35 Week Update

Baby's the weight of a honeydew!
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds. Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

While this week was a big milestone (35 & 35), it was also a very stressful week for our little family. After a very stressful & busy week at work, both of us were exhausted. Friday night at 2 am, our transformer in the backyard below up again when it was completely under water from the storm. The front and back yard were almost completely flooded and water started flooding into the basement. I started crying hysterically at the mess. It was almost like the baby could feel the stress because he was moving around like crazy while I cried and looked at the damage. Hubby hadn't even gone to sleep yet and then drove up to Rockford to pick up the generator.

I tried to sleep for a bit but I was so upset. By the time he got back, the yards were less flooded, but the basement was up to 5 inches of water. Running on adrenaline, we tried to start cleaning up and rescuing some of the things that were most important in the basement. Luckily, it was mostly older stuff and we were able to save the few baby things right away so they weren't damaged. I lost a lot of my sentimental wedding memories, old books and graphic design things, and some clothes that bled. Other than that, I guess we were pretty lucky in terms of the loss.

Unfortunately, this was also the same weekend as a our labor & delivery class. Hubby had to stay home and get things cleaned up so I went with my mom to the first day of class. I can't deny that it was a little hard for me to be there without my husband. I felt like a 16 year old who got knocked by her high school boyfriend and then got dumped so I had to bring my mom as my "coach." I was tired and worried about the basement, but I got through the day. It was a little long, but I think the class was helpful to learn a little more about the stages of labor and how to get through contractions more easily. Hubby was able to make it to the second day of class, but it was hard because he missed a lot. He kept trying to make me laugh when we practiced our breathing techniques. Everyone else was all focused and hypnotized while he was making me crack up in the middle of class! But it was probably more fun than anyone else was having!

When we got back, I spent the rest of the day cleaning and doing laundry from the mess. The power came back on at 8:30 Sunday night. We're both just so exhausted from the stress of the weekend and we still have so much more clean-up to do.

One of the hardest parts about this weekend was just my brain going crazy while I tried to sleep All I could think about was how traumatic this was for me and how much worse it would be for a child. I couldn't even look at the stuff that was ruined because it made me so sad, but for a child, it would be even worse. I kept thinking of Hurricane Katrina and imagining us in that position. You really don't understand the loss and devastation until you go through it. I have no idea how absolutely awful that must have been, but I have a better grasp of the sadness and grief that goes along with it now. Watching your every possession and memory get lost in the storm and just trying to save your own life must be absolutely horrible. For children, something like that is traumatizing forever. I'm glad our baby wasn't here to see us go through the basement flooding, but I wonder what other things will happen to us in the future. It really makes you appreciate the family, friends, and love that you have.