30 Weeks

3/4 of the way there! I don't yet hate being pregnant, but I think I'm almost to that point. I feel really fortunate that I still feel great, am sleeping great, can still exercise and work, and I'm not too hormonal. I think I'm just getting really excited to meet the kid. The nursery is almost done and sometimes I just go in there and sit and think about what it will be like to have Baby here with us finally. 

We had a very busy and eventful weekend. Next weekend is my baby shower in Pennsylvania so yesterday Nichole and I went shopping for a dress for me to wear. I hadn't really considered how difficult it might be to find a warm maternity dress in Southern California. I won't have time to shop when I get home and it's slim pickins here at the beach, but I think I managed to work something out. We shall see! 

This morning we went to the Santee swap meet. For those that don't know, a swap meet is like a flea market. It's a combination of used, new, and (what I presume to be) stolen goods. 

We heard an announcement over the loud speaker asking for a doctor to come to the main entrance. A woman had given birth in the bathroom and they wanted a doctor to check on the baby while the ambulance was on its way. 

Swap meet baby! 

We walked away with 7 new baby books for $2.  Score!

Afterwards we headed to Coronado to spend time at the dog beach and to grab lunch. Coronado is beautiful. We figured out today that in addition to it being a quaint little town that you can easily walk around, we must love it because there's green grass and trees everywhere. It's also super dog friendly which is nice. 

Gelato!

There had been something weighing heavily on my mind all day. Typically the kid is VERY active, poking and jabbing me with feet and elbows all day. Today though I wasn't feeling much activity. I was trying not to be paranoid but my midwife had been so adamant about going right to the doctor if I didn't feel anything for more than two hours, and I couldn't remember feeling much of anything all day. The hospital is only about a five minute drive from Coronado so I decided that if cold, sugary gelato didn't wake the kid up then we would swing by labor and delivery, just to be safe. 

We pulled up to the guard gate at the hospital, but they wouldn't let us in because we had Derby with us. We had to turn around and Jesse got out with Derby so I could drive through. I made my way to L&D and they of course saw me right away. They hooked me up to fetal monitoring and let it run for 20 minutes. A nurse came in and turned it off and said that the baby's heart rate looked great, so I thought everything was fine and I was set to go. Then she ripped off the little paper feed and said the doctor was coming in.  The doctor informed me that, even though I couldn't feel them, I was having contractions and she wanted to run some tests to make sure I wasn't in pre-term labor. Surprisingly I still felt calm and was more anxious about Jesse being stuck on the side of the road with Derby. Two doctors and a nurse came in to do a cervical exam and some kind of test involving microscope slides. Then she wanted to do two ultrasounds to make sure I had enough fluid around the baby, which I did. They confirmed that everything was just fine. The doctor said that contractions can happen at this point in pregnancy and, so long as they aren't regular or close together, everything should be fine. She also said that babies have good days and bad days and that the decrease in fetal movement probably just meant that the baby wasn't feeling well today or disagreed with something I ate. 

I had to take a selfie since Jesse wasn't with me. 

"Property of the U.S. Gov't". I wonder what happens if you take them. 

Another eventful weekend in San Diego!

30 weeks 

How far along? 30 Weeks

Weight gain: 26 lbs. 

Baby is the size of: A winter squash. Weighs about 3 pounds

What's new with baby: this week baby is able to see. Baby's brain is growing rapidly and fluid is present in the alveoli. 

Maternity clothes? Yes, but I'm starting to not like them so much. Everything I wear feels awkward and uncomfortable. 

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty great these days!

Sleeping on: Left side, but sometimes I wake up on my back. 

Best moment this week: Finishing the bookshelf and getting another ultrasound. 

Miss Anything? Wearing shorts. I haven't bought summer maternity clothes yet. 

Movement: Lots of kicking and elbow jabs!

Food cravings: Milkshakes. Like as in I want one all the time.

Gender: we think girl 

Name selected?: Boy: Fletcher. Girl: Audrey 

Working out? Jog/walk after work and DR stretches 

Labor Signs: No.

Belly Button in or out? Out 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Health: Feeling good!

Looking forward to: Jesse hanging the baby's curtains. 

29 Weeks

We  had a lot of fun last weekend. It was about 80 degrees here in sunny SD so we headed to the beach so Jesse could play beach volleyball. I'm getting really good at sun bathing and it felt great to bake in the sun, especially considering the frigid conditions our family was experiencing on the east coast.  Sometimes I think I miss the snow, but then the sun goes down and it becomes chilly enough for me to have to grab a jacket (just in case), and then I come to my senses :)

After a long day of watching Jesse play, I had earned a treat. So this happened: 

The gummy bears were surprisingly the best part. I added strawberries to make it a healthy snack :)

Derby enjoys fro-yo as well

I really wanted Jesse to make a bookshelf for Baby S. However, after a trip to Lowes and an extensive lesson on the cost of quality lumber, "we" decided it would be best to find something second-hand and make it our own. I'm an instant gratification kind of person but fortunately it only took me a day to find a bookshelf that I liked on Craigslist. 

