Week 35

Check it out, 35 weeks along and 35 days to go, wahoo!
I made it, 35 weeks was the next big milestone for me and I can't believe I'm here. Wow. 2 more weeks and Bria will be considered full term, 5 more weeks until my due date.

My co-workers had a shower for me at work yesterday and it was a lot of fun. It made me feel very loved to have so many people there and excited for our new arrival. We got tons of great stuff and I had a blast showing it all to Brian last night. I do have some pictures so I'll try and upload those this weekend. The big item was the Rainforest Jumperoo:


I registered for this at Target but I recently got an email saying they weren't going to be carrying it anymore so I should go and find something else, I was bummed. So you can imagine my surprise when I opened this yesterday! Apparently they purchased it before Target ran out and I'm so glad they did. It came from the whole Contract & Procurement department. We also got lots of clothes, blankets, binkies, diaper rash cream, and more clothes! This little girl has a full wardrobe, let me tell you. That closet is full and she better enjoy it now because it won't always be like that. ;) Anyway, I'm so grateful to my co-workers for all the wonderful gifts and I can't wait to use them, not too much longer now.


Symptoms

Insomnia. Well, I don't think I would say it's that extreme, but I'm definitely not sleeping very well. It takes at least an hour and a half, usually 2 hours to get to sleep. That doesn't include the time I spend reading in bed to try and make myself sleepy enough to go to bed. Usually as I'm starting to wind down and may be about to enter dreamland, I have to go to the bathroom, so I start the whole process over again. My 3 trips to the bathroom in the night wake me up since getting out of bed is a huge task, as is switching sides. I think I shake the whole bed whenever I move, luckily Brian has gotten use to that and usually sleeps right through it.

More frequent urination. I am definitely taking more trips to the bathroom and I know that will only get worse. As our childbirth instructor told us, towards the end our bladder is flattened to a pancake and we'll be going to the bathroom every 1/2 hour. Brian was in shock.

Food. I was definitely hungry this week, I packed healthy snacks for work but found myself very hungry every 2 hours so I ran out of snacks fast. I swear that half our grocery bill is just snack food. But I've always loved snacks so no big surprise there. My favorite foods right now are:

• Cereal-big surprise! I have been enjoying Lucky Charms, Honey Nut Cheerios, Granola, and Chex.

• Yogurt & Granola-Oh man I am loving this, I've always enjoyed this combination together, but I am in heaven when I eat it now. So. Good.

• Banana Pudding-still love banana snack packs, yum.

• Granola bars-Nature Valley granola bars are still doing it for me, they are like my dessert for lunch.

• Izzy's Pizza-I LOVE their crust, yum. I dip it in ranch and I have a little party in my mouth, mmmm.
  

• Grapes

• Apples

• Chocolate-That is in the 5 food groups right? ;)

• Tootsie rolls

Heartburn. So that's what heartburn is. This week I started feeling mild heartburn at night, I wasn't sure what it was at first since I've never had it. But when I laid down to go to bed I got this burning sensation in my chest that would rise up to my throat like a wave. It was icky. But I know some women have very severe heartburn so I'm not complaining. Not that it was a fun feeling, but I would classify it more as uncomfortable than painful at this point. I do have a couple more weeks though so it may get worse (crossing my fingers is doesn't).

Here is my list from a few weeks ago (the ones in gray are done):

1. Verify the pediatrician is covered by Brian's insurance-Done, she is!
2. Call pediatrician-Done, although we don't do anything until we actually have Bria in the hospital, at which point we just tell them who our pediatrician is.
3. Find a list of what to pack for the hospital-Done
4. Pack hospital bag-In progress (probably will be until we actually leave for the hospital)
5. Create a phone list for people to call when I go into labor-done
6. Iron out details for when I go into labor
7. Pick coming home outfit for Bria (this will probably wait until after the baby showers)
8. Clean and organize house-In progress (always, this is broken down into more detail below)

and I've added a few new items:

9. Wash bottles and teething rings
10. Call Maternity Coordinator to go over birth plan and get a hospital tour-In progress, we are playing phone tag
11. Pre-register
12. Get MJ's bag ready
13. Check to see if insurance pays for some of breast pump
14. Organize little table in computer room
15. Organize kitchen
16. Organize downstairs closet
17. Organize upstairs hall closet-Done

I'm feeling better about my list now that I've actually completed some of them, plus it feels good to have it laid out in front of me so I can see what there is left to do. The only thing that is stressing me out is the travel system. I have dreams about it, in fact I just had one last night: we were headed to the hospital to have little Bria but we had not gotten the travel system yet so we didn't have a car seat. That is really the only thing left that we HAVE to have before Bria comes so that is probably why it's on my mind. The one we registered for at Babies R Us is on sale until the 19th so I am tempted to go buy it, we'll see. By the way, I like Target and all but they have crap for travel systems. Seriously. Even online they have a very small selection, especially in the brands that I want: Chicco or Graco.

Anyway, that is about all I have for this week. Tomorrow my sister is doing a little maternity photo session for me and I'm really excited, so I'll be posting those pictures sometime in the future.


Baby:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

34w 4d

1st childbirth class-check.
Brian and I both had a good time at our class last night. The instructor is really nice and the class is huge, there are 34 people in there. A lot of it is geared towards the coaches and how they help us get through labor, I like that. We sat in front of our coaches while they did some relaxing techniques, I think they should massage us every class :) We get to learn more in depth about what is happening during labor and what your body is doing. Right now Bria is laying with her head down, her back on my left side, and her legs and arms on my right. Since babies come out with their head facing down I was wondering when she would move into that position. Well I learned last night that it's not until she is making her way down the birth canal that she turns to get her head through, and then turns back to the side to get her shoulders out. Man, the whole birthing thing is amazing! Anyway, it's nice to be more informed and be able to ask questions. There is only 1 couple that is due before us (they are due February 14th-cute huh?) so I'm hoping we're one of the first to give birth. The rest have due dates of March or April.
I must say, Brian is pretty darn adorable. He is just so into it and excited, I think he'll be an amazing coach.

Bria's movements are definitely stronger so I can tell she is growing. Sometimes she'll kick so hard it'll make me jump and cringe at the same time, but then of course I laugh and hope no one saw me, otherwise they may try and drive me to the hospital thinking I'm in labor. Bria is pretty active during the day, as I'm typing this she is moving around like crazy in there. She is not as active during the night which is backwards from what I hear is the norm.
I got the sharpest pain in my back the other night and it caught me so off guard that I let out a scream. I scared Brian so bad he said he was ready to warm up the car and head to the hospital. I started laughing and told him I'll try not to scream like that, it just slipped out because it startled me.

My sister's and mom sent out the invites for the baby shower they are throwing for me! The invites are really beautiful and I'll try to take a picture of it to post. I was all giddy when I got it in the mail and can't wait for the shower. It's family and close family friends, I know we'll have a great time and I love getting together with all these amazing women in my life.
Speaking of baby showers, my co-workers are having one for me on Thursday! I do work with some very generous people and I feel so warm and fuzzy that they want to have a shower for me. I'm looking forward to that shower as well. Many events to get excited about :)

I have been doing so good about going for walks every night, MJ and I do almost 2 miles when I get home from work. It feels really good to get out and I know MJ is loving it. Last night was the first night I didn't go on account of our childbirth class. I think taking 1 day off a week is ok though, especially since I went for 2 walks on Sunday. My goal was to go at least 4 times a week so I am still surpassing that.

Only 38 days until my due date, wahoo!

Week 34

We had a great appointment today! I met with Dr. Tina Gain for the first time and oh my goodness she was the sweetest thing. Brian liked her as well, thought she was maybe too happy, but I told him that is what I need. I just loved her and hope she is on call when I go into labor. Although, all the doctors are really nice so I won't complain whoever it is.
Anyway, my blood pressure is still good and she said I look nice and healthy. Most importantly though, Bria is doing well. She is in a vertex position, so she is head down and optimal for delivery, wahoo! Dr. Gain showed Brian all of Bria's different body parts and had him feel her bum, back, and head. She was very impressed that he got in there, most guys are timid and don't want to squeeze or push too hard. But Brian observed how hard she was pushing so he did the same. He is excited now that he knows where all her different body parts are and can feel them. Her heart beat is in the 140's and going strong. It was just so good to hear that Bria is doing well and everything looks and sounds good.
At my next appointment I'll get the Strep B test and then start going every week!

