37 Weeks! FULL TERM!!!

It has been a long road to get to this point...but at the same time, the weeks have flown by. I officially have a "full term" baby in my belly. Of course, I'd like to keep him in there until he is ready to enter the world...but at this point, he is considered developed enough to be perfectly okay. :)

He is heavy. My belly has dropped significantly. I could tell right away because suddenly it was easier to breathe and stand up without grunting. Unfortunately this means the pelvic pressure and constant peeing have gotten worse! When I'm sitting down now, it feels like he is sitting on my lap instead of way up in my ribcage. He is also bigger though, so while the bulk of him is sitting lower in my abdomen, his little feet and butt have taken up permanent residence under my ribs. Ow! His movements are absolutely insane! He is supposed to be running out of room and therefore calming down, but instead he is karate chopping mommy like it's his job. It's really crazy to see my belly contorting in opposite directions because he is big enough he can kick and punch at the same time!

Despite the fact that I drink water like it is going out of style (literally at least 100 oz a day) and that my blood pressure has been great this entire time (last appointment it was 108/72), I have started to get the dreaded third trimester swelling. After taking the dogs on a walk and running some errands in the warm weather today, I had some serious cankles and puffy toes going on. I'll talk to my doctor tomorrow but I'm sure it's just normal at this point.

The other big thing that has been happening this week is the near constant cramping pain I am having low in my abdomen. Since I have never had contractions before, I cannot be sure if these are real or the Braxton Hicks-practice contractions that I've read about. They just feel like more intense than normal menstrual cramps. I cannot really notice when they start and stop so its hard to time them. These started around Thursday and have been nonstop since. My mom's neighbor heard this, saw my dropped belly and rubbed it and told me she gives me a week. We shall see!

Here's my lower than normal torpedo belly at 37 weeks!:

You can see how my belly now slopes downward rather than popping straight out!

Bump Update:

How far along: 37 Weeks, 19 days to go!!! <---ah!

How big is baby: Around 6 pounds and 19 inches!
Weight Gain: At my appointment last week, I had reached exactly 25 pounds gained. That's perfectly on track for this point in my pregnancy and I am happy with that. I knew the weight would come and I'm glad it's come on gradually...I do feel it slowing a little now here towards the end. And I find comfort in the swelling for once because that makes it more obvious that anything extra I do have going on really is water weight/baby at this point. 
Best moment of the week: We spent Sunday out in the sunshine with my mom, grilling and hanging out. My nose and arms got a little sunburned but it was so nice to not only be out of our stuffy apartment for a little while, but also to be able to enjoy the beautiful weather!
Food cravings:  Popsicles. Lime ones. And grape Kool-Aid. :)
Food aversions: Everything that isn't cold, citrusy or frozen. That's quite honestly all I want to eat right now...I'll eat other food, but it is not yummy to me.

Symptoms: Lower abdominal cramping, easier time breathing but more heartburn than ever, swelling!
Movement: Crazy, intense and strong like always.
What I’m looking forward to: The month of May rolling in...then I'll be able to truly say, "I am having a baby this month!" (That is if nothing crazy happens between now and then!)
What I miss:  I don't think I am going to shock anyone here when I say sleeeeeeeeeep! And yes, I know I will never sleep again, thanks for reminding me!