36 Weeks - A Honeydew

November 20, 2014

Photo Thoughts: A big event this week was my Houston Baby Shower, so this photo with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law/ shower co-host is featured in this week's collage.  

How I'm Feeling: Feeling good!  It was a busy, but fun week!  I can't believe we are just one month out now...

Baby/Bump: I can't believe that baby is most likely in the 5 pound range!  This week his circulatory system is most likely ready to go, and his skin is getting less and less wrinkly.  

The bump is definitely feeling heavier.  If I lean forward while sitting, I can definitely feel his feet/legs or whatever is up at the top getting in my way.  

Symptoms: OK, I know I'm a broken record here, but this back pain is getting worse and worse.  It did get a little bit better last week, so I thought maybe I had just pulled a muscle or something, but it came back even worse this week.  By the end of the day, I am basically limping around.  It's strange though, because it doesn't bother me when I workout or do any Pilate's stretches.  When it does hurt is when I'm doing just basic movements- like walking. When I transfer my weight to my right leg, I get shooting pain from my lower back to my butt... so that makes walking, climbing stairs, putting on pants, etc. really fun.  My doctor said that since the shooting pain isn't going down my leg that it's most likely not my sciatic nerve.  She thinks baby is probably just resting his head on some other nerve down in that general area.  Ouch!  Other than that, I still have some shortness of breath and nausea if I lay down on my back.  

Weight: + 0;  +27.0 total.  

What I'm Anticipating: I'm looking forward to our Childbirth and Infant CPR classes next week.  

Sleep: I'm so thankful to still be sleeping so well at this point- with only one wake up per night... I'm definitely pushing my bladder to the max.  

Exercise: Pre-natal Pilates/Barre and the occasional Zumba class or home workout video.  

Movement: Lots!  I can definitely tell he is getting more crowded in there though.  The movements are less roll-y/stretch-y and more jab-y. I can also tell he is getting a lot stronger, because those jabs are getting a lot more painful.

Milestones: One month (or so) to go! I am starting weekly appointments from here on out.  Between these weekly appointments and the classes we have coming up, I am going to feel like I basically live at the hospital.  

Highlights of the Week:  So many fun things this week!

-Houston Baby Shower: My friends Kim and Lori and my sister-in-law, Renee co-hosted a fall-themed baby shower.  They did a great job, and it was so fun to celebrate with friends, family, and co-workers.  This baby shower brought together a lot of different groups of people, so it was fun to introduce people and see people from different parts of my life together.  

My hostesses!

Some of the adorable Fall decor

Some of my favorite gifts were: Baby Air Jordan's from my sister-in-law's fiance and THE most beautiful quilt made by the group of girls that I met in Australia. They are all spread across the world now (Canada, US, Indonesia, Australia), and yet they somehow managed to coordinate this. It is so beautiful, and it will always be such a special gift for both me and Baby H to enjoy. I'm so lucky to have these girls as friends!  

-David's 32nd Birthday: David isn't much of a birthday guy, so as usual, he requested to just keep the day low-key. It was a work day for both of us, so that evening I just made chicken pot pie for dinner and his favorite cookies for dessert.  Like most men, David is very difficult to shop for, but I was pretty proud of my gift selections this year.  I got him some cute race car baby outfits (forgot to take a picture), a bottle of his favorite whiskey, and the mini version of his beloved IKEA chair, so he and his son can relax in style together.  For a guy who rarely shows much excitement, I'd say he was pretty excited and surprised... he especially loved the chair!

Chicken Pot Pie ready to go into the oven

 

-36 Week Appointment and Ultrasound: The 36 week OB appointment marks the beginning of the dreaded internal exams.  It's as unpleasant as it sounds.  BUT, after the torture was over, I found out that I was 1cm dilated, 50% effaced, and at the -2 position.  Technically those aren't really predictors of when baby will come, but it's good information and it feels good to know that my body is making SOME minor progress in the right direction.  ALSO at this appointment (which David came along for), we got a bonus ultrasound due to a study that I have agreed to participate in during my pregnancy and through labor and delivery.  It was SO fun to see our little guy, especially since we hadn't seen him since 20 weeks.  And we even got some 3D/4D views of him!  He looks SO big and baby-like.  And he most definitely has his dad's nose and lips.  He was sleeping pretty much the whole time, and the tech really had to struggle to get him to move his arms from covering his face.  This happened at the 20 week ultrasound, too.  So I'm interested to see if he will sleep with his hands up near his face once he is here, too.  Oh, and we even got to see the cutest little grin!

