pregnancy update: baby #5, 39+ weeks

39. weeks. pregnant. This is the end! 

{right? right? please say yes...?}

Last week was rough on my body- I woke up several nights at crazy times because my uterus was exercising in the middle of the night. ;) And a lack of sleep + a huge baby + end of pregnancy hormones = a less than fun week, you know? It was hard.

But God has been teaching me so much in this not-so-fun time- it's been a huge lesson in waiting on Him, and trusting Him. He's given me specific passages of Scripture for comfort over the last few weeks, and I can't wait to share them here. He is SO good- He never fails to encourage your heart when you are weary!

I know I certainly don't have any right to complain about the hard last few weeks of pregnancy- having a healthy pregnancy itself is a great blessing, and my body is still working just fine. :) 

I've just been reminded that the old saying is true- that God makes your body prepare for having a baby by waking you up every few hours a night until you deliver. ;)

I won't lie- I'm really hoping that delivery comes soon! I'm ready!! In the meantime, though, I figured I'd do another pregnancy update since it's been over a week now. :)

How far along: 39 weeks + a few days? I can't believe I'm typing that...

Baby size: fully grown. And large. LOL!

Gender: Boy.

Weight gain: Still average, and I'm hoping to lose at least 10 lbs. this week! heheh.

Belly: looks like a watermelon, and not one of those wimpy seedless ones- one of the full grown, oval-shaped, right off the farm truck ones. ;)

Sleep: I'm not sure what that is?? I nap for a couple hours at a time when it's dark outside...

Clothes: Oh, man- I can't wait to be able to wear regular clothes again.

Movement: Much tighter, smaller, strong movements- you can tell he's pretty squished these days! :)

Food aversions: Gone except for coffee, and as of a couple of weeks ago, I can eat salad again!! Hallelujah!!! I've been so excited about that! :)

Food cravings: I'm mostly thirsty all of the time- but I've really wanted carbs for the last few weeks too. The hunger kicked in again last week, and I've been raiding the kitchen in the middle of the night. I'm HUNGRY too these days! :)

Labor signs: Contractions wake me up on a regular basis now, but I can usually tell they aren't going anywhere. They've been too light. And no pain = no gain! ;) When I wake up with very strong ones, I know it's close to D-Day. 

What I miss: Moving around/bending over like a normal person, sleeping comfortably, and not waddling?

Preparing for birth: I think we're completely ready, and have been for several days now. We had another fun Friday with special kid activities and even repainted a whole room this weekend, which I'll update you on soon! :)

Comparison shots:

19, 22, 26 weeks:

31, 34, 36 weeks:

37, 38, 39 weeks:

So the big question on my mind right now is this: will there be a 40 week update on Friday?? 

Oh my. I might need some kind of serious distraction to get through the next few days! :)

Non-preggo people, do you usually wake up in the middle of the night or do you sleep straight through? 

I rarely had a night I slept without waking up several times. My arms fall asleep a lot, and I toss and turn, even when I'm not pregnant! I remember going to bed and waking up and it was morning back when I was a teenager. I miss that feeling! :)

Any tricks for keeping yourself sane in the last few days? :)

Any ideas for healthy low-calorie bedtime snacks that aren't dairy products? 

I have been eating a protein bar in the middle of the night to tide me over 'til morning, and I have a feeling nursing will make me even more hungry!