33 weeks and counting....

Today we're 33 weeks pregnant! 7 more weeks to go - and, we have now surpassed the 50 day mark until our due date! Baby now should be weighing in at about 4 1/2 pounds and measuring between 17-19 1/2 inches. I definitely feel him/her growing because my stomach is getting bigger and bigger with less and less room to move about in. This week I've noticed things like getting full a lot quicker when I eat and having a little bit more trouble breathing. I also will admit that it's now near impossible to bend in closely to my body to tie my shoes or reach for something - I always thought that I'd defeat the odds and not be "that pregnant lady" who complains about bending over and picking things up, but I'm proof, it's not a matter of desire, it's a matter of physics! I suspect these side effects will only increase in the next 7 weeks, so hopefully those weeks will fly by for my comfort's sake, but more importantly so we can finally see this little blessing we've been so anxious to meet for the last 7 1/2 months! No matter how uncomfortable I become with this pregnancy, I continue to relish in amazement over witnessing my growing stomach in the mirror each morning and the ability to feel our child moving about in my belly so randomly. None of it can ever be replaced by anything, so I continue to cherish each day of being pregnant and am honored to experience such a miraculous gift!

This week we started our child birthing classes! They are a series of three, 2 hour classes and the first one went really well. The instructor is a labor and delivery nurse at the hospital, so we could end up having her during labor, which would be convenient. At our first class we mainly talked about a rundown of what's to come, and she taught us/had us practice some breathing techniques and various massage routines to help during labor. The "Dad's" are referred to as the "Mom's labor coach," so Andy was planning to show up in class wearing a shirt that read: "Coach" across the front........ unfortunately (wink, wink.... and thankfully) we didn't get a chance to get one of those shirts. But, now it's become a little joke for us that he is officially "the coach." The hospital so far seems really nice. We've seen the Women's Center (entrance area) and it was impressive with hardwood floors and a nice waiting area. We've also been in the main entrance area and another building where the class is held and all of the locations have been really beautiful for a hospital, and clean! In addition to looking nice, the staff seems friendly and it's been really quiet there when we've gone - so all of those things are pluses! This week in class we will be watching some videos of labor and delivery experiences (which should be interesting - I'm curious to see how my (somewhat) weak stomached husband is going to react to those) and get an official tour of the hospital - so we're looking forward to that!

We received some more of our furniture that we've ordered for the nursery this week! We're still waiting on a couple of "big ticket items" - so I think I'll wait until it's all finish to put up official updated photos, but it's coming along! Someone has enjoyed the new creature comforts we've added in the room, and I'm wondering if that someone is thinking that pretty, comfy looking crib in there is actually for her:

Andy and I think she's going to be the type of family dog that will no doubt sleep at the foot of the baby's crib once he or she is here - she clearly loves the room already!

In addition to being 33 weeks today, we're also celebrating Andy's 31st birthday! Here are some photos of our birthday evening celebration.

Presents!

These are from "Grandma Capozzoli" for "Daddy" by way of baby..... a Yankees outfit (that either boy or girl will wear) and a little pink outfit for if we have a girl!

Showing me his gifts from his parents, Charlie and Sue - the Yankees World Series Champions hat and shirt being his most prized possessions at the moment. I think he has said at least 10 times how much the hat and shirt are "awesome."

Our "quaint" birthday party dinner for 2... 3 if you count Delaney... 3 1/2 if you count Delaney and baby :)

One of ... JUST one... of Andy's favorite desserts - chocolate lava cakes! I've never made these before, so I think I still need to perfect them, but they tasted good, regardless!

I meant to place a candle in them to officially make them "birthday cakes," but you might be able to guess that standing between the birthday boy and his cake just to snap a picture was torture enough for him..... he wasn't having the candle to boot!

Priceless! Haha - for real, how can you not smile when you see this?! Delaney wanted to dress up like her Daddy in honor of him on his birthday.

And.... a little message from "baby" to "Daddy" on his birthday:

Also, I wanted to include another video that I took this week. I caught the baby slowly rolling to one spot in my stomach. It isn't fast movement, but if you watch the right side of my stomach, you'll see the bulge of the baby's body slowly appear and eventually disappear. (Please ignore the HGTV we have on TV in the background!) :)