35 weeks

How peanut is doing:
I went to the doctor yesterday and all is well with baby girl. Her heartbeat was perfect and it was confirmed, she has dropped!! Ahhh yay, hopefully this means we're getting closer! I've been drinking a lot of water lately so the contractions have slowed down, thanks goodness. I don't want her to be irritated with me before she's even here! She has started rolling around instead of kicking, she likes to roll her foot around the right side of my stomach, its a daily thing and I enjoy it. I don't ever get tired of her kicks, even if she starts to kick right before I go to sleep. Pregnancy amazes me and the fact that there is a little human growing inside of me is beyond amazing.

How mama is doing:
Now that she has dropped, I pee every 15 minutes and continue to have the pressure feeling in my pelvis. My back constantly hurts, no matter what position I am in and sleeping is now out of the question. Constantly uncomfortable and if I get comfortable, she starts dancing in my tummy. My hours have changed at work so I'm able to get an afternoon nap in on most days. New things with me are I'm sore all over, back, in between legs, thighs, hips, belly, etc. Maybe she'll be here early, at a "safe" time where she is healthy and we have no problems! I've decided to pack my bag for the hospital now, just in case I don't have time before she makes her debut. And I'm started to get the things we still need, hopefully she'll come after I stop working so that I have some time to prepare/rest.

Next appointment is January 4th, then I start the weekly appointments. I'll update then on baby girl's status and my progress. They'll start checking my cervix to see if I'm dilated or effaced at all, wahoooo!

A little over 5 weeks left

Our baby girl's 3D/4D images at 33 1/2 weeks! She was yawning in the middle one! Looks like she has my eyes, BIG eyes, and chubby cheeks! Now that we got that ultrasound done, we're much more excited to meet her.

How baby girl is doing:
I've had braxton hicks contractions since about 23 weeks but the other night they scared me. Braxton hicks contractions are practice contractions, it's your uterus getting ready for the big day! I started having them around 5pm, then I was busy so didn't notice they were frequent until I chilled out. At this point, they had been going on for about 3 hours so my mom and I started timing them, they were scattered and not painful. At about 11pm, I called the nurse line and they told me to come in. They put me on the monitor to monitor the baby's heartbeat and how frequent the contractions were happening. She was still moving in between contractions and her heartbeat was fine but they checked me anyways and I wasn't dilated (Thank God). They told me I needed to drink more water, about 6-8 bottles a day, because Brooklyn is irritated and that's what is causing the contractions. She's getting bigger and so I need to drink more water to give her more fluid. Contractions are gone now and she's been really active lately, so everything is back to normal, just a few more weeks and she'll be here! I think she has dropped or will soon, I'll have to ask my doctor on Monday but I have to pee every 15 minutes and she's not in my ribs as much anymore. My stomach doesn't look "lower" but I have a lot of pressure in my pelvic area! At this point, Brooklyn should be gaining 1/2 a pound a week and could be at the height she'll be born at. She isn't breech anymore, which is another reason I think she has dropped. My appointment is on Monday so I'll post about how she's doing then.

How mom's doing:
I've had the easiest pregnancy up until recently, but I'm about to be in the last month so being uncomfortable is expected. Last weekend my brother got married and from the Wednesday before the wedding, the family was going nonstop plus I had work every day so nights were bad, I had heartburn, back aches, and I was exhausted. I stop working in a 3 weeks so I'll have time to rest and get some stuff I need to get before she makes her debut! People have started guessing on when she'll get here, I am guessing around the 18th of January but we'll see! I think about her being here all the time, I know people say enjoy the quiet and rest but I think spending the day/night with her will make getting no sleep worth it.

I'll update again after my appointment on Monday! After the next appointment, I start the weekly appointments with my OB!

