28 Weeks - November 26th

So to celebrate hitting 28 weeks what did I do - drink that god awful glucose testing fruit punch - YUCK! So rules were I had to drink it in 5 minutes and be to the doctor 45 minutes later to have my blood drawn promptly 1 hour after drinking. We got there early, met with the doctor - heard the heartbeat - still chugging along quite intensely - then got my blood drawn. Results should be back by Mon/Tues and since I'm not really in any 'risk' group they said they are expecting all to be fine.

Baby is moving around like crazy - big strong kicks...swimming in the morning seems to put my creepy crawly creature (as I'm calling it right now) to sleep but as soon as I get home from the gym and hit the shower - it's back up and moving. Short nap! Lately it's felt like popcorn popping in my upper right abdomen - just under my ribs - not sure if the baby is practicing using a punching bag or what but it feels neat!

Most of the time the baby seems to hang out on the right side and lately has been horizontal during the day - trying it's hardest to push out the right side of my belly - funny that the baby pushes the right but have those joyful round ligament pains on the left side - the body does weird things.

Sleeping is getting difficult - not sure what other word to use besides that - it's hard to get comfortable and when I do I'm awakened by my bladder which has become a trampoline of sorts for the creature - at least it's at the same time every night 2:00 a.m. - I'm up. The baby usually kicks when I get up or readjust during the night as if to remind me that I've disturbed it - then it goes back into no-movement mode. My right arm more so than my left falls asleep when I lay on that side and it seems to take longer than normal to get all the pins and needles out of it.

That's all for now...from this point until I hit 36 weeks I now go to the doctor every 2 weeks instead of 4 - OH! We are going to do the 3D ultra sound next weekend - should be fun - we haven't seen the little creature since week 19 - hard to believe that was almost 10 weeks ago! So we'll be posting pictures like this one (below) sometime soon! Everyone that says they have done this LOVES it and I also figured it would be a good time to confirm the sex. One of the girls that works with Chris just had a baby - was told it was a girl and yep - came out a boy - so I don't think getting a second opinion is a bad idea - even though all baby items we have bought or been given could be used for either!


http://www.triangle4dbaby.com/

Ask and ye shall recieve....

So I had barely posted yesterday when all of a sudden - some strange movement in belly started - yep - first case of the hiccups - I had just finished writing that I hadn't felt any of those yet! The episode lasted for about 40 minutes and then he/she was done. Wondering if it will start again today - I guess I got them about the same time every day when my mom was pregnanat with me.

Also - SURPRISE! I came home from yoga last night to two surprises - first was another box of goodies from Aunt Dori - I swear I have enough maternity clothes now not to wear the same outfit twice for the remaining +/- 89 days! The second - Chris set up the crib! I'm going to try and get what we have already bought for the nursery organized this weekend - add some shelves to the closet, get the bedding all washed/set up and curtains hung - I would rather have stuff done early than be scrambling when I'm more swollen than I am now!

Besides my countdown to baby right now I'm counting down till Thanksgiving dinner - yeah!!! I love having a house full of people, food cooking and LOTS and LOTS of leftovers!

Week 27 - November 19th

So who knew 27 weeks could go by so quickly....here' my info about what the baby is up to, I haven't had any hiccup episodes yet but there is lots and lots of movement going on -

This week, the baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with its legs extended.




It's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing its eyes, and perhaps even sucking its fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active. While the lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if the baby was born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother the baby, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Day two for morning lap swim

Such a wonderful way to start the day - swimming laps! I feel amazing after getting out of the pool and even just after two days, I am bound and determined to keep this routine up till the baby's arrival - if possible! I only did about 700 yards this morning (and even remembered my goggles) but got out and felt like I did yesterday - like I actually worked out. After about 10 minutes in the pool I could move my fingers better than I've been able to in weeks and my morning swelling went down and stayed down until I hit the warm water shower! Oh well - any non-swelling time I can get, I'll take!

