33 Weeks

According to What to Expect, BGL is gaining weight almost as fast as I am these days (she is averaging out to about half a pound a week), which puts the grand total so far at more than 4.5 pounds.  She still has plenty of growing up (and out to do), but she's the size of a honeydew melon this month.  She may grow a full inch this week alone and may come close to doubling in weight by her due date.  And, with that much baby inside my uterus now, my amniotic fluid level has maxed out (there's no room for more fluid now).  This explains why her pokes and kicks are sometimes extremely uncomfortable - there's less fluid to cushion the blows!  These uncomfortable pokes and kicks have sometimes happened while I have been talking to people I work with, and it has startled me so much that they have asked if they need to call me an ambulance.  Antibodies are also being passed from me to BGL as she continues to develop her own immune system.  These antibodies will definitely come in handy on the outside and will protect her from many of those playground/daycare germs.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 33 Weeks
Total Weight Gain: 11.5 lbs, but we'll see what happens when I go to my doctor's appt on Thursday.
Sleep: Ugh. It's not getting any better.  I am getting pretty decent sleep until I wake up to go to the bathroom or because my hands are burning and I can't get them to stop. 
Best Moment This Week: My pregnancy massage and seeing Melissa & Pete on Saturday!  Ryan also finished BGL's closet and it looks great!
Movement: Yes, all the time. It's pretty amazing (except when it feels like she's jumping on my bladder). She also gets the hiccups at least once a day.  I even caught it on video this weekend - see below.
Food Cravings: No real cravings this week, I just like to eat.
What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach. My ankles. Hands that don't go numb/start burning every few minutes. My wedding rings!
What I am Looking Forward To: Organizing BGL's nursery this weekend. Let the nesting begin.
Symptoms: The ever-changing belly button (it is barely holding on). Lots of heartburn - thank God for Pepcid Complete. Swollen ankles/feet/hands - The swelling in my feet and ankles has really gotten worse this week. I was able to figure out a way to put my feet up at work, and I am so much more comfortable now. Definitely more tired. Carpal tunnel syndrome - it's getting worse and my hands are pretty much numb and/or burning all the time.  I am still trying really hard to not be miserable because I still have a long ways to go, but these things are getting a bit annoying. I had a bit of a "feel sorry for myself" day on Sunday, but I am trying to put that past me. I am so very thankful that my pregnancy has been relatively smooth and that BGL is healthy, but I will not be sad when these symptoms go away!

The Weekly Bump Picture:

In the first video, she starts moving about halfway through, and in the second video, her movement is mostly all at the beginning.  It's all mostly on the right side of my stomach.  You also don't need sound for the videos - if you turn up the sound, you'll just hear the TV in the background.  I think in the first video, they were running a promotion for Meet the Parents, so they are repeatedly saying "Focker" (which is kind of annoying).