Symptoms

Nausea. Still feel nauseous on and off, some days are worse than others. I'm not sure what really sets it off either which makes it hard to try and avoid. I actually threw up on Saturday which I was not expecting. I had my normal breakfast of cereal and toast, then ate a little cinnamon roll and was sipping on hot chocolate. It went down the wrong tube so I was coughing a little then sat down on the couch and all of the sudden out of nowhere my hot chocolate comes right back up. All over my new electric blanket that was keeping me warm since our furnace had gone out. Brian thinks I shouldn't drink hot chocolate anymore but there is no way I can give that up!

Belly tightening. I've noticed that my belly will get really hard and feel tight every once and awhile, are these braxton hicks? I seriously have no idea. They don't hurt, they just feel kind of weird.

Extreme excitement. I am ecstatic beyond belief, I cannot wait to meet this little girl who squirms, hiccups, and kicks in my belly. I am so in love with her already it's not even funny. I can't wait to see her little face and hear her cry, it seems absolutely surreal that we have 6 weeks, give or take depending on when she is ready, until we meet her. Oh I can hardly contain my excitement!

Heavy belly. When I go for walks (which by the way I have been very good about, I know MJ appreciates it) my belly just feels so heavy. All my stomach muscles feel like they are holding on for dear life. Doing chores around the house is really hurting my back too, but I must get it done. My belly belt helps so I need to remember to wear it when I'm up and about.

I think that is about it for symptoms. Things are still going very well and I feel good which I am so thankful for. I'm trying to slow down and enjoy these last few weeks, it's hard when all I can think about is meeting this little girl and seeing what she looks like, giving her kisses, and snuggling her up. But I do love feeling her move around in my belly and knowing that she is safe inside me.


Baby

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Belly pic (It was a long day)

33w 3d

Books

I love to read and so of course when I got pregnant I wanted to start reading all the pregnancy books I could get my hands on. Especially since it doesn't feel real in the beginning, you aren't showing, it's too soon to do the nursery or shop for things, and you are just waiting for the first appointment. So I wanted to list the books I read and what I liked/disliked about them.

Pregnancy Books

Your Pregnancy Week by Week
Like it.
What I really enjoy is that each week I can read a new chapter instead of only getting to read one chapter a month. Plus there are lots of changes that occur in just one week and I love being able to picture what Bria is up to. The only downside is that some of the chapters/weeks are full of information that does not apply to everyone. Which is totally fine, they shouldn't have to cater to me or anything, but sometimes the whole chapter is about that one subject so I don't feel like I learned anything. For example, some weeks are about Hepatits, or HIV, or the Bird Flu. I'm not saying these shouldn't be mentioned or discussed, but maybe not the majority of the chapter, ya know? But overall it gives lots of medical information and I enjoyed that.

Belly Laughs
Like it.
It's a really fun read and she is brutally honest, so much so that I was expecting the worst and have been pleasantly surprised so far. I just liked to be able to laugh and read something light hearted. The only con is that there isn't any medical information, it's more just her opinion, but that is why you get Your Pregnancy Week by Week.





The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy
Like it.
I love her honesty and knowledge. You can tell she is more experienced than Jenny (author of Belly Laughs) and so it is easier to take advice from her. She's really funny and makes you feel normal. She brings experiences from multiple women so it's not just one persons experience which is cool. It is another easy, light hearted read.





What to Expect When You're Expecting
So so.
Although I like the medical information and expertise of this book, it goes through month by month, instead of week by week. Now this is more of a personal preference of course, but I like being able to read a new chapter each week instead of once a month. I do like the information it provides though, and it tends to have more useful information than Your Pregnancy Week by Week. I was glad to have this book, but also glad that it was given to me instead of having to purchase it.