For those of you who live around me - here's a local recommendation - Healing Waters Day Spa - just across the street from The Streets at Southpoint. I've had a gift certificate for the place for over a year (thanks Melissa) and I just haven't been able to get there - well needless to say I went last night and it is great! They use the pregnancy pillows so I could lay on my belly and I was treated to what I firmly believe was the best massage I've ever gotten! REALLY! The baby was moving all over the place the entire time - such a funny feeling to have someone rubbing your shoulders and then having this rubbing sensation in my belly. I guess the baby liked it and wore itself out because as soon as the massage was finished - no movement. I think the baby was in pure bliss like I was!

Between swimming yesterday morning and the massage last night - I slept SO soundly last night and woke up bright and early ready to hit the pool again.

http://www.healingwatersmedspa.com/

Lap Time - November 17th

I feel better when I exercise - not just physically but mentally. I have always known that and my running routines over the past few years have done nothing but back up that belief. Needless to say, as much as I know I need to exercise and as much as I've pushed myself to do so, it's just been miserable - except for yoga, which although it's exercise I don't really count it - I end up with swollen fingers and lately, finding comfortable workout outfits has been a chore!



As good as walking feels I end up with sausage fingers and swollen ankles and the swelling hurts if I go for the amount of time I would like - so last week I decided I would try swimming laps at the gym in the morning, the pool is there - it is just a matter of getting into a swim suit instead of walking clothes. Today was my first day and ahhh - wonderful. I was worried the water would be cold but nope - perfect temp and after my swim the swelling in my fingers had actually gone down - so nice! At a few times during my time in the water I was actually breathless, like I had gone for a short jog - something that walking just doesn't do for me - I guess I can't get a fast enough pace going....not having swam laps for a few years I forgot how many muscles you work - needless to say I know I'll be sore tonight but I'm already looking forward to my lap session tomorrow morning.

Got my flu shot this morning also - because I'm pregnant and haven't had a shot for a few years I had to sit there to make sure I didn't have any type of reaction - uh! What a way to start a Monday - not fun!

Week 26 ~ November 12th

Well - other than the already reported swollen fingers, and now my hands and arms falling asleep at night if I lay on my side too long - there is nothing new and exciting to report for this week. The baby seems at times to be doing laps in my belly - pushing all the way to the right and then shooting upward to hit that great spot it loves just under my ribs - managing to take my breath away and make me yawn more so than normal - such a weird sensation. The other day as I was standing in a check-out line the baby all of a sudden came UP very quickly - made me lurch up and forward - the poor man behind the counter was worried to death! Once I laughed and told him the baby was just moving he seemed OK - but I think he was ready to call a doctor.

My next appointment I have the joyful task of downing the glucose drink before I go - yuck! What makes it worse is that I can't even start the day with my normal fruit smoothie - no sweets or fruit....that will screw me up more so than having to drink the drink.

Report about what is going on with the baby....The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. It may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. It's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of the lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when the baby is born and takes that first gulp of air. And it's continuing to put on baby fat - now weighing about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches from head to heel.

My weight gain hasn't been added to for a few weeks which is nice (I feel huge enough as it is already!) although I'm reminded of the extra weight I do have when I go to do something like try and put on socks or tie my shoes - it's amazing how I don't notice my belly moving around but bending over - yikes! This cartoon came in my weekly email - made me laugh because I ask Chris each morning after I get dressed for work "does this look OK?"




I'm trying not to get in a rut of wearing the same clothes and thankfully the warmer temps have allowed me to wear some of my summer clothes a bit longer and I really do have a great selection due to all the great hand-me downs and the my good fortune of hitting a few maternity store sales where I got the missing 'staple' pieces of my wardrobe. With the cooler temps coming I've sorted through the maternity clothes I do have and made sure I have some easy decision outfits for those cold mornings when I don't feel like getting out of my comfy clothes - you know khaki pants, white shirt or black shirt and warm socks. Oh well - that's all for now - until next week....

We have fire!! Whoops I meant kicking!

So Friday night Chris tried yet again to feel the baby kick. We were sitting there watching Castaway....JUST as Tom Hanks is trying to make fire and gets his first spark and yells FIRE!!! Chris got a big ole kick from the baby! How funny was that timing!