35 Weeks - A Coconut/ Cantaloupe

November 13, 2014

Photo Thoughts: No idea where one would find a coconut in mid-November, so I figured a cantaloupe was close enough in size/weight.  Also, taking photos at night (and without makeup) makes for very un-flattering face shadows.  In the last photo, I'm holding all of the baby reading materials that I'm acquiring from doctors, classes, etc... it's overwhelming.  

Baby: Little guy is almost done growing as far as length goes. Now he's mostly just packing on weight. I love me a chubby baby, but I hope he doesn't get too carried away with the weight gain in there.  

Symptoms: I'm still having back pain just about every night. I've also noticed that almost anytime I lay flat on my back (and sometimes even when I'm propped up a little bit), I start to get nauseous and a little dizzy.  From what I read, that's a result of all the weight in my belly pressing down on some arteries.  Luckily, pretty much as soon as I sit up or flip to my side, the sensation goes away.  

Weight: +0.  Maintaining the same weight as last week/balancing out that three pound weight gain last week from all the Halloween candy ;-) 

What I'm Anticipating: My sister-in-law, Renee just arrived in Houston tonight for my Houston baby shower that she is co-hosting this weekend. I am so excited for the baby shower and to spend some time with Renee who I haven't seen since January.  

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: Now that it's cooling down, I am loving warm drinks like hot chocolate and chair lattes. 

Sleep: I'm so glad that I am still sleeping so well... as long as I stay off my back.  

Exercise: Pre-natal pilates/barre and the occasional Zumba class or home workout video. 

Movement: Still lots of movement. He moves A LOT at night, and another active period for him seems to be after lunch time.  I've been feeling a lot of jabs/pressure on my bladder this week, so I am REALLY hoping this doesn't mean that he has flipped around in there...

Boy or Girl: Baby boy!

Milestones: 35 weeks down, 35 days to go! 

Highlights of the Week:

-This was actually two weeks ago, but I forgot to mention it.  David and I went to a Basic Baby Care class.  It was only an hour long (which I know David appreciated), and it was actually really informative. Just a couple days after that class, I went to a breastfeeding class at the hospital.  This was also a good class, with a TON of information... pretty overwhelming actually.  I was a little bit disappointed with the instructor of the class though.  She seemed to have an underlying attitude that "oh, this should be easy, it's natural, if you're in pain or it's not working, it's because you are doing something wrong."  I mean she never outright said those things, but I just got that feeling... she was kind of dismissive when it came to questions about having problems with feeding, etc.  Luckily I've heard from enough people that it is VERY common for women to struggle with breastfeeding, and that does NOT mean that you are doing something wrong.  Had I not heard these things from other people, I would have been really intimidated by the message this lady was giving.  

-We took our hospital tour this weekend!  The hospital is only about 3 years old, and it is such a beautiful facility! The tour was very informative, and we got to see all the different areas where we will spend time.  It was a little overwhelming and surreal though. I definitely started tearing up a little bit when we were in the labor and delivery room.  I just can't even imagine what it will be like when it's my turn in there.

Most Entertaining Question of the Week: "Any day now, huh?" This was from the same annoying contractor who sometimes comes into the office at work.  Just about every time I see him, he manages to make some strange and annoying comment. 

34 Weeks - A Butternut Squash

November 6, 2014

Photo Thoughts: Acting like I painted the walls myself...

How I'm Feeling: Broken record here- still feeling good, all things considered. My lower back is really continuing to bother me though, and it seems to be getting worse- especially toward the end of the day.

Baby: Little guy is the size of a butternut squash this week. Yikes! Apparently he is now able to hear sounds and voices.  I'm a bad mom and haven't read any books, sang any lullabies, or played Mozart for my belly. Sorry, little man.  Instead, he is being subjected to my bad taste in music... Top 40 for us. I think he'll be smart anyways, right?