Frankly Pregnant
Like it.
I have really enjoyed this book. Again, it's a week by week book which I love and it's straight from someone who is going through it at the time. So it's nice to compare the symptoms you are having with what she had at that week. She also had a doctor edit it who throws in information here and there. It's a great blend of Belly Laughs and Your Pregnancy Week by Week. The chapters are pretty short which is maybe the only down fall. I look forward to reading the next week and then there is only 2 pages or so. But still a good read.




Baby Books

Secrets of The Baby Whisperer
Love it, must have!
My sister gave me this book and I absolutely love it. She (my sister) has 3 kids who are all excellent sleepers which is proof enough for me that this book works. I also learned that others have had success with it and that makes me even more excited. I just love this author and her methods, I am learning a lot and feel much more prepared and informed for when Bria comes. Also, she is great about reminding you of your marriage and "you" time. I really have no complaints about this book and wish I could articulate just how good it is.

Baby Wise
Like it.
It follows pretty closely with The Baby Whisperer and I think they compliment each other nicely. I think I will choose Baby Whisperer's advice over this book when they differ on topics, but for the most part they are pretty in sync so that is not an issue. Both books focus on a flexible schedule of: Eating, Activity, Sleeping for the baby.


Baby Bargains
Love it.
Brandi got this for me and I'm so thankful that she did. It reviews every baby item you could think of and it does so very honestly. I like that it doesn't favor the most expensive brands and has no advertisements of any kind, in fact, they make sure it is known that no one paid to have their name in there or not in there. They just review all items and give you an honest opinion as well as facts. It's a must have as well.



And for goodness sakes go make your guess as to when Bria will arrive (to the left)!

Week 33

We got signed up for our childbirth class! We start on January 12th and I'm looking forward to it. It's surreal to think about sitting in a childbirth class, practicing breathing techniques, I just can't believe we're at that point, so exciting!
Another thing to mark off the to do list: I picked a pediatrician (based on recommendations) and now I just need to call her. I also got my FMLA stuff figured out which is nice. My last day will be February 13th, just 6 weeks away!!! That is of course unless she comes early, but I hear with your first that you are more likely to deliver late that early. However, I was 10 days early so maybe she'll take after me :-)
I'm going to be a mommy this year!!!

Symptoms:

Swelling. I wore my pretty red shoes on Tuesday and when I took them off I noticed my feet were pretty puffy. So after my walk I sat on the couch and tried to elevate them, I think it helped a little. Well, Wednesday when I got home from work, holy cow, I had cankles. My ankles were really swollen and I couldn't believe how fast it came on. Having Thursday off work helped though because they are almost back to normal, although I'm sure when I go home tonight they will be swollen again.

Big Belly. Apparently I am starting to look large and in charge, as per my co-worker. When I walked by her she said, "Whoa, what are you feeding that girl?" Now, I realize I am overly sensitive so I tried to be ok with this, but it hurt my feelings. Granted, being pregnant and complaining about getting fat is like standing in a swimming pool and complaining that you are wet, but still. It's not that I mind people commenting on my growing belly, but maybe think about how you say it. You could say, "Your belly is getting so cute and big," and then add, "...by the way you're very pretty and glowing and radiant." Alright, maybe the last part is a stretch, but still, you get the idea. I think I have just hit that point in the pregnancy where I feel large all over and it's just an adjustment. My body is changing rapidly and it's a challenge to take it all in.

Less-irritable. I was definitely less emotional, irritable, and irrational this week which was a refreshing change. Brian still had to be up North for a few days which bummed me out, but I dealt with it way better and was much more positive. I also didn't cry at all this week, wahoo!

Sleep issues. Sleeping was a bit rough this week, I now go to the bathroom 2 or 3 times instead of just once so that has probably contributed. I also will wake up randomly and have a hard time getting back to sleep. My hips started aching during the night so I know that doesn't help.

