33 Weeks

33 weeks and still growing a baby over here...business as usual!
This was a busy week and I was able to check quite a few things off of my "to-do" list. Here are some highlights:

• My 33 week checkup went well. The baby's heartbeat was 135-140bpm and somehow I managed to gain 4 lbs over the past two weeks! Jared was at the appointment with me, and when I told him it was because the "baby went through a growth spurt", he responded with, "Or else it's the bowl of ice cream you eat every night..." Ha! I'm guessing it's a combination of the two, and that's ok with me :) If I average another 1lb per week during the rest of my pregnancy, which is expected in this stage, I'll be within my goal weight gain of 35lbs.
• Jared and I attended a Labor Support class, which was basically two hours of Jared learning the best ways to massage me and make me feel better during labor. It was heaven!
• This week I met with pediatricians and found one that I absolutely adored. And even better is that their office is only 3 blocks from our apartment, so bringing the baby in should be a little easier since I'll be able to walk him there in the beautiful spring weather. Very happy to check that off the list!
• I also met with a newborn photographer, Reflections by Rhiannon, who's studio happens to be right next to our pediatricians office. She does beautiful work and we'll be taking the little guy in for some newborn pictures with her before he's 14 days old. 
• Pre-registration at the hospital = DONE
• Hospital bag = PACKED
• Cleaning service for our apartment = SCHEDULED. No more deep cleaning for this working mom! Whoo hoo!
• I finally got around to washing all of the baby's new toys...who knew that would be such a daunting task!
• I found the BEST place to buy baby clothes....TJMaxx/Marshalls! First of all, we lucked out being Minnesotans in NC, as we picked up a few Vikings shirts for only $2! And Jared almost pooped himself with excitement when he saw all of the Puma jammies I scored for around $5 a pop.

I'm really looking forward to the weeks ahead. Next week is the last week I will travel via plane for work, and at my next doctor's appointment in two weeks they are going to check me for strep B and see if I'm dialated at all. That, combined with the fact that I will then be going to the doctor weekly makes his arrival feel so close. Only 47 days till my due date...CRAZY!

At 33 weeks, the baby is between 4-5lbs and 17-18 inches long, and comparable to the size of a honeydew: