40 Weeks!!!!!!!!!

How far along: 40 weeks and 5 days. Yes. 5 days overdue. 

Size of baby:   A MINI WATERMELON. 
Average = ~6.2-9.2 lbs, 18-21" long. 

Our 20 week ultrasound had placed him/her in the 97th percentile for size (!!!!) buuuut our 32 week ultrasound's guesstimate was in the 65-75th percentile range. Yes please!

Physical symptoms: I waddle. I'm swollen everywhere. Fingers, toes, feet, face. Restless legs are back, showers help but not as well as before. Braxton Hicks contractions. Insomnia. Have to pee every 30 seconds. Heartburn every night. Absolutely exhausted. 

Oh. And 1-1.5cm dilated as of last Monday. 

Weight gain/loss: Ugh. I'm up ~40lbs. I don't even know. 

Maternity clothes: While I've been home during the week I'm mostly in PJs all day. But when I make public appearances, it's the same old story- maternity shirts (I have like 3 that are still long enough), and (non-maternity) maxi skirts. Tank tops with shelf bras at night usually. 

Stretch marks: Between Wednesday and Saturday they popped up everywhere. Existing ones became worse and they showed up around my belly button, below it and on both sides  

Sleep: Nope. Lol. Some naps here and there but def no longer than 2.5 hrs at a time. Ugh. 

Best moment since last week: We hit our due date... 5 days ago. And the Jewish holiday of sukkos began and i love this holiday. 

Movement: You can really see where his/her tush or feet are at most times. Definitely which side of my belly s/he is on. Moving around a lot, actually. The troops are getting restless. Lots of hiccups, too.

Cravings/aversions: not really. 

Gender: Confirmed!! We're keeping it a secret.

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks contractions. 1.5cm dilated. Otherwise the kid is dragging his/her feet.

Belly button: Still an innie but really pushing it's limits and the skin around it is still really sore.

What I miss: Sleep. Yeah, I'll get used to that one. Laying on my stomach... Just having that option. Sushi, I guess. Beer. 

What I am looking forward to: Getting this kid out of me. No, but really. For serious.

And a pic!!! Helllllp:

39 Week Update

Whoops! Meant to post this yesterday!! Welp... here we are, officially at 40 weeks....

How far along: 39 weeks and 6 days. OMG. 1 day till our due date?!

Size of baby:   A MINI WATERMELON. Accurate. 
Average = ~6.2-9.2 lbs, 18-21" long. 

Our 20 week ultrasound had placed him/her in the 97th percentile for size (!!!!) buuuut our 32 week ultrasound's guesstimate was in the 65-75th percentile range. Yes please!

Physical symptoms: I waddle. I'm swollen everywhere. Fingers, toes, feet, lips...the past few days have been better than the beginning of the week. E gave me his cold at the beginning of the week so we were fighting over the bathroom for a day or so. He stayed home from work Tuesday so he could rest and take it easy (hadn't really slept the night before bc that was his worst sick night). Then he had one more shift and then Yom Kippur and is now off for 3 weeks of paternity leave!! Hellz yes! Restless legs are back, showers help but not as well as before. Allergies like whoa. Racing brain. Making lists. Nesting like whoa- so much cleaning and organizing going on, I can't keep up with myself. E's been the biggest, most enormous help ever- especially with the gross stuff (hello, cleaning out the refrigerator). Braxton Hicks contractions up the wazoo, throughout the day, most days (not as much the past couple of days). Hemorrhoids. Cervix gets stabbing pains. Heartburn every night. I actually got it from walking past a BBQ the other night. Like, smelled it and BOOM- heartburn.

Oh. And 1-1.5cm dilated.

Weight gain/loss: Ugh. I'm up ~40lbs. I don't even know.

Maternity clothes: While I've been home during the week I'm mostly in PJs all day. But when I make public appearances, it's the same old story- maternity shirts (I have like 3 that are still long enough), and (non-maternity) maxi skirts. Tank tops with shelf bras at night usually.

Stretch marks: Now vaguely on both sides but light. And maybe under my belly but I cant really see well enough lol.

Sleep: There's a lot of coffee going on these days. And by "a lot" I mean one-two coffees every day. Which is more than I'd been drinking. Idk what the issue is- nerves?? Nesting? I make lists on my phone. Then I get restless legs, so I shower. Then I'm relaxed and crawl into bed... but then I think of something to add to the lists on my phone. And then it's 5am. OR I fall asleep but wake up to roll over every little while.

Best moment since last week: One of my BFFs who was due a week before me had her baby!! A girl :) E and I made 5 dozen vaguely Paleo-friendly muffins the other night. Not low amylose bc of bananas but Idk if I'll go back on LA right away. Our phone cases finally arrived, a week late. Aaaand we're 1-1.5cm dilated. Went to a housewarming party on Sunday and walked 1.5mi home lol.

Movement: You can really see where his/her tush or feet are at most times. Definitely which side of my belly s/he is on. Moving around a lot, actually. The troops are getting restless. Lots of hiccups, too.

Cravings/aversions: Still milkshakes. And these mini pizza pastry things from the fancy coffee shop down the street. 

Gender: Confirmed!! We're keeping it a secret.

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks contractions. 1.5cm dilated. Otherwise the kid is dragging his/her feet.

Belly button: Still an innie but really pushing it's limits and the skin around it is still really sore.

What I miss: Sleep. Yeah, I'll get used to that one. Laying on my stomach... Just having that option. Sushi, I guess. Beer.

What I am looking forward to: Getting this kid out of me. No, but really. For serious.

And a pic!!! Ignore the disaster of an entryway... Bending was hard that day. 

38 Week Update

Whoops! Idk why this didn't post (or did it??) but I have another pic to add at the bottom (taken Monday) anyway. Hereeee we go.

How far along: 38 weeks and 6 days. OMG. I cannot freaking believe we're a day away from 39 weeks. 8 days till our due date??? How did this happen??

Size of baby:   A leek or A FREAKING PUMPKIN. At least it's fitting... start of fall and all... Average = ~6.2-9.2 lbs, 18-21" long. 

Our 20 week ultrasound had placed him/her in the 97th percentile for size (!!!!) buuuut our 32 week ultrasound's guesstimate was in the 65-75th percentile range. Yes please!

Physical symptoms: I waddle. 9000 degrees overheated. Braxton Hicks contractions up the wazoo, throughout the day, most days. Hemorrhoids. Groin is generally better except for sometimes in the morning. Cervix gets stabbing pains sometimes. Heartburn every couple of days. Restless legs are back but easily solved with a hot shower. REALLY sore back and REALLY grotesquely swollen feet. I spent most of Sunday lounging around and the swelling went down a bit but over Rosh Hashana and Shabbos we were walking like 2-4 miles per day, so by Saturday evening my feet were enormous and crazy painful.

Thursday night we were walking home from some friends' house and I was getting reallllly painful contractions. We had to stop a lot. Really thought it was going to happen that night, but it stopped overnight though.

Weight gain/loss: Ugh. Rosh Hashana killed me. Too much eating. I'm up 36lbs. I don't even know.

Maternity clothes: While I've been home during the week I'm mostly in PJs all day. Just a sports bra and pj pants when I can get away with it, actually. Sexy! Haha. But when I make public appearances, it's the same old story- maternity shirts, a denim maternity skirt, normal elastic waist skirts still fit. Maternity/nursing bras and like sort of sports bra type things or tank tops with shelf bras. Maternity things are getting tight and short. My new maternity dress that I'd been saving for Rosh Hashana makes me look huge. And I had to wear real stockings with it because it's knee-length (I've been wearing longer skirts with knee highs). But at least my normal stockings still somehow fit!

Stretch marks: Still just on my right side but they got a little bit bigger. Boo.

Sleep: On and off but not terrible. Not sleeping for long periods of time- more like a series of naps. If I miss my sleep window of opportunity then the restless legs start up, hardcore. 

Best moment since last week: Rosh Hashana was from Wednesday night until Friday night, and went straight into Shabbos. We saw a lottttt of friends at different meals (we celebrate with a big meal at night and a big lunch every day, with 6 meals in all because of Shabbos thrown in there). So there was a LOT of good food (hence my lovely weight gain) and a LOT of walking and a LOT of socializing.

Movement: You can really see where his/her tush or feet are at most times. Definitely which side of my belly s/he is on. Moving around a lot, actually. The troops are getting restless.

Cravings/aversions: I haven't had super strong ones... milkshakes and pizza I guess, haha. Nothing overriding though.
I ate meat and chicken on RH and Shabbos, but because I felt like I should for the kid's sake. ;) 

Gender: Confirmed!! We're keeping it a secret...

Labor signs: Lotsss of Braxton Hicks contractions... Like I said, they were realllly intense on Thursday night and actually again on Saturday night but not as bad as Thursday night. We have a Dr appt today so we'll see how that goes (I'll try to remember to post an update!!). 
UPDATE! Nothing exciting, but the Dr said I'm 50% effaced. Not at all dilated. C'mon babyyyy.

Aaand I'm overall enormous:

OMG and nestinggggg. I HARDCORE cleaned the bathroom tonight (something E *always* is in charge of) and Tuesday I made these: 

They're apple cupcakes... In no way healthy. They just look like apples for Rosh Hashanah because it's a tradition to have apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year. We gave some of them to our dinner/lunch hosts but there's still a bunch left in the house and they're definitely contributing to the weight gain department. Womp Womp Womp.

Belly button: Still an innie but really pushing it's limits and the skin around it is still really sore.

What I miss: Beer, actually. And laying on my stomach. Just having that option. Sushi, I guess.

What I am looking forward to: Getting this kid out of me. No, but really. For serious.

And that one last pic (clearly feeling thrilled to head to our doctor appointment!!):

37 Week Update (FULL TERM!?!?!?!)

How far along: 37 weeks 6 days. 6 days past "full term". Holy Moly.  

Size of baby:   Swiss chard or winter melon. Not helpful. Average = ~6.2-9.2 lbs, 18-21" long. 

Our 20 week ultrasound had placed him/her in the 97th percentile for size (!!!!) buuuut our 32 week ultrasound's guesstimate was in the 65-75th percentile range. Yes please!

Physical symptoms: Super nauseous occasionally. Strong gag reflex to smells is back. Exhaustedddd. Doctor said my cerix is still closed but that the baby is still head down and "very low". Sometimes the baby is in an extra low position and it's hard to walk. I waddle. I think I've figured out that my panic attacks happen when I have coffee. Not all caffeine, just specifically coffee. Awesome. 9000 degrees overheated. Braxton Hicks contractions up the wazoo, throughout the day, every day. On Friday in the cab ride home from my doctor I was like doubled over in pain from them. Cute? Hemorrhoids. I pee every 15-20 minutes sometimes and am dying of thirst right after. Allergies are super bad. Nipples leaked again on Saturday I'm still freaked out by it but not as bad as I was a few weeks ago. Groin is generally better except for sometimes in the morning. Cervix gets stabbing pains sometimes. Heartburnnnn. Restless legs are back but easily solved with a hot shower. 

I'm a bundle of joy. But!!! I can generally eat normally and I'm kind of in a generally pleasant mood and I'm happier, physically, than I have been for months. I keep telling people this has physically been the easiest two weeks of the whole pregnancy and I really don't think that's a lie. It's really hard to walk and move but I'm generally not nauseous or puking or unable to sleep for days on end... 

Weight gain/loss: Haven't checked in a few days but then it was 30-31lbs. :( 

Maternity clothes: While I've been home during the week I'm mostly in PJs all day. Just a sports bra and pj pants when I can get away with it, actually. Sexy! Haha. But when I make public appearances, it's the same old story- maternity shirts, a denim maternity skirt, and normal elastic waist skirts still fit. Maternity/nursing bras and like sort of sports bra type things or tank tops with shelf bras. Maternity things are getting tight and short.

Stretch marks: Wah! My two tiny dots on the right side have grown! I think it's bc I mostly sleep on my left side, so my belly is sort of pulled to the left for long periods of time. Big bummer. 

Sleep: On and off but not terrible. Once I'm up, I'm Up for the day. If I miss my sleep window of opportunity then the restless legs start up. 

Best moment since last week: Whew! Busy week! Tuesday evening I got "coffee" with a friend (she got coffee, I got a chocolate frappe- it was pretty gross actually). Wednesday E and I it dinner with his dad at a favorite restaurant. We got mushroom burgers and fish tacos and something else super good but I can't remember. Then E and I got milkshakes on the way home. Then we grabbed my 2 garbage bags full of clothes to donate and walked them over to a friend so she could go through them and donate whatever she doesn't want. She lives pretty far and te restaurant had been about a 20min walk from the subway each way so i was pooped and we took a break on a bench on the way home. Another friend walked by as we were sitting there (near her house) and got excited she'd bumped into us bc she had two brand new pairs of shoes in E's size that she wanted to know of we'd buy off of her bc her husband had ordered them and didn't want them. E wears a size 16-18 depending on the shoe so he jumped at the opportunity and scored a free pair of flip flops and a super discounted pair of steel-toed boots for winter. He's a happy camper! Thursday night I went back to that fried's house for her birthday party. We painted tambourines (a Jewish/chasidic custom)- here's mine with a shofar on it for Rosh Hashana: 

Shabbos was fun, and then Saturday night E had a get together of a bunch of guys from our community before slichos. The Saturday night before Rosh hashana there's a custom to say some specific prayers after midnight, so guys in our community tend to have a "farbrengen", or get-together, beforehand to kind of keep each other awake and psych themselves up for it a little. We had some snacky foods for the guys and I made mint brownies which were a hit. And yesterday I got my hair done. 

 

Movement: S/he still gets the hiccups a lot. And I can usually tell exactly where s/he is in my belly. Been stretching his/her legs out to right by my sternum a few times a day and his/her head pushes even further down than it generally is and sometimes you can like "see" where his/her tush or feet are. So crazy. Totally kills when my ribs get kicked. 

Cravings/aversions: I haven't had super strong ones, but little cravings here and there for eggs & cheese on a bagel, a milkshake, and cookies... Etc. Nothing overriding though.
I ate meat and chicken on Shabbos, but because I felt like I should for the kid's sake. ;) 

Gender: Confirmed!! We're keeping it a secret... But every single person who's shared their prediction has said the same thing. Literally not one person has said the other gender. So crazy. Although I think I unintentionally threw a bunch of people off at the birthday party on Thursday. 

Labor signs: Lotsss of Braxton Hicks contractions... And I guess that stabbing pain in my cervix counts. And the head is super low. And, and, and. Labor can't come soon enough at this point!

Belly button: Still and innie but really pushing it's limits and the skin around it is really sore.

What I miss: Alcoholic beverages. And sleep. Sushi. 

What I am looking forward to: Getting this kid out of me. No, but really. For serious.

Also, Rosh Hashana!

Bump shot (and new hair!!).. I'm more enormous in real life:

36 Week Update

How far along: 36 weeks 6 days. "Full term" as of tomorrow. I. Can't. Even. 

Size of baby:  A bowling ball or honeydew melon or romaine lettuce. Average still = ~4.2-6.5 lbs, 17-20" long. Our 20 week ultrasound had placed him/her in the 97th percentile for size (!!!!) buuuut our 32 week ultrasound's guesstimate was in the 65-75th percentile range. Yes please!

Physical symptoms: Fainted for a sec in the doctor's bathroom. I knew it was coming and sat on the toilet seat cover and leaned against the wall. Really wasn't feeling well before then- cab ride was really rough and I got super nauseous. And the internal exam really hurt and the office was really hot and I was dehydrated an hadn't slept. Sooo that was a whole slew of a combination of factors. Doctor said my cerix is closed but that the baby is head down and "very low". All he said was that I wouldn't go into labor that night (Friday). What?? K so Back pain, and sometimes the baby is in an extra low position and it's hard to walk. I waddle in general. Emotional- mini panic attacks pretty much every day.  Braxton Hicks contractions up the wazoo, throughout the day, every day. Hemorrhoids. But bc the baby dropped I can actually breathe most of the time now and I CAN EAT!! Before I'd eat a few bites of something and need to lay down to digest or be writhing in pain from there being no room- now I can eat a whole meal!!! Dangerous. I'm def exhausted and pee every 10 minutes. Boobs hurt a lottt. Thankfully my groin muscles and cervix hurt a little less!! 

Weight gain/loss: Haven't checked sice Friday but then I was up 28.5 lbs. Boo.

Maternity clothes: While I've been home during the week I'm mostly in PJs all day, haha. Sexy. But when I make my limited public appearances, it's the same old story- mostly maternity shirts, a denim maternity skirt, and normal elastic waist skirts still fit. Maternity/nursing bras and like sort of sports bra type things. Things are getting tight and short. 

Stretch marks: I still have like two tiny dots between my belly and hips on both sides.

Sleep: On the nights when E is home I'm pretty okay, but the other nights I think my anxiety is sabotaging me. Getting veryyyy nervous/excited/emotional/petrified about this birthing process. 

Best moment since last week: The apartment and nursery are slowing becoming under control. The apartment is kinda filthy bc I'm spending all my energy on organizing, but, errr, it's getting there. One of my besties is in town for the next 3 weeks, so that's exciting. Had a girls night dinner last night with her and 2 other friends. Got to see a bunch of pictures of a friend in Brazil's baby. She got married to one of E's besties about 7 mos after us and they just had their first baby about 3 mos ago. He's seriously gorgeous. Also got dinner with E and E's dad and E's uncle on Wednesday night. Whew. 

 

Movement: S/he still gets the hiccups a lot. And I can usually tell exactly where s/he is in my belly. Been stretching his/her legs out to right by my sternum a few times a day and his/her head pushes even further down than it generally is and sometimes you can like "see" where his/her tush or feet are. So crazy. Totally kills when my ribs get kicked. 

Cravings/aversions: I haven't had super strong ones, but little cravings here and there for Parmesan, Lobster (yeah idk), balsalmic vinegar dressing, eggs & cheese on a bagel, a milkshake... Etc. Nothing overriding though.
Back to hating on meat, chicken majorly grosses me out. 

Gender: Confirmed!! We're keeping it a secret... But every single person who's shared their prediction has said the same thing. Literally not one person has said the other gender. So crazy. 

Labor signs: Lotsss of Braxton Hicks contractions... And I guess that stabbing pain in my cervix counts. And the head is super low. And, and, and. Labor can't come soon enough at this point!

Belly button: Still and innie but really pushing it's limits and the skin around it is really sore. 

What I miss: Alcoholic beverages. And sleep. Sushi. 

What I am looking forward to: Getting this kid out of me. No, but really. For serious.

Also supposed to get ice cream wth a friend this week and E's dad will be back in town Wednesday night so we'll get dinner with him again. 

Aaaand a bump shot:

35 Week Update

Holy freaking crap we're 36 weeks tomorrow?! 

How far along: 35 weeks 6 days (4 weeks to go as of tomorrow... OMFG. 1 month from our due date as of yesterday. I can't even.)

Size of baby:  Average = ~4.2-6 lbs, 17-20" long, or the size of a coconut, cantaloupe or butternut squash! Our 20 week ultrasound had placed him/her in the 97th percentile for size (!!!!) buuuut our 32 week ultrasound's guesstimate was in the 65-75th percentile range. Yes please!

Physical symptoms: I think I made it all week without a dizzy spell until tonight! I've been camping out in the A/C all week. Back pain, especially after painting the trim in the baby's room. Emotional. Braxton Hicks contractions up the wazoo, throughout the day every day. Definitely waddling. Hemorrhoids. But my nipples stopped leaking! I can like barely breathe no matter what position I'm in, which is super fun. And I'm exhausted and pee every 10 minutes. Loving this stage. Oh and my like groin muscles are KILLING me, it's really hard to stand up, etc bc of it and I had like stabbing pain near my cervix a couple of times (internet research says this is from it getting ready to dilate?). 

Weight gain/loss: This morning I was up 28lbs, boooo.

Maternity clothes: While I've been home during the week I'm mostly in PJs all day, haha. Sexy. But when I make my limited public appearances, it's the same old story- mostly maternity shirts, a denim maternity skirt, and normal elastic waist skirts still fit. Maternity/nursing bras and like sort of sports bra type things.

Stretch marks: I have like two tiny dots between my belly and hips on both sides.

Sleep: I think my anxiety has been getting the best of me. Lots of trouble sleeping. Some restless legs. Some having to pee 100x before I fall asleep. Some dying of thirst, then immediately having to pee. Some insatiable hunger, lol. Some totally no reason. 

Best moment since last week: This week was INSANE bc E started his 3 rd year of grad school. Full time school on top of full time work. Yep, this is gonna be awesome. #3moreyears. But we got the crib, assembled it, started painting the nursery, and a bunch of other stuff we ordered with our 15% off registry code came this week too so our apartment is covered in boxes and $#!+ is getting real. Also, I'm straight up addicted to buying crazy cheap baby clothes on eBay so there are a million packages coming every few days. And our favorite family to go to for Shabbos are back in town after going away for the summer so we got to see them this weekend. Oh AND we got lunch with some of our besties on Tuesday. Whew! Seriously crazy week.

Oh! And add pumpkin cream cheese muffins to the cravings list too, which resulted in.... These:

I baked them last night during some anxiety-induced (dangerous word around here!) insomnia. E already ate like 6. I added chocolate chips to some. I'll post the recipe when I get a chance (writing this from my phone!)!
 

Movement: S/he still gets the hiccups a lot. And I can usually tell exactly where s/he is in my belly... today the right side was really squishy and the left side was really hard/full. Been stretching his/her legs out to right by my sternum a few times a day and sometimes you can like "see" where his/her tush is. So crazy. 

Cravings/aversions: I haven't had super strong ones, but little cravings here and there for Parmesan, Shirley temples, and milkshakes. Coffee.
Back to hating on meat, chicken still grosses me out except that I craved sesame chicken with mashed potatoes again one night this week. 

Gender: Confirmed!! But we're keeping it a secret...

Labor signs: Lotsss of Braxton Hicks contractions... And I guess that stabbing pain in my cervix counts, lol. 

Belly button: Still and innie but really pushing it's limits and the skin around it is sore. 

What I miss: I'd still love love love like an extra 2 feet worth of internal body space.

And alcoholic beverages. And sleep. Sleep's a big huge one. 

What I am looking forward to: Getting this kid out of me. No, but really. For serious. 

34 Week Update

Happy Labor Day!  Hopefully there won't be any actual labor today, because there's a huge parade in my neighborhood and it's pretty close to impossible to get out of here. I'd be headed to the hospital via ambulance, I think...

Also, does anyone know what happened to My Prairie Abode? Her blog was a favorite of mine and she's since made it private and I'm, like, genuinely worried that something happened but reallllllllly hope that's not the case. Hopefully it's just my previously-infertile-paranoia. Hope she and the baby are doing super well...

Erm, anyway...

How far along: 34 weeks 6 days (5 weeks to go as of tomorrow... OMFG.)

Size of baby:  Average = ~4.2-5.8 lbs, 17-20" long, or the size of a cantaloupe or butternut squash! Our 20 week ultrasound had placed him/her in the 97th percentile for size (!!!!) buuuut our 32 week ultrasound's guesstimate was in the 65-75th percentile range. Yes please!

Physical symptoms: Dizzy spells, but less than last week- but that's because I've been camping out in the A/C all week. Back pain, especially while standing for more than 30 seconds. VERY emotional. Braxton Hicks contractions up the wazoo since Friday night. Definitely waddling. Oh, and, for the epic TMI portion of this week, I have hemorrhoids now andddd my nipples started leaking Saturday night. Which spawned the most epic emotional breakdown of my entire life. I just wasn't ready for it to happen yet. Poor, poor E, dealing with all of these tears.... Oh and I can like barely breathe no matter what position I'm in, which is super fun.

Weight gain/loss: Eeek I'm actually not sure. On Friday I was still up 26lbs but I haven't weighed myself since then, so.... let's just go with that.

Maternity clothes: While I've been home during the week I'm mostly in PJs all day, haha. Sexy. But when I make my limited public appearances, it's the same old story- mostly maternity shirts, a denim maternity skirt, elastic waist skirts still fit. Maternity dresses or old non-maternity empire waist maxi dresses. Maternity/nursing bras and like sort of sports bra type things.

Stretch marks: None yet!

Sleep: A little bit better! I've been getting crazy exhausted so as long as I lay down in my "window of opportunity" then I'm out. But i have a little bit of restless legs beforehard or even just while sitting sometimes. I also wake up pretty often, occasionally to pee, but I have generally been able to fall back asleep after. If I miss my window, though, it's all over for hours and hours.

Best moment since last week: Our Doctor appt on Friday went well... and Shabbos was nice.... we went to friends for the friday night meal and another friend was visiting from Israel and he stayed with us for Shabbos and 3 of his friends came to us for lunch on Saturday. He made a lot of the food for it, actually, all I did was make pesto salmon and salad. Which was great. I actually peaced out from lunch for like 30+ minutes and took a nap. Haha. Shabbos meals last for hoursss.
 

Movement: S/he has been a litttttle bit quieter, but still gets the hiccups a lot. And I can usually tell exactly where s/he is in my belly... today the right side was really squishy and the left side was really hard/full

Cravings/aversions: I haven't had super strong ones, but little cravings here and there for Parmesan, root beer, Shirley temples, and soft serve. 
Back to hating on meat, chicken still grosses me out.

Gender: Confirmed!! But we're keeping it a secret...

Labor signs: Lotsss of Braxton Hicks contractions...

Belly button:  Shallow innie, but the top is kiiiinda starting to poke out a little after I eat or take a deep breath.

What I miss: I'd still love love love like an extra 2 feet worth of internal body space.

And alcoholic beverages.

What I am looking forward to: Getting this kid out of me. No, but really.

33 Week Update

Edit: photos added! At the bottom!

Ooops! I wrote this on my phone (excuse any typos!) and then... forgot to hit "Publish". So we're a couple of days late. All of my photos are on my phone, too, so I'll have to add some of those in later. From my phone. Anyway...... here we go! :)

How far along: 33 weeks 6 days (6 weeks to go as of tomorrow-- 1.5 months!!! OMFG)

Size of baby:  Average = >4.2-5.8 lbs, 17-19" long, or the size of a... Durian?! Wtf is a durian? Or a pineapple. Our 20 week ultrasound had placed him/her in the 97th percentile for size (!!!!) buuuut our 32 week ultrasound's guesstimate was in the 65-75th percentile range. Yes please!

Physical symptoms: Dizzy spells up the wazoo- they happen when I get hot and there's no AC or fans at the cottage aside from the one we brought from home and had in our bedroom... So, there ya go. The worst was in the car with E and his dad, I spent a couple of hours laying down in bed with the fan once we made it back to the cottage.  Ribs still feel like they're going to break from the pressure inside (like they're being pushed out). Back pain, especially while standing for more than 30 seconds. Anxiety levels are still elevated and I'm back to the minor panic attacks pretty often. At one point I had one in a supermarket and we were right next to the blood pressure machine... My BP was like 102/60-something I think but my pulse was 134. Yikes-a-Roni. I'm peeing a tiny bit less often but larger quantities, tmi. Oh and I had a yeast infection, which was adorbs. And the tops of my arms get a little numb sometimes. And restless legs are back, every night. FML. Hot water was limited at the cottage so I couldn't really do my hot shower trick so I'm hoping that'll help again this week at home.... Also, driving home from Canada, if I was sitting for more than like 20-40 minutes at a time my ribs on my right side started KILLING and my muscles would spasm and it was awesome. If I stood up at a rest stop it'd be fine, but 20-40 minutes after getting back in the car it'd start up again. Kid is trying to break my ribs.

Weight gain/loss: There was a lot of junk food going on over vacation... Canada has crazy potato chip flavors. And we'd brought cookies with us. So... I gained 6lbs in 2 weeks. AHHH. I think it'll be ok once I'm eating normally again though.

Maternity clothes: Same- mostly maternity shirts, two denim maternity skirts (one was a hand me down and is getting kinda snug), elastic waist skirts still fit. Maternity dresses or old non-maternity empire waist maxi dresses. I got some cheapie maternity/nursing bras and like sort of sports bra type things before we got to the lake bc my normal bras were juuuust a little too tight and therefore murdering me. I'll probably need to get some better quality ones once I'm actually nursing but these are a million times better than my normal ones. I can actually breathe... Sometimes.

Stretch marks: None yet!

Sleep: Frick- same as last week: Restless legs are back with a vengeance. Hot water supplies are limited here at the lake cottage, so I've been limited to the hot water bottle method, which hasn't been great. I fall asleep eventually, but like, it's kinda embarrassing showing up downstairs at noon. Did I mention we're here with my in-laws? Yeah. Hopefully they don't think of me as their lazy ass daughter in law...

Best moment since last week: Vacation!!! I'm definitelyyyyy ready to go home but there were some really beautiful days up at the cottage and I got a ton of reading done on the rainy days which was super relaxing. I actually finished two books- a Secret Kept by Tatiana De Rosnay (she also wrote Sarah's Key which was disturbing but great) and A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby- I'd read half of it years ago and remembered it recently and started over from the beginning. It's depressing but funny and thoughtful and wonderful. There's a movie version coming out soon too, with Pierce Brosnan and Aaron Paul and Toni Colette. Woot! 

Other good things were the farmers market we went to, and a campfire, chilling by/in the lake, E's sister flew in from Chicago for a few days and his brother was able to come up to the weekend too, and a bunch of extended family came up from Toronto on Saturday to spend the day with all of us. 

On Sunday we started the journey home and got lunch with friends in Toronto (she's due a week before me!) and then stopped by Niagara Falls and spent that night in Syracuse before heading the rest of the way home on Monday. 

Movement: S/he has been going nuts. Lotssss of movement, lots of kicking, lots of hiccups, lots of visible-from-the-outside punches and kicks. I sneezed the other night and s/he kicked me so hard right afterwards. S/he's partial to hanging out on my right side.

Cravings/aversions: Parmesan (haven't had in weeks), root beer, Shirley temples, and, briefly, soft serve (no way to get that at the cottage). But! I've been eating meat! Chicken still grosses me out, but I've had grilled steak, sausage, burgers, hot dogs and turkey.... and generally enjoyed it! Craving mustard, which I normally hate, BIG TIME. We got a spicy horseradish mustard and it was amazing on all of that meat. Pickles, a little bit. Our next doctor appointment is on Friday, uh oh... 

Gender: Confirmed!! But we're keeping it a secret...

Labor signs: Nope

Belly button:  Innie, but the top is kiiiinda starting to poke out a little after I eat.

What I miss: I'd still love love love like an extra 2 feet worth of internal body space.

And sushi.

And alcoholic beverages.

What I am looking forward to: Getting this kid out of me. No but really.

Here's some photos! 

At Niagara Falls:

Up at the cottage:

With one of my BFFs who's due 1 week before us:

32 Week Update

How far along: 32 weeks 6 days (7 weeks to go as of tomorrow OMFG)

Size of baby:  Average = 2.5-3.8 lbs, 15.2"-16.7" long, or the size of squash. Our 20 week ultrasound had placed him/her in the 97th percentile for size (!!!!) buuuut our 32 week ultrasound's guesstimate was in the 65-75th percentile range. I'll take it!!

Physical symptoms: I'm either constipated or have diarrhea at any given time. Pretty stellar. I hadn't had any of those really awesome dizzy spells all week until Sunday, but I was sitting on the dock in the sun so it was kinda expected since it seems to happen when  I get really hot. Ribs still feel like they're going to break from the pressure inside (like they're being pushed out). Back pain, especially while standing for more than 30 seconds. Anxiety levels are still elevated but I haven't had any more full blown panic attacks... Been able to fight them off. 

Weight gain/loss: Haven't actually checked since last Tuesday (we're on vacation in Canada!) but that day I was still only up 20lbs. And I was 3 lbs less than I'd been the month before according to the doctor (bc the month before I ate a big breakfast Before the appointment AND was constipated) which he seemed a bit nervous about but the baby's growing juuuust fine so then he chillaxed. 

Maternity clothes: Same- mostly maternity shirts, two denim maternity skirts (one was a hand me down and is getting kinda snug), elastic waist skirts and normal nylons still somehow fit. Maternity dresses or old non-maternity empire waist maxi dresses. I got some cheapie maternity/nursing bras and like sort of sports bra type things before we got to the lake bc my normal bras were juuuust a little too tight and therefore murdering me. I'll probably need to get some better quality ones once I'm actually nursing but these are a million times better than my normal ones. I can actually breathe... Sometimes.

Stretch marks: I don't think so. 

Sleep: Frick. Restless legs are back with a vengeance. Hot water supplies are limited here at the lake cottage, so I've been limited to the hot water bottle method, which hasn't been great. I fall asleep eventually, but like, it's kinda embarrassing showing up downstairs at noon. Did I mention we're here with my in-laws? Yeah. Hopefully they don't think of me as their lazy ass daughter in law...

Best moment since last week: Vacation!!! Actually getting to see E for days straight! The trip up here wasn't horrendous... We usually do it in one day but it's a 12+ hour drove so I knew I wouldn't make that happen. We slept in a hotel in upstate NY and did the rest of the drive the next morning. Much more leisurely than usual. Here's the view from our bedroom (this has been E's family's lake cottage since the 1960's): 

Oh and this was from our drive up:

Movement: S/he has been going nuts. Lotssss of movement, lots of turning (eek, s/he was head down on Tuesday at the doctor's but now I'm not so sure), lots of hiccups, lots of visible-from-the-outside punches and kicks. 

