32 Weeks

How Far Along: 32w0d

How Big Is Baby: This week's food comparisons include a jicama or squash. Baby should measure a little over 16.5" and weigh around 3.5 pounds.

Sex: I am sticking with my guess of boy.

Symptoms: During the 30th and 31st weeks, I was so miserable. My back, rib cage, and hips felt like they were completely giving out on me. I don't know if baby shifted positions or what, but today has brought sweet relief. There has been a major uptick in Braxton Hicks contractions as well. At times I think I meet criteria for "irritable uterus." Occasionally I get BHs consistently every 3-5 minutes for an hour, and they have some level of pain to them. However, if I drink water like crazy and rest, they go away. I have only had one or two ocular migraines since the L&D/ER incident.

Food Cravings/Aversions: I've been wanting anything sweet lately. Still loving ice cream, and often craving chocolate.

Belly Button: Still out.

Sleep: In the last couple of weeks, things have started to deteriorate. I'm still not sure how much is related to my size and how much is related to sleeping in unfamiliar beds. However, I have had episodes of horrid insomnia in the middle of the night, and I now wake up with really achy hips. I can't complain considering I made it to 32 weeks before this started to set in!

Stretch Marks: No new ones yet.

Weight Gain: I haven't weighed myself since my 28 week OB appointment.

Maternity Clothes: Nothing else fits.

Movement: Small kicks and punches are slowly giving way to big, sweeping movements. Baby is getting hiccups several times a day, which I usually feel very low in my pelvis. If I had to guess, I would say baby is head down with his/her back arching to the left, butt under my left rib cage, and feet pushing out towards my right rib cage.

What I Miss: Same as always: picking up Noah.

What I’m Looking Forward To: Celebrating the 4th of July at the cabin this week!

Best Moment This Week: I don't think there's one specific moment. What I've been loving lately is how affectionate Noah is towards the baby. He frequently kisses my belly, and the other night as I sang "Twinkle Twinkle" he leaned in to my stomach and sang along with me. He told me he was singing to the baby. I hope he stays this sweet after the baby is born!

Milestones: Another week closer!

The Bump:

30 Weeks

Forgive me. We are traveling and my ability to connect to the internet hasn't been great. This update was written at 30 weeks, but I'm just now able to post it. I'll try again this weekend for 32 weeks. Say what? How is that even possible?

How Far Along: 30w1d

How Big Is Baby: According to BabyCenter, baby is around 15.5” long and weighs almost three pounds (about the size of a large cabbage).

Sex: Team Green! I still think it’s a boy.

Symptoms: I had a major increase in ocular (silent) migraines last week (5 in 7 days). My OB made me get checked out at L&D, where they determined everything looked fine in terms of blood pressure and urine. My cervix was “thick, long, and closed” and no signs of preterm labor. So they walked me over to the ER to check for symptoms of stroke. Again, nothing. It was a big waste of three hours, as I knew it would be. I also had a short bout with bloody noses and went several days with ringing in my right ear. Who knows what is related to pregnancy and what is just me these days!

Food Cravings/Aversions: No aversions, and pretty much everything sounds good these days!

Belly Button: Still popping out like a little turkey timer.

Sleep: I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this, but I still sleep through the night without any trips to the bathroom or shifting around to get comfortable. We are currently away from home so I have noticed that I wake up with a sore back each morning, but I think it’s because I’m sleeping in softer beds than usual.

Stretch Marks: Nope, not yet. I’m sure a few will pop up in the end again.

Weight Gain: At my 28 week appointment I weighed in at 128.8. Want to know something weird? At my 28 week appointment with Noah, I weighed the exact same, 128.8. What are the odds?!

Maternity Clothes: Yes, all the time. And today, I got to rock a “maternity” swimsuit! It’s not actually a maternity suit, but it serves the same purpose.

 Movement: Baby has flipped head down so I am constantly feeling rib kicks on my right side and head butts to the cervix. Not always comfortable, let me tell you!

What I Miss: Picking up Noah.

What I’m Looking Forward To: Enjoying everything this summer has to offer! My maternity photo session at the end of July. Just booked it today! I really regret the lack of pictures I have from when I was pregnant with Noah, so this was important to me.

Best Moment This Week: Our arrival in Minnesota and the start of summer vacation!

Milestones: We’re in the 30s! The countdown is really on!

The Bump:

My parents say I was born without a butt, and my baby bump definitely accentuates that lately!

28 Weeks

How Far Along: 28w0d

How Big Is Baby: This week's food comparisons include a Chinese cabbage and an eggplant. Baby should measure a little over 14.5" and weigh around 2 pounds.

Sex: Team Green til the end, but I almost always refer to baby as a he.

Symptoms: Nothing new this week. Same as last week.

Food Cravings/Aversions: I am still very interested in ice cream!

Belly Button: At this point, I think my belly button has reached its outermost position. I can't imagine how it could go any further. It's all popping out, but thankfully it's more like a small lump and not a big nodule or something.

Sleep: Still going great. Still thankful!

Stretch Marks: Nope.

Weight Gain: No idea.

Maternity Clothes: Yes. I broke out one dress this week, and I'm so excited to start wearing more of my summery stuff!

Movement: So I'm pretty sure the baby has completely flipped into head down position. I constantly feel him/her kicking and pushing his/her feet up on the right side of my rib cage. Some of the kicks have become pretty strong. I'm loving the new position and the increase in sensation I have again! I also think I'm starting to feel hiccups each day.

What I Miss: Getting off the floor easily. Picking up sweet little Noah.

What I’m Looking Forward To: My special education team from one of my schools is throwing me a "Sprinkle" Tuesday after school. They're the best!

Best Moment This Week: Noah has been a total cuddle bug lately. He also really likes talking to the baby. He rubs my stomach and says "Hi little baby" in the sweetest little voice. I love that kid!

Milestones: Another week closer!

The Bump:

I truly believe I am smaller than I was with Noah at this point. I also don't feel like I've grown that much in the last four weeks. We currently live about 3000 feet higher than we did last time, and I've heard that the higher the altitude, the smaller the baby. At times I worry about it, but most likely everything is fine and I'm just paranoid. I have my OB appointment on Tuesday afternoon, so I'll bring it up just to put my mind at ease.