25 weeks, 3 days ~ November 7th

Doctors appointment this morning - blood pressure is finally back to being normal for me - LOW rather than being NORMAL which is high for me - the nurse actually took it twice to confirm because it worried her that it dropped, then when she looked back and saw my normal readings from before I was pregnant she was fine with the reading she got. I'm measuring at 26 - whatever that means - from what the doctor said that is right in line for where I'm supposed to be. The heartbeat is really strong - so cool to hear - the baby in the mornings is down low - near my right hip - when the doctor went looking to be right over the heart she found it, right down by my hip - amazing how loud it was! I'm holding steady at 29 lbs gained to-date, been that for a few weeks now - I have to say - I do look forward to the day that I get my hip bones back! I can still feel them in there - it's amazing how much "cushion" you get without even realizing it.

The baby is moving like crazy - Chris still hasn't felt him/her - I have constant movement all day - every 5/10 minutes - and by the time I get home - still. Everyone that I I tell that too has the same reaction as me - maybe Chris's touch is soothing and it will remain that way when the baby comes out - meaning every time Chris picks up the baby it will go to sleep - fingers crossed - I know it's probably wishful thinking but it can't hurt to hope! It's nice though, the baby seems to be sleeping all night and then upon my first movement - it starts rumbling around as if to say "why'd you wake me up!"

Had yoga last night - it's funny, each week all of us are talking about the same things - this week it was day cares. Chris and I went on our first day care tour on Wednesday and the place is our first choice. As hard as I know it will be to leave the baby when I do go back to work - after seeing the place - I think I would want to be left there! They have a great staff and all the kids - even the little ones - seemed to be having a blast! It's literally RIGHT behind our house and from talking to people we know, it is a great choice and from the other mom's in my class - their first choice also. We are on the top waiting list right now for June 1st - that's when I would go back to work - so it would time perfectly.

I got my "doctors note" today to PARTICIPATE in massage therapy - I've had a gift card for a spa down here for a year now and they do pre-natal rub-downs but you have to have a note. After my doctors visit today she agreed with me that a massage would be great! Needless to say my wonderful husband has already booked me one for TOMORROW morning (YEAH!) and I'm so excited I'm not sure if I'll sleep tonight! They could just rub my legs for an hour and I would be in heaven! Speaking of sleeping - besided the fact that we have had to invest in ear plugs for Chris - I've been SNORING since conception - I've discoved a position that allows me not to flip and flop all night - body pillow behind me, laying into it so I'm not on my back but not on my side. Laying on my side was awful - after about 2 hours my hip would start killing and my arm would fall asleep and I would have to FLOP to the other side - taking with me my body pillow and 1/2 the blankets on the bed - needless to say, ear plugs or not, Chris was waking up with me every time I had to move. For about the past week now, I know the new position hasn't helped my snoring, I wake up in the same position I fall asleep in and have been SLEEPING SOUNDLY. The baby must like it because as I'm falling asleep I feel it 'snuggle' down and slowly stop moving - so peaceful.

I have started cleaning out the room we are going to use as the nursery, cleaned out all the NON-baby stuff last weekend - still have the bed that is currently in the room to dismantle and hopefull that will be this weekend.

YEAH!! Ankles!!!! ~ November 3rd

So I was getting a bit worried - my fingers have been swollen in the past few weeks and when I wake up in the morning my feet usually take a few minutes to get back to normal size, just from being in bed all night, but this past weekend I got worried when all of a sudden on Friday night my ankle bones were gone! YIKES! It hurt to point my feet - my skin just stretched! AWFUL!

Chris had been feeling awful also and since we both made it a point to drink lots of fluid and eat normal food on Saturday and Sunday - waking up and feeling normal today (and by normal I mean my ankle bones were back), we realized that that the food we ate last Thursday and Friday had WAY more salt in it than we usually eat - lesson learned for me - no more eating anything salty during this pregancy - NOTHING!! Now I'm not talking about an occasional potato chip or french fry here and there, but NO food that has salt already added is entering my mouth!

I didn't realize how much it affects my body until now - uhhhh! The scale also reflected this nice uhhh feeling - in about 36 hours I lost four pounds! These days any extra weight that I'm carrying makes a difference so if staying away from salt helps - I'm swearing off the stuff!