Thirty

At 30 weeks, I’m ¾ of the way there!

 

My week started out rather rough. On Wednesday night I got sick. By Friday morning I was a complete mess and could hardly even get out of bed. I ended up making an appointment to see my family doctor. The doctor confirmed the virus and gave me a big list of things that I can’t take. This was the weekend of my annual girls trip and it was completely ruined by this nasty virus. I decided to stay home from the trip to rest and recuperate and even though it pained me not to go, I’m really glad I didn’t. Even with resting all weekend, I still felt pretty horrible on Monday at work. Today I’m feeling much better, although I’m still pretty congested.

 

This weekend was my 29^th Birthday. I was flooded with Facebook messages and cards in the mail. It was really nice that so many people thought of me and especially so when I was home sick all weekend. Glen got me flowers on my birthday and my friends Brandalynn and Theo brought me cupcakes. On Sunday the girls stopped over on their way home from the trip to visit with me. They got to tell me about the trip and I got to visit with Sunita and Jen. They also brought me birthday presents including something for the baby’s room! It’s a wooden anchor decoration that I can hang on the wall. It will be cool to tell my son that it’s from his Aunt Sunita and Aunt Jen.

 

I’m a pretty positive person and I always try to find the light in bad situations. I was feeling pretty miserable this weekend, but on the upside, the baby was extremely active. I assume it’s probably because I drank a gallon of orange juice. He was probably on a sugar high. It was neat to just lay on the couch all day and watch my stomach make waves like the ocean. I don’t feel like I could really appreciate it that much because I was so sick, but it was still pretty cool.

 

Speaking of baby movement, I experienced some different kinds of movement this past weekend. I got kicked in the ribs a few times, which isn’t exactly pleasant, and I also saw his little foot poking out the side of my belly. I got to touch it and tickle it and poke it back in a few times. I have ten weeks to go and he’s getting stronger and stronger. I’m kind of nervous about what’s to come as far as movements go.

 

Another odd experience that I had this week was my first set of Braxton hicks contractions. I cleaned out a closet Sunday morning and I think with the combination of me being sick and lifting a few objects that I probably shouldn’t have lifted, it triggered these light “practice” contractions. I always wondered what they would feel like. They aren’t painful, but they are pretty uncomfortable. My belly would get really hard and heavy for a few seconds and then go back to normal. I got a few in a row extending about 10 minutes and decided to sit down and take it easy for the rest of the day. The last thing I needed after a weekend like this was to go into early labor. It was neat to finally be able to identify the sensation, but it just reminds me that I only have ten more weeks until I go into actual labor. 

 

Twenty-Nine

Nesting continues as we get closer and closer to meeting our son! This past weekend we tore the carpet up in the basement in preparation for our basement remodel. We picked out our carpet and we’re looking to have it installed within the next month. We definitely experienced a little sticker shock! We decided on a beige multi-colored Stainmaster carpet.

As each week goes by, the baby’s room continues to have progress. This week we got our beautiful mobile in the mail. Because our crib is so wide, we couldn’t do a traditional mobile that hangs on the side of the crib, so we opted for one that hangs from the ceiling. We were really happy with this purchase and it’s something that can be used as decoration for the next few years (or until our son decides he’s not into sailboats).

I scheduled an additional dentist appointment per our dental insurance company’s recommendation. They offer a free additional cleaning during pregnancy. The appointment was dreadful. My mouth was bleeding so bad from the extra fluids running through my body. She had to get the suction out aka “My Thirsty” several times to help clean up the copious amounts of blood that my mouth was producing. I felt great after words (other than the tender gum line), but it wasn’t an enjoyable appointment for me.

Saturday was really exciting for us. We got to go to a 3D ultra sound at Womb with a View in Lancaster. We got to see our baby’s face for just a minute before he decided to hid his face in the placenta. He wasn’t very cooperative, but from what we saw, we were very pleased. We think he resembles Glen. He made a few faces and at one time actually looked extremely pissed off. It was really cute! Baby sleeps with his hands above his head, just like me! Baby also has a full head of hair. It was really neat hearing that. Because the baby was so uncooperative, we get to do a follow-up appointment over Labor Day weekend.

 

Weeks 29-32 (Month 7): Squash

Average size: 15.2-16.7 inches, 2.5-3.8 lb.

 

Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments. 

Twenty-Eight

This week was pretty uneventful in pregnancy land. I traveled all weekend, so I hardly took notice to any pregnancy happenings. I went to Bellefonte this weekend to photograph a wedding. It was my final wedding before the baby comes. I actually had 5 other inquiries for the Summer months, but I turned them all down. I thought that it was unfair of me to try and do weddings when I don’t know if I’ll really feel up to it. I didn’t want the photography to suffer. On Friday night, my Step Mom and Dad took me out to dinner at a new Malaysian restaurant. I talked everyone into trying something new. You never know what you may like until you at least try a few different things. Saturday morning I stopped by my Grandma Jane’s house and picked up some plants for Glen to plant in my garden (he doesn’t know this yet), then I met my friend at the Waffle Shop for Breakfast. I had a really good time, but knew it all had to come to an end and I had to shoot this wedding. The wedding was very pretty, but unorganized.

 

Sunday was Mother’s Day and Glen didn’t have to practice with his band, so we spent the day together. We ended up going to Adamstown to the Antique mile and walking around for a few hours. We got a few accessories for our son’s room while we were there and they were both super cheap! Glen then took me to Cracker Barrel for my first Mother’s Day Dinner. We had such a great day, but I have a feeling that next Mother’s Day will be even better! 

 

 

 

Glen and I are officially signed up for child birthing classes in June! We got every Thursday in June then have a breastfeeding classes scheduled in July. The best part? My insurance covers the entire cost of both classes. We’re really looking forward to attending the classes and touring the hospital in June. I think it will make everything feel more real. 

 

 

Twenty-Seven

I’m falling a little behind with my weekly posts because I’ve been so busy! I pretty much have things planned out for the entire month. I’m exhausted just thinking about it!

I’m officially in the third and final trimester! I can’t believe how fast this pregnancy is going. Is it terrible that I feel absolutely wonderful? I guess the only drawback to the third trimester so far is my frequent bathroom breaks…and I mean frequent! I think I spend more time in the bathrooms at work than at my desk working. I can feel the baby hiccups now every day. He sometimes gets them twice a day. I’m not a huge fan of them. They just feel as if someone is poking me over and over again in the gut; it’s actually a little annoying. Glen got to feel them too! Every time he sees or feels the baby move, he gets incredibly excited.

Glen and I are making progress with the nursery every day! This week I made a crib skirt that matches the curtains. We also tied the curtains back to the wall with little anchor accents. The animals are obsessed with the nursery. Cocoa loves the chair (better the chair than the crib) and Anakin loves being in there in general. I have to wonder if he feels that a baby is about to come into our lives? I’ll go in there every now and then and recline in the chair and Anakin has to be on my lap (he will only sit on my lap if I’m in this chair). Or sometimes, I’ll just catch him in there sleeping on the floor.

 At this point I really do feel great. I have no swelling anywhere, I can still wear my rings and high heels, I can still get up off the floor by myself, and I’m not all that comfortable. My back does occasionally hurt if I drive long distances, but other than that, I feel great! Bring it on, third trimester! I have my game face on!