30 Weeks

Friday, 27 September 2013

How far along: 30 weeks!!!

How big baby is: 15.7 inches long, 3 pounds

Baby is the size of: a head of cabbage

Baby’s development: The amount of amniotic fluid will now begin to decrease as baby A grows and takes up more space. Her eyesight is continuing to improve.

Here are some photos of my sweet girl at 29 weeks, 6 days.

Mommy’s weight gain: No, just no. I am not going to answer this question anymore.  :)

Mommy’s belly:

Baby’s movements: Her movements have changed some, although I’m not sure I can describe how. There are fewer sharp and forceful kicks and more stretching and nudging.

Symptoms: I’m just very tired. In the mornings I lack energy, in the afternoons I am a little better (sometimes), and by the evening my body and joints ache. I am ready for bed by 9:00 each night. So exhausted!

Food cravings: This week I have been craving milk to drink. Probably my healthiest craving yet. Yay!

Emotions: I’m not too emotional right now. We’ll see how long that lasts.  Haha!

Sleep: I want to sleep all the time! I don’t sleep as well as I’d like, but still better than lots of women do at this stage.

29 Weeks

Friday, 20 September 2013

How far along: 29 weeks

How big baby is: 2 ½ pounds, over 15 inches long

Baby is the size of: butternut squash

Baby’s development: Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain.

Mommy’s weight gain: 23 pounds total (3 pounds in the last 2 weeks)

Mommy’s belly:

Baby’s movements: This girl is active! I’m pretty sure that she is constantly moving any time that she is awake. And that’s fine with me - it’s very reassuring.

Symptoms: I am exhausted. My energy is super low and I am always sleepy. Sometimes walking or standing can be extremely uncomfortable and my joints often ache. I’m getting very clumsy, which is frustrating, because that means I’m dropping things a lot. And reaching down to the floor to pick them up is extremely uncomfortable. Overall, I feel like I’m already in that “miserable-and-about-to-pop” phase which is a bummer because I still have 11 weeks to go! I’m thankful for all of the discomfort though - it just means that I’m still pregnant with a growing, thriving baby. What a blessing!

Food cravings: In general I prefer carbs and sweets. Of course. I think I could sit around eating muffins and cream cheese all day. (I don’t though!)

Emotions: I’m just tired and frustrated. I think part of that is because I haven’t had a chance yet to rest and “get back to normal” after our vacation. Our trip to Tennessee wore me out! And when we got home I hit the ground running with doctor and dentist appointments, grocery shopping, Penny’s activities (story time and gymnastics), church, and major house cleaning. I’m thankful that the weekend is finally here and hoping that some extra rest will get me back on track.

Sleep: It’s getting harder to get comfortable, which means it takes longer for me to fall asleep and I wake up earlier than I would like. But I have been sleeping fairly soundly at night, which is good.

Anything else: I passed my glucose tolerance test! (GTT) I had failed the first glucose screening just a couple of days before we left for our trip and wasn’t able to do the GTT until after we returned. As disgusting as the drink was for the first one, the drink for the second one was worse - it was twice as sweet! The GTT is a fasting test, so I couldn’t have breakfast before I went. I took Penny with me to the appointment and she was very good! It was a three hour test - they took blood before I had the drink and then once each hour for three hours afterwards. I had spent so much time praying that I would pass this test because I know the diet would be really hard for me. (Almost no carbs or sugar… what?) Today while I was at the dentist getting my teeth cleaned, my phone rang and my husband answered. I was so happy to get the great news!

What I am looking forward to: I have another appointment next week. I’m always happy when I get the chance to see my little baby A!

28 Weeks

Friday, 13 September 2013

How far along: 28 weeks

How big baby is: 2 1/2 pounds, 14.8 inches long (Another source says almost 3 pounds and 17 inches... Who knows.)

Baby is the size of: an eggplant

Baby’s development: She has eyelashes now and can blink. She is also adding more body fat.

Mommy’s weight gain: I am on vacation this week and don't have access to scales, so I'll happily pass over this part today. :)

Mommy’s belly:

Baby’s movements: She is still very active. Sometimes her movements startle me. As she grows bigger I know I'll be less likely to feel the strong kicks and more likely to feel jabs from elbows and feet.

Symptoms: I have been swelling a lot on vacation but I think that's because I have been walking a lot on vacation. I mean, a LOT! Our first full day here in the Smokey Mountains we did a 4.2 mile (round trip) hike up part of a mountain to a waterfall. That was not my best idea. First of all, I had it in my mind that it would be a 2.1 mile hike. I didn't realize that distance was only one-way until we were halfway up. I'm happy to say I completed the hike, but I have been sore all week now. We have done a lot of walking each day which has led to swollen feet and ankles at the end of the day.