Bump: My bump is looking rounder and rounder. And actually, in the belly pictures I took below, you can see that he is lopsided to my left right now. I think that is his back along the left side.

Symptoms: Back pain was really getting me down this week. I'm hoping I just pulled a muscle or something and that it will go away soon. It's not unbearable by any means, but it does get worse as the day and night go on... especially if I've been on my feet and very active that day.  I've also noticed that if I have a really active day... usually if I'm doing lots of cleaning or other things around the house, my stomach starts to get really tight and the baby starts to feel "all balled up."  I'm pretty sure these are actually Braxton Hicks contractions now that I think about it.  They always stop though once I lay down for a while.

Weight: +3.0 (oops). Up 27 total. Baby growth spurt this week?  Or just a little too much Halloween candy?

What I'm Loving: It seemed like overnight (Halloween night actually), the weather instantly turned into fall weather. I'm loving the cooler temps, and it's so fun to feel Fall-ish, especially since I was basically living in year-round summer the past two years.

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: Imagining what I might end up looking like if I gain 3 pounds a week from here on out. I doubtful that will actually happen, but it did cross my mind.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I am definitely eating MORE than my fair share of Halloween candy!

Exercise: Still keeping up with my prenatal Pilate's/barre class twice a week, and I try to do either a class at the gym or a home workout video 2 other days a week. Working out is definitely getting harder, but I always feel better afterwards. And I also noticed that if I don't work out a couple days in a row, I get this weird restless leg feeling when I'm trying to fall asleep at night.

What a difference 13 weeks makes! 

Movement: Lots and lots of BIG movements. Most of the time, I feel the movements all over, but sometimes I do get some really strong (sometimes painful) kicks up near my ribs. My doctor confirmed this week that he is head down (please stay that way!!), so that makes sense that I'm feeling some strong karate kicks up top. Ouch!

Other Updates: At my doctor appointment this week, my OB confirmed that baby is head down right now. He still has more than enough room to possibly flip, but I'm hoping that he stays this way!  After my doctor's appointment, I had an appointment at hospital admissions to get my hospital registration out of the way.  Crazy to think that I am already checked into the hospital!  It was also crazy to sign all of the forms and identify my relationship to the soon-to-be-born patient as "mother."  I'm someone's mother?!

Highlights of the Week:

-Early in the week we tested the two paint samples from last week on the walls. We chose the one on the left side.  And just a few days later, the painter came and transformed the nursery into a very blue baby room.  It's so exciting to go in there now- I love it!

-Baby celebrated his first Halloween... kind of. We actually had a good crowd of trick-or-treaters, which I was happy about. It's wild to think that next Halloween, we will have a ten month old to dress up!

33 Weeks - A Durian Fruit OR A Squash

October 30, 2014

Photo Thoughts: This week's fruit was a Durian Fruit, and I have no idea where one would find such a fruit in Houston.  Plus, I think this is a smelly fruit, and I just don't want to deal with that anyways. So I figured that a squash was close enough in size (and in season!), so I went with that.  Oh, and that's an ice pack I'm holding on my head in the last photo.  More on that later.  

How I'm Feeling: Same. Good. No complaints from me.  Well, no pregnancy related complaints anyways. 

Baby/Bump: Baby is pretty busy in there this week- he's opening and closing his eyes, trying to coordinate breathing with sucking/swallowing (which might explain the hiccups I felt last week), and his bones are hardening (which also might explain why his little kicks and jabs are getting a lot more uncomfortable).  

Symptoms: My back still gets very sore by the end of the day, especially if I have been on my feet a lot.  It's nothing unbearable, but it's definitely not fun. Even though I've been getting pretty bored at my job recently, I am SO glad to have a job like this during pregnancy where I sit at a desk most of the day.  I can't imagine how much more pain I would be having if I was teaching this year and constantly on my feet and on the move.  

Weight: Forgot to weigh in this week. Womp.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I'm still really into OJ in the mornings, and I'm also really into peanut butter now. An English Muffin with PB is my go-to breakfast these days.  

What I'm Missing: I've been doing totally fine sleeping on my side, but sometimes I do just wish I could lie down on my stomach... even just for a little bit.  I catch myself sometimes walking into our bedroom and having the urge to just kind of throw myself onto the bed stomach first... but I can't, obviously. Soon enough.  

