34 weeks!

Just about 8 months pregnant now! We have stuck with the same name for a while now so we decided to let everyone know... Alyssa Paige Lewis will be here in 6 weeks! One of the reasons we didn't tell people until now is because people were way too opinionated about what we were naming our baby. If you like it, please don't hesitate to let me know. However, when we were just throwing around names people were like 'no, don't name her that, i don't like that'. It really shocked me people would say stuff like that to me. So if anyone doesn't like it, too bad, thats her name anyway :).
She is still doing great...active and constant hiccups. I think I am getting those Braxton Hicks contractions more which is good, means the end is near. Still no stretch marks (knock on wood) and the doctor said if i didn't have them by now, I shouldn't get them. I sure hope she is right. I am not as uncomfortable as I was last week, so I guess it just depends on the day. She is either hurting my back or my ribs, not sure which is better. Its been switching on and off between the two which is good though since each gets a break for a few days.
I had another baby shower on Saturday (Thanks Michelle!) which was great. There wasn't too much left on the registry, just all the little ticket items, but ones we really needed. We got them all and I don't think there is anything left we have to have before we bring her home! Thank you to everyone that came, I had a really good time! I still want to find a little bow though since the ultrasound tech said she had hair. I may try a little headband but i hate the ones that leave the marks on the baby's head. And the bow must be smaller than her actual head. But thats not an essential. So now we have everything besides her! I am getting impatient, I want her here so bad!

33 weeks

I'm ready! She's not quite ready I'm sure so thats the one and only reason I'm not. She needs to get a little bigger and stronger in there but other than that, I am ready to have her here. People ask me all the time if I'm tired of being pregnant yet. My answer was no until a few days ago. For the last few days in a row, the answer would be yes. My back hurts often and after a long day of being up and around too much, my ankles don't feel too great either. I do love feeling her squirm around in there but I'm sure I'll love having her out even more. I am also ready because we got her car seat in the mail last week and that was our last big thing we needed before her arrival. I am going to strap it into the car in a week or two since they say to do it early just in case.
I am also ready because I am starting to feel huge and don't like it. I'm getting kind of anxious to lose the baby weight already yet I find myself eating more and going to the gym less. I am just listening to my body and baby and giving them what they need for now, but am looking forward to 7 weeks from now when I can start losing some of it.
Time has been flying which is good. We had company this past weekend and more to come this week so that should help the time go by. Also, I think that we have a name picked out and Dave has been wanting to tell people now so I'll probably post it next week. I'm just not finished writing it and saying it in every way possible to make sure it works well!
I found a new little pregnancy ticker (the thing at the top of the page) which is really neat. It gives updates as to how big the average baby is at this stage. No wonder she hurts me sometimes when she kicks, she's getting big! I just want to see her and hold her, and we will soon!

32 weeks!

This past weekend we went to our childbirth preparation class. It was Saturday from 8 am-4pm. I was quite exhausted which is why I look kinda rough in the pictures, plus it was taken at like 11 pm. There was some good information in the class but it could have been held in a much shorter session. We opted for the one long session over the hour long ones once a week for 6 weeks so we could make sure Dave would be able to be there for the entire thing. One of the OB delivery doctors did come and we got to ask a bunch of questions which was helpful. I think I asked 75% of the questions for the entire class. They taught Dave how to give counterpressure to my back during labor and some massaging techniques. And for those of you who know me well know that I LOVE to be rubbed, so that part was good. I think Dave will be rubbing me the entire time I am in labor since nothing relaxes me more. I don't understand those people who don't like to be rubbed. I can't get enough and thats one day that I think I am allowed to request it ALL day long and I'm actually kind of excited for it!
Why do they make maternirty clothes assuming people are going to gain 60 pounds? As you may be able to tell from the pictures, I have semi-given into maternity clothes. I have 2 pairs of maternity capris from target since getting into my jeans at this point is probably completely hopeless. They don't have the big panel, they just sit under my belly but they are huge. I had to put safety pins in the back so they dont fall down. I bought a few tee shirts too but they are still too big and with the long shirt styles in now, some of my pre-pregnancy shirts are still working for me. But I am not happy about giving into those 2 pairs of pants, mostly just because they don't fit well and therefore I don't like how I look in them. Oh well, only 8 more weeks to worry about that!
The baby gets the hiccups probably 5 times a day and they last for like 15 minutes each time. They (but not her:)) drive me crazy. Its just like a rhythmic bouncing of my belly. They say hiccups don't bother babies so at least hopefully they aren't driving her crazy as well. She keeps getting more and more reactive. Dave continues to poke at my belly to wake her up and it surely works.
We ordered her car seat last week and a few cloth diapers as well. We're just about ready for her arrival!

31 weeks

I figured I would put up another bare belly picture since they really show it off the best. I also took 2 pictures with my shirt over my belly and it really does look so much bigger bare. I tried photoshopping them next to each other to show the difference but I'm not that good with computers. These days, my bare belly really looks different depending on the position the baby is in. It can be lopsided, packed down to the bottom, etc. You can see in the picture that she is a little lopsided to the right and just poked out to the front. A lot of people tell me it looks like a boy from the way I am carrying her, like I have a watermelon in there. Either way, its getting large!
I figured I would show off the bare belly while its still "pretty", meaning no stretch marks or anything yet. Although I do have that 'line nigra' (vertical line down my belly) or whatever its called but that supposedly goes away right after delivery so it doesn't bother me. I still have my belly button, which I can't believe. It still isn't even completely flat. Although she does kick it sometimes and makes it pop outwards a little, but once she moves it goes back in.
I am getting pretty anxious for her arrival. I have been smocking her little dresses in all of my free time (LOTS/too much free time). I am SO bored, but I know that will only last 9 more weeks so i guess i should try to enjoy it.
I went to the doctor again last week. Everythings still going well. I was put on an iron supplement since I was slightly anemic, which is pretty common during pregnancy. But she seems to be doing great, we all are!
(The slideshow of the dresser is still up but its located under all of the posts now, so just scroll down if you want to take a look)