38 Weeks and 3 days

     Oh my goodness! Today marks 38 weeks and 3 days. We are now in the final stretch of my pregnancy. I can't believe how fast time has flown by these last couple weeks.

38 Weeks! I look extremely exhausted!

     Since I have missed some bump tracker pictures, I thought I'd include them below so you can see the progress little Liam has made in my tummy. 

One of our candids when we set up the timer and I fell in love with it. Cal's unofficial first Father's Day!

I was super excited to finally be full term!

Doctor's Visits

     I now see my doctor once a week. At my 37 week appointment, it was quite the tease! My doctor mentioned that Liam may come before our next appointment. Needless to say, I'm still preggo!
    
     Today I had an appointment and things are going well. My doctor started the appointment by measuring my belly. She mentioned how cute my bump is which made me feel a little better about my ever growing and stretching tummy. After measuring and saying that it was perfect, she then went to check Liam's heartbeat. She said it was great and healthy. Then she went over my charts and my pregnancy as a whole. She said that my blood pressure has been excellent, my overall weight gain has been fantastic, and I've been doing such a great job. That made me smile and I was so happy to hear. She checked my legs and feet for swelling and it is very minimal. She said there was nothing more she could tell me to do because I've been doing such a great job. All we can do now is wait. It's up to my body and Liam to do their thing!

 How have I been feeling physically?

     It's been tough these past couple of days due to the heat and to my ever growing baby. The A/C in our house has been down and we are desperately trying to get it fixed before Liam makes his arrival. I've been trying to stay cool by laying myself in front of a fan and drinking a ton of water. When Calvin isn't working, which is rare, sometimes we'll go to the mall and try to stay cool there. It's nice to enjoy the free A/C, but not so fun for our wallets hehe.
     I've also been super exhausted lately. I feel like I can't make it through the day without a nap. Last night, I actually slept for 12 hours, although it wasn't 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep. If I wasn't waking up to use the restroom, I was trying to adjust myself to another comfortable positition. It literally takes a good 2 minutes to turnn from my left to right side and vice versa. That includes slowly turning, which can be painful with Liam. Then rearranging my body pillow around me and another pillow between my legs. It is quite the ordeal! I figure I would just listen to my body and sleep if that's what it wants to do. I figure I'm going to need all the rest I can get for this marathon I'm about to run called "Labor and Delivery".

How have I been feeling mentally?

     Mentally, I am ready. I am ready to get little Liam out and into my arms. Of course I am still scared and nervous as hell, but of course that is expected. I'm a first time mom with no experience whatsoever with labor and delivery. I have no idea when Liam is going to get here. He literally could come at any moment and even though my estimated due date is July 14, that's exactly what it is, an estimate. So every little pain, cramp, tightening, etc. makes me wonder if this could be it. I also have no idea what contractions feel like and how excruciating the pain will be. Everything is basically a mystery to me and that's what makes me scared and nervous. But, what I do know is that at the end of all this, is Liam will finally be here. MY son... will finally be here.

NUCB? Doula?

