36 weeks 5 days…. that’s the official count as of today. It’s crazy how time can pass so quickly and yet so slowly at the same time. Each week of each trimester has crept by, making all of the aches, rashes, swelling, vomiting, restless legs and insomnia seem like permanent fixtures in my life (even though I know they are not). Yet somehow our little girl’s arrival is right around the corner and I feel as though Chris and I were just finding out the happy news that we would be parents.

I haven’t done a very good job at keeping up with belly updates – Sorry to Baby Baker’s grandparents!

Here are a few photos to give you an idea of how much Baby B has grown! She is currently weighing in at about 5 1/2 lbs

          

Time has definitely sped up during these last few weeks. I feel great (for the most part) and am in quasi nesting mode. I say quasi because it comes and goes about every other day – one day I’m a cleaning, baby prepping machine…the next I’m lucky to just make it through the work day!

There has been one thing that has really helped me these past few weeks. Chris surprised me by ordering a pregnancy pillow – The Snoogle. 

He had asked me if I wanted one early on during this pregnancy, but I refused the offer. I couldn’t justify spending that much money on a pillow when I figured I could use pillows we already had to make myself comfortable. I made do until well into the third trimester, but sleep was becoming more and more elusive. I was also having such a difficult time breathing while laying down. I don’t know if Chris ordered the pillow for me because he took pitty on how little sleep I was getting each night, or if he saw it as a solution for how little sleep he was getting each night as a result of my tossing and turning (and sighing rather loudly sometimes…on purpose…I know, shameful). 

I have to admit, I was skeptical. I think I was mostly skeptical because the pillow had such a dumb name (pardon my language and negativity). I mean, Snoogle?! Really?!  Even with my doubts, the pillow truly proved its worth during the first night. I slept through the night, except for one bathroom break around 2am (which was not Snoogle’s fault at all). The only issues it didn’t help alleviate were restless legs (is there even a cure for that?) and shortness of breath while laying down (but I’ve found that that depends on how our little girl is positioned because it varies greatly every night). I really wish I had given this pillow a try from the beginning. As a former back-sleeper, it is wonderful to have support on your front and your back to help you stay on your side throughout the night.