33 WEEKS

WOW! Time has flown by and I've had the easiest pregnancy I could have ever hoped for. I went to the doctor yesterday and all is well with peanut. Her heartbeat was normal and my weight gain is really good, she's getting bigger every week. They say starting at 32 weeks, a baby grows 1/2 a pound a week until he/she is born, which would explain why I'm starting to get hungry more often throughout the day. I've gained a total of 23 pounds, which is 7 away from the 'goal' weight they set for me of 30 pounds total. I don't know where all 23 pounds went because my stomach and boobs are the only things that have grown, haha! Brooklyn moves so much and I love it, she likes to move once I'm comfortable in bed and ready to fall asleep but honestly, it doesn't bother me, I just laugh. She doesn't keep me awake which is good but I do have to pee every few hours throughout the night. I can only sleep on my left side and I have to have a pillow in between my knees. I've noticed if I even lay on my right side for longer than a minute, she kicks my right side and I get extremely uncomfortable. Lately, I've been getting heartburn every night, tums are my best friend. I've also been dealing with back pain which would be okay if it was my shoulders because I'm used to that but the pain is in my lower and middle back which is unbearable sometimes. A warm bath, heating pad, a walk, or getting on my hands and knees usually helps ease the pain. I can honestly say, yes I'm always uncomfortable but I like being pregnant. Dylan is understanding of my mood swings and massages my back like every night. I've had it really easy but I see much discomfort in this last month and a half of being pregnant!
Me and Dylan took our first child development class tonight, we talked about the stages of labor and what to expect. It's supposed to help with the nervousness of not knowing what to expect but now I'm more frightened and nervous than I was before. I think it's just the thought of never experiencing that kind of pain and not knowing if I can push our baby out. Some people's bodies don't allow them to have a baby the 'natural' way so they end up having a c-section and that kind of scares me. I really want to be able to give birth to my baby without having to have a c-section. The stages of labor amazed me to because I didn't know there are different stages. All I have to tell myself is it's all worth it in the end because I have to go through that to end up with my baby in my arms.
I've been a little uneasy about Brooklyn being a girl. I don't think the doctor was wrong but I want to say almost every pregnant girl thinks "what if my baby isn't a girl" or "what if my baby isn't a boy". We have been preparing for a girl and I don't have any reason to doubt her gender but me and a coworker had a dream I was holding a boy. I think it's just my mind playing tricks on me as I'm getting closer to her being here! We've decided to get a 3D ultrasound done this Thursday so I will post pictures of that after, I'm so excited because we get to see her facial features and her position in my stomach and its so real!
I've always knew I would be a mom but I never knew I'd get to experience this so soon. It's different than what I expected and it can be hard at times but it's totally worth it, when you're ready to have a baby. I figured I would get huge, be uncomfortable from day 1, have morning sickness, get all the symptoms the books tell you about but really all I've experienced is being uncomfortable, emotional, and getting heartburn. Everyone is different though. I was shocked when I found out I was pregnant, never thought I would be having a baby at 20. I planned on having kids at age 27, if things worked out that way. Obviously, god had a different plan for me and Dylan and here we are, 33 weeks pregnant with a little girl and we couldn't be more excited for what is to come. We've been very lucky to have our families support and our friends behind us 100 percent and I think that's what has made this so easy and exciting for us. I think for both of us, feeling her move and realizing that there is a little baby inside of my stomach growing and she's ours is one of the best feelings.

Her room is almost done but here are some pictures to show y'all what it looks like!

Time is flying by ...

It's been awhile since I last posted so I figured I'd update y'all while I have the time. I feel like I'm constantly going, whether it's to school, work, or making time for family, friends, and Dylan, I'm always on the go! The last time I posted, we had just found out we are having a baby girl, so much has changed since that post. I've actually gained weight and am now noticeably pregnant and I love when people stare and ask when I'm due. I had a doctors appointment this morning and everything is going great! Baby girl is healthy and growing, she is very active. I've gotten to feel her kick since about 23 weeks, it wasn't frequent movements then but now she kicks and moves all day long. Dylan has gotten to feel her a few times, the first time he felt her move was after he was talking to her, it was like she heard daddy's voice! She kicks almost every single time my mom talks to her but I talk to her before I go to bed at night and she moves a lot, it's like our mommy/daughter bonding time. I've started counting kicks and paying close attention to her movement just to reassure myself that everything is A okay, I get nervous when I don't feel her for awhile but my mom said she's probably just sleeping, I guess it's just a mother's natural instinct to make sure her baby is okay. Lately, I've been very emotional and I get stressed easily which is not healthy for me or the baby but who isn't emotional while their pregnant?! It's definitely a reoccurring symptom that the books warned me about. It's not easy being pregnant, I've had to give up a lot of things recently and it's hard to deal with. Most people who have never been pregnant don't understand how a person feels when they can't go out and they're at home alone while all their friends go out and do fun things. It's something I'm getting used to and I think I'll be more okay with it when I have the company of my little angel after she arrives.

The next couple months are going to be hectic so a couple weeks ago me and Dylan had probably our last getaway weekend before she will be born! I know we're a couple months away but we have a lot of things coming up and there is no time for an us weekend before January. In the next couple months, we have the baby shower, Thanksgiving, finals, my brother's wedding, another baby shower, Christmas, New Years, possible diaper shower, school starts, then my due date! All this mixed in with school, finals, work, being pregnant, and a social life is going to be a lot but hopefully it'll go by fast and she'll be here in no time. My baby shower is next Saturday and I'm so excited to see all my friends and family and see what things Brooklyn is getting. Once we have her stuff we plan on setting up my room and officially making it a baby room, our room! AHHHHH!!