Cravings/aversions: Really wish we'd brought some kosher Parmesan with us. But! I've been eating meat! Chicken still grosses me out, but I've had grilled steak, kielbasa and turkey and enjoyed it! Craving mustard, which I normally hate. Pickles a little bit. We finally made Shirley Temples on Shabbos. I've been doing a LOT of noshing, really gotta cut back bc our next doctor appointment is 3 days after we get home from this vacation lol. 

Gender: Confirmed!! But we're keeping it a secret...

Labor signs: Hopefully not anytime soon.

Belly button:  Innie, but the top is kiiiid a starting to poke out a little. 

What I miss: I'd still love love love like an extra 2 feet worth of internal body space.

And sushi.

And alcoholic beverages. 

What I am looking forward to: The rest of our vacation, the relief of having a house sitter, E's sister and brother coming up to the cottage on Thursday, hopefully seeing friends in Toronto on Sunday, mayyyyybe hitting up Niagara Falls on the way home?? Busy, fun week!

31 Week Update

How far along: 31 weeks 6 days (8 weeks to go as of tomorrow OMFG)

Size of baby:  Average = 2.5-3.8 lbs, 15.2"-16.7" long, or the size of a PINEAPPLE or the weight of a coconut. Buuut the paperwork from our 20 week anatomy scan said he or she was in the >97% size percentile, soooooo....!?! We have another ultrasound on Wednesday, so maybe that'll be a moment of truth as to whether this kid is actually enormous or not. Orrr we'll just find out the hard way in 8 weeks. Eeek.

Physical symptoms: Constipation's #1!!! I'm still having those really awesome dizzy spells. It's still usually if I get hot. And I have to fully lay down on my left side (it's been happening even when I'm already sitting). So that's still cute and fun and TERRIFYING every time it happens (every few days). Ribs still feel like they're going to break from the pressure inside (like they're being pushed out). Back pain, especially while standing for more than 30 seconds, haha- that's a new one. Oh, and anxiety- definitely had a panic attack or two this week and fought off a couple more. Not major ones, but random and, well, never fun.

Weight gain/loss: According to my home scale I'm still up 20-22lbs. I'm sure the doctor's scale will say I've gained 15lbs since our last appointment but, I'm sticking with my scale!

Maternity clothes: Same- mostly maternity shirts, two denim maternity skirts, while elastic waist skirts and normal nylons still somehow fit. Maternity dresses or old non-maternity empire waist maxi dresses. I stillll need to get some maternity/nursing bras but I'm still gonna push that off for a bit maybe. A few friends recommended the Bravado brand... any other suggestions out there?

Stretch marks: I don't think so. There still might be some thinking about happening on my hips but I haven't really checked.

Sleep: Best in months. Thank Gd. For like 4 days straight now I haven't had to do my restless legs trick. I've had quick little RLS twinges, but I shift positions a couple of times and, I'm not really sure what happens but I wake up hours later. I'm definitely waking up throughout the night to switch positions more than ever before, but it's like a half-conscious thing. So I'm still exhausted, but the frustration and annoyance of RLS and insomnia isn't there, so I will 100% take it. Please let it stay like this!!!!

Best moment since last week: We went away for Shabbos to some friends in MA. They've been some of my very closest friends for almost 10 years and have run a Cha.bad house for the past 6-ish, and just moved into a new house/center this summer and it's amazing. There were also a bunch of other old friends staying there this weekend so it was really nice to see everyone. It was otherwise a pretty chill week (the Jewish fast day of Tisha B'Av was this week so that kind of threw everything off).

Movement: Still getting uterine spasms occasionally, but not as much as last week. Maybe a few Braxton Hicks but I'm not sure. The baby gets the hiccups a lot, and he or she is a big time mover and shaker- but only when it's quiet. When there's people around s/he gets shy or something and doesn't move. :) And when E puts his hand on my belly s/he also usually stops for a couple of seconds. It's pretty cute. Oh at one point this weekend, my friends' daughter was sitting on my lap and the baby kicked and she kind of looked at me funny and I told her that she'd just felt the baby kick and she got SO EXCITED and told her mom later, haha.

Cravings/aversions: I still really just want ice water All. The. Time. Otherwise there have just been momentary things- I really wanted Oreos this morning (there's a kosher brand called Trios) and a coffee milkshake yesterday. Oh and I usually can go for a "breakfast special" from a certain bagel shop in our neighborhood... my "usual" for years has been a cinnamon raisin bagel, toasted, with eggs and extra american cheese in the middle (a sandwich). I've craved those for years though, it's not much worse now than ever before, but I think I didn't want it so much in the earlier weeks... or maybe I did?

Plain Chicken still grosses me out. And most beef (this Shabbos I really wanted a piece of steak and then when I got it tasted weird, like what happened with coffee. And fish too.

Gender: Confirmed!! But we're keeping it a secret...

Labor signs: Hopefully not anytime soon.

Belly button:  Innie!

What I miss: I'd still love love love like an extra 2 feet worth of internal body space. My ribs feel like they're going to crack from the internal pressure. There's just no room. 

And sushi.

What I am looking forward to: Going to Canada this week, and relieved that we found someone to house-sit. E's entire family owns a lake cottage up there and E has visited it every summer of his life. :) And Excited for our doctor appointment on Wednesday, we're supposed to get an ultrasound, so it'll be awesome to see this kid.

I might not be able to post my update next week but I'll definitely try to at least remember to write it. Eeek.

30 Week Update (!!!)

How far along: 30 weeks 6 days

Size of baby:  Average = 2.5-3.8 lbs, 15.2"-16.7" long, or the size of a cucumber, but the paperwork from our 20 week anatomy scan said he or she was in the >97% size percentile, soooooo....!?!

Physical symptoms: A bunch of aches and pains. Constipation. Headaches. Restless legs are occasionally beating my hot water trick and keeping me up. And I'm having these really awesome dizzy spells. Usually if I get hot. So our A/C has to be cranked up constantly, which is going to be an awesome bill. ;) But yeah, I get dizzy and nauseous and either really hot or really cold and have to sit/lay down like right as it comes on or else I start seeing black spots. Super cute. If you Google those symptoms, it's either preeclampsia (yikes) or a vasovagal reaction. I was super concerned but E is in the medical field and has taken my BP and it's always pretty ideal (thank you, thank you), and he spoke to some doctors in his hospital and they all said it's probably just from the baby shifting and kind of pushing on a specific nerve, causing, BINGO, a vasovagal reaction. Soooo yeah that's super fun and not at all terrifying.

Weight gain/loss: According to my home scale I'm still up 20-22lbs.

Maternity clothes: Same- mostly maternity shirts, two denim maternity skirts while elastic waist skirts and normal nylons still somehow fit. Maternity dresses or old non-maternity empire waist maxi dresses. Sleeping in tank tops with "shelf bras". I stillll need to get some maternity/nursing bras but I'm still gonna push that off for a bit maybe. A few friends recommended the Bravado brand... any other suggestions out there?