Dreams. I will have dreams that I am getting further and further along in my pregnancy until finally I reach 37 weeks and think, "She can come out now!" But then I wake up and realize I am still 33 weeks and she needs to stay in there for at least another 4 weeks. I also had a bad dream that I didn't like. Bria was here (although I think it was a boy) and I was trying to put her to bed but she was crying really hard and wouldn't lay down, I was getting frustrated. Then I woke up. I guess what disturbed me is that instead of snuggling with her I was frustrated. I think maybe because I'm scared I won't be as patient as I want to be. I'm reading the Baby Whisperer and I'm on the sleeping chapter where she talks about walking away for a second to take 3 deep breaths if you find yourself getting frustrated. Anyway, I just hated the thought of getting frustrated with this precious little miracle that's growing inside me, I love her so much and all I want to do is give her kisses and cuddle her.

Lots of movement. She was very active this week, especially in the beginning of the week. I think it was Monday that it felt like she was moving all day, it was cracking me up. It's funny to watch my stomach get all distorted. Every once and awhile I'll feel a little kick down on my pelvis bone, it's really weird and kind of tickles. I love feeling her move, it is the best.

Hot. I woke up sweating most nights, even though the house is set to 56 and I sleep in my underwear. Fortunately Brian's internal furnace is set to hot so I'm not freezing him out yet :) I can't imagine how awful I would be sleeping if it were summer-we have no AC.

Overwhelmed. I read a few pregnancy books and they all have lists of things I'll need/want before Bria arrives. I'm wishing I would've bookmarked these pages because now I just feel overwhelmed and can't remember everything I need to do. I have 2 more baby showers before Bria is born (so excited!), one is at work on the 15th of this month and the other is the one my sister's and mom are throwing for me on the 31st. So I'm going to wait until after those to go purchase any "must have" items (although I'm not 100% sure I know what those "must have's" are). Aside from that I think this is what I still need to do, but please add anything you can think of:
1. Verify the pediatrician is covered by Brian's insurance
2. Call pediatrician
3. Find a list of what to pack for the hospital
4. Pack hospital bag
5. Create a phone list for people to call when I go into labor
6. Iron out details for when I go into labor
7. Pick coming home outfit for Bria (this will probably wait until after the baby showers)
8. Clean and organize house

What else am I missing?


Baby:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

*I am horrible and still don't have a belly picture to post, I'll do it this weekend!

Week 32

The appointment on Friday morning went well, she sounds healthy and strong which is great! My blood pressure is good and I have no swelling (knock on wood). She is head down with her back on my left side.

Symptoms:

Emotional, cranky, and irritable. I thought I was going to be able to get through this pregnancy and be pleasant the whole time, but I feel hormones creeping up on me and I just can't control them, gosh darn it. It seemed like I cried a lot last week which I don't like to do. But Brian had to work up north (2 hours away) all week so I didn't get to see him until Christmas Eve at like 9 pm. So I was very emotional about that and I think it led to my cranky and irritableness (is that a word?). I was just kind of in a funk all week. We were able to have a good Christmas nonetheless.

Tired. I am definitely feeling lazy as I don't ever want to do anything that requires physical exertion, but I'm forcing myself to go for walks-even in this rainy weather. I just can't stand being on the couch any longer!

Braxton hicks, I think. On Monday I had what I think was a braxton hicks, but I'm not really sure. I had 3 more throughout the week and my rookie guess is that they are braxton hicks, but who knows.

Nausea. Still feel nauseous on and off throughout the day and I'm not sure what causes it, I take a Tums and drink water which sometimes helps a little. It's not horrible, 1st trimester, nausea, just more of an inconvenience.

So excited. As my due date gets closer I become even more anxious to meet Bria, I've started having dreams where I'm in labor. I just can't wait to see what she looks like and bring her home, it's so close! 8 more weeks until my due date, which means 7 more weeks of work, wahoo!


Baby:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

So I don't have a belly picture yet (I will take one this week), but here is a review over the last couple months:

6 weeks

9 weeks

14 weeks

17 weeks

20 weeks (I totally thought I had a belly-little did I know...)

23 weeks

26 weeks

29 weeks (now that's a belly!)

Whew, that belly sure is growing!

Week 31

Symptoms

The week started out pretty good, but half way through I started feeling nauseous and uncomfortably full. I also experience shortness of breath often-It feels kind of like asthma, my chest gets really tight and I start taking more frequent breaths. It happens when I'm just sitting down relaxing which is kind of weird, I just attribute it to the fact that she is getting bigger and longer so she's stretching upward, and sitting down probably scrunches her.