I've started my two week appointments so in two weeks I go back and I'll try to start updated after every appointment! I took a picture for the monthly picture but it's taken me a little while to update it but here it is:

IT'S A GIRL!

I'm 20 weeks and we found out the news this morning, Peanut is a girl!!! Dylan and I are both very happy we're having a healthy baby girl! Although Dylan wanted a boy really bad, I could tell he was happy seeing his baby girl on the screen for the first time. Her name will be Brooklyn Kaylene Bennatt! My mom picked out Brooklyn and I fell in love and my best friends middle name is Kaylene so it's perfect! She is healthy and growing at the right pace, she wasn't as active today as last time but she was sucking on her hands the whole time, which was the cutest thing ever! We got to see her fingers, toes, legs, arms, head, nose, mouth, heart, everyything! Peanut is 11oz. right now, big babyyy! She even looks like she's going to have big eyes like her momma, yayyy!! I don't have a big belly but I'm expecting one any day now, I've gotten somewhat bigger from July (pictures underneath). I can't wait for people to look at me and know I'm pregnant, not think I'm chubbier than I used to be, haha! I haven't felt a definite movement from her yet but I'm still waiting. For the last month I was nervous, I hadn't heard her heartbeat in a month, hadn't seen her in two months, and hadn't felt her yet so I didn't know what to expect when I went in today, but all is well and little girl is healthy!! Sometimes I feel pregnant and other times I don't feel pregnant, I guess a part of me should be enjoying this time before I blow up and I'm uncomfortable all the time! I really haven't had any symptoms lately besides a few headaches and pains in my stomach due to everything making room for the baby. I've had a pretty easy pregnancy so far, fingers crossed! Dylan is doing so good with everything, he's so supportive and takes really good care of me whenever I am feeling bad. I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend/future father to my child!

17 Weeks

It's been awhile since I posted so I'll bring y'all up to date!

Last Wednesday, August 10th, I went to my second appointment and my doctor said all is good with me and Peanut, we're both very healthy. We are finding out whether we're having a girl or boy on SEPTEMBER 6TH, I can't wait! I don't have a preference, everyone asks what I prefer but I honestly just want a healthy baby, boy or girl! Dylan wants a boy but he said he'll be happy either way!

I am 17 weeks today which blows my mind cause it's going by so fast, we're 23 weeks away from meeting our little one! I never got morning sickness, just a couple days where I felt nausea and headaches. Recently, I've gotten heartburn and at night I feel irritated and restless. Peanut is about 5 inches long and 3 1/2 ounces and should double in size in the next few weeks which means I'm actually going to gain some weight and look pregnant very soon! The doctor told me if I poked my stomach I should get a response from the baby like a kick or something and I did on Friday!!! I poked the middle of stomach and felt a little something, I didn't believe it so I poked my stomach again and got the same response, I'm almost positive it was the baby, I immediately got a huge smile on my face! It's crazy that all this is happening inside of me.

From my email I get every week from whattoexpect.com:
"Your baby is almost certainly listening up by now. In fact, loud noises — the dog barking, the doorbell ringing — will actually startle your baby (and also get him or her used to such noises; for instance, fetuses who regularly hear a dog barking will become babies who sleep right through Fido's outbursts). Your baby's eyes (which have fortunately finished their migration to the front of his or her head) are making small side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though the eyelids are still sealed. And since practice makes perfect, your baby is sharpening his or her sucking and swallowing skills in preparation for that first (and second…and third) suckle at your breast or bottle. In fact, most of the survival reflexes that your baby will have at birth are being perfected in utero right now."

I don't even look pregnant but yet all these amazing things are happening inside me! Within the next month, me and others should be able to feel the baby move, ahhh I can't wait.

14 weeks

This update is going to be short and it's a little late but I've been busy with work and being pregnant! I am now 14 weeks and 2 days!!!! Peanut is between 3 1/2 in - 4 in and is about the size of a lemon! Peanut can now squint, frown, pee, and possibly suck his or her thumb! Ahh that's crazy! My mom took a picture of my belly on July 25th, so it's been exactly a month since my previous picture!

Not showing much yet but doctor says soon enough I'll be out there! Oh, me and Dylan decided on a name for a boy and a name for a girl but I'm not going to announce Peanut's name until we find out what we're having! I'll give a longer update and a more detailed update next week!