I hated the finish on it but it's the perfect size (miniature compared to the one behind it) and according to Jesse I also managed to find a quality piece of furniture. Pretty good score for $15. 

Jesse sanded it down, added a new backing, and re-stained it to my liking. Beautiful!

29 weeks 

28 Weeks & A Visit To Yuma, AZ

Friday was the 28 week mark (yay!), but unfortunately I had a 7am appointment at the lab for my glucose screening. I had my first glucose screening at 27 weeks, but since I failed by a measly 3 points I had to go back a week later for the 3 hour long test. The lab was packed with active duty in uniform, so despite getting there at 7am, I wasn't actually seen until 7:45am. I couldn't help but think about how nice an extra 45 minutes of sleep would have been :-), especially since they made me fast and I was STARVING. Instead of getting a cup with a small sample of sugary goodness, they gave me the entire bottle.

Yum!

Four hours and four blood draws later(owie), I was finally out of there. 

I headed home to pack and grab Derby so we could head to Yuma. Jesse flew to Yuma on DET earlier that morning, so the plan was to meet him there and spend some time with Josh and Jen. Fortunately, both Josh and Jesse had off Friday night and all day Saturday, so we were able to explore the town, attend a street fair, and take the dogs for a walk.

Jesse has wanted one of these things since we moved to San Diego. I splurged and treated him ha.

Boarder Patrol made me stop on my drive home and Derby was NOT happy about it. I assume it's because I'm pregnant. I've been pulled over a lot driving back and forth to see Jesse on weekends, and she has always been really friendly to police officers (I think she's my 'get out of a speeding ticket' card). But ever since I got pregnant, she doesn't really let strangers come near me. When the boarder patrol officer came up to the car, Derby practically jumped through the driver window and smushed her body against me. She didn't really give me a chance to hand over my license, and I couldn't answer any of the officer's questions due to her big fat belly pressed against my face. He ended up telling me to just drive away. I guess he figured pregnant women don't smuggle drugs, and the Focus doesn't have much hiding room for immigrants. 

How far along? 28 Weeks

Weight gain: 24lbs. 

Baby is the size of: A rutabaga. Weighs around 2-2.5 pounds

What's new with baby: this week baby has started blinking, coughing, and dreaming.

Maternity clothes? Yes, but I'm starting to not like them so much. Everything I wear feels awkward and uncomfortable. 

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty great these days!

Sleeping on: Left side, but sometimes I wake up on my back. 

Best moment this week: Visiting with friends in Arizona.

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my stomach and sushi 

Movement: Kicking on opposite sides of my belly, at the same time. 

Food cravings: Milkshakes. Like as in I want one all the time.

Gender: I was thinking boy, now I think girl. Jesse says girl. 

Name selected?: Boy: Fletcher. Girl:Potentially Audrey 

Working out? Jog/walk after work and DR stretches 

Labor Signs: No.

Belly Button in or out? Flat

Wedding rings on or off? On

Health: Feeling good!

Looking forward to: Finishing Baby's room/Organizing 

27 Weeks

I had my 27 week appointment today. Everything is looking great and my midwife was able to confirm the reason why I was experiencing such a terrible burning pain in the upper right quadrant of my abdomen. Baby S's head has found a very comfortable spot underneath my ribcage and apparently doesn't plan on moving anytime soon.  She was nice enough to do an ultrasound (even though I wasn't scheduled for one) just to ease my worries a bit. Unfortunately the printed picture isn't very clear so I won't post it. It's just of Baby's face because she was afraid to look around too much for fear I'd see something I didn't want to see, thus ruining the birth day gender surprise. 

I also asked her about my diastasis recti, but she assured me it was normal and would probably heal on its own. Regardless, I've started doing some simple exercises and stretches to try to slow down the muscle separation. We'll see if it works but if not, oh well! 

Diastasis Recti ridge

Diastasis Recti

 27 weeks 

 The general consensus seems to be that I'm huge for 27 weeks, but I'm measuring right where I'm supposed to be. 
 
 How far along? 27 Weeks

Weight gain: 24lbs. 

Baby is the size of: A rutabaga. Weighs around 2-2.5 pounds

What's new with baby: this week he looks like a thinner version of what he will look like at birth. Immune system is continuously maturing. Regular sleep cycles are happening 

Maternity clothes? Um yeah. Fortunately I have a job that allows for a comfy wardrobe so it's jeans and long sleeve T's everyday. 

Sleep: I usually wake up a few times during the night, then after a few days of being tired I sleep like a baby. 

Sleeping on: Left side, but sometimes I wake up on my back. 

Best moment this week: Finding a bookshelf for Baby's room. Jesse is currently sanding it down. 

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my stomach 

Movement: Lots of bladder kicks. 

Food cravings: No.

Gender: I was thinking boy, now I think girl. Jesse says girl. 

Name selected?: Boy:Fletcher. Girl:?

Working out? Jog/walk after work and DR stretches 

Labor Signs: No.

Belly Button in or out? Flat

Wedding rings on or off? On

Health: Feeling good!

Looking forward to: Finishing Baby's room