34 week update!

Whoa mama!! If you look at my 32 wk picture...baby has definitely grown!

How far along? 34 weeks 

Total weight gain? 2.5# (Total: 27.5 #)

Maternity clothes? YES! I got a couple cute pieces recently to add to my wardrobe...they will be featured in our maternity shoot ;)
Stretch marks? None...yet! It's probably a mixture of staying hydrated, getting belly massages with raw shea butter, and genetics but so far...so good :)

Sleep?  Going as well as it can be with stress of boards coming up & the constant need to empty my squished bladder.

Best moment this week? Getting to see our little girl on the big screen (3D ultrasound) with both my family and Ryan's family by our side! Our little girl has my big lips :D

Miss Anything? Yes! All the moments I didn't have to study! 

Movement? Oh yes! She moves and moves! She has little hiccups everyday too! And she moves the MOST while I am trying to study! Sitting still in an exam 3 days straight is going to be quite difficult for me...

Food cravings? One day it was grilled cheese with tomato soup...then LEMONADE...then lemonade again...then I wanted it so much I just went to Walmart & bought a bunch of lemons to make my own! Today I was craving these yummy tacos from this food truck in Bolingbrook called "Fire it up!" (so freaking good...I crave their tacos like at least once a week so I don't know if it officially counts as a craving haha)...and then when I bought lemons..I started craving RICE CRISPY TREATS so I made those too. haha... 

Anything make you queasy or sick? Same! Oh and HEAT makes me nauseous. Eh....
Gender? Girl! 

Symptoms? Constant muscle aches...my FEET HURT carrying all this extra weight around...and my feet/ankles are a little swollen again- the heat and sitting a lot more often from studying does NOT help.

Belly button in or out? Still in! But it is looking suspiciously on it's end....gross!

Wedding rings on or off? Depends on the day and the heat! I had to take it off on Thursday for the first time :( But that was the only day I couldn't wear it...so it's still officially ON:)

Happy or Moody? Happy...anxious..excited....but a lot more sensitive!

Looking forward to? Board exams being over! (soon!!) Then my LAST baby shower plus our maternity photoshoot that we had to cancel due to weather 2 weeks ago! 

Grilled cheese on fancy bread with roasted red pepper tomato soup!

I thought the food cravings halted a bit...but then this week, we got hit hard (haha). 

It could be that I've been cramming for my board exams and I just wanted food to de-stress..or it could be the combination of being almost 9 months pregnant AND cramming! :) I'll blame it on the pregnancy. 

PREGNANCY BRAIN is no joke. I always thought it was a half excuse for just being super tired. But boy oh boy. I'll get up to get something then immediately forget why I got up! That's just one tiny example of how poorly my brain is working....so sitting here and trying to cram through pharmaceuticals, botanicals, homeopathy, emergency medicine, diagnoses, etc etc....well just think of how crazy I am becoming! 

I was about 8 weeks pregnant when I took the first part of these board exams...tired, nauseous, super nauseous, weak, and super nauseous again. If you read back at my posts, you would remember that I actually hid granola bars in my socks & got up frequently to "use the restroom" so I could sneak in bites that would help control the nausea!

And yet..through all that, my little good luck charm got me through and I scored in the top percentile of ALL the scores in the nation! 

So...here's to hoping, she strikes again. Although while I am studying, she can't seem to stop wiggling around and kicking my diaphragm which takes my breath away...literally.  I think the combo of her & God, I will at least get through 3 grueling days of board exams...even if I don't pass :) 

So please, please PLEASE pray for a sista! I am holding on to what really matters....taking breaks for my brain....and sipping on my lemonade to keep me sane:)

Homemade lemonade and homemade rice crispy treats! Yum!

Here's a little hint of our nursery-

Ryan is OFFICIALLY done with his amazing Birch Tree mural in the nursery and put a little message at the bottom of one of the trees...it made my heart drop. That 3 letter word means so so so much to me & I can't help but be so grateful that our little baby girl gets the best DAD around:) Love you Ryan<3