Week 36
Baby H is the size of a Honeydew Melon.

9 months along!

Max is bigger than this Honeydew- He's currently about 6 lbs and 9 oz!

Cuddling with Calvin! I can't believe he's already 6 weeks old!

Amazing maternity photography by our extremely talented friend Ashlie Johnson

One of my favorites!

Boop!

So much love <3

Belly kisses!

I'm a very lucky lady!

Kisses!

Absolute peace

More blessings than we can count!

Another favorite!

Our little boy! Look at that adorable little face :-) I'm so grateful that he is healthy and strong!

How far along? 36 Weeks
Maternity clothes: The belly band from my first trimester is back... and it is the only way to have pants that fit. Gabe was pretty impressed that I fit my pre-pregnancy jeans (other than the gaping v in the front where they should zip); at least I still have something that fits (almost)!
Sleep: Sleep has been really challenging this week. I keep waking up around 4 am and struggling to get back to sleep. As I've gotten bigger I've begun to have a lot of back pain, so it's difficult to get comfortable at night. Soon Max will be here and I will be able to sleep on my back again!

Best moments this week: This week was full of wonderful moments!  
1) Seeing my bestie, Lauren, and finally meeting little Calvin! After some rain from Joaquin post-poned our maternity pics, Gabe and I decided to make an impromptu trip to Jville so we could meet Calvin. Lauren met up with us after church and we had lunch at Lola's, one of the tastiest spots in Riverside. And what's better than burritos? Cuddling a six week old baby boy! Calvin was so well behaved the whole time we visited and ate, so obviously Lauren is already a super mama! Holding Calvin was wonderful- he's so soft and perfect. I'm so happy for Lauren and Andrew that they are blessed with such a sweet baby boy. The afternoon made me all the more excited to have Max. I know motherhood is going to be an incredible adventure! 

 2) Catching up with Ashlie! The same rain that canceled our photo session on Sunday cancelled Ashlie's drive to Philadelphia, so by a happy coincidence we were both visiting Jville. We met up in Memorial Park and Ashlie spoiled us with a spontaneous maternity shoot (see the amazing pictures above). While she was shooting, we got caught up on all the things that have been going on since our last visit a few months ago. After our session, we did what friends do best- sit around a table and talk about life. This year has definitely brought positive changes to all of our lives! Having great friends means that you have people to enjoy all those changes with, and we are so lucky to have her in our life! No surprise, the pictures turned out gorgeous and I can barely wait to print them!

 3) Our final ultrasound and getting a sneak peek at Max :-) Tuesday I had my final ultrasound and we got to glimpse our little man! He is currently 6 lbs and 9 oz (give or take a lb) and he is absolutely adorable! He's already in position and his head is very low according to my OB, so it was difficult to get a clear image of his little face, but as you can see from the one above, he has chubby little cheeks and his daddy's full lips. We are so in love with our little man, and we are elated to become his parents soon! The official count is 21 days, but my doctor said I "might be one of those 37 week people"- fingers crossed!

4) Yesterday we had our maternity photo session in Forsyth Park with Water to Wine Photography. Jessica was so nice, and she took more pictures than we expected. The weather was glorious, and the afternoon lighting was just right for our fall themed shoot. She showed us some of the shots as she was snapping away, and they look great. We are really looking forward to seeing them after the edits, and I will be posting them soon! Jessica is also doing Max's newborn photos, and I know she will be the perfect person to capture his newborn stage!

Miss Anything? This week I'm missing clothes that fit and sleeping through the night- somehow, I think it'll be a while before either of those change!

Movement: Max is our little mover and shaker. Even though he is (very) head down, he still moves his little feet and bum all around. Occasionally he moves his little fists around too, which feels a little odd at this point since they are way down by my bikini line. I think he is trying to punch his way out sometimes... He is ready to join the world!

Food cravings: Mexican food, brownies, granola, dried cherries, salad, and one more M&M blast... that evens out right? 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Back pain and heartburn are making me nauseous here and there.  
Gender: Mr. Max!
Labor Signs: This week Max, and my uterus have been prepping for his debut. I started having contractions (not Braxton Hicks) on Monday and I've had about 10 a day since then, but they haven't formed a pattern yet. They also hurt a lot more than Braxton Hicks and my back feels like its in a vice grip when I get them. At my appointment I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced, which is a positive step toward labor. Apparently his head is really low, which is part of the reason I've been having so much discomfort and cramping. On the plus side, my doc says it will make delivery a lot quicker whent he time comes since he is already engaged so snugly. Last night I was dreaming about having contractions and woke up with them around 3:30, but they stopped again by 5:15 ish. Now that I'm full term Max can come any time, so I am on the countdown for real now! 
Symptoms: Contractions, back pain, cramping, fatigue, "pregnancy brain," and nesting  
Belly Button in or out? Still in, somehow.
Wedding rings on or off? The cool fall weather is here and I actually got my real wedding rings back on! I am so happy to have them back on my finger where they belong! 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Joyous! 
Looking forward to: Our baby class Saturday- if Max doesn't come before then!