Bria has been getting the hiccups more often which is pretty funny, sometimes they last quite awhile. I can feel when she stretches out because both sides of my stomach will be pushed out and it feels like she's going to come through the side! It's usually just a quick stretch but it definitely catches me off guard.

At night if I stretch too much or move too fast I get this stabbing pain on the right side of my stomach, it made me gasp out in pain the other night and I had to breath through it. Maybe they are the round ligament pains I've heard about?

The other night we were in bed ready to fall asleep and Brian rested his hand on my belly, he couldn't believe how much she was moving. He was like, "How do you sleep with her moving around so much?" I just laughed and said the hiccups interrupt my sleep more than her moving, the moving actually kind of comforts me. I liked that he got to feel how much she moves at night.

Nesting. I was putting away the laundry and decided that I just had to organize Brian's sock drawer, I just had too. Well, let me tell you, it's a good thing I did because...wait, no, there is no reason that someone HAS to organize a sock drawer. It's definitely the nesting :-) I also re-organized some kitchen cupboards and moved the baby cupboard to a different one-didn't I say I was going to do that? ;) We'll see how long it last where it currently is, as of right now I'm really happy with it-I think.

Big. I'm feeling bigger that's for sure. Fortunately I'm not sleeping too bad these days even with my 2 potty breaks and big belly. I'm not complaining about 2 potty breaks either because I know other women have a lot more trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night. However, during the day I go about every hour. Sometimes I'll go to the bathroom and no joke, 15 minutes later I have to go again.

Baby:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Week 30

I had my 30 week appointment yesterday and it went well, the doctor said she's measuring right on schedule and her heartbeat sounds great. She said the blood work from my glucose test looks fantastic, she was in shock about how good my iron level is. It was something like 38 and she said that is almost unheard of in a pregnant woman. These prenatals (Target brand) must be magic pills because I was anemic all through college, plus I'm not really eating meat right now so it definitely has to be the prenatals. Or maybe the cereal I'm eating has iron in it ;) I think I'll keep taking them after Bria is here since obviously they are doing a good job. My appointments are every 2 weeks now, I love that I get to hear Bria's heartbeat every 2 weeks, it's a beautiful sound.

Symptoms:

Holy cow, I'm 30 weeks! That is huge, I've entered the 30's which has been a huge milestone in my head and I'm actually here, it's very surreal. I guess it doesn't feel that different than yesterday when I was 29w 6d, but I still need to let it sink in.

Sleeping is getting tougher and I blame my occasional grumpiness on that. When I get up to go to the bathroom I have a hard time going back to sleep and Brian's snoring doesn't help. If I can get him to turn over he usually stops, but he's a bear when he's sleeping so disturbing him just a tiny bit is scary. He says not to wake him even if he's snoring, he likes to say, "Well at least one of us should get good sleep so don't wake me." Sweet, thanks babe.

Nothing really new this week, just the same old stuff. Even though I just complained about sleep, I really do feel good still. I have a pretty good amount of energy (thank you prenatals) and am able to still get stuff done when I get home from work. I organized our junk drawer and sorted through one of our kitchen cupboards to make room for baby stuff. I'm still deciding what cupboard I want for baby stuff so I may change my mind - in fact, I'm sure I'll change my mind a few times - and that's my prerogative.

My maternity pants are fitting better which means I don't spend 3/4 of my day pulling them up, just 1/2 now. It also means I'm getting bigger, and not just in my belly.

We bought diapers. We thought it would be smart to buy a Costco size box like once a month to help spread the cost out, plus there was a coupon for it. So I got a box of 216 diapers, size 1-2 (up to like 15 pounds). Then next month we'll get size 3, we like being prepared.

The next milestone I'm looking forward to (besides my due date) is 35 weeks, I'm not sure why but I think that'll be another "whoa" moment. Only 10 weeks until my due date-can you believe that?


Baby:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

29w 4d

Baby Shower!
Oh my goodness Saturday was so much fun. I cannot thank my wonderful hosts enough, Sara and Tiff threw me a wonderful baby shower and I just appreciate them so much. I had an absolute blast with all my girlfriends, the food was delicious, the games were so much fun, and Bria got spoiled. It was just such a fun time, I am now even more excited for Bria's arrival which I did not think was possible.

