29 Weeks - An Acorn Squash

October 2, 2014

Photo Thoughts: Acorn squash- just in time for Fall!  The registry/early Baby Shower gifts are starting to roll in. I can't believe I now own baby stuff! 

How I'm Feeling:  So far, so good. I have had a few experiences where I just felt all around uncomfortable in my body. One time I was just sitting on the couch and every position I sat in was just totally uncomfortable. I’m guessing those uncomfortable moments will be becoming more common.  I’m still feeling really overwhelmed with everything that needs to get done in the next few months.  I just feel like no matter how much I try to get things done, I’m just not being as productive as I need to be. When will those crazy nesting urges begin to kick in?

Baby/Bump:  Baby is the size of an acorn squash this week. He is packing on the fat slowly but surely, and moving more and more- even hiccups are common now. 

The bump is definitely growing out instead of just up now.  I got a few fun “bird’s eye view” photos of the bump this week that I thought gave a cool perspective.  I might try and do these every couple of weeks and watch the bump grow from this view, too. 

That is not an illusion, my legs really are almost as white as our stark white duvet cover

Bye bye, toes!

Symptoms:  My lower back really starts to ache if I’m either sitting or standing too long. I notice this especially when I’m cooking or doing dishes.  And my ankles are still swollen by the time bedtime rolls around most days.  Oh, and I’m experiencing some occasional shortness of breath.  It feels like the “tightness” in my chest I feel when my asthma starts to act up.  It’s not too bad though, and from what I’ve read it sounds like it is normal and just because the baby is beginning to crowd my lungs.  Rude. 

Weight:  +1.0 since last week. So +21.0 total. I'm ok with that.

What I'm Anticipating: I’m getting very excited for my baby shower in Phoenix! 

What I'm Stressing About/Worries:  The same as always- when/how will I get everything done?  I know no one ever “gets everything done,” per se, but I know I need to get as much done as possible before baby comes, and it’s a little overwhelming. 

Sleep:  I’m still doing pretty well in this area- so much so that one of my greatest daily struggles is dragging myself out of bed in the morning.  Sleep is just the best.  Oh, and one night this week I had the strangest dream.  I dreamt that we got a letter in the mail from the doctor’s office basically saying “oops, we forgot to tell you that you are actually having twins.”  I was a little nervous when I checked the mail the next day,  but obviously it was just a dream, and there is just one baby on the way. 

Exercise: Major progress in getting back on the exercise train this week!  I started Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred.  Obviously I’m not planning to “shred” anything over the next 30 days, but I’m just glad I found a way to work exercise back into my daily schedule.  I love that the workouts are short (only 20-25 minutes), but they get the job done, and I do feel better on the days that I workout.  It was so much easier when we lived in the apartment, because the gym was literally three doors down from our apartment AND 24 hour fitness was just a 5 minute walk down the street.  Getting back into home workouts is a good solution for me right now. 

Movement: Oh yes, lots of movement.  David and I both actually got to feel him having the hiccups for the first time this week.  And one night, David put his ear to my belly (I have no idea what he was expecting to hear), and the baby gave him a pretty big kick in the face.  Haha. He jerked his head up as said, “did my son just kick me in the face?”  In general though, I swear this baby must be shy.  Because many times I feel movement and then try to put my hand there to feel it, have David look, or even if I try to record it on my camera, I swear he just becomes totally still.  It’s the weirdest thing.

 

Boy or Girl:  Baby boy!

Milestones: Not a real milestone in the sense of any big accomplishment or development, but I did finally work up the nerve to park in the “Stork Parking” spot at the grocery store.  I felt a little guilty at first, thinking that there was probably someone way more pregnancy than me there that needed that spot.  But I got over that and enjoyed my front and center parking spot.  #pregnantladyperks

 

Highlight of the Week:  For my birthday, one of my best friends got me a gift certificate for a massage at a really nice spa in Houston.  This was way back in March, and somehow I still had not used it.  I finally went in for my massage on Sunday, and it was amazing.  They obviously had to make a few adjustments since I can’t lie on my stomach anymore, but it was so nice and relaxing still.  Although at one point when I was on my back, I did start to all of a sudden feel hot, a little nauseous, dizzy, and like my heart was beating really fast.  I told the massage therapist that I needed to switch back over to my side, and the feeling immediately disappeared. I think I must have been flat on my back for too long without my head propped up or anything.  So I guess what they say is true about trying to avoid laying on your back because the uterus then puts too much pressure on one of the major blood vessels that brings blood back to your heart.  It was a strange feeling, but it did go away quickly, and it definitely did not ruin my amazing massage!