31 Weeks: Planet Alien

How far along? 31 Weeks!! It seems truly unbelievable to think that Alien could safely arrive anywhere from the next 6 weeks (full term) to the next 10 weeks (1 week past my due date.) I'd like to go the full 40 weeks but, my doctors are keeping a close eye on his size since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GD). I don't want to deliver a behemoth of a baby (and, I bought a ton of cute newborn clothes; I'll be devastated if he doesn't fit into them!)

Total weight gain/loss: 26.6 pounds. I'm pretty proud of that. Although, I have lost about 6 pounds in the past 3 weeks (since they put me on my GD diet.)
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Baby's size? According to the websites I follow, Alien is approximately 3.5 pounds and 16+ inches long!

Maternity clothes? Yep.

Stretch Marks? NO! Still crossing my fingers.

Sleep: Ugh! Just... ugh.

Best moment this week: I got a lot accomplished last weekend. That felt pretty darn good!

Movement: All over; twisting, kicking, punching and turning.

Food cravings: Carbs and Milk. Although, I can't have many of the former.

Gender: Still a boy!

Labor Signs: None yet. We start our birthing class on Thursday. That should be interesting.

Belly Button in or out? Out

What I miss: CARBS! Sleep. Feeling energetic. The desire to be active. The motivation to clean my house. Caffeine, My feet. My waistline. A small grocery bill. A late bedtime.

What I am looking forward to: CARBS! Feeling energetic. The desire to be active. The motivation to clean my house. Caffeine, My feet. My waistline. A small grocery bill. Holding my son. Seeing my family hold and love up on my son. Seeing what Alien looks like. Smelling him. Eating a foot or a hand of his. 2 months off from work.

Milestones: Well, there has been a pregnancy casualty. After 16+ years together, my naval ring and I have decided to part ways. It was amicable, no need for sympathy.

Other baby updates? I think for the next few weeks I'm going to post pictures from "Planet Alien"; bits and pieces of things we've bought for him thus far, or gifts we've received. Because his room is still under construction, anything we buy/get for him is going in our dining room to keep it way from the dust. So, this little corner has been coined "Planet Alien".

When Aaron was born he had a baby blanket given to him. Legend has it that he LOVED this blanket and would actually sit outside of the washing machine waiting for it to be cleaned when his mother would put it in the laundry. Since I've known, him he has hung on to the ratty old thing and it was balled up and put in a Hannaford bag; tucked away in his closet. I knew it had to mean something to him because he couldn't get rid of it, even 34 years later.

I had an idea and there was only one person I wanted to help me with it. Aaron's mother. So, one night, I snuck the ratty old blankey out of our house and to hers where she brainstormed what we could do with the blanket that would help maintain its memory, but make it useful again.

Introducing, Dickey Bear! (Yes, I've named him Dickey- inside Molloy Family joke. Don't ask!)

Linda whipped up this gorgeous soft little bear, and the bear is holding a piece of the blanket that used to belong to Aaron. We gave it to Aaron for his birthday and he was very, VERY touched. This will be Alien's "first" stuffed animal.

To incorporate the theme of our nursery, Linda even made a ribbon for Dickey's neck out of the same fabric she is using for Alien's quilt. It's just too precious for words.