Food cravings: Would you believe there are probably 30 pancake houses in Gatlinburg alone? I don't know why they have such an obsession with pancakes here, but it's been hard not to indulge. I have had dessert twice this week, but less than half a dessert each time - sharing with my husband. And that's much better than my once or twice a day sweet tooth fix that was the norm for me just a week ago. I have also cut out sweet tea and other sugary drinks and been much more careful about what I'm eating. Failing that glucose screening really kicked me in the pants! Also, this week I really wanted a Philly cheesesteak sandwich and I finally got one last night. :)

Emotions: I'm feeling pretty normal and even right now. I'm sure vacation helps with that.

Sleep: It has been super hard to sleep in this dreadfully uncomfortable bed at our cabin, but fortunately I have been so exhausted most nights that I manage to get enough sleep anyway. Naps have not been an option though.

What I am looking forward to: I am ready to get my 3-hour glucose tolerance test out of the way. I’m anxious about it - not so much the test, but whether or not I will pass it. I have been praying every day that I will pass so I won’t have to go on the diet! I take it on Tuesday morning so by my next update I will know.

27 Weeks

Friday, 6 September 2013

(Exactly three months from my due date)

How far along: 27 weeks

How big baby is: 2 pounds, 14 ½ inches long

Baby is the size of: head of cauliflower (What a strange thing to compare a long, skinny baby to.)

Baby’s development: She is most likely sleeping and waking at regular intervals now. She is able to open and close her eyes and maybe even suck on her thumb or her fingers. Her brain is becoming much more active and developing a lot of tissue now. And while her lungs are still tiny and have a lot more developing to do, if she were born now, she would most likely be able to breathe with medical intervention.

Mommy’s weight gain: 2 pounds this week, 20 total (Ugh.)

Mommy’s belly:

Baby’s movements: By now I’m supposed to be doing “kick counts.” That just means that at least once or twice a day there should be a time when I can count up to 10 kicks or bumps within a 30 minute period. Counting has not been necessary for me at all. This little girl moves and shakes a lot! I can usually count ten movements within about a minute when she is awake and active.

Symptoms: I’m definitely having Braxton-Hicks contractions more often and they are getting more intense. It’s been good practice for me to concentrate on relaxing my body during the contractions - that will be a good practice to have in place when labor starts. I also feel like this week I have crossed the threshold from the cute, round pregnant stage to the huge, giant, super-uncomfortable stage. (I don’t necessarily think I look terrible, but I just physically feel giant.) I feel like I’m eight and a half months pregnant, but I have to be this pregnant for 3 more months! I’m not complaining. I’m certainly grateful for every part of this pregnancy. This is just how it will be for the next three months. I tire very easily. Everything is more physically exerting now. And any physical exertion wears me out! I guess the good thing about all of that is that it means I’m getting closer and closer to the day when I get to have this sweet baby!

Food cravings: I want sweets all the time! I have been gaining more than one pound a week the past two or three weeks and I know the sweets cravings are to blame. Really, my lack of self-control is to blame, but you know what I mean. I want ice cream, cheesecake, Sonic cream slushes, pancakes… It’s so hard not to indulge.

Emotions: Rather than being super emotional, I’m just tired. I’m sleepy and fatigued all the time.

Sleep: The past two weeks or so I have gradually gone from waking up around 6:30 (on my own - with no alarm) to sleeping until 7:30 or 8:00. I’m not sure if it’s just the pregnancy or if part of it has to do with weather change and allergies. I would expect to feel more rested during the day as a result of the extra sleep I’m getting in the mornings, but it hasn’t really been that way at all. I still take naps on the days that I can fit them in.

Anything else: I think that my belly button has popped out as much as it can. I have two little scars towards the bottom of my belly button from previous surgeries, so I think that those scars are what is keeping it from popping out all the way.

Also, I had my glucose screening and doctor’s appointment yesterday. I was so grateful that at my previous appointment they had given me the glucose drink and the instructions so I was able to drink it at home before my appointment rather than drinking it at the office and then sitting there for an hour to wait for my blood to be drawn. Still, that stuff is disgusting! My appointment went well. Dr. N was late, as always, and rushed through the ultrasound, but at least we got a little look at baby Ariana. She always keeps her hands up near her face and yesterday was no exception. I am now going from appointments every four weeks to appointments every three weeks and it won’t be long before I go every other week. Every little step just means we are that much closer to meeting this sweet girl! I can’t wait!

Update: I did get a call from my doctor's nurse this afternoon and I failed my glucose screening! That doesn't mean that I have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that I have to go in for a more extensive glucose tolerance test. Ugh. I am hoping that by cutting out sweets, eating more protein and fewer simple carbs, and drinking lots of water (instead of sweet tea) I can pass this test. Either way, it's the motivator that I have needed to stop indulging in so many sweets. I'll be out of town for a while, so I won't be able to go in for this lab work for over a week, but the nurse said that should be fine. She also told me that I'm a little anemic so I have to take an iron supplement each day as well. I'm thankful that for now there is nothing worse to worry about.

What I am looking forward to: Right now I am just looking forward to the cooler weather that should be coming before too long. This big mama is ready for a cool down! :)