Here are my gracious hosts and myself:

Tiff had lots of fun games planned, one being the belly size game. Everyone cut a piece of yarn of the length they thought my belly was, then I went around and they put the yarn around me to see how close they were. Rachel was the big winner! Sara #3 (there were 4 Sara's there!) and Shauna were a close second.

Here is Mindi measuring me

And my neighbor Adi:

From left: Sarah Clark, Shauna & Baby Aria, Jess (who is 21 weeks pg with a little girl!), Kristie, Sara, and myself

From left: Brittany, Sarah Rodgers, Kristen, Roxie, and Adi

From left: Cheryl, Sara, Rachel, Mindi, and Allyonna (Jess' daughter)

It was fun having it at our house because I was able to show everyone the nursery and give them a tour if they hadn't seen the house yet. Plus, after it was all said and done I didn't have to load up the presents and unload them at the house, they were already in my living room.

Her first OSU Cheer outfit! This is from Kristen (neighbor) and I can't wait for Bria to wear it, how adorable is it?!

I look evil, but I was showing little Aria the Lily Leapfrog and she had the most adorable smile on her face:

We got so much fun stuff and I had a blast showing it all to Brian when he came home. As you can see from the picture below, I had quite the laundry to do. I washed 2 loads on Sunday and still have more to do. That includes the clothes I already had in the closet that Shauna gave me, which by the way, she brought over 2 more boxes to add to the 3 sacks she already gave me. She rocks!
I had the best time at my shower and am so grateful to all my incredibly generous and supportive friends, I have no idea what I would do without them.

Week 29

I had my first belly rub from a stranger! It was from a 7-11 cashier and she had a mustache, she leaned over the counter, rubbed my belly, and said, "Hi little baby." I smiled and kind of laughed, but then she took it too far- she told Bria to be a Duck fan-gasp! I was in my OSU jersey since we were heading to tailgate and apparently this woman was a Duck fan. Of all the nerve. It was funny though because the second she touched my belly I thought, "Oh, my first stranger belly rub, I have to put that in my belly book and blog about it!"

We also got our first Beaver gear for Bria! My mother-in-law got an adorable Beaver blanket for Bria and we are so excited. I can't wait to wrap her in it :)

Symptoms:

Feeling blah. I started to feel kind of blah around week 28, just not as happy as I have been this whole pregnancy. Not that there is anything wrong, but I think maybe my hormones are going through a shift or something. I've started to feel more normal the last few days, I think decorating the house for Christmas has really helped, and my upcoming baby shower on Saturday! Can't wait for the shower by the way, so excited.

Still chin acne. I want to scream, I always have at least 2 huge zits on my chin and it's driving me crazy. I have been so good about washing my face morning and night, step by step according to Acnefree, but those monsters still get through. They are getting bigger too, even Brian looked at me the other day and said, "Wow, that is quite the pimple you're growing." Hey, at least he was honest, and I couldn't blame him because it was large and in charge.

Lots of movement, every week I feel Bria more often and I cannot tell you how much I am loving it. She is most active in the mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and then in the evening. It is just the coolest thing ever and I know this will be one of the things I'll miss when I'm not pregnant. I can feel her roll around in there which usually makes me laugh because it feels so weird, even Brian got to feel her rolling over and couldn't believe how crazy it felt. Her little hiccups are funny too, it takes me a few minutes to realize that she is hiccuping because they are still muffled. I just love feeling her move.

The belly is feeling heavier that is for sure. I can see how the pregnant waddle came about, it would feel pretty good to waddle around right now, but I'll refrain for awhile yet.

Foods I am into right now:
Cereal, of course (Wheat Chex, Corn Chex, Lucky Charms, and Kix)
Banana Cream pudding
Nature Valley bars (peanut butter and regular)
Green Apples (still)
Chocolate-plain M&M's have been on my mind a lot

11 more weeks until my due date, wow. I am so excited I can hardly stand it!

Baby:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

29 week belly picture