HDBD - 36 weeks!

One week until we're full term - 4 weeks until the due date!  We had our 36 week check up and Strep Test today.  Baby Nicolette is being a good girl, head down just like she should be.  She hasn't dropped yet so there is a chance that she could flip around, but at every appointment and ultrasound so far she's been head down.  And I still feel that sweet little bootie of hers pushing up into my ribs every day so I'll look at that as a blessing and not the curse that it feels like :)  The doctor didn't say anything, but my gut is telling me that this little girl is going to take her sweet time getting here - I think she'll be late. 

Here's Hump Day Bump Day pic for week #36...weird - I almost think the bump looks smaller in this pic than it did last week - but promise it's bigger! 

While Nicolette tortured me for the first 16 weeks with chronic "morning sickness" - she's definitely making up for it by being a VERY good baby now.  So far I can still wear my wedding rings and my heels and my doctor called my ankles "tiny" at my appointment today (women who have been pregnant can totally understand how incredibly flattering that one little comment can be).  I'm still sleeping through the night...soundly and haven't had to ask hubby to turn the AC to a cooler temp.  And so far (knock on wood) I have no stretch marks (praying that we can make it through the next few weeks with that still being true)!!!!!  I figured by this point my ankles would be swollen the size of my thighs, my rings would be long gone, I'd be confined to (gasp) FLATS and that I'd be functioning on less than 2 hours of sleep a night.  So THANK YOU BABY for being so nice to me.  You have no idea how much mommy appreciates this!  

Week 35-36 has brought on a severe case of NESTING.  Hubby made the mistake of reminding me that we have a Carpet Shampooer machine thingy, so I started upstairs with the nursery (shampooed that 3 times), then the two rooms upstairs (shampooed those twice), then our loft/bonus room area (shampooed that 3 times).  I asked him to bring the machine downstairs yesterday so that I could start in our room and I shampooed the carpets in our master bath and closet 3 times (twice last night and got up SUPER early this morning to hit it one more time).  Plan to work on the Master Bedroom tonight and tomorrow night and then probably work on our living room and dining room Friday and Saturday after work.  The Italian thinks I'm insane...I kind of agree, but I just will not feel right unless it is DONE.

Hubby is nesting a little bit too...on the way home from a business trip last week he stopped at a rug store because he just felt that our family room rug was too old and dirty for our new little one, so he bought an enormous Jute rug to replace it.  We both loved it until the first night we realized that our cat-child Sasha may think that we just bought her the world's largest scratching mat!  She picked at it two or three times, but we gave her a couple of quick "NO's" and she walked right over to her scratching post and did her thing there instead...she hasn't picked at the rug once since then.  Such a good kitty-child.     

We also made some serious progress in the nursery this weekend.  I took pictures with my fancy camera and now can't find the stinking USB cord to download them.  Promise that I'll get the pictures up as soon as I can - we're REALLY happy with how it's turning out!!!!!  It is so sweet and soft and pretty :)  The Italian put together the crib and dresser and helped hang the drapes, valance and some of the wall hangings this weekend.  He calls it the "princess room".  There are no princess-y things in there, it just is really, really pretty...fit for OUR princess.

So this is my last 6 day work week at work this week - praise Jesus!  I do plan to keep working right up until we go to the hospital, but no more 6 day weeks after this.  Giving tours at work is getting more and more difficult.  I'm finding that walking brings on more Braxton Hicks contractions which are NOT painful AT ALL - however they do take my breath away and literally make me winded which is kind of awkward when you're walking around our enormous hotel with a bride and her fiance and/or parents.  Luckily my teammates have offered to step up and take some of my sites for me over this last month.  I have several scheduled for Saturday that I'll have to take myself but we'll get through it.  Walking around this place is pretty much all of the exercise that I'm getting these days...well that and the insane carpet shampooing marathon.  The carpet shampooing jump starts the BH contractions too, but at least that's at home and not with strangers.

I'm really excited about The Italian's first Father's Day this weekend - he'll be enjoying watching the US Open no doubt and he gets a special present from Nicolette and Mommy...will post pics next week.

Feeling blessed to be exactly where we are right now.  It's only a matter of time now!!!!!  6 days until we're considered FULL TERM and only 27 until the official "due date"!