Sleep: Still good! Although I did wake up one night this week with the worst charlie horse cramp in my calf.  I sat straight up in bed and woke David up with all my thrashing about trying to get the cramp to stop.  Those things hurt so badly, and I was sore for the next couple days because of it. Supposedly leg cramps can be pretty common at this point in pregnancy though.  

Exercise: I'm still going to my prenatal Pilates/Barre class a couple times a week, and I'm also trying to do some of the videos from Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred 2-3 times a week.  I definitely have to modify the moves, but I love that the workouts are short and that I can do them at home.  

Movement: Lots!  And I can definitely tell that he is getting stronger with those kicks and jabs. I love feeling him move around in there- it's so crazy! But sometimes it is just SO much, that I'm like "calm down in there!"  It can get pretty uncomfortable sometimes. One day this week, I was on the freeway on my way home from work, and he was kicking me so hard, that I almost thought I was going to have to pull over since I was moving around so much to try and get him some more space in hopes of getting him to stop kicking me. Tiny ninja!  
Boy or Girl: Baby boy... I'm about to be outnumbered in our household. 

Highlights of the Week: 

-I picked out some paint samples for the nursery this week, and narrowed it down to my two favorites.  I bought samples of these two, and will try them out on one of the walls this weekend. Nursery progress- finally!  The lighting in this photo is awful- right below a yellow lamp- but I am deciding between the following two colors: right two color samples, second from the top on each.  

-Not exactly a highlight. A low light, in fact.  But worth mentioning here I guess.  This week baby boy got to experience surgery with me.  Long story, which I might write more about later, but the short version is I had my second and third basal cell skin cancers removed by MOH's surgery.  All three cancers have been on my scalp/in my hair line (the first one was about four years ago).  Luckily it wasn't super painful or invasive or anything, but it definitely wasn't fun.  And I was definitely upset about it, and quite honestly a little disappointed in myself.  Baby was just fine throughout the entire thing of course, although I did nearly pass out (that would have been a first for me), when they reclined me back in the chair for the procedure.  I guess I am officially at that point where laying on my back can make me nauseous and dizzy from the weight of the uterus pressing on a major artery.  But everything ended up going well, and I will go back in two weeks to get my stitches removed and have a final check.  I can only hope that this is the last time I have to deal with this AND I REALLY hope that my son will never have skin problems like his mom.  

32 Weeks - A Squash (Pumpkin)

October 23, 2014

Photo Thoughts:  A pumpkin is a squash, right?  I'm still having fun going through all these baby shower gifts- these baby chucks are a current favorite. I can't believe I will have my very own tiny human to wear these soon!

How I'm Feeling: In general? Good- can't complain too much.  But I am definitely starting to feel the effects of this protruding belly and that changing center of gravity putting stress on my body.  My back is pretty achy by the end of each day. 

Baby/Bump:

-Bub is starting to get cramped in there with less and less room to move around.  Babies are often in the head down position at this point, which was confirmed by my OB this week. 

-The bump is doing it's thing.. growing.  I'm not really sure what else there is to say about that...

Symptoms: It is definitely getting harder to be on my feet for extended periods of times.  Luckily, at work I am sitting at a desk the majority of the day.  So it's really in the evenings when I'm cooking or on the weekends when I'm doing lots of cleaning (ha!), errands, etc. that I start to feel the discomfort.  Sometimes on the weekends, I definitely think I overdo it with lots of bending over to move or clean things, laundry, and getting all the other things done I don't do during the week.  It's pretty obvious when I overdo it, because I pretty quickly get a bad backache and my stomach gets super tight and feels like it's in knots or that the baby is all balled up.  The baby usually kicks a lot after this, like he is mad at me or something.  Rightfully so, I guess. But if I lay down and drink some water, I usually feel better pretty quickly. 

Weight: +0.5 from last week. +23 pounds total.  I can deal with that. 

What I'm Anticipating: I got the invitation for my Houston baby shower in the mail this week!  I am so excited, and can't wait to see a lot of friends and old co-workers that I haven't seen in quite a while.

