31 Weeks

According to What to Expect, BGL is weighing in at an impressive 3-plus pounds this week.  She still has 3-5 more pounds to gain before delivery though.  She is about 18 inches long and is quickly approaching her birth length.  Also developing at an impressive clip these days are her brain connections.  She is able to put that complex web of brain connections to good use, too - already processing information, tracking light and perceiving signals from all five senses.  She is also a sleepy one, putting in longer stretches of snooze time, specifically in REM sleep - which why I should be noticing more defined patterns of awake (and kicking) and sleeping (quiet) times from BGL. 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 31 Weeks
Total Weight Gain: 11.5 lbs
Sleep: Ugh. It's not getting any better.  Some nights I do get decent sleep in between bathroom breaks, but BGL also seems to think that when I come back from these bathroom breaks it's time to play or she gets the hiccups.  I am sleeping with 2 king-size pillows and that definitely helps me get a little more comfortable, but it's starting to take a lot more effort to turn over and get out of bed.
Best Moment This Week: Spending time with my family for Easter.  We finally finished painting the nursery!!
Movement: Yes, all the time. It's pretty amazing (except when it feels like she's jumping on my bladder).  Oh, and BGL loves to shove her foot (I think) into my ribs these days. 
Food Cravings:  Avocado again - Ryan makes The Best guacamole.  I am finding that I can't eat as much at one sitting now - I guess that could be the fact that BGL is taking up much more room (as evidenced by the picture below).
What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach. My ankles. Not having sausages for fingers when I wake up. Being able to see my feet - my stomach is blocking most of the view now.  My wedding rings!  I have finally retired them - they are just a little too tight, so I figured it'd be best to take them off now before one gets stuck. 
What I am Looking Forward To: Celebrating with our friends and family at my baby shower this weekend!   I am so excited to see everyone!!
Symptoms: The ever-changing belly button (it is barely holding on). Lots of heartburn - thank God for Pepcid Complete. Swollen ankles/feet/hands - Although, this allows me to wear flip flops everyday to work since none of my other shoes fit! I am starting to feel a little more tired, but not nearly as bad as it was in the beginning. Carpal tunnel syndrome - most nights, I wake up with numb/burning hands.  I have started wearing the super sexy wrist braces to bed.  Even though they're ugly, they do seem to help a little bit.  The other day, I was curling my hair and didn't realize that my thumb was touching the barrel of the curling iron (the hot part) because my thumb was numb! Thankfully, it didn't leave a mark. 
The Weekly Bump Picture: