34 Weeks

I am tired.

My brain thinks I have energy, but my body knows better!

Here's a scenario that makes me tired: pull off all sheets and bedding from the bed. Carry it downstairs to the laundry room. Start the load. Walk upstairs and prepare for shower.

Laying down on the bed was my shower prep! 

Taking a shower has now become more of a chore, mainly when I have to shave my legs. It's a whole lotta work! And then once I get out of the shower, I have to cover myself in Bio Oil and lotion. That's more work! Sometimes I have to sit down and rest before I can continue to get myself ready for the day. Bending and reaching really takes it out of me!

I cut my toenails the other day. That was really hard! It was probably the last time I will do that until after Ava arrives.

...and I have the bladder of a small child.

I still only wake once during the night to go (sometimes I can sleep through the whole night), but during the day; I am going about every hour or two once I get the fluids going in the morning.

I have been working on my freezer meal stash lately. I am becoming quite proud of my food collection! The bottom half of our freezer is all meals for after Ava arrives (or maybe even when I'm in the final week or two and I'm feeling more tired). I'm excited to have a vacation from cooking!

Ava has much more noticeable awake and sleep times. My pregnancy app says that she can now have "deep sleep". She squirms for quite awhile, and then is very still for an hour or two. She really likes to move her feet.

Into my ribs.

I gently push her back when I've had enough! :)

Chris and I think it's kind of funny to press on my belly and wait for her response. We laugh when it's a forceful one!

My walks have become very short. My lower back aches too much, especially if my walk isn't in the morning. I have much less stamina in the afternoon and evening. If I'm out running errands, I always get a cart so I have something to lean on or put my foot on while I wait in line. Time spent on my feet is less enjoyable now. We were going to go to a free concert on post last week to see Big and Rich, but we decided against it because of how far we'd have to walk after parking. Not to mention we would have to carry our chairs, and I'm not very comfortable in those camping chairs. I'd probably only want to stay for a little while and then be ready to go home. Not to mention all the food vendors that would tempt us (hubby is on a diet, and I'm trying not to eat everything in sight, haha).

We had our maternity photos taken! I was debating about whether or not I wanted to spend the money on them. I knew that photos of me with a giant belly would not stay framed on our wall for our entire lives, so I wasn't sure I could justify spending the money on photos that would most likely end up in a photo album that no one looks at anymore. A friend of ours, with a nice camera and photoshop, volunteered to take them for us! I'm glad we decided to get a few taken. It's an easy way to save money - the photographer and I both looked up some things on Pinterest and shared some ideas before the day of the pictures. I had some props in mind, and she had some ideas of her own to try out. I'd say they turned out pretty dang well!

Some signs this week that motherhood is coming....

Little baby socks in the laundry!

And a random box of formula samples in the mail!

I also have been dealing with Zorro, who recently believes that he should get to go outside just as much as Duke. He begs and cries at the door to go outside. Here they are, both wanting to go outside:

Zorro is desperate enough to get this close to Duke to get a chance to go outside:

And he will just run out the door if I don't stop him!

Here is Duke mid-yawn, tired of waiting for the grass to get cut so he can go play:

Oh, and I can't forget about fat Pearl:

She is 100% cat.