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: Same. Old. Thing. The ever-growing To Do List, and the never really progressing rate at which things are being crossed of that list.  I finally cracked down on myself this weekend and made myself clear out the nursery. During the move and unpacking process, the poor little nursery had basically become the dumping grounds/catch all for things that I hadn't found a home for yet or for things that I wanted to get rid of.  When people would ask me how the nursery was progressing I would send them these pictures saying things like "look how pretty the crib that I picked out is" (that giant box shoved behind the front door. And, "get a load of this pinworthy nursery!" I always thought I would be one of those moms who LOVED designing and creating the perfect little nursery, but it turns out I'm just not.  And sometimes I feel kind of guilty and down on myself about it, but hopefully something will come together eventually.  

But after this weekend, the nursery looks like this. Ready for baby, right? :-) 

Oh, and I still can't believe I have a closet full of baby things!  More organization is still needed here, but it's so fun to see all these baby things together in his closet.  

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I'm big into Orange Juice in the mornings now. So good.  I was never really a huge juice person in general, but OJ is a must in the mornings now. 

Sleep: After just a week, I've already abandoned the body pillow.  It was just bugging me more than anything, and I would wake up to find myself sleeping on my side with my back TO the pillow.  Obviously it just wasn't doing anything for me.  So I'm back to just hugging a regular-sized pillow on my side night, and I am perfectly happy- and well-rested.  David's glad there's no longer the equivalent of a third person in the bed anymore. 

Exercise: I am really enjoying the prenatal pilates/barre class I found!  It's a really good workout (half the class is cardio), and the stretching feels so great, too. I usually do that twice a week, and TRY to go to Zumba on Wednesdays and/or Saturdays, but that's just not happening as much (or as easily) as I would like it to.  It was so easy when I could just walk to the gym for that class. 

Movement: I felt baby hiccups for the first time this week AND I even managed to get a video of it! It was the strangest feeling. I swore I wouldn't share bare belly pictures on my blog, but I just have to share this little hiccup video. 

Boy or Girl: XY

Highlights of the Week:

-I had a great 32 week OB appointment.  It's fun going every two weeks now, and I really like my doctor.  I am SO glad I was kind of forced to switch doctors and practices.  This week I asked her if she could tell his position/orientation, since I never really seem to be able to identify that on my own.  She said he is head down (!!!) with his back along my left side.  That explains all the kicks I've been feeling on my upper right side, since that must be where his little feet are. 

-The neighborhood mom's group that I joined had a fun little "Moms' Night Out" dinner this Friday.  I was nervous to go since I didn't know anyone, and kind of felt like a mom imposter, since I'm not technically a mom just yet.  But I was so glad I went.  There were about 8 girls there, and they were all so nice.  We tried a new restaurant in the neighborhood, and enjoyed some great food, drinks (lemonade for me), and had fun just being around a group of females my age.  I'm really glad I went, and I'm hoping maybe there will be one more before the baby comes!

31 Weeks: A Pineapple

October 16, 2014

Photo Thoughts: Why have I never worn leggings before? These are one of the most comfortable things I've ever worn! Oh- and the cleaning stuff is to represent the big cleaning spree I felt compelled to go on this past weekend.

How I'm Feeling: Big.  My back aches off and on throughout the day. But all things considered, I guess there's not too much to complain about.

Baby/Bump: The experts say there is a big increase of brain activity that coincides with all 5 senses being just about fully developed this week. 

 

The bump is definitely growing OUT, and I've been feeling him up a lot higher than I used to.  I felt like he was so low for such a long time.

 

The view from above this week.

 



 



Symptoms: Lower/mid back aches if I'm on my feet for too long, and slightly swollen ankles most evenings. I'm also still experiencing shortness of breath throughout the day- even just randomly if I'm sitting down. But I also notice I get winded very easily.  I'm starting to resent the stairs in our house, as they are becoming more and more of a chore.

Weight: + 0 this week, so +22.0 total still. Yay for a little plateau!

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: Broken record on this one... just stressing about that ticking clock and that growing "To Do" list.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I've been really into peanut butter this week. I had been on a cereal kick for breakfast, but I was noticing that shortly after I would get to work I was feeling kind of gross.  I started to suspect it might be the milk since I really hardly ever drink milk.  So I took a break from cereal and milk and switched to an English Muffin with peanut butter.  SOOOO good!  And I am not feeling sick anymore, so... peanut butter FTW!

What I'm Missing: As the weather is ever so slightly changing, I am starting to miss my old clothes a little bit. And I really am hoping I won't have to buy a bunch of "cold weather" maternity clothes with so little time left...

Sleep: I finally got a body pillow this week (just a regular, non-pregnancy one).  It seems to be helping a little bit, although I wasn't really all that uncomfortable to begin with.  But I'm sure it will be good to have in the coming weeks.

Exercise: Still doing well about staying back on a regular workout schedule! AND, I started a prenatal pilates/barre class this week!  The studio is really close to where we live, and the lady runs it our of her house, so the classes are really small, which is nice. There were 6 people in the class, ranging from about 25 weeks to 38 weeks. It was a good workout, and it felt good to do some exercises and stretches that were really adapted for and aimed at a pregnant body.  I really liked it, and I'm excited to go again! 

Movement: Lots of movement, although still mostly unidentifiable. This week I got my first real "zinger" of a kick straight to the bladder. I was standing in an aisle at Target when it happened, and I was sure that when I looked down I would see a puddle at my feet. Luckily that didn't happen, but OW- that hurt!

Boy or Girl: In case you forgot- it's a boy!

Highlights of the Week: My Phoenix Baby Shower, of course!!!  My mom, sister, and cousin did an amazing job planning and putting it on- it was perfect! And it was so fun to catch up with family and friends. Baby H and I were definitely spoiled, and we received TONS of great baby gifts.  And because of the story book theme, baby boy's library is off to a pretty impressive start!  A friend of mine took pictures of the shower, and I'm still waiting to get my hands on those, but when I do, I will post some more photos of the big event!

Guest-made onesies- who knew my family and friends were so TALENTED?!

 

One of my very best friends, Kayli, was in town for work for a couple nights this week and she stay at our house. It was SO good to see her and spend some time together in between her work events. She even got to feel a few baby kicks!  But, major failure, we didn't even manage to get ONE photo of the two of us :-(

Oh, and also not to be overlooked in the "highlight" department... I took my very first pregnancy nap this week!  Crazy, I know. I am just NOT a napper- never have been (even as a baby, according to my mom).  But one day this week when I got home from work, I was beat, and a power nap (I set my alarm for 30 minutes) seemed like the only solution.

Most Entertaining Question/Comment of the Week: The pest control guy said out of nowhere, "So, when are you going to pop?"

30 Weeks: A Cucumber

October 9, 2014

Photo Thoughts: These photos are actually from my a few days past 30 weeks... my photos are always a little delayed.  These are actually baby shower photos where I was something like 30 weeks + 2 days.  It's just easier for me to take photos on the weekends. 

How I'm Feeling: Overall, I don't have much room to complain.  I am still noticing that the all around uncomfortable feeling is just kind of becoming a part of my every day.  Nothing awful, but the dull back aches and feet aches throughout the day are no fun. 

Baby/Bump: Baby boy's brain is showing lots of activity now as his 5 senses are becoming more and more refined.  Come on, Baby Einstein!  His previously wrinkly skin is starting to smooth out as he packs on the fat.  The chubbier, the better I say. 

My bump just gets bigger and bigger (duh, I guess).  I think I might be able to avoid the outie belly button.  Mine just seems to be stretching out flat.  Belly buttons are weird things. 

Symptoms: It's definitely unavoidable now that if I am on my feet for too long, my back and my feet will inevitably begin to ache.  I'm also still experiencing some shortness of breath- usually in the evenings.  Baby, stop crowding my lungs please. 

Weight: + 1.0... +22.0 total. (Plus that +10 I never lost from Australia... but I will just try not to factor that in.  For now.)

What I'm Anticipating: I am SO excited for my baby shower coming up this weekend.  My mom, sister, and cousin are hosting a shower for me in Phoenix, and I can't wait.  It will be so fun to see friends and family and celebrate Baby H. 

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: I'm not really stressing about it, but I am just really hoping that my flight to Phoenix goes smoothly.  I hope I can avoid the crazy ankle/feet swelling I experienced the last two times I've flown during this pregnancy. 

Also, on Sunday night, I was just minding my business... making dinner. And BAM, out of nowhere, I just started crying.  I started freaking out about the usual- how fast time is going, and how much I still have to accomplish.  I have no idea why it all hit me then, but it must have been a sight to see a pregnant lady crying over pizzas-in-progress.  I called my mom in tears and just talking it out a little bit helped me feel better.  Crisis averted. 

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I've been lucky to avoid any crazy cravings or aversions while pregnant, but the other day I was at CVS and walked past these Peanut Butter M&M's and just had to have them.  So worth it!

Sleep: I love sleep. I am SO glad I haven't really had any trouble with sleep so far (fingers crossed it stays this way for as long as possible).

Exercise: Still doing well with the 30 Day Shred DVD's.  It seems to be the perfect fit for me at this point- easy to modify the exercises, less than 30 minutes, and I still break a pretty good sweat.  Thanks, Jillian!

Movement: Lots!  I can definitely feel baby boy a lot more frequently throughout the day.  Each night, I usually lay in bed for a while and just try and spend some time watching him move.  He still plays shy and will completely stop moving when I try to put my hand on my belly to feel it from the outside or if I try to catch the movement on video.  I am still looking forward to when the movements become even bigger- to the point where I can make out a body part or figure out how he's oriented in there.  Oh! And I keep forgetting to include this, but I think the baby is scared of the blender.  Many afternoons when I get home from work, I make a smoothie.  The blender sits right at about my belly level on the counter top, and I have noticed that as soon as I turn the blender on, he will start squirming around until I turn it off.  Sorry, baby!

Boy or Girl: Team blue!

David Moment: One night this week, I was doing something in the kitchen and I saw David just staring at me. In an accusatory way, I asked him what he was staring at.  He responded, "Wow.  You're really pregnant."  It was pretty funny.  I guess it's taking a while to hit him, too. 

Milestones: Finally! A stranger in public (actually two in the same night) acknowledged/recognized that I'm pregnant!  And bonus: it wasn't in a rude way.  David and I were at the Greek Festival, waiting in a long line for some delicious Greek pastries.  There was a lady in the next booth over trying to get people to come over to her line for ice cream.  She pointed to me and said, "YOU!  You and that baby definitely need ice cream!"  And then later on that night, we were on the crowded shuttle bus on the way back to the parking lot.  There was standing room only when we got on, and an older man insisted that I take his seat.  It was really sweet. 

Spotted at the Greek Festival: Pregnant Lady

-Ok, now this is clearly not a real milestone (and I am embarrassed to even be discussing this), but I'm to the point where my belly is getting in the way of accomplishing a lot of tasks I used to never think twice about.  Well, I seriously felt like I deserved an award or some sort of public recognition after I completed the task of... cutting my toe nails.  That was seriously about a million times harder than I ever thought possible.  And baby was NOT happy with me afterwards for basically crushing him in the process.  Pedicures from here on out?  Sounds good to me!

Highlights of the Week: It was an eventful week...

-30 Week OB Appointment: I got my T-Dap vaccine to hopefully prevent the baby from getting pertussis.  My arm seriously hurt for days after that!  #wimp.  I also had a major "oh crap" moment when the doctor walked me through several pages of consents that I had to sign and initial in a million places basically acknowledging all of the risks for me and baby with the various types of birth/delivery.  I felt like I was signing my life away.  I still have almost zero ability to imagine myself being in that position in about ten weeks, but this made things feel very, very real.  I guess this really has to happen...

-Neighborhood Moms' Group: One evening David came home from work asking if I had seen all the cars parked outside and seen the park all lit up and crowded (I hadn't).  So we walked across the street to the park and stumbled upon "National Neighborhood Night Out."  Who knew? (Not us.)  There were several stations set up with food, music, local businesses advertising, and a few neighborhood organizations.  One of the tables we stopped at happened to be the newly formed "Moms' Group" for out little neighborhood.  I was SO excited to find out that this group existed.  The two ladies I talked to seemed very nice, and they told me all about the events they try to plan, the Facebook group, etc.  So it's official- I'm in a Moms' Group!  I kind of feel like an imposter, but I am excited that there is a network for this so close by for when I need support or socialization when baby arrives.