you believe that I'm still eating leftover cake from Zahara's birthday party? Well I am, and it is amazing.

What the Baby is Doing: I had my last physiotherapy appointment this week, and when saying good-bye, my therapist said that she's never seen a baby as active as mine. It's so funny how many people I've heard that same story from. This doesn't bode well for a restful first couple of months.

Read about my first pregnancy:
My Pregnancy
Week 37

36 Weeks

Dates: June 22-28

Baby is the Size of a: head of romaine lettuce (approximate length and weight: 18 1/2 inches, 6 pounds)

How I'm Feeling: I'm officially nine months pregnant! I'm feeling pretty good, but this last month is going to move so slowly. I am already starting to feel anxious. It's hard to sleep at night because I have so many thoughts running through my head. I need to get the hospital bag packed, the baby's clothes washed, supplies for the first couple of days...

How I'm Changing: Just getting bigger...no real surprises here

What I'm Eating: Nothing too unusual

What the Baby is Doing: Still moving a ton. When checking the heartbeat this week, the doctor said, "wow, he's a real mover and shaker." I hear that some babies slow down by the end of the pregnancy. I'm 0-2 on that front. But I know I'll miss those kicks and hiccups when he's out, so I'm trying to treasure it all now.

Read about my first pregnancy:
My Pregnancy
Week 36

Zahara's 3rd Birthday Party

To celebrate Zahara's third birthday, we wanted to have a party that is as fun and energetic as she is. The fact that I'm nine months pregnant made me hesitant to do it all ourselves though. We did a bit of crowd-sourcing to see what been-there, done-that parents recommend, and came away with a recommendation for a gymnastics place near us. Best. Decision. Ever!

If you're local, I can't recommend Silver Stars highly enough. They clearly know what they're doing. This was the best, easiest birthday party I've ever hosted (and I've hosted quite a few!).  It was a little pricey, but totally worth it.

I never get to see Zahara interact with her daycare buddies because Dan is in charge of the pick-ups and drop-offs. So it was especially fun for me to see her play with her two best friends, Ben and Liana, and the "babies," Dylan, Annabel, and Hannah. Our good friends' kids also were able to come: Paige, Lena, Genevieve, and baby Reid.

The program is a pretty tightly-run ship, but at the same time it feels like there is plenty of free time for the kids to play. We started in the gym where the kids got to play on various equipment like the rope swing, the balance beams, and a moon bounce. The instructors led the kids through warm-ups before setting them loose. Watch this and just try not to smile. I dare you.

After some more playtime in the smaller gym, it was time for cake and snacks. We brought some cheese, crackers, veggies, dip, and of course cake. We got the cake from Costco and it was DELICIOUS! 

It was such a blast watching Zahara run, jump, skip, and giggle her way through the day. Happy birthday, Zahara! Here's to many, many more!

Read about Zahara's other birthdays:
Zahara's Second Birthday
Zahara's First Birthday

More Thoughts by Z

Zahara is such a chatterbox and I love hearing what's going on in that gorgeous head of hers. Here are a few recent gems.

Thought 1:

Z: One day I am going to have a backyard with a fruit tree and a playground. One pear tree. Or maybe two.

Thought 2: 

Z: Mummy? One day, will you marry me?

Me: Of course!
Z: But not yet. We have to wait until I'm older.
Me: How old do you have to be to get married?
Z: Maybe 100
Me: And how old will I be?

Z: 13.

Thought 3:
Z: I want to be a space teacher. That's called astronomy.

Thought 4:
Z, playing doctor: I hate to tell you this, but you're very sick.

See previous Thoughts by Z here