Stretch marks: I don't think so. There still might be some thinking about happening on my hips but it's hard to tell.

Sleep: Pretty much able to sleep better than I have in months. The past couple of nights I had minor restless leg issues, and had to switch sides frequently throughout the night because one side would get sore, but I'd generally fall right back asleep. Thank Gd. I've still even woken up when E's alarm went off, had a mini conversation or even gone to pee, and fallen right back asleep. Amazing. And thanks to that shower trick I'm generally able to vaguely fall asleep when I want to, so, things are great right now. Still exhausted though.

Best moment since last week: Went on a double date with some friends out in Long Island on Wednesday night. That was fun! And Friday night we had "picnic shabbos" at home, just the two of us (some other plans fell through last minute and E had worked 4 nights this week anyway, so we welcomed the low-key, early night). And Saturday night we vegged and ate some junk food, so that was definitely enjoyable. :) Oh and I taught E how to use eBay this week and he got really into it and "won" us a brand new, organic Ergobaby carrier for like half the price of one in a store. Very cute!

Movement: Holy crap this kid is moooooving. I can feel elbows or something sliding along, there are BIG kicks or punches, he or she is really going crazy in there. I think I might be having some kind of uterine spasms every once in awhile, too... is that a thing??

Cravings/aversions: I still really like lemonade if it's in front of me but I don't really crave it. Same with root beer. I still really just want ice water All. The. Time. Otherwise there have just been momentary things- I really, really wanted whitefish salad for Shabbos. I really wanted those drumstick ice cream cones last week. I wanted pickles a few nights in a row. And Saturday night I wanted Goldfish crackers, chocolate covered doughnuts (Entenmann's style), a vanilla milkshake and fig newtons. And chocolate covered pretzels. Idk what the deal was that night but all I got was the doughnuts. Actually E also tried to get me a vanilla milkshake but it slipped out of his hand literally as he walked through our front door and spilled everywhere, so.... #epicfail

Plain Chicken still grosses me out. And most beef. And fish.

Gender: Confirmed!! But it seems like we're keeping it a secret...

Labor signs: Hopefully not anytime soon.

Belly button:  Innie!

What I miss: I'd still love love love like an extra 3 feet worth of internal body space. My ribs feel like they're going to crack from the internal pressure. There's just no room. 

And cocktails. I definitely miss cocktails. And sushi.

What I am looking forward to: Hopefully going to Canada for a bit sometime in the next month. E's entire family owns a lake cottage up there and E has visited it every summer of his life. :) And going to visit some friends for Shabbos in a couple of weeks too. And E's only working 3 nights this week so I'm looking forward to actually seeing him this week, haha. 

Here's a 30-week bump shot- I actually feel 10x this large:

And Idk if I posted this in the last post but here's a really crappy iPhone pic of how much I've narrowed the nursery paint color options down to!! #winning

29 Week Update

How far along: 29 weeks 6 days

Size of baby:  Average = 2.5-3.8 lbs, 15"-16.7" long, or the size of an acorn squash, but last week when we saw the paperwork from our 20 week anatomy scan, he or she was in the >97% size percentile, soooooo....!?!

Physical symptoms: Just a bunch of aches and pains. Every morning I wake up with a slightly stiff neck. And headaches like whoa. And back to the constipation. Oh and this is TMI but my nipples have been realllllly dry (and therefore super sore) on and off (for months) so I've been using lanolin cream and that really works wonders. And!!!!!! Good news!!!!!! I FINALLY FOUND RELIEF FROM THE RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME!!!! It's not an end-all-be-all solution but it's the only thing that's even vaguely worked. I take a shower, then I turn the water on as hot as I can handle and stick my lower legs in it. Sometimes skip the full shower if I already showered that day and I just stretch while the waters runs on my legs. Then I have to get into bed right away (like within 10 mins) and I'm usually able to fall asleep. I got really nervous for Shabbos this week because I wouldn't be able to use the hot water and it was going to be the first night all week that I couldn't do my "trick" until E and I realized we could use our Shabbos hot water urn to fill up a hot water bottle and I ended up going to bed with it between my calves (wrapped in a towel) and while it wasn't as magical as the shower, it got me to sleep!!! So thank Gd for that. I was seriously losing my mind.

Weight gain/loss: According to my home scale I'm still up 22lbs as of yesterday morning and 20lbs on Friday morning. I'm still gonna use the "I'm constipated!" excuse but it's really somewhere around that.

Maternity clothes: Same- mostly maternity shirts, I now have two denim maternity skirts that I've been living in, but other elastic waist skirts and normal nylons still somehow fit. Maternity dresses or old non-maternity empire waist maxi dresses. And I bought a few tank tops with "shelf bras" to sleep in and they're kind of life savers. I need to get some maternity/nursing bras but I'm still gonna push that off for a bit maybe. A few friends recommended the Bravado brand... any other suggestions out there?

Stretch marks: I don't think so. There still might be some thinking about happening on my hips but it's hard to tell.

Sleep: I've been able to stay asleep much better than last week- it must've been the away-from-home factor throwing that off last week. I've even woken up when E's alarm went off, had a mini conversation or even gone to pee, and fallen right back asleep. Amazing. And thanks to that shower trick I'm actually able to vaguely fall asleep when I want to, so, things are great right now. Still exhausted though.

Best moment since last week: Hmmmm. Got breakfast with some friends that were in town from Seattle- that was really nice. And Shabbos was really fun. We got ice cream on Saturday night... We had a pretty chill week; honestly didn't do much at all. I guess I was nesting though, I did about a million loads of laundry and reorganized our dresser. Fun stuff! ;) 

edit! Oh! And my glucose test came back A-OK!!!!! No gestational diabetes for me!! I seriously can't explain how excited and relieved I am!

Movement: He/she has been really active on my left side- sometimes big kicks, sometimes it felt like the baby was sliding a limb along, which was kind of creepy because it felt like worms under my skin or something. Super weird.. E finally witnesses one of the huge kicks and couldn't believe it. Like he was uncharacteristically surprised at what he saw, lol. Today the movement shifted higher, which is interesting. There hadn't previously been much action up there. At a couple of points it felt like the kid was stretching a limb out straight and then just left it stuck out like that for a few seconds. Because we had such a chill week, E spent a lot of time with his hand on my belly and got to feel the baby a lot more that ever before, which was really nice. He sang her/him songs and talked to him/her a lot, which was crazzzzy cute. Oh and the kid seems to get the hiccups a LOT. Last night he/she seemed to have them for like 15 minutes straight and would kick me HARD every few minutes. She/he was clearly not a happy camper, lol.

Cravings/aversions: Bagels with eggs and cheese is still #1. Shirley Temples (but I haven't had any! E got all of the ingredients Saturday night except that the store didn't have grenadine and we were feeling too lazy to make our own- which we actually usually do). I still really like lemonade if it's in front of me but I don't really crave it. I still really just want ice water All. The. Time. And coffee. I really crave coffee, but haven't been drinking it too much (only like 2-3x this week!) because when I get it, it doesn't taste as amazing as I wanted it to and I'm just as tired 20 minutes later as I was before.

Plain Chicken still grosses me out. And most beef. And fish. 

I still really want a root beer. 

Gender: Confirmed!! But Idk if we're going to tell...

Labor signs: Hopefully not anytime soon.

Belly button:  Innie!

What I miss: I'd still love love love like an extra 3 feet worth of internal body space. By 4:30/5pm every day my ribs feel like they're going to crack from the internal pressure. There's just no room. 

And cocktails. I definitely miss cocktails.

What I am looking forward to: Hitting the 30 week mark tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!! Going to Canada for a bit sometime in the next month. E's entire family owns a lake cottage up there and E has visited it every summer of his life. :) And we're getting dinner with some friends on Wednesday. And going to visit some friends for Shabbos in a couple of weeks too. Yeehaw!

27 & 28 Week Update (whoops!)

Idk what happened! I missed week 27! 

Today we had our 28 week Dr appt and the kid is doing well, thank Gd. :) I was all over the place this week- you'll read about some of those adventures in my answers. I'm really exhausted and used a lot of hashtags in this post. Sorryyyy. 

How far along: 28 weeks 6 days

Size of baby:  Average = large eggplant or cucumber... But we just saw the paperwork from our 20 week anatomy scan and back then he or she was in the >97% size percentile, soooooo....!?!

Physical symptoms: I honestly can't really remember what happened last week, but week 28 was full of insomnia- I'd get exhausted around 8, try to sleep, fail, and then try again after 1am and eventually succeed... Only to wake up between 5:30am and 7am. #awesomesauce I also vomited twice on Friday morning out of nowhere. On Saturday, E and I walked ~5 miles and then I danced a LOT at my cousin's wedding Saturday night (after Shabbos) and on Sunday morning I could barely walk so... That's cool. Oh and I couldn't fall asleep Saturday night bc my legs hurt so much (from walking, not restless legs!). My arm and neck muscles have also killllllllled all week from driving from Brooklyn to MA to NH to upstate NY to Brooklyn this week. I'm basically 90 years old and no amount of stretching is helping all the aches. 

Weight gain/loss: Oh Gosh. So... My in-laws threw us a baby shower yesterday and went all out in the food direction, so my weight check-in at our doctor appointment today was a little sad. Oh and I'm constipated. So. According to my home scale I was up 22lbs this morning, but the doctor says "almost 30" so... Yikes and whoops.

Maternity clothes: Same- mostly maternity shirts, I now have two denim maternity skirts that I've been living in, but other elastic waist skirts and normal nylons still somehow fit. Maternity dresses or old non-maternity empire waist maxi dresses. And I bought a few tank tops with "shelf bras" to sleep in and they're kind of life savers. I need to get some maternity/nursing bras but I'm gonna push that off for a bit maybe. 

Stretch marks: I think I caught some by my hips in the mirror this morning but was rushing to get to my Dr appt and didn't take the time to investigate...

Sleep: Hahahahaha.... no. Falling asleep is still next to impossible, still thanks to the restless legs. For one or two nights during week 27 it seemed like eating a banana before bed was solving the problem but that hasn't worked since then. The dr took blood to check my iron levels today but didn't seem too impressed with the iron-deficiency-causes-restless-legs theory. And E's aunt who's a midwife-nurse practitioner said that in her experience, even women who take a small dose of ambien or whatever while pregnant say that it doesn't help their restless legs, so... Seems like we're just gonna have to wait this one out. #11moreweeks. 

Also, until this week, once I was finally asleep I was out cold for a good chunk of time... But this week's new trick is that I wake up like 5 hours later, tops, regardless of what time I fall asleep. It's wonderful. #notttt

Best moment since last week: Again, I can't really remember much from week 27, but this week I drove to MA to visit my family. E had to work so I picked him up at the bus station on Friday and we went to NH Friday-Sunday morning for my cousin's wedding Saturday night. 

(This was after my 5 mile walk and dancing all night. A little exhausted! But then we went to the after-party, haha)

Then Sunday morning we headed to upstate NY to E's parents' house for a baby shower!!! His mom is one of 8 kids so a bunch of her sisters and a brother and their kids all made the trip- some from Michigan or NC. My sister-in-law flew in from Chicago and pretty much planned the whole thing and did an amazing job. We got some awesome gifts, including a lamb baby swing, a rock 'n' roll exersaucer, a million onesies an swaddling blankets, the Baby Bullet, some books... Etc. It was awesome. My SIL had games set up- she froze tiny plastic babies in ice cubes and whoever's ice melted first had to yell "my water broke!!" (I had to add "pretend" in there, but only came in second place haha). And there was a matching game for celebrities and baby names. And people decorated disposable diapers with advice or funny sayings or pictures. It was superrrrr cute. I'd post pictures but it gives away the gender... Hmmm. 

It was a really family love-y week. 

Movement: Homeboy or Homegirl is apparently very shy (like me, not E!) bc she or he barely moved this whole week except for when I'd be laying down or occasionally while I was driving. My mom only got to feel the baby kick once and E's family missed it entirely! Today the dr said my placenta is at the top or something, and guessed that I mostly feel the kicks lowwww down below my belly button and he's right. I'll occasionally feel it above my belly button if I'm sitting down but it's rare. This evening, though, back at home, the kid was right back at it, training for the World Cup with some maaaajor kicks. Baby's just shy I guess. 

Cravings/aversions: Bagel with lox and cream cheese, or bagel with eggs and cheese, or sesame chicken with mashed potatoes (except that I ate it tonight for the first time in like 2 weeks and it was weird so that might be over now), and Shirley temples. And kind of chocolate covered raisins. I really like lemonade if it's in front of me but I don't really crave it. I really just want ice water All. The. Time. Oh and there was this tabouli (sp??) at the baby shower that I loved. And E and I both got really into this tortilla chip/green olive/slice of cheese combo yesterday too. That was weird.

Plain Chicken still grosses me out. And most beef. E grilled some chicken at the baby shower yesterday and I ate a few bites bc his parents had bought it for us, but it was hard. 

I really want a root beer. 

Gender: Confirmed!! But Idk if we're going to tell...

Labor signs: Hopefully not anyyytime soon.

Belly button:  Innie but the skin around it is starting to get tight, EXTREMELY tight post-eating, so...

What I miss: Sleep definitely wins #1. I'd love love love like an extra 3 feet worth of internal body space. By 4:30/5pm every day my ribs feel like they're going to crack from the internal pressure. There's just no room. 

What I am looking forward to: Seeing a few friends that are in town this week. Going to Canada for a bit sometime in te next month or two- E's entire family owns a lake cottage up there and E has visited it every summer of his life. :)