One Month To Go

It's the final count down, there is now less than one month to go until my due date! I am on the home stretch and my baby is within my reach! I hope he doesn't keep us waiting too long but it is totally up to him when he decides to make an appearance. I keep thinking about the first time I set eyes on him and my very first cuddle. I am beyond excited!

Pregnancy Diary: Week 34

14/10/13

34 Weeks Pregnant.

A lot has changed this week. I am still getting awful heartburn but it seems to of developed into acid reflux and I now cough up acid which isn't very pleasant. I am still struggling to sleep but it has gotten worse. It's not that I am uncomfortable in bed, it's just that I am unable to drift off. Most days I will see the sun setting and hear the birds singing before I have even had a wink of sleep. Back pain has jumped on the band wagon this week too and if I am on my feet for long periods of time it becomes very sore and stiff which makes it difficult to walk. Thankfully I haven't had to deal with that throughout the entire pregnancy which I know some women do. The final symptom to emerge this week is what people refer to as "Lightening Crotch." My pelvis area feels extremely heavy, almost feels bruised and I get the occasional shooting pain every now and again. I have heard that this is totally normal as it is just the baby getting himself prepared and into the correct position. These changes are welcomed because no matter how uncomfortable they are they are just my body's way of getting ready for labour. 

It's harder to tell how much the bump has grown this week. I know it has gotten bigger though because a T'shirt that just about fit me last week is now too short on my stomach. I have measured big at every midwife appointment but to me I don't feel huge. In early pregnancy when I would think about how big I would be at 34 weeks I expected to be a lot bigger. I know there could potentially be another 6 weeks left to become humongous though so I'm enjoying not being massive just yet although I do struggle to get up off the sofa now and bending down is near enough impossible. 

The baby feels even stronger this week and his movements make my belly protrude at funny angles. I have been enjoying these new feelings thoroughly. When you touch the bump he will respond with a little kick, it's lovely. Also when I listen to my favourite band he will wriggle around like crazy like he is dancing. He either has great music taste like his Mummy or is telling me to turn it off, haha. I know I say this all the time but I am going to miss him being in my belly. 

I'm getting used to being at home on maternity leave. Like I had planned I have been keeping busy cleaning, cooking and sorting but I also have been enjoying plenty of naps and have been indulging in trashy American TV. I love it and I am making the most of the free time while I still can. I also like to spend countless hours just imagining our baby. It almost feels like a dream that he will be here soon! 

Naming Our Baby

One thing I have always really enjoyed to daydream about ever since I was a little girl is what I would name my future children. Over the years my likes and favourites have changed dramatically. Naturally as soon as we started trying to conceive I began my baby name list. I would spend hours trailing websites, ebooks, polls, forums, chat rooms for baby names that caught my eye. I found a good twenty or so names that I liked in both genders but only three or four names that I really loved. Out of the ones that I loved my better half would like the one if I was lucky. We are very similar when it comes to our likes and wants but we did have a tricky time with names. We only agreed on one or two.

There are so many different things you have to take into consideration when picking the perfect name for your baby. Not only do you want to love it, it has to suit your baby, your last name, it has to age well and so on. I also made the mistake on asking friends and families advise on the names we liked. Bad move as everyone has a different opinion and you shouldn't have to please everyone. Next time I wont be asking any opinions I will just be telling them that this is the name we want! 

My favourite boy names; Noah, Dawson, Tobias, Harry and Blake. 

Noah. It's a name I've loved since I used to watch Home and Away as a child. I think it's one of those names which ages fantastically and it sounds great. I know it's rising in popularity each year but I love it that much that I don't really mind. I told our family that Noah was the name we would probably go for and it stuck. They all referred to him as Noah ever since then, even though I told them not to in case we changed our minds.

Dawson. Probably one of the most out there names that I liked but at first it was the forerunner believe it or not! After I thought and said it out loud for a few weeks I began to like it less and less. It also got some questionable looks when I mentioned that I liked it, so I think that put me off a little too.

Tobias. I love the name Tobias but unfortunately Nick and my family all loathe it. I think it's one of those nice names that you don't hear often and the nickname Toby is just adorable. 

Harry. It wasn't really a name that was a full on favourite until a month or so ago. It really grew on me although it is incredibly popular. It has come a close second but I don't think it really suits my other half's last name which is Kelly. Harry Kelly. It sounds like a cartoon character.

Blake. Lastly we have Blake. I really like American names and think Blake is a cool name. Probably my least favourite out of the lot but it was still an option. 

My favourite girl names; Sophia, Daisy, Poppy and Harper.

There was a lot more girl names that I liked but not many that I really loved. I did find it trickier falling in love with a girl name compared to the boy names. I don't know if it's because I was certain I was having a boy. If the baby was a girl we would of probably gone for Sophia or Daisy. We did toy between the two before we found out we were team blue.

As you may or may not know we are 99% sure our little one is going to be named Noah. Hopefully we don't have a change of heart and hopefully he will look like a Noah! I am sure he will do. Now we just need to decide on a middle name! Let the fun begin!

Time Is Flying By

Where has the time gone? It doesn't feel like two minutes ago since we found out I was pregnant. The pregnancy and this year as a whole has flown past in the blink of an eye, it's frightening! Time just seems to go by faster and faster as you get older. 

There's just 16 days left until I start my Maternity Leave, just 29 days until my baby shower and finally just 64 days until my due date! 

I wonder if he will arrive close to his due date? Will he will be early or late? Will I need to be induced or will I go into labour naturally? Will I be able to have the natural water birth? Will I be able to handle the pain? Will I be able to breastfeed? Will I be a good Mum? There are a thousand questions I keep asking myself and only time will tell. 

I am so excited about what is just around the corner for us. Our lives will never be the same again and I am so ready for this! I can't wait to meet our boy!