Weeks 36 & 37

Fruit/Veg/Edibles: ‘Why does it always have to be a fruit. It’s probably the size of a small dog by now.’ – Auntie Kristen

Ripe papaya & Honeydew melon. Or puppy. Your choice.

Bi-Weekly weight gain: 3 lbs

Total weight gain: 23.8 lbs

I can be found eating: Okay, okay… I admit it. Lots of chocolate frosted donuts. And not any other kind. Sprinkles just make a mess and are a little too chalky and any filled-types inevitably end up all over my hands and clothes. Chocolate frosted it is and don’t judge for the amount of time I’ve spent deliberating over donut types. Unless I blow up in the next few weeks, it looks like I won’t have gained all that much pregnancy weight so…donuts. I was in Maine on vacation and eating lobster whenever and however possible (lobster, lobster roll, lobster bisque, lobster mac, lobster…) clearly I’m not as picky about my lobster as I am my donuts. Lots of delicious wedding meals, too! Festivities are wonderful for the appetite and maternity wear often provides space for both baby and whatever food baby my stomach will allow! Score.

Aversions: I guess I have nothing random to gripe about this week! What a treat for everyone involved.

Movement/bumps/thumps/lumps/shmumps:  Baby is head down and ready to go! I’ve been told I should refrain from standing on my head because it can cause the baby to shift back into a less optimal position. *blank stare* I don’t know whether I envy or pity the women doing THAT at this stage of pregnancy. Most of what I feel is sporadic waves of repositioning; sometimes visible, always palpable. Imagine your most dramatic yawn… now bigger and include a ridiculous larger than life stretch, a take up half the bed roll over and a cutesy little settle in wiggle.  That’s approximately what is going on in there. I also get a big butt in the air poking out on my left side occasionally and very definitive foot lumps over on my right.

Maternity Stylin’: Kirkland signature men’s non-iron shirts from Costco. I certainly don’t wear them but what could be more my maternity style than NOT ironing?! They look amazing when you actually do put the extra effort into making them look crisp-y but they also look ‘yeah, sure hunny, you’re good’ when ironing is just not in the cards. I just try to pull them out of the dryer and hang ’em up as quickly as possible which may make me the laziest wife to ever send her beloved off to work looking like a decently dressed stud. Granted Ryan does most of his own ironing if it’s necessary, buttt lots of times it’s not and that’s why the Hess Station runs on Kirkland.  (note: Kirkland everything… Not just men’s shirts)

Only because I promised…Here is the maternity bathing suit in all its glory.

Baby’s first close-up

And bridesmaid dress success. Special shout out to the sweetest little old lady in Wilbraham for her speedy tailoring talents and the now Mrs. Morgan Maher for choosing a very bump friendly dress!!



How do I feel?:
Actually much less like baby will be making an early arrival. Despite all the wedding dancing, celebrating and staying on my feet longer than the foot fluid says I should, I feel like little Hess might take after me. In that case, s/he would leisurely use up every bit of prep-time possible,  only to rush around chaotically when absolutely necessary and ultimately arrive in some haphazard and tardy fashion. Not that I’m hoping for birth complications or to go way past my due date (obviously!) but that’s just generally how I roll and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if these last few weeks are draggy & slow-moving and then suddenly frantic and unpredictable.


Status of the bump:
  Have I already covered this? I feel like yes. Low, bumpy and containing a baby. Signs that your pregnancy is almost over: There really isn’t much left to say except your stomach is now HUGE and every interaction that occurs in your life involves a ‘you’re about to pop, huh’ comment.


The Happies: 


We had an amazing time celebrating two of the sweetest people in the world surrounded by some of my best, oldest friends and wonderful new ones. Being a part of this wedding was an absolute joy and honor in every way! Congratulations to Mr. And Mrs. Maher. We love you Morgan!

Maternity Leave: My last shift pre-baby is tomorrow and I am so happy and relieved that for the next few months I will be taking a breather from my role as 8.5 month pregnant, new-grad, fresh off orientation, per diem, float nurse.

It means a brief reprieve from the awful tossy-turny sleeps because I’m praying for a 5am call telling me I’m cancelled. A welcomed break from 12 hours on my feet scrambling to keep my head above water followed by an inevitable 2 of charting and tying up all my loose ends. A brief pause in faking it till I make it and smiling until I believe I’m okay.  No more all-encompassing, essentially paralyzingly anxiety for the entire evening pre-shift and mandatory recovery from physical and mental exhaustion 24 hours post-shift.

And then I re-read all of that with a fresh set of eyes and laugh and sigh with a huge smile.

The challenges of a new nurse are similar in many ways to those that lie imminently ahead of me as a new, inexperienced mother. The utter exhaustion is not going anywhere for the next… lifetime. The sleeplessness of my nights will be compounded. I anticipate that the anxiety of having no clue what I’m doing will be just as paralyzing and likely far more emotionally draining.

We will revisit the work topic when I have to return in November as both a new mom, postpartum and hormonal and the new nurse who still has no clue what to do. But until then I plan to make the most of my potential few weeks off by preparing for the little one as best we can, enjoying what little time there is left with just my husband and getting excited for all the joys and amazing rewards that will come along with the new challenges that we wille embrace together.

Happy Birthday America! Baby Hess, we are ready for yours whenever you are.

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