     Since I've been MIA from the blogs, we have hired a doula! Like I have mentioned before, I was deciding on whether or not I wanted to go ahead with a natural unmedicated childbirth, NUCB. After speaking with Calvin and researching a lot, I have come to the decision that I want to try my best to have a NUCB. Now, of course I dont know what contractions feel like and could be in some serious pain that may inhibit my ability to be in control or I may need to be induced and given pitocin, which can cause more intense contractions at a faster rate than letting it all happen naturally. So I'm not saying that there is no way in hell I'm going to ask for an epidural, but i'm going to try my hardest not to. I'm also not choosing to do this because I see it as a competition or want to prove something. I want to do this because it is what is best for me and Liam. Remember when I said that even Calvin was hesitant and wanted me to just get the epidural? Well we have done a lot of research together and after doing so, I actually got Calvin to agree that a NUCB is what is best for mommy and baby.
     We have gone ahead and hired a doula to help us achieve my goal of a NUCB. We intereviewed a few and the one we had chosen was perfect for me. Literally 15 minutes after our interview, we hired her. We just had an instant connection with her. As a doula, she is there to help give us guidance and support during the labor and delivery. A doula is not the same as a midwife. She cannot deliver my baby or do any medical procedures. We have heard that for women who are trying to have a NUCB, a doula was very helpful.
     Here's is a little bit of honesty. As much as I love and adore my husband, when I'm in pain from something that only a pregnant woman who has labored and delivered before would have experienced, I know it will be difficult for me to believe and trust my husband when he says something like "everything will be ok" or "breathe". I also will have my mom there with us during labor and delivery and even though she has gone through 2 NUCBs, she tends not to say that right things at the right times. With that said, the doula would be the best support system not only for me, but for my mom and Calvin. She can help guide me as well as give tips to my mom and Calvin on how to help me cope with the pain.
     We have had two meetings with our doula. At our last meeting, she brought her "Bag of tricks" which is a backpack she has filled with tools that will help me. She had things such as different scents like peppermint for nausea and lavender to bring calmness, electrical candles, a TENS unit, and a rebozo. We also went through a few different positioning and pressure points that would help. After that meeting, I felt a lot more confident in myself and with my Little Liam Team (Mom, Cal, and our doula).
     Also one thing I took from our meeting that I wont forget is that I am not suffering. Yes it will be extremely painful and probably one of the most difficult things I will go through in my life, but the pain has a purpose. The pain is helping get my little love bug out and I need to let go, accept, and work with that pain and my body instead of fighting it. If I can just keep telling myself that, I know I can do this.

And last but not least...... we finished Liam's nursery!!!

Liam's Monster's Inc. Nursery

     First we have Liam's closet! We took off the sliding mirror closet doors off. I hated them because I felt it was harder to get the maximum use of the closet space and when Liam gets a little older and more mobile, he may get his tiny fingers caught. Plus it just looks a whole lot better. I feel like it just opens up the room even more.
     As most of my friends and family know, I collect a lot of plushies, especially Disney ones. When Monster's Inc. first came out in theatres, I was obsessed with Boo and even dressed like her for Halloween my freshman year of high school. I had to have all her plushies. I took all the Monster's Inc plushies I had collected and thought what better way to display them than in Liam's room! So I put them in the little shelves and then with the remaining squares, I picked up blue and green bins to fill with other miscellaneous toys in there.

Liam's closet

     We were very fortunate to have a lot of unique pieces in his nursery thanks to family and friends. We had many family and friends create pieces that we have included in his room and this picture shows a lot of them. My brother-in-law created the artwork that hangs over the dresser. It's closet doors inspired by Sulley, Boo, and Mike. We also have an adorable custom diaper caddy made by a dear friend and fellow Disney bride. It even has his name embroidered on it! Then there is the adorable quilt hanging on the wall. Remember at our Monster's Inc themed baby shower in SoCal? Remember the adorable quilt squares our guests were working on? Thats the finished product!! It is so adorable and we couldn't have been more pleased and appreciatvie for such a special piece that not only will be near and dear to our hearts, but Liam's as well.

Liam's changing table/dresser

Here is where I envision many night feedings will occur. I love our glider and its super comfy. We also have another custom piece from our sister-in-law! She handmade the quilt and it matches the Monster's theme perfectly! It is a bunch of different closet doors. I love it so much!

Our glider and nightstand

Here we have Liam's library. We need to add at least one more shelf, but love the way it turned out. The Liam letters were custom made by my brother and his friend. Grandma Huie had purchased his little Mike chair. It is so soft and I wish my big booty could fit in it hehe.

Liam's library

 My favorite part of the room. This wall was what started it all. As Calvin and I were discussing nursery themes, we came across the idea of doing a Sulley inspired wall. I loved the idea and then we both ran with it.

Our Sulley inspired wall

     We are completely in love with Liam's nursey and wish it was our room. Even Calvin says that his room is better than ours! Every morning when I wake up, before making my way downstairs, I go in his room and just soak it all in. I can't wait to bring him home to this!

     And that concludes my update for you! Sorry if that was quite a lengthy read. I had a lot to catch you all up on. Hopefully the next update will be a birth announcement! hehe. Who knows when our Little Liam will make his arrival to the world